The Simplified Podcast with Emily Ley

Sometimes you look up from your busy life and realize . . . this is not the story you thought would be yours. And without even realizing it, your spirit slid from "Everything is awesome!" to "I'm just getting by." That's what former Miss Kentucky and three-time Amazing Race contestant Mallory Ervin realized one day—and she decided she was going to do something about it. Mallory and Emily talk abou...

Who knows you better than your person? Probably no one! But do they know * everything * about you—and vice versa? Let's find out! Emily's husband Bryan is back on the show for a little Valentine's Day fun. There's plenty of laughs and a few sweet moments as Emily and Bryan trade some of their favorite stories and memories, game show style. (PS: we've got a list of questions they answered on the sh...

Raise your hand if your InstantPot or Slow Cooker has already saved your life this year (spoiler alert: ours are up in the air!). When you're strapped for time or cash, nothing's better than making a big pot of something in one of these kitchen workhorses. Today, Emily's sharing four of her All-Time Favorite meals she makes in the Instant Pot and Slow Cooker (with methods for each appliance!). Fro...

Living with anxiety is . . . well, it's overwhelming. Yet so many of us do, for so many reasons. Some find relief from anxiety when they talk with a therapist, or when they take medication (something that's helped Emily, for sure). Sometimes, anxiety is a tool your body's using to tell you something — that maybe someone has stepped over one of your boundaries, and that's not okay with you. It coul...

Here's something that's hard to admit for so many of us: it can feel like a struggle to care for our bodies in a compassionate way, to listen to what our bodies need and want. So many of us feel ashamed that our bodies don't look a certain way, or we're not able to do things that others can. It's a message that's been fed to us over and over since we were little girls. But what would our mental sp...

This time of year, so many of us resolve to get better with our finances. And the cornerstone of getting good at your money might not be flashy, but it sure is effective: it's knowing how much money you have coming in and how much is going out. That's basically a fancy way of saying "making a budget." And you know what? Even if you're not a "numbers" person, you can make a budget —  and it doesn't...

Welcome to 2022, friends! A fresh start feels good, doesn't it? One of our favorite things to do this time of year to get that "fresh start" feeling inside our homes is to clean out our closets. But if you've got a lot on your plate, don't worry—you don't have to do it all in a day! Small steps make big progress, and Emily's here to show you her tried-and-true method of getting rid of closet clutt...

It's always nice to take a break, but sometimes it feels even better to ease back into our regular routine. As we close our Simplifying 2022 series, Emily has a few tips to help you transition from holiday mode back into your regular life. From setting the mood you want in your home to building rest in your schedule, being intentional and compassionate about the way you return to your "real life"...

The last few years have shown us just how important it is to have rich connections with others—that's especially true of having strong friendships. Before the pandemic, you might've noticed your friendships have changed in shape and number over the year. For a lot of us, these kinds of changes can leave us feeling a little lonely, and even unsure of how to make new friends as an adult. In the thir...

Welcome to Day 2 of our Simplifying 2022 series! As you prep for the new year, you may be thinking through new goals or priorities you want to pursue. When we sit down to plan at Team Simplified, we ask ourselves this question: what matters most to me? We've found that clarifying what matters most to us—whether it's caring for family, carving out time to try a new hobby, or growing our business—cl...

Happy (almost) New Year! Who doesn't love a fresh start? We sure do, and this week, Emily's here every single day until the New Year to give you all the tools and tricks to help you plan your best year yet. Here's the thing: we know you're coming to this episode today from all kinds of different places. You might be ready to take the new year by storm. If that's you, then rock on, sister! But if y...

Some of the sweetest holiday memories can be made over a friendly gingerbread house decorating competition, or watching A Charlie Brown Christmas together every year. But after you've gotten in your favorite traditions, how do you keep the fun going? How do you find things to watch and play that everyone can enjoy without scrolling, scrolling, scrolling on your streaming app, or opening up search...

We often think of the holiday season as the brightest time of year, filled with love and warmth. And for many, that's true. But real life doesn't press pause at the holidays. So many of us are wading through hard things: a relationship on its last legs, a bank account stretched too thin, a problem we a child we don't know how to solve, an empty chair at the holiday table. This season, many of us f...

Books are a gift that go way beyond getting a good story in the moment. They show us worlds beyond our own, that love and joy and hope exist in the most unlikely places, that people who are different from us are kind and good and experience the same feelings we all do. These are fantastic lessons to learn at any age, but especially for kids. Emily's sharing her favorite books for kids, from tales...

One of the most heart-warming parts of the holidays is watching all the ways people bring magic to others, and how different families celebrate the season. Emily and her BFF Kristin share where they're finding holiday magic this year: everything from leaving treats for delivery drivers, watching littles revel in magical moments big and small, giving experiences instead of more stuff, and the tradi...

The holiday season is here, friends! It's a season of joy and celebration—and also a schedule that's a bit more full than usual. The end of the year is always a busy time, and it can be hard to carve a break in the middle of it all. To help you avoid burnout and truly enjoy what the season has to offer, Emily's got four ideas to help you feel like rest is within your grasp. As she says, "I know it...

Even at the holidays, life doesn't stop. Amid the joy and celebration and light, we can still feel the weight of a broken relationship, a financial hardship, a diagnosis you'd give anything to take on yourself instead. It's terribly hard to watch a friend or loved one struggle with a painful experience, but even harder sometimes to know how to give the support they need. This week, Emily's friend...

You've made your gift lists and checked them twice—but do you need more ideas for the people in your life? Emily's here to help! She's sharing gifts to give to people who span across all kinds of ages and relationships: your significant other, your kids (or nieces and nephews!), your parents, your friends and coworkers. You'll learn how to pair a few Simplified items to make an impactful gift, dis...

Happy Holidays, you guys! After months of waiting, the most festive (and busy) time of year is here again. As you ramp up all the fun stuff—the lights, the music, the decorations, the menu and party planning and gift wrapping galore—don't forget: it's not your job to do what you think you're supposed to do to make the holidays merry for everyone. Just do what matters to you and your people, and fo...

It's the most wonderful time of the year—for *clothes.* The knits. The chunky scarves. The adorable boots. When the weather turns cool, it's so fun to get cozy with your wardrobe. But how many times a week do you peek in your closet and think "I have literally nothing to wear"? Actually, you do—you just have too many choices. So let Emily help! This week, Emily's taking a Simplified approach to yo...

If you're a parent, you probably think every single day about how to raise kids who are kind and hopeful, who know how to ask good questions and think critically, and who know how to disagree with someone else respectfully. Sooner than we realize, kids will be adults who make decisions about to run the world, using the tools and stories and lessons they learned first at home. That's why, little by...

Making decisions about money is enough to put anyone on a feelings rollercoaster—especially if you're trying to make decisions with a partner at home or a colleague at work. But as uncomfortable as it is, how you handle your finances plays a role in building the life you want. This week, Emily's kicking off a brand-new series called Simplified Finances, where she'll help you grow more confident ar...

You may have just put mums and pumpkins on your front porch, but here's a poorly-kept secret: it's *never* too early to start planning for the holidays. Emily's got three easy, doable things you can do to start prepping for special meals, gifts, and schedules so you can get some time (and sanity!) back when your calendar starts to fill up soon. Here's the thing: joy isn't found just in the spontan...

In a world that prizes what we do far more than who we are, feeling overwhelmed can feel like the status quo and even validating—while feeling relaxed means you're not working hard enough. But that kind of thinking is wreaking havoc on our bodies and our minds. When our bodies whisper, "I can't do this anymore" and we actually listen, when we set boundaries around what we need instead of piling mo...

"Home" is more than just a place. It's the soft place to land after a hard day, where you can care for yourself and refill your well. Like anything, it takes effort to maintain a home where you can relax—and that includes cleaning it. But who has the time to give *cleaning* a ton of energy when you've got so many other things on your plate? There's a million ways to clean a room, but automating ho...