One day when I was younger, my parents had to reschedule our piano lessons. My mother asked for a certain day (not sure which anymore – doesn’t quite matter), and the reply was, “Oh, no. Sorry. That’s our shopping day.”
In our great family tradition of then repeating what we deem “quotables” at random times for the next twenty years, we would say, “Oh, no. That’s our shopping day,” – often in a lilting British accent, although that may have just …

“Meaning hides in repetition:  We do this every day or every week because it matters.  We are connected by this thing we do together.  We matter to one another.  In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trip to Disneyland but the common threads that run throughout and repeat:  the family dinners, nature walks, reading together at bedtime, Saturday morning pancakes.” – Kim John Payne
The message in this chapter is that we can help our …

Ever since reading Simplicity Parenting I have wanted to put together a meal plan. But I also kept putting off creating it until I had more time to think about meals and the flow of our week and eating healthy and all the other things that go into a well thought out meal plan.
Then one day I just got fed up waiting for the right time to come, and put one together on the fly in about five minutes.  It …

Cleaning Day!
Ours is on Tuesday, and I’ve been working to incorporate the boys more and more into the actual cleaning….it’s slower but it sure is fun.
Since I have the kind of guys in my house who insist on licking the windows, eating off the floor, and rolling around all over the place, I am pretty picky about cleaners. When they’re zerberting the window pane for the 10th time today, I just like to know they are not licking off …

On principle, I approach our days in a gentle and slow manner. I like breakfasts that sizzle and dinners that simmer.  I love enjoying these meals with time enough to honour them.  I love our weekday rhythm and watching Coco explore her world with little hustle and bustle.  We pace ourselves and enjoy ourselves.  We slow down, we connect.  We watch the days getting longer as the crispness in the air fades away.  It is …

Six weeks ago I set out to make a meal rhythm for our family. I was looking to make a little headway against “ick I don’t like that” which had recently made it’s way into our house. I sat down and looked at the kinds of meals we eat regularly, this is easy for me, I’m a food blogger. I looked at what kind of meals I feel best about serving my family. And which ones made my family happiest. …

Picture Courtesy of http://www.wholeliving.com
Winter is the ideal season to perfect your soup recipe repertoire. Have you made one night of the week dedicated to this cozy, easy meal yet?  If not, how ’bout tonight?
My children love soup night. So far their favorite this season has been potato.  I’ve discovered the ease of making a honey whole wheat loaf in the bread maker, a favorite dipping companion.
I’m looking so forward to making this soup listed at Whole Living. What nourishing …

Originally posted on asmalltribe.blogspot.com
Oh my. When did life just get so complicated?! With Ivan’s new (longer) work schedule and the start of the school year, our days have just become so crazed. Now, please don’t get me wrong. I’ve come to love Matteo’s school and his lovely, caring Kindergarten teacher. Nico’s preschool and the wonderful community of families there have been a warm stop in the madness of drop-offs and pick-ups (and I am SO talking to you Liz, Sam, …

“What’s for dinner? That’s easy: What day of the week is it?…I recommend the practice mainly because it is so deeply grounding and affirming for kids” ~Kim John Payne, Simplicity Parenting

Earlier this summer I mentioned phasing in dinner scheduling to our weekly rhythms, and jokingly referenced my huband’s reluctance to adopt a ‘soup night’ schedule. About a month ago I came to the realization that if I wanted to commit to a simplified lifestyle I …

“Increasing the rhythm of your home life is one of the most powerful ways of simplifying your children’s lives.”
~Kim John Payne, Simplicity Parenting
As a once a week ritual, we’ve been baking our own bread. We haven’t bought a loaf of bread from a store since October! We sing a song about baking a loaf of bread (ok…so I stole it from Barney, but Alex doesn’t have to know that) as we load our ingredients into the bread machine.

I also know …