NOTE: Every Wednesday, I send a free email newsletter that includes our meal plan for the week. If you’d like a little inspiration and some easy recipes, you’ll definitely want to get my emails!

Bonus: Don’t forget why you’re planning.

The goal of meal planning isn’t really the meal itself. It’s less stress for you and more time with your family.

It’s sitting down together, talking about your day, laughing about something silly, hearing about what happened at school or work, and enjoying a few minutes together before everyone heads off in different directions again.

So simplify your meal plan. Repeat your favorites every week. Keep a few easy meals on hand.

The best meal plan is the one that makes your life a little easier and leaves you with more time and energy to enjoy the people you’re feeding.

Don’t overthink it.

Don’t overcomplicate it.

Don’t overdo it.

More Helpful Resources

Click the images below for free resources to help you simplify meal planning and freezer cooking!

Here’s a giant list of meals you can make in 30 minutes or less.

And here’s a detailed look at how I meal plan each week.

What do you have to lose?

Try it for one week — no strings attached. Take 10 minutes to jot down potential meals for the week, and make a list of ingredients you’ll need for those meals.

Then, enjoy the lack of chaos and stress at 5 pm when you gather your family around the table!

Of course, the ultimate goal isn’t to raise children who keep an immaculate bedroom or alphabetize their books.

The goal is to help them develop small habits and rituals that make staying organized second nature.

If that sounds good to you, here are a few tips that will help!

Give Everything a Home

It’s very difficult to teach a child to put something away if you aren’t even sure where it belongs.

Everyday items should have a simple, obvious home.

• Backpacks have a hook.
• Shoes have a basket or shelf.
• Coats have a hook.
• School papers have a designated spot.
• Sports equipment has a bin.
• Dirty laundry has a hamper.

The more obvious the home, the less mental energy your child needs to put something away, so don’t be afraid to make the system ridiculously simple.

A five-year-old doesn’t need a beautifully labeled organizational system with matching bins.

A big basket that says “toys” or “shoes” will likely work better.

Remember, the best organizational system is the one your kids will actually use.

Create Reset Rituals

One of my favorite ways to make organization easier is to attach little clean-up rituals to things your kids already do.

Instead of randomly asking them to clean throughout the day, establish a few predictable reset points.

For example:

• When they wake up: Make their bed.
• Before leaving the house: Brush teeth, brush hair, pack lunch and water bottle.
• When coming home: Shoes away, backpack hung up, lunchbox emptied.
• Before meals: Bedroom or play area gets a quick reset.
• After meals: Clean up their spot at the table and put their dishes in the dishwasher.
• Before bed: Shower, dirty laundry in the hamper, snack, water bottle, and backpack ready for tomorrow.
• Before starting something new: The previous activity gets put away.

These rituals eventually become automatic (even without any reminders).

You don’t have to say, “put your dishes away”, because they automatically do it after every meal. You don’t have to remind them to hang up their backpacks and coats because they are habits the kids don’t even need to think about.

It might take some time, but these “reset rituals” eliminate the need to constantly tell our kids what to do because they already know what is expected.

Use the One-Minute Rule

Kids are more willing to do something when they know it won’t take long.

So teach them to take care of little things immediately when they notice them.

If it takes less than a minute, just do it.

• Put the cup in the dishwasher.
• Hang up the jacket.
• Throw away the wrapper.
• Put the shoes away.
• Empty the backpack.
• Return the book to the shelf.
• Put the scissors back in the drawer.

It might seem insignificant, but you’re building a powerful mindset and really great habits.

We don’t have to wait for a giant cleaning session to make a space better.

I can take care of small things as I go.

Make Maintenance Easier Than Cleanup

Maintenance is my motto for home life… because I know how much easier it is to maintain something versus totally overhaul it.

A child who puts five things away each day won’t have to clean up fifty things later.

A child who empties their backpack every afternoon won’t have to dig through three weeks of papers when they can’t find their homework.

A child who puts dirty clothes in the hamper won’t have a mountain of laundry on the floor at the end of the week.

This is why those tiny habits matter so much (and truthfully, so many little tasks can be done in a minute or two (see the “one-minute rule” tip above).

We’re not trying to make our children clean freaks.

We’re teaching them how to prevent small problems from becoming big ones.

Finish the Job

When you take something out, put it away when you’re finished.

Not eventually.

Not before bedtime.

Not when Mom gets frustrated.

When you’re finished.

• Finished with the Lego set? Put it away.
• Finished with the art project? Put the supplies away.
• Finished with the shoes? Put them away.
• Finished with the snack? Clean up the wrapper and dishes.

You’re teaching them to complete the entire task—not just the enjoyable part.

This skill will help them long after childhood too.

Maintain Your Own Spaces

Our kids learn far more from what we consistently do than from what we repeatedly tell them to do.

If they see us putting things away when we’re finished, resetting the kitchen before bed, preparing for tomorrow, and taking care of little messes before they become big ones, they’re absorbing those habits.

We can even narrate what we’re doing occasionally:

“I’m putting this away now because I’ll need it again tomorrow.”

“I’m going to clean up the kitchen before I sit down so I don’t have to deal with it later.”

“We need to put all the laundry away so it doesn’t sit in baskets all week.”

“I’m putting my keys in the same place so I know where they’ll be tomorrow.”

These little comments help kids understand that organization isn’t about being perfect. It’s about making life easier for your future self.

Don’t Expect Perfection

Your kids are going to forget.

They’ll leave their shoes in the wrong place.

They’ll abandon a Lego project in the middle of the living room.

They’ll shove dirty (or clean) clothes under their bed.

They’ll need reminders.

That’s normal.

When they’re little, you do it with them, then you remind them, then you ask questions. Eventually, you expect them to notice and handle it themselves.

It’s a gradual process…some children will get there faster than others.

Remember: You’re Teaching Life Skills, Not Cleaning Skills

It’s easy to get caught up in whether our kids’ rooms are clean or not.

But ultimately, this isn’t really about bedrooms, backpacks, or shoes.

We’re teaching our children how to manage their belongings, their time, and eventually their responsibilities.

We’re teaching them to notice what needs to be done and do it.

We’re teaching them to take care of small things before they become overwhelming.

We’re teaching them to prepare for tomorrow.

We’re teaching them that a little maintenance today can save a lot of work later.

And perhaps most importantly, we’re teaching them that organization isn’t something you do once in a while when things get out of control. It’s something you practice in little ways every day.

Rather than constantly fighting with your kids about clutter and organization, look for one or two tiny habits you can begin practicing together (I listed several above).

Start small.

Repeat it often.

And give it time.

What are your best tips to help kids stay organized?

Whether you have a sunny flower bed, a shady corner, or a little bit of both, there are plenty of beautiful perennials that are surprisingly easy to care for. And once you find varieties that thrive in your particular landscape, you can enjoy them for years to come, with very little fuss.

If you’re looking to freshen up your landscaping without creating significantly more work for yourself, these are some of my favorite low-maintenance perennials for both sun and shade.

My favorite low-maintenance perennials for sun:

1. Double Blooming Knockout Roses

You might not think roses are low-maintenance, but I’m here to tell you these are! 

We have roughly 40 Double Blooming Knockout Rose bushes around our property, and the only thing we do to maintain them is to hack them back in the fall and throw a little fertilizer on them in the spring. 

They bloom continuously from May through October and look gorgeous all spring, summer, and fall. 

2. Sedum

Sedum is quite possibly the easiest perennial to grow, especially in hot, dry weather, as it’s basically a succulent.

Sedum also has fabulous year-round appeal because the “blooms” dry out and look great all winter long. I often cut some of the bright green stems for spring bouquets and then use the darker dried blooms for fall and winter bouquets. 

One of my favorite varieties is Sedum Autumn Joy or Sedum Autumn Fire. They are both extra-pretty in the fall.

3. Iris

I absolutely love Bearded Iris — specifically the miniature purple flowers (although my sister has tons of yellow and they are pretty too!) 

Irises are very easy to grow, they look amazing in large clusters or in small bunches as accents, and they are fantastic as cut flowers to bring inside! 

4. Dianthus

Dianthus are low-growing, almost ground-cover-like perennials that produce cascading “carpets” of tiny flowers.

Our Firewitch Dianthus perennials are the very first sun-loving perennials we see in the spring. They continue blooming throughout the spring and then again in the fall. 

If you need the perfect pop of color, give Dianthus a try! 

5. Black-Eyed Susans

Black-Eyed Susans scream “country farmhouse” to me, which is why I have big bunches of them throughout our landscaping.

I’ve always loved these bright yellow flowers, especially since they are so easy to maintain.

Black-eyed Susans do spread quickly — so keep that in mind if you want to plant them in a very contained area. 

Fun story: when we were first married, Dave couldn’t remember the name of these and called them “Brown-Eye Sallies”… we still regularly call them that.

My favorite low-maintenance perennials for shade:

1. Hostas

Hostas are possibly the easiest shade perennial to grow — it’s almost impossible to kill them!

And there are so many different varieties that you’re certain to find one you love.

They don’t get a great flower (I always cut the flower off), but they have fantastic foliage from early spring through late fall, which makes them a great “filler plant” for your perennial beds.

Many varieties will tolerate a fair amount of sun, but in general, they are a better plant for shady or partial shade areas.

If you’re looking for hostas, search Facebook Marketplace first, as people are always splitting hostas. You can likely find a great deal! 

2. Ferns

I love ferns… and yes, they can be perennials, even in colder climates.

You’ll want to look for perennial ferns that work in your area (I like Osterich ferns and Christmas ferns).

Keep in mind that ferns do spread quickly when planted in the ground, but I personally use them mainly for “filler” or foundation plantings to cover fence lines or the base of buildings.

If you’re looking for extremely low-maintenance planters for a shady area, go to Costco and get yourself a few Boston Ferns. Replant them in larger containers with a bit more potting soil, water them well once a week, and they will literally be almost zero-maintenance all spring, summer, and fall!

NOTE: Boston Ferns are not perennials in colder climates.

3. Hydrangeas

Hands down, hydrangeas are my all-time favorite flower. They are technically considered a “woody perennial” because they are more shrub-like, but with very little work, they will come back year after year and just keep looking better!

We may have gone a bit overboard planting nearly 40 hydrangeas throughout our yard… but they really do look amazing almost year-round.

Plus, I love using the dried blooms to decorate with during the winter months. 

Most hydrangeas prefer shade, but if you want a hydrangea that can tolerate quite a bit of sun, try the Limelight Hydrangea. 

4. Purple Coneflower

The Purple Coneflower is another perennial that just oozes country charm.

Similar to the sun-loving Black-Eyed Susan, the Purple Coneflower spreads quickly, so it’s great for large areas. 

It’s also an excellent cut flower to add bright pops of color to any bouquet. 

5. Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Hearts were the very first “plant gift” I ever got.

After we moved into our first house, a plant-savvy neighbor stopped by and gave me a small Bleeding Heart plant.

I was amazed by how pretty it was when it bloomed, and knew I wanted to incorporate more into our landscaping.

Fast-forward 20 years, and we now have several clumps of Bleeding Hearts tucked away in various shady planting beds. 

They are the very first shade-loving perennials to bloom each spring… and other than cutting them back in late summer, they require no maintenance.

1. Doorknobs:

Even if you don’t have a bunch of children running through your home each day, the number of hands that touch your doorknobs is probably more than you think.

This means lots and lots of germs just waiting to transfer to anyone else who eventually touches the doorknobs.

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Doorknobs: 

• Use a few disinfectant wipes or these antimicrobial cleaning cloths to quickly wipe down your doorknobs once a week (it’s something easy that even a small child could do).

2. Drawer Pulls, Handles, and other Knobs:

Along with doorknobs, I try to wipe down the majority of my kitchen and bathroom cabinet knobs and drawer pulls once a week.

I especially focus on the kitchen trash drawer, as we open that cabinet so many times each day — often with dirty trash in our hands. 

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Drawer Pulls and Doorknobs:

• Grab a disinfectant wipe, or a sudsy washcloth (after washing dishes) and wipe them down. 
• Sometimes I do this while dishes are soaking in the sink, while I’m waiting for water to boil, or even while I’m waiting for the kids to finish eating. Either way, it only takes about 2 minutes to wipe down all my kitchen cabinet knobs and drawer pulls.

3. Bathroom Faucets:

Although we’re past the potty-training stage of parenting, our bathrooms still get a lot of use each day, especially the half bath off the mudroom.

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Bathroom Faucets:

• Wipe down handles and spout with a disinfectant wipe or disinfecting spray and a soft cloth.
• I do this every evening when I change out the hand towels, as it’s an easy way for me to remember to do it.

4. Toilets:

When I was in the thick of potty-training, I got in the habit of wiping down the toilets every evening… and that habit sort of stuck.

I don’t do it every night anymore, but it’s not uncommon for me to quickly wipe down each toilet seat before I take my shower and go to bed.

I don’t clean the inside of the bowl with a toilet brush every day — just the handle, lid, seat, and bowl exterior. 

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Toilets:

• While you’re in the bathroom cleaning the faucets, doorknobs, and light switches, take a minute (literally 1 minute) to quickly wipe down the toilet flusher, lid, seat, and bowl (in that order).
• I always use disinfecting wipes for this job because I like to throw the wipe away when I’m finished. 

5. Kitchen Faucet and Appliance Handles:

If you have stainless steel appliances, you are most likely in the habit of wiping them down regularly due to fingerprints, grease, and grime. 

However, aside from the visible dirt and smudges you see, appliance handles are usually covered in germs. (I’ve heard that kitchens are often germier than bathrooms!)

Just think how often you touch your dishwasher or kitchen faucet after handling raw meat or eggs. Even if you’re careful, there’s a pretty good chance you’re smearing all sorts of germs in these areas — which eventually transfers them throughout the rest of your kitchen. 

Quick Tips to Clean Kitchen Faucet, Sink, and Appliances: 

• Use dish soap and warm water to wipe down your kitchen faucet daily (I do this when I wash dishes)
• Use baking soda and these mini scrub brushes to remove tough stuck-on dirt and grime
• Use vinegar spray and a microfiber cloth to wipe down appliance handles
• Here’s how I clean our farmhouse sink
• Here are 4 DIY recipes for cleaning stainless steel appliances

6. Light Switches:

Even though our kids are very diligent with washing their hands, they turn the light on before washing. 

This means our light switches and light switch plates are not only covered in germs, but they actually are physically dirty as well. 

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Light Switches: 

• Wipe light switches and plates down with a disinfectant wipe or vinegar spray and a microfiber cloth. 
• Also, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works like a charm for fingerprints and smudges on your walls around the light switches and doorknobs! 

7. Remote Controls:

I’ve read that remote controls are potentially the germiest things in our homes — even more than the toilets — and I know I don’t always think to clean them.

It won’t take long, but it’s probably worth setting aside a few minutes to quickly wipe down your remotes once a week.

You also might consider replacing your current remotes with Smart Remotes to reduce the number of places germs can get trapped. 

Quick Tips To Clean Germy Remotes:

• If you have a Smart Remote, simply wipe it with a disinfectant wipe. 
• If you have a remote with buttons, you can carefully wipe the surface with a disinfecting wipe (don’t use any type of spray)

8. Computer Keyboards:

Along with remote controls, computer keyboards are infested with germs — more so for me since I use my keyboard significantly more often than a TV remote.

And if you share a computer with others (either at home or in an office), this needs to be something you do on a regular basis.

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Computer Keyboards:

• turn off and/or unplug the keyboard
• use a can of compressed air to gently blow dust, dirt, crumbs, etc. from inside the key area
• use a soft cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe down the keyboard area
• wipe down the mouse and trackpad too
• clean your computer screen with a window cleaning cloth (this is the one I use and love)
• NOTE: do not use disinfecting wipes on your computer screen!

9. Cell phones and Tablets:

These devices are constantly touched and constantly dragged with us throughout the day. They are super germy! 

Thankfully, they are easy to clean and disinfect! 

Quick Tips to Clean Germy Phones and Tablets: 

• use a soft cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe all phone surfaces
• if you still have smudges on your screen, use a window cleaning cloth (this is the one I love)

10. Soap Dispensers:

I already mentioned the importance of disinfecting germy areas in the bathrooms and kitchen… and when you’re wiping things down, don’t forget to wipe down the soap dispensers.

Quick Tips to Clean the Soap Dispenser: 

• Scrub the soap dispenser pump area with these mini scrub brushes to get in all the nooks and crannies. 
• Wipe down the whole soap bottle with warm soapy water or a disinfectant wipe. 
• Alternatively, use an automatic soap dispenser to eliminate many germs from your bathroom sink area.

BONUS TIP: Change your furnace filters regularly!

There are so many airborne germs in our homes! I don’t get too uptight about that, but I do regularly change our furnace filters to prevent more germs from circulating throughout our home. 

Plus, by changing your air filter regularly, you’ll improve the efficiency of your furnace and reduce the dust that can accumulate in your home.

My Simple Cleaning and Disinfecting Routines: 

My Nightly Bathroom Cleaning Routine (3-5 minutes): 

1. Use the current hand towel to wipe up any water on the counters.
2. Toss those towels in the laundry basket.
3. Use a disinfecting wipe or soapy cloth on doorknobs, light switches, and cabinet knobs/pulls.
4. Wipe down faucet handles, soap dispensers, and sink areas.
5. Finally, wipe down the toilet (handle, lid, seat, bowl exterior).
6. Set out new hand towels.

My Nightly Kitchen Cleaning Routine (5-7 minutes): 

1. Wipe down counters, kitchen faucet, and soap dispenser (usually with soapy water from doing the dishes after dinner).
2. Wipe down appliance handles and cabinet knobs (especially the trash doorknob).
3. Put current hand towels and washcloths in the wash.
4. Get out new towels and washcloths for the next day.

My Weekly Cleaning & Disinfecting Routine: 

1. Give my children a disinfecting wipe and/or vinegar spray + a cloth and let them wipe down doorknobs and light switch plates throughout the house.
2. Wipe down phones, computer keyboards, tablets, and remote controls as necessary.

Related Reading:

• my favorite DIY cleaning products (it’s a huge list with all the recipes)
• 8 tips to simplify and speed up your weekly cleaning routine
• all my cleaning-related posts

Again, my intentions are not to turn you into a germaphobe or make you nervous to be in your own home. 

Rather, I hope to share a few really simple, doable ways you can drastically reduce the number of germs in your home — before cold and flu season arrives! 

Take 3 to 5 minutes to tackle one of the germy spots listed above! Then tackle another spot tomorrow (you know the drill!)

What germy spots would you add to my list?

So every August, my mind wanders over new and better ways to make this transition time less stressful for our family. No huge changes. Not another complicated system to maintain. Just a few little things we can do to remove some of the daily friction from our mornings.

My ultimate goal is for everyone to enjoy a hot breakfast together and still get out the door without forgetting anything and without feeling totally rushed or frazzled.

Our success rate continues to improve each year — partially because the kids are older and more capable, but also because we continue to tweak our morning (and evening) routines.

If you desire less stressful mornings, here are 5 little things you might try.

1. Prep & pack everything the night before.

This is the most obvious tip, but it is also one of the most effective.

Backpacks, work bags, lunch bags, diaper bags, sports equipment, instruments, water bottles, library books, permission slips, shoes—whatever needs to leave the house with you or your children should ideally be ready to go before bedtime.

Even better, put everything by the door or in the car if that’s practical.

It is exceptionally rare that we do not have everything the kids need in the mudroom ready to go out the door before they go to bed. The lunches are in the fridge, but they are also ready to go. We even fill the water bottles to the top with ice, then add water. The ice keeps things cold overnight and through the school day.

In the morning, you should not have to wonder, “Where did we put that?”

2. Shower and change at night.

This might be one of the stranger “little things” we do to save time in the morning… but our children always, always shower before bed… and for as long as I can remember, they sleep in the clothes they plan to wear to school the next day.

I know, it’s weird, but it saves SOOOOOO much time and stress in the mornings.

I will say, my high school daughter does not still sleep in her clothes, but everyone else does. They pick out their clothes before their shower, put on clean clothing after their shower, and just wake up ready to go the next morning.

Don’t knock it until you try it.

We keep all our shoes in the mudroom, so the kids put their shoes and any outerwear on as they are grabbing their backpacks and heading out the door.

3. Create a breakfast plan.

Our family almost always sits down for a hot breakfast together every morning at 6:30 during the school year and closer to 8:30 during the summer.

I definitely need to have a breakfast plan to pull this off.

However, even if you don’t want to make a hot breakfast, I’d argue that you still need a breakfast plan (at least if you want your mornings to run more smoothly).

It doesn’t need to be fancy, but when you have a plan, you know you’ll have the necessary items in the house.

And don’t underestimate the power of making something ahead of time. A batch of muffins, baked oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, or frozen breakfast burritos can turn a hectic morning into a much calmer one.

One less decision in the morning means one less thing for your brain to manage!

NOTE: If you’re curious about what we eat for our hot breakfasts every morning, I include my breakfast and dinner meal plans (with recipe links) in my free weekly newsletter.

4. Keep toiletries in multiple locations.

This is one of those little things that might seem ridiculous—until you realize how much time you spend walking around looking for things or waiting for someone else to get out of the bathroom.

Our kids have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and basic hair supplies in their bathroom upstairs, the half bathroom off the kitchen, and above the laundry room sink. So they have 3 options for places to brush their teeth and do their hair every morning.

I also have extra hair supplies in a hall closet off our eating area. I used these all the time when the kids were younger, as I often did their hair while they were eating.

Yes, you might need to purchase a few extra supplies, but I promise it will save your sanity if you have multiple people trying to leave the house at exactly the same time every morning.

5. Start your day 15 minutes earlier.

Sleep is important, and we are huge advocates for prioritizing sleep, creating good bedtime routines, and getting to bed as early as possible most nights.

However, when it comes to less-stressful mornings, I’ve found that 15 minutes of extra sleep isn’t nearly as beneficial to my morning (and potentially my entire day) as an extra 15 minutes to get ready before everyone else wakes up.

I know… it’s only 15 minutes, but if you use your time well, you should be able to quickly make your bed, get dressed, go to the bathroom, wash your face, do something with your hair, and turn on a few lights before you wake up the rest of the house.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you can brew some coffee while you quickly get ready too. Better yet, program your coffee maker the night before to be ready when you wake up!

It’s a very little thing that can make a big difference. Even after all these years, I’m still amazed at how different my mornings feel when I have a 15-minute head start.

Often, it really is the little things

An easier morning usually isn’t the result of one magical morning routine.

It’s the combination of dozens of tiny decisions that make life just a little bit easier.

• The bags packed.
• The shoes by the door.
• The breakfast already planned.
• The toothbrush where it’s actually used.
• The calendar checked.
• The water bottle filled.
• The coffee ready.
• The permission slip waiting beside the keys.

None of these things are particularly impressive, but together, they can make a surprisingly big difference for you and your family.

You don’t have to overhaul your mornings… just pick one little thing that’s making your mornings harder than they need to be and make that one thing easier today.

Then do it again tomorrow.

What are your best little tips for less-stressed mornings?

A couple of years ago, we got peaches sent from the Washington orchards near where Dave grew up — just for nostalgia’s sake. They were really yummy too!

I grew up on home-canned peaches, and for several years after Dave and I were married, I kept the tradition alive, canning dozens of quarts of peaches and pears every fall.

However, our kids much prefer fresh fruit, so I haven’t canned peaches in several years.

Now we just eat them fresh — in yogurt, on ice cream, on our baked oatmeal, or sliced in a bowl.

You will love this tasty dessert!

For starters, peach almond crisp is (in my opinion) the perfect combination of sweet and savory, crunchy and gooey. And it’s nearly impossible to mess up because there’s no finicky crust to worry about.

It’s one of those quick recipes where you just dump ingredients into a baking dish, and it magically comes out smelling and tasting delicious.

Plus, with fruit + whole grains, you can almost convince yourself that it’s a “health food” and it’s really easy to make gluten-free.

The hardest part is literally cutting up the peaches!

Ingredients for Peach Almond Crisp:

For the peach filling:

• 6-8 cups peaches, peeled and sliced (I use fresh, but frozen will work as long as they are thawed)
• 1/4 c. flour, cornstarch, or tapioca
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar (if you like it really sweet, you’ll probably want to use 1/2 c.)
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• 1/4 t. ginger

For the crisp topping:

• 1/2 c. oats (quick oats and traditional work fine)
• 1/2 c. almonds (sliced, slivered, or chopped almonds) or extra oats
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. COLD butter (I usually freeze mine)

Variations and Substitutions:

You can easily customize the recipe to fit your taste preferences, dietary needs, or the ingredients you have in the house!

• Try different spice combinations.
• Add more or less sugar depending on how sweet you like your desserts.
• Omit the almonds if you want to save money or if you have a nut allergy — just add in more oats.
• Mix in a few blueberries, or any other favorite fruit that pairs well with peaches.
• Use oat or almond flour to make it gluten-free.
• Swap canned or frozen peaches if you’re in a pinch (drain them well).

And you can easily double the recipe to feed a larger group — or if you just want leftovers!

How to make Peach Almond Crisp:

For the filling:

1. Wash, peel, and slice peaches. (TIP: if you let peaches sit in super hot water for 10 seconds, the skins slip off easier).

2. Dump sliced peaches into an ungreased baking dish (I use a 2 or 3-quart dish).

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, and spices together; pour over peaches and stir until peaches are coated.

You’ll notice this is very similar to most pie recipes — so feel free to use your favorite fruit filling and then continue with the crisp topping. 

For the crisp topping:

4. In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients with a fork.

5. Use a coarse grater to grate cold butter over the dry ingredients.

6. Cut butter into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or with your hands. (The mixture should become “clumpy” and crumbly with the butter evenly distributed.)

7. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the peaches in the baking dish.

8. Bake at 400ºF for 30-35 minutes or until peaches are bubbly and the crisp is golden brown.

9. Let it cool a bit (if you can resist) and serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

More Peach Dessert Recipes:

• Blueberry Peach Pie
• Peach Crisp for 2 (perfect for an at-home date night)
• Peach Cherry Salsa (recipe at the end of the post)
• Canned peaches

What are your favorite ways to enjoy peaches?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!

What if all we needed was a little more direction?

Below, I’m sharing a handful of very specific, fairly small, totally doable things you can do today (literally right after you finish reading), in just a few minutes at a time.

These ideas won’t radically change your life overnight, but practiced consistently, they will help you form new habits, and over time, these new habits have the potential to positively impact your family, home, and life!

1. Wake up 20 minutes earlier.

When do you normally wake up? Calculate 20 minutes earlier and set your alarm for that time tomorrow morning.

I know there are seasons of life when an extra 20 minutes of sleep feels like the most important thing you can give yourself… but as someone who didn’t sleep for almost 3 years due to a fussy baby/toddler, I still advocate for setting your alarm 20 minutes earlier.

With those few extra minutes, you can quickly get ready and feel more “with it” when everyone else wakes up — making you less grouchy and possibly changing the entire atmosphere in your home.

These 20 minutes could be the difference-maker in your morning, which has the potential to positively affect your entire day.

Related Reading: How to Get Excited to Wake Up Earlier

2. Remove 100 things from your home.

It sounds like a lot, but every item counts — even trash!

Give yourself 30 minutes to walk through your home with a trash bag and Amazon box. Put the trash in the bag, and items you no longer want, need, use, or love in the box.

This is an excellent habit to develop and a great skill to teach your children too.

Related Reading: How to Declutter 100 Things From Your Home Today

3. Make your to-do list before bed.

Tonight, before you go to bed, spend 5-10 minutes thinking through everything you need/want to do the next day.

Then, write it down — either as a paper list, as a notes memo in your phone, or even send yourself an email. Get it out of your head so you don’t need to worry about forgetting throughout the night.

Do this every night!

You’ll have a plan for your day, your meals, and your free time — which will be especially helpful since you’re waking up 20 minutes earlier .

Related Reading: How to Boost Your Productivity with a Top 5’s List

4. Clean out your vehicle.

Don’t worry about the outside right now… just the inside.

Grab a trash bag and a mini shopvac, and get to work.

If you think about how much time you spend in your car, having a neat and clean vehicle will have a huge positive effect on your mood.

Plus, it’s a small space, so it shouldn’t take too long, giving you that sense of instant gratification.

Related Reading: Practical Tips for Clean Vehicles with Kids

5. Create a laundry routine.

Laundry overwhelm is one of the most common complaints I get from readers and friends in real life — it just takes so long and always feels never-ending.

However, part of the problem is often that we don’t have a laundry routine, so we always feel behind.

Take a few minutes today to determine what type of laundry routine could work best for your home, your family, and your current season… then commit to sticking with it for a full month.

Maybe it’s doing 1 or 2 loads (from start to finish) each day. Maybe it’s having a laundry marathon day (this works well if you’re home one full day per week). Or maybe every person in your family has their own laundry day.

If you create a laundry routine, you give yourself a game plan, making it so much easier to stay on top of this never-ending chore.

Related Reading: Why You Need a Laundry Routine

There are countless other tasks, tips, and to-dos I could add to this list… but in an effort to keep things simple and specific, these 5 are a great place to start… do it today!

Do you have any other simple and specific ways to simplify? Leave them in the comments!

But What’s a Bumbleberry?

Don’t worry, you’re not missing something… a Bumbleberry is not an actually berry.

It’s a made-up word used to describe a random mix of berries and fruits — ones you might “bumble” upon in the wild.

That means you can use almost any fruit for this pie!

I’ve successfully tested this recipe with almost every berry… and also with apples, cherries, rhubarb, peaches, nectarines, plums, and more.

Why I Love Bumbleberry Recipes

I regularly use the Bumbleberry fruit mixture in the recipe below to make pies, tarts, crisps, cobblers, crepes, and more. The combination of sweet and tart fruits makes it extra delicious, no matter how you bake it.

It’s also a great recipe when you don’t have enough of one fruit to make a full-size dessert… just mix all the little bits of fruit from your fridge and freezer together and make a Bumbleberry Pie (or crisp or tart!)

After roughly an hour, those random bits of fruit will be a tasty treat.

Ingredients for Bumbleberry Pie

As I’ve already noted, you can use almost any type of fruit — however, I should mention that I’ve never tried melons, grapes, bananas, or dried fruits. I’m not sure they would work well — but feel free to experiment.

To keep things simple, the recipe below is my personal favorite Bumbleberry fruit combination. If you don’t like to experiment or you’re not a seasoned pie maker, start with this exact recipe… I’m confident the recipe below will give you tasty results!

• pie crust (store-bought or homemade — enough for two 9″ crusts)
• 2 c. tart apples; peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 c. rhubarb; washed and chopped (not cooked)
• 1 c. strawberries; washed, hulled, and sliced
• 1 c. blueberries; washed
• 1 c. raspberries; washed
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 T. tapioca or cornstarch
• 2 T. milk or cream
• 2 T. granulated sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Ingredient Substitutions

As I’ve mentioned multiple times already, feel free to sub almost any type of fruit into this recipe.

You also don’t need to keep the ratios “exact”. If you have 1.5 cups of blueberries and only 1/2 cup of strawberries and only 1 apple, that’s totally fine.

For the sugar, I would not substitute with honey or maple syrup as that will be too liquidy. However, you could substitute with cane sugar.

As for the flour, tapioca, and cornstarch — they are important to help with thickening the juices into a “sauce,” so the finished pie isn’t overly runny. However, you can feel free to use your favorite gluten-free flour, if necessary. I personally prefer the texture of the tapioca; cornstarch is an easy substitute if I don’t have tapioca in the house.

Dairy-free milk works just fine too.

And finally, if you don’t want to use 2 crusts, you can easily omit the top crust entirely.

How to Make Bumbleberry Pie

Prep: If using frozen fruit, defrost and drain it in a large colander for 15-20 minutes (discard juices). This prevents the baked pie from being overly soggy.

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.

2. Line a 9″ glass pie plate with 1 pie crust and set it aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine all fruit and lemon juice.

4. Sprinkle sugar, flour, and tapioca over fruit and gently toss.

5. Scoop fruit mixture into pie plate.

6. Top with 2nd crust (see notes for lattice crust below).

7. Brush top crust with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar (optional).

8. Cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to vent (unless you’re using a lattice top).

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the top crust is golden brown (you may cover with aluminum foil if the crust starts to get too brown).

10. Let pie rest for at least 30 minutes, then serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

11. Cover leftovers (if you have any) and store at room temperature.

Step-By-Step Lattice Pie Crust:

If you want to get a little fancier, here are my step-by-step instructions for a lattice top crust — which won’t change the taste at all, but it sure looks fancy!

1. Roll the crust out flat.

2. Use a knife or pastry wheel to cut thin strips in the crust (less than 1″ thick).

3. Lay half of your strips loosely over the pie, leaving gaps between each strip.

4. Weave the remaining strips over and under the bottom layer of strips. I like to do this on a 45º angle… but you could do 90º to make more of a boxy pattern.

5. Cut the overhanging strips off, or press any extra dough into the crust around the edges of the pie.

6. Use your finger and thumb to create a scalloped edge on the crust.

Fast-forward a couple of decades, and (thanks to the internet) it seems that every day has a special sale with a new opportunity to BUY NOW.

Even those who intentionally make an effort to stay away from the mall, social media, and TV advertisements still see hundreds of ads every day with “special discounts” and “limited-time offers”.

Gone are the days when holiday shopping was the only time we were inundated with “buy now” deals. Now, every day is a buy now day.

No matter what time of year, we are continually bombarded with ads and sales opportunities that could do a number on our budgets and our homes (remember, you need to store all the things you buy).

If you have a love of shopping or gift giving, it will be even more difficult for you to resist.

That’s where I might be able to help…

Many years ago, I developed the habit of asking 5 simple questions before purchasing anything.

These questions changed the way I think about shopping, altered my perception of a “good deal”, and have been a key factor in helping us stick to our financial goals over the years.

These 5 questions have saved thousands of dollars for our family, and I think they could help you too!