Chelsea Day

Our Absurdly Easy Hack to Bring Vegetables Camping

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Man, that’s a click-baity title if I’ve ever read one! I hope you’re not all expecting some epic Ziplock bag solution to help bring vegetables camping, or carrots sprayed with vinegar to make them last. I’ve tried all that stuff. It didn’t work. Nope, our “hacks” nowadays tend to be more of the grab-and-go sort. Nate and I have four kids so when we say we have a simple solution, you’re always going to find straightforward, honest, REAL answers even if it’s something like “go to Target and buy this thing.” Ka-bam. Problem solved. It’s not always creative, it’s not Pinterest-y, but it’ll get the job done as fast as possible and it’ll usually save you money.

How to Fuel a Spouse who works a Shift Schedule

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I’ve mentioned a time or two that Nate works a shift schedule in his role as an emergency first responder for the county. He’s on for 12 hour blocks, three or four days per week, with overtime often adding up to 20 extra hours weekly.

These Veggie Muffins help us Avoid the Drive-Thru

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Our family was hit with that gnarly flu last month, and everything got thrown out of whack around our house. It’s all errands and doctor appointments and an obnoxious amount of time spent in the car while we get back up to speed. In order to avoid the drive-thru as much as possible, I’ve been toting along veggie muffins as a handy (and healthy!) snack.

Navigating the First Day of Childcare with an Energetic Kid

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The first day of childcare with my first son was fairly typical. I’d read numerous studies about the benefits of childcare (I’m a former elementary school teacher, after all) and I knew that socialization would do him good. We started with a half day for practice, we implemented a brief goodbye routine, I sent him in with a lovey from home and tried to act super-confident before secretly dashing to the car and loudly sobbing about my baby growing up. My second son’s transition was similar.

And then came child number three.

Cheap camping tips

10 Must-Know Secrets for Cheap Camping

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Camping is a great way to have fun with family and friends, but it can be very costly if you jump into it without planning ahead. Today, we’re sharing how you can enjoy the camping experience without a second mortgage for gear.

Chia pudding with banana and chocolate

Chia Pudding with Chocolate and Banana

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This may come as a shock to most of you, but I’m kind of a minimalist in the kitchen. I prefer not to keep a ton of complicated ingredients around, sticking instead to some versatile basics that lend well to a plethora of different recipes. That’s why chia seeds have become a fast favorite around here. They store for months without any fuss, and they work as easily into a chia pudding as they do a salad dressing, pancakes, protein bars, jam or muffins.

Voice control TV

How to Voice Control your TV with DISH and Amazon Alexa

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Christmas has come and gone. You’ve got all sorts of fun new technology itching to get out of the box and get put to good use! We’re here to help, with quick and easy rundowns of all our favorite new smart home gear to get your New Year house ALL jazzed up. First on the list? Amazon Alexa and her best pal, DISH. Oh yeah, these two pieces of tech mastery play super well together.

Purpose

Word of the Year: Purpose

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It’s time for our word of the year! You may recall that Nate and I always pick a word of the year that comes from a bible verse that speaks to us. There’s always a specific word or short phrase that jumps out at us, and we usually do a little craft or make a frame to display that passage in our home. We keep it in our hearts to guide our decision-making from month-to-month. This practice has had a massive impact on our lives.

Learn from farmers

7 Things I’ve Learned from Farmers

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I’ve received a couple messages on Instagram lately asking what my DEAL is with farmers. “Are you a farm family?” one curious follower asked. “I’ve noticed you post pictures of goats and tractors, but you also travel a bunch soooo I’m wondering how that works.” It’s true that my love of homesteading and my love of travel are in direct competition with one another. Such is life when you’re the daughter of a flight attendant and grew up in a farming neighborhood!

How to (Quickly) Decorate around a Hot Tub

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Awhile back, we told you all how we installed our own hot tub. As we explained then, it was kind a sudden swap-out. We were expecting some huge endeavor, so we kept putting it off. When the time came, though, we were surprised at how simple it was! It arrived, got plugged in, and was ready for action within hours. The only thing left to think about was how to make this oh-so-luxurious hot tub fit in with our farm house vibe.

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