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Learning is better caught than taught. The beauty in unschooling is allowing growth and development to flow naturally. Allowing space and grace for the learner to truly soak in the full experience as he/she explores the world. From twelve years of teaching public elementary education I have witnessed time and time again that the most meaningful lessons don't come from a lesson plan, they come from the natural ebb and flow of real life. I recently attended a homeschooling convention and found a sweet, sweet gem in a giant sea of used curriculum and homeschooling things. I found and bought a gently used game of Candy Land for $1.06. As some parents were walking away with rolling carts of books, curriculums, math tools and science gadgets...I'm proudly holding a single game of Candy Land and walking blissfully to the checkout line. Want to know what my daughter learned playing Candy Land ? how to take turns how to follow instructions how to focus practice one-to-one correspondence practice counting and math skills how to lose and be a "good sport" how to celebrate others how to persevere how to get along with others exposure to board game layouts and designs the joy in playing games with loved ones ...and so much more. I've found that the best learning experiences don't look anything like "school"- they look like having fun and living life. Want to hear more about this topic? Check out our podcast episode 162 all about education!

"It's less about what they know and all about loving who they are." Unschooling is the direction we've chosen to educate our daughter because it aligns to our values. This type of education gives us more freedom, more choices, more space and most importantly, more quality time to be with our daughter. Unschooling is a dance of ups and downs, much like life. There's something pretty magical about choosing an education that directly correlates to the natural rhythm of life. We choose NOT to have our daughter be force-fed a curriculum, a restricted schedule, endless amounts of assessments, limited exploration time outdoors and have her "caged" in a particular setting that restricts her body and mind to move wildly. We DO choose to embrace her innate curiosity and help foster her growth with the natural flow of life, rather than against it. We choose to be her teacher, her co-learner and friendly guide as she takes ownership in her education. We believe... the foundation of any education should be a relationship built on unconditional love. there should be a huge space in education to learn about ourselves, to cultivate self-awareness and self-realization. Ongoing practice on how to listen to our inner voice and how to trust our instincts, needs, wants, feelings, vibration, energy, boundaries, fears, dreams, etc. it's vital to learn the practice of kind and open dialogue with ourselves and each other. we should be curious always, and foster the unknown path that unfolds as we follow that curiosity. being in nature is a non-negotiable. Make time to observe, explore and discover the beauty in the miracles all around us. mistakes are golden- it's proof we're growing and evolving. The process should be celebrated more than the outcome. weird is great! Embracing our weird and unique differences is our true gift to release boldly into the world. there's one world, not separate worlds. There's not a kid's world and a parent world, but our world to explore together. If you want to hear more about our unschooling journey, definitely check out my monthly letter! More "formal" reflections about unschooling to come on the blog as we evolve and experiment together :).

"I will not feel guilty for choosing myself first. Guilt is not welcomed here." For those of you that may be curious about this nourishment newsletter I deliver to my community's inbox once a month, this is for you friend. 3 questions I will answer for you: Why do I write a monthly letter to this amazing community? What do I include in this letter? How might this letter encourage me to reflect, uplift me through the mess & help to find realistic nourishment in my days? I write this monthly newsletter to.. + grow and better myself + share my unique journey that's not black and white (and definitely messy) + inspire other mamas out there that living a life intentionally blissful is so f*cking possible In this letter I include... + A little blurb on seasonal life things happening in my world (raw + honest always) + My monthly theme to ease my days + Nourishment for my soul, mind and body + One meal I'm savoring + My work • life • play "balance" + How my family and I have been simplifying & growing + Quote of the month that's soothing my soul I encourage you to reflect alongside me by gently reminding you to take inventory of your current nourishment situation. Are you getting enough nourishment? Do you need more support in a specific area? Are you feeling fulfilled and blissful? What is one thing you can take off your plate in order to uplift your whole self or a small part of yourself? I encourage you to find upliftment through the mess by sharing my unique journey on doing the messy work alongside you. I hope by sharing my shifts in mindset, small and realistic actions to nourish myself, experimentation with life, creating simple mantras, and seeking uplifting quotes that align with how I'm really feeling help you to do the "dirty" and unromantic work of seeking all the goods that you need to feel nourished, inside and out. Bottom line, I hope this letter gives you an inner nudge to take action to find realistic nourishment that meets your unique and weird as hell needs, because how we nourish ourselves directly relates to how our lives flourish. We gotta get real intentional to up our vibrancy game. Truth! Does any of this good shiz speak to you? Join the community here and be nourished by a fellow weirdo who isn't afraid to let her hair down and find nourishment when things get messy...because that's the beauty in real life. uplifting you through the messy, Jillian

I know with less choices I am a much happier and calmer human. This is why I needed to find a solution to my closet and clothing chaos. I HAD TOO MANY CHOICES IN MY WARDBOBE! AHHH! Does this wadrobe struggle speak to you too? The great news is that I found a solution to this mental, emotional and physical chaos. I decided the best way for me to streamline my clothing and stress would be to create a rule. A rule that was a well thought-out and intentional plan to make me feel hella happier. A rule that allowed me to be a better wife, mama, and overall human being. I created a wardrobe rule that is super simple. The one RULE I follow is... ONLY KEEP AND WEAR CLOTHES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL 100% COMFORTABLE & CONFIDENT. Yup, that's it! I realized that after all of the clothing challenges I had done in the past, such as The 10 x 10 Challenge, The Reverse Hanger Method and The Last 14 Experiment, that all of these challenges had something in common. All of the clothes I had worn during these challenges were only the clothes that made me feel 100% both CONFIDENT & COMFORTABLE. Not 60% or 80%, but 100 freakin' percent! Bottom line...I was rewearing the same v-neck cotton shirts, the same high-waisted pants, the same denim shorts, and the same dresses over and over again because I felt like a freakin' badass in them. I felt sexy and comfortable at the same time which enabled me to be the best version of me all the time. Well, most of the time. The clothes I had that were untouched and weren't being worn were because I didn't feel 100% confident and comfortable wearing them. It was really that simple. Think about a piece of clothing you own that you haven't touched or worn in a LOOONNNNG time. Why haven't you worn it? Most likely the answer is because either it only serves one purpose, meaning you can only wear it for one occasion, OR because there is something about it that doesn't make you feel 100% sexy and comfy as hell. BAM! "Don't settle for less. Find wardrobe items that align to your beautifully chaotic life and allow you to show up sexy and comfy as hell, no matter what season." Let's start livin' happier and spread these good vibes to others so that we are all feeling lighter and less stressed during our days and sexier than ever in our clothes. Dressing my body by following this ONE RULE has made my mind, body and soul feel so much lighter and happier, seriously. If you are tired of the struggle and stress of a cluttered and chaotic closet, then take action and try following this one rule. What do you have to lose? My husband and I chat in way more detail about Simplifying Our Wardrobe on our podcast episode 157 if you want to join the conversation! Please share how your days have been simplified using this one wardrobe rule (you can use the hashtag #1rulewardrobe on Instagram). I would love to see how you're applying it to your unique life :) hugs friend.

Savory, nourishing and delicious as hell. Do yourself a favor and find your local farmer. Buy their meat. Savor their meat. I promise you won't want to go back to mainstream meat every again. Seriously. Egg, Sausage, Cheese & Mint Scramble Ingredients beef tallow, bacon fat or butter pasture-raised eggs jack or cheddar cheese local sausage, cut into cubes salt & pepper fresh mint, sliced thinly Directions Melt preferred fat in pan. Add chopped sausage. Cook and brown until liking. Add whisked eggs in pan and cook together. Add shredded cheese, salt & pepper and top with fresh mint. It's even better with a side of avocado and your favorite fruit. :)

Fun is the most meaningful work we will ever do. “I'm having fun. I'm being myself. I'm doing what I love. That's all that matters." ~ James Charles The act of having fun is simple, but the art and meaning of fun is beautifully complex. As we grow older, many of us were told and shown the narrative that life is serious, full of responsibility and is measured by your financial success or status. What wasn’t emphasized or encouraged as we grew older was to KEEP FINDING FUN. The simple act of inserting fun, or interacting with those things that light you up, is what drives us to find purpose, joy and the love to live out our lives with vibrancy! Fun is directly connected to our values and what makes our lives feel more meaningful. I define fun as this cosmic entity of what excites you, intrigues you, what gives you goosebumps or just that feeling of HELL YEAH that sounds rad. One of the greatest things about having fun is that you're rarely worried about the outcome (your overall expectations are low), because having fun is like one big exciting experiment. Realizing that this is the norm about fun has given us permission to keep searching for the fun. If you feel that you need some type of permission from the universe to insert more fun in your life, then please consider this your invitation to start finding your fun and to start investing in it as much as you can. 5 SIMPLE WAYS TO FOLLOW YOUR FUN 1. If you say you want to try something fun, then follow through with the idea. Literally stop what you're doing and PLAN for the fun! ​ 2. Write down one fun thing you want to do each day and make it happen. 3. Say “no” to the things that don’t sound fun, without guilt or fear of what others may think. Harder than it sounds, but this step is golden! 4. Reflect after you have fun to consciously notice all the good that came from that experience. Did you meet new people? Did you develop a new skill? Did you realize you were braver and bolder than you thought? 5. Communicate your version of fun with others you care about so they understand what you value and what direction you're headed towards. The wild thing about once you start to find the fun and make it a habit, the fun starts to find you. Check out more about our real life experience on our podcast, Simplified Khaos, Episode: 133 Following the Fun! living out my fun, Jillian

stop.pause.and take it all in mama. savor my dear Savor my dear, Relish in each now, as it is deliberate work that our souls were born to do. Savoring the moment is ABSOLUTELY an act of nourishment. It's the most "productive" and natural work we are here to do. But we have to be willing to savor, as it is action we've been programmed to forget. I think it's time we remember what we were born to do, don't you? HOW I'M CHOOSING TO SAVOR THIS SEASON... fully commit to a slower pace create space for stillness and rest release thoughts of "productivity" and external expectations take notice of my environment and what comes up surrender and let the moment envelope me willingly find joy and purpose right as I am ​ and to BE ALL THERE for as long as I need to be. ​Curious, how are you savoring this season? ​uplifting you through the messy, Jillian

if I don't draw the line, then someone else will do it for me. “Boundaries are your life line. They secure space for your needs." Boundaries are a vital component in motherhood, at least in my experience. They are constantly evolving and changing as we grow and as our kid(s) grow. I definitely carried a ton of GUILT at first when wanting to plan and make time for myself. Is this selfish? Is this too much time to take for myself? ​Am I being fair to my partner? These type of thoughts were weighing me down from taking action- I felt stuck. So I decided to LET THAT SH*T GO. Making space to nourish a part of ourselves is one of the best things in the world we can do for our family. I've stumbled upon (gratefully) and now intentionally make space for what I like to call BOUNDARY "BOOKENDS" - basically my life line to showing up a more present and patient human. ​I define BOUNDARY "BOOKENDS" as the nourishing practice​s I do to start my day and to end my day. WHAT ARE MY BOUNDARY "BOOKENDS" IN THIS SEASON OF LIFE? START OF MY DAY: I wake up and create space to... scrape my tongue drink a large cup of water make my bed (and Lucille's bed) put away dishes in the kitchen (start with a clean kitchen slate) make a cup of french press coffee with frothed heavy whipping cream write in my planner/journal: One thing I'm grateful for that day and why. write in my planner/journal: My TOP 3 things I want to accomplish that day. optional: write in my journal what's in my headspace that day (thoughts, feelings, dreams, ideas, etc.) The middle of my day is a beautiful mess filled with work, play, cooking, outdoor time, cleaning, spontaneous adventures and rest (when I can). END OF MY DAY: Before I go to bed I create space to... brush my teeth and floss wash my face snuggle in bed write in my planner/journal: 3 ways I had FUN that day write in my planner/journal: 3 ways I was GIVING that day write in my planner/journal: How did I NOURISH all 3 parts of me that day: mind, body and soul? write in my planner/journal: One thing I could do BETTER next time optional: Read pages out of a current book I'm excited about (usually something uplifting, light and easy to read) I think we overcomplicate creating boundaries because our mind gets in our way. We convince our inner-selves that we don't need time or there's not enough time to nourish ourselves...but really it's the most simplest act of love we should and can do for ourselves. Creating boundaries is making a commitment to get to know ourselves every single day, to make it a habit of setting aside small chunks of time to nourish ourselves, just like we do for our family. ​Curious, what boundaries are nourishing you in this season? uplifting you through the messy, Jillian

It's not time I need, it's space. “It's not time I crave - it's space.” I realized that while living a very rushed and busy lifestyle my body craved something different. At first I thought it was time. Time to myself, time with my family, time to be bored, time to play, etc. But after much exploration I have found that it wasn't time I was craving, it was SPACE. Space to flow. Space to grow. Space to rest. Space to explore. Space to BE. Space may seem empty, but it's actually filled with your unique music and vibrational frequency. And that frequency needs room to breathe, move, play and thrive. Space is a portal, an opening to learning more about YOU - like a map of unknown places and roads ready for you to discover about yourself. Space gives you permission to soak in all the messy blissfulness you discover about yourself. If you feel overwhelmed, over stimulated, exhausted, worried, anxious, or fearful.... it may be because there's too much clutter in your life and not enough space. Declutter your internal and external world to give yourself more SPACE. Remember, your unique music needs space to flourish and run f*cking wild. :) uplifting you through the messy, Jillian