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Since my recent discovery of oxalates, I have transitioned to using coconut flour vs. almond flour in my baking adventures. I have been pleasantly surprised by the versatility and deliciousness with my latest new bakes, including this banana bread. Take those black, overripe bananas off your counter and put them babies to work! Get ready for a simple & moist anytime treat. Maple Coconut Flour Banana Bread INGREDIENTS: 2 very ripe bananas 1/2 cup coconut flour (measure and level off with a knife) 4 large eggs 2 tbsp. maple syrup 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract sprinkle of fine sea salt Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small loaf pan with *a little oil and parchment paper for easy bread removal. *The oil is optional, but helps keep the parchment paper in place for easy pouring. In a large mixing bowl add your ripe bananas and mash with a fork. Next, add in flour, eggs and the rest of ingredients. Mix with a whisk until most of the lumps are gone (or feel free to use an electric mixer). Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake banana bread for 40-45 minutes or until the center of the loaf has risen and feels firm to the touch. Let bread cool completely before slicing. **FOR BEST SHELF LIFE** Store bread in an airtight container in the fridge if you don't devour it in one day :). enjoy this amazing treat my friend!

"Maybe it’s time to open up our narrow viewpoint and see just how beautiful and powerful parenting can be." - Michaeleen Doucleff I somehow stumbled upon a new parenting book when I was wandering my public library. The universe must have known I needed some extra guidance and practice when it comes to enhancing my mothering skills. This book has transformed my parenting game so much so that I had to share my reflections in this pretty lengthy blog post. This magical book is called Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff. Do yourself a favor, purchase the book so you can underline, dog ear and highlight all the things that resonate with you. Or if reading is hard these days, just browse my notes to see if a spoonful of this magic mama juice satisfies some of the parenting struggles you may be encountering these days. You ready to add some extra love & relaxation into motherhood? Let's go! Michaeleen, the author of this book, traveled with her toddler to various hunter-gatherer communities around the world to dive deeper into parenting styles, learn tools and methods to raise happy and helpful humans (with less stress and overwhelm). I have included my top takeaways, parenting tools and a shit ton of quotes. I've already experimented and embraced these tools in my parenting groove...all I gotta say is WOW! There have been PHENOMENAL changes in my relationship with my daughter after only a month, and I feel like an intentional bad-ass mama even more than before. Here's a photo that embodies nicely my enhanced chill mama vibes. You feel it too, don't you? Alright loves, my book notes start here. Dive in and start experimenting! A new paradigm shift for western parents: T.E.A.M. Parenting (Togetherness, Encouragement, Autonomy, Minimal Interference) The basis for T.E.A.M. Parenting is that "parents or caregivers set the daily agenda and overall schedule for the whole family...they go about their business around the home and community, and expect the kids to follow along, more or less. They welcome the children into their world." "The child is largely in charge of their own behavior. They have an enormous amount of autonomy, and the parent minimally interferes...the parent watches the child and carefully chooses when to influence the child’s behavior (child is unsafe or when parent is transmitting a key cultural value, such as helpfulness or generosity)." "The parent encourages the child, with a whole suite of tools, instead of coercing through punishments or threats. They know their actions and modeling will prove much more effective and much less stressful -- than issuing instructions and commands...whenever possible, the parent harnesses a child’s own enthusiasm to motivate them." T: Togetherness “Rather than scheduling your life around your child, you can simply put your child into your schedule...an invitation for doing things together.” "Instead of having to schedule, pay for, and participate in endless child-centered activities, parents can lead their normal lives, working or relaxing- while kids follow along, learning as they go." *HOW to GUIDE YOUR KIDS to do CHORES VOLUNTARILY* The task should be real, a real contribution to the family. Doable tasks (start small) Never force a task. Focus on working together. E: Encouragement In Western culture, we may believe that children are “pushing buttons” or even being manipulative, but there’s no scientific evidence out there that proves these statements are true. Michaeleen presents an interesting mindset shift for those moments when your child "misbehaves." "Instead of characterizing young children as manipulative button-pushers trying to make us angry, what if we think of them as illogical, newbie citizens trying to figure out the proper behavior? What if we assume their motivations are kind and good, and it’s just that their execution needs some improvement?" “Getting angry at a child has no purpose. It only stops communication between the child and the mom.” - Martha Tikivik “When you yell at children, they stop listening.” -Sidonie Nirlungayuk "Misbehavior is a child’s way of asking for more responsibility, more ways to contribute to the family, and more freedom." *TOOLS to HELP RAISE HAPPY & HELPFUL HUMANS* Tool #1: Parent with calmness. Our kids feed on and mimic our energy, so this makes total sense. Tool #2: Parent with touch. “Physical touch breaks the tension between a child and parent.” -Dr. Larry Cohen “Children have a natural urge to cooperate. They love to please you. And when that’s not happening, it’s because they’re overloaded with tension.” "For kids of all ages, physicality is more effective than lecturing, scolding, or long explanations." According to,The Whole- Brain Child, "when children feel upset, they don’t have access to the 'left' or logical side of the brain. During emotional outbursts, the 'right side' of a child’s brain calls the shots- and the ride side is all about nonverbal communication." Tool #3: Parent with awe. "Replace anger with awe. The more you flex and experience awe - the more you flex this neural muscle in your brain - the easier it becomes to access this emotion in the future." “Children’s brains are waiting for wiring instructions from the world.” Tool #4: Take the child outside. Works every damn time. Tool #5: Ignore It. "Wait a bit before reacting to the tantrum, to see if the emotion passes. Once a parent believes the child is capable of calming themselves down, parents can-and do-ignore their emotional outbursts." Tool #6: Learn the look. "The look proves more effective than telling a child “no” or “don’t do that” and says everything you need to say in a quick, calm glance. It shows who is cool and in charge." Tool #7: Parent with consequence puzzles. “Tell them the consequences of their behavior. Tell them the truth.“ Simplify our parenting talk by telling the child the consequences of their actions. For example, replace “Don’t throw the rock” with “You’re going to hit somebody with the rock.” When we tell a child "don’t” and/or “stop,” we assume they’ll obey the command like a robot: without a thought of their own. "Inuit parents think more highly of children than that. They believe that even young children can think for themselves - or at least they can learn to. So they give a child useful information about their behavior. They give the child a reason to think twice about continuing to do it." Tool #8: Parent through action, not words. "Words and commands are energizing and stimulating, and they often incite arguments. Every time we ask a child to do something, we create an opportunity for fighting and negotiating. But when you keep the conversation to a minimum, you keep the energy low. The chance for debate and fighting plummets." How can a child learn flexibility and cooperation if we always ask them what he or she wants? "Offering options frequently generates negotiations, unneeded decisions, and eventually tears. And most of the time, his/her “wants” are irrelevant to our lives. The family’s priorities come first." A: Autonomy "Let your kid do what they want to do; it’s not your place. Let them be." "Many hunter-gatherer communities go to great lengths NOT to tell the children (or adults) what to do...they believe that children know best how to learn and grow. Anything a parent says– the vast majority of the time–will only get in the child’s way." “A parent or another caretaker watches to make sure he’s safe. But he isn’t stimulated. His agenda isn’t changed by someone intervening. Parents give respect to that one-year-old that he has a legitimate agenda, and the goal is to help facilitate it.” "It’s easy to confuse autonomy and independence. The difference has to do with connectivity." "An independent child operates like a solitary planet. They’re disconnected. They have no obligations to their family or their community around them." Kids with autonomy have freedom...but that freedom is layered with something else; expectations that the child will help their family. Kids are expected to give back to the group whenever possible…consistent connection and teamwork to their family and friends. "Freedom, on its own, can generate selfish kids. But add a punch of teamwork and the child bursts with generosity and confidence." “Everyone does what they want, but they must be kind, share and be helpful.” "You can give children autonomy without sacrificing safety…stay quiet and out of the way to provide a safety net." "Autonomy has tremendous benefits for kids of all ages…inner drive, long-term motivation, independence, confidence and better executive function." "When we step back, wait-a-bit, and let the child handle the world on her own, we convey several important messages…he or she is capable and self-sufficient; that he or she can solve problems on their own; and that he or she can handle what life throws at them." "If we constantly instruct and guide our child’s actions we undermine their confidence and give them opportunities to practice dependency and neediness. We also model bossy, demanding behavior." “Here in Western culture, we aren’t very good at giving kids autonomy. We think we are. We try. But at the end of the day, many kids have little control of their daily lives. We set them up with strict daily schedules and routine, and ensure that an adult supervises every moment throughout the day. In the end, we somehow both macromange and micromanage their lives. And in the process, we generate a huge amount of stress inside our children and in our relationship with them.” By parents lessening their verbal input and training children to handle obstacles and dangers, we empower our kiddos. Support is everything. Newsflash (but not really new news), raising a child is a crazy, wild, heavy job for just the parent(s), it's really a job for a community. Parents should absolutely seek support and build a community, a "circle of love" of mix-aged humans they trust to help uplift and nurture the child. "The goal is to build deep, high-quality connections, not necessarily more connections." "...social support works a bit like a miracle drug. It provides health benefits that ripple through our entire bodies, from our minds into our bloody through our hearts, and into our bones." M: Minimal Interference The opposite of minimal interference, maximal interference, goes against children’s natural inclination for autonomy, self-exploration, and cooperation. This type of parenting style is exhausting, period. Instead, let's step back, relax, and do what is minimally required to help our kiddos learn valuable life skills. In my opinion, this type of "relaxed" parenting sounds way happier for everyone. Alrighty, that's it folks -- for now at least. Were these notes helpful at all? I would love to hear your thoughts! Cheers friend to feeling a little more relaxed in motherhood.

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. -Ralph Waldo Emerson "Can I watch something?" This was the question we heard at least ten times a day from our four-year-old daughter. My husband and I both knew this wasn't the question or topic that we wanted to be our norm. How do we create a new habit (or question) that focuses less on watching TV and more on what matters most? We pulled the plug, literally, and decided for the month of November to hibernate the big black box that was dwelling on our living room table. We called it No-TV-ember, because gamifying life changes makes everything more fun, right? :) Our daughter was informed the week prior that this was something we were going to do, so it wasn't just decided and gone - poof! We thought it was fair to give her a heads up and explain to her the why behind it (whether she agreed or not). "The TV takes up a lot of space and time in our days that we would love to swap for more time for play, creativity, games and family hangs." So on the night of October 31st, we unplugged our TV and placed it in our walk-in closet. We replaced the giant blank space it left with a bear/doll house (we borrowed from my mom b/c we knew Lucille loved playing with it) and some other homemade family decor that gave our space a fun vibe for this possibly challenging time. See photo below. Then the experiment began. Let’s see what blossoms when there’s no TV to rely on. After day three Lucille stopped asking for TV time and movie nights. I was quite shocked that this transition took just three days for her to start developing new rhythms and habits. NUANCES: We did decide that during this no TV time she could still have access to her tablet, but with consistent boundaries (30 minutes a day, sometimes more for wild life purposes). Also, we only control the TV viewing in our home. It's game on with what unfolds outside our home. What has blossomed from letting go of the TV: More interactive entertainment vs. passive entertainment, such as board games (her favs: Candyland, Ropes and Ladders), card games (her favs: Go Fish, Old Maid, Slap Jack), crafts, coloring, connection with family and friends, outside exploration, role playing, reading, creative play and fun cooking ideas! We created a new project together! Lucille and I have started #WyldeWednesdays. Every Wednesday we invite friends to meet up at an outdoor location to wander and explore together. Bed time has been super consistent (as she doesn't watch movies before bed anymore). She goes to sleep in the window of 7:40-8:00 p.m. - hallelujah! Parenting became a little easier as Lucille became adjusted to new rhythms and boundaries. We don't have as many meltdowns as we used to! We (the parents) canceled our Youtube TV subscription on day 23 of no TV, which saves us $64 a month - woo hoo! TV and movie time have become more sacred and special since it’s now a rare occasion. This experiment was eye-opening to how our family's habits and rhythms can absolutely be transformed if needed (and for the better). Next steps for us... The TV will still live in our closet for now, because we don't miss it honestly. We'll bring the TV out once a week for Family Movie Nights together - yay! This was a challenge we knew we ALL needed. It taught us how to let go of a distraction (or crutch) to help the family focus on what really matters, and amazing transformations have blossomed because of it! I encourage anyone reading this to let go of a distraction in your life for 7 days, or even 28 days...and just see what blossoms. Wanna hear us dive even deeper into this topic? >>Check out our podcast episode 182: We got rid of our TV for a month -it was rad!

Please don't be shy to spread this delicious shiz on everything! I served this creamy spread at our recent Friendsgiving gathering paired with some local sourdough and it was a HIT! We also used this spread as a topping on soups, spread it on sandwiches or just ate it spoonfuls at a time like a creamy lollipop, oh yeah baby! Creamy Feta Spread INGREDIENTS: 8 ounces of full-fat cream cheese 8 ounces feta 1/3 cup full-fat plain greek yogurt 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp. oregano or italian seasoning 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes 1 tsp. lemon zest Directions: In a large bowl use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, feta and yogurt together. Once the mixture is creamy, add in EVOO, garlic, lemon zest and seasonings. Serve this spread with your favorite sourdough bread, veggies...basically, please don't be shy to spread this delicious shiz on everything :). enjoy the spread friends!

"Realign our lives with our dream for our family...allow our hopes for our children to outweigh our fear." I bought a new homeschool "planner" to help me brain dump my vision and intentions for each season of learning. This writing process gives me an aerial view to help our months/weeks/days (and most importantly my mental space) flow in the direction that we feel is best. For this FALL SEASON I have listed "things" that I want to focus on when filling our unschooling days together. Under each bulleted focus I write down my intentions, as well as reflections on what actually does unfold in our days. This focus list is what helps me maintain a RHYTHM in our days. I do my best to leave open space each day for whatever is needed based on our energy + vibe. Here's our current focus list that's been giving us that cozy Fall Rhythm feeling :) VALUES: Togetherness + Gratitude MINDSET MANTRAS: Practice makes progress. Mistakes are proof we're growing. NATURE: parks, hikes, neighborhood, farms, beach ADVENTURES: Library (once a week)* Waldorf Forest class (once a week)* Carter Mountain Orchard* Grocery Store Friend's houses Local Market Pumpkin Patch Corn Maze Rehoboth, Delaware Ocean City, Maryland *Committed Expectations MOVEMENT scootering, running, tumbling, dancing, hill rolling, hiking, biking STORIES READ-ALOUD: (based on our choices at our local library) 3 Billy Goats Gruff 5 Little Pumpkins How to Catch a Mermaid Bernstein Bears story Elmo story Barnyard story MEALS PREPARED: (based on our mood and ingredients available) Homemade Applesauce Apple Pie Breakfast Cookies Pizza Egg muffins BOREDOM/CREATIVITY: This is where I observe and write down all the activities Lucille dives into when she's feeling"bored"or spacious. ⋓ coloring in her Frozen coloring book ⋓ drawing with chalk outside ⋓ "cooking" in her kitchen ⋓ rice sensory bin ⋓ tablet games ⋓ singing songs + dancing ⋓ acting out movies ⋓ puzzles ⋓ building with different types of materials in our home ⋓ dress-up CONNECTION: This is where I write down all the people we connect with each day whether scheduled or spontaneous. DAILY INVITATIONS: This is where I brain dump "activities" I think my daughter would love an invitation to explore + dive deeper. ⋓ Leaf rubbings ⋓ Puzzle time ⋓ Drawing animals/insects ⋓ Nature hunt ⋓ Painting (suncatcher, free choice, pumpkins) ⋓ Write a card to a friend/family member ⋓ ABC + Numeracy workbook (wipe on/wipe off) GAMES: ⋓ Go Fish ⋓ Candyland ⋓ Ropes and Ladders ⋓ Pictionary on our white board easel ⋓ Rhyming game (in the car) ⋓ Categories (in the car; pick a topic and have to name items in that specific category) CHORES: ⋓ Prep her lunch box before adventures ⋓ Set up her bed each morning ⋓ Sort clothes and put away clean laundry ⋓ Unload the utensils from the dishwasher ⋓ Buckle herself in the carseat I'll use this specific focus list as my rhythm resource until the next season (about 3 months), so we don't feel rushed in our learning flow together. A quote to leave you with that helps prime my mind to continue boldly on this unique learning journey together... "The most memorable moments are rarely planned - stay wildly open to the unknown."

Don't underestimate the power of a spontaneous adventure. It was 8:45 p.m. on a Wednesday night that I had the intense urge to curate an adventure that involved removing ourselves from the norm. This inner adventure prompt was most likely born from the fact that we all "embraced" COVID together as a family for the first time. Travel plans were cancelled, activities crossed off our to-do list, and we stayed hunkered down in our little house for about two weeks. We all needed a *spark* of something different and exciting in our lives. I found a unique Airbnb RV space about 50 minutes away from our house that was located on a 132-acre farm with mountain views and no TV. The most jaw-dropping thing about this space was that we could check-in at 8 am! This meant we could have the entire day to nestle, explore and wander the property. This was my definition of a serendipitous invitation calling us to come join the fun. So, naturally I booked this spontaneous adventure for the next morning (for about $150) without consulting my husband - because I didn't need his permission on this one, haha. Afterwards I did inform my husband, Nick, that I booked a getaway for the next day and that the Wifi was good so he could work remotely to join the adventure. I think he was pleased :). Then, I packed our bags before heading to bed feeling like a giddy kid the night before Christmas Day. The anticipation of our adventure was electrifying and is one of my favorite feelings that travel brings to my core. After a blissful night's rest, we woke up, loaded the car with our bags, cooler of goodies and Nick carried Lucille (still in her pjs) to the car. On our early morning journey to the Airbnb we stopped at one of our favorite local coffee shops for a morning treat. The drive there was so peaceful and immediately put my nervous system at ease. We watched the sun rise higher and higher, passed farm land and vineyards on rolling hills, and savored the towering mountains and open space for miles. I think sometimes we forget the blissful energy that we're able to experience on the journey, the tiny magical moments that occur before "arriving" to the destination. When we arrived on the property we were in awe at our "new" temporary environment. The RV was a cozy, hygge space with everything we needed (a small kitchen, couch, toilet and beds). The property had farm land for miles with a small playground and organic garden next door. The simple change of scenery and routines was definitely what we all were craving to spice up the week, more internally than externally. Sometimes you just need an adventure to cleanse the bitter taste of life from your soul. It's quite phenomenal the simple joy that travel can bring into your life. It is the gift that keeps on giving for years and years to come.

The real "doing nothing" implies inner nonresistance and intense alertness. There's magic brewing in the absence of doing. There's invaluable work happening when you're doing absolutely "nothing". Let's all make intentions in our day to schedule "nothing" - that's the greatest and most simplest task we could all do for ourselves to make our little world shine a bit brighter. "Doing nothing" when you are in a state of intense presence is a very powerful transformer and healer of situations and people. -Eckhart Tolle In ancient China, the practice of wuwei, which is translated as "action less activity" or "sitting quietly doing nothing" was regarded as one of the highest achievements or virtues. Here's my list and reminder of all the beauty doing "nothing" has brought into my life a reset to the whole self (nervous system especially) consciousness exploration awareness of the beauty around us all the f*cking time immense gratitude for being here emotions arise to feel fully and process listening to your body's unique vibrations and energy deep breathing to a rhythm that's nourishing reminder in the purpose in being alive appreciating the little things, such as the smell of coffee, savoring the taste, the wiggle of leaves in the wind, watching birds chase each other, the journey of the clouds that day, the movement of your community and neighborhood, wildlife, the art hanging that your daughter made last week and so much more a reminder of what's important and meaningful and what's bullsh*t getting in the way the realm of peace and calmness that slowly emanates from your pores permission for blissful thoughts to enter and vibrate through your whole body unapologetically day dreaming of what you desire in life without guilt or shame Be your own bad-ass advocate for what YOU need. Reminder: I don't need permission to do *nothing*, I need your support. Get your *nothing* on beautiful mama!

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. -Ralph Waldo Emerson I wanted to write this blog post to the mamas out there who crave a counterculture life, a life unique to mainstream society and vastly different from the norm. A life that embraces slow days for wandering, an unrushed schedule for exploration, and a home curated on the foundation of epic memories, not stuff. After my daughter came into this world, my husband and I dreamed of a life with more freedom of time, more joy and all the space to explore and have fun. All the small changes and pivots we've made since her arrival into the world have been laser-focused on making our *dream life* a reality. I'm grateful to say we are now living our dreams FULLY and no hustle & grind required. 10 Intentional Micro-Steps that have led us to Live FULLY on One Income Get clear on your VALUES. Write them down. Trust and allow your values to lead the way. DOWNSIZE your "overhead" or living situation so there's less financial pressure. Simplify your expenses to UPGRADE your time, not waste it. Less stuff, more memories! Say "NO" to costs and expenses that don't align to your values. Be prepared to do the MIND work. When a big shift happens it can take a toll on your identity and self-worth. Know that all living things are meant to change and evolve. Get CREATIVE with travel. Stay with friends, book an Airbnb that has a kitchen and great walkability if possible (less rental car costs). COOK more nourishing meals at home to invest in your health and wealth. Decide which partner will pursue full-time WORK, so the other partner has space to pursue what lights them up without pressure or expectation. Know that this *working dynamic* can PIVOT whenever you need it too. You're the driver of your life. Have fun EXPERIMENTING to pursue your most intentional as hell life. These steps are far from being a black and white "plan" but have worked uniquely for our family's life situation. I hope they inspire you to take action to create the life path that gets you excited to wake up each and every morning.

It doesn't get any cozier than soup with some spice. INGREDIENTS: 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 5 small cloves or 4 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. Chipotle Chili Powder (use half this amount to make soup less spicy) 2 tbsp. Smoked Paprika 1 tbsp. Ground Cumin 1 tsp. Salt 2 lbs. boneless Chicken thighs 2 -14 ounce cans diced tomatoes 3 cups Chicken bone broth Optional: 2 cups of Kale, chopped (add in 10 minutes before serving) TOPPINGS: Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream Fresh Chives, chopped Monterey Jack cheese, shredded Avocado, sliced Tortilla chips 1. In a crockpot or slow cooker, combine the olive oil, onion, garlic, and spices. Stir to combine. 2. Next, add the chicken, tomatoes and broth and stir together. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours. 3. Once done, shred the chicken using two forks. 4. Add chopped kale into slow cooker 10 minutes before serving. ​ 5. Serve this soup with all the tasty toppings like Greek yogurt, green onions, avocado and cheese. Dig in & enjoy friend!

We can't stop the waves, but we can learn how to swim, surf and sail. "It is your mind, rather than circumstances themselves, that determines the quality of your life." - Sam Harris, Waking Up Mindfulness is something I truly didn't learn how to do until I became a mama. Interestingly enough, mindfulness is not a passive action. It is a deliberate and intentional practice to bring ease back into your mind, body and life. I've found that my Mindfulness Toolkit has evolved over the years and pivots seasonally as my needs and wants change. I define a Mindfulness Toolkit as all the unique tools and practices needed to bring peace, presence and more love into my mind, body and soul. As I sit here at our kitchen island, attempting to focus on writing this blog post, my daughter climbs on the stool next to me asking me ALL the questions. She opens my journal sitting next to my laptop and pages through asking what all my writing and doodles mean. This is one tiny example of why a mindfulness toolkit is so needed in my days, because... plans don't always go as predicted, chaos arrives when least expected, and life circumstances can change at any given moment. Here is a list of what's included in My Mindfulness Toolkit in this season of life. A guided planner: A place to brain dump my values, dreams, goals, daily wins and to have an aerial view of my life amongst the chaos. See more about my favorite planner and my current writing rhythm here. A blank journal: I need white space to pour all my wild thoughts, artsy doodles and life reflections into. This space provides me a safe canvas to help make sense of what's going on in my mind. A positive and uplifting book: I always need access to a few good books in my home to grab and read whenever I feel my mind is slipping into a fearful and negative headspace. A few favorites for me is The Power of Now, The Gratitude Diaries, and A Year of Positive Thinking. Walking outside: The simple act of going for a walk has been such a healing practice for me and it seems to work instantaneously. Taking time even to step outside and look at the trees or birds does so much good for my patience bandwidth. Music: Blasting some jams or playing them mildly in the background helps put my soul in such a lovin' and free-spirited groove. My favorite current Pandora stations are Chill Music, Glass Animals and Capital Cities. Sipping a beverage in a cozy or sexy cup: I know this practice may seem a little strange, but for me aesthetics matter when it comes to creating the mood I want. If I'm drinking something warm (like frothed organic coffee or bone broth) I use one of my favorite ceramic mugs. If I'm feeling something cold to sip (like kombucha, sparkling water with lemon or a cocktail) then I use one of my coupe cocktail glasses, because they are sexy as shiz :). All in all, I 100% think the vessel (cup) matters just as much as the beverage you want to savor. My bold & bad-ass mama voice: You know that inner voice that's shouting deep inside our core of what we really need and want? Whether that's time to ourselves, stillness to rest, some solo space to just do whatever we freakin' want or maybe even not do. This is the time to practice my bold & bad-ass mama voicing, to speak up without guilt and communicate to my husband on what I truly need. This brave practice creates that sacred space that helps me refill my *cup* back up with grace, peace, and a whole lot of lovin'. I would love to hear what's in your Mindfulness Toolkit these days? Share your nourishment favs below or DM me on Instagram friend :)

Your home should compliment your life, not distract you from it. I know when most people talk about tiny living they think an RV or a tiny home. For us, we are living our version of tiny because of our recent downsize in square footage, stuff and all the things that were distracting us from living our values. I don't consider us tiny living, more like tiny-er living :). We started in a 3,000 sq. ft. house with all the decorations, furniture and yard space one can imagine. If you want a more detailed version of our previous living situation, check out the longer version here. After many years experiencing larger living we knew that this was not the lifestyle for us. So after much reflection, deep conversations, decluttering, selling, and donation of our stuff we decided to downsize. We left our larger living lifestyle to invest in a tiny-er living lifestyle. We relocated our lil' tripod family to a different state in order to invest in a single level 1400 sq. ft. house with a 'just right' yard. The funny thing about tiny-er living is that the only thing tiny about it is the physical house itself. Everything else in our life grew so much larger, such as our time, energy, travel and fun experiences together as a family. Anyways, enough rambling from me...here are my top 10 reflections after living tiny-er for a year. 10 Reflections After Living Tiny-er for a Year 1. Less time, energy and money spent on cleaning and home maintenance stuff. 2. Less money spent on furniture and decorations, more money for experiences! 3. You get way more creative with less! 4. I feel happier, calmer and more at ease with owning less. 5. I now have space to rediscover who I am, my needs, wants and desires. 6. Less financial burden and pressure to work a job that doesn't feel right. 7. More freedom to experiment with whatever I want to try out. 8. My days feel unrushed and purposefully slower to be more present. 9. Easier to say "no" to bringing more stuff into our home. 10. My life feels more "balanced" with all the things that are meaningful to me. Were these helpful at all? Let me know in the comments below, or reach out on Instagram where I love connecting to other rad humans!

"Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough." - Charles Warner Summer is here and I've been purposefully trying to integrate more ease & simplicity into my days. I'm a huge fan of finding ways to simplify the different seasons in life so I'm flowing more with ease versus struggling against what the universe brings my way. One way that always seems to simplify the varying seasons is leaving space in our calendar. Less busy schedules and places to be at a specific time provides more space for grace, exploration, boredom, spontaneity, rest and random micro adventures that light us up. There are also 3 physical things that have been helping me simplify my life during these fun, summer months. Thing #1 - Ink & Volt Planner This phenomenal planner simplifies the mass amounts of chaos that arrives in my life by keeping me grounded, grateful, dreaming and accountable. I wake up every morning and create space (boundaries are vital) to write in my favorite planner. Writing in my planner starts my day off with purpose and gratitude, which helps me feel supported and stable for when chaos arrives. It keeps me dreaming of what I want out of life, to pursue what feels right unapologetically and to follow my version of fun. Most importantly, it keeps me consistently accountable for truly living for what I value most. There are tons of planners out there, but this is my favorite planner I've been using for the past 3 years if you need a helping page on where to start. Thing #2 - Vivobarefoot Shoes I'm the queen of 'keep it simple' so I like a shoe I can wear with anything and for any occasion. I've owned my Vivobarefoot Primus Lite shoes for about 3 years now and they are still going strong! I wear them for basically every activity in life you can think of...hiking, walking, park adventures, grocery shopping, to the beach, to the pool and even on date nights with my boo. Get 25% off your shoe investment here if you're an adventurer like me :) Thing #3 - Walker Family Goods Fanny Purse I'm all about the hands-free life, especially with having a wild four-year-old daughter living and learning alongside me. This Louie Sling bag has been simplifying my days as a mama-on-the-move fo sho! It has just the right amount of space for the necessities, including credit card, keys, phone, tissues, band-aids, chapstick and a little room for a small toy or two. I wear this sexy lady bag on hikes, to the park, on lady dates and all the neighborhood walks. This bag is basically my "third arm" which is so needed when you want hands available for holding a hand as you cross the street, giving a loving hug when needed, carrying a tiny human when she gets tired, and swinging on the monkey bars. The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. - Hans Hofmann Do you have any things in your life that are simplifying your summer days? I would LOVE to hear about it! uplifting you through the messy, Jillian