I sometimes find myself making life complicated again, reclaiming my daily simplicity can be hard, even after experiencing the long-term benefits of keeping things simple, it seems the pull of adding more to my daily schedule, prioritizing according to societal ‘norms’ eventually creeps back into my daily life, causing extra stress and busyness. It takes […]
Capsule Wardrobe: Fall In Love With Your Clothes
It’s almost officially fall! Not that I can feel it here in Georgia just yet, but I am ready for the warm weather to dissipate just a little so I can finally wear pants again. I’m excited to switch out the few pieces of specific summer wear I own in my year-round capsule wardrobe, namely […]
Going Home, A Book and Tar Paper
I’m excited to go home. In a couple of weeks, the kids and I will take off and head back to the desert where I grew up. It may sound strange, but I am looking forward to seeing lots of dirt, brush and ants. If I’m really lucky, maybe it will rain while I’m there […]
Live Intentionally All Year Long
https://www.simplyclearly.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/LivingIntentionallyAllYearLong.m4a Transcript of RecordingHappy New Year and welcome to Simply Clearly! If you’ve never been here before, my name is Laura Stevenson, and this website is where I share my thoughts, ideas and tips for living simply and intentionally. This year, I’ve decided to take a bit of a break from trying to live up [...]
Introducing New Setting Intentional Goals Course
I am truly excited to offer this new course to you: Setting Intentional Goals. It is the product of much personal reflection and consideration of myself, the things I naturally enjoy doing and my desire to help others. I have set goals and made plans since I was a kid. With my dad's example and help, we [...]
When Your Year Wasn’t So Productive
2015 has been a good year for me. I like to take time for introspection at the end of each year, and I see it as a common theme among people who are living an intentional, minimalistic, focused life. I enjoy reading end of year posts by people like Joshua Becker, Leo Babauta and Courtney […]
Two Simple Reasons For Holiday Happiness
I recently asked my daughter what her favorite part of the holidays is, and she surprised me with her answer. She said, “Because everyone’s happiness level finally matches how I always feel!” If you knew her personally, you would know that is about right. She is a happy person, bubbly and always excited about something! […]
7 Ways To Begin Simplifying & Decluttering Your Life Today
Wishing your life was just a little less complicated and less full of ‘stuff’? Maybe it seems like a difficult task to even think about beginning to declutter and simplify, where should you start? Use these 7 ideas to start decluttering and simplifying life now. Doing a little at a time is what works best [...]
Simple Thanksgiving and Holiday Seasons
Most likely no one has ever said, “make your holidays as rushed, stressed and complicated as possible”, yet we do. This year, beginning with Thanksgiving, I am creating simple, enjoyable meals and holiday traditions with a focus on connecting with those I love. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, and the kids out of school starting today, […]
22 Great Reads For A Simpler Holiday Season
The holiday season is upon us. This magical time of the year can quickly become stressful for many, both financially and emotionally. But, it doesn’t have to be. Switching your focus from purchasing lots of gifts to the people you love, and building relationships with them, can help ease the expectations that cause us […]
Taking the Path To Simplicity
I’m one of those black and white thinkers. I like things to be right or wrong, cut and dried, yes or no, organized and in place at all times. When I decide to do something, it’s not halfway; I’m either all in or all out. I’m not comfortable with blurred lines, fuzzy thinking, grey […]
The Value of Travel
One of the benefits of living a simpler, more minimal lifestyle that is mentioned often is the increased opportunity for and priority of traveling and experiencing new places. I enjoyed traveling before I knew about minimalism, but it was not a priority. In my early 20’s, one of my brothers and I backpacked through Europe […]
Intentional Holiday Gift Giving
Christmas décor is going up in our local stores this week, before we’ve even had time for some annual gratitude and Thanksgiving. I am simultaneously having feelings of dismay, and urges to begin consuming and shopping for my favorite holiday of the year. I firmly believe Christmas decorations in stores signal a Pavlovian response in […]
The Art of Happiness Book Review
The Art of Happiness, written by psychiatrist Howard Butler based on his interviews with the current Dalai Lama, is an inspirational literary work, with one purpose that is expressed beautifully on a page that reads simply: Dedicated to the Reader: May you find happiness. The insight of the Dalai Lama is presented in such a […]
There Is No Shortcut To Anyplace Worth Going To
It can be really tempting to cut corners and do things the easy way. Wanting a quick fix to problems we’ve created, or just an easy way to get to an end result besides good old-fashioned hard work is something we all would like at times. The problem is, most of the time when […]
Say No To Wants and End Up With More
As humans, we don’t like denying ourselves things we want. This includes not only stuff we want to buy, but also increased ego based on how busy and committed we are, and even excesses like too much food or time spent in the electronic world. When was the last time you told yourself ‘no’? If […]
Benefits of A Capsule Wardrobe Plus 7 Tips To Get You Started
It is refreshing to see the popularity of capsule wardrobes increasing. Not only is it an easier way to look stylish and put together, but also much more affordable for the person on an average income. One of the biggest benefits is that it can also become the first step towards a simpler lifestyle. Tackling […]
5 Simple & Healthy Dinners Ready In 20 Minutes
Okay, this was going to be a post about 5 weeknight meals, but, I started getting burnt out after writing the third one, and thought I should actually save the rest of my mental cooking energy for dinner tonight. I did push through for the fourth recipe! Coming up with healthy dinners used to be […]
7 Habits of Highly Effective Simple Living
During the past three years of simplifying life, decluttering belongings, reducing purchases and more, I’ve realized there seems to be a pattern of belief or thought among simple living folks that make them effective at living a simpler lifestyle. It is easy to start out with good intentions of simplifying life, cutting clutter or […]
How To Get Back on Track When You’re Off Your Schedule Or Routine
What do you do you when you are losing your routine or daily rhythm? You’ve failed at some of your habits and keeping on schedule, and now you don’t feel like getting up, exercising, or really trying to follow your daily schedule at all. You feel like it’s just not working for you anymore. Having […]