• women standing outside in front of a bush smiling at camera
  • close up of sliced chocolate chip superfood bread on a serving platter
  • stack of s'mores on a wooden cutting board
  • homemade sandwich bread slices on a white serving tray
  • close up image of a stack of cooked banana pancakes on a small plate on a wooden cutting board
  • three chocolate chip cookies stacked on top of each other on a small plate next to a tan and white tea towel with a cookie jar filled with cookies in the background
  • up close image of slices of sourdough bread on a wooden cutting board next to a bread knife and butter dish
  • a slice of homemade vanilla cake with homemade whipped cream and strawberries on a small plate with fork
  • ALFALFA SRPOUTS in a white bowl pouring out from a glass jar

    • hey!

    I’m Jen, & I’m so glad you’re here!

    A homeschooling, stay-at-home mom of four with a passion for cooking from scratch and keeping life simple. I share family-tested recipes, realistic routines, and practical tips for simple living, minimalism, and staying organized in a busy home.

    Where it all began…

    Like many moms, I’ve learned that real life is busy, loud, and often overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be complicated too!

    Over the years, I’ve found that focusing on simple living, a minimalist mindset, and practical organization has helped our family slow down and thrive, even in the midst of full days and growing kids.

    In our home, meals are made from scratch as often as possible, routines are realistic, and systems are created to support family life – not perfection. Every recipe I share is family-tested, and every tip comes from lived experience as a mom balancing homeschooling, homemaking, and everyday life.

    Here you’ll find:

    • Homemade, family-friendly recipes made with simple ingredients
    • Realistic routines for motherhood and homeschooling
    • Encouragement for simple living, minimalism, and staying organized

    My hope is that this space feels like a breath of fresh air – a place where you can find practical ideas, honest encouragement, and inspiration to create a home that works for your family as well.

    Thanks for being here! Wishing you the best wishes and delicious dishes. <3

    Jen

    FAQ

    I use a Canon M50 Mark ll. I know they can be hard to find new (I got mine from Best Buy originally), but I would recommend just about any newer cannon mirrorless camera. I truly believe they are one of the best quality and user friendly camera brands.

    As a busy mom of young kids and for the sake of making my recipes simple, affordable and user friendly, I shop mainly at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Hannafords. I have yet to step foot into a Trader Joe’s or Aldi, (although I want to!) but that’s because where I’ve lived in Maine for that past 14 years doesn’t have either of those stores locally.

    I started my blog years ago after taking a course made by Lisa Bass from Farmhouse on Boone. Unfortunately, she no longer offers the course. However, another creator I follow and would recommend is Sophia at By Sophia Lee. She offers many courses, including a blogging one.

    I never knew I wanted to homeschool my kids until my oldest was around 2 years old. It was at that point that I realized that just because I could send her to preschool, didn’t mean that I had to. I had recently become a stay-at-home mom and was able to spend so much more time with her. I found that I really enjoyed teaching her and I felt that she was really thriving at home. Once she turned 6 years old and would have been going into KIndergarten, it just didn’t make sense to go the public school route. And here we are, years later, still homeschooling and loving the freedom of it every day!

    My number one reason for cooking mostly from scratch is the health and wellness of myself and my family. The second reason…everything taste better! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone out to eat or ordered takeout only for our kids to say that it taste better when I make it. And I have some serious picky eaters at home so that’s saying A LOT!