The second Life Lived Simply Journal; it’s been a joy to put together, and it has also been a scramble between naps & nappies, and visiting family. Read the 2nd Life Lived Simply Journal here – all 50 pages of it! There are times as I have been both dreaming and doubting, asking myself why on earth I am even doing this. But each time I am left with this overwhelming sense of “You are doing it for that one woman”. By that, I mean myself; I am that woman, carving space in my day and in my life to be me, and not just Theo’s mom, or Erik’s wife. It is an honour to be both mom and wife, but ab ..read more

The Enneagram. Another personality test just putting people in a box. Or is it? I admit, when I first heard of the enneagram a few years ago, I could only roll my eyes and think “what codswallop!”.  I had heard and seen a lot of misuse of the enneagram, which appeared to me to be all about self and very little about God. But now, having read different resources has helped me see it as a way of figuring out who God made us to be, flaws and all, and has been so freeing.  Through the enneagram, I can see how He has created my personality, and how I can be held back by my flaws. So now ..read more

Place 4 cups of milk in a heavy based pot. Heat milk to 80deg C. Allow to cool to 40deg C. Remove 1 cup of milk and add to 1/2 – 1 cup of quality store bought yoghurt. Mix well. Add that to the remaining 3 cups in the pot. Mix. Place in a Wonderbag for the day or overnight. Store in glass jar in the fridge. Keep one cup in a separate jar in the fridge to be used to make your next batch. I prefer to double this recipe. When choosing your store bought yoghurt, read the label to check that there are not loads of additives, you want as pure a yoghurt as possible. You can buy various yoghurt cul ..read more

In January, I decided it would be a really great idea to start sending out a monthly summary of my blog posts and some resources, which seemed simple enough. Somehow, overnight, that slid into me jumping headfirst into creating a small online magazine for Christian women, by Christian women. On Friday 4th February, the very first of The Life Lived Simply Journals was sent out, much to my great relief and joy! I wanted to create something, separate to social media, to online pop-up advertising. Something to make you want to put your feet up, with a cup of something and feast on the pages. Somet ..read more

These days I am sharing less on Instagram and very little on Facebook. If you would like to receive an email when I update my blog, then submit your details below. You will have the option to unsubscribe at the click of a button at any point. I will send out an email every month or so, with a summary of blog posts you might have missed, as well as some good things you might like to feast on. Thoughts, lessons, podcasts, books, music, food; a feast for our everyday lives. Sign up for Life Lived Simply stories … By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and ..read more

I shared my reads of 2020 here on my blog, but this year, I decided to share them as I go. So as you read on, you will find a list of my reads and just my brief thoughts on each book. Why am I sharing this? Because I am inspired by other peoples book lists, but also, I find when I share what I read, I often get recommendations from those of you who read my blog. Feel free to use the comments section to let me know what you think, or maybe share your recommendations. Currently Reading: 936 Pennies: Discovering the Joy of Intentional Parenting by Eryn Lynum and The Next Right Thing by Emily P Fr ..read more

I chose this photograph of a Half-collared Kingfisher, as it seemed a great reflection of how I view this last year. Very blurry, very fast, little bit dark, yet, so much light and beauty if you choose to see it! I was disappointed not to snap him clearly, but on reflection, I was able to appreciate the beauty and the memory. Choice. For about the last 5 years, I have set aside some time with pen, paper, and a cup of something, to reflect on the year gone by, whilst looking forward to the new year. This article, 10 Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year, written by Donald Whitney, has 10 ..read more

I while ago I shared on Instagram about my choice to give up all alcohol, and I know that left many of you with questions, especially those who know me personally. But you barely had one or two drinks? We never saw you drunk, or at least in the last three years anyway? What is wrong with having a few drinks? taken from This Naked Mind (tap to read) Each of us is vastly different; our exposure to alcohol growing up, our body’s capacity for alcohol, our mental/emotional reaction to alcohol. This makes it a very personal journey. I do not think there is anything wrong with drinking alcohol, as ..read more

Earlier this year we travelled up to Ndole Bay on Lake Tanganyika with a couple of friends, stopping off at Kapishya Hot Springs & Shiwa Ng’andu on the way to break up the journey, as it is a 1327km journey from Mazabuka. Having set off from Kapishya Hot Springs, we arrived at Ndole Bay Lodge after just over 8 hours on roads that were not nearly as bad as we were expecting, but naturally this changes throughout the seasons each year. Again, it was a beautiful drive, watching the changing landscape, as the scenery is just so different up north. The campsite is an absolute gem; it is set on ..read more

Back in 2015 I tried some of the many homemade deodorant recipes which you can find online. I was quite skeptical, Erik even more so than I. But we were both surprised at how well it worked and 7 years later we are still using it. This deodorant is great because it … won’t block your pores has no harmful chemicals to be absorbed into your body it will be cheap is package free has a subtle smell RECIPE: 6 Tablespoons of Bicarbonate of Soda 6 Tablespoons of organic/unrefined Coconut Oil 4 Tablespoons of Maizena or arrowroot powder 4 Tablespoons Shea Butter 20 drops of essential oils (tea tree, l ..read more