Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living
A spending freeze, for me, isn’t about cutting everything out of my life—it’s about drawing a clear line around non-essential spending. Essentials stay: groceries, utilities, gas, basic household needs. But things like dining out, coffee runs, clothing, books, home decor, and other discretionary purchases are paused for the month.
The goal isn’t to feel restricted. It’s to become more aware of my habits, especially the ones that are driven by convenience or routine rather than actual need.
It’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and we are fully embracing slow, lazy days over here — exactly what my body and soul need. I honestly think this stretch of the year is perfect for a digital detox, a closet clean-out, reviewing finances, writing goals, and reflecting on the year we’re closing out.
And speaking of the year… I read 67 books in 2021!
One of the questions I get asked most often — by friends, listeners, and honestly total strangers — is:
“But Dara, how do you have time to read so much?”
So today, I’m sharing exactly how. ❤️
We are thrilled to join the 1,000 Hours Outside Challenge. At 1 and 2, my kids are so little but I’m a strong advocate for exposing kids to nature and allowing them to have outdoor free play at every age. 1000 hours breaks down to roughly 2.7 hours outside per day. Which yes, sounds like a lot, but it’s totally doable! On today’s episode, I’m sharing our daily flow with you and how we make it happen, what our summer days look like around here.
Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word, none of this is a surprise. Here is a list of our tried and true favorites!
The cost of being a bookworm can add up very, very quickly, especially if you’re flying through four, five, or even six books per month — $18 here, $25 there, and next thing you know you’ve spent several hundred dollars in a mere few months, this lifestyle is expensive!
Having an efficiently run and organized refrigerator makes meal planning, generating grocery lists, and daily life function much smoother. Ensuring your fridge is stocked with the essentials (listed below) will allow you to whip up almost anything with no notice whatsoever. Buy what works for you and your family.