All posts by chasingsantee

Everything Else

The Sash Bag!

3 Comments

I’m so glad to be writing this much over-due blog post, because I have a new product recommendation that I can’t wait to share!  Spoiler Alert: The Sash Bag was something I had been wanting to try for a few months and now that I have used it daily for over a month I am completely in LOVE with it. Yes, this is going to go in my top all time favorite products ever; I would rate it right up there with my Instant Pot and Marpac sound machines. These are things I can’t live without now that I’ve experienced them. If I am marooned on a desert island, you’ll find me with my sound machine, my Instant Pot and my Sash bag. True story.

First, let me share why handbags have given me so much trouble in the past. I carry a lot of tension in my neck and back, in fact X-rays show my right shoulder is always tensed up which is exacerbated by carrying handbags, backpacks and, for a couple years, the most well-stocked twin-prepped diaper bag in the South Eastern United States. (Carrying those twins simultaneously no doubt also contributed to the abuse of my neck and back. How I wish I knew about baby-wearing at that time).  I lived with neck pain for so long that it became normal and I didn’t even think that the bags I was carrying were contributing to the problem.

Then one day while I was wasting time on Facebook, I came across an ad for the Sash Bag and I was intrigued. To make a long story short, I now have THREE Sash Bags and I can’t imagine ever carrying another bag. (Now, I know what you are thinking, why do I need three? The answer is that I do not need three. I only need one but one was a prize from a contest, one was my big Christmas gift, and the third was a spontaneous and sweet gift from my husband. Can’t complain about that!). I know my review is getting long (what can I say, I love talking/writing) but keep reading, at the end I am going to share a coupon code so that you can save on the Sash Bag!

So let’s get into the actual review of the Sash bag. Each sash bag has an adjustable strap, RFID protection and a total of six roomy sections (the main pockets have pockets within them). There are also six card-slots (I double my cards up) so that you can completely eliminate the need for a wallet all together. At first I was apprehensive of this idea, but I absolutely love not having a wallet. Everything I need is right there and it definitely takes a load off my shoulders! The Sash comes in cloth and leather versions (and even a cool leather/cloth reversible version). Each one is made in India and the lambskin leather is directly sourced from the meat-industry there. The leather feels amazingly-soft and buttery. The three I own are the reversible black and brown leather, the Onyx leather and the turquoise/grey reversible cloth bag. Oh my stars, I love them all but I am so glad I splurged for the leather for my first bag. It’s slightly lighter than the cloth, has a little more give and truly feels like a second skin. I am not exaggerating to say that I forget I am wearing it sometimes. I walk in my house and start cooking only to realize I still have my bag on. You guys think I am joking….I am NOT joking! The design of the bag fits your body perfectly, stacks the weight ergonomically  and you just forget that you are wearing it at all. That’s a far cry from the bags I used to carry….I would drop those things like hot potatoes as soon as I walked through my front door!

Are you already convinced? Click here to check out the Sash Bag

As a mom, there have been times I had to leave my purse in a potentially risky public situation in order to chase after a toddler or deal with a parenting crisis. I bet you have done that too! Or you turn away from your cart and keep darting glances back to make sure no one is trying to swipe your purse, because who wants to carry a clunky handbag while dealing with grocery shopping? These are situations that don’t happen with the Sash bag. I already have to keep my eyes on three children and I don’t need my bag to be another distraction and burden in my life! Thank you Nichole MacDonald (creator of the Sash bag) for making something so life-changing for women!

Other bad habits I no longer do: put my purse on the back of a restaurant chair, put my purse on the floor in a bathroom, put my purse on the passenger seat of the car (I just keep it on while driving), put my purse in the seat of a grocery cart, put my purse on the counter while I am teaching. Suddenly, my life away from home just feels much more simple! Also the Sash Bag makes traveling unbelievably easy! (I’m not a traveler, but there is also room for your passport!).

Bottom-line of this long-winded post: I love my Sash Bags! I am also excited to be a part of the Sash Ambassador program which means I can share a coupon code with my readers. Click here to check out the Sash Bag! If you have any questions about the Sash Bag, let me know!

This post contains affiliate links. 

DIY, Everything Else

My favorite DIY beauty product EVER!

If you know me, you know that my “beauty routine” is super minimalist and I really use only a handful of products. Today I’m going to show you how to make one of my very favorites, and it will take you like five minutes! This is the PERFECT product for holiday gift-giving and is one of the best multi-use items in my stash!

Please note this post contains affiliate links. Today I’m introducing you to Plant Therapy, my favorite Essential Oils Company with great quality standards, careful safety guidelines, unbeatable prices and free, fast shipping each and every time!

Click here for Plant Therapy Essential Oils! 

This sugar scrub is smooth and smells AHHHMAZING. I’ve made this recipe for years but recently discovered a couple tips that make this product even better. You can use any essential oils that you want, but I’ve used Peppermint Oil in the past because of it’s fantastic, invigorating scent. Click here to buy Peppermint Oil, Lavender & Lemon Oil from Plant Therapy. Today I’m using Immune Aid to give my family a little extra immune support during this particular season! Click here to buy this fantastic organic blend for only $9.95 with free shipping!

DIY Essential Oils Sugar Scrub

1 Cup Sugar

1-2 Cups Coconut Oil*

5-10 drops of your favorite Essential Oils

Equipment: Hand or stand mixer, Stainless Steel bowl and spoon, Silicone Squeeze Bottles. (These bottles are what have taken this DIY recipe from a nice handmade product to my very favorite travel-friendly, shower-friendly, convenient product that I can carry anywhere. You can squeeze the sugar scrub right out easily and it works just perfectly. Great for shower, purse, etc. Right now they are only $10 for a 3 pack….awesome deal!)

Step One: Pour your Coconut Oil into a bowl and beat with your mixer for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth and fluffy. (This is what keeps your finished product from separating and gives you the lovely, store-bought beauty product feel!)

Step Two: Next stir in your sugar until combined.

Step Three: Finally, add your essential oils and blend on low until combined (about 15 seconds should do the trick).

Step Four: You’re done! Add your sugar scrub to a shallow, wide glass jar like this or the silicone travel tubes.
Hint, it’s not super easy to add the scrub to the tubes. One sort of easy way is to use a ziplock bag to squeeze it in (cutting off the corner like an icing bag). Just take your time and you will LOVE how easy it is to squeeze the scrub out once you’re done!*

Note: This recipe filled up all three tubes and left at least 3 oz left over

This sugar scrub is awesome for hands, feet and face! I love to keep some by the kitchen sink, in the shower and of course for travel. It’s also the first thing I grab after chopping onions or garlic and I even like to use it on my legs before shaving to prevent ingrown hairs and get a smooth shave. My hubby actually loves this product too! Enjoy!

*IMPORTANT NOTE: Although I have made this recipes tons of times, I have only used the silicone tubes twice. The first time, it worked perfectly but I have just realized that I’m having trouble squeezing out the scrub this time. My suggestion is to increase the amount of coconut oil to get a thinner consistency, particularly at a colder time of year. A squirt of fractionated coconut oil or even olive oil might help make your scrub more squeezable also!

Deal Alert

Deal Alert: Instant Pot 7-in-1 $69.99 Today Only!

This post contains affiliate links!

Today only, the 6 quart 7-in-1 Instant Pot is only $69.99! I didn’t expect to see this price again between now and Black Friday!

I’ve mentioned the Instant Pot about 57 times on this blog, but my point still stands: It’s the best investment I’ve made in a kitchen appliance ever. So much so, that I’ve just purchased a second Instant Pot so that I can have the yogurt option and use both IPs side by side. There are times when I want to make rice in one, meat in the other or simply batch cook a few things at a time. I thought about getting an 8 qt, but ultimately I knew I would appreciate having two interchangeable inner pots more than a bigger size. I can’t wait to make yogurt!

Last night about 4pm, I started having that creeping, dinner-panic because Sundays are usually not planned on our meal planner. We had already eaten out twice over the weekend, and I hadn’t gone grocery shopping so I knew I needed to pull something out of basically nothing.

I opened the pantry and found potatoes and onions that were really nearly at the end of their usefulness. From the fridge I pulled out carrots and celery that certainly weren’t at the peak of freshness. I added some chicken broth, some milk, some garlic and some spices. I sauted the veggies, then added everything else and turned the Instant Pot to manual for 5 minutes. Writing this paragraph basically took longer than making this soup. For the official recipe for leftover-busting Loaded Potato Soup, click here. I didn’t have the broccoli, but, like most of my recipes, this is incredibly forgiving and flexible. It ended up being the perfect October 1st soup, and it saved a whole bunch from being totally wasted!

That’s one of many examples of how the Instant Pot saves dinner, time and again! Click here to get your Instant Pot.

*This post contains affiliate links*

Minimalism

Minimalism Guide by Leah Prescott

4 Comments

Well, I’m struggling to find time to blog ya’ll! If I could just finish any of the MANY posts I have in progress I’d have some great content going on but I just can’t seem to find the time to do any serious writing.

I wanted to make a quick list of my minimalism links just to help keep my content organized. I know there are much better ways of doing this, but with my limited technical skills, we’re going to stick with a simple list! Here are all the blog posts I’ve written on minimalism from most recent to least, including posts I’ve written for other blogs. Although a lot of my other topics mention or link back to minimalism, these are the ones that are truly focused on minimalism topics. Enjoy!

Chasing Santee Minimalism Posts

When You’re Struggling to Minimalize

What am I even doing here? Minimalism in the Trenches

#Mom Goals and Re-learning

Happy New Year: A Minimalist Reflection

The Nightmare Before Christmas

What’s in the Amazon Cart and Mini-Minimalism Victories

Attacking the Attic, Sentimental Items & Joshua Becker

Simplify Your Life Series: Part 1)  Eliminate Excess, Part 2) Assess Needs, Part 3)  Attack Problem Areas

Lessons as a New Minimalist

Minimalism, Menus & Buying in Bulk

Minimalism Journey Ramblings

What if God Wants Less from Me?

Bargain Babe Minimalism Posts

Minimalism Journey & the Lesson I Learned from Lip  Balm

7 Small Ways to Tweak Your Life & Get Instant Pay-offs (This one is more about intentional living, but still very relevant to the minimalist lifestyle)

Have you Heard about Hygge? Get Ready to get Cozy! 

Ring in a Tidy New Year: Post Holiday Declutter Guide!

Minimalist Challenge: No Shop December

Minimalist Gifts for Kids

A Beginner’s Guide to Building a Capsule Wardrobe

Minimalism Month: A 30 Day Pain-free De-clutter Guide!

Dipping a Toe into Minimalism: 7 Simple Ways to Try Minimalism Today

A Shopaholic Learns to Seek Minimalism Part 1

A Shopaholic Learns to Seek Minimalism Part 2

Other Places on the Web

A Spark of Joy is Not Enough

Five Tips for Fighting Family Entitlement This Christmas

9 Easy Ways to Jump Start Your Minimalism Journey

Minimalism: Discovering My Maternal Optimism

How Making My Bed Changed My Summer

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Favorites, Style

SoCal Curls Hairtie Review And Giveaway!

Welcome to ChasingSantee’s very first giveaway courtesy of SoCal Curls.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience!

I love unique, natural, and American made products and SoCal Curls Hairtie is one of my favorite hair discoveries, EVER! Why? It’s heat-free, takes about 90 seconds of effort, and is portable, light-weight & comfortable to wear (also, only $18.99, which is a steal!).  For those who know me, I really don’t want to spend time on my hair, makeup, clothing or general morning routine. But I want to look nice, is that too much to ask? NO IT ISN’T! Here’s how you can get simple beachy curls, without pulling out the damaging (and pricey!) hot styling tools! Woot!

Scroll down for a coupon code that will score you 20% off and FREE SHIPPING!

Step 1: Heat it (microwave: 30 seconds)

Step 2: Wrap it (click here for a video!)

Step 3: Unwrap it (I’m sure ya’ll can figure this out!)

Step 4: Do all the things you need to do in life! Who has time to waste getting ready with everything else you have on your plate!

Click here to see my tips for using SoCal Curls Hairtie with Short Hair!

How it works: I started with second day hair that was a little damp from the shower (not washed, just went along on my head for the ride).  I simply microwaved the band for 30 seconds, wrapped my hair around the tie using these instructions, gave it a light spritz of hair spray and left it in for about 30 minutes. Voila! Beachy waves!

Ready to buy? If you’d like to buy directly from SoCalcurls.com, I’ve got fantastic news! We have a special coupon code just for you that will give you 20% off and FREE SHIPPING! Click here and use code: chasingsantee to take advantage of this awesome offer!

How to customize your curls: Just like any styling tool, there’s a learning curve to using SoCal Curls and, obviously, everyone has a different head of hair. You can customize your results by tweaking the time (even 15 minutes gets some nice waves in my hair), wrapping your hair damp v. dry or using different products like gel, hair spray, or sea salt spray (here’s my favorite- Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray).  Also, you can never go wrong with a spritz of dry shampoo for extra grip (here’s my favorite- Aveeno Dry Shampoo). You will also get different results depending on if you wrap the hair straight up and over the hairtie, or twist as you wrap. Just give it a few tries to find out what works the best for your hair! It might take a bit of experimentation but imagine the time you will save in the long run.

Now, on to the giveaway! I can barely contain my excitement!

What are you giving away?
We are giving away one SoCal Curls Hairtie in Pinup Blue, valued at $18.99. Thank you so much SoCal Curls for making this giveaway possible!

Who Can Enter this sweepstakes?
You must be over 18 years of age and live in the US to be eligible for this giveaway

How do I enter?
Enter below starting on August 1, 2017! The contest will close at the end of the day on August 7, 2017!

How will the winner be chosen?
We will be selecting the winner via Rafflecopter.

How will the winner be notified?
Winner will be announced via Facebook, so be sure to like our page! We will ship your prize within 3-5 business days of receiving your shipping info. Good luck!

Anything else I should know?
Yep, the fine-print stuff: No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning determined by eligible entries.

Disclaimer: I received a free product from SoCal Curls in exchange for my honest review. These are all my own thoughts just as if I were talking to a friend about the product. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shopping, Style

Favorite Summer Shoes! FitFlops!

This post is going to be short & sweet, but I just wanted to quickly share these shoes that I LOVE.

Over the last year or so I’ve realized that I have plantar fasciitis and it’s so annoying! Shoes that I’ve loved in the past are totally not working any more. The strange thing about PF pain, is that even shoes that feel comfy when I’m wearing them, wind up causing pain later on. Even stranger, oftentimes my feet start hurting more when I am sitting or laying down then they did when I walked around all day. If you have pain in your heel, or pain that is worse when you are off your feet like I just described, you might have PF. Something easy you can do to alleviate the pain is to freeze a bottle of water and roll it under your foot. It works!

I have tried so many shoes lately and most of them have failed the test, but these FitFlops have quickly become my feet’s BFFs. I love how they feel when I walk, sit, stand and even later when I lay down to go to bed, my feet don’t hurt! It’s amazing!

Click here for the FitFlop Flare Slides!

There are so many styles to choose from and I can’t wait to replace more of my shoes with FitFlops! Click here for their entire collection on Amazon.

In case you didn’t realize, Fitflops makes more than just flip flops! There are some really cute flats and clogs also that I would love to get for Fall. Have you found shoes that help your Plantar Fasciitis? Please let me know what works for you!

This post contains affiliate links. 

Deal Alert, Family

All the BEST deals for Amazon Prime Day!

The following post contains affiliate links. 

Hi everyone!

Even though most of you know I’m more of a Minimalist these days, I still consider deal hunting one of my favorite sports. When I do make purchases, I want them to be the best items at the best possible prices! I’ve spent a couple hours checking out most of the deals available today for Prime Day, and I’m here to share the best I have found, so keep reading for the deal scoop!

8 Quart Instant Pot $89.99

Ya’ll know that I looooove my Instant Pot and this model is bigger and better than mine! $89.99 is absolutely the best price on record and I doubt we will see it again until (maybe) Black Friday. If you are remotely interested in an Instant Pot, now is your chance!

Great Shoes for the whole Family!

There are some awesome shoe deals available for the entire family! Click here for athletic and outdoor shoes up to 50% off! Check out the selection, including great brands like Keen, New Balance, Adidas, Saucony, Skechers, Teva and more!

Jeans for the Whole Family!

Even though I tend to buy a lot of our jeans at the thrift stores, these deals are awesome and start at only $3.87! Brands include True Religion, Lucky Jeans, Levis, Lees and my very favorite brand, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ). Get stocked up for the back to school season, before the shopping rush is on!

There are so many deals today that I truly don’t have time to list them, but I suggest clicking through and taking a look for yourself! 

Minimalism

When you’re struggling to minimalize

4 Comments

I received an email from a reader (yes, I am excited. It’s my first legit email from a reader) who was struggling with making minimalist changes after reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. She asked if I had any advice, and here is my response to her.

Keep on with “less”

Don’t give up! It’s a process, I’m not there yet by any stretch and I’m still sometimes tempted to shop or make regrettable purchases. (Frankly, I’ve been tempted quite a bit this summer). Still, the mindset shift is what has been most life changing for us. The results will continue to come, slowly but surely.

Everyone is different, your goals will be different and your reasons for decluttering (or hoarding/over-shopping, etc) are different also. So you need to evaluate your reading materials based on your goals. Marie Kondo is my least favorite of all the minimalism books I have read. It wasn’t worthless by any stretch but I have come to think she is not a true minimalist at all and her main tenant (spark of joy) truly didn’t work for me.

A Spark of Change

I had to come to realize that the joy I needed to seek was completely apart from any material possessions. Obsessing over “stuff” and which item is more perfect for my needs was my MO, even though it went completely against my core belief system and values. Once I realized that my daily lifestyle and how I was spending my time didn’t jive with my deepest heartfelt convictions, was when I got truly serious about making a change. The More of Less by Joshua Becker is my favorite book on this topic. It’s incredibly life-changing, v. Marie Kondo being house-changing, if that makes sense. Totally different perspectives.  Here is his website if you’d prefer some quick-read articles with the same gentle encouragement. He’s wonderful.

Faith & Minimalism

Ultimately, my faith in God is one of the reasons I have become so passionate about this topic. I want to spend my time on things that have eternal value v. temporal possessions that will become dust sooner or later. And part of this struggle for me is my personality. I find myself easily overwhelmed and distracted. The clutter, the stuff, the responsibility of unneeded possessions was weighing heavily on me. And my entire family was feeling the strain.

Aggressive Progress

For weeks I would complete purging and decluttering projects every single day. Even when I was busy, I’d go through a drawer while dinner was on the stove or clean out a closet as I dealt with the laundry. When my son was in the bath I’d attack the bathroom drawers and cabinets. While watching TV I’d sort through bins of toys. Every spare moment I would devote to pursuit of the final goal. Which incidentally I have yet to reach: I want to be able to take a photo of each space in my home, every tiny nook, and share it on social media. I want to know that I have recently evaluated every possession and deemed it worthy of keeping. That’s quite a proposal for me, a messy shopaholic with poor organization skills. And I’m not there yet, but I’m way, way closer.

Results

The more possessions I unload and the more deals I pass by, the lighter these burdens feel. The more I find myself able to focus on the things that I am passionate about. For the first time, I feel like I am capable of basic household maintenance on the daily. It’s working. My counters are clear and my mind is less chaotic. I can’t think of a single drawback that I have encountered other than a few awkward conversations when I try to explain why deals don’t thrill me the way they used to.

Maintaining a Minimalist Mindset

The typical consumer mindset has been fed by years and years of commercialism and profit-driven societal-standards. Changing this perspective requires some persistence and intentionality. It helps me to continue to watch vloggers, follow groups and websites and constantly check out more books on the topic of minimalism, simplicity, hygge, slowing down, faith, and similar topics that fall into this group I’m placing myself into. It’s a pursuit that doesn’t really end. There’s more we each have to learn.

I feel I’ve gotten off on a tangent, and I apologize but your message sparked reminders for me of why I’m happy with my direction and where I came from. I don’t want to be the girl who is always stopping by the thrift store or stalking the clearance shelves. I am not that girl anymore! Good luck on your minimalist journey! No matter how you approach it, I’m convinced you will be happier as a result.

 

Minimalism

What am I even doing here? Minimalism in the trenches.

2 Comments

Good morning! I wanted to quickly give an update on what I’ve been doing lately and where the blog is going. We have just wrapped up our homeschooling year and are looking forward to summer! It’s already hot as blue blazes around here, so I admit there has already been a good bit of water play and swimming which has been a welcome relief. We still have some math to complete over the summer but my two girls are now officially 5th graders and my wild little man is going to be in 5K. I can’t believe it! Each year of homeschooling has brought new challenges and I admit sometimes I do not feel equipped to do this job. However, for the time being I feel like this is where we are supposed to be. It’s hard but I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

When I rebranded the blog last year, I was uncertain of my direction. I was still focusing on deal alerts and was only in the first stages of what has become a big life change of simplifying, editing, and re-focusing. When I chose the name, I chose something that has deep significance to me, but I had no idea what a perfect choice it would turn out to be. Once I realized I wanted to pursue minimalism, it all started to click into place. Santee was absolutely and by far the most minimalist and simple place I’ve called home and it was the most peaceful oasis I have ever found. I love that my direction and blog home have merged into a very concise journey of simplicity and minimalism.

However, as often as minimalism is the focus of my posts, I want to make one thing very clear. Minimalism is merely a tool that I am using to reach my goals. Minimalism is not the end-game, not by a long shot. I talk and share about minimalism because cutting out the excess in my life has allowed me to have freedom and better focus on what is very important to me. My goal is to love God and love others. To seek His will for my life. To raise my children in the knowledge of Christ. To build a marriage based on a common goal of obedience to our Savior. So every tip, life hack, 10 ten list, or recipe I share is only a tiny effort to make more room in my life for what really matters.  And that’s what I want for my readers as well.

Psalm 73:25-26

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Thanks for being here! I hope you stick around; it’s going to be a great summer!

Everything Else, Minimalism

#momgoals and re-learning

2 Comments

We are taught as kids that we should have high lofty goals for our careers and futures. We are encouraged to “reach for the stars”. You can be anything you want to be and do anything you want to do! If you work hard you can succeed. Awesome, right? The American dream is still alive today!

Yet once we start a family, we are bombarded with a completely different message:
“Find a new comfort zone.”
“Survival mode is normal, and lasts for 18 years.”
“Lower your standards.”
“Your house will never be clean again”
“If you’re sleep-deprived, nutrient-robbed and have no time to yourself, you are doing it right”.

Part of being a parent is realizing that it may not be possible to reach your goals (or that the ultimate goal of nurturing a family is more important than some personal goals we may have). A lot of my “progress” as a mom for the first few years was basically making peace with lowering my own standards. (I am a natural perfectionist and I do struggle with pride). After all, moms can’t have it all (indeed, no one can). Houses will be messy, bedtimes will be late, meals will be torture. That’s what we learn as a mom.

What if all of that is a distortion of the truth?

First, let’s look back on America’s generations before us, say pre-WW2 and earlier. How was parenting different back then? I’m sure there were lots of differences but just a couple stand out immediately to me. First, there was a supportive family structure in place for most young families. Parents were more likely to be living close to Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents. It was normal and accepted that the “village” would help in child-rearing. Not to mention, most parents were simply not spread as thin between career and family.

Secondly, consumerism hadn’t taken hold of our culture. Instead of being bombarded with empty advertisements and sometimes dangerous “health” tips from a corrupt pharmaceutical industry, parents would get advice, for the most part, from the previous generation and raise their children accordingly. I can only assume there was less guilt and pressure for the most part…was the neighbor silently judging you over your fence as pervasive as the ever-present “mom wars” are today? I imagine not.

Now, I have to say right here that I understand that the above is dramatically over-simplified. I try not to look back on America’s history with rose-colored glasses, although I do sometimes feel envious of the simplicity of the past. I do know that social patterns are far more nuanced than I am describing and I have not researched these statements. Still, I think the two points stand: for the most part, there was a closer extended family unit and individuals were not bombarded with commercial messages and a corporate agenda to the extent we are now.  So how does that affect the way we approach our lives as parents?

I used to think I wasn’t exactly affected by commercialism. Because I never picked up the phone to order from an infomercial, I didn’t subscribe to popular magazines, and I wasn’t likely to buy the latest thing from the mall. It’s only since I have started to work toward minimalism that I realized I was affected by commercialism in a far more subtle way.

I truly and sometimes literally bought the idea that MORE was better and that success was defined by a large house, plenty of amenities, disposable income, and carefree consumerism. This is hard to admit,  because my own family has always been frugal and thrifty and in so many ways challenged the status quo. For me this dichotomy translated into a bargain-hunting version of shopaholic lifestyle. So I would try to emulate the lifestyle of excess in a second-hand, clearance rack, bargain basement way. It worked pretty well, I was able to find most of the latest and greatest at a fraction of retail. But I missed the fact that I was still buying the lie. 

More stuff doesn’t make us happier. It didn’t make me happier and it won’t make you happier. For most of us, more stuff, better stuff, nicer stuff and upgraded stuff does not make our existence easier or life burdens easier to bear. It simply adds more chaos, noise, and confusion to an already complicated existence. And it perpetuates this dangerous lie to our children that collections and accumulation leads to a better life. I am working hard to end this deception in our home and I know our lives will be better for it.

Are you ready to make a change? Read more about our journey to Minimalism. 

Everything Else

The Ultimate Guide to Rock-Painting

2 Comments

Welcome to the world of rock painting! My family is new to this hobby but we are happy to share what we’ve learned so far and hope you will comment with any ideas or products you’ve had success with!

First of all, if you haven’t heard much about rock painting or wonder what exactly we are talking about, check out this week’s article from Martha Stewart!

If you’ve followed my blog at all, you know I am pursuing minimalism with a passion, and consequently I’m pretty choosy about starting new hobbies or collections. Rock painting fits PERFECTLY into the minimalism lifestyle. The best part of this hobby is that the art is shared instead of hoarded, and each rock is created to be a blessing to the community. I love that!

So let’s get to the specifics of rock painting, are you ready? Here is what you will need:

Rocks: “River Rocks” are usually what you want, because the surface will be nice and smooth to apply paint or markers. The Dollar Tree sells small bags of smooth black rocks that work well and are an easy way to start out. I’m looking for a good local source currently. These rocks on Amazon look like a good price for the weight. 

Paint: Most acrylic paint should work fine for painting rocks. We used whatever we have on hand for solid colors including craft paint, spray paint and leftover paint samples from the hardware store. My daughters can free-hand well with fine paintbrushes; but for someone like me, (who is artistically challenged) I needed something more user friendly. Which is why we ordered markers…

Markers: These markers by Uni-Posca are AMAZING for rocks! The color is so vibrant, the tip perfect for fine details and it’s pretty quick drying as well. The colors even layer well, with just a brief drying in between. This makes it easy to draw and write on even the smallest rocks.

Rock ID tag: If you are part of our Facebook page, you will want to tag your rock so that it can be shared and re-shared. Click here to download the labels for free! (For smaller rocks these will need to be trimmed to size).

Sealing Spray: The most important step is to waterproof your rocks before you leave them out in the weather. There are lots of clear spray products that will work for this, such as Mod Podge Spray or Krylon Clear Coat Spray. A few light coats should do the trick. You will be ready to hide just as soon as these have dried!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. 

 

Everything Else, Favorites, Minimalism

Friday Favorites March Edition

It’s been a while since I have done a Friday Favorites, but I do a have a few new fun things that we are loving lately. Things have been super busy for work and homeschooling and my personal blogging has been put on the back burner, but I don’t want to leave it there! I only have a few minutes to create this post, so let’s get right to it. This post will contain affiliate links for your convenience! Don’t worry, it’s not all stuff!

Organic Mascara: I asked for this Organic Mascara (Endlessly Beautiful) for Christmas and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a bit pricey for me, but I have a really hard time with mascara irritating my eyes and have tried many brands. This is a nice, basic black mascara that is by far the gentlest I have found (better than Neutrogena, Almay, and Physician’s Formula). This doesn’t have some of the amazing features of drug-store brands (no extra crazy length or super waterproof coating) but it goes on nicely and stays well. Mostly, I am happy that I am not rubbing it off, so if you have sensitive eyes, I would recommend it.

The God-Centered Mom Podcast–I’m ridiculously late to the Podcast Party, but I’ve recently been catching up and mostly choosing minimalist topics. But my friend recommended The God-Centered Mom Podcast and it’s been fantastic. The handful of episodes I have listened to have been incredibly thought-provoking and relevant to where I am right now as a Christian mom and wife! I am still processing the last episode I heard about “Smiling Depression”. If you have ever struggled with shame or perfectionism I think this will really interest you. Thanks Susan for letting me know about The God-Centered Mom!

A Streamlined wardrobe. I am loving my simplified wardrobe. I have not made the transition to a true capsule wardrobe. However, I am trying to move in that direction slowly, with practical steps. I have cleaned out my closet in phases so that after each purge my clothing becomes more “me”, more simple, and more functional. I’m loving it. I have been forcing myself to experiment with monochromatic choices and it has been surprisingly helpful. Just another way of cutting out decision fatigue in my life! Specifically, I purchased a couple of these soft and comfy tees in grey and black and have been wearing them weekly. 

Just one purse. I had no idea the bags I owned were really complicating my life until I got rid of them. I knew that I had neck and back issues so I decided to eliminate all of my heavy bags (even though they tend to be *nicer*: Goodbye to my lovely leather Michael Kors tote!). Also, I realized the patterned bags were just to difficult to match (Vera Bradley, I’m looking at you). Plus switching bags by mood or color was causing the clutter to build up and receipts to become lost. Guess what? I don’t miss those bags a bit! I received a lightweight Thirty-One hipster for my birthday last summer and have used it every day. Recently, I decided to make one more handbag purchase keeping in mind my vow for embracing neutrals: the Houndstooth print Kavu rope bag. The compartments of this bag have taken me a little time to get used to, but I LOVE how light and comfortable it is. It feels almost strangely light on my back compared to a shoulder bag with the same contents! It’s obviously a casual bag, but it was time for me to admit that 99.99% of my time I am dressing casually, and HELLO!? there is nothing wrong with that!

Our evening routine: For the first time as a mom, I feel like our evenings (and mornings for the most part) are truly productive and we have formed actual habits instead of forcing ourselves through painful routines that just never became second-nature. Although I can’t completely explain how this process has been crystallized I will tell you it has 100% been about simplicity and mindfulness and all began by eliminating excess in every room of our home. Just embracing the idea that motherhood does not have to be a series of complete failures and looking for actual solutions to the problems has been revolutionary for me! It has become blissfully simple to leave our house neat each morning and go to bed with everything (at least in the living areas) in their proper place. I will try to blog more about this later! Right now, I just really intend this to be an encouragement. As moms, sometimes we don’t need to hear over and over: “it’s normal, everyone struggles like this, don’t strive for perfection”. Sometimes we need to hear, “Being a mom is hard. Look for the best way to succeed as a mom and work for it”. That’s what I am telling myself from now on.

Ellie Holcomb– Music used to be a huge part of my day…. when I had my days virtually to myself. Now there is so much NOISE that I often hesitate to add to the audible clutter by turning on anything. But I realized that I missed inspirational Christian music, so I was pulling out my old CDs from the 90’s. Then a friend on facebook suggested Ellie Holcomb (thank you Rebecca!) and I have got to tell you that I AM HOOKED. She has a beautiful voice and a wonderful message that I really relate to. Here is one of her music videos, but I have been listening to Ellie for free using Spotify! Click here for her Album Red Sea Road.

That’s it for now! Have a wonderful weekend!