Claiming Simplicity | Simple Life, Natural Living, Cooking from Scratch, Intentional Living, Save Money, Simple Systems

EP 154 // How to Have More Contentment in Your Everyday Life When it Seems Busy and Overwhelming

Hello Friend!

God has put it on my heart to talk about contentment whether you are a beginning homesteader or just striving to get by every day as a busy mom.  I think in this modern world we live in, we are so focused on what we have and who has more instead of just being happy where we are at. If you are doing work you hate to just have more things, you are missing the joy in every day.  Day in and day out, you are just going through the motion instead of living the dream God has for you.  When you seek after Him like never before, you will find peace and contentment.  

I love John 14:27 Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  This means that unlike worldy peace, Jesus' peace gives us confident assurance in any circumstance.

I often think about if I am living my daily life the same way as if I only had a week or month to live and there are times I need to step back-especially in business because I love to be productive and I love the work I am doing, so it is easy to spend more time on it and this is where I have to set my boundaries. 

You can’t be happy if you are not content.  It is hard to have joy and purpose if you are not happy and I believe social media has ramped up this feeling of discontent because you are only seeing the highlight reels.  This is one reason I have a hard time posting on social.  I don’t want everyone to be envious of this life we have created.  I love it and enjoy it every day, but if you are still working toward this life of time freedom, it can make you become somewhat discontent and that is the last thing that I want for you friend.  

So many of you are dreaming of a farmstead or homestead, but there are so many things you can do right where you are to get there someday.  I can’t emphasize enough about learning!  When you learn the skills right where you are now, you are less likely to become overwhelmed when you actually get to where you want to be.  Remember, God’s timing is perfect, so stay content in where he has you right now whether it be an apartment or in the city and keep dreaming and asking God what His will is for you.

Not only will contentment bring you joy and purpose, but it also reduces stress and makes your life so much more enjoyable and there is such freedom in contentment to be who God created you to be and live the life you can only dream of.

Here are a few items for you to start your journey to contentment.  First pray~this is the most important thing you can do in every situation in your life.  Next, remove items from your home that you have not used recently and declutter as much as you can in your home and learn to be happy with less.  There are many studies about clutter and mental health.  Less stuff is so freeing and will also eliminate hours of time in managing the stuff and also less cleaning.  I was recently with someone that was stressed out about getting her house cleaned before someone came over, but once you have simple systems in place and less stuff, your whole life can change because you will have more time to make memories and less time managing your home and you won’t have to worry about someone stopping over!

 

I pray that you can find more contentment and peace in your daily walk.  

~Monica

Website:

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EP 153 // 5 Simple Routines to Keep Your Home Clean to Have Less Stress so You Don’t Have to Worry if Someone is Coming Over Unexpectedly

Happy Day!

I want you to have a home that is easy to keep clean and manage.  Once you get a system down, you don’t ever have to worry about unexpected guests coming over.  Really-you shouldn’t worry about that anyway because they are probably over to just enjoy your company.

Every year, I have to go through our inventory and also evaluate if there is something that isn’t working.  I talked a few episodes ago how things in our pantry were getting stacked up on the counter and we weren’t able to open the doors above that space and we had to put another stand in place to keep that from happening and this is similar to your systems for cleaning your house.

What is working?  Are you able to keep the counters clean and clear of clutter?  If not, what can you do to change that.  If it is mail that is coming into the home and getting stacked up on the counter.  Find a system that can stop that habit.  Mail has never been an issue for me.  I look through the mail as I come in from the mailbox, put any unwanted items in the garbage and then it you need to do something with some of it, have a bin for that and then have another bin for look at someday.  This would be something like seed catalogs or something you want to look at but don’t have time right now.  Did I mention seed catalogs?  Anyone else getting excited for our season?  Anyways…..If it is dishes on the counter and in the sink, can you make sure that you get them into the dishwasher or washed every evening so you don’t wake up to a mess right away in the morning?  You could also rinse and put them right into the dishwasher during the day as you use them.

If you are having problem keeping your bathroom clean, one thing that is so simple to do is to make sure to have your cleaning spray right below your cabinet and clean the counter off and spray it down right after you are done getting ready in the morning.  It just takes a few seconds.  If there are clothes laying around, put a basket to put them into or make sure you are bringing them to the laundry instead of leaving them on the floor.  If your toilet is dirty, just take a couple minutes to clean it after you are done using it.  These things don’t take much time, but if you let them get out of hand, they can get much dirtier and harder to clean.

Maybe it is your entry way that gets cluttered up quickly.  If it is coats, you hang some hooks so that it is easy to hang up.  My family is more likely to hang their coat on a hook than open a closet door and put it on a hanger.  Plus, many times, you hands are full when you walk in the door, so it is much simpler to have hooks.  If we get too many shoes in that area, I have everyone take their shoes to their room because you can only wear 1 pair at a time.  It seems like you have alot more shoes with girls than boys, thats for sure!

It could be your living room that is causing your stress and hard to keep clean.  Once again, evaluate where the problem is.  It may be that you have to declutter so you have less stuff to manage because that will not only keep your house cleaner, it will also clear your mind.  What can you do without?  If there is garbage laying around, have your whole family of putting it in the garbage.  What can you do to streamline this process?  

Start with one area of your home and create systems to keep that area clean and then once that is on autopilot, start on the next area of your home.  I used to spend hours cleaning my home, but once I simplified everything, decluttered and made simple systems, I feel like I rarely ever clean.  It just becomes a habit and you will have less stress once you get your systems in place.

Blessings!

Monica

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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EP 152 // Why Do You Want to Live a More Intentional Life? Are You Ready to Have Less Stress in the Fast Paced World?

Hello!

When you live your life intentionally, there doesn’t seem to be the feeling of friction which creates so much less stress is this crazy fast modern world.  If you listened to the last episode, you will understand when I say that social media is not something I want to be intentional about.  I would rather spend time with my real friends than the ones that just like everyones posts.  I just don’t want to take time away from what matters to me most and maybe that is you too.  What keeps you on these platforms?  I often wonder when people say they are busy, what they have to show for it.  Busy scrolling or busy with the people they love.  I hope it is the latter of the 2.  

You can’t ever get your time back and making memories and being intentional is key.  I am so thankful we bought a little piece of land just off the lake years ago and the kids were able to make memories from when they were very young. We cleared the land, worked on it with cash as we went, put in electric and well,  built a cabin and spent hundreds of weekends just making memories with family and friends. The best part is that we didn’t have any internet service.  Now our grandkids love all the memories we make up there and on our farm. 

We like to go on vacations a few times a year at least with our 2 kids that are still at home as they get to have many experiences as we have traveled around the US to many different locations.  They only have 5 years left at home, so we want to be intentional about that as well. We like to take a few weeks at a time so we can see as much as possible.  Sometimes we fly, but we would rather drive so we can do more. 

My husband & I have had weekends away, but we have our whole life to travel by ourselves after the kids are gone, so we like them to experience as much as possible while they are with us.  We don’t spend alot of money when we vacation and many times it is a business expense.

We like to hike and have visited many many national parks and since we make our own food from scratch, we usually rent houses with kitchens that we can cook from scratch ourselves so we keep our energy up and stay healthy. If there are some unique places to eat at with a fun experience, we will stop, but for the most part, we don’t like to waste our money on high priced unhealthy meals.

I encourage you to look at what you are doing intentionally in your life.  Is there some memories you would like to make, would you like to start cooking from scratch or learning some new skills?  We only have so much time on this earth, so I challenge you to stop scrolling and start living life!  God has so much more in store for you friend!  You will be so glad you did!

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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EP 151 // 3 Simple Time Management Tips When Cooking from Scratch When You are Busy

Hello Friend

I want to give you 3 simple time management tips to put into place when cooking from scratch because I know it can seem a little overwhelming at first.

First, I want you to decide on 1 new item you want to make.  If there is a recipe that you would like to make, but don’t want to waste time researching, please just email me because I have tried many and if I find one is simpler than another and just as good, I will stick with the simple one!  I don’t want you wasting time on pinterest or social media because that will keep you from getting into action.  Once you have that recipe,make sure you have all the ingredients or make a list of ingredients you need and when you will go shopping for them.

Next, put it on the calendar to make so you know exactly which day you will be doing it.  Allow for time to prepare and make sure you know the cook time-one of the worst things that could happen is that you have it on the calendar to make and you didn’t realize how long it was going to take and can’t eat until 10pm!

And Last, if you family likes this meal and it was simple for you to make, put it into a favorites recipe binder.  This will help you stay organized and make it easy to pull out when you need a quick from scratch meal.  

Repeat this process until you have a few weeks worth of recipes and that will make it super easy to plan your from scratch meals easily.  

The key to not getting stressed out about cooking healthier is do it slowly. Try 1 meal a week to start out if doing more than that stresses you out.  You don’t have to eat perfectly, but when you transition slowly, you will have lasting change.  

Chat soon!

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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~Monica

 

EP 150 // Simple Recipes on a Budget to Save Money on Food this Month as a Busy Mom

Hi Friend!

I want to give you some simple meal ideas to cut your grocery expense and eat nutritious healthy meals without a lot of time in the kitchen.

Some simple ways to cook is instant pot meals, easy casseroles or hot dishes, simple crockpot recipes for soups and chilies, egg bakes and any kind of breakfast food.  

Make sure you don't waste time in the kitchen so you can spend life living more intentional.

Below is instagram link if you want to check out what is happening in my life

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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Love ya friend!

Monica

EP 149 // 3 Areas in Your Budget You Can Easily Save Money. What Can You Do Without That You Won’t Miss as a Busy Overwhelmed Mom

Hi Friend

I want to talk about the 3 areas of your budget where you can easily save money. 

 

First, as we have talked about before, food can be one of the largest expenses for some families and it is also an area you can save quite a bit when you focus on more intentional spending.  If you go into the grocery store with cash, you can only buy items that add up to less than that, so using cash can help you from buying extra items you don’t need.  Make a list of meals you can make with the items in your fridge and see if there are a few ingredients you may need to go with the meals for the week  When grocery shopping, make sure you go with a list and stick to the list so you just get what you need. You can also just order online and pick up-that way you know exactly how much you are spending and are less likely to get unnecessary items.  So much of our food gets wasted because we have so much excess in our fridges and can’t eat it all.  Another way to save on food is do not go out to eat the whole month-that could possibly save you hundreds of dollars if you go out as a family just a few times a month.  I don’t know if you can even go to eat as a family of 4 for much less than $100 each time, so that could be a significant saving for you if that is something your family tends to do.

Next, make sure you are not buying any unnecessary items.  Do you really need anything from amazon?  If there is an item you are thinking you need, see if there is another alternative.  Can you make something to do the same thing?  Do you have a place to put this item?  Being very conscious of each purchase is key and as I said in a previous episode, make sure you do not have your credit card linked to an online shopping accounts so it isn’t quite as automatic for you to spend money. Make it a game to put an item in the cart without buying it so you can look at the total and say you saved that amount!  Online shopping is just so convenient and can easily get you off of your budget.

 

Lastly, you can do without any new clothes, shoes, purses, makeup or anything you buy that is not a necessity.  This may be hard for you, but I promise, it won’t kill you.  It is so amazing how much money is spent on frivolous items-most times just to give you a status or look good.  How many people do you know that will buy outfits just for a picture~this is so self focused.  You know the people that spend money on things to make them look good or feel like they are better than someone else, but God looks at what you do for others, so I want you to remember that when you are tempted to buy these materialistic items.  Giving is so rewarding-it gives you so much joy _J-O-Y_ Jesus, Others, You.  This should be the order every day, but not just this month.

 

I hope you have an incredibly blessed day friend! 

Monica

 

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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EP 148 // Make Your Own Simple Toxin Free Products for a More Natural Home as a Busy Mom and Save Money in 2024

Happy Monday Friend

I am gearing up to make large batches of some of my soaps, lotions, laundry detergent, scent booster, stain removers, and I thought I would let you know how much money you can save by making your own products along with how much safer they are compared to anything at the store. I think of all the money I spent for years on products like dawn dishsoap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and so many other items that I could make myself for a fraction of the price and am so thankful I learned about what they were doing to my health about 20 years ago.  I make my products in bulk because I don’t do it very often so I make large batches!  It takes very little time to make a large amount of products and uses such few ingredients that anyone can make these.

 

Today I want to talk about a few of my favorite ingredients when making my supplies. 

 

White Vinegar

Castile Soap

Baking Soda

Washing Soda

Coconut Oil

Essential Oils

 

Start out with a few items so you dont get overwhelmed.  You will be amazed how easy it really is!

I have a free non toxic cleaning recipe guide on my website to help you get started quickly and they are all super simple.

 

Go to claimingsimplicity.com and get your free recipes and I have many many more recipes, so if there is something else you need a recipe for, just let me know!!!!!!

Remember to leave a rating and review if you have not already so you can  be entered into our monthly giveaway starting with the first one in February

 

Happy Cleaning Friend!

DIY Cleaners ->https://claiming-simplicity.ck.page/best-diy-cleaners

Oils -> my.doterra.com/monicabaker/

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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EP 147 // Reflect and Reset for a Simpler Life So You Can Stop Being Busy and Have Time Freedom in 3 Simple Steps

Hello

There is something freeing about having time freedom.  I remember when I did daycare and the income looked good until I subtracted all the expenses and when you divide that by working 40 or 50 hours per week plus the time for shopping for food and daycare items, I made less than minimum wage and the value of our house went down because of wear and tear!  Most daycare providers realized that they can’t get ahead and without having benefits or retirement it didn’t make sense so now it is hard to find home daycares.  There are just so many more opportunities for you to make changes so you don’t have to trade time for money anymore!

We haven’t retired my husband yet, but that is the plan eventually!!  Right now, all my grandkids live within 2 hours, so if they need something, have programs, or need me to watch them, guess what-I can do it because over 20 years ago, I made that as one of my goals and priorities as a Grandma!  You can change your life without having to sacrifice what you value!  You are not going to make a full time income selling eggs on your little homestead unless  you sell 20000 or so a year, but there are so many other ways to make money right from home without sacrificing time!  

Blessings!

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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EP 146 //3 Steps to Cooking Simple Recipes in Bulk Will Save You Many Hours of Time as a Busy Homesteader Trying to Keep Up With Everything

 I try to batch cook as much as possible and I want you to spend less time in the kitchen as well if that is what you choose.  

When it comes to cooking, you do have to do a little planning if you are cooking in large amounts.  You may not have all the ingredients on hand when making large quantities, so that is the first step.  Take a look at the ingredients you have on hand and then get a recipe and figure out how many other ingredients you will need to either double or triple that recipe.

 

Once you know what you are making, you will want to plan a day that week that you have a longer amount of time in your schedule to cook a large amount of food.  I try to do bulk cooking at least once a week to keep a large supply of meals on hand and that is the reason we rarely go out to eat.  If you prepare meals and they are convenient to make quickly, it is more work to go somewhere else to eat!

 

Once you know what you are making, you will want to make sure it can be frozen and it may only be a portion that you will freeze, for instance, when I make my chicken noodle soup, I freeze all of it except the noodle and then when I heat it up, I will add the noodles about 10 minutes before the soup is ready.  Many of the items like lasagnas, eggbakes, tacos and even sauces freeze very well.

 

It also helps if you have a list of your favorite recipes that you can easily make into large quantities that freeze well.  Start out by making just 1 meal a week that you double or triple and then if you would like, take 1 morning a month and make a few extra recipes that you could have throughout the month and you will add quickly to meal surplus so you can easily have meals ready on the nights when you don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal.  This will not only keep you from eating out as much, but it will also help you to eat healthier.  

 

I like to make all my breads for the month in 1 day and freeze those as well, so I'm not spending time taking all the ingredients and equipment out several times a month plus then I only have to clean up once from that too!  Keep your meals simple and add more time back to your life.

 

I’m all about keeping everything as simple as possible and these systems that I have learned over the years have really helped with that so I have time to do other things that I love.

Monica

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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EP 145 //Start Off the Year Right by Not Spending Money on Anything Unnecessarily So You Can Save Money in 2024 by Doing a No Spend Challenge

Happy New Year Friend

I’m sure many of you overspent for Christmas and the no spend challenge we do in January is just like a detox from spending!  You can do a sugar fast along with a spending fast to get life back on track!!!!

If you really want to save money in 2024, you need to reduce expenses.  This challenge is so different for each person, but I want you to really evaluate what you actually NEED to spend money on for the month of January.  We all need to pay our bills and we need food, but i’m guessing you could go through your cupboards and freezers to clean out as much as you can and get creative with your meals and just buy the bare minimum ingredients you need.  Last year I only spend $73 on groceries for the month for a family of 4 and I can link that episode below on how I did that and this year I’m trying to spend nothing.That is a stretch challenge, but we do raise our own milk, eggs, chicken, and pork now along with making all my own breads, noodles, pizza dough and all things sourdough which just uses starter, flour and water, so it shouldn’t be too extremely difficult when we already cook from scratch.  

I was just trying to think the other day when the last time we have gone out to eat was and I can’t even remember.  When you cook from scratch, eating out isn’t that exciting~especially when you think about the ingredients they use-we feed our animals non gmo feed ~which is expensive and have to drive almost 2 hours to get it and order some online, but it is important to us what we put in our bodies as well as what we put on our bodies, so we choose to eat at home as much as possible, but it you eat out often, that is an area you can save so much money in just this one month! 

Another great way to save some money would be to unlink your credit card from amazon, or any online store you may easily order online from.  This one extra step could help you think a little more about your purchase and if it is really something you need.  Our culture thinks we NEED so much more than we actually do! Don’t buy anything with credit cards.  Just try it for a week or 2 and see how it goes for you.  You might enjoy spending less money once you see how much extra money you really have.

 

There are so many great benefits to spending less.  When you stop bringing clutter into the home, you also declutter your mind.  One of the biggest benefits from spending less is that you may become less focused on wanting more and learn to be content with what you have.  I suggest you try it for just one month.   

EPISODE 74: https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-2vz43-c15ea5

 

Great to have you back!

Monica

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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