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intentional living

#1 Time-Saving Tip for Getting Dinner on the Table Each Night

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A guest post from Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer of Thriving Home.

As food bloggers, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists, these moms are on a mission to “help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time”. Their popular website, ThrivingHome.org and cookbooks help bring busy families together over healthy, homemade meals. Follow them on instagram (@thrivinghome) for recipe ideas, meal prep tips, mom hacks, and more.

When I had my first kiddo, I made the decision to stay home full-time. Our one-income budget was tight. My time was tight. And to be honest, my post-pregnancy jeans were tight.

It seemed like the only thing that had room to grow was my cooking repertoire. I just could not get dinner figured out. 

Before kids, I’d had this lovely vision of providing healthy, homemade meals around the dinner table each evening. As you can probably guess, that never happened. Not even close.

I just couldn’t wrap my mind around how I was supposed make a meal EVERY-SINGLE-NIGHT! Or, how could we possibly afford fresh, healthy foods on our tight grocery budget? We weren’t eating well, and I didn’t have a clue what to do about it. 

Relate?

AN ANSWER TO THE DINNERTIME DRAMA

What if I told you that there was an answer to this dinnertime drama? What if it was something you could start doing TONIGHT!? It’s not new. It’s not sexy. It’s not complicated. In fact, you’ve probably heard of it. It’s freezer cooking!

Wait! Wait! Don’t close the browser. Hear me out.

I’m well aware that when many people hear the term, “freezer cooking” they think of mushy, beige leftovers. I did too. However, what if I told you that freezer meals can be fresh, vibrant, and full flavor and texture? It’s true!

In fact, after developing hundreds of freezer friendly recipes for our website and freezer meal cookbooks, we are confident that a freezer cooking lifestyle can change your life. In fact, here’s what one reader recently emailed us:

Thank you to you ladies for making dinnertime (ergo my life) so much less stressful. The week, I used your cookbook for dinners. The only thing extra I did was double the recipes. By the end of the week, I had 6 meals in the freezer ready to go. It’s been such a blessing in my life, thank you!
-cderry

 

4 BENEFITS OF FREEZER COOKING

When I say “freezer cooking” I am referring to preparing meals in advance and freezing them before cooking. This method of simply doubling a meal and freezing one for later, has become a lifestyle in my home which has helped me get dinner on the table, even on the busiest nights.

Here are a few more reasons I love freezer cooking.

1) It saves money by buying in bulk and eating at home.

It’s no secret that when you buy food in bulk quantities, it is usually cheaper. By meal planning, you’ll see your grocery bill go down significantly. Plus, having ready-to-go meals within reach reduces the temptation to spend money eating out.

2) It cuts down on prep and cooking time, leaving more room to relax and spend time with loved ones. 

By having meals that you doubled from a previous meal ready to go in the freezer, you’ll cut down on all those extra little trips to the store during the week. Even more importantly, you’ll cut down on your prep, cooking, and clean-up time regularly, leaving weeknights freer to relax, spend time with your family, exercise, enjoy hobbies, or whatever else has been crowded out of your life by the daily cooking grind!

3) Freezer cooking helps you eat healthier!

Freezer cooking, especially using our recipes, makes homemade food full of REAL, wholesome ingredients readily available. When you cook at home, you are in control of the ingredients. This means your family is consuming less additives and preservatives and more whole foods.

4) You’ll always have meals on hand to take to a friend in need.

With meals in the freezer, you can be that friend who shows up at the doorstep with a healthy dinner and a few words of encouragement. It’s a simple act of caring and thoughtfulness that can make a bigger impact than you may realize. 

 

WHERE TO FIND GREAT FREEZER MEAL RECIPES

As self-proclaimed “freezer cooking evangelists” we have developed and rigorously tested hundreds of delicious, freezer-friendly recipes and perfected the freezing/thawing methods for all different types of meals. Here are three places to find our recipes:

1) Thriving Home: You’ll find that our website is a wealth of information for anyone looking for make-ahead freezer meals, including things like:

 

2) From Freezer to Table: Another way to find the best of the best of our recipes is to snag our cookbooks. Our popular first cookbook walks a reader through freezer cooking basics and provides a wide variety of our favorite family-friendly recipes.

3) From Freezer to Cooker: In our second cookbook, each recipe provides instructions for both the slow cooker AND the Instant Pot. On top of that, we provide instructions for how to prep it ahead and freeze it for those extra busy nights.

Fun fact: we even got to go on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show to share about this cookbook!

Want to try a recipe from From Freezer to Cooker? We’d love to share one with you! In fact, this recipe is on the cover!

SLOW COOKER ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS

We love that this dish is low carb and filled with lean meat and vegetables, but also seasoned well with amazing Asian staples like soy sauce, fresh ginger, sesame oil, and more. These work well as an appetizer or for a lighter dinner. Beware that they can be messy, so have napkins on hand. Kid-friendly tip: wrap the rice and chicken/veggie mixture in a whole grain tortilla. 

Makes: 4 servings (2-3 lettuce wraps per person)

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (or up to 2 teaspoons)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil or peanut oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken (or ground turkey)
  • 2 cups shredded coleslaw mix (sub: 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup shredded cabbage), plus more for garnish
  • 1 bunch green onions, trimmed chopped, white and green parts, divided
  • 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 16 crisp leaves of Boston Bibb, butter leaf, or Romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup peanuts, crushed

 

Slow Cooker Instructions: (tested in a 6 quart cooker)

Make It Now:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, chili sauce, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Brown the ground chicken until there is no more pink. Drain off any grease. (Freezer meal instructions begin here.)  
  3. Add the chicken, coleslaw mix, green onions, and water chestnuts to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the top and stir to combine.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, until vegetables are soft and flavors are combined.
  5. To serve, use a slotted spoon to spoon the filling into a lettuce leaf. Top with fresh shredded cabbage, crushed peanuts, and (optional) more hot sauce, as garnish. Wrap and eat like a burrito.

 

Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-2. To a gallon-sized freezer bag or container, add the cooked, cooled chicken, coleslaw mix, green onions, water chestnuts, and the sauce, and seal. Add the crushed peanuts to a small freezer bag or containers and seal. Freeze both together as a kit.

Prepare From Frozen: Note: You will need lettuce and (optional) shredded coleslaw and hot sauce on hand to finish this meal. Thaw. Place the meat/veggie mixture into the slow cooker. Follow Steps 3-5.

Buy From Freezer to Cooker Here

A Minimalist Baby Registry

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A guest post from Jessie Martin

Jessie Martin is a wife, mama, photographer, and educator. She writes at Jessiemartin.com and hosts the Grace and Intention podcast. She is passionate about empowering moms to see how incredible their everyday motherhood journey is. One way she does this is through teaching moms how to take beautiful pictures of and with their families (even if they don’t have a fancy camera).

Jessie is a mom of two little ones with another on the way. She lives in the woods with her family and loves all things photography, minimalism, and simple living.

This baby registry is for you if you are trying to be more minimal, you value quality over quantity, and you love neutral colors!

Many of the items in this post are affiliate links. You don’t get charged any extra, but my family receives a small commission when you shop via one of my affiliate links & we are so grateful for your support!

Over the last few years, minimalism has really influenced the way I run our home. Allie has been one of my biggest mentors and role models and I’m honored to be a guest on her blog.

The effects of being on the more minimal side has transformed not only our home, but me! I’m less stressed and I’m able to manage our home way better than ever before. I’m able to spend less time cleaning up and more time with my family doing what matters.

When we got pregnant with oldest, I knew I wanted to keep minimalism in mind as we prepared to bring a baby into our home.

Below is a list of my favorite baby gear. I’ve been compiling this list over the past three years. I’m three kids in and I feel like it’s truly the essentials and only what you’ll actually need.

 

SLEEP

Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Portable Napper & Changer

This alleviates the need for a bassinet when you have a newborn and is a must for your baby registry. It can be used for many years as a portable crib & a safe play area. We use it every single day.

Graco Pack ‘n Play Playard Fitted Sheet, Grey

I recommend getting 2-4 sheets to have as backups when one gets dirty.

Little One’s Pad Pack N Play Crib Mattress Cover

I recommend buying 2-4 sets. This keeps the Pack n’ Play mat from getting ruined.

Ikea Sniglar Crib

We bought our crib from Ikea and love it. This is a very similar one from Amazon & it has great ratings and reviews.

Graco Premium Foam Crib & Toddler Mattress

This mattress has worked great and feels super comfortable!

100% Cotton Jersey Knit Fitted Crib Sheet

I would recommend buying 2-4 fitted sheets.

Waterproof Fitted Mattress Pad Cover

I would recommend buying 2-4 mattress pad covers.

Mom Hack: Make your baby’s crib like normal with a waterproof fitted pad and a fitted sheet, but add an additional waterproof pad and sheet on top of the first set. This makes for really fast bedding changes in the middle of the night when everyone is tired.

White Noise Machine

This. Every Nap. All night long. When the dogs bark or my car alarm randomly goes off, our son doesn’t wake up thanks to this life saver.  A sound machine is one of the best baby items I can recommend.

The great thing about this sound machine is that it grows with your kids. We still use it as a sound machine for our one and two year old, but we also use the “Time to Rise” function for our two year old (the light turns green when it’s time to wake up and he knows he can call for me to come get him).

If you’re looking for a cheaper sound machine, we’ve used THIS one. I’ve had three and they all break after about a year of using them, but they’re only $20, so they’re great in a pinch or on a budget.

Baby Monitor

I use this for every nap and all night long. It’s priced much lower than a lot of video monitors and it’s a really great quality. It shows the room temperature as well, which is a feature we love. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Swaddles

I am a swaddle snob. I will be the first to admit it.

My absolute favorite swaddle blankets are Max & Moose. They’re more like t-shirt material and they are bigger than standard swaddles, so they’re easier to use. I have purchased 7 of these between my two kids.

Another similar brand is Mebie Baby. These swaddles are a little thinner and super stretchy (make sure you get the stretch swaddles, they work much better and your baby won’t bust out of them as easily). I like using these for warmer nights.

I recommend buying 6-8 swaddle blankets. They have to be changed almost as much as outfits due to diaper mishaps 😉 

Bibs Pacifiers

Bibs is a newer family owned business. They have a million colors and their pacifiers are really super cute. Alivia has loved them and took them right away. I also love  Ryan and Rose pacifier clips.

Baby Swing

I don’t think you need a million baby gadgets, but having one swing or rocker that moves on its own is extremely helpful for when you need to cook dinner or shower. This swing is great because you can disconnect the rocker portion to fit in tighter spaces. I use this when I need to shower or get ready in the mornings. I bring it into the bathroom with me and the rocking keeps the baby happy.

The big size makes me die inside a little bit, but the smaller, cuter rockers (like the 4Moms MamaRoo) only has a gliding motion & a lot of babies don’t like it. I’ve researched it a ton and read so many reviews in all of the mom groups because it’s just so much cuter and smaller. Ultimately, I always come back to the Graco swings because they seem more functional. We use ours for the first 5-6 months and then break it down and store it away for the next baby.

 

BATHTIME

Angel Care Baby Bath

When we had our first, I loved the Puj Tub for sink baths. Now that we have two kids, I really like this little bath seat because I can bathe the kids at the same time. I realized really quickly that doing two separate baths was going to take forever.

Primally Pure Baby Products

After almost three years, I’ve finally found a natural line of baby products that actually work. I use all of Primally Pure’s baby products for my kids (they’re the first natural products that have ever actually worked for my son’s eczema, too!). Click here for 10% off!

I use the Bottom Balm as diaper rash cream, nipple cream, eczema cream, and to help treat cradle cap. It’s the only natural cream I’ve found that actually works for my son’s bad eczema.

I use the Primally Pure Baby Oil as moisturizer after every bath and before bedtime.

I use Primally Pure Baby Powder for diaper rashes and I love that it’s talc-free.

I use the Primally Pure Baby Bar as soap + shampoo for both kids as well.

 

FEEDING

Burp Cloths

 

With Locke I used the standard white cloth diapers as burp cloths, but they got pretty gross and stained. For our second baby I bought these grey ones from Burts Bees and I have loved them! I bought two packs and it has been the perfect amount.

Nipple Butter

I use Primally Pure Baby Balm as Nipple Butter and it works amazing! Breastfeeding can be a little rough the first few weeks and this stuff helps so much! Click here for 10% off!

Medela Pump in Style Breast Pump

I’ve been super happy with this pump & use it every day. Your insurance will probably pay for this, so call and chat with them before you purchase one.

Mom Hack: You are going to want a hands-free pumping bra. You can buy one like this, OR you can make your own for way cheaper. Buy a few cheap sports bras like these & cut two small holes in them.

Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags

These make for super quick cleaning of pump parts and alleviate having to boil your pump parts to sanitize them every day.

Baby Bottle Brush

I ordered this 2 pack of bottle brushes. They look cute in my kitchen & it isn’t some huge pack of different size brushes that I need to store or hide away.

Breastmilk Storage Bags (BPA and BPS Free)

You need these to store and freeze your pumped milk. I’ve tried several brands and I haven’t noticed any difference. These are the best price I could find, so it’s what I buy.

Sarah Wells Wet Dry Bag

I store my pump parts in this both at home and at work (I got the black & white one).

Mom Hack: Schedule an appointment with a lactation consultant for a few days after you give birth. You’ll need all the help you can get. This helped me SO much in the very beginning & gave me a lot more confidence.

Washable Nursing Pads

For the first several weeks you will leak breastmilk even when you aren’t nursing. I tried multiple brands of disposable nursing pads but I thought they were itchy so I switched to reusable ones.

Como Tomo Bottles OR Glass Bottles

I start with 8oz bottles and skip over the smaller 4oz bottles. I didn’t want to store multiple sizes that they would grow out of anyways. We have one bottle for each kid and that’s really all we’ve needed. You’ll probably have to try a few different brands to find what works for your baby. (Always start with the slowest flow nipples).

The Como Tomo brand has worked really well for both of my kids as newborns, but if my babies were exclusively bottle fed I would opt for glass bottles like these. I’m going to try one of these with the new baby before I try the Como Tomo Bottle just because I’m trying to move to all glass or stainless steel products.

Organic Baby Bandana Scarf Bibs

If your kid spits up a lot, these will save you a ton of laundry and outfit changes. They’re also super cute and my kids get so many compliments on them. These are another cheaper option that have held up very well.

High Chair

We love this chair because it hooks right onto our table, it’s easy to clean (just throw the cover in the washing machine), and it doesn’t take up a ton of space. We have one for each kid and I love them so much. They both still look brand new.

If your table has a lip and you need a traditional highchair, this one from Ikea is highly recommended by my mom friends.

Spoons (BPA Free Silicone)

We have four of these spoons and use them daily. They’ve held up great and I even put them in the dishwasher 😉

Note: I ended up rarely using our boppy pillow + cover. (Some people swear by the boppy though, so it’s definitely personal preference). I just used a normal pillow until I got the hang of nursing and now I just hold him. If you are someone who leaks a lot while you nurse, Milkies Milk Saver is an awesome product that saves your milk from being wasted.

Nursing cover

You can absolutely just use a blanket, but I like the nursing cover because they grow with your baby. You can put it over highchairs at restaurants to prevent your baby from touching a bunch of germs. I always have one in my diaper bag.

 

TRAVEL

Chicco Keyfit Infant Car Seat and Base

This carseat is easy to get babies in and out of. It’s lightweight and comes with a base that stays in your car. It comes with a newborn insert that is really easy to remove and wash.

With our first, I was torn between buying an infant carseat or a convertible carseat, but decided on the infant seat. I’m really glad I did because it’s so nice to be able to take them in and out of the car without unstrapping them or waking them up every single time.

We bought THIS convertible carseat for Locke when he was around one, and we love it!

We just bought the same Convertible Carseat for Alivia, so now we have two!

Mom hack: I cut one of these in half and put it at the bottom of the carseat under the kids. This is a lifesaver after blowouts & makes for easy clean-up.

BOB Revolution SE Single Jogging Stroller

I LOVE this stroller. This is an item I found second-hand for a fraction of the cost. If you can find one second-hand – do it! When you have a second baby you may want to upgrade to a double stroller anyways.

I wanted a high quality running stroller, because running is hard enough as it is. This is easy to maneuver and it fits in the back of my small trunk. It’s super light-weight so it’s easy to get in and out and set up quickly.

I use it at the mall, grocery stores, etc and haven’t had any problems with it fitting anywhere.

BOB 2017 Single Infant Car Seat Adapter

This adapter is specific to the Chicco infant carseat and allows you to snap the carseat into the BOB stroller.

Ergobaby 360 All Carry Positions

I have this Ergo and it’s great. It came with a newborn insert and it’s easy to get them in and out. I like the simple colors and it’s easy to store. Because we are a pretty active family this was a must-have for hiking. This is an item I didn’t want to skimp on price wise because I knew I needed something that would be comfortable for my back. The longest hike we’ve done so far was seven miles and it was comfortable the entire time.

Note: Tons of mamas swear by wraps and slings. I would recommend borrowing one from a friend to see how you like it before you buy one. Some people love them, but some people never use them. I love my Solly Baby Wrap the best for newborns.

Diaper Bag

Our Fawn Design diaper bag was a big splurge, but I love it so much. I have been so happy with my choice and it still looks brand new three years later. Click HERE for $10 off at Fawn Design.

Portable Changing Pad

I carry this in our diaper bag for changing the kids on the go. Gathre Micro+ mats are more expensive ($30), but super cute 😉 If you shop during Black Friday or during the holidays they always have great sales!

 

HEALTH

Humidifier

I run this in Locke’s room every night during the winter months. It’s also one of the first things we recommend to parents when they bring congested kids to the hospital.

Digital Flexible Thermometer

These are the most accurate for little babies – the forehead thermometers seem great, but they aren’t very accurate. As a pediatric nurse, I’ve seen so many parents bring their kids into the ER for a false high fever after using a temporal thermometer.

oogiebear Ear & Nose Cleaner

I call this the booger picker & it’s my favorite. It’s less traumatic than a bulb syringe.

NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator

Super gross. Super helpful. And I promise snot will not get in your mouth.

Saline Spray/Drops

This helps to loosen stuffy noses before you aspirate with a bulb syringe or nosefrida.

Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water

When babies are born, their GI system aren’t completely developed so they tend to have tummy issues for a few weeks. These drops can really help.

Baby Nail Clippers

Those little suckers get so long and sharp. I use these all the time. These are mini, so they are easier to use than an adult size would be.

 

CLOTHING

I am SUPER minimal when it comes to the kids’ clothes. I barely registered for any clothes because they’re so seasonal that stores tend to stop selling them by the time your baby shower rolls around anyways. Plus, people will get you clothes no matter what because they’re super fun to shop for.

All of Locke’s clothes are pretty much from Primary.com, H&M, or Amazon. Most of Alivia’s clothes are from Primary, H&M, JamieKay, Zara, and Amazon.

I’ve started sharing the kid’s capsule wardrobes on the blog, and you can find them HERE and HERE.

My newborns pretty much live in long sleeve onesies. I get most of them from Primary.com (Use code PRIMARYJESSIEM16 for 25% off). I love Primary because I can wash and dry their clothes a million times and they hold up perfectly. All of our Primary clothes have lasted through both Locke and Liv and I’ve got them saved for the new baby as well!

I also really love the L’ovedbaby brand on Amazon. They hold up SO well (even putting them in the dryer) and they have really beautiful neutral colors that Primary doesn’t carry.

Booties

Socks don’t stay on, but I really love these for during the winter months.

 

LAUNDRY

Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner

This is the laundry detergent I’ve settled on. I tried at least five different ones because of how sensitive Locke’s skin is, and this has been my favorite. It has all natural ingredients & it’s organic. It lasts for a long time & I just think it’s worth it to avoid the harsh chemicals. We use it for all of our laundry.

Mom Hack: I tried a few baby stain removers and none of them worked very well. Now I just use our dish soap. I put a little dish-soap on the stain right away & scrub it. I rinse it and throw it in the wash.

 

ADDITIONAL BABY GEAR

Blankets

I bought two of these to lay/play on. One for the living room, one for the nursery. I wash & dry them constantly and they have held up really well.

I’ve also invested in special quilts for each of the kids. Liv’s quilt is from Nested Quilt Co and Locke and the new baby have special quilts coming from Grain Handmade.

 

DIAPERING

Newborn Pampers Swaddlers

Pampers have little indicator lines that are really helpful during the first few weeks. If you shop at Costco, I’ve been really happy with their Kirkland brand diapers, too (they don’t carry a newborn size for some reason, so we use them for size 1 and up).

Mom Hack: when your baby starts sleeping through the night or going longer stretches, use night time diapers like these and size up one size. This prevents leaks and they absorb better, which means baby sleeps better and longer.

Wipes

We use water wipes from amazon. I like these because they’re non-toxic and 99.9% water. I made the switch after I used a popular brand of baby wipes on myself one day and it totally burned my skin. I felt so bad that I had been using them on my babies and immediately researched and switched to water wipes instead.

Diaper Genie

This is not necessarily a must-have item, but it’s been worth it to me because our dumpster is almost a mile away. You’ll also need the liners that go into the Diaper Genie.

Baby Changing Pad + Scale

We use the Hatch Grow and I love it. It has a built in scale so I can check and know that my babies are getting enough milk during nursing and gaining weight. You can use the scale to weigh your baby before your nurse, and then again after you nurse.  The app does all the math for you and tells you how many oz of milk your baby ate.

I throw a Gathre Micro+ mat on our scale and it’s really cute!

 

A FEW NEW THINGS I’M GOING TO TRY WITH OUR THIRD BABY

I ordered a Snuggle Me Organic on Black Friday and I’m really excited to have it for baby #3.

I’m going to purchase a Snuza for this baby. It detects the baby’s abdominal movements and will alert you if your baby were to stop breathing. I think this will give me more peace of mind at night. I’ve done some research and this is much cheaper and seems to have less false alarms than the Owlet monitor.

 

A FEW FUN EXTRAS FOR OLDER BABIES

Joovy Spoon Walker

We own this walker and love it for it’s minimal clean look and collapsible storage feature.

We also own this macrame hammock swing. I actually won it in a giveaway on Instagram, but I would buy it in a heartbeat. It’s beautiful and both kids have loved it!

 

FREE GUIDE TO MOM PHOTOGRAPHY

The last thing on this list is actually something I made with you in mind. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to stop snapping pictures once your sweet baby is born!

I run an online business like Allie where I help moms learn to take beautiful pictures of their families (even if they only have a smartphone). 

If you want to learn how to take the best pictures possible and document this incredible time, I created a free guide that teaches you how to take beautiful pictures of your new baby (even if you don’t have a fancy camera). You can grab it for free, HERE!

THAT’S IT GUYS. THAT’S ALL THE BABY GEAR WE OWN AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON MY BABY REGISTRY!

How 15 Minutes Can Help You Solve 6 Problem Areas

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I think a lot of times people think I’m perfect. That I have a perfect life and everything is perfect in my house all the time. And that’s just so not true. 

I have struggles. I have mindset blocks. My house and relationships are sometimes messy. 

So, let me just get that out of the way and tell you that things aren’t perfect over here. Not to burst your bubble or anything. 

That being said, I am a perfectionist. I’m the epitome of an all-or-nothing person.

I struggle with it so, so much. And I think it’s a struggle a lot of us have. 

And what sucks is that this all-or-nothing mentality is a version of perfectionism that can really get you stuck before you even begin. It can really set you on a negative spiral. 

 And it’s not necessary. Or even helpful.

But I’m here to tell you about something that has totally changed the game for me when it comes to overcoming this unhelpful mindset. I’m calling it the 15 Minute Reset.

Listen, there’s so much power in 15 minutes. There’s so much power in just hitting the reset button when you’re tired, or when you’re not making progress in an area. 

We’re not meant to stay stuck. We’re not meant to live in a cycle of defeat and negativity. We’ve got to say no to that. 

We have the power to change our situations. And sometimes it only takes fifteen minutes. 

These are the 6 areas where I use the 15 minute reset to refocus, make progress, solve problems: 

Relationships

If you’re married and you have kids you know how difficult it can be to have a full conversation without a kid pulling on your leg every 2 seconds. Really you don’t even have to have kids to have distractions pulling at you. Just be a functioning adult and you’ll know what I mean. 

So, this is one area where the 15 minute reset can be a total game changer. Just set the timer, get the kids settled or put the phones away and just hash it out. 

You could give 3 minutes to your spouse, 3 minutes to yourself where you don’t interrupt each other. You guys get to share your sides and then spend the remaining time trying to come to a conclusion, trying to solve the problem. 

And it’s OK if you don’t solve it. The important thing is that you’re showing up for each other. 

Cleaning

I think a lot of times we overthink things and we get into an all-or-nothing mindset with our homes. Like if we can’t clean the whole house from top to bottom then the day was a total botch. 

It doesn’t have to be like that. That’s perfection and that has no place. 

Magic can happen if you just pick up for 15 minutes. Get your family involved. If you have really little kids, try to get them busy with something and then just do what you can. 

When the house is messy, set a timer and just have at it. Clean everything you see. 

Even if you don’t get it all done, you’ll at least have put 15 minutes of focused energy into the problem. Not everything needs to be done all the way. Just set a timer and do what you can. 

Diffuse Chaos

You know how your house can just feel really overwhelming sometimes? 

Not just because it’s messy or anything like that. But it’s just chaotic, overstimulating, loud and tense?

Set a timer for 15 minutes and attack that chaos, girl! 

Are your kids whining? Listen to them. What’s the root cause? What do they need from you? 

Is there a feeling of stress in your house? Light a candle. Turn on your oil diffuser. Start playing some praise music…or rap music. Whatever the mood calls for. 

Get the vibe in your house diffused. Bring peace over your home. 

Sometimes your house just needs you and your attention. Sometimes it just needs you to press pause, evaluate and diffuse certain the chaos. 

And you know what? Maybe your kids are still being jerks and things are still a little crazy when the timer dings. 

But you did what you could. You know you tried. And that’s what counts. 

Exercise

We all know we need to do it. We set goals. We set fitness plans. But then we keep not doing it. 

You don’t have to follow the Pinterest-perfect fitness plan to live healthfully. You don’t need to go work out for an hour to be fit. 

Get the kids busy, set the timer and hit it, girl! Do squats, pushups, tricep dips, arm circles, or just flip on that rap music and proclaim a dance party! Go hard for 15 minutes. It counts! 

Get in “The Mood”

Not to be TMI (I’m just trying to give you life-hacks) but sometimes it’s just hard to transition into that slow mood with your husband when you’ve just been going, going, going all day long. Ya feel me? 

15 minutes can be a good transition time to help get  you in the mood for an intimate night with your spouse. Because even though we love our hubbies, a lot of times we’re just not feeling it. 

But put your headphones in and listen to peaceful music. Stretch. Take a shower. Go for a walk by yourself. Take a bath. Breathe and unwind for fifteen minutes. 

This is a freaking marriage saver. Trust me. It will work. 

Brainstorming

I legit do this every day. There’s just a lot of brainstorming in my life. 

I’m always working to come up with life-hacks that turn into my courses or my podcast episodes, or my blog posts. I’m always brainstorming and the fifteen minute reset has been such a game changer in this area. 

Just a little helpful disclaimer though: you need to know if you’re an internal or an external processor. If you’re an external processor, you come to conclusions or solutions by talking it out with someone else.  

If you’re an internal processor, you need time to be alone and quiet and think things through. We’re all different and knowing which one you are is powerful. 

I’m an external processor and stylist and business guru, Hilary Rushford gave me the idea to open up my voice memo app and talk to myself like I’m talking to a friend when I need to figure something out. 

So, if you’re an external processor. Do that. Go around the neighborhood and just talk into your phone. 

Phone a friend. Talk to your husband. Whatever works for you as an external processor, do that for 15 minutes. 

If you’re an internal processor, go for a walk and just be quiet. Make yourself a cup of tea and journal through the problem. 

Just get your brain going. All it takes is 15 minutes to refocus the problem and work out how you’re going to solve it instead of whining, complaining, and staying in the same place. 

This is magic. It is magic. It will help you get out of the cycle of negativity of a bad day or bad week. 

Because that’s not where you belong. That’s not who you want to be.

You are an action-taking, problem-solving woman. If you don’t like something, you need to fix it. 

So, what’s an area of your life where you feel stuck, or that’s overwhelming you? It’s time to take action. Get out your phone, pull up your timer and get to work!

Listen girl, I know that sometimes it can be hard to know where the heck to start when you feel like you’d need all day to declutter but only have 15 minutes. Don’t worry, I got you! I’ve put together a list of decluttering projects you can do in 15 minutes to help you clear away some clutter in a small chunk of time.

HECK YES! SEND IT TO ME!

An Open Letter to My Loved Ones About Gift Giving

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Every week, I work with women to simplify their homes and their lives. I love what I do and the freedom it brings to families! 

Over the years, I’ve seen a gap during the holidays. Women are afraid the influx of gifts will re-clutter their homes and they don’t want to lose their newfound spare time and joy, but they also don’t know exactly what to say to their well-meaning relatives about their over-giving. 

I don’t think Christmas, birthdays or other times of giving should be tightly monitored (talk about losing out on joy!), but I understand that some of you have people in your lives who just give way too much, and it’s really overwhelming. It can feel like an impediment on your boundaries, and it can actually be that too.

This blog post was written by me for you to use as your voice if you can’t find the words. Share it to your socials, post it to your Facebook wall, send it in an email… whatever you want. Borrow my words, friend. I got you.

I also included the option to get an editable, more personalized version of this letter you can fill in with your relative’s name and more details about what your kids might like as gifts. You can snag that at the bottom of this post at no cost to you 🙂

If you want me to help you simplify your life, I’m here and I’m ready to lighten your load!

xo Allie

DEAR LOVED ONE, 

I’m writing this to you with a mix of appreciation and apprehension.  Appreciation for you and how much you love my family, apprehension because I don’t want you to view me as ungrateful or unkind, and I have no desire to offend or upset you.

You have gone so above and beyond with my kids – I love that you love so big! It’s beautiful. I look at that and feel so honored that my kids get to have someone like you in their lives. What I want to say has nothing to do with your love… it’s about my own limits. 

Over the past few months, I’ve been on a really important journey that’s involved a lot of learning. It started with the Google search bar – I was looking for some help because I was feeling so overwhelmed at home and in life. 

It felt like all I did was maintain our physical space. I was constantly cleaning up and it was constantly being undone behind me; it was never-ending and sort of depressing! All I want is to run a home I enjoy being in and spend quality time with my family. It felt like I was always choosing between those two things rather than living them out in any sort of balance.

I found some interesting things in my research… did you know that a study done at Princeton found that you could cut down on housework by at least 40% if you just didn’t have clutter in your home? 40%! That’s so much weight removed from a busy mom’s week.

I also found a study done at UCLA, which found a distinct link in women between the amount of clutter in their homes and their cortisol levels. More stuff, higher levels of stress, automatically. 

This study also found that women relate how they feel when they walk into their home to how they feel about their family. That’s intense because of what clutter makes us feel (stress). So to willingly create an environment that makes me feel that way about my family? That didn’t sit well with me. 

I found multiple studies showing the effect of too many toys and options on children – it’s honestly alarming and sad! I want the kids to grow up knowing how to play… really play. I want them to use their imaginations, go outside, thrive! 

As I was reading this research and more like it, it all started to hit me. It made so much sense that I’d been feeling so heavy and burdened in day-to-day life… we had so much excess in our home. It was a lot to maintain – too much! I made a decision to clear physical clutter in hopes of lightening things up a bit.

What happened was so much more than that! It was like we literally created more time in our days, just by removing some excess. We got rid of some dishes, clothing, and toys that were simply not being used, plus the random “stuff” hiding in our closets and drawers, and that was all it took for things to get better. 

I found that I had more energy, more time, more space for things I actually like and use. I noticed an improvement in my marriage and the way I spoke to my family (must be the decrease in stress!). I also felt like I looked forward to my days a little more. This process was doing so much good for us!

Here we are now, at this time of giving gifts, and I know you want to give so big and love on the kids and I so much. Can I be honest and just say that I’m anxious about it? I’m hoping I can be transparent because I want that relationship with you. I have no desire to offend you or take any joy from you!

It’s just that, I feel so much lighter these days, and I’ve seen how “stuff” takes a toll on our home, our kids, on mental health and happiness. I know you love our family and your giving comes from a place of expressing that love, so I want to be honest about where I’m at and ask if we can find another way to do this moving forward. I would love for you to feel like you get to love the socks off all of us, and for me to not feel anxiety about this happy time of year. I’d love your help in raising the kids to know how to play, how to create, how to imagine and be present in the sweetness of childhood.

I’m really excited about the possibilities with this new way of giving and celebrating… I feel like experiences and really amazing gifts can come from this.

There are experiences the kids would love a membership to, there are a few toys they really want and would actually play with I can tell you about, there are interests and hobbies they’re interested in that you could buy supplies for… there are so many gifts that would be not only worth your financial while, but great for our family and aligned with my vision in raising the kids.

I love you, and I want us to both enjoy this time of year. I am happy to hear your thoughts as well, and to help you purchase things that will be good for the kids and actually get loved and played with. I want us to be on the same team! Thank you for hearing me out and for being the kind of person I’m glad to have in my family. 

If you want to customize this letter to fit your family, I’ll send you a more personalized, editable version so you can make it your own.

SEND IT TO ME!

7 Simple Tips to Help You Stop Over-Complicating Exercise

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I don’t think there’s anything on earth that has been more blown out of proportion and over-complicated than exercise.

People obsess over the form, the type, and the amount of exercise they should be doing. They spend all this time reading books on the topic all while procrastinating the actual task of exercising.

And there’s nothing wrong with learning about exercise. You guys know I love research. I research everything. If you want to read up and be informed about fitness, there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s not what I’m saying.

The problem is when research keeps you from taking action. When you read books instead of working out. When you over-complicate it so much that you never get out of “learning mode” and into “action mode.”

Imma be real and tell you that I spent a lot of time overcomplicating fitness. Like a lot. It has always been a struggle for me. I spent years overthinking it and staying 40-50 pounds overweight. I was overanalyzing it so much that I just stood still and did nothing. I didn’t take any action.

I always envied women who loved exercise and would make it to the gym every single day no matter what. I’m just not that person. I’ve never loved any form of exercise. And even now I’ve got ones that I do that are my favorites, but I still don’t love them. I don’t look forward to doing any form of exercise.

So, I want you to know that I’ve been there. I understand. But in order to change our lives, we’ve got to be action-taking women. Change isn’t just going to happen because we wish it, or we read it in a book. We’ve got to actually do the thing.

When I finally started taking action, I didn’t do anything major. I didn’t go to the gym. I didn’t start running. I just started to move for 10–30 minutes every day. That’s it.

And guess what? I healed my body. I healed my leaky gut syndrome and my adrenal fatigue.

Exercise is a good thing. It’s not my favorite thing, but it’s a good thing. Exercise decreases stress, improves sex (who doesn’t want that???), improves mood, teaches you to love your body, and so much more. Exercise has too many benefits to not do it. And trust me when I say that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Need a little motivation to get started? I’ve got some journal prompts for you!

SEND THEM TO ME!

To prove it to you, I’ve put together a little list of ideas to inspire you and to help you stop over-thinking fitness and start moving your body. These are things that have worked for me and I know have worked for other people as well.

#1: Decide to Do It

This may seem basic, but if you don’t decide you’re going to do something, you won’t do it. You know you want.

You’ve got to wake up every single day with no excuses. Just get it done. No excuses. Decide you’re going to do some form of exercise, and then be intentional to make your body move every single day.

#2: Take a Walk

Set a timer and take a 20–minute walk around your neighborhood. Or you can even walk around your house. Pace back and forth or walk up and down your stairs while you listen to some music. Pop in your headphones and listen to one of my podcasts. Here’s one I did with my friend, Robin Long from the The Balanced Life, where we talked about food, exercise and perfectionism.

#3: Have a Dance Party with Your Kid(s)

Turn on some loud music and have a living room dance party with your kid(s) while dinner’s cooking on the stove. Even two songs are almost 10 minutes long and dancing is a great for your whole body.

#4: Throw Out the All or Nothing Mentality

Exercising for just 10 minutes is so powerful. 10 minutes is better than no minutes. You can do anything for 10 minutes.

Do arm dips on bar of the tub while your kids are in the bath. Do squats while you’re loading the dishwasher. Do leg raises while you’re watching Netflix.

If you were to do intentional movement for 10 minutes a day, you would see a difference in your mood, you would feel better and more confident, you’d make better food choices. You would notice the change.

The point is to just keep moving throughout the day (and we moms are pretty good at that already, am I right?) Start thinking, “How can I sit less? How can I change?” And then just do whatever you can to move.

#5: Make Movement a Rhythm

Ask yourself where in your day or week you can fit in a new rhythm. For example, every time you listen to the Purpose Show on Wednesdays, take the kids for a long walk.

Decide that you’re going to take a walk in the morning and make it a rhythm. I’m always talking to you guys about the importance of developing rhythms and exercise is a huge one!

Need help finding the time to exercise? I’ve got you, girl. Start with The Time-Blocking Mom Workbook. You budget your money. Start budgeting your time LIKE A BOSS!

SEND IT TO ME!

#6: Buy Noise-Cancelling Headphones  

If you’re a person who gets frustrated by a lot of noise or sibling bickering in the background while you’re trying to get your workout done, get you some noise-cancelling headphones.

Obviously don’t use headphones if you have a baby or little toddler who needs you to pay attention. But if your kids are old enough to be okay with you having headphones in and one of them would know to come and get you if something were to happen, then pop those headphones in. Do your workout, put some music on, and just zone out for a few minutes.

#7: Ditch the Excuses

If it’s winter and it’s freezing, bundle up. If it’s raining, have an inside dance party in the living room. If you’re PMSing, follow a yoga video on YouTube.

You can make excuses for anything and before you know it years have passed and nothing’s changed. So just stop. People who meet goals, the doers out there, they don’t have excuses.

For example, when I hurt my ankle, it would have been easy for me to just be like, “Oh, I can’t exercise. Oh well, I don’t really like it that much anyway.” But you know what? I didn’t. I went to yoga classes and I opted out of the positions that hurt my ankle.

No excuses.

The kids can come with you. You can do it while they nap. They can be watched by someone else. You can go to a gym. You can go for a walk.

There people who make stuff happen and are constantly moving forward in their lives, don’t have excuses. Be like those people.  

You can make this happen. You can be fit. You can be healthy. I know, “Make it happen,” is so over-said, but that’s because it’s true. It can be done.

You’re in charge. You’re an action-taking, problem-solving, bad-a** woman and that type of woman knows she has the power to make things happen. So, listen to me, warrior-woman, it’s time to get moving and change your life.  

5 Types of Hard-To-Kick Clutter & How To Handle Them

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Decluttering is my main jam. I love helping women do this in their homes because it matters so much more than people even realize.

For women, specifically, there are a lot of negative effects of having clutter. One study even linked having a cluttered home to feeling unhappy in your family in general.

That’s powerful. That tells me that all of our stuff is bothering us and it’s affecting us in a big way.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping women go through their homes and remove the excess. I want you left with only the things that are serving you and your families and contributing to a joyful and full life.

Having said that, I know that there are things that are hard to declutter. I get it. I’ve been there and I want to help you make good decisions so that you can keep making progress.

So, let’s look at five areas that can really trip you up when it comes to decluttering and how to push through them.

#1 Sentimental items

Typically, when people realize the role that clutter plays in their lives, they’re ready to make a change. So they get going and they’re doing great but then they find the bin of sentimental keepsakes and they just feel stumped.

How can you let go of the sweet, little dress that your daughter wore when she was dedicated at church? Or the photo of the positive pregnancy test from the baby that you miscarried? How do you get rid of the things that really tug on your heartstrings

What classifies as clutter versus something that is sentimental and truly a keepsake? How do you make the decision?

If you’ve been around here for more than ten minutes you know that I’m not about rules. I’m definitely not going to give you anything like that because this is different for every person.

If you get stuck on something sentimental, I encourage you to skip that area and move on. Go work on your bathroom or a bookshelf in the living room.

Declutter something else for now. Come back when you’ve been at this for a bit longer and you’ve seen the positive effects of letting go of clutter.

What happens is, as you evolve in this area in your life with getting rid of things, you grow. You evolve. You change.

You see that this really makes a difference. Keeping only what is serving you well makes you happy. That makes letting go of things less and less difficult as you go.

And once you declutter one or two sentimental things, it will get even easier because you have seen that you’ve let go of something that was special to you and nothing bad happened.

Please remember that letting go of physical possessions doesn’t mean that you are letting go of memories. On the other hand, it is OK to keep some things too. I think the line is when you have a bunch of bins full of “memories” that you are storing away because you are avoiding making decisions.

I CREATED A FREE WORKSHEET FOR YOU ON MINIMALISM AND SENTIMENTAL ITEMS THAT WILL GIVE YOU MORE IN-DEPTH TIPS FOR LETTING GO OF KEEPSAKES.

Send me the guide

#2 Your kids toys

First of all, don’t declutter your kids’ toys without them unless they are super young, like under age 3. If they are older than that, have them join you, even if it makes it more difficult and the process a lot slower.

Kids can really feel violated and mistrust you if you throw away their stuff without them knowing. That’s not what we want.

Start by having your kids pick out ten things they don’t play with anymore. Explain that there are so many children that don’t have toys and they would love it if they shared with them. Then, bag up the donations together and go to the donation center with your kids.

Make it a really happy, exciting thing so they don’t feel like they’re getting punished. This can teach them empathy and give them solid reasoning behind letting go of their stuff.

If your kids are having a hard time letting go of things, give them time. Go through the rest of your house and show them by example what letting go and minimalism looks like and let them follow in their own time.

#3 Your wardrobe

Letting go of your clothes is really hard when you’re a mom. You have bought clothes throughout different seasons of motherhood and body shapes. You can really easily – and understandably – not want to get rid of something that you might end up needing later.

But don’t get stuck in that fear. Go into your closet and look and get honest with yourself. What looks fantastic on you right now? Keep it. Everything else should probably go in the donation pile.

Having a bunch of stuff that doesn’t fit, used to fit, or that you want to fit you someday is not serving you at all. It is actually, subconsciously, making you really unhappy every time you get dressed.

Only keep in your closet what looks fantastic and what makes you feel great right now. Because that’s what you deserve.

A quick note on maternity clothes. If you are planning to get pregnant again, hold onto them. We are not looking to throw things out and waste money deliberately if you know you will use it again.

#4 Your husband’s stuff

Probably the top question I get is “how do I get my husband on board with this?” My answer is this: you don’t. He is his own separate person. Leave him alone.

If you start purging his stuff while he is at work he is going to resent you for it and hate minimalism forever. Leave his stuff alone if he hasn’t given you permission to declutter for him.

Find that sweet spot for yourself and let your husband be. In the end, he may come around like mine did.

The same rule applies with your in-laws, your parents, your friends and the people who come to your kids’ birthday parties.

#5 Paperwork

Go through your house with an empty box and collect all the stray paperwork that you can find. Then set aside some time to go through it.

You can pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, turn on Netflix, whatever. But sit and sort through it all.

Make decisions about every piece of paper you pick up. Don’t allow yourself to start a “not sure” pile or an “I’ll deal with this later” pile.

If it’s something that your husband needs to look at and he’s not there, you can put it aside for him. But I would encourage you to set aside time to sort through paperwork when he is with you so you don’t find a reason or an excuse to put it aside for later.

It’s OK to make piles but don’t make a bunch of random piles that could have been eliminated if you had just made decisions.

I know these areas can be hard to tackle. I know it can feel overwhelming but I hope I have helped to simplify the overwhelm.

The truth is that if you don’t take power over your stuff, you are giving your stuff power over you.

CLEAR THE CLUTTER STARTER KIT

WITH THIS FREE STARTER KIT IN-HAND, YOU WILL:

Form a solid why that will push you forward in clearing the clutter & making it happen despite hurdles, with minimal setbacks.

Declutter your two biggest time-sucks: laundry & dishes. You’ll see an immediate change and gain some legit momentum!

Get equipped to make progress without needing spare time.

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