We had 4 pennies left one February exactly 13 years ago, and I was excited because we were in the black!! We hadn’t been in the positive budget-wise for months after I left my corporate job. Plus, my husband’s dream job had ended, our new baby was sick, and we were broke. It’s a quiet snowy early morning here in our little log home, and I want to share all my frugal secrets but with one huge warning - I don’t necessarily recommend doing any of it. Our journey from completely broke to being financially free is not for the faint of heart. It’s been a crazy ride, with tons of complete miracles ..read more

Available January 14, 2020 on Amazon It’s been a little quiet around here - o.k. that’s a lie as with 6 kids our log home is NEVER quiet - but my blog has been resting while I worked on my latest project - Minimalism Room by Room! I’m excited to share all the sweet, minimalist, money-saving goodness with you!! As a financial coach for entrepreneurs in real life, I found that my clients kept asking me about our minimalist journey. You know, “why did you give away 2/3rds of everything to charity?” kind of questions. At the same time, I realized that I could help households eliminate debt and bu ..read more

While we build our homes, we build our lives. Most days, this little log home is filled with giggles and running feet. Some days our high cathedral ceilings echo with stomping feet and angry voices. With eight strong personalities in 1400 sq feet, the sparks fly. We love fiercely! I knew when we chose the open layout that it simultaneously allowed for large gatherings and loud echos. What we didn't know, but suspected, was how much a home would define and refine us. We had grown to identify with our 100-year old duplex. We had people ask in condemning tones if we “still lived in that duplex ..read more

True confession: when I was broke and my house was a mess, I didn’t believe in miracles. I prided myself on being “realistic” and “sensible.” In my heart, I think I did believe in miracles but I was afraid they were for other people - people better than I was. What changed for me was holding my own little “miracles,” my sweet children. Three things happened. 1) I knew I was holding my miracle. 2) I knew I didn’t deserve it, but I received it with a heart-breaking joy. 3) I knew God had told me to get my house in order to be able to raise these miracles without the mess and brokenness in the a ..read more

Today we are getting snowed in here in our little corner of the world, and it has me thinking, again. Preparing in the simple ways as the snow falls quietly on our woods, we find truths beyond us. My boys cut this cherry tree with their daddy working hard all day long. In their fun and romping play, they are building something more than just firewood. Cooking simple, healing foods in the kitchen means that we need it. Healing. Quietness. Soul-rest. So much in our world is sick, broken, and dirty in the past days. Even in our own homes, even in our faith. I believe that as we slow down and l ..read more

Today I welcome a GUEST BLOGGER and fantastic coach, Kendra Brodin to share her insight on minimalism. Kendra is a highly accomplished coach, attorney, mother to three amazing children, and wife to her incredible husband Ryan. Kendra’s insight is deeply authentic and raw as she shares part of her journey with you. Enjoy and Blessings, Elizabeth Kendra Brodin I have had the pleasure of working with Kendra, in real life and online, on several projects. She highly professional and extremely fun all at the same time! If we want to embrace life, we also have to embrace chaos. -Susan E. Phillips ..read more

In our modern quest for simplicity, minimalism has rightly gained a prominent voice and yet the practical application, for me, has been full of contradictions and surprises. As I looked around my minimalist log home, I realized there are 3 areas I actually have more of. The irony stuck me hard. As a minimalist, is it possible to have more? Should you have more? Yes, absolutely yes and it's still true minimalism.  Now, I know many minimalists talk about having more time, more experiences, and more happiness in their relationships. That is all amazingly true in my life as well when I ..read more

"A home is a story we tell ourselves about who we truly are" In this mini-meditation, I want to capture just this one thought for you, my fellow minimalist journeyer - a home is a story we tell ourselves about who we truly are.  A home is a story often with rough drafts and many revisions, maybe even ugly events that stand in need of restoration. Don't edit those out; instead restore them! It's the hard moments when we must be our best selves.  If you want to change your story, you will be challenged to begin in your very heart and home just like I was just a few short years ago.&nb ..read more

In my minimalist journey, I have wrestled through countless obstacles. It's been a literally messy journey through donating 560+ bags to charity, almost 2/3rds of everything gone. In my years of sojourning through, a side of minimalism that I rarely hear discussed is the grief that may come when an item has been eliminated from the home. The true confession is that I deeply struggled with the open space once items were donated. Maybe you have felt this same twinge of grief on some level and asked yourself that haunting question, "What do I do now?" Perhaps your open space may look different f ..read more

I'm excited to welcome a series of Guest Bloggers to CREATE:minimalism. Each person has a unique perspective on minimalism - each journey is a precious story. We become deeply rooted in the truth of the stories we tell. Enjoy this 2nd in the series by Kat Luckock, from the UK. She is the go-to Impact Strategist & Business Coach for Social Entrepreneurs. Kat and I share a similar vision to help others make intentional (and profitable) choices in life and business that support environmental stewardship. https://shareimpact.org/ Kat Luckock To be honest, 18 months ago, I believed minima ..read more