1. We love reading the Simply Liv & Co blog and all of your insights and tips — everything from slow living to capsule wardrobes to motherhood. Like so many of us, we know you get to wear a lot of “hats” in your everyday life. What does a typical day look like for you?
Many hats is definitely an accurate way to describe my day to day life. I have two little girls (almost two and almost four) who keep me very busy during the day. My husband works on the weekends, so during the week, we are all up at the crack of dawn, wrestling into clothes for the day and doing toddler-y things. I work during the day for a parenting website and he is able to watch the girls while I write, which frees up a lot of time to blog as well. After work, I try to stay as unplugged as possible to be present with the girls and hubby, and after they’re down for bed, I prep blog posts for the week. We have a very slow, simple life and I love it.
2. There’s so much power in community and coming together. You created the #InspiringSimplicity community for people to grow, connect and inspire each other in their journey towards simplicity. What has been your greatest learning from this community?
It’s actually funny that you ask now, because as much as I’ve loved growing our little online community, I recently had the realization that I can’t do it alone. I started the community over a year ago and as it grew, I struggled to keep it active on my own. Last week I brought on a few other ladies who are just as passionate about simplifying as I am and I’m so excited to have help with keeping the community engaged and posting daily (or at least semi-daily) prompts to get us all talking.
3. You recently wrote about why you’re taking a break from capsule wardrobes. We appreciated your self-reflection and authenticity, especially when you said, “But I look at my closet this spring and I feel content and I feel like myself.” Was there a point when you also said this about your life in general?
What a beautiful question. I think that a wardrobe can be a very accurate reflection of a person’s life, values, and personality, so it’s really interesting for me to think about the connection between my own closet and where I’m at in my life. I think, at this point in my life, I’m more “myself” than I’ve ever been, and I think learning to cut out the excess and downsize (much like I’ve done with my wardrobe) is what helped me get to that point.
4. You also recently wrote about a digital detox Even as an e-commerce apparel brand, this post and your point about letting go of the pressure resonated with us a lot. Was a there a specific moment when you realized that the pressure to “always be on” was affecting you?
More than a specific moment, I think it’s been a gradual process of being more aware of the time I spend mindlessly on social media and even intentionally online for my blog. Although I do spend a lot of time on social media and writing for my job and blog, I try hard to take breaks and leave the “for fun” scrolling for after the girls are in bed. It doesn’t always work that way though, and so during the times when I think it’s taking up more time than it should, I schedule an intentional detox like I shared in the blog post you referenced. 🙂
5. Last question! Including the blog, do you have any additional resources for someone interested in learning more about simplifying their life or to hone in on their personal style?
Lots! But to “keep it simple,” I love Un-Fancy and the book The Curated Closet for curating an intentional wardrobe (capsule or not.) I also highly recommend “The Simple Show” — a podcast about unconventional ways of living. And, of course, The Minimalist’s documentary is the perfect starting point for anyone hoping to venture into a simpler lifestyle.
