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Quiet: Finding True Contentment

March 27, 2017 by Erika

Photo credit Ball-Spencer Photography

Quiet.  What does that mean?  I've started writing this post close to a hundred times in my head.  I've been thinking on it daily almost all year.  When the New Year came, I was prepared to go full-out on the blog again.  I had a schedule and plans for the year on what I would post and when I would post it.  I had a list of to-dos and goals.  I was going to keep up with my weekly newsletter.  And then I read this verse while I was reading Nothing to Prove,

"and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands..."  1 Thessalonians 4:11

Photo credit Ball-Spencer Photography

A Quiet Life

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life...."  What is a "quiet life?"  I think that a quiet life could mean a lot of things to a lot of people.  It could mean slowing down.  Maybe moving from a fast and loud city to the country.  Maybe it means speaking less and hearing more.

For me, when I read this, the Father whispered to me that I have to learn to be content being a nobody.  (In this world at least, because I know that I'm somebody to Him.)  I have to let go of my ambition to be "someone" or "special" or "famous" or even "well-known."

You see, I've always wanted to be special, to be seen.  I want to be recognized.  Every year, I was so heart-broken and disappointed when I wouldn't win Teacher of the Year.  I didn't enjoy my senior prom when I didn't win prom queen.  And now, I am frustrated that this blog isn't growing above a certain number of readers.

All of that is embarrassing to admit, but there it is.

And the truth is that I know God will not bless this blog and my writing until I'm completely satisfied with the followers I already have and readership never growing.  When that happens, when I find my worth in Him and where I stand in His Kingdom and when this is ALL for His glory, then He MAY bless the blog.  Maybe He won't though.  But when I reach that point (or at least get nearer to it), it truly won't matter anymore.  That's the funny thing about God's blessings.  Only when we don't need them, because we know the only thing that we do need is Him, will He give them to us.

Photo Credit Ball-Spencer Photography

Mind Your Own Business

Again, this can mean a lot of different things.  I do not believe it means to turn a blind eye to troubles surrounding us.  In this season, for me, it means to get my own act together before trying to save the world.  It means, turning off social media when I feel that discontent rising up.  It means, quieting all of the "should" voices out there in the world.

Who are we to judge, preach or write, if we don't deal with our own crud first?  Glass houses, right?  I can't expect to be used for God's glory if I don't take time to study, pray and deal with my own baggage.  And I want to be used!

So, I'm trying to deal with these demons of mine instead of sticking to the blog schedule I had.  Because as much as I hope for this blog to someday be a true income-producing job, my relationship with God and my joy in this life are not a game.  Soul things, those are the things that matter, and I'm trying to embrace that and live it out better.

Work with Your Hands

When I've been feeling discontent or bored or "itchy,"  I've been trying to do something instead of continuing down the rabbit hole and scrolling Instagram.  Baking bread.  Trying a new Pinterest idea for cleaning.  Hand-sewing felt eggs for the kids.

Our grandmas didn't have time to be discontent because they were always busy.  And I don't think that we need to stay busy to avoid our feelings or that busy means living fast-paced.  Working with my hands, staying busy, means turning from things that are causing my discontent or envy and refocusing them on my present by being productive.  What can I do right now to make a difference right where I am with what I have?  That has been my thought instead of fixating on the things that she has or the followers that she has or how thin she is.  Sitting on the couch pining for these things will not make me get them or make me happy, but getting up, doing something (however small) usually does lift my spirits.

Photo Credit Ball-Spencer Photography

Open Your Hand

When I was studying 1 Thessalonians 4:11, I stumbled upon this verse in Ecclesiastes,

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.   Ecclesiastes 4:6

I don't know what all of this means for the blog.  I know that I don't want to stop writing and I don't think that is what God wants for me either.  I enjoy sharing ideas, recipes and our farm adventures with you all.  But I HAVE to learn to let go of the toil and striving to make the blog into "something."

My heart just can't keep up with the striving.  For now, I'll write when I feel like it or when I have time.  I'll post on Instagram when I want without worrying about what time of day it is to maximize likes.  I'll definitely still be here, but I might be quiet from time to time to mind my own business.

Even writing this post has me in tears because this is the least "businessy" thing I could do.  Putting this out into the world feels like letting go of a dream, but it also feels like letting go of a burden.  Now maybe blogging can be fun again and less weighty.

If you've stayed with me this long, thank you!  I hope you'll stick around because, like I said, I'm not quitting, I'm just trying to let God pilot this blog and my writing instead of co-pilot from now on.

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Ponderings & Inspiration, Spiritual Tagged With: 1 Thessalonians 4:11, contentment, inspiration, motivation, quiet, simple, simplicity, Spiritual

Get Ready for Spring with Mrs. Meyers

March 14, 2017 by Erika

Spring is in the air here on the Farm even if the Indiana weather has dipped back down into winter temps.  We're getting the garden ready for planting, planning raised beds, and taking care of our new baby chicks.  But one of my favorite things about spring is all of my perennial flowers coming up and blooming.

Last week my grandma passed away and most of my perennials came from her.  I think that will make these spring blooms even more special.  Two of my favorite spring flowers that my grandma gave me starts of are lilacs and peonies.  My lilacs are even starting to bud already!

And while I may have to wait a little bit longer to see these blooms, I don't have to wait to fill my home with their scent and neither do you!  I've teamed up with The Grove Collaborative once again to offer you an amazing deal.

I found The Grove Collaborative about a year ago when I got my very own Mrs. Meyers spring cleaning kit.  I love this company!  They are a monthly delivery service of earth-friendly home and personal products.  But more than that, they are a certified B corporation and have an amazing mission.  This means that I can shop their site knowing that anything I pick, is a sound environmental choice.

And their customer service is THE BEST!  Once I received my package with a broken candle, and they not only shipped me a new candle free of charge, but they also gave me a store credit for the next month!  These guys and gals go above and beyond to make sure you are completely satisfied.

The Grove Collaborative is offering Full & Simple readers everything above when they make their first $20 purchase.  Some of my other favorite products include Seventh Generation toilet paper, Mrs. Meyers Dishwasher Tabs, and the Mrs. Meyers Vinegar Gel Cleaner (this stuff is awesome for sinks!).  Those three items come to a total of $21.97 and with Grove's special pricing, you save $8.00 off of other stores!

Are you already a Grove Collaborative customer?  Don't worry, Grove never leaves anyone out!  You can get one of the Grove Collaborative glass spray bottles for half off during this special offer.

But you need to hurry, because this deal is only good while supplies last or until Sunday, March 19, 6pm PST.  If you're ready to go green this spring, just click below to get started!

Disclaimer:  I am a Grove Collaborative customer, but I am also a Grove Influencer.  I receive a commission for all purchases made using the above links.  Thank you for supporting Full & Simple and helping me stay as ad free as possible!

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional
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Filed Under: Other Reviews Tagged With: decor, Free cleaning kit, freebie, green cleaning products, Mrs. Meyers, natural cleaners, review, simple living, simplicity, special offer, spring, spring cleaning, The Grove Collaborative

2017: The Year of Contentment

January 1, 2017 by Erika

Photo Credit: Ball-Spencer Photography

Happy New Year!  There are so many people talking about how rough 2016 was, and when I stop and think about it, 2016 was a rough year on my heart and spirit as well.  Yes, there was "THE election," racism, violence and celebrity deaths.  And yes, all of those things took their toll on me, but more than that, I just felt under attack spiritually.  The more I tried to grab a hold of simple, the further from my reach it seemed to get.  My 2016 was supposed to be "simple," but in 2016....

Simple Got Complicated

I wrote in the middle of the year about how I basically let "simple" get the best of me.  I wanted to do all of the "simple" things...all at one time.  I tried the KonMari method.  We got chickens to increase our own food production and self-reliability.  I not only increased the size of our garden, but I added another garden plot over on our 20 acres for pumpkins, zucchinis and two types of squash.  I canned and preserved more than ever.  And then I started following all of these wonderful "simple living" ladies on Instagram. That's when I started trying to buy all of the reusable/sustainable items they seemed to be using.

All of it got the better of me.  There was just too much "new"at one time.  I felt overwhelmed and completely inadequate.  Listening to the Erin Loechner (author of Chasing Slow) episode of The Happy Hour last week made me feel a bit better when even she admitted that we can get caught chasing slow living just as much as we chase fast living.  That's why....

2017's Word is "Contentment"

Contentment was my goal all along with my word choice of simple.  To me, simple living means living with less stuff, obligations, and busyness in order find joy and contentment in everyday life.  Being content doesn't mean not trying to live better or differently, but it does mean finding joy where you are, with what you have.  Last year, I let too much of my identity be defined by how we were living and what we had.  Clearing clutter and growing my own food were as much status symbols to me as a brand new Gucci bag is to others.  I felt that if I didn't use the same green cleaners or light beeswax candles at dinner that I was doing "simple" wrong.  But what I was doing wrong was letting my outer life, determine my inner, spiritual life.  I have shared this quote from Richard Foster multiple times here on the blog and I'm going to do it again and again until I fully grasp it!  He says, "The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle."

Plans for Contentment

This year, I don't plan on sharing monthly goals or updates necessarily like last year.  Honestly, doing these posts added pressure to my "simple" year and left me feeling even worse when I didn't get them finished or done the way I had set out to do them.  However, I do plan to share with you some of my inner discoveries and book reviews throughout the year.

Today I started Nancy Ray's Contentment Challenge, where I will try to go three whole months without buying anything that is non-essential.  That means no new home decor, clothes, craft projects, books, etc.  I'm honestly terrified of admitting to doing this challenge publicly, lest I should slip or give up.

It's only the first day and I'm already "itchy" knowing I can't buy anything.  The other day I saw new stuff at the Target Dollar Spot (my kryptonite) and I bought a few things just because I knew I was going to work on this challenge.  The challenge is meant for us to look at our lives and to find meaningful pursuits in place of using shopping to fill any emotional void we have.  If you want to hear about my progress, sign up for my newsletter, where I plan to share most of the thoughts I have about the challenge.  And please pray for me y'all!

Later this week I will also share with you my reading list for this year.  I have about 16 books that I'm going to work through this year that focus on contentment and simple living.  I honestly could have chosen so many more, but I think these are the ones I'm most excited about.

Adding a Memory Verse

And I'm adding a Bible passage to commit to memory this year as well:

" I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13

I didn't do this in 2016, so I hope that by finding scripture to ground me in my word choice will keep me from veering off of the path I want to pursue this year.

Your Turn

I'd love to know what word you've chosen for the year or what goals or resolutions you have.  Do you have any book or Bible study suggestions?  Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: Erika Bault is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Ponderings & Inspiration Tagged With: #simple2016, book, Chasing Slow, contentment, contentment challenge, Erin Loechner, inspiration, motivation, nancy ray, Philippians 4:11-13, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity, Spiritual, The Happy Hour

Hand-Picked Peach: Everlane

October 21, 2016 by Erika

Hand-Picked Peach Post Header Web

Have you heard about Everlane yet?  If you've been following my Turning 30 journey (which by the way, I'm 30 today!), then you know that I've been working on developing my own personal style for this new stage of life and I'm trying to create a capsule wardrobe.

While I've been working on this, I've also been learning about slow and ethical fashion, which is where Everlane comes in.  They are a great source for  ethically produced wardrobe basics!  I'm actually working on a larger post about my journey to an ethical capsule wardrobe, but I couldn't wait to share about this company.  I just got my first order from them this week and I'm so impressed.

everlane-cotton-crew-black

First, a little about the company...

Everlane is online only so they can pass along savings to customers because they have less overhead that brick and mortar stores have.  Everlane searches the world for the best factories, visits them often and develops close relationships with the factory owners.  This allows the company to assure customers of the factory's integrity.  You can see pictures of every factory that produces clothing for Everlane on their site.

Earlier I mentioned the savings they pass along because of their business model.  They also show a cost breakdown for EVERY item they sell!  You can see how much it costs to make the item and the markup.  As a former business teacher, I find this aspect of their business fascinating.

everlane-pima-stretch-tank

I bought the Pima stretch tank which will be great under sweaters or blazers this fall and winter.  I also bought the cotton crew tee in black and white.  These will also be great layering pieces this fall with cardigans and blazers.  All three items are so soft!  I'm sure they will become favorites VERY quickly!

If you're in the market for some ethical wardrobe basics make sure you take a look at Everlane.  They are very affordable and I'm happy with the shirts I bought.

everlane-cotton-crew-white

Disclaimer: The post above does contain my referral link.  I earn credit with Everlane at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase items from them.

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Other Reviews, Simple 2016, Turning 30 Tagged With: #simple2016, basics, capsule wardrobe, ethical fashion, ethical style, Everlane, Hand-picked Peach, signature style, simple, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity, turning 30

Indiana Blogs Fall Tour: Full & Simple

September 11, 2016 by Erika

Full & Simple Home Tour 2016 (12)

Hey there!  I'm so excited to be one of five Hoosier women bringing you tips this week on how to do fall right.  As part of the Indiana Blogs Fall Tour, we will be sharing recipes, decor and even fall style!  Make sure to come back everyday this week to see the featured blog of the day.

I get the privilege of starting the week off by sharing some of my fall decor tips.  Two things influenced my decor this year.  The first being that I painted our TV cabinet green this past winter, and I thought that a lot of orange would clash with my cabinet and other green touches I've been adding to the home.  For this reason I stuck with a pretty neutral palette.  The second thing that influenced my decor was my desire to simplify.  I didn't want to go out and buy a lot of new fall decor just to have to store it.  I've come a long way this year with trying to declutter, and I didn't want to backslide.  I hope that you enjoy the tour!

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour (16)

You can find the pedestal tray here.

Full & Simple Home Tour 2016 (18)

As I said, I didn't want to end up with a lot of decor that I needed to store.  To combat this, I relied heavily on natural elements like mini pumpkins from a local farm stand, sunflowers from the farmers market and even pears from the grocery store.  These seasonal items remind me of the changing weather and can easily be added to the compost pile (or eaten in the case of the pears) to help our garden grow next year.  Win-win!

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (13)

Another way I added a sense of fall to our home without adding a lot new decor, was through smells.  I bought this delicious Pumpkin Nut Bread candle at Target.  Besides smelling amazing, I loved that this candle was white and went with my decor!  Plus, the jar nods to farmhouse style.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (17)

I've been using the Grove Collaborative to purchase many of my household supplies and cleaners for several months now.  I love their mission of only carrying natural, earth-friendly products.  Normally, I buy my Mrs. Meyer cleaners in the lavender scent, but this past month the fall scents arrived!  I ordered the apple cider scent in the dish soap, hand soap, and surface cleaners.  Every time Lakota washes her hands, she says, "They smell like apple pie!"  You have to clean, so why not make the process help you enjoy the season?

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (15)

You can find my chairs here.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (11)

For the items that I did purchase new this year, I tried to buy things that could be used for another purpose or season.  A white linen tablecloth from Target can be used for just about any season or occasion, but I liked the idea of a tablecloth for fall because it adds another layer of cozy.  Layering throws, pillows, and linens in any color scheme will give a nod to the coming fall season and cooler weather.  I bought the harvest basket at Target as well in the Dollar Spot.  The pumpkins were from a local farm stand.  I love white pumpkins!

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (14)

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (7)

The magnolia garland is from Hobby Lobby.  I loved the green, but I felt that the brown allowed for the garland to be used in my fall decor.  Plus, now that Fixer Upper and Jojo are such huge hits, you can't really say that you have farmhouse style without owning something with magnolia leaves or cotton stems.  But because this garland is not season-specific, I can really move it around the house or use it for other seasons as well.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (8)

Full & Simple Home Tour 2016 (9)

The pumpkins on my hearth are a combination of collected pumpkins.  The only new one is the burlap pumpkin in the basket.  It is from the Target Dollar Spot.  The other pumpkins in the basket are Dollar Spot finds from years past.  Last year, I bought the white plastic pumpkin and B decal from Hobby Lobby, both of which were still available at my Hobby Lobby this year.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (10)

I made the burlap banner on the mantel a few years ago when we first moved in.  I was so excited to be debt free and finally be able to decorate for the seasons.  It is really quite easy to do.  Buy the pre-cut bunting from Hobby Lobby, black paint and whatever stencil you want to paint on it.  I make my own stencils by printing letters or pictures on card stock and using an utility knife to cut the image out.  Once you are happy, string the bunting on a cute ribbon and hang it using clear Command Hooks.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (3)

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (4)

Again, outside I used natural elements, dual-purpose items and things I already owned to create a welcoming front porch scene.  My mums are grown by the local nursery, and I simply put them in galvanized containers I bought from Hobby Lobby.  I can use these containers again next summer for different plants and one of the containers is going to become a trash can.  See? Dual-purpose!

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (5)

 

The antique folding chair is something we already owned and use for family gatherings.  My wire baskets stay on the porch as long as the garden produces so I can easily get to them for picking veggies.  The purplish-maroon plaid blanket scarf could not have been a luckier find!  I was worried about how to tie my fall wreath in with my newly painted door color, but this scarf did the trick perfectly!  Plus, I can actually wear it for a scarf at any point!

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (6)

The wreath is perhaps on of my favorite pieces of my fall decor.  I made it a few years ago as well, with a pre-made wreath from Hobby Lobby (which is still available at my store), a wooden letter that I painted, brown ribbon and a hot glue gun.

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (2)

But more than decorating, one of my favorite things to do in Indiana during the fall season is to attend the various festivals and markets.  Living in a small town means that our hometown festival, the Apple Festival, is even more special.  School closes for the Friday of the festival so carnival rides can be put up on the grounds and most everyone (my family included) goes each day.  When I was in high school, I was crowned The Apple Festival Queen and last year I won the apple pie baking contest for my age group.  I'm already looking forward to a taco in a bag (or a walking taco to some) and homemade apple dumplings!

And that's it!  I hope that you've enjoyed the tour and that I've inspired to you to enjoy the season a little more simply.  But I also hope that I've shown you that just because you are living a simple life, doesn't mean you can't decorate for the seasons.

Day 2: Ali Wren

Day 3: Woven and Threaded

Day 4: Her Tailored Life

Day 5: The Blog Bloom

Full & Simple Fall Home Tour 2016 (1)

Disclaimer: The above post does contain affiliate links.  By choosing to use these links when you make a purchase, you help Full & Simple to be able to continue to bring you great content.  Thanks for supporting the blog!

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Decor, Decor Tagged With: #simple2016, autumn, blog tour, decor, fall, farmhouse decor, Home Tour, Indiana, magnolia, simple, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity, white pumpkin

Getting Simple with Food

August 8, 2016 by Erika

Recently my husband and I watched Cowspiracy on Netflix.  Cowspiracy is a documentary exploring the effects of animal agriculture on our environment.  Last week, The Blog Bloom announced a challenge that they have created for themselves (and others) to eat only locally grown food for the month of August.  And lastly, our garden is FINALLY starting to produce a good amount of veggies for us.  All of these things made me decide to try to spend August focusing on getting simple with food.

Okay, so Cowspiracy...I liked it and here's why:  While it did talk about the negative aspects of animal agriculture on the environment, it did not villianize farmers.  It actually focused on how poor of a job environmentalists are doing about recognizing animal agriculture as a problem for the environment even though the United Nations did a study and basically said that animal farming is worse for the environment than all of us driving cars!  The documentary came to the conclusion that if anyone truly wants to call themselves an environmentalist then they must adopt a vegan lifestyle on top of their low-flow showerheads.

Now, I do not plan to become vegan or even vegetarian because...BACON.  But I've watched enough other documentaries and read enough articles to know that a mostly veggie diet is better for your health and, now it turns out, the environment.  That's why I've started to try more vegetarian dinners, made with vegetables grown by us or bought at the local farmers market.

Not only is this cheaper on our family's grocery budget but it is better for us, and could help save the environment.  A quote that The Blog Bloom shared when announcing their challenge to eat local this month that I found extremely profound was:

“Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles….If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.”

Wow!  Food that is not locally grown and raised contributes to the need for more fuel usage.  Plus, the extra time spent in processing, transportation, and sitting in the grocery store leads to the vegetables loosing nutrients.

I realize that us having a large garden makes it much easier for us to eat locally grown produce, but as far as meat goes, we do buy off of a local butcher shop, but that meat is not necessarily locally raised.  That's another reason I'm trying to focus more on vegetarian dinners, health benefits being the first.

Eating locally also means less processed food, which I'm not sure we've done very well with.   We still buy Teddy Grahams and apple sauce pouches because they're easy snacks to through in the diaper bag.  And I still buy white pasta, frozen chicken strips and Drumstick ice cream cones and I still drink my Mountain Dew even though I don't buy it to keep at the house.  We do however, avoid frozen meals, canned soups and things like Hamburger Helper most of the time.  We could still improve in this area.

So the goals this month are to continue to eat the majority of our meals straight from the garden, put up as much produce as we can for this winter, and to not drink pop for the rest of the month (which will probably be the hardest for me).

How about you?  Do you have a favorite vegetarian dish or something that you cook with only local ingredients?  Share it in the comments!

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links.

 

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Simple 2016 Tagged With: #simple2016, cowspiracy, documentary, gardening, inspiration, local food, motivation, movie review, review, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity

Turning 30 Goal Check-In: Month 9

August 1, 2016 by Erika

Full & Simple Turning 30 Featured

How is July over already?!  This summer is going by WAY too fast.  I am so thankful that I'm not headed back to school next week, even though I do miss my colleagues and students.

This month we kicked it into gear with several projects, which also meant less time on some of my Turning 30 goals, but with these other projects finishing up, I'll have room to slow down and start doing the daily intentional living I'm craving.

As I shared in my post about how I let my simple goals get complicated, the first lesson is simple living that I've really learned this year is to not take on too much at one time...even if in the long run it leads to the life you want.

This year I joined the farmers market board, we bought chickens, built a chicken coop, took on a few other house projects, sold all of our dining furniture, decided to try to build a barn wood table, expanded the garden and added a pumpkin and squash garden on our 20 acres on top of just our regular lives in the summer.  All of these things will eventually lead to the full and simple life we're working towards, but taking on so much at one time wasn't a very good plan.

Alright, let's dive in to how things went this month!

Goal #1: Read More

Progress:  Since I wrote last, I read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  It was beautiful.  I loved it.  I convinced my book club to read it since I've wanted to read this book now that we keep bees.  From what we know, so far, about beekeeping and bees, Kidd did a great job on portraying beekeeping accurately.  I'm not usually one to buy fiction books.  I like to buy non-fiction because I underline and write in the book, but with fiction I rarely re-read so I don't much see the point.  However, this book is one that I may have to buy.  I will probably re-read it.  I would love to read it with L one day when she's old enough to handle the content.  Now I'm just trying to find a way to watch the movie since my library doesn't have it and I guess our library system doesn't do inter-library loans on movies.

The Secret Life of Bees

And that's all I finished in July, other than Simply Calligraphy which I don't really classify as reading.  Most days I was so worn out from working outside in the garden or on the chicken coop that I didn't have the mental energy for reading.

I'm still working on Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria and my Seamless study.  J-man has started only taking one nap a day instead of two, so I'm having to rework my schedule as to when I get the blog, Bible study and housework done.

Goal #2: Continue Going to Yoga

Progress:  I made it a few times this month, but our instructor has taken some time off for vacation and spending time with her family before school starts, which I think is great.  Well, not great for me, but I love that she's putting family and self-care first.  Classes start again later this month.  I'm ready to get back to class on a regular basis now that we aren't going to be trying to spend every non-rainy moment on the coop.

Goal #3: Lose the Baby Weight

Progress:  No gain or loss this month.  However, a tropical vacation may be in my future in September, so I need to kick the weightloss into gear!

Goal #4: Learn Italian

Progress: Duolingo says I'm still 9% fluent.....

Goal #5: Take a Cooking Class

Progress:  The fall schedule isn't posted yet, but I'm planning on writing to see when they expect to have it on their website.  I'm really hoping for something with wine...

Goal #6:  Make Time for Play

Progress:   We had some of the ladies from my book club and their families over for a cookout this month.  It was fun to see our kids play together.

I took the kids to the Children's Museum this past weekend all by myself.  I'm totally fine if you want to start calling me Supermom now. LOL!  Okay, it probably wasn't that big of a deal, but I was worried going into it.

And date night got cancelled this month due to my husband's job.  Some things came up and that jacked with his schedule.  Boo work!

Goal #7: Develop a Signature Style

Progress: I'm starting to gather resources about creating a capsule wardrobe.  I've found blog posts, books and worksheets.  I'm also going to be looking over some of my Pinterest Boards on style and taking note of pieces that I see repeated in the looks I love.  Obviously those are pieces that I probably need to incorporate into my own closet.

Goal #8:  Master the Top Knot

Progress:  DONE.

Goal #9: Continue Making our House Our Home

Progress: Last month I told you that we sold all of our dining room furniture so that my stepdad and I could make a table out of barn wood.  Well, the barn wood is pulled and I've bought my chairs.  I love these white chairs.  First of all, I love white in decor but worry about using it with small kids.  However, these white chairs will be easy to clean off after sticky fingers have touched them.

Full & Simple White Metal Farmhouse Chair

We also found an amazing church pew to replace the bench we used to use to sit on while putting on our shoes.  I'm so in love with it.  The blanket and "Live Simply" pillow is from Parris Chic Boutique.  The buffalo check pillow is from Amazon.

Full & Simple Antique Church Pew

I also painted our front door a new color, started to turn a storage room into a craft room and office for myself and we finished the chicken coop!

Here's a preview of the coop.  Full tour post coming soon!

Here's a preview of the coop. Full tour post coming soon!

 

Goal #10: Make Devotions & Bible Study Part of My Daily Life

Progress:  Like I said earlier,  my little man has changed nap schedules on me, but I think I'm finding a time that works again.  I know that I miss not spending time in the Word on days I don't fit it in.

Progress over Perfection

 

I could easily get discouraged about the lack of progress in some areas, but that won't change the past.  All I can do is to take a deep breath, realize that at least some progress was made in almost goal on my list, and just keep trying.  I will never be able to simply check most of these goals off the list as "done."  They are goals about how I want to live, and hopefully, my life is far from done.

Disclaimer: The above post does contain referral and affiliate links which means if you use the link and decide to purchase an item, I receive a little money at no extra cost to you to help keep the blog going.  Thanks

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: My Full Life, Turning 30 Tagged With: #simple2016, book, book review, capsule wardrobe, decluttering, decor, farmhouse decor, goals, inspiration, motivation, signature style, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity, turning 30, yoga

Simple Hair Routine Essentials

July 11, 2016 by Erika

Full & Simple- Simple Hair Routine Essentials (Title)

Let's talk hair routines for a minute.  I have and love my long hair.  I've tried short hair styles before, but with a bit of a natural wave, I always end up having to style or straighten it every day....and ain't nobody got time for that!

I've gotten my hair routine down to where I only wash it every 2 or 3 days (yes, even with my oily hair) and only officially "style" it one of those days.  Want to learn how?  Read on!

Now, you may be looking at the products below and thinking, "Erika, that's a lot of products.  That doesn't look simple."  But hear me out.  Minimal time on your part means that you need to use great products.  Nothing saves time more than healthy hair and products that work and keep working.

Full & Simple- Simple Hair Routine Essentials

1)Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo & Conditioner

The bottle itself says, "Hair feels cleaner longer."  After the first wash, I didn't notice much of a difference.  I was expecting miracles.  But after about a week, I did notice that my hair did not get oily as fast. PhD shampoos and conditioners are silicone and oil free, meaning those things aren't building up on your hair.  The two also have a special Healthy Hair Molecule (OFPMA)  helps repel dirt and oil to further help you wash less often.

2)Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo

I've tried several dry shampoos.  I've found some that I hated and some that weren't so bad, but this dry shampoo is by far my favorite.  First, it sprays on with some force, getting into your roots.  Second, this dry shampoo is one of the easiest I've ever found to work into my hair so I don't have the "gray effect" on my dark brown hair.  And third, this dry shampoo actually makes my hair feel cleaner.  I don't cringe at running my fingers through it.  With other dry shampoos, I found that my hair didn't look oily, but that my fingers felt gunky after feeling touching my hair.  Gross!  But not with PhD Dry Shampoo!

3)Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo

Because I use dry shampoo often and I have oily hair to boot, I like to use this Sunday Shampoo about once a week (maybe more during these sweaty summer months).  This is a perfect deep cleaner removing any leftover oil or residue, giving me a squeaky clean start to the week.  I simply follow up with my regular conditioner after.

NOTE: Because this is an intense cleaner, do NOT use it on color treated hair or as your regular shampoo.

4)Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfecter

Because I have such long hair, it is so important to keep the ends moisturized!  There is no point in having long hair that looks dry and brittle.  I do usually wash my hair at night after the kids go to bed because I'm not a morning person AT ALL, but I use this Overnight Perfecter after every wash no matter the time of day.  However,  I only use it on the portion of my hair that would fit into my ponytail.  I never use it near my roots or scalp because I have such oily hair.  I don't want to add any additional build up.  Since I started using this product, my hair has never felt softer.  I simply use two pumps on the lower portion of my hair after every wash and I'm good to go.  I don't wash it out, but you can.  My hair naturally holds curl pretty well, but I think that having this on my hair gives it an extra boost.

5)ghd Hair Straightener

The last thing you need is a good flat iron.  You want something that is going to get hot fast and stay hot.  This flat iron is ready to go in seconds and it stays hot while I style my hair.  Plus, it doesn't snag my hair.  The round design allows me to style in some curls or I can truly straighten it flat.

Ok, now that we've gone through all of the products I use on a regular basis, I'll walk you through a typical week in my hair routine.

Day 1 (morning): Apply PhD Dry Shampoo.  I usually put my hair up in a top knot or Katniss braid after.

Day 1 (evening): Wash and condition with PhD shampoo and conditioner.  Apply Nightcap Overnight Perfecter.

Day 2 (morning): Style hair using the ghd Hair Straightener.

Day 3 (morning): Apply PhD Dry Shampoo.

Day 3 (evening): Wash and condition with PhD shampoo and conditioner.  Apply Nightcap Overnight Perfecter.

Day 4 (morning): Style with ghd Hair straightener.

Day 5 (morning): Apply PhD Dry Shampoo.

Day 6 (morning): Apply PhD Dry Shampoo.

Day 6 (evening): Wash with Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo. Condition with PhD Conditioner.  Apply PhD Nightcap Overnight Perfecter.

Day 7 (morning): Style hair using the ghd Hair Straightener.

If my hair looks good

You will love having more time to do things besides messing with your hair once your start using these fantastic products.  It may not look simple at first glance, but I know that when you start using these products and a routine similar to mine that I shared, you'll see the simplicity.

Disclaimer:  This post does contain affiliate links, however, I received none of these products for free.  Using affiliate links to purchase items on the affiliated site provides support for Full & Simple to continue to bring you fantastic content.  Thank you!

Also, thank you to Ball-Spencer Photography for the picture of my top knot!

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Other Reviews, Reviews, Simple 2016 Tagged With: beauty routine, Bumble & Bumble, dry shampoo, GHD straightener, hair care, hair routine, leave-in conditioner, Living Proof, Perfect Hair Day, simple, simple 2016, simplicity, Sunday Shampoo

Simple Got Complicated

July 5, 2016 by Erika

Full & Simple- Simple Got Complicated (1)

When I chose "simple" as my word for 2016, I thought I had given myself a pretty easy task.  How hard could it be to simplify things?  I chose simple because I have felt the desire to enjoy my life more, to be present more and to be more intentional.  I feel like many days I'm waiting for the next project to complete, wishing for bedtimes, or hoping that tomorrow will be less hectic.  As I take this month to take stock of how the previous six months of the year have gone, I've realized that simple got complicated.

First, let me start with social media.  I love Instagram, and when I decided to embark on this journey of simple, I started to unfollow some accounts and follow others that were trying to live more intentionally and more simply.  As I followed these people, I started to want to implement the simple things they were doing in their lives into our lives.  The problem?  Not everyone was doing everything....but I was...or at least I was trying to.  I have been trying to implement a ton of new things into our lives this year in the hopes that it will "simplify" things in the long run.  And, in the long run, these things might work.  In the short-term?  I'm anxious and stressed out because I have a bazillion uncompleted projects and I can't fit everything into my day.

IMG_8534

The garden is the second source of discontent and stress this year.  A good harvest seemed so much more important this year for a few reasons.  First, I started my own seeds in February and I planted the whole garden by myself for the first time ever.  Second, this is the second year of me staying home.  Our garden last year, really helped us stay within budget on our groceries.  And lastly, I need to lose another ten pounds to get back to pre-baby weight.   Because of our limited grocery budget, I don't buy a ton of fresh produce at the store (Walmart).  Plus, the produce at the grocery is shipped in from all over and I'm not a fan of that.  I really have been putting my faith in having my own fresh produce from the garden supplemented with the farmers market to jumpstart us on a path to healthier eating.

IMG_9183

But so far, the rabbits have eaten pretty much all of my kale, some of my purple carrot tops and a lot of my corn starts, and there is another critter eating my green and red peppers before they ripen.  A lot of plants, like our tomatoes, were put out late because of our focus on the chickens and trying to make the chicken coop livable for them.  The coop is still not complete, but we'll get to that in a minute.  To top it all off, Mother Nature doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me at all.  I've either had seeds and plants drowning in too much rain or seeds that never germinated because of the heat.  This gardening season just doesn't seem to be working in our favor at all.

And the third thing that is causing stress is the chicken coop.  My husband as built a beautiful chicken coop for me.  It's pretty and functional.  The man is using trigonometry to determine angles of the roof, etc.!  Women, if your sons ever wonder if they'll use math in the future, tell them that if they plan on having wives, then yes, they will, especially if that wife has access to Pinterest.  The problem is that between the rain and our busy schedule, the coop is taking much, much longer than either of us had anticipated.  And it is taking much, much more money than either of us had anticipated.  I'm not a person with much patience.  I want things done and beautiful quickly, so it has been killing me that we have a construction zone on the property.  But with the weather forecast of mostly rain for the next week, this doesn't look like it will get done anytime soon.

IMG_8571

Why am I telling you all of this?  Is it just to vent and whine?  Well, yes and no.  I have fallen into a bit of a "poor me" spiral, but I really do want to get out of it.  No, I'm writing about all of this because I realize that we all have seasons where nothing seems to be going right for us, where things aren't turning out how we planned and hoped.  Recently I was listening to an episode of The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey and she and her guest (I think it was Ashley Noelle...) were talking about how we, as women, need to speak truth into each other's lives.  We need to stop hiding the imperfect and the sins.  Perfectionism is my go-to defense mechanism because I rarely feel good enough.  Trying to be perfect allows me to hide the authentic and real me.

I have wanted to portray the "perfect" simple this year.  I wanted people to see my successes and not the failures.  But as I look back on the previous six months and at what is going on inside myself, I'm realizing that my "failure" to embrace a truly simple 2016 isn't about all of the projects.  It's about the state of my heart.  I've been consumed with the the physical and outward appearance of simple.  On my wall, I created a print with a quote that Rachel Nordgren shared during one of her Influence Network classes.  It says, "The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle," (Richard Foster).  THAT! That is the simple 2016 I want to try to pursue the second half of this year.  I will still try to simplify our stuff and I want to simplify my eating habits, but I will never be able to embrace simple without changing my heart.

If you would like a copy of the print I've made of this quote, sign up for my newsletter before Friday, July 8, 2016!  I'm going to be sending it to subscribers in this weekend's newsletter.  Plus, when you sign-up you'll also get my Food Lovers Devotional!

 

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: My Full Life, Ponderings & Inspiration, Simple 2016 Tagged With: #simple2016, Chickens, complicated, garden, heart issues, simple 2016, simple living, simplicity, social media

Simple June

June 8, 2016 by Erika

Full & Simple-Simple June-Taking Time to Rest

May felt like a bit of a disaster.  I made a lot of commitments and goals that ended up wiping me out.  And because of that, I don't feel like I really lived up to my Simple May goals of being more intentional with my relationships.  That is why for the month of June, I'm focusing on rest.  Specifically, I'm going to try to rest in three areas of my life.

I will give you rest

  1. Commitments

We have already set some commitments for June, like helping with vacation Bible school, but I'm going to try to avoid taking on any more projects or committees this month.  I'm an introvert and most of the time, I like just being at home, so making commitments outside of the house wears me down.  Does this mean I'm saying no to dinner with family and friends?  No.  Does this mean that I don't plan on completing any projects?  No.  What I really mean is that I'm not going to put the pressure on myself of making any public declarations of projects and I probably won't schedule dinner weeks in advance.  I'm going to try to just do my best each day.

2. "Should"

Last month when I went to see Hayley Morgan and Jess Connolly talk about their book, Wild and Free, one of the things that they had us do was stand up and declare what "should" we were letting go of.  Should holds us back from being free.  Should is comparison.  Should makes us feel guilty.  Should makes us commit to more than we can handle.  Should is fear and insecurity; fear of not being accepted or feeling like we aren't good enough or that we are too much to handle.  And as Hayley wrote, "A free woman [...] doesn't feel so insecure that others are judging her.  She rests, breathes, lives and loves in His promises and truth."

 3. Grace and Mercy

My pastor once summarized grace and mercy like this, "Grace is getting more than you deserve.  Mercy is not getting what you deserve."  This month I'm going to work on showing grace and mercy to myself and in turn to my family and friends.  I have been blessed beyond what I deserve already, but there are days that I won't think that I "deserve" that glass of wine and time to read a good book after the kids go to bed.  But you know what?  I'm going to try to give myself more than that anyway.  There will be times that I don't think that I should forgive myself for losing it with the kids, but I'm going to try to forgive myself anyway.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Because what we really deserve, everyday, is to die and go to hell for our sins, but because of Christ we don't have to.  We can ask for forgiveness and do our best tomorrow to be more like Him.

I urge you to take time to rest this month and not just physically rest.  Take time to rest your soul.  If you struggle with Instagram envy, like I do sometimes, then stay off of it for a day or two.  If you're an introvert, take time to be alone.  Take a walk and pray.  And let go of "should."  The only thing we really should do is try to be more like Christ, but when we don't measure up, we need to show ourselves grace and mercy and then move on.

Living in Freedom

 

Erika
Influence Network
Food Lovers Devotional

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Filed Under: Ponderings & Inspiration, Simple 2016 Tagged With: #simple2016, freedom, Grace, inspiration, rest, should, simple, Simple June, simple living, simplicity, Wild and Free

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