• Natural Living

    Living more Naturally, Simply and Sustainably

    The Appeal I have a hippie streak, it comes from my grandmother, it is in her blood and her mother’s blood, too. Don’t get me wrong I love my modern convinces but I often feel a tug deep inside me to live a little more simply, a little more naturally and MAKE things!! I love to make things, if I had the time I would make everything from baby food to jewelry to home improvement projects and everything in between. I have whittled it down to being a little more sustainable. The idea of being able to provide for myself drives me. It is so satisfying to know where things come from, what is…

  • Family,  Travel

    Master your Road Trip with the Kids

    They say it’s about the journey, not the destination but when going on a road trip with little kids it’s about surviving the journey in hopes of reaching your destination.  I have a very adventurous two years old who would run for days without stopping if you let her so keeping her occupied in the car for hours at a time is an interesting challenge. I have some wonderful memories of road trips growing up and I hope Luna looks back fondly on our road trips as well!  Here are a few tips that have kept us all alive on our road trips.    Leave at Night This is one…

  • Camping,  Family,  Natural Living

    Magic Healing Salve DIY

    I was introduced to healing salve on a backpacking trip a few years ago.  We used it for everything from burns to blisters, bug bites to chapstick and everything in between. Healing Salve is a wonderful natural alternative to many topical products that only have claims and chemicals. My family is not as interested in natural body products as I am and they would roll their eyes and say I was “making something again.” They since have become believers and have given it the name Magic Healing Salve because it really works for just about anything!! Although It takes a little while to make because you let it steep in…

  • Family,  Travel

    What’s on Our Camping List?

    Tiny, Prince Charming and I are gearing up for our first camping trip of the season, this weekend! I was hoping to get out earlier in the spring when it was a little cooler but I was just too focused on my last semester of school, never the less I graduated!! YAY!!! Hopefully, wherever your reading this from is a little cooler then it is here, it has been in the upper nineties and so humid here in St. Louis, so wish us luck! I made a list divided into separate categories to keep me organized and keep me from forgetting something. I thought I would share it with you, too!  I…

  • Family

    Practical Ways to Start Saving Money Now

    Saving money doesn’t mean missing out on your favorite things, it means practicing simple habits to save money now and enjoy more of what you really want! I am a single mom, I get it, money is tight, especially when the cost of childcare is more than a mortgage! Whether you’re looking to get out of the paycheck to paycheck cycle, get out of debt or save money to buy a house or go on vacation, there are easy habits you can practice to make it happen now! They don’t include turning off all the lights or only eating ramen, these are practical things that eventually won’t even notice you’re…

  • Family

    Easy Breezy Beautiful: Photo Books with Mixbook

    Do you have THOUSANDS of pictures of your sweet family and friends that you would love to turn into something BEAUTIFUL, but you just don’t know where to start? Lucky for you, I have done all the research for you! I have tried a handful of different photo book software and websites and I finally found the one that was just right, like Goldilocks! Read on to check out the gorgeous photo books that I made at Mixbook.com! Why Mixbook? I picked Mixbook because each step was EASY, from uploading photos to picking an amazing premade theme that was then completely customizable. I loved having a template to start with…

  • Couple Hugging
    Family,  Self Love

    Secrets of Effective Conflict Resolution

    Life is full of conflict but it doesn’t have to consume your relationships, these tips will encourage you to resolve conflict more quickly and develop peaceful communication and relationships. I have developed this insight on how to resolve conflicts through some of the challenges that I have encountered myself and when done consistently, they work! Are you in the proper space for conflict resolution? Am I “working this out” to prove my point or to make the other partner feel as hurt as I do? Am I “working this out” out of love and a desire for peaceful connection? For me, this is the most important step! If you are still angry your feelings are…

  • Sleeping Toddler
    Family

    Steps to make a (mostly) smooth transition to the Toddler Bed

    If your anything like me, making the switch to the toddler bed is causing more than little anxiety.  Before we made the switch, all I could picture were totally sleepless nights where my adventurous toddler roamed freely around the house. Don’t worry, It wasn’t nearly that bad and no one lost any significant amount of sleep!  Here are a few tips that I used to make the transition go more smoothly!   Plan For us, starting before my daughter was “officially” climbing out of her crib was the key.  There were a few instances where she almost climbed out, so I knew it was time. We made the switch at two and…

  • Family

    7 Ways to Perfect your Morning Routine!

    Let me preface this by saying that I am a night owl. I always have been. Although, I have gotten much better about waking up earlier since having my daughter I am afraid I will always be a night owl. These are strategies that I have found helpful to perfect our Morning Routine as I transition from working at a restaurant at night to a full-time job during the business week. It has been an adjustment to get my two-year-old daughter and I ready for daycare and work and out the door so early in the morning. These are strategies that I have found to be the most helpful for myself and hopefully, they will…