10 Easy Tips to Simplify Your Life Today {Part 2}

September 18, 2017September 13, 2017 - The Country Wife 2 Comments

The older I get the more I think I may be transitioning into becoming a minimalist. I feel like I’ve always had a love for simplicity and stillness, but today, in my mid-thirties, I feel like I am truly living it. Simplicity with intentionality.

There is a balance that comes when you are able to slow down and simplify your life. There is a freeing sense of contentment and joy that lies in just being still and knowing that God will take care of everything. I have experienced this joy. And, so I am sharing these tips with you today in hopes that you may experience that same joy in your life as well.

10 Easy Tips to Simplify Your Life Today {Part 1}

September 11, 2017September 18, 2017 - The Country Wife 4 Comments

I know, I know, most of you are so busy right now, what with a new school year underway and all. The last thing you are thinking about is simplification of your life. Slowing down? That’s what summer was for.

But I have to disagree. If you are seeking a simpler way of living, a more relaxing way of life, then that is something you want year-round. And there is no better time to start that lifestyle shift than the present.

But, I get it. A major lifestyle shift is big. Profound even. And it won’t happen in a day, but starting with something small…that can happen today.

Becoming a Bit More Self-Sufficient {Part 2}

July 31, 2017July 27, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

Have you ever thought about what era you would have enjoyed living in had you not been born when you were?

Am I alone in this pondering?

Gosh, I hope not. That would just be weird.

Well, I’ve always pictured myself in the days of the pioneer. Maybe it was the joys of playing The Oregon Trail in my childhood, but I could always picture myself as a prairie wife. You know, a real Sarah, Plain & Tall in a Little House on the Prairie setting.

Planning Ahead Series {Part 3}: My Monthly Master Grocery List

July 17, 2017July 13, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

I’ve always been a planner and list maker. It’s a problem really. I pretty much have an addiction to the satisfactory feeling of crossing things off a list. I’m working on it, I promise.

Add in the fact that I’m the Country Wife here at Country Wife Chronicles and my work-at-home lifestyle and rural living pretty much requires organization and planning ahead.

The past two weeks here at CWC have been all about Planning Ahead.

Planning Ahead Series {Part 2}: Meal Planning Basics

July 10, 2017July 20, 2017 - The Country Wife 2 Comments

I can’t seem to remember what our meals were like prior to learning how to meal plan. I’m sure it was a black hole of Hamburger Helpers, mac and cheese, and hot dogs.

I do, however, vividly remember my first experience with meal planning.

We had recently left our professional careers for something new, and in so doing had to drastically revise our financial spending and budget. We lived 20 miles away from town and it no longer made financial sense to run into town on a whim. Every trip and gas expense was accounted for and needed to be worth their while.

Planning Ahead Series {Part 1}: How I Meal Plan & Grocery Shop Just 2 Times a Month

July 3, 2017July 20, 2017 - The Country Wife 4 Comments

I chose the country life. It’s true. I made the conscious decision to live outside the definition of urban life on purpose.

And in so choosing the country life, there are some lessons to be learned. One of which is today’s topic: Planning Ahead.

I was sort of forced into planning ahead when it came to meals and groceries, simply by the sheer distance between me and the store.

But I can honestly say that if I were ever to live within city limits again, I think I’d do my very best to maintain this system of planning our meals that I’ve perfected over the past few years.

Who is the Country Wife?

February 20, 2017February 20, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

Country Wife Chronicles is a blog that documents the journey of a country wife seeking to savor the stillness of a simple country life…but who exactly is the Country Wife?

Ok, that statement sounds a little like “How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?” But I think you get where I’m going here…

So, grab yourself some coffee and peruse the pages of this blog and you’ll find out just who the Country Wife is.

Savoring the Simple Life: Simply Healthy Living

January 9, 2017February 10, 2017 - The Country Wife 2 Comments

Let me start by saying I’m not a nutrition or fitness expert. I’ve struggled with my weight over the years and am constantly working to love and accept my body in its current state. But I can share with you my personal experience that has brought me to where I am today…a state of simply healthy living.

Choosing Stillness: 10 Tips for Slowing Down

January 2, 2017May 3, 2018 - The Country Wife 4 Comments

Stillness is absolutely a choice. I know, that can be hard to hear. But it’s true. Stillness is a choice that can seem obstinate and far away, even unattainable and it is definitely easier said than done, like for real. But still a choice nonetheless. I can say this, because I’ve been on the crazy train of hectic schedules and full calendars and I’ve made the choice to get off and be still. I did it, and you can too.

Perhaps, stillness is appealing to you…foreign and new, enticing you to try to figure it out. There was a time when I was absolutely overcome by my overloaded commitments and my soul sincerely yearned for stillness. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you are there. Trust me, coming from the other side, stillness is achievable and oh, so worth the effort.

Learning to Live Simply

November 21, 2016February 10, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

Let me just state it bluntly: I had to get used to frugality. Saving instead of spending was a fairly natural mindset for me, but in a career that paid me well and increased my salary with each consecutive year, convenience buys were worth it and price tags weren’t all that important.

And then the shift…