On living a simple life

For some reason I have been thinking and mentally defining what a simple life means to me and so I thought I would try and put down in writing some stuff that I could tangibly touch and read and in the process share with you all. My goal in living simply is voluntary simplicity.  I don’t really know why but stuff has never made me happy (well there is some stuff that does like my vintage water pitcher) and shopping therapy only feels good while you are doing it, afterward I always felt a low on the happiness meter which makes one go out and do it again.  No! Not me.


Moving here from a concrete jungle was done with the purpose of living a simple life but what does that mean.  You probably hear that alot lately,  I do.  Since my early teens I have been very attracted by the Amish, their sparsely decorated homes, their simplicity though I would lose it without air conditioning haha. The way they do for themselves and do not care what the outside world tells them they should be doing, wearing etc.  I wanted to be a Catholic Amish.  Well, I can have that life it just takes some work. Voluntary simplicity.



Things that make a simple life to me:


Being happy with what you have at this very moment.  It is so easy to want more but in the pursuit of more we lose out on enjoying today and this moment.


A kiss and little word from a toddler or the 2000th flower brought to me by one of my children.

Savoring a simple meal, easy to prepare and homegrown or bought locally. A nice cold basil mint tea plucked straight from the garden, sipped while rocking on the front porch.

Making a cozy nest for my family to live in.  A place where they will want to come back to at the end of the hard day, decorated with items I made not purchased at the bog box store.


A new baby chick or a warm freshly laid egg from the coop.

I am so sure there are way more but those are the ones that come to mind.


So, what do you think of when you think of a simple life? Share please : )


Steps I am taking to continue on the road of simplicity:


Less is more, keeping what I love and letting go of the rest.  I want to look around and smile at what surrounds me.  I am also working on decluttering all the time.  If there is something that does not make me smile and I can live without it, I will donate it to the homeless shelter thrift store in town.


The things I have made or purchased from someone else have special qualities.  They are not mass produced, instead, made with time and effort and I love them. Everything you bring into your house becomes a responsibility. You have to care for it, clean it, and ultimately, dispose of it.

Eating closer to the farm.  Simple, nutritious meals that we eat together at the table while laughing and sharing of our lives.

Making time to be quiet and still with God.  This fuels me and fills me more than anything I could charge on a credit card.


Living within my means.  Let’s face it, money can be good or bad but not enough of it hurts.  I evaluate where our money is going all the time and make sure that we are getting a good bang for our buck.  I also love the challenge of saving money on all the little things that add up. Would you be interested in hearing how I save money every once in a while?

I have also been receiving emails (love them thank you) from lots of people regarding how we live and how they perceive that we live so I am thinking that maybe I need to let you all in a little more and blog more about the mundane and not so exciting things we do around here. That my friends is the simple stuff that makes a simple life so if you will read it I will write it.

15 Responses to On living a simple life

  1. Gluten Free Meals May 17, 2018 at 10:01 am #

    Spending time out in nature can be very refreshing and renewing, especially when you’re living in an artificial, manmade world. Taking a walk in your local woods or park and getting some fresh air can allow you to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

  2. karyl33 August 14, 2014 at 8:43 pm #

    For me a simple life means less clutter. Have got to work on that! It also means not being too hard on myself while I do. 🙂

  3. Elisa October 10, 2011 at 1:22 am #

    I just told my husband today: "I wish I could be Amish and wear the same thing every day". I was having a wardrobe crisis – I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, 10 months postpartum, still not fitting things perfectly, yet I do not want to go out and buy more things. For me the big thing about simplicity is like you said: being happy with what God has given us, and also, no matter what *thing* we bring into our home (whether given to us, or purchased), we think about this thing and whether we really want it to be part of our family forever. We are not into collecting things that just pile up and break.

  4. Lisa August 10, 2011 at 11:18 pm #

    My college roommates used to tease me and say I was a Mennonite for my love of simplicity and plain living. Catholic mennonite?

  5. Lisa August 10, 2011 at 11:15 pm #

    Yes, I'm with you for simple joys, I guess I'd say, the simple life finding joy in that which is before us, finding life and spirit in what surrounds us.

  6. Beth August 9, 2011 at 2:26 am #

    This is my first time visiting your blog. It is just lovely and I appreciated your post on voluntary simplicity. Today I took pleasure in the abandoned bird's nest my son discovered in a friend's yard. It now sits on our icon table, itself an image of God. I too have been wooed by the Amish way of life and have often wondered how we could be an Orthodox Christian Amish family. Peace and goodness to you and your family. Beth in Davenport, Iowa.

  7. Crunchy Momma August 9, 2011 at 12:51 am #

    Megan, I will be posting some tea recipes but honestly they are so easy. Gotta get my tea hat ready.

  8. Crunchy Momma August 9, 2011 at 12:49 am #

    Lena, Now you see that you are not crazy haha.

  9. Crunchy Momma August 9, 2011 at 12:49 am #

    RogerandKatie, You got it! Look out for money saving posts.

  10. Crunchy Momma August 9, 2011 at 12:29 am #

    E, its all baby steps. You are doing great! I wish we had a decent CSA here in my town. For now what I cannot grow I buy at the Farmers Market.

  11. E August 8, 2011 at 11:06 pm #

    Simple living is difficult in our society. We are trying, too. We have canceled our cable. I try to bake muffins, bread, etc instead of buy at the store. We can some items and grown some veg/fruit in our garden and also belong to a CSA. Great post!

  12. rogerandkatie August 8, 2011 at 10:37 pm #

    I love this post!! I would love to read more about your simple day to day life…that is what I am living. And as a fellow SAHM, money saving is always welcome 🙂

  13. Megan and Marcus of August 8, 2011 at 8:24 pm #

    Boy, this article speaks to our hearts. Amish-style Catholic is a perfect description of who Marcus and I want to be. I would love it if we Catholics could start up little communities like the Amish have.I like the idea of donating household items that you can do without. It's a good strategy so I think I'll make a concious effort to put it into action.Basil mint tea? I have heard rumors about your yummy teas. How about some recipes?!Yes, we would be very interested to hear ways you save money. Go to our blog anytime to see the little ways we do it by clicking on this link below. God bless!http://rojerthat.com/tag/save-money/

  14. JOYfilled Family August 8, 2011 at 7:42 pm #

    thanks for the encouraging email.your post today has brought a smile to my face. i used to tell me husband all about my desire to join a Catholic Amish community. (he thought i was crazy.) i never was really sure how or where i would go about doing such a thing so i tucked my desire away and continued to live a life that i knew and was comfortable with. at least i thought i was comfortable. let's just say, the desire is back. although, i don't seek to live in a Catholic Amish community (although dad is now open to such possibility), i do desire to live a life of radical simplicity. dad and i are still discerning where the Good Lord wants us to go but we are ready to follow.simplicity to me (and my husband) is living a life rooted in Christ so that every thing else is icing on the cake. no need for fluff when we got the meat.In His joy, lena

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