avatar by on April 28, 2009   •   76 Comments Inspiration

An announcement!


Photo by Demi-Brooke

If I post on a Tuesday, it’s usually to pose a question for you all to answer in the comments. Today, however, I wanted to share a brief bit of news.

I have recently begun writing a book, due in bookstores fall 2010! I’ve had the privilege of working with an editor the past few months, and I am so excited to see this book published onto paper and bound for your shelves.

There are so many up-in-the-air factors right now, including the book’s title. But it is about simple living (naturally), and the goal is an encouraging, practical tome that’s part inspiration, part handbook for creating a simple yet realistic home for your family.

I’ll be plugging away at the manuscript for the next few months, and will share morsels I glean during my research. There’s a chance I could use your help as I gather information, opinions, and even photos. So stay tuned.

Thank you, Simple Mom readers, for making this a stomping ground of so many great folks like you. I love this community, and I’m so appreciative that you’ve given me a place to craft my writing, a love of mine since childhood. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to have a book published. The blog gets most of the credit for incepting its reality.

You’ll find this book at all major bookstores in fall 2010. Amazing how long the book making process takes, eh? In the meantime, you can find updates on the book’s progress here at Simple Mom.

avatar by on April 27, 2009   •   43 Comments Marriage You

One way to increase passion In marriage – live simply

couple running on a hill
Photo by Dar’ya Sipyeyekina

This time last year, my wife and I were making preparations to place our house on the market. We weren’t looking to move to an enormous house, but since we now had two kids, we were looking to gain another bedroom and a bit more storage space.

After several weeks of preparation and organization, a couple of things became clear:

We had a lot of junk in our house.

No wonder we were tight on storage space; we had too much stuff. As part of the organizing, we got rid of two pickup truck loads of stuff, and we still had too much left. The garage housed most of this until we did more purging.

The houses that would be a “move up” in space and amenities were more than we wanted to spend.

For the past several years, my wife and I have been working to live below our means. To move would stretch us a little beyond where we wanted to be – not that we couldn’t afford it, but why try to afford it? Part of having a simple marriage is living simply.

After deciding not to go through with the process, a tremendous weight was lifted off both our shoulders. We began making plans to get out of debt and travel more with the kids.

In other words, living life more alive and less tied to things and stuff.

This process has made us realize how easily you can be trapped into living according to a perceived expectation of society.

How did society evolve to the point that when you have x number of kids living in an x number of bedroom house, you must get a bigger house in order for everyone to have their own room, and an office, and a playroom, and on and on?

Didn’t our parents grow up with two or more kids in the same room? Plus, I heard that they walked to school through snow uphill both ways.

We feel entitled to a certain lifestyle. A certain amount of luxuries. But at what cost?

Since my wife and I decided not to move, there was a new level of passion and love in the house. We were less worried about the finances. Spent more time with the kids. Planned future trips and excursions. Plus, we got away on the weekends for fun.

I think there is a correlation between living within or below your means and passion in marriage. There is less stress. Less worry. More room for more adventure.

Try it. Spend some time organizing the house – Tsh has an upcoming series on this. De-clutter. Then spend the time planning an adventure together. Spend time with friends. Serve others.

In other words, live and enjoy life.

If you are interested in applying these ideas to your marriage and family, check out my new marriage book.*  It’s available as of today!

*A note from Tsh – I haven’t had time to read Corey’s book deeply yet, but from the little bit my husband and I flipped through it this weekend, it looks fantastic!  A lot of depth, good exercises for couples, and quality stuff to think about.  I recommend it.

Have you seen a correlation between deciding to live more simply and watching your marriage improve?

avatar by on April 26, 2009   •   8 Comments Unused

Weekend links

purple flowers
Photo by Abby Lanes

“There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence so important, as living within your means.” —Calvin Coolidge

avatar by on April 24, 2009   •   72 Comments Money Management You

The emotional benefits to becoming debt-free

Awhile back, we became debt-free.  It was amazing to realize we weren’t indebted to anyone, that after we paid our living expenses, we could decide what to do with our money.

But the benefits to becoming debt-free extend beyond the financial.  There was an internal refining process to our family that transformed us. And we walked away from our debt-free journey all the better because of it.

So what were these benefits to shedding the debt?  Here are a few.

Once we made a goal to become debt-free, we started communicating better.

Because a financial goal like becoming debt-free requires a plan, that plan required communication.  It meant my husband and I were going to sit down regularly and talk about our budget, our spending, and our money goals.  This seeped in to other areas, like how we were doing emotionally with all this, and how our desires for the future depended so much on our financial health.  It opened the doors to talk about deeper things that really matter, so our relationship deepened.

Because we wanted to be debt-free so badly, it dimmed the sparkle to other money desires.

We could taste the benefits of debt-free living, since every month we were closer to our goal.  Not owing a dime to anyone became more delectable than any whirlwind vacation or new kitchen appliance.  Sure, those things are nice, but they just started seeming… unnecessary, once we were unified in our worthy financial goal.  Our souls’ desires aligned closer to those things in life that really matter, and we liked caring about the things God cares about, instead of what the culture tells us to love.

Because we finally had a workable financial plan, we had hope.

We know what it’s like to just assume you’ll have school loans forever.  We never had a big shovel, so digging out of our debt hole, however small, seemed impossible.  But once we unified and set this goal, it seemed reachable. I’m not talking about a vague goal like “becoming debt-free.”  We had a specific goal of completely paying of X dollars by X date.  We decided that all the money coming from this blog and my e-book would all go to my school loans.  There would be no extra splurges in life.  It wasn’t easy – it was work.  But we had hope, and that made all the difference. We woke up, excited and eager to see how we could throw more money toward our goal.


Photo by Kevin

Because we had financial hope, we decided to change our family tree.

Once we learned not only that it’s good to be debt-free, but that we could be debt-free, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  And that light is living differently.  We can choose to embrace simple living because no one else is clamoring for our money. We can set aside money for our kids’ future, and set them off on their own journey without a burden of debt.  We can make concrete plans now, in our early 30s, to retire with dignity, have the necessary funds to spend time with our grandkids, and enjoy giving to causes we want to bless because some 35 years ago, we chose to get out of debt and not let money rule every decision we make.

The takeaway

Now, I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture that being debt-free solves everything.  Economic setbacks still happen.  Layoffs still happen.  And unexpected money pits still happen.  But being debt-free means those things don’t hit you like a mack truck – they’re an annoyance. They don’t have to change our entire lifestyle – they can further confirm our conviction that living without debt means having more options, having more peace.

And while we may never be rich, we can be wealthy in those areas where we want to be wealthy – in relationships, in experiences, and in supporting causes that matter for eternity.  I’ll take that over depending on Master Card, any day.

• If you’re not debt-free, but you’re on a plan, be encouraged.  You can do it, no matter how small your income is.  It’s not easy, and it takes sacrifice and hard work, but it is so worth it.

• If you’re not debt-free, and you haven’t really considered the benefits to shedding the debt, I ask you to sit down and make a list of the pros to hanging on to debt.  Even student loan debt.  What are the benefits?  What are you missing out on by holding on to this burden?

• If you’ve decided to get out of debt, but don’t know where to start, head now to Dave Ramsey, and gather any information you can.  Read his book, The Total Money Makeover.  Listen to his radio show.  Take his course, Financial Peace University, even if you have to take it online (we did, and it was great).  Perhaps sign up for My Total Money Makeover forums (I’m over there), and find encouragement from like-minded people on the same journey.

I can’t speak highly enough of this man, who is a reasonable financial voice in a crowd of insanity.  Nothing he says is new, because it’s good, old-fashioned common sense. And that’s what makes it so great.

If you’re debt-free, share your celebration stories!  And if you’re on your way, share lessons you’re learning on your journey.

avatar by on April 22, 2009   •   26 Comments food & drink recipes

Celebrate Spring with two seasonal tarts


All photos are by Aimee.

Ah, spring… After a long winter of eating potatoes, squash and carrots, she welcomes us with a tantalizing array of fresh new produce: bright green asparagus, cheery red radishes and seductive, oh-so-sweet strawberries.

Why does this bounty taste so good right about now? Because this is exactly when God intended it to be eaten! It is in season, meaning this is the time of the year it is meant to be enjoyed. It has naturally ripened on the vine or in the earth, it is fresh and, best of all, it’s affordable.

These days, with every fruit and vegetable known to man available year-round at our supermarkets, awareness of our planet’s natural food seasons is rapidly diminishing.

Curious as to why you should eat seasonal produce, as opposed to whatever is featured on the front of your weekly flier? Here are a few reasons:

Eating in season…

  • Tastes better! It is ripened naturally (as opposed to picked prematurely for shipping purposes), harvested when perfect, and its sheer freshness provides us with a boost of extra nutrition. Surprise! Your fruit is actually is full of juice and flavour when it is enjoyed in its appropriate growing season.
  • Saves on energy used to transport food. Way too many veggies are jet-lagged from those long trips from South America to your neighborhood grocery store – and more seriously, too much fossil fuel is being consumed to get them there.
  • Supports local growers. Buttercup loved Farm Boy in The Princess Bride, and we love him too. Wouldn’t you rather support your community and the home team? While you may not see your purchases making an impact on a global scale, your requests for local, farm-grown food might change a Farm Boy’s future.
  • Saves money. Costs are way, way down for produce in season. What’s not to like about that? You may not realize, but we pay a premium for food that has traveled a long way. Skip the berries selling for $4.99 a pint in January (they’re unripe and tasteless anyway), and wait until May when they are practically giving them away for $.99 a pint, and they taste like strawberries should.
  • Teaches our children about nature’s cycles and the passing of the seasons. Most kids can tell you that pumpkins turn up in the fall, but how many can pinpoint the asparagus season?

To better inform yourself of what is available and when, a great site to start with is Eat the Seasons. Updated every week, it lists what food is currently in season (including things like oysters and wild mushrooms, because they, too, have seasons) and is full of tips and recipe ideas.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of disappointing off-season produce. This past winter I had enough rock-hard  peaches, completely tasteless cantaloupe, and woody pineapples to drive this point home to me. Why I practically threw that money away, I’m not entirely sure, but it probably boils down to consumerism at it’s finest: I want what I want, when I want it.

From now on, I am going to try to celebrate each season as it comes and take my menu-planning cues from nature.

Here are two recipes to get started. Granted, fresh strawberries need no other embellishment than a dollop of whipped cream, and asparagus can be simply steamed and served with a slathering of butter; however, should you want to dress either of these noble spring ingredients up, here are two simple recipes for an appetizer and a dessert.

Both recipes are adapted from Martha Stewart.

asparagus tart

Asparagus Gruyère Tart

  • Flour, for the work surface
  • 500 grams puff pastry
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16×10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with Gruyère. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyère, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm.

strawberry galette

Strawberry Galette

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 250 grams puff pastry

On a floured surface, roll pastry to 1/4 inch thick round. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut strawberries lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Toss with sugar and cornstarch, and immediately arrange in concentric circles on the dough – start 1 inch from edge, overlapping slices slightly. Fold the edge of dough over the berries. Whisk together yolk and water. Brush the dough with egg wash, and dot berries with butter.

Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool. Slice like a pizza and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Do you have a favorite month at your local farmer’s market? What is a seasonal dish you love?