Simple Saturdays

Want to live life with more purpose? 5 years ago we stumbled upon our first 'life on purpose' conversation and since then we spend time each New Year to talk about how the year went and what we want in the year to come.   I asked Conor if we could have some of this conversation in front of the microphone and share it on the podcast. . . .    Things we covered on this episode: How Life on Purpose has changed for us over the years Reflecting on the goals we have had over the years The experience of using the Life on Purpose workbook last January  Reviewed our home and family vision mottos from the past year Discussed a few priorities we are setting for the year ahead for our home and family life   HOME Our home vision for 2019 was 'less piles, more renoing' How decluttering has changed our space and home His decluttering process with the kids' toys (as requested by our 8 year old)   FAMILY Our family motto for 2019 was 'be a family that is present and proactive' Our plans for our family this summer

Do you long to be more present, more mindful, more intentional in your life? A major step in this is listening to your life, to your heart and to others in your life. This is the third part of the SHOW UP FOR YOUR LIFE SERIES Step one: Pay attention Step two: Listen closer Step three: Be brave   Today we are talking about: what it means to LISTEN to your life, to those around you, to your heart how to assess the listening landscape of your home and family seek first to understand, then to understand when you feel like nobody listens to you things that keep us from listening well See the full post here.  DO THE LIFE EVALUATION HERE   Books or products recommended here may include referral links to Amazon. If you click through and take action I will be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love or feel would benefit your simple, on purpose life. LINKS MENTIONED The Untethered Soul 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Chi

Dear mama, do you feel like you are on autopilot, overwhelmed, and losing passion for your life? How would it change things if you decided to SHOW UP FOR YOUR LIFE? You know, the life you DO have.  I want to give you some guidance and strategies to help you do this.  This is PART TWO to the Show Up For Your Life Series.  In the first part, we talked about what it means to show up for your life, how to know if you are doing it and what it looks like.  There are three steps to showing up for your life: pay attention listen closer be brave Today we are talking about paying attention. To read the full post transcript, go here.    LINKS MENTIONED The Life on Purpose workbook The Life Evaluation  Instagram  Join the Simple Saturdays email newsletter Life Coaching with Shawna    

From one mom to another, showing up for our life is the hard work of being present, proactive and purposeful.  I'm sharing my journey in showing up for my own life and giving you steps and insights to use that will help you SHOW UP FOR YOUR LIFE.  Read the full post here on Showing Up For Your Life   LINKS MENTIONED Subscribe to Simple Saturdays Marriage [When they tell me I'm lucky to have him]  I stopped enjoying my kids [blog post] [podcast episode] Plan your day Workbook bonuses (sign up if you have purchased a Life on Purpose workbook) My Faves List   Find me on Instagram @simpleonpurpose.ca  

Do you want to simplify your Christmas? In this installment of Simple Saturdays, we're talking about strategies to both simplify Christmas and make it special season for you and your family. This is part two of a two-part episode on this topic. Missed part one? Listen to Simplify Christmas (gifts, decor, mindsets). Episode 42 Simplify Your Christmas (kids, clutter, traditions, hosting, festivities) Kids We feel this tension of longing to make a magical christmas and spoil our kids, while being mindful of the money, the excess and the culture of entitlement we might be contributing to. We try to consider the type of culture we want to create in our family when it comes to gifts. The excess from others We worry about the influx of gifts from friends and family. On the other side of this, is a gift giver who longs to express their love and their love language might be gifts. They are still trying to show up and love you and your family and we can always be more open to the different ways people are expressing

What issues do you have when you attempt to simplify Christmas? I asked this question in the Facebook group and on Instagram and was sent so many thoughtful questions—which tells me that I have the best readers, women who can feel the changes they want to make and see it right there and will take steps to get there! This is part one of a two-part episode addressing these issues. Simplify Your Christmas (Mindsets, Gifts, Decor) Christmas stress + expectations Christmas may have been magical as a child, but now we are adults and we feel the stress of all the activities, gifts, budgets, travel, etc. Just like we work at living our LIFE ON PURPOSE, we can get mindful and make a plan to have our CHRISTMAS ON PURPOSE. Planning is so important because it lets you make mindful decision ahead of time, so all that mental and prep work is done and you can just show up and enjoy the special days ahead. Gifts What sorts of expectations do you have when it comes to gift-giving? VS What are your values with gifts, what do

Overwhelm in motherhood is often part of the role. There is so much to keep track of, manage, plan for, do.  When we feel overwhelmed we often think we are doing something wrong, or we need to try harder, or our life is just too hard.  Often the overwhelm causes us to stress and act from this stress response which gives us a negative outcome in our lives and homes.  But overwhelm is a FEELING we have about the mental clutter in our brain. So, what do we do about the mental clutter? We need to lay it out, sort through it and make decisions on what to do next.    FOUR STEPS TO DEAL WITH OVERWHELM Calm your nervous system Unpack and inventory  - link- How to do a brain dump Prioritize like you mean it - links - Knowing Your Values free worksheet Knowing Your Vision free worksheet When you don't know what you want out of life (podcast episode 32) Take Action   SIMPLE CHRISTMAS PLANNER Over the past few years, I have shared the Simple Christmas Series to help you prepare for Christmas (e

In this episode we're talking about the 'not-enough' mindset. AKA how to spot a scarcity mindset and shift it to an abundance mindset. The 'not-enough' mindset believes there is not enough to go around Not enough... Money Time Food Energy Attention Readers Friends Spotlight Praise Etcetera 'Not-enough' mindset says if they have some, there must be less in the world for me Scarcity mindset also believes things need to be 'right' to be acceptable and it puts us in a victim mentality. In contrast to the scarcity mindset is the abundance mindset Here are some ways to see when a scarcity mindset is taking place of an abundance mindset. Feeling jealousy/comparison vs celebrating others and yourself Feeling worry/fixation vs being present and peaceful Getting overwhelmed/burnt out vs managing your energy and making time for rest Hustling/Hoarding vs setting healthy boundaries and limits for yourself Complaining/Gossiping vs having an open mind and speaking positively Feeling disc

Hygge is a Danish word describing the atmosphere of connection, contentment and coziness.  Once I had decluttered my house, I felt really drawn to bringing hygge into my home and life.  In reading about it, I learned that there are some differences between hygge and minimalism. Knowing the difference helps me see where I am directing my intentions on how I set up my space and life.    In this podcast I'm covering: How hygge compares with minimalism (read the full post here) Three mindsets to bring hygge into your everyday life (read the full post here) Thirty ways you can hygge in the colder months (see the list here) I am basing a lot of my discussion on hygge from these books: Any books or products recommended here may include referral links to Amazon. If you click through and take action I will be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love or feel would benefit your simple, on purpose life. The Book of Hygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits The Little Book of Hygge by

Today on the podcast we're talking about visualization (it's really wild) and three mindset shifts to help you declutter your home. I'm also giving you a sneak peek of my upcoming masterclass! Simple Life Visualization. The practice of sitting there, thinking about what you want, imagining how it feels and smells and looks, getting very detailed, running yourself through the space and process of being there. All of these things are wiring new thought patterns in your brain and your brain thinks they are legit! VISUALIZATION WORKS AT CHANGING OUR BRAIN’S THOUGHT PATTERNS SO when you are preparing to DO THE THING whether it is run a race, or have turkey with your crazy family, or declutter your basement—you get more success at figuring out HOW to do and more success achieving your vision BECAUSE your brain has started laying the groundwork. Action for today Science is telling us that visualization is your mental dress rehearsal that increases your likelihood of achieving the outcome you visualize. The main re

Do you tell yourself that you suck at organizing? And you will never get organized? Being mindful of the story we tell about ourselves of the story we tell ourselves about how we suck at organizing - and being mindful of the mistakes we might be making that trip us up.  I have decluttered my home and worked on finding systems, routines and ways to organize our home that doesn't require me to buy one of everything from IKEA and have hourly training sessions with my family on how to use the pantry.  Get the TOP TEN MISTAKES CHEATSHEETS     LINKS Five Common Mistakes We Might Make When Organizing Our Home View the full blog post here (with pictures I talked about of our closet, the hutch) Instagram Stories (MomOffice Stories) The Simple on Purpose Community Facebook Group Instagram 

Ways to simplify momlife is part two of the wrap up for the You Can Simplify Your Life series. Did you miss part one? Listen to 5 things that make my life simpler. Simple Life There are so many demands on our resources (time, space, energy, money)—this makes it feel like our life is not simple. But how do we do that as moms? How do we manage our own resources when everyone is demanding them 25 hours a day? The best way to simplify your life is to find what feels simple TO YOU. BUT, I know that as part of that process it is helpful to get ideas on how other moms are simplifying. So I will share some of the things I've done to simplify momlife and maybe some of them will work in your own life. 6 Ways to Simplify MomLife Taking time to slow down and be at home We will always think our lives are too busy when we feel like there isn’t enough time. If we fill our days going from place to place or chore to chore then we will feel the tension of living a life that has no time for the things we want and need. And we

I wanted to wrap up my You Can Simplify Your Life series with things that make my life simpler. Simple Life Living simple and on purpose is a very personalized thing. It means taking the time to find out what simple looks and feels like to you. It means setting your own vision and values and prioritizing your life/time/home/energy/money according to your vision and values.   When life is simpler we can SHOW UP AND ENJOY IT! These are things that make my life simpler and I hope there are some tips and strategies in there for you to try. 5 things that make my life simpler Decluttering my space Clearing the clutter from my home allowed me see I could have control over how I use my space. I saw the benefits of creating space for the home life I wanted. Decluttering helped me learn where and how to take control and make space in my life too. Meal planning for me and my people Feeding myself well hasn’t come naturally and I’ve had to learn how to feed myself and my people, everyday, many times a day. I’m a

We're into part four of the You Can Simplify Your Life Series. Let’s take all this work and oozing self-awareness and make a plan on how to move forward.   Part Four of the YOU CAN SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE SERIES​ Read part one here Listen to part one here Read part two here Listen to part two here Read part three here Listen to part three here Simple life Today we are also wrapping up the YOU CAN SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE series! I want to tell you what has worked for me and offer it to you as a way you might simplify your own life. You can include as many/as little waffles, ugly cries in the tub, and outlander episodes as you see fit! How to simplify your life, step by step 1. Clear the clutter Once I decluttered my home I started decluttering my life. I could do this BECAUSE space was now created for the home and life I wanted. What distractions and clutter need to be cleared out to make space for the life you want? 2. Prioritize how you will use your resources Use your life vision and values to be a co

When you don't know how you want to show up in your daily life you won’t ever feel like you are being the person you WANT to be. You live with this tension like things aren’t right—like you aren’t enough. In part 3 of the You Can Simplify Your Life series we're pursuing life on purpose by working through what we want and deciding what kind of person we want to be along the way.   Part Three of the YOU CAN SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE SERIES​ Read part one here Listen to part one here Read part two here Listen to part two here Simple style Follow #moms30for30 I am really enjoying the 30for30 style challenge this summer. I needed it to give me some reminders that 30 items is A LOT OF CLOTHES! I don't think I've worn all 30 yet and we are halfway through. I have been sharing my outfits on Instagram if you want to follow along. Simple life When you don't know what you want in life This portion is my favourite because this is what really propelled me and Conor to really start setting out a vision for the life

What hurdles are we up against that make having a simpler life difficult? In my years of pursuing LIFE ON PURPOSE, and in my experience life coaching women, I know that there can be a lot of "WHY NOTs" that pop up for us. They tell us a lot about our own limiting mindsets and obstacles that hold us back.   Follow #moms30for30 I am so excited that over 30 women have joined the challenge to wear 30 items for 30 days and learn about their style and their clothes and mindsets in it all. Some of these women are just posting pictures in our message group, some are sharing on Instagram. Catch my Instagram stories to see my epic Mid-30s Canadian Mom Outfit Selfies (almost always featuring a basket of laundry in the background).   Today we will focus on PART TWO of the You CAN Simplify Your Life series with the 10 Reasons Why Your Life is Not Simpler Read part one here Listen to part one here Simple Life Many of us want to have a simpler life, but we don't. What hurdles are we up against that make this chang

Today's episode is part one of four about what simple living comes down to. It's a series about why we don’t have a simple life, how to determine what simple looks like to you and how to get started. By the way, I'm summarizing my post What Simple Living Really Comes Down To so if you want to dig into the details make sure to head over there once you're finished listening. Do you want to join in a #moms30for30? Read more about them here, see the Instagram hashtag, and message me on Instagram if you want to join in!   What Simple Living Comes Down To When you hear the term "a simple life," what springs to mind? I want to dig into WHAT IS simple living and how to know where your life is simple and where it isn’t. And, by the way, this isn’t all about moving the country, homeschooling and raising chickens. When you hear the term "a simple life" do you imagine a mom hanging laundry on the line and making homemade dinners foraged from her garden while her children read to each other in their screen-free home?

Thanks for joining me for another Simple Saturday. In this episode, I'm talking about how we approach birthdays on purpose, the time my husband and I forgot our anniversary (we were camping), how to be mindful about what's happening in your heart and mind and strategies to implement when you want to go buy all new clothes.   Simple Family | How we approach birthdays on purpose This past week was my daughter, Lenayah’s 7th birthday. I admire a mom who embraces the birthday theme, rents a space, and invites the whole class to come. I also have to respect the mom I am and know that this will turn me into a stress ball. But that is okay, we don't all have to do the same thing and I KNOW there are many ways I can make my kids feel celebrated and have a memorable birthday. We aim to give our kids gifts that are experiences, something homemade or something simple and exactly what they are interested in. For my daughter this year, we are sending her to horse camp. And since we KNOW that gifts and crafts are her

Part of the reason I'm planning my summer on purpose is I'm working on my efforts to ENJOY MY KIDS. And when there is a season change I know I need to take a hot minute and plan out a structure that makes sure fun is happening without me feeling overwhelmed or behind the ball. Ready to plan your summer on purpose? In this episode I'm sharing about the family rhythms we have in our house on a daily and weekly basis. I also have a worksheet for you! It will help you set rhythms for your family that are effective, fun and working towards the values and vision you have for your family. Simple Life | How to Plan Your Summer on Purpose My summer master plan is titled: “How To Summer With Kids and Enjoy This Time So You Aren’t Googling ‘How to petition for year-round school‘ After Two Weeks of Picking Up Popsicle Wrappers and Refereeing Sprinkler Fights.” Here's how I will put it into action without feeling like an understaffed kid’s camp director. Get my kids' input.If it was up to me we would sit on the deck

Have you spent time decluttering your home? Decluttering WILL be an emotional process because it means separating the life you want from the life you are building by default. Moreover, decluttering is emotional because your eyes are opened to where you have been living on default and also what it has cost you or cost the world around you. In this episode of Simple Saturdays I share how I reframed my view on decluttering's role as well as some great freebies from the Life on Purpose workbook. Simple Home | Decluttering Here are 8 things I realized/learned/relearned from spending the year decluttering my family home: The line between ‘enough’ and ‘excess’ is easily crossed I’ve wasted so much money I’m filling space for the sake of filling space I’ve made so much waste This is all just a distraction Life is still messy It is a mindset, not an end goal It leads to more Simple Life | Life on Purpose Workbook I have some really great freebies I’m excited to share with you. To help you get star