Claiming Simplicity | Simple Life, Natural Living, Cooking from Scratch, Intentional Living, Save Money, Simple Systems, Easy Recipes

• EP 214 // 5 Steps to the Kind of Change that Moves You Forward with Simplicity

  Hello Friend from blustery Minnesota! Are we moving toward the life we want… or drifting somewhere we never meant to go? As busy moms, especially moms trying to hold work, home, kids, and groceries all together… this matters. Because the changes we allow into our lives, even tiny ones, shape the kind of person we’re becoming. And we get to choose the direction. Some changes move us closer to the life God is calling us to live. Others quietly pull us farther away. There are changes we choose, like: Choosing to simplify meals Deciding to budget differently Starting a hobby Clearing clutter Saying yes to something new Saying no to something that drains us And there are changes that happen to us: A diagnosis A job shift A child entering a new season Loss New opportunities Unexpected blessings And even when change is outside our control… our response is ours to own. Because change isn't just what happens to us,  it’s what it produces in us. Maybe think about a change you’ve made recently, even something tiny. Is this change making me more present or more distracted? Moms don’t need more scattered energy. We need presence. Is this change making me more generous or more self-focused? When we free up time or money, does it help others… or only add more to our plate? Is this change making me healthier or less healthy? Emotionally, physically, spiritually, all of it matters. Is this change aligned with my deepest values? Faith, family, purpose, peace. If this continues for a year… who will I become? More grounded? Or more overwhelmed? Are the people who love me cheering for this… or gently concerned? Sometimes others can see what we can’t. Will I be grateful for this change ten years from now? These questions aren’t meant to burden you, they’re meant to free you. To help you see what’s shaping your life. If you recognize a change that isn’t moving you in the direction you want to go, you’re not stuck. God always gives us fresh starts. Here’s where to begin: Name your direction. What kind of person do you want to be? More patient? More peaceful? More grounded? More present? Start small. You don’t have to overhaul everything. One small change, even something as simple as cooking once a week can ripple through your whole home. Make reminders hard to ignore. A note on the fridge. The slow cooker on the counter. Scripture on the bathroom mirror. Replace old habits instead of just removing them. When you say no to something draining, say yes to something life-giving. Check your “direction” every few weeks. Ask, Is this change still moving me toward who I want to become? Friend, change is happening whether we choose it or not. But we get to choose the direction. We only get one life. One motherhood. One chance to build a home filled with peace instead of pressure. And that begins with the small, simple shifts we make every day. If you’re feeling that tug today, like something in your life needs to shift, that’s not an accident. That’s the Lord nudging you toward something better. You’re just one small, intentional change away from a life that feels lighter, calmer, and more aligned with who God made you to be. Blessings! Monica  

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• EP 213 // Being Thankful & Living More Intentionally and Working Towards God Purpose

  Welcome from the snowy MN  I’m so grateful for you! I hope you had a Blessed Thanksgiving Day if you are in the US!  We had lots of family time and Thanksgiving and Christmas activities.  I was really reflecting on this last year for us and all that we have done because of the steps God is taking us through & just how thankful I am for every single day.  The intentional and slow days we are truly blessed with are surely not taken for granted.  This month we have had Grandkids here for almost the whole month & all of that time with them is so special.  If I was working a traditional job, I would not be available as I am now and it really got me thinking about this. Parents drop off kids for 8 to 10  hours a day 5 days a weekThey drive to a job that pays for daycare, their car and home they don’t own. Then gov takes 25-40% of income which is the same Gov that created the broken food system where the cheapest calories are the ones that poison you Ingredients banned in other countries, are “totally fine” here in the US We work ourselves to death and then eat food that slowly kills us and that what we call normal. Here is our plan to opt out: We invested in skills that pay-Not another degrees, but skills we can use to work from home for our online business. We try to eat real food while keeping the price down as much as possible, which means cooking from scratch and not eating out or getting takeout.  That is a very RARE occasion here. We make as many products ourselves with natural ingredients such as laundry detergents, soaps and it is usually cheaper and non toxic but with natural ingredients. We don’t upgrade our cars, we drive them until they can’t run anymore, not because we can’t afford it, but because we value giving to causes with eternal rewards rather than looking good for others on earth.  We live for deeper meaning and being the hands and feet of Jesus.  We long to hear Well done, good and faithful servant.   And as a result there is no rat race, just peace here because we have control over the way we live. This is our path out, 1 decision at a time I would love for you to join me on this movement of glorifying God while building a business from home and keeping an intentional life. I believe there is more to life than just running on this hamster wheel most people think is normal.   If you are ready to enjoy every day with the Bigger Plans God has for you, you are in the right place.  Follow me on Instagram @claimingsimplicity as I unpack more of what God is calling me to for you. Blessings, Monica   Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/ Email -> [email protected] Website -> https://stan.store/ClaimingSimplicity        

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• EP 212 // Cut Your Grocery Budget Easily with SIMPLE Cooking From Scratch for Busy Moms

  Hey Friend I’m so grateful that I get to teach you about living a simpler life - I have always been passionate about living simply because it helps us live this life with our value of time first and never miss out on anything of our kids and now grandkids lives.  I believe we are made for relationships and not made to be in the cycle of doing the same thing over and over every day working for someone else’s dream and I love teaching you to at least make some little tweaks to live more intentionally and with purpose too!   I have had some questions about my Simply Set Method that I started over 25 years ago to simplify cooking when I worked full time.  I don’t spend alot of time cooking as I always have better things to do, but I like to have healthy meals on a small budget!  I want to walk you through what my simple 2 hours a week dinner system that will cut your grocery bill in half looks like!  Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult and it certainly doesn’t have to take alot of time or money.   So first, I have recipes along with the grocery list to make family friendsly meals for the week for under $75 - we are a family of 4 and usually have leftovers.  I have grocery prices from my area from Aldi and Walmart, so yours might be slightly different depending on where you live, but I bet you will be able to cut your grocery bill in half using my simply set method.  I don’t have anything for food allergies at this time.   Next, I will walk you step by step in order to start cooking so you can make all the meals for the week in 2 hours.  For instance, it might be to fry 3 pounds of hamburger, next mix this and that together -it is step by step to take away any confusion and keeps it super simple.  After that, what to assemble in what order and then I have a daily schedule of exactly what to do each day.  Some days, you are just putting the crockpot on low before you leave for the day and some days you are just putting a casserole that has already been assembled into the oven when you get home. When you have a plan, it will save you money and time.  It gives you more time to spend with family and less time in the kitchen.  I keep everything simple and homemade, so I don’t use canned cream of mushroom, etc (even thought you could if you want to but it is just as simple to make from scratch and cheaper)   I have tought over 5000 families now and the feedback I have had is that is has made their life so much easier, they love not having to cook because they are exhausted when they get home and they are saving so much money not getting take out or going out to eat!   If you want to cook from scratch, but don’t even know where to start, this is a great resource for any beginner that will keep you from being stressed in the kitchen.     I will put the link below, but I will be having a black Friday sale, so make sure you are following Claiming Simplicity on instagram.  You won’t want to miss it if you want to try this method. Watch for the Black Friday Sale on Instagram!  Talk soon!  Have a great week! Monica Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/ Email -> [email protected]  

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• EP 211 // Living Simpler and 3 Tidbits to Keeping Your Top Values a Priority as a Busy Stressed Out Mom

  Hello Friend! Welcome back to claiming simplicity.  If you are new here, welcome!  I so glad to have you here! I often hear moms complain about not spending enough time with their kids or missing kids' events because of work, but then don’t do anything to change their situation.  A good indication of what is important to you is what you spend money on.  You might say Jesus and family first, but your checkbook might say otherwise.  Another way to look at it is where are you spending your time.  If you spent most evenings in the gym, I would say sports are important to you, or if you spend alot of time on your phone, it may look like social media is important to you.  Sometimes the values don’t truely line up, so I just want to give you a few tidbits to help you live out your values so when the guilt of not spending time with your kids, you know where you can start to change that.  So grab a pen and paper and lets get to work.  If you are driving, make sure to come back to this, because this can change the direction of your life as it did mine! First, you need to make a list of what are your true priorities because if you are saying this is important, but your pocketbook and time are not confirming that, there will be friction and you won't feel aligned and something will always feel off.   Once you have your true priorities and most important values written down, now I want you to go to your calendar and bank account and see where exactly your time and money is going.  This is so very important and very eye opening for many that I work with.  For example, if you want a simpler life, but your calendar is always full, there will be friction and you may feel a little anxious, so the 3rd step is to figure out a way to get there.  With this example, maybe it is less time shopping or this may even be spending all your time at sports events when you can say no to live simpler if this is a top priority.   There are so many options, but in order to live this life of simplicity, you have to get good at saying no and making sure that you are saying yes to the right items that line up with your values.  When your life is coming to an end, will you be proud and peaceful about how you lived it or will you be stressed and worn out until the end?   I hope you will have peace living a simpler life that you are able to create.  It is simple to do, but you do have to take the steps to get there.   Blessings! Monica Email -> [email protected] Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/ Website -> https://stan.store/ClaimingSimplicity/    

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• EP 210 // Simple Automations will Simplify Your Life and Business Easily to Reduce Stress

  Hi Friend! I want to talk about automating everything you possibly can.  I am so squirrley and always have many projects going on, so in order to stay sane at home and in my online business, I automate almost everything. In our home, we have systems and automations that help things run smoothly.  One of the biggest saving graces is having our money and bills automated.  There are very few things that I have to worry about due dates with.  From our insurance payments to our electric bill, it is all automated and because we live very frugally and with attention, we never have to worry about insufficient funds.  I also have my transfers to our savings bucket and expense accounts all automated.  We have an envelope system like Dave Ramsey has, but it is all electronic with automations in each bucket and that works really well.  I’m pretty sure our bank thought I was crazy when I set it up like I did, but it has been amazing!  There aren’t too many surprise expenses when you have a simple automated system to save and spend money!   Next, Laundry routines which have gotten much easier over the years as our teenagers do their own.  I do bedding on Mondays and 1 -2 other loads during the week depending on what we have.  My routine is to start the coffee, toss a load in the wash, grab my coffee and do my Bible study, so it works well.  Dishes we do as we go-for the most part other than when we get a little behind in crazy times like harvest season.     I would not be able to run my business in less than 1-2  hours a day if I didn’t have automations.  I have taken several different experts advice and made it into a super simple system~even on instagram!  If you remember when I was so exhausted with instagram last year and could only do a few weeks and get frustrated, it was because I hadn’t figured out to simplify and streamline it.  Once I had all my direct messages optimized and the scheduling done, there isn’t a whole lot else to do but watch the sales role in and that has been really fun!  It seems so simple and I don’t have to worry about going on there all the time, in fact, I rarely scroll or comment on others posts~some people will tell you that you need to do that, but my account is growing at a super fast rate with multiple daily sales, so I disagree that you need to engage unless you have time to or enjoy that.   Content is automated, sales are automated along with automated emails and this keeps your business running even when you are not available.  It has been the most simplest and efficient way I have found to run a business.  I actually don’t even need my website or all the extras I was paying for before I simplified it all.     I am super excited that I am working on a project for you if you want to learn how to do this too.  If you want to be a SAHM or retire early, this system can work for you while you are working full time in small amounts of time and I can’t wait to help you do the same with less stress and overwhelm.     If this is something you are interested in, please send me an email at [email protected] as I am gathering a group of beta testers and I would love for you to be a part of it!!!!!   See you next week!  God Bless! Monica

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