Making Life Simpler

Life can be a littttle chaotic sometimes, but I try to occasionally step back and remind myself that things don’t always have to be so complicated. I’ve been making an effort to streamline my closet and simplify what we have in the house, which goes for how many throw pillows we have as well as how many healthy snacks I have on hand. And I’m being as mindful as possible not to add on any unnecessary projects with everything that’s going on with normal life. These are some of the other ways I’m working to cut through the chaos and make life simpler:

Scheduling: I’m working on not overextending myself, which means learning to say “no” to things. That said, I have been taking on more freelance projects lately. I see those as an investment in the future, so I’m letting myself do those – and cutting back in other areas.

Organization: I recently re-discovered a blog I used to follow that is all about organizing (yes, thrilling, I know) and it reinvigorated me to make some small changes to make sure I am on top of things.

Meal planning: Something I’ve never really done but keep hearing about on some of my favorite blogs, I’m making an effort to plan out meals at the beginning of the week and go to the grocery store once a week instead of multiple times. It also means we’re cutting down on take out, which is always a good thing.

Cooking in a crock pot: It seriously saves so much time. And in the fall when I’m craving hearty meals, it’s the perfect way to make sure we cut down on cooking (and clean up) time without sacrificing a good meal.

Snacks: I’m turning to healthier snacks, like grapes, apple slices with peanut butter, and ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple bars. They’re just the right size to throw in my bag to have on hand, and the “less is more” approach to ingredients fits with my attempts at being more conscious of what I’m eating.