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Lately, I’ve been aching to get away. While I lo

Lately, I’ve been aching to get away. While I love our home and farm more than I’ve ever loved a home, I miss the sea. The sound of it. The smell of it. The calmness I feel when I’m in front of it. We’re overdue for a visit. Soon, I hope.

Introducing Duke. We’ve been waiting so long for

Introducing Duke. We’ve been waiting so long for him and we are all totally smitten.

Good morning from our kitchen. One of my personal

Good morning from our kitchen. One of my personal goals this year is to level up my sourdough baking. So, this past weekend, I took the first step by diving into the @sourdoughschoolhouse online courses. I have to tell you, I’m hooked! I was so excited to try all the things I’d learned in just the first few lessons that I may have overdone it with sourdough scones, sourdough bread AND sourdough buttermilk pancakes all in less than 24 hours but my family didn’t seem to mind. 😆 After just an hour of classes, I was able to solve some of the issues I’d been struggling with for the past year. Total game changer for me. So, tell me, have you thought about trying your hand at sourdough? Have you ever tried it and felt discouraged or overwhelmed? Perhaps you make sourdough already but want to take it up a notch? Please feel free to comment below or message me with your sourdough questions. I’m here for you, friend, and will do my best to answer any questions you might have about sourdough in general or the Sourdough Schoolhouse courses. (I’ll post more from my weekend baking in stories as well as a link to my recent blog article where I share my sourdough journey AND my Sourdough Schoolhouse discount code!)

My flower child. Santa brought her flower seeds in

My flower child. Santa brought her flower seeds in her stocking this year, at her request. She also asked for her very own raised bed in the garden, to which we happily obliged. This week, I’ll begin sowing in the greenhouse. New seedlings. New energy. New anticipation for the garden I’m hopeful I can grow.

I want them to be kind, compassionate, rooted indi

I want them to be kind, compassionate, rooted individuals who are strong and capable and intelligent. And this desire molds how I spend nearly every waking hour of every day. That, in a nutshell, is motherhood.

Here comes the sun. It’s alright. My mama gift

Here comes the sun. It’s alright.

My mama gifted me this gorgeous wicker platter that she found at one of her thrift stores and I absolutely adore it. I love items like this that can be displayed when not in use.

Growing and cultivating a garden is very sentiment

Growing and cultivating a garden is very sentimental to me. As a child, I have lovely memories of my grandmother’s joy of flower gardening. She lived directly across the street from my elementary school and when I would miss my bus, I’d walk to her house and she would welcome me with a big hug, sit me down for cookies and milk, and then we’d walk me around her backyard and water her beautiful rose bushes and other blooms.

So, it’s no surprise that a space to cultivate a big garden is a dream of mine. One with a maze of raised beds, archways and gravel paths large enough to pull a wagon through to haul away bountiful harvests. A place with a sitting area to retreat to when I needed a few moments to myself. The garden I’d cherish the rest of my days. And my husband, bless his heart, is making my dream a reality right now.

2020 was a trial year for our gardens. It gave us time to evaluate the land and soil as well as track the sun to determine the best placement for the garden my husband is building me now. 2021 is all about mindful gardening so I’m spending these cold dreary winter days dreaming and planning. This year, I’ve spent a lot of time organizing seeds and journaling all the details, including indoor and outdoor sow dates, growing conditions needed, and harvest dates. This week, I’m looking forward to planning how each bed will be laid out. Goodness, I’m so excited! Is it spring yet? (I will share more about my and Maddie’s garden planning in stories today.)

Our sweet Henry James turned four yesterday. This

Our sweet Henry James turned four yesterday. This was such a transformational year for him in so many beautiful ways and we loved celebrating him. Our rainbow baby after many storms, we are so grateful for you.

Since moving to our new home nearly a year ago, I’ve established some slow-living rituals that help me stay calm and grounded. From my first cup of morning coffee, to baking bread, to evening crocheting and crafting with my kids, these small moments help me to breathe more deeply and move about my day in a more mindful manner. We’ve also worked hard to create a living space that is warm, inviting, comfortable and calm. I no longer crave a cookie cutter magazine-worthy home. I prefer a home that embraces my family each time we walk through her front door. One that is old but sturdy and invites you in to stay a while. One we never want to leave. Our new house and land is just that to us. Some would call it hygge. We call it home. And it continues to enrich our lives in new ways, even a year later.

We’ve leaned into this new way of living. We’

We’ve leaned into this new way of living. We’ve chosen a slower, more intentional, more forgiving, more patient path than we’d ever ventured before. Our children embraced our new home and land and lifestyle with open arms, and we felt it imperative to involve them every step of the way. They helped build our chicken coop, make barn doors, chop wood, raise chicks, bring our lambs home, and are involved in the daily care and feedings of all the animals. They clean each animal enclosure with us every week and are front and center caring for an injured animal or providing preventative care. They give the animals more love and attention than either of us could have ever imagined (and probably a bit more than the animals prefer!) And so 2020 was the beginning of our homesteading journey.

New beginnings. A fresh start. A clean slate. Hope

New beginnings. A fresh start. A clean slate. Hope. Happy New Year, friends. It’s 2021 and I’m here 🙌🏻 for 🙌🏻 it. 🙌🏻

I’m craving books more and more lately. The smell. The feel of them in my hands. Getting lost in the story and the writing. I miss reading. Before children, I loved historical fiction and would read a book or two a week, often staying up until the early hours of the morning. So, one of my personal resolutions this year is to read again. I know I won’t be able to read like I used to. My children would never allow that! But even some quiet pauses to enjoy a chapter a day would be so lovely. Some favorites I remember from my twenties that I am excited to read again are The Red Tent, Pillars of the Earth, and The Other Boleyn Girl. What are your favorites that I must read? I’d love it if you’d leave them in the comments.

Well, friends. This is my last post of 2020. I’v

Well, friends. This is my last post of 2020. I’ve loved sharing our journey with you this year. I hope that I’ve made you smile from time to time or perhaps inspired you to do something that resonates with your soul or prioritizes your well-being in a meaningful way. Whatever the case, thank you for being present with me and supporting my family on our journey to live in a way that is more authentic to us. I wish you a happy and healthy New Year. Oh, and one more thing. Don’t forget to hug a sheep today.

The next couple days, I’ll dedicate time to buil

The next couple days, I’ll dedicate time to building lesson plans for the upcoming months of homeschool. I’m so excited for the new study packs, science units, history lessons and all the new books I will introduce to the kids (and you) over the next couple months! Honestly, I’m almost giddy about it! This image was taken after a nature walk out on our back trails. I found the clipboards, twine and clothes pins at @michaelsstores. I’ll add a story swipeup to the magnifying glass (or if you follow my Amazing affiliate page, you have quick access to it). I also posted a link to a beautiful nature tracker designed by the talented @1000hoursoutside in my stories. I hope you will consider downloading it too! It can be catered to what works best for your family and is a beautiful way to encourage time outdoors together in nature.

Need help getting started with how to introduce more outdoor time to your day? Here are some of the ways my family enjoys time together outdoors.

Morning nature walks and evening sunset chases.
Farm chores and caring for your animals.
Teach the kids how to build a fire and then roast marshmallows to celebrate their new life skill.
Sow seeds, plant bulbs, weed beds, cultivate a garden.
Celebrate new blooms together. Harvest flowers, herbs and vegetables together. Dig for potatoes together.
Play in the rain.
Make a fort in the backyard which is guaranteed to lead to hours of imaginary play.
Night biking with headlamps.
Star gaze on clear nights.
Impromptu photo sessions with mom.
Day trips to your favorite local lake.
Mountain biking down your favorite bike trails.
Swinging in the hammock.
Play in the blowup pool and play tag with the hose.
Pull out the sidewalk chalk!
Hang clothes and sheets to dry on the line and then run through said sheets for hours.
Entire days spent exploring along the coast.
Run out to celebrate the first snowfall of the season.
Sledding, shoveling, snow angels and snowmen.
Throwing a football around, playing basketball and lacrosse.
Chasing chickens.

Did these make you smile? Think of all the memories you can make this year. I can’t wait to see what blessings your new year outdoors brings you.

The kids hand rolled beeswax candles this year and

The kids hand rolled beeswax candles this year and made candleholders with odds and ends we had left over around the house. They adorned our Christmas dinner table yesterday evening (see stories) and made me smile each time I looked at them. They’re just beautiful and I think it was another new tradition born in our new home.

In honor of Em @the.hidden.way , a fellow IG influencer and homeschool mama who, with her unborn baby, unexpectedly went to be with the Lord just a few days ago, I light this candle for her today. She was a beautiful light in our community. A loyal wife and mother to the four precious children she left behind and a follower of Christ. In tragedies like these, may we remember to love deeply, honor the moments and memories that matter, and celebrate each day we are together in earthly form. #vigilforem

#handrolledcandles #beeswaxcandles #tsd_welcomewinter #woodlarkdiykit #wintercraft #candlemaking #wearethehomemakers

Yesterday’s winter solstice gifted us our first

Yesterday’s winter solstice gifted us our first snowfall of the season. Let heaven and nature sing!

On this beautiful winter solstice eve and with onl

On this beautiful winter solstice eve and with only five more sleeps until Christmas, we are keeping cozy in our cabin, anticipating an exciting week ahead.

I’ve had so much fun sharing my family’s collection of Christmas and winter season children’s books with you this month. If you missed a day, no worries! I’ve created a highlights button where I’m complilong them all for you. I’ve had some requests to continue sharing our children’s books after the Christmas season. What are your thoughts? Would you be interested in seeing more from our year-round children’s book collection?

(Paper snowflakes always inspired by my dear friend, @meglo)

I was recently asked why I keep posting to the gra

I was recently asked why I keep posting to the gram even though post reach is at an all-time low. Why do I still spend time creating content for this platform? I’ll tell you why. At least a few times a week, I receive messages that I’ve inspired someone to try something new, to pick up an old favorite craft or skill again, to buy a plant or a beautiful children’s book, take their kids out adventuring, begin their sourdough journey or incorporate more intention into their everyday life in some way. Maybe I’ve provided a resource that has been meaningful or supported your small shop in some way. Perhaps one of my images touched a follower’s heart or a story I shared gave someone the courage to follow that little voice inside them telling them to take a risk, have more self-compassion or slow down a bit and nurture yourself. These are some of the reasons I keep sharing here. I know my words and images won’t reach all of those who follow me, but they reach some of you and that’s enough for me. So please gather round and lean in. I have more life to share.

#seekthesimplicity #slowliving #slowlivingforlife #slowlivingmovement #theartofslowliving #thesimpleeveryday #inspiredbynature_

I realized I haven’t shared my sweet clients in

I realized I haven’t shared my sweet clients in quite sometime. So here you go. Santa baby.

This girl. Barely six but already a force to be re

This girl. Barely six but already a force to be reckoned with. And I love her for it.

These days leading up to Christmas seem particular

These days leading up to Christmas seem particularly precious to me right now. Do they to you as well?

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