I didn’t grow up cooking. My parents worked, and we found the usual American solutions to having no time to prepare food. We ate at restaurants, picked up fast food, and microwaved frozen dinners. At the time, it wasn’t clear to Americans how negatively those habits affected our health. When I got married and had a kid, I wanted to prepare real food for my family. But I felt totally overwhelmed by the responsibility of cooking. And frankly, I resented it. Even though I knew it was something I could enjoy. But then I developed these simple cooking ideas that saved my sanity and my family’s health. And I want to share them with others who feel they just do not have time to handle dinner every night. …
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It seems like microplastics are all over the news right now. We knew single-use plastic wasn’t great for the environment. But in recent years we’ve learned it also has serious effects on our health. Not only from microplastics entering human tissues, but also from endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like BPA and phthalates that are emitted from the plastics in our environment. But the question of how to avoid microplastics in our plastic world is not an easy one. To me, starting at home – where I have control over the environment – was the first step. I recently started a project to reduce the amount of plastic exposure my family was getting at home. There are many excellent sources of information on microplastics and EDCs in common household products. But I…
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You may have found travel with an infant relatively easy. After all, they sleep quite a bit. And they don’t have much of an opinion about what’s going on. A toddler is a different ballgame. They’re mobile, they throw tantrums, and they have plenty of opinions you’ll certainly hear about. But traveling with your toddler can be so rewarding. That’s why I put together this comprehensive list of tips for how to travel with kids under 4. I previously shared a Europe packing list for a toddler. Now, I want to share my best tips and tricks for plane travel with your toddler. I learned some the hard way, if I’m being honest. But at least you can learn from my mistakes! How to Travel with Kids on a Plane:…
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Preparing to have a baby? Wondering if you can possibly keep or start a minimalist lifestyle with a newborn baby? You’re in the right place. First, I can tell you it is possible. In fact, while I dabbled before, having a baby was my catalyst for major decluttering and a lifestyle shift. Below I share my best advice for parents (and future parents) for how to be minimalist with a newborn baby. Find advice about newborn essentials (and what you don’t need), baby room organization, and baby life hacks to stay sane as a newborn mom. Some Advice for Staying Minimalist with Your Newborn Baby Before we get into links with specific advice, let’s cover some general advice for baby planning the minimalist way. 1. Don’t add…
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Preparing for a trip and looking to try out carry on packing? Or are you dreading traveling with baby and all the stuff you’ll need to bring? Whatever your reason for looking into minimalist travel and packing tips, you’re in the right place. This collection of posts includes detailed packing lists for vacation, including guides for traveling with just a carry-on – even internationally – and traveling with babies and toddlers without dragging the entire nursery with you. I used to be a hopeless over-packer. But years of frequent travel transformed me into a carry-on only traveler. After becoming a mom, I had to relearn how to travel light with a baby and then a toddler. The posts below…
