Simple Families

Latest Episodes:

SFP 109: Make your home child-friendly, rather than child-proof [with Nicole from The Kavanaugh Report] May 30, 2018

Show notes

Parents spend a great deal of time and money baby-proofing the home. But how does this process impact our kids? Today, I am chatting with Nicole from The Kavanaugh Report. Nicole and I are both passionate about creating a home that is child-friendly rather than child-proof. That means that we are thoughtful to design our homes with both the children and adults in mind.

How have you created a home that is child-friendly?

Show Links:

Case Against Childproofing (Article)
The Kavanaugh Report (Nicole’s Blog)

The post SFP 109: Make your home child-friendly, rather than child-proof [with Nicole from The Kavanaugh Report] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 108: Moving, Minimalism, and Building a Happy Home May 23, 2018

Show notes

Zoë Kim has lived in 24 homes in 13 different states. She’s an expert at moving and has a healthy dose of wanderlust, but she also manages to connect to the communities in which she lives.

In today’s episode, Zoë and I are discussing moving, finding minimalism, and how to build a happy home (make that plural, in her case).

Show Links:

Zoë’s Blog: Raising Simple

Zoë’s Book: Minimalism for Families (Affiliate)

The post SFP 108: Moving, Minimalism, and Building a Happy Home appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 107: How I Created a Home I Love May 14, 2018

Show notes

I haven’t always lived in places that I love. But I have found gratitude and contentment in some surprising places. Today on the podcast, I am sharing how I created a home that I love along with how I engage in my community to increase a sense of attachment and rootedness.

Want to talk more about this topic? Join us this month in the “Love Where You Live Experiment”.

[button url=”simplefamilies.com/may”]JOIN HERE[/button]

The post SFP 107: How I Created a Home I Love appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 106: Love Where You Live [with Melody Warnick, author of “This is Where You Belong”] May 08, 2018

Show notes

In today’s episode we are exploring the idea of “putting down roots” and becoming attached to the places that we live. Melody Warnick shares her own personal experience and the research on this concept called place psychology. If you ever spend time linger on Zillow or perusing the “Best Cities to Live” lists, then you will love to hear what Melody has to say.

For the month of May, we will be falling in love with our less-than-perfect homes and connecting to our communities. Join Denaye from Simple Families, Zoe from Raising Simple, and Melody, Author of “This is Where You Belong” as we explore this exciting (and much needed) topic.

JOIN US HERE

Show Links:

This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
Walk Score

The post SFP 106: Love Where You Live [with Melody Warnick, author of “This is Where You Belong”] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 105: The Basics of Organic Gardening [with Beth from High Sierra Permaculture] Apr 30, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever dreamt of starting an organic garden? Today on the podcast I am chatting with my friend and homesteader Beth Brettell from High Sierra Permaculture. She’s a former designer turned homesteader, and along with her partner Bret they have created a beautiful and productive garden in Northern California. Beth answers all of my beginner questions + gives us all a quick lesson in Organic Gardening 101.

Be sure to follow Beth and Bret on Instagram to see what life looks like on a homestead and learn more about organic gardening. Want to learn more? Get their free crash course to get started.

In this episode, Beth and I chat about:

When to plant.
What to plant.
Is it better to start with seeds?
How to prepare soil.
An introduction to composting.
How to attract pollinators.
+much more

SHOW LINKS:

The post SFP 105: The Basics of Organic Gardening [with Beth from High Sierra Permaculture] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 104: Food Made Simple [with Erin from The Humbled Homemaker] Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

As mothers, we often carry the heavy responsibility of feeding our families. Despite what Pinterest leads us to believe, cooking for a family doesn’t have to be fancy. In today’s podcast episode I am chatting with Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker.

Erin and I are discussing our favorite methods for simplifying meal planning and cooking for family. We both know firsthand that this season of life with young children can be difficult to prep and cook healthy meals–so we are scaling it back to the simplest ways that we know and sharing them with you.

Show Links:

The Humbled Homemaker
More Than Just Making It (Erin’s first book/aff link)
You Can Stay Home With Your Kids (Erin’s brand new book)
Eating Well on a Budget (Free E-Course)
Field To Plate (Seasonal food guide)
Trim Healthy Mama (Erin’s favorite health/recipe guides)

The post SFP 104: Food Made Simple [with Erin from The Humbled Homemaker] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 103: The Minimalist Kitchen [with Melissa from The Faux Martha] Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

We know that the kitchen is the most used room in the house–yet simplifying the kitchen is anything but easy. On the podcast today I am chatting with Melissa Coleman of The Faux Martha. Melissa is a food blogger and she is sharing her story about how the kitchen “broke” for her. She decided she either needed to make big changes or call it quits. Fortunately, she stuck with it and now she’s sharing the art of creating a minimal kitchen.

Inspired by Melissa’s ways, I will be sharing a tour of my kitchen and pantry in the Simplify Food + Family group this week. Join us there!

Show Links:

The Minimalist Kitchen (Melissa’s book)

The Faux Martha (Melissa’s blog)

The post SFP 103: The Minimalist Kitchen [with Melissa from The Faux Martha] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 102: It’s Not About Nutrition [with Dina Rose Ph.D.] Apr 10, 2018

Show notes

Every parent wants to feed their children nutritious food. That probably means a heaping dose of vegetables, ample proteins, and a well-rounded source of vitamin-rich foods. Even if we know what we should be feeding our children, we don’t always know the magic tricks to actually get our kids to eat those super foods. In today’s episode, sociologist and author Dina Rose Ph.D. explains to us why feeding children really isn’t all about nutrition. Dina is changing the conversation from nutrition to establishing positive habits–her wisdom will have you thinking bigger than just broccoli.

Want to join in this discussion for the month of April as we talk all things food + family?

[button url=”simplefamilies.com/april”]SIGN UP HERE[/button]

Show Notes

The post SFP 102: It’s Not About Nutrition [with Dina Rose Ph.D.] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 101: How I Feed My Family Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

In our house, mealtimes are pleasant. My kids eat well and we enjoy each others company. I don’t have it all figured out, but I do have a Ph.D. in Child Development with a research background in child wellness. That means I use a combination of both research-based ideas and intuitive planning to help develop my kids into good-eaters. Not all these things are going to resonate with you and work for your family–but they have surely worked for mine.

Want to join in this discussion for the month of April as we talk all things food + family? SIGN UP HERE.

SHOW NOTES

We started out this way from Day 1
The Cardinal Rule of Feeding Children
The dinner table is enjoyable
We keep “meal windows”
Snacks are used carefully
We don’t talk about “likes and dislikes”
Food preferences are considered dynamic rather than static
There are no assumptions, other than that our children will eat well
I use backwards meal planning
We keep the food-prep and recipes simple
There’s no sugar

SHOW LINKS

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SFP 100: How to Meditate Without Meditating [with Shawn from the Abundant Mama Project] Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

I don’t have a regular yoga or meditation practice, although I wish I did. Yet each day I find moments of mindfulness and presence in regular activities. In today’s podcast episode I am speaking with Shawn Fink from The Abundant Mama Project. We are chatting all about how to meditate without meditating–and by that I mean how to find moments of calm within the chaos that can overwhelm motherhood.

What unconventional, yet very ordinary ways do you catch moments of mindfulness in motherhood?