Hello again!

 I apologize for my lack of posts the past 11 months. We moved in June of 2021 from Louisiana to NY for the summer to stay with family until our house in Rhode Island was available. We moved to Rhode Island in August of 2021 and found out in December we will be heading to Germany in September of this year. Lots of new information and changes!

We have really enjoyed living in New England and exploring. It has been so nice living only a couple hours from family. This fall we had many family visitors here which was so nice and we were able to see some fun New England sites like Plymouth, Salem and Concord, Massachusetts as well as took a day trip by train to NYC at Christmas time which was wonderful! I hope to fill you all in on our adventures we have had!

We still have a couple places in New England we would like to visit before we move in June to NY to stay for the summer while hubby finishes his school here and we move to Germany in the fall. 

But I try not to dwell too much in the future, as it tends to overwhelm and stress me out. Here's to a new year with new adventures and continuing to live simply in the present and make memories along the way. I hope to be more consistent on here while we continue to explore New England,  create summer memories in NY and then head overseas for our new military family adventure.  I hope you join me in my season of adventures!

Tunes I'm loving lately-soundtrack music

My husband recently gifted me Sirius radio for Christmas and I am loving all the new and old tunes country pop rock! Another place I have always loved to find new eclectic music is in tv shows and movies. Before smart phones, I remember going to the movies as a kid and would bring a notebook to write down a song or even the lyrics I remembered and go home and search for them. Some of my favorite songs that I listen to for years have been hidden gems I found from either a tv show or movie I watched. I especially pay attention to movie trailer music too. The songs aren't always in the movie but if they are good I will always remember where I heard them first.

A couple of my all time favorites are:

Fall at your feet by Saint Raymond found in This is Where I Leave you movie

Sweet disposition by Temper Trap found in 500 days of Summer movie

Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars found in Something Borrowed movie

Starlight by Muse from Crazy Stupid Love movie

Moths wings by Passion Pit from Away we go movie 

Between the lines-book review The four winds by Kristin Hannah

 In February I chose The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah for my book of the month club pick. I had recently finished watching Firefly Lane on Netflix which I enjoyed and was based on one of Kristin Hannah's books.  This fall I read The Great Alone, which was another wonderful story by Kristin Hannah. One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction.

The Four Winds is set during the Great Depression in Texas. Elsa, the main character, is such a strong, loyal and heroic mother. The Dust storms wreak havoc on her in laws farm where her family lives so she decides to venture to California for a better life with her son and daughter.

Once in California, Elsa and her family endured tough hardships but their family bond grew even stronger especially between her and her daughter Loreda. I enjoyed reading this book for the historical setting as well as the family relationships and the determined and courageous spirit Elsa exemplified as a mother caring for her family.

I would recommend this book and would love to hear if anyone else has read it and enjoyed it as well!

Simplifying meal plans with grocery pick up and uniform eating

 Meal planning can be a stressful task that can leave you feeling stuck in a rut eating the same meals over and over again. To help alleviate some stress, I designated a certain type of food each day of the week just to bring some structure and less decision fatigue. On Mondays we usually have a chicken dish, Tuesdays taco night, Wednesday pasta night, Thursday leftovers, Friday meatless during lent and breakfast or sandwhich night otherwise and then on the weekends I give myself some flexibility in case we decide to order in or go out to eat.

I don't always follow the same day and food but that sense of structure helps me the main cook of our house and my kids who thrive on structure and routine. They love to know what to expect in their days so this meal plan structure has become second nature to them. What helps is having ingredients for those favorite dishes on hand.

We have been using grocery pickup for about 2.5 years now and it has made grocery shopping and meal planning so much easier. I use Walmart pick up primarily and they save my recently bought items so that I don't really have to make a list, I can just go off my favorites in the app. Seeing I get majority of my household items from amazon subscribe and save, I really just need to worry about food in my pickup which helps and makes the process easier.

Having a weekly uniform of meals, even if they aren't on the same day, has decreased my decision fatigue and made me more excited to look for new recipes to try that my family will enjoy. It takes the pressure off of me to come up with meals when I have a template to go off of. 

( this looked like a great sample meal plan)

If you haven't tried a grocery pick up service, I would definitely recommend it. It saves you time and money as you aren't adding those little impulse purchases not on your list at the store. It also simplifies one of your weekly tasks by giving you flexibility to shop when it works for you!

Simplifying my housework/Cleaning routine

For the past couple of years, I have been using the same weekly cleaning schedule. I enjoy watching YouTube content about cleaning and housework schedules and routines. If I can make life easier and simpler, I am all for it! The youtube inspiration I received helped me create a weekly cleaning routine that gave me the weekends off from cleaning (besides daily tidying and dishes of course!). 

Before this routine, I would clean when my kids were asleep but then I just felt drained and grumpy. Or I would save all my cleaning for the weekends which made me feel like I didn't have much to look forward to when my husband was off and I was knee deep in cleaning. A couple of years ago I decided upon designated days for my cleaning and that has been able to be adapted as we have moved and my kids have been in school.

On Mondays and Thursdays I wash the family's clothes. On Tuesday I wash sheets and towels and any household linens that need a wash. On Wednesday I vacuum/mop and dust as well as meal plan and order groceries or make a grocery list. On Thursdays I usually pick up my groceries after I drop off my daughter at elementary school and before I drop off my son at preschool (there's an hour window) and Fridays I clean the bathrooms. On Saturdays and Sundays I have freedom to play with my kids, relax and or we can decide on an impromptu adventure and I have no guilt that the house is a mess. This Monday-Friday cleaning routine has simplified my life so much. It is now second nature and because we live in a simple minimal life, tidying up daily, even on the weekends, doesn't take much time at all.

I understand that this schedule may not work for everyone but it may be worth thinking about single tasking your cleaning even spending 20-30 minutes a day during the week to make your weekends relaxing and more enjoyable.

Between the Lines book review- This Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs

 I recently finished reading (within 2 days!) Annie F. Downs new book That Sounds Fun. I had previously read her devotional 100 days to brave a couple years ago and enjoyed it. In her new book, Annie talks about how important having a hobby is. In our world, so many people are turning their hobby into a business and then losing that hobby. She talks about how being an amateur is ok and enjoying your hobby whether it be knitting, playing a sport or writing for just how much fun you have doing it can bring so much joy to your life.

I really enjoyed how she talked about her childhood and the pure simple joys we experience then and how when we look book we miss it and she referred to those memories as "Eden".  Cultivating your own "Eden" with your hobbies and surrounding yourself with people who bring out the best instead of drain you of any passion is what fun is all about. 

I would recommend this book to anyone young or old who can sometimes feel nostalgic for their "Eden" moments of childhood. This book was a fresh perspective on enjoying and cultivating fun in your life.

How and why I shop on Poshmark

 I have always enjoyed shopping and getting a good deal on an item. When I started diving more into minimalism and simple living and what truly brings me joy in my day, going into stores when I didn't need anything or browsing on websites aimlessly really left me feeling empty.  I started to become more intentional with my time and what truly brings me joy. Reading books, listening to music, being outside running or walking, cooking a new recipe and being with family and friends are significant mood boosters for me and are sustainable.

Deciding only to shop when I needed something and cutting significantly back on the impulse online and in store purchases brought me to Poshmark. I enjoy shopping second hand for myself and my kids. My kids are growing so fast, it pains me to pay so much for an item they will wear for a season. Poshmark's app is relatively easy to navigate when you create a profile and put in your sizing information for yourself and your kids.

I have been able to sell gently used items of my kids and myself on Poshmark and use that money to buy the next size up for my kids or a new to me pair of jeans for a good 50-70% off retail! The nice thing about Poshmark is you can do it from the luxury of your home, print out the prepaid label and drop it in the mailbox if you are selling. If you are buying, you can offer a lower price then what is listed and your items usually only take a couple days (depending on the world and weather) to get to your home.

I would highly recommend checking out Poshmark for yourself or your kids. It's a great way to shop second hand from your house and save money and shop intentionally.