My Mission
I started this blog to help women find balance in their
lives. It chronicles my personal
experiences as I muddle through life as a wife, mother, writer and professional
craft designer. It contains tips,
resources, recipes and plenty of crafty inspiration to help women run a
successful home, grow a happy family, and find purpose and fulfillment in their daily lives.
At least three times a week, you will find new articles on
topics such as:
- Crafting & Stitching
- Cooking
- Raising Children
- Taking Care of Yourself
- Being Green
- Housekeeping
Thanks for being here today. I hope you will visit often.
My Story
In 2003, I thought I had the world on a string. I was in my early 30s and just completed my MBA. I was a successful business consultant. My husband and I were happily married DINKS (Dual Income No Kids). We traveled quite a bit, ate out at the nicest restaurants, wore expensive clothes, and worked. A lot.
Then in 2004, the unbelievable happened. Three years after my husband’s vasectomy, I became pregnant. (And yes, it was his!) Our entire world shattered into a million pieces as we watched our carefully planned, childless future disappear. Yes, we had options, but after quite a few sleepless and tearful nights, we accepted this twist of fate and decided to see where it would lead.
We struggled through the next few years. I always say my daughter is everything I never knew I wanted, but that didn’t make it easier. We strongly believed that one of us should stay home and care for our daughter and, because I was self-employed, I took on that role. I won’t tell you that I didn’t initially struggle with jealousy as I watched my husband’s work days carry on exactly as they had before we had a child, while mine were completely different. Those early years were very hard. Our travel slowed. Our clothing and restaurant budget dwindled. And we were hemorrhaging money. We had given up 50% of our income, yet hadn’t fully adjusted to living on less.
Fast forward to today. Instead of being jealous about my husband’s work days, I feel like I’m the lucky one. I get to stay home and live a life that makes me happy. We have simplified our life. Somehow, our belief that acquiring material things would make us happy has morphed into believing that simple is better. I feel less stressed. I am happy.
I base my life on a more traditional, old fashioned way of life. I enjoy traditional home arts like cooking, sewing, and quilting, adding my own modern twist. I work towards being a steward to nature and protecting our natural resources. I am (slowly) finding ways to get healthier through diet, exercise, natural remedies, and cleaning solutions. I work as a freelance craft designer. I believe in using modern technology to lessen my workload rather than using it to be able to multitask and add more to my plate. I try to take care of myself first so that I can better care for others. I see everything I do as a creative challenge. My family means more to me than anything else.
My goal is to help other women find balance and joy in their lives by sharing my tips for living simply and being the best you can be. If life has changed for you, either by choice or by events outside of your control, I hope you will find inspiration and comfort in this blog.
