Thursday, May 3, 2012

Change is good.

Not to long ago I realized that our blog had gotten a little off course.

Last fall when I set it up and spent about two weeks (no joke!) thinking about the PERFECT name for it I thought about what I wanted it to be about and what I wanted to say. Thus the name

a life made simple



No pics to go with this post so I thought I'd show you how the park looks these days - it is greening up fast. It is one of the best times because the Saskatoon Berry bushes are in full bloom. Derek and Cassia go for a hike after dinner when I go to work - these are some pics from a recent evening.


A close up of the flowers. It won't be long until much of our free time is spent picking and then freezing the saskatoon berries.

I realized that we had, over the previous couple of years, really pared down our lives. We had downloaded A LOT of our stuff and we had stopped buying new stuff to replace it. We were also consciously making choices about our life and how we wanted to live it. As a result - a life MADE simple - seemed to make so much sense to me. My very first post on this blog was in fact about this topic.

With this blog I wanted to tell, teach, and maybe even inspire, others about living simply - living with less but living good. Living on a fairly small budget but making it work.

Obviously I am learning as I go. 

I also wanted the blog to be about our travels since our winter travels make up a large part of our lives. But it wasn't ever meant to be a 'RV blog' or JUST about our travels.

Unfortunately, what I realized when I returned home was that I ended up spending much more time this winter sharing our travels and less about the living simple part - HOW we actually make it work to live on less.


The balsamroot arrow leaf flower is prolific at this time of year.

To a certain extent this will naturally take place because we are not traveling for the next 5 months at least. I'll need to think of something to write about! On the other hand, I am going to consciously work on writing about simple living topics. Since simply also means frugal, I'll be writing about ways to live frugally. I am certainly not alone in writing about this topic - simple and frugal orientated blogs abound - but I am happy to be part of the group and have no problem referencing from others writing on a similar topic. I learn the greatest things from other blogs. As you probably know, because I link it often, one of my favourite go to blogs is Frugally Sustainable - but there are many many others.

I am also a very interested person - I am very interested in many topics, most of which I would like to blog about. This list includes but isn't limited to: RV travel (of course!), but all travel, parenting, health and nutrition, cooking and baking, the natural environment, homemaking, crafts and DIY, design, gardening of all sorts (flowers, veggies, fruit and herbs), natural homemade products (cleaning and beauty), and dare I say on and on. I am also an avid reader and would somehow like to incorporate that as well.

Now - I KNOW I can't possibly blog about all of those - but I can and will - when they involve living simply. After all, simple living is about our lives and our lives include a wide range of topics - don't they?




ALSO


When I set the blog up the design reflected our travels as well. The header was of course based on travel signage - road traveling and working at a campground means that we look at this type of symbolic signage A LOT.

So - with a slight realignment of the topic I'm going to also redesign the 'look' of the blog as well.

And I'd better do it fast!

I figure I have only about the month of May before things really start to get crazy around here. And if the weather is good for the long weekend it means I have until before then. A whole lotta pressure! Particularly since I have a really really really really hard time designing for myself.

For some reason I can usually clearly see how others should brand themselves or their business but get a total blank on myself.

Sure, I know what I like but there in lies the problem. I like too much. I like vintage, I like modern and pretty much everything in between.

I also love to study fonts and typography and have a similar problem. I like vintage, I like modern and pretty much everything in between.

And colour - LOVE colour. Although I am much more selective about colour. I realized the other day when I looked at my colour board on pinterest - I generally pin similar colour combos.


A wild clematis deep in the forest.

Originally I thought that the blog should be simply designed - you know - sleek and minimal - staying with the theme. But does it need to be so? Not sure - I see some others that have a little more going on and I like those also....

So - we'll see!

Anyway, I'm just glad I got that off my chest. I suppose it isn't the most interesting blog post ever but one I definitely felt I needed to do, especially for all of you that have been following since the beginning or for awhile now. I wanted to let you know that changes were ahead.

One day you may arrive here things will sound and look a little different.


Cassia is getting pretty good at climbing the downed trees - ha ha - looks like Roofous said to Cassia 'you first'!


Dad sometimes has a hard time keeping up I hear.

I hope ya'll weren't too attached to the rounded corners! They are the first casualty. It just takes too much time and so I thought - well let's ditch those now!

Ahhhhh - that feels better!

By the way - I'm also going to drop the Adsense ads - can you believe that since I signed up back in October we have made 4¢! Crazy! But I may try BlogHer since I was invited and it works a little differently.

Thanks for checking in - feel free to drop me a line!

Teresa

Today's Interesting Link: Here's another good article that my sis sent me further confirming that we are doing the right thing by Cassia - getting her out in nature A LOT. Research is showing that Girls who play in the dirt grow up healthier.  Interesting.


9 comments:

  1. Yes, change IS good.....at least you figured this out for yourself, because quite frankly, I was thinking I WAS reading just another travel blog!! And so, will be looking forward to the redesign!!

    Also, I'm confused as to your plans for post park job 2012/2013.....are you going with Option 1?? Have you thought about a price for the trailer? That should be an easy sell!! Perfect for 1 person, male or female!!

    I am considering a position hosting in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota starting mid May, but have not firmed the decision.....yet!!

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    1. Thanks BlackSheep!

      We are just as confused about our plans. The options are well - our options. Although option 2 New Zealand is probably out. And if we do travel the USA again it probably won't be the option listed, probably more like to Texas and back. Of course there is also Baja....

      Totally not sure about the price - it is in fairly good shape but the fridge only works on electric right now, not propane. However, it is a super trailer because of the low weight and nice plan. Actually it is very comfortable for 2 people.

      Ahhh - go for the Black Hills. Derek was pretty excited for you when I read him your comment. The Black Hills was one of the reasons we had planned to go along the north next fall - we haven't seen that area.....yet!

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    2. Been to the Black Hills years ago...just beautiful and thrilling! The dirt sparkles with pyrite all over South Dakota! Accidentally went there during Sturgis Days...interesting characters everywhere, LOL!

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    3. Hey Debbie! Thanks for visiting our site.... and commenting - welcome aboard! We were talking with our camp hosts today about Black Hills also since they have been there. hmmmm we just may have to mosey over there sometime soon!

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  2. Rounded corners gone,making life simpler is good. Change is good and getting back on track you will enjoy. Keep up the good work.

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    1. LOL - good way of putting that about the corners! Thanks for the encouragement!

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  3. Hi T D and C !!

    Sorry we are a little late to the party, but I started a summer job, and Teresa has been away helping the kids out.

    We are HUGE simple livers ( ha ha ) as well, and that is how we could semi-retire at 50 years old.

    Not only is it a frugal way of life, but it is SO much more peaceful and less stressful.

    The more you have, the more you have to insure, maintain, clean, fix, polish, worry about, etc.

    When we visit family that have clutter in the house, and all the toys out back, we just feel a burden on our shoulders.

    Mind you, we didn't start out that way. At one time we did have the boats, snowmobiles, trucks, and a huge house full of stuff.

    One day we realized that we didn't own all this stuff, but all this stuff owned us.

    Kudos to you and Derek for figuring this all out at such an early age. I cringe when I think about all the stuff we bought, and sold or gave away for pennies on the dollar.

    Whoops, got me my own post going here don't I ... ??

    Just wanted to weigh in and give you a little encouragement to take this blog wherever your heart leads you.

    Whichever direction it goes, will be the right one for this moment in time !!

    Take care .... TnT

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    Replies
    1. Gee Trent - I don't know - this job thing sure seems to be interfering with your blogging! LOL

      Sure have missed you guys this week! But you sure made up for it with quantity! I'm glad that you added so much about how you feel about simple living. Nice for others to read also - it may just cause them to think twice about all the stuff they have.

      ha ha - '....at such an early age.....' ha ha - not far off you guys! more like mid age - right?!!

      Praying for the safe delivery of your second grandchild - bet you are getting p r e t t y excited.

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