2016 - what a year! Especially the new addition to our family! I can’t believe how much the kids have grown and developed into [crazy, hyper, and sometime sweet] toddlers. Now I get to watch them create their “sibling bond” with little Wells this year.

In the past 9 months our household has made a stance to create a healthier home. Not just with our eating but with removing toxins from our house. By no means are we perfect but, we are learning everyday how to find safer options for our family. Surprisingly, Steve is just as motivated as I am after we did some researching together. Many of my best friends have also decided to shed the toxins from their life and it is a lot of fun to share findings, tips, and products with each other.

I could be totally cliché and talk about how I can’t wait to get the best body of my life and blah, blah, blah! Don’t get me wrong, I love fitness and finding healthy food options to instill in my life. I am actually dying over here with not being able to work out until I am “cleared”. BUT I choose this as a lifestyle. Many people this time of the year crash diet, workout two times a day, and become crazy people! Then a month or two into the year they fall off the face of the fitness earth. That just seems way too stressful for me. Small changes are the way to go, and it has been the most effective way in my life. I still love my daily shakes and right now I’m just using them as a healthy snack versus meal replacement. It took me a REALLY long time to find one that had quality ingredients, didn’t make me sick, and that I actually like. For staying active I personally love group fitness classes, where Steve needs to do his workouts at home and alone. You just need to find what works best for you and your body to successfully make that healthy lifestyle change. [Trial and Error!.... and maybe some patience]

With three kids now it is a lot harder to balance our daily schedules without losing my mind! I am working on finding that balance still but we are making progress every day. I feel like the days are long, yet at the same time when night comes around I’m ready for bed and realized I didn’t check one thing off of my to do list. Tips and suggestions are welcome people!!!

Like I mentioned before, many of my friends are taking the lifestyle change to live healthier and toxin-free lives. Two in particular have really helped round out my complete lifestyle change. As many of you know our household uses toxin free skin care and cosmetic products. I was still missing education and the products to help some other voids in my house. I was introduced to the famous oils and ended up wiping out and restocking all cleaning and laundry products I also LOVE using my diffuser to help with these nasty colds popping up. Lastly, I have recently replenished our “vitamin” cabinet for the entire family along with some great products to keep up our nutrition and eat more whole foods. I can thank these products for regulating my hormones and assisting in my post baby weight loss without cutting calories. [Halla!]

I am very far from perfect and I know I’m just in the beginning of this journey. One of my favorite parts is all the learning I have been doing. In the past 9 months I have tried many products that have worked and many that have NOT worked [many toxin free deodorants have not….LOL!]. I would love nothing more than to share my journey with all of you on how I have started to shift my lifestyle by creating a healthier home for my family. Join myself alongside two of my best friends as we educate, share, and test products to help simplify a healthier life for ourselves and for you.

We have officially launched our Facebook Page and Instagram, Our Simplified Lifestyle! This is where we will be documenting our journey to a clean + simplified + healthy + active lifestyle. We will share our tips, trade secrets, and our own learning experiences. Come along side of us as we work on simplifying our homes, creating healthier food options, and developing a more active lifestyle in 2017. We have some fun giveaways coming up this week on our page so keep your eyes open ;)

Cheers to a healthy + happy + safe New Year everyone! [Here are some of my favorite moments from 2016!]