Blog | Simple Living

The true cost of fashion

August 5, 2015 6 Comments

So, my simple living fashionistas – what shall we do? My darling daughter just told me about a fashion documentary that she watched, called The True Cost. Download it for free at http://truecostmovie.com. After watching it, I will now think twice about where and what I buy. Until this documentary, I prided myself on getting adorable clothes on sale at some of the large brand stores. For example, just this summer I bragged about the fabulous linen shirts I scored that came in oh-so-interesting colors, originally $60 and I got on sale for $15. In years past, I thought that the way to look good and spend less on clothes was to buy just a couple of high-quality and more expensive items in classic styles. My theory was that these classic, higher quality styles would last and last. But that was before the phenomenon of fast fashion. What happened is that fast-fashion has created such […]

Home, Relationships

Why We Love Community

August 4, 2015 No Comments

One of the things we love about simplicity is its focus on community – people getting together, helping each other, planning events together, and so on. And we also love the way the Internet has leveled the playing field – allowing people a voice, a way to connect, and chance to make things happen. We love a lot of the startups and older Internet businesses making it happen. One of those companies is called Eventbrite, and they recently contacted us to see if we wanted to contribute to their Hometown Hunt project by shining a light on a favorite, local spot that puts on great events. So we thought, why not? As for our local pick, we chose a Seattle place in the Queen Anne neighborhood called LloydMartin. We’d love to hear about your favorites – places that make a community come alive. LloydMartin meets our community criteria because they work […]

Health, Mindfulness

Imperfection is the new good life

July 24, 2015 5 Comments

Are you as exhausted as I am about trying to be perfect in every way? Enough! Let me start with foodie perfection. I read a New York Times article that really sang to me. It’s titled, “A Question of Taste.” The sub-head is this: “Perhaps lazy summer days simply conjure understatement, but suddenly, fancy kitchens and the hyper-styled meals they produce feel overcooked.” Above the headline are photos of very un-updated kitchens. I let out a huge exhale reading this and looking at the pictures. Exhaling at the idea that I can be happy with an OK kitchen, I can be happy with my not perfect body, not perfect hair, not perfect thoughts, not perfect home, life, relationships…..everything. Do you realize how much subtle (and not so subtle) pressure we’re under to be perfect in so many ways? Let’s go back to foodie perfection. I love a good meal, […]

Health, Mindfulness

The Simple-Life Perks of Getting Out and Into Nature

July 15, 2015 No Comments

As a Millennial who was basically raised on technological devices, I’m hooked in and connected basically all of the time. But checking email constantly, scrolling through Facebook, going crazy on Pinterest, and texting friends incessantly is not the way for a simpler life. I learned several months ago that putting my phone away, shutting my laptop, and getting outside into nature does some pretty great things for relieving stress. I call these ‘bubble moments’. It’s been important for me not just to get away from my desk for 10 minutes, but to get outside, move, and soak up some nature – even when it’s gross and raining. From these bubble moments, I have found that there are some real simple-life perks of getting out and into nature: The weather helps reset my mood. For me at least, I feel like any type of weather can have a positive effect on […]