Simple Families

If you are striving to simplify the holidays this year, take a listen to my chat with three of my favorite minimalist mamas, Erica Layne from The Life on Purpose Movement, Zoë Kim from Raising Simple, and Rachelle Crawford from Abundant Life with Less. Between the four of us, we have 12 kids under age 14. But we carved time out to grab a virtual coffee (or tea) as we talked about simplifying all t...

Some days I feel like every mother I know is ridden with stress and overwhelm. This type of parenthood seems to be slowly becoming the norm. In today’s episode (episode 178) we are talking about what happens when your cup overflows. When your cup overflows the contents spill out and splash on the people who are nearest and dearest to you. What’s splashing out of your cup? Happiness? Gratitude? Str...

I really don’t know much about art, but I’m learning. One thing I know for sure is that art is important, for kids and adults alike. Today I’m chatting with author Meri Cherry about art + kids. The tagline on her book “Creative Activities and Projects that Inspire Confidence, Creativity, and Connection” got me thinking. Giving our children opportunities for art isn’t just about encouraging a futur...

In honor of my birthday week, I’m bringing you a casual conversation with my husband David. It’s his first appearance on the podcast and we are talking all things love, marriage, and parenting. The post SFP 176: Conversation With My Husband appeared first on Simple Families.

Parenting an early bloomer comes with its own set of challenges. Those of us who have precocious children know this well. Today, we are discussing the ins and outs of early blooming from a child development perspective. And I’m sharing more about my personal experience parenting an early bloomer and being an early bloomer myself. The post SFP 175: Early Bloomers appeared first on Simple Families.

Right now, I’m tired. We just returned from a two-week international trip with our family. Today I’m sharing all the details: the plans, the obstacles, dealing with jet lag, letting go of expectations, and why we keep doing it. Show Notes/Links: Packing videos on Instagram Saccharomyces Boulardii (to prevent travel’s diarrhea) The post SFP 174: Ambitious Travel with Kids appeared first on Simple F...

When it comes to kids, buying more sustainably can feel intimidating. If you are unsure of where to start or how to prioritize, we are chatting more about this today. Our guest is Brendan Synnott, the CEO of Pact, and he’s bringing us insight on the sustainable fashion industry, organic cotton, and what he’s doing with his own family. *This episode is not sponsored by Pact and does not contain aff...

Life with young children is always evolving. The way we spend our time changes too. Finding the right balance that works for each of us is incredibly important. The way I spend my time is going to look very different from the way that you spend yours. In today’s episode, I am sharing what a typical day looks like in our house–right now. It could change next week, next month, or next year. Life is...

Have you started talking to your kids about money? Money can be a taboo topic, even within families. In today’s episode I’m chatting with Liz Frazier Peck author of Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands: How to Teach Young Kids About Finance (and They’re Never Too Young). SHOW NOTES/LINKS: Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands: How to Teach Young Kids About Finance (and They’re Never Too Young). How to Talk t...

Is there such a thing as overly-responsive parenting? I believe so. Early in parenthood I found myself being a mindreader. It is important to be in tune with our kids’ needs, but we also need to give them the opportunity to step up and advocate for themselves. The post SFP 170: Overly-Responsive Parenting? appeared first on Simple Families.

Do your kids have too many toys? When it comes to toys, there is no perfect number. But in today’s episode we are talking about why children don’t need a lot of toys. Having an abundance of toys is not only unnecessary but could be harmful. We are talking about all that and more. The post SFP 169: Too Many Toys? appeared first on Simple Families.

Life gets busy. Sometimes it gets hard to make time for the simple things–like taking your kids for a walk in nature. But the value of the free and simple things should never be underestimated. Today, I’m sharing my favorite strategies for hiking with kids and the immense (yet not-so-obvious) benefits for the whole family. Show Notes/Links: Episode 90, There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather with Lin...

In today’s episode, we are discussing the 5 Love Languages as they pertain to children. I am joined by Diane Debrover, the Deputy Editor of Parents Magazine where we talk through each of the Love Languages and explore how they show up in children. Spoiler alert: I’ve got my reservations about the Love Language of gifts. Show Notes/Links: Article on Parents.com The 5 Love Languages of Children: The...

Summer is supposed to be relaxing, yet I have found that this summer we’ve had a lot of transition, a lot of change, and my brain has been very busy. Therefore, today’s episode is dedicated to just that: We’re talking about the “Tip of the Iceberg” and brain busyness. The post SFP 166: The Tip of The Iceberg (Brain Busyness) appeared first on Simple Families.

Today I’m chatting with Jane Monnier about her journey towards reducing mental and physical clutter. Jane is a longtime member of the Simple Families Community. She’s also is a rocket-scientist-turned-military-wife-and-mother who has lived around the world with her family. I think you will enjoy Jane’s wisdom in this episode! (Full episode transcription below). Show Notes/Links: The Mental Unload...

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Rich Karlgaard, Publisher of Forbes Magazine, about his new book Late Bloomers. Rich is a self-proclaimed late bloomer. He’s sharing more of his story along with some research that will give fellow parents of late bloomers some piece of mind. Show Notes/Links The Book: Late Bloomers Rich’s Website Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset The post SFP 164: Late Bloomers [w...

It happens. All kids will use less-than-desirable language as they are growing up. Whether its potty words or outright profanity, we all deal with this as parents. Today I’m reflecting on how we’ve been managing it in our house–including what is working and what is not working. Hi, there it's episode 163. And today we're talking about kids using bad words and not just necessarily profanity, but ju...

I recently went through and did a huge book overhaul. I got rid of all the “twaddle” in favor of prioritizing high quality, well-written children’s books. To quote today’s guest Emily Cook, “well-read children will grow into well-read adults”. In this episode, Emily and I talk about reading aloud and choosing great books for our children. Show Notes/Links: (Our new fairytale books) Atlas of Classi...

It’s officially book launch week! In today’s episode I am sharing more about the publishing process behind Simple Happy Parenting, along with my goals and hopes for the book and what exactly I am afraid of. The post SFP 161: Behind-The-Scenes appeared first on Simple Families.

There is a fine line between selfishness and selflessness in parenthood. In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Hunter Clarke-Fields of Mindful Mama Mentor. We talking about martyrdom in motherhood and how trying to be-it-all and do-it-all is not actually the best thing for kids. This is an important message for every parent. SHOW NOTES/SHOW LINKS: Facebook: Hunter Clarke-Fields, Mindful Mama Mento...

Slow living with kids…what does that look like? Frankly, the days can feel painfully slow. But sometimes they can be delightful. What gives? Today we are talking about shifting toward a slower lifestyle and what that looks like with family life. Finding a balance between structured and unstructured family time can help us find more happiness in parenthood. Show Notes/Links: Preorder Simple Happy P...

I get to be on the other side of the table today! In today’s episode, I am being interviewed by the host of Minimalish, Desirae Endrees. I had the pleasure of being a guest on Minimalish last week and I loved our chat so much that I wanted to re-air this episode for you on Simple Families. In this episode, I’m talking about how Simple Families got started (and about the other blog I had before Sim...

In today’s episode I am sharing more about our decision to homeschool. Homeschool was never in the plans for our family, so I will tell you more about our decision to go down this path. I’m also sharing some of the vital pieces in making this process successful for our family. Hint: It doesn’t involve me doing-it-all and being-it-all. Show Notes/Links: Oak Meadow All About Reading Wild + Free The...

Changing your mindset and finding joy usually doesn’t happen overnight. Baby steps, right? In today’s episode, I am chatting with authors and happiness experts Marc and Angel Chernoff. We’ll explore the small ways we can increase happiness and life a more intentional life. Show Notes/Links: Marc and Angel’s Website: Marc & Angel Hack Life Find them on Instagram + Facebook New Book: 1000+ Little Th...

On the podcast today I am reading the first chapter of my new book, Simple Happy Parenting: The Secret of Less for Calmer Parents and Happier Kids. Show Notes/Links: Preorder the book: Simple Happy Parenting Grab your spot in The Masterclass The post SFP 155: Simple Happy Parenting [The First Chapter of My New Book] appeared first on Simple Families.