Simply DIY // Easy Paint Chip Calendar

Today I have another DIY that has been on the docket for a long time and I finally got around to doing it. I LOVE finding ways to create cute, practical things for my home that I'll actually use. I can't tell you how many projects I've made that have ended up in the trash a few months later because it wasn't practical or I couldn't find a space for it.

This DIY paint chip calendar is as practical as it is simple- and its pretty cute too. I'm really pleased with how mine turned out (because if you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw my embarrassing fail at version one of this project a few weeks ago....) I'm happy to say that this version actually includes every day of the week AND is much cuter.

Here's what you'll need:

Poster board
Scissors
Lots and lots of paint chips in whatever colors you prefer
Washi tape
Regular Tape
A frame with glass or plastic

Step 1 // Cut the poster board to size. You could just use the back of the frame, but I chose to create a separate piece just in case it didn't turn out so that my frame wouldn't be ruined.

Step 2 // Cut the paint chips to size. This was the most meticulous part of the project, as I had to measure/eye-ball how big I wanted each day to be and try and cut them all the same size. The non-perfectionist in me was strong in this one, so forgive my crooked lines and (most likely) different sized squares. I recommend measuring and using a paper cutter if you're the "type A" type.

Step 3 // Arrange the paint chips and tape them down. Since your poster board will be held in place by the frame, I don't think it's important to use anything crazy to hold it down. I tried modpodge last time and it wasn't ideal.

Step 4 // Use washi tape (or whatever you want, really) to create your "month writing spot". That's the technical term for it, I think.

Step 5 // Frame and you're done!

I love how this turned out! And it looks pretty cute next to my little mail organizer, if I do say so myself. 

How do you keep yourself organized? Have you made anything similar to this calendar?

For more DIY's be sure to check out my "DIY" tab at the top of my blog!

How to Establish a Bedtime Routine (and why it's so important)

*DISCLAIMER: This post has been sponsored by Collective Bias inc. and it's advertisers, but all opinions are original and my own. #CollectiveBias #NaturalGoodness * 

When E was around 6 months or so we quickly learned the importance of establishing a good bedtime routine. She was not a good sleeper. She would wake 3-4 times a night for the first 6 or 7 months- until we sleep trained her, and then off an on due to moving several times and lots of schedule changes.

This definitely made for a tired mama- the kind of thing where you dream about having a full night of sleep. You know how it goes.

Eventually I started doing some research, to see if this was "normal" and if there was anything I could do to fix it. I found lots of various sleep training methods and (of course) millions of opinions on everything. (I can discuss what we did for "sleep training" in a different post if anyone thinks that would be helpful!) But there was one common thread throughout most of what I found- creating a solid nighttime routine.

Kids NEED repetition. It helps them feel secure and safe to explore within those boundaries. Setting a loose schedule for Evie every night helped her know what to expect next and got her thinking about going to sleep before we put her in her crib.

Here's what we did: (and still do to this day- though she is a MUCH better sleeper now).
*Note: This can/will look different for every family! There is no right way to do this....I'm just providing an example of what worked for us.*

-Talk about bedtime before its bedtime. This was huge for E who does not do well if we spring things on her. Preparing her an hour or so before (after dinner usually) really helped her cooperate.

- Set a routine and stick to it. Obviously, there are nights when you break the routine, and we are definitely flexible, but at first it is important to be consistent.

- Be patient. If you have a "problem sleeper" like I did, things won't change overnight (literally...). Remembering that they're learning a new skill, so to speak, will help you be more patient when things aren't progressing as fast as you wish.

Now that E is almost 2, things look a little bit differently at night, but we still follow the same guidelines as when she was learning the routine. Here is what an average night looks like in our house:

7:30 // Bath-time and brushing teeth: this is usually after we've all eaten dinner and had time to play and be crazy for a while.

Evie LOVES brushing her teeth. As with all products I use, it's important to me that I use a toothpaste I trust. I need to know that if she eats it like candy (not really, but she loves the taste of it) she will be ok. I use Tom's of Maine®'s all natural children's toothpaste in strawberry for E (they also have a fluoride-free version for babies up to 24 months). There are no dyes, flavors or fragrances in these products, so I'm not worried about letting her brush her own teeth. I picked mine up at Walmart and I'm loving it so far! 

 If you're interested in trying Tom's of Maine® for your kids, they will be hosting demos in select Walmarts on September 19th- lots of free samples and coupons.

8:00 // Wind down and read stories: during this time we keep talking about bed time and *maybe* let her watch one episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Then we let her pick which book she wants to read and who gets to read it to her.

 Lot's of snuggles and pacifier stealing happens during this time. Also, I can't get over Mara's face in this photo....

Goodnight Moon has been her favorite since she was tiny.

8:30 // Go upstairs to bed. Either Aj or I will talk her up to bed, sing her songs and rub her back (she's SO snuggly...) then tell her it's time for sleeping and let her pass out.

That's how we do it at our house. It's pretty simple so far, since Mara isn't big enough to participate yet.

I'm curious, how do those of you with kids do bedtime at your house? I'd love tips for keeping two kids on the same schedule!

A Giveaway with Oakmoss Collective

Guys, its my birthday week! I'm a little bit of a six year old when it comes to my birthday- I get way too excited and force AJ to do nice things for me all week month long. I even have a hard time falling asleep the night before. It's kind of embarrassing.

Today, to celebrate the big 22 (not officially till the 15th though!) I wanted to do a giveaway to say THANK YOU for being so supportive, encouraging and amazing. I love the community I've found in this space- you inspire me to live simply everyday.

I've teamed up with my friends at the Oakmoss Collective who have been kind enough to giveaway one of their gorgeous prints to one of my readers!

But first a little bit about them:

When I discovered Oakmoss a few months ago, I was so inspired by their mission and knew I wanted to get involved somehow. More than just another blog, Oakmoss Collective seeks to take "organic ideas and inspiration from nature, community, food, and faith, (to) encourage dreamers and creators to take steps to living a fuller, simpler life." Sounds pretty familiar right? 

Their website has a blog with posts from some seriously talented writers, some tasty recipes, swoon-worthy playlists, and a shop with lovely prints and the mug you saw above (I just got mine in the mail yesterday and I'm enjoying my daily chai in it as we speak ;). 

Here's a little video that explains their mission:



I'm so excited to support such an awesome group of creatives and hope you're as inspired by them as I am!

Here is a photo of the print you could win. It would make an adorable addition to a gallery wall or a new piece to frame by your bedside.

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday the 18th. Good luck, friends!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

You are more than your job title

Any other Monday, we would all be getting dressed and ready for our jobs, chasing kids trying to ready them for school or doing whatever it is we "do" on a regular basis. But today is Labor Day, so we take a break, a day of rest from our normal.

Which got me thinking about the role our jobs play in our lives. 

The amount of job titles out there is kind of staggering. It's amazing that we have the freedom to pursue our dreams, work towards goals and even get paid for working.

But sometimes in the midst of going to and from work and home, the delicate balancing act we all play in some way or another, we can get lost in that job title. 

At some point- whenever we cross the gap from childhood into adulthood- people stop asking us what we want to be and instead as us what we do. As if everything we are is encompassed in this one word that we get paid to do- waitress, teacher, ceo, lawyer, stay at home mom or perhaps even (God-forbid) unemployed. All our lives we are encouraged to dream about who we want to be when we grow up but once you are handed that diploma, or if you don't get one of those it's even sooner, we are expected to know who we are and stop dreaming- most of who we are is wrapped up in a job title. 

But in reality we are so much more than that. I'm not just a stay at home mom or a writer. I'm a friend, a daughter, a wife, an introvert, someone who dreams of owning her own coffee shop, someone who really wants to travel the world, and someone who has a really immature sense of humor sometimes. 

You're not just a teacher or a student or a writer or the drive through guy at Wendy's. 

I think it is a little disheartening that we unknowingly place ourselves in the limiting box of "what do you do?" Our job title is only a small piece of the complexities and intricacies that make us up. 

So this Labor Day, as you're taking a break from what you do, pause to think about who you really are. So that next time someone asks you what you do, you can answer with more than a job title. 

So tell me, friends. What do you do? 

Simply Disconnect // Week 4

Well friends, we did it! Four entire weeks of intentional social media use. I can't decide if it was the quickest or longest month of my life, but one thing is certain- I learned A LOT through this challenge and I hope you all have some stories to send my way.

In case you missed it, here are the week one, two and three recaps in which I talk about some failures and some exciting successes.

As I'm bringing this challenge to a close, I want to share what I'm taking away from the whole experience and I hope you'll share the same with me. I was so encouraged by each and every one of you who joined me and I hope you enjoyed/grew from the experience. I connected with some awesome bloggers these past four weeks, built relationships, lived in the moment and failed a lot- things I think I value more now than ever.

Here are a few things I learned:

1 // It's ok to be bored. I talked about this in the first week recap, but one of the first things I realized after limiting myself in pulling out my phone was that I was bored a lot more often. But that is ok. Our minds are constantly stimulated by our incessant phone use and putting it away for even a few hours left me feeling like I needed to be "doing" something. But by the end of the challenge I learned to embrace those moments of "boredom," realizing that even just sitting doing nothing can be beneficial sometime.

2 // Social media is an amazing tool. We all already knew this, but for me, it was important for me to push myself to use it more intentionally instead of as something I check and scroll through for hours each day. I researched other bloggers in my niche, found some exciting online communities and even found a meet up in my area (which is super rare) next month that I'm SO excited about.

3 // Disconnecting doesn't have to be dramatic. Meaning that it doesn't have to take a "30 day challenge" or media fast for us to be intentional. Sometimes that is the boost we need to get started though- as it was in my case. I think it is more of a lifestyle change, a reworking of old habits slowly morphing into new, healthier ones. I'm trying to make small choices in my normal everyday life that help me move towards this goal.

4 // We shouldn't use it as a replacement. This one may seem totally obvious and lame that I even struggled with this. But I did. By the end of the challenge it was really obvious to me that I often use the online communities I'm part of and the "connectedness" I feel there as an excuse not to get out and meet people "in real life". This phase of life has been difficult for me as I don't have many people with the same interests or who I truly connect with for the first time in my life. Making friends in this phase is hard, but I'm determined to make it happen. This was a lesson that I didn't expect to learn this month, but I definitely needed to.

So, at the end of the month, with all my failures and habits glaring me right in the face, I'm beginning the new journey of implementing this into my day to day. A 30 day lesson doesn't mean anything if we don't take it beyond that period. I hope you all join me in applying whatever lessons you learned, small of big. And please please share them with me in the comments or via our hashtag!

Here are some awesome posts from other bloggers who took the challenge with me- they have some awesome insight:

-Gema from Beloved Gems talks about how it took going to Mexico for her to learn the value of setting aside specific time to use her phone.

-Adriana on how she felt like she failed.

- Emilie on her Facebook Hiatus

(If you posted on this challenge or a similar topic, send me the link and I'll add it!)

What is a Simple Life? // Five things every minimalist should cultivate

This is definitely a post I should have written a long time ago. Since it's the whole theme of my blog and all...but I just write when the words come, I suppose.

Here at Simply Liv, my goal is to inspire you to live a life that you're excited about. A life that is simple and beautiful, even in the mundane. I strive to do that through not only practical tips and challenges, but through peeks into my own life as well, where I hope I am leading by example. I want to create a community around this idea that simplicity is better.

The problem is, the culture we live in instills in us a "more" mindset from a very young age. In order to be happy, we are told (both directly and indirectly) that we need more- more money, more friends, more stuff, more letters behind our name...just more.

But we know, either through cold, hard experience or through a kind voice who taught us, that more never really satisfies us. The pressure to have more is overwhelming and all consuming and if you're immersed in that mindset for a while, it can be very hard to break. But the desire for more (except where healthy ambition and goals are concerned), often leads to a downward spiral. We get consumed by our quest for more, eventually leaving us with less than we started with.

While I haven't considered myself a "true minimalist" yet, I have way more things than I should and often catch myself longing for more- I believe there are ways we all can and should live, if simplicity is our goal. These five points are my "definition" for simplicity- it's not an exhaustive list or a textbook description, just what I have learned is important to live a life that is simple and full.

A Simple Life is: 

1// Intentional: to live a life that is simple, you must be trying to. Duh, Olivia. But really, simplicity doesn't come naturally for most of us. We have to look at our lives, our mindset and our heart to make sure we are cultivating the right attitude, and that requires a lot of intentionality. Be intentional about your relationships, what you bring into your home- everything.

2// Uncluttered: this is the "stuff" point in the list. There isn't a right or wrong answer here, friends. Like most of these points, it will vary from one person to the next. But acquiring more things shouldn't be the goal of any minimalist. That's not to say don't treat yourself, or buy nice things- but don't hoard or buy more than you need.

3// Authentic: Authenticity is one of my favorite words. I love being around people who are real. We all know them- the one's who don't put on a mask. They're genuine, whether they're having the worst day of their life or are on cloud nine. Have authentic friends and be an authentic friend. It's at the heart of simple living.

4// Content: This is along the lines of being uncluttered, though this aims more at the heart than at physical possessions. Contentment is something I have always struggled with, which is why it is so important to me. I have to be very intentional about cultivating a heart of contentment, with lots of prayer, because I tend to always want more. If I'm not happy in the now, then I'm bound to live a very sad life. I'm striving to be the best I can be where I am planted, knowing that when it is time to move on, God will lead us when and where we are meant to go. It is a hard attitude to have.

5// Creative: I believe a simple life is essentially a creative life. It isn't "by the book". It often leads you into rugged, uncharted territory, perhaps physically but more often mentally and spiritually. Whether you're an artist or don't consider yourself to be a creative type- this will apply to you. You are creating the life you live, the choices you make in this moment affect where your day, week, month will go. Let's create lives that we are proud of. Be original and don't be afraid to break the mold.

Which of these do you focus on in your life? Why is living a simple life important to you?

Have a happy new week friends!

Simply,

Liv

Simply Disconnect // Week 3

Hi friends! How was everyone's week?

There's only one week left of the #simplydisconnect challenge and I (a.) can't believe how fast this month has gone and (b.) am learning so much from just reining in my social media use.

I won't go over the whole challenge here, for the sake of those of you who have been with me the whole time, but if you're just joining me (and you should! It's never too late.) you can read about the challenge here and the week one and two recaps here and here.

Last week I talked about how I had an "off" week. I wasn't on top of the challenge and honestly, not very motivated to put the boundaries on myself that I set up earlier. I gave myself grace, because we all have times when our goals seem like more of a burden, but I kept going.

This week, however, has been much better. We've rounded the halfway point and I think my habits (incessant phone checking, aimless scrolling, using SM as a distraction...) are slowly starting to break. I'm more aware of when I'm doing these things and have the self control to put the device down to focus on what's in front of me. Because that's what the challenge is really about- real life. I don't want to miss out on it. The coming of Fall, the fading of Summer, my daughter's last months as a one year old- I don't want any of it to be clouded by wasted time.

When I have used social media, it has been very intentionally. I'm working on building relationships, connecting with people and finding others who inspire me to create. I'm learning the importance of adding something of value to what others are posting, more than just a "like" - if we are to create true community, it's vital to take the time to comment and start an actual conversation. Even something as simple as "I appreciate what you've created" or "this really meant something to me" goes a (very) long way.

This week's challenge was to get outside and disconnect. And I'm happy to say I did a lot of it. While I couldn't go anywhere remote and exciting like I wish, I was able to take my girls outside several times and went running in the crisp, early morning hours. Both Evie and Mara love being outside, so it wasn't hard to get them outside. We played at the park, found sticks (Evie's favorite), swam, ran through the sprinkler.

How did you get outside this week?

For the fourth and final week- the challenge is up to you! Do something exciting, challenging and maybe a little bit scary. Get creative. And don't forget to share via the hashtag simplydisconnect.

Thank you all for joining me in this challenge! You inspire me.

Here are a few of the photos from the challenge that I'm loving so far. Thanks for sharing ladies!

Five Ways to De-Stress (that actually work)

This morning has been a rough one so far. It's not even 9 am and I already want a nap. It's one of those mornings where I've been spit up on one too many times to be cute and have snapped "no", "stop",  and "don't" at my toddler more times than I'd like to admit. AJ has been working extra long days this weekend (he works Saturday-Monday...) and the days are long at home by myself with the babies. I have a to-do list as long as my kitchen table and I'll be lucky to cross one thing off it today. And we are out of coffee. Anyone else feeling the "monday-ness" of today?

It's a new week which means new to-do lists (or maybe the same list you've been procrastinating/working on for weeks), new goals and more often than not, new stresses.

As moms, bloggers, students...whatever we are, we usually tend to have way too much on our plates. It's easy to get overwhelmed as the list grows and our motivation shrinks. In our efforts to live simply, it's important to set aside time to unwind, even in the smallest ways. So today, I thought I would share a few of the ways I've learned to take a step back and de-stress when the to-do lists overwhelm me. Because I need them today too.

1 // Take a Break. When I'm in the middle of a project that overwhelms me- mountains of dishes, a daunting article for work- stepping back to focus my energy somewhere else helps re-inspire me to get back to work with fresh eyes. Except when the problem is dishes. I've never felt inspired to tackle that project.

2 // Write it Down. Not everyone is a list maker, but man oh man, I definitely am. Making a physical list of things I need to get done not only helps simplify my day in my mind, but it motivates me to work. Is there anything more satisfying than crossing off your to-do list? Maybe, like, two things...but list-crossing-off is definitely top three.

3 // Do Something Active. Take a walk, do a few yoga poses, go run a marathon- whatever you're into and whatever helps clear your mind for a little while. Physical activity literally refreshes your body, giving you an awesome chance to jump back into what was stressing you out before.

4 // Talk it Out. Usually when I'm stressed out it's because I've spent too much time over-thinking one thing, blowing it way out of proportion. Can I get an "amen", fellow over-thinkers? Talking with someone who can help reason with me and bring calm in to the situation inspires me to keep working with fresh eyes.

5 // Get Rested. Our crazy, hectic schedules mean less rest, and less rest means more stress. See the vicious cycle we trap ourselves in? Something as simple as a nap or a bath or just sitting down to have a quiet time...whatever relaxes your soul...will refresh you. I promise.

I'll leave you with this quote from George MacDonald, because rest truly is sacred. If you're stressed about anything on this Monday morning, and most of us probably are, take a few minutes and try one of these tips. Rest. Take a quick break so that you can pour your full self into your work.

What are you stressing about this morning? Do you have a favorite way to relax and refresh? Tell me about it!

Simply Disconnect // Week 2

Happy (almost) Weekend, everyone! Today I'm going to share my week two recap of the #simplydisconnect 30 day social media challenge. If you're just joining me, you can see the first week's recap here.

It's a challenge where we focus on intentionality with our social media use- steering away from aimless scrolling and other ways we waste time and instead try to use it for the purpose it was made for, to enhance and create relationships.

But, in the spirit of authenticity and hoping that this will make me seem more "real", I need to be honest for a second. I failed a lot this week. Sometimes I flat out forgot and caught myself scrolling Facebook in the middle of a conversation or logging on to Insta for the 49853th time. Yikes, talk about setting the example....

In fairness to myself, this week was a crazy one at home. We're finishing up a bathroom remodel, AJ is in the middle of starting his first semester of college and I just started a new job writing from home. It was far too easy to sit down during my down time and browse hashtags instead of connecting with my girls, or even responding to emails or comments on my blog.

There were definitely days where I was on top of it, but this week (for me) was a little bit of a let down after the awesomeness of week one. BUT- there are still two more weeks of the challenge and you can bet that I'll be on top of my business for the next two.

How did you all handle the second week? Were you more successful than I was??

The challenge for the week was to write a letter and send it via snail mail. And guess what? Yep- I forgot to do it.

I'm embarrassed to even say that. It was my idea in the first place!

But I can promise you that after this post goes live, I'll will cozy up in my letter writing spot and make up for it!

This post was a little bit pointless and not really as inspiring as I had hoped my weekly recaps would go, but I want to be open and not pretend like I have it all together all the time, especially online where it's so easy to do just that. Thank you all for joining me! I'm honored to have such an awesome community of people to live intentionally with!

The challenge for week 3 is to GET OUTSIDE (sans device...). Go for a hike, go camping, swimming, sky diving, long boarding, running. Heck, just sit outside in the grass. Anything that gets you out there.

Have fun and be creative with it! I can't wait to see what you all do. Don't forget to hashtag any pictures you upload with #simplydisconnect to contribute to our little community of intentionality :)

Simply Disconnect: A 30 Day Social Media Challenge

This post has been a long time in the making. The past 6 months or so I've been really focused on growing this little blog- networking with other bloggers, putting myself out there to bigger companies, creating new content, working on my writing and photography skills. And it has indeed been growing! Simply Liv is expanding from just a personal online journal of our family life to a community of like-minded people who are passionate about living simply. I've been so excited to see some of my hard work paying off. It's mostly just behind the scenes, but I'm really proud of this little space and have loved engaging with so many people through it.

However, I've noticed a tendency in myself to go overboard. In the bad way. I become so excited and obsessed with my stats and likes and keeping up with Facebook and Instagram feeds that I forget the entire purpose behind my blog- simple living. Numbers are addicting and grabbing my phone is all I have to do to access them. I realized how much time I was spending on aimless scrolling and was kind of embarrassed. I thought about the example I was setting for Evie and Mara; I don't want them to remember me always plugged in to something. I know that there has to be a way to enjoy social media and use it for the purpose it was intended for- connecting with others- without wasting ALL of my time on it.

And I don't think I'm the only one who struggles with the addictiveness of social media. 

So I thought a challenge might be in order.

This challenge isn't just for me- though I will obviously be participating. I would love to see other people join me in re-training ourselves to view social media as a tool and not "the ultimate" and to reconnect with the everyday things we may otherwise miss. So share this with your friends/family/blogging buddies and lets make it grow! I will be doing the challenge for the next 30 days, so feel free to join me now or any 30 day period that works for you.

Here's what the 30 day challenge is all about:

Goals:

1// to be more present in the actual moment

2// to spend less time "scrolling" and more time connecting

3// to view social media as a tool, not a way to spend your time

4// to interact with people (in "real life" and online) and not use our phone to hide behind (think grocery store checkouts, bus rides, people sitting next to you...)

"Rules": again, this challenge is totally customizable. If our goals are the same, I trust that the boundaries you set for yourself will reflect that. These are the guidelines that I'm setting for myself and to give you some inspiration for what might work for you.

1// No social media 1 hr before bed. Use this time to read, talk with your spouse, watch a movie together or unwind.

2// No devices by your bed. I'll be keeping my phone outside of the bedroom during the night and putting an actual clock in the room to make the late night nursing sessions with Mara less tempting.

3// ONE device at a time. No browsing Facebook while watching a movie with AJ. No scrolling through Instagram in the middle of a conversation. (Yikes...as I'm saying these it sounds super bad....this truly is an addiction we're dealing with here...)

4// No devices during a meal or face-to-face conversation OR while in the car. Leave it in your purse.

5// Post to social media and be done. No checking for new likes/comments every 30 seconds. I will probably set times for myself to check- like in the morning and a night. Not just whenever I get bored.

Weekly Challenge: Every week I will set one big goal for myself. Since it's a 30 day challenge, I'll have 4 goals. They aim at connecting with people and setting down the phones. If you have great ideas for a weekly challenge, let me know and I'll change them up!

1// take an actual person out for coffee that you haven't connected with in a while and leave your phone in your bag. 

2// Write a letter to a friend and send it the old fashioned way ;) 

3// Get outside! Do something active/relaxing/fun outside for the day. It can be anything as long as you're fully present!

4// Open for suggestions! I can only brainstorm so much people....

I know for some of us, social media is part of our job. The goal isn't to abandon our responsibilities or even fast from all social media but simply to retrain ourselves to see them as a means to an end and not use them as distractions from "real life".

Documentation: Ok. I struggled with this part for a long time. It felt counter productive almost, but I've decided to go for it anyway because I reallyreallyreally want to be able to see how the challenge is affecting everyone.

We will be using the hashtag #simplydisconnect to post (not excessively, of course) ways the challenge is helping us and to connect with other people taking the challenge. This is tricky because the whole point of the challenge is to lessen our social media use- but I think we can do this the right way. I'm thinking of using #simplydisconnect to share our weekly challenges and such with each other or even one post at the end of the 30 days. I'm open to input on this one too ;)

Alright, let's do this! AJ and I will be starting the challenge tomorrow (August 1st) and going until the 30th. I will do a weekly blog post on Fridays about it during the month of August as well as using the hashtag on my instagram.

Let's disconnect so that we can be intentional about connecting with others both offline and online! It won't be easy, but I know you can do it.

Oh- and if you're participating, be sure and tell me so I can follow you and see how it's going!

Simply,

Liv

Simply Eat // (Our Favorite) Banana Oat Pancakes

It's no secret that I'm a little bit pancake obsessed. While I was pregnant, I craved pancakes for all three meals. The downside of pancakes, however, is that they can be a bit time consuming. Or maybe that should read- I can be a bit lazy and hate measuring out a thousand different ingredients just to make my breakfast. Pancakes are especially tricky when you're trying to avoid gluten...

Enter the all time favorite breakfast at our house! These pancakes not only taste like the breakfast of your dreams, but they are made with only THREE ingredients to boot. Yep- three. Both AJ and Evie will eat these any time of the day, which makes my ridiculous pancake cravings a little bit more manageable.

I wanted to share these with you all, banking on the hope that you're as pancake crazed (and lazy) as I am. Here's to making our mornings simple and delicious!

Lets get to it:

Ingredients:
-1 ripe banana
-2 eggs
-2 packets of oatmeal (I used to make these with regular oats- which you totally can- but for convenience's sake discovered that these little guys make THE perfect flavor. You can go whichever route floats your boat.)

Step 1 // Put all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You can adjust the texture as needed. If its too thick either add another egg or a little bit of almond milk. If its too runny add more oats.

Step 2 // Pour batter onto greased griddle and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.

That's it! See? Easiest breakfast ever. Enjoy with some fresh fruit and a mug of your favorite coffee.

What's your go-to breakfast for busy days?

Simply DIY: Easy Summertime Placemats // A Guest Post

Hi everyone! My name is Natasha and I am so excited to be here posting for Olivia during this special time for her family. I have a fun summertime DIY project to share with you today but before I jump into that, Olivia asked me to share a little about myself so here goes...

I live on a beautiful island in the Pacific (Oahu) with my husband, daughter and sweet dog, Rocco. We are expecting to welcome our second bundle of joy at the end of this year and couldn't be more delighted. When I'm not chasing my insanely busy toddler around I really enjoy cooking, organizing, crafting, reading, etc. and you can read about more of that on my blog.

So, on to the tutorial! I don't know about you, but I love summer evenings. It feels like there is something almost magical happening in the air when the temperatures start to drop and the sun starts to set. These DIY summertime placemats are perfect for those summer evenings when you want to eat your dinner outside while you enjoy the magic.

All you need to make your own summertime placemats are some rope, a hot glue gun (with plenty of glue sticks), a can of spray-paint in your favorite color and some patience.

Shoot, did I lose you at patience? It's really not bad since hot glue dries super fast so sit down with a cold glass of iced tea, put on your favorite podcast and let's get rolling!

You are going to start building your placemats from the inside and work your way out. Take the end of your rope, apply hot glue to one side and fold more rope on top. Without burning yourself, pinch the rope together while the glue dries to ensure you have a nice foundation.

Once that glue dries, continue to do the same and watch your placemat grow larger and larger! After I had a nice base built (my glued portion was about the size of a half dollar) I started glueing about 3-4 inches at a time which was a major time saver.Don't worry if you need to stop and take a break - this is a super easy project to stop and pick up again at a later time since there really is not a lot of set up/clean up required.

When you think you are almost done, grab one of your dinner plates and using it for a size reference. There really isn't a right or wrong when it comes to sizing so do what you think looks best. When you have decided you are done, cut the rope and then apply a dab of hot glue on the end of the rope to keep it from fraying.

I really like the natural look of these placemats and think they would be beautiful on any table just the way they are. But I was feeling bright and summer-y so I busted out the leftover spray paint from my daughter's birthday party and added a little pop to the bottoms. Really, do whatever you want here! You know what will look best with your table/dishes or fit your style best.

Now all that is left to do is to sit outside on a beautiful evening, relax and enjoy your unique, summertime placemats! What is your favorite summertime meal?

Simply DIY // Easy Mail Organizer

I've been doing a happy dance all week, guys. I'm so excited to introduce a new series here at Simply Liv! It's more of an "ongoing" series- with no end in sight, but I can't wait to start sharing it with you all.

I'm calling it my SIMPLE LIVING series (you never saw that title coming, did you?) and over the course of a few months (or forever maybe), I'll be sharing practical ways to simplify your life and live with intentionality. I'll share everything from DIY's, to recipes, to random life hacks about parenting and marriage. Since this is more or less the theme of my blog, I thought it would be fun to have more posts be specifically about practical ways to live simply. I've been rounding up ideas for a long time and decided this would be a great first post, since I haven't done a DIY in months, and my creative brain needed some release.

Raise your hand if your dining room table is overflowing with stack of bills and other random pieces of mail? Mine too. It's been driving me crazy for months- having to push everything to one end just to make room to sit down to eat. I've been brainstorming ideas for how to solve this problem and I think I finally came up with something that will work!

This mail organizer is super simple and can be made with basically anything you have around the house. I used pegboard, fabric and an old chalk board because it's what I had lying around- but the possibilities are many, my friends.

Here's how I did it:

Materials:

-Peg board (Or any kind of board. I thought about using a bulletin board.)
-Fabric scraps
-Super glue
-Left over paint
-Scissors
-Sharpies
-Magnets (I actually ended up not using them- but I think it would be awesome to make one of these for your fridge!)

1. First I sewed the fabric into little pockets for the mail to go in. Don't be intimidated by the word "sew". I literally hand-stitched up the sides and tops to make sure it wouldn't fray- super quick and easy. If you're anti-sewing though, you could just pin or glue the fabric pockets on without sewing up the sides.

2. I painted the pegboard with left over paint from our walls. One of the good things about remodels- LOTS of paint.  Here's what it looked like after one coat:

I ended up doing three coats.

3. Attach the pockets. I picked the easiest thing I could think of for this- super glue- and I don't think those pockets are going anywhere soon. I made the little labels with cardboard, because I'm super fancy. Then I painted them white and used the sharpie paint pen to trace around the edge for a little bit of distinction.

4. Superglue the chalkboard on and trace around the edges. I recycled the chalkboard from another piece of art I had around the house but wasn't crazy about- but you could also just use chalk board paint and another (super fancy) piece of cardboard or thin board.

And there you have it! Your dining room table suddenly has room to be used as nature intended AND you have a super cute (super cheap) way to store all of those bills that you've been ignoring.

 

What are some simple solutions to clutter in your home? I'd love to hear your stories of simple living success! And as always, be sure to let me know if you try this one out! 

Ps. to see my DIY TV tray makeover from the picture above click here

Simply,

Liv