How Minimalist Could I Live?

As I have said before, I dream of living in a tiny house. With that dream comes the idea that I would have to purge and get rid of a lot. And that makes me wonder....What things would I keep?

An obvious one would be clothes. I have paired down my closet so much but if I needed to, I could get rid of still more. I would hold onto my running clothes, jeans, shorts, and tshirts. For shoes, I would keep running shoes, a pair of flats, and flip flops. Throw in my swim suit and undergarments and we're done!

Now let's think bigger! Furniture. I have a reading chair I would keep, a bed of some sort, table, and chairs. Honestly, I don't think I 'need' much. Appliances. Fridge, stove, oven, small grill, blender, and a coffee pot. Definitely a coffee pot. Technology. I would keep my small tablet/laptop and my cellphone. But I don't know that I would even care about a TV or DVD player. I can stream movies on my laptop, and I don't watch much TV anymore.

Outdoor wise equipment. I love our hammock but I would minimize that to a bag hammock. Also I love my bike but I'm not sure it's a must-have. I like to run more than I like to bike.

When I look around my house and think about what I actually need, I realize that I need so little. I crave the freedom of owning less and having less to take care and less to clean and less to maintain.

What would you keep? What is a need for you? What is a must-have? How minimalist could you live?

Camping, Camping, Camping

My family just recently purchased a small tow behind camper trailer. It was a big addition to our "things" and with it, come other purchases. You must have certain "things" to maintain the "thing". This, in itself, is the major downside to owning this trailer. BUT...... There are so many UPsides!

1. The most exciting part for me is that it is TINY! Finally, I have a tiny house! It is 17 feet long and can sleep our whole family. But in general, there isn't much space. Less space means less stuff. Less space means less time cleaning. For anyone who knows me, they know that I would LOVE to live in a tiny house. Here's my chance! At least on weekends :)
2. Another exciting part is the ability to TRAVEL. No expensive hotel rooms needed when you have your own pull-behind house. We could go anywhere! I also have a dream of visiting every continental state in the US. This could be the way.....
3. For my kids, the most exciting part is the very act of CAMPING! They love going to new parks, just relaxing for the weekend, throwing the football, making smores over an open fire, and sleeping under the stars.
4. Speaking of sleeping under the stars, being in NATURE is an amazing benefit to this trailer. I want to expose my kids to nature as much as possible. This is difficult when you live in suburbia with technology. Kids don't want to unplug to go outside much. My daughter, however, loves going outside, riding her bike, looking at the birds, and finding new rocks. She loves to hike when we go camping. With this new camper, I'm hoping to develop a lifelong love of nature for both my kids.
5. FAMILY TIME will definitely occur in this camper. In such a small space, we will be spending much more time together. No sneaking off to their rooms or building a fort to be alone or separate from the family. Even when you live in the same house, you can still "get away." But not in this camper! 
6. I love being ACTIVE! I can't wait to go visit new parks and DO stuff. I want to go hiking, fishing, canoeing, climbing, star gazing, rock hunting, bird watching, and on and on. And I can't wait to go with my family. Fun, fun, fun!

There are many other awesome parts of owning this camper trailer I could mention, but I believe these are my TOP reasons. We are busy working on learning about how to tow and use our camper and making plans for our first camping trip. I will post again after that trip. My hope is to go camping at least once a month during spring, summer, and fall. Here comes our great adventure!

Morning Routines are Good for Everyone!

I dream of mornings where I can sleep until I wake (no alarm), stretch in bed, get out and put on my slippers, wander downstairs, have a cup of coffee, and take in a nice quiet view of the woods behind my home.

This is not my reality. In fact, I don't know anyone who has this kind of life. My life is busy with children and getting up early and trying to get everyone ready and off to school. This means waking up to alarm, no stretching, and no quiet time with coffee in hand.

However, I have crafted 2 morning routines for my kids and myself in the last few years. And I would say that they are both life-saving and life-giving routines. My kids (and I do also) thrive on routine. Knowing what to do when and knowing what to expect each morning calms the chaos and keeps them on track.

Morning Routine for School Days (KIDS):

My kids know this is what we do every morning.....

1. Mom wakes me up with a Good Morning song.
2. Get dressed
3. Use bathroom
4. Downstairs for breakfast
5. Gather school snack & water bottle
6. Put on shoes
7. Brush hair
8. Back upstairs to brush teeth
9. Jackets & backpacks
10. Out the door!

*A key to this routine is we get up an hour before we need to leave. Yes, it is early and we could do this with less time if we hurried but with more time, we don't rush and the morning is more relaxed.
**Backpacks are usually readied with homework, signed forms, etc. the night before.

Does this always go smoothly and with ease in the morning? Nope. My son can do this routine with his eyes closed and in very little time. My daughter, on the other hand, likes to take her time. So she may play while she gets dressed. Then she may tell me a long story while she eats breakfast. She is my youngest so I give her lots of reminders to help her along in the morning.

My morning routine begins after the kids are off to school. I am fortunate enough to stay home so I have time after they leave. However, if I worked, I would try (really hard) to get up earlier in the mornings to have my routine. It is not long and helps start my day with a calm, happy heart.

Mom's Morning Routine :

1. Healthy breakfast eaten sitting down at my kitchen table
2. Prayer & bible study time
3. Check email / read blogs
4. Write
5. Exercise (yoga, run, strength train)

If I get all of these things accomplished early in my morning, I am in a better mood, calmer, more joyful, more peaceful, and also more energized. On those days where my morning routine is complete (meaning I don't skip a part because of some appointment or obligation), I find I am able to accomplish many more tasks or chores that day. It is an amazing feeling!

So what are your routines? Do you have a morning routine for your kids, but not yourself? Do you have a "plan" but it never actually happens? I would encourage to work toward putting some of that into action. Just start with one thing, like a healthy breakfast. Do that one thing until you feel you can add another. Build up. Just do it!

Sugar = Evil

I know. I know. That is a harsh post heading. But I have found again and again that it is true.

Straight away, I want to clarify. I am NOT talking about fruits or natural sugar found in whole foods. Honey is natural and healthy, although you still may not want to overdo it either.

What I am talking about is: added sugar. When we process foods for sale at the grocery store, we add sugar to ALMOST EVERYTHING!  <-- This is the Truth. Go to your local grocery, pick up any food that is processed (including some meats like ham), and look at the ingredients. Sugar in some form will always be found.

This will be a short post. As I am not going to list the millions of foods that include sugar. You can look here for yourself:   https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/56-different-names-for-sugar

What I will tell you is that when you cut out sugar - all added sugar - from your diet, your body will get healthier and if you need to lose weight, you will. Your body will process insulin better, your blood sugars will stabilize, and your metabolism will gain momentum.

This process does not happen overnight. (unfortunately) Your body will need to detox first. How long does that take? Depends on the body. My advice is to take 30 days and eat NO added sugar (this will also take out most grains.....) and see how your body responds.

I just recently finished a Whole30 in the month of January. I cut out dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol, and soy. I did eat legumes and some popcorn (love love love popcorn), but only occasionally (once a week OR less). My results were phenomenal! I lost weight. I lost inches. But I gained so much more!

I have more energy now. My clothes fit so much better. I feel lighter. I don't have cravings. Did you hear that? I don't have cravings!

My biggest lesson learned from this experience is that Sugar is my nemesis. For me this means I need to keep added sugar and most grains out of my regular diet. Will I have a piece of cake again? Yes. But I need to make that a special treat and not an everyday occurrence.

I challenge you today. Take a look at what you eat. If you have ingredient lists, read them. Find that sugar as I know you will. It can be sneaky and listed in words like dextrose, sucrose, maltodextrin, etc. If you don't know a word, google it!

Eliminate Sugar and your body will thank you!