It’s natural to look back with fondness. Our memories have a way of softening the hard edges and highlighting the moments that made us smile.

But what if we’re looking at this all wrong?

What if the good old days aren’t behind us?

What if we’re living them right now?

The Danger of Living in the Past

Nostalgia can be a beautiful thing. It helps us appreciate where we’ve been and the people who have shaped our lives.

However, when we become too focused on the past, we risk missing the beauty of the present.

We tell ourselves things like:

“I miss when the kids were little.”

“I wish I could go back to those simpler days.”

“Those were the best years of my life.”

And while there may be truth in those statements, they can unintentionally rob us of gratitude for the season we’re currently in.

Because every stage of life comes with unique gifts.

The years when your children were toddlers were wonderful. But so are the years when they can carry on meaningful conversations, drive themselves places, and become adults you enjoy spending time with.

The years when your home was full of noise and activity were special. But so are the quieter years when you finally have time to pursue hobbies, friendships, and interests that may have been set aside for a season.

Every chapter has something worth appreciating.

One Day, You’ll Miss This Too

A few years from now, you’ll likely look back on today and realize how quickly it passed.

The messy kitchen after family dinners.

The pile of shoes by the door.

The text messages from your teenagers.

The busy schedules.

The daily routines that feel repetitive and ordinary.

The people sitting around your table.

The body you’re living in.

The home you sometimes complain about cleaning.

One day, many of these things will change. And when they do, you’ll probably find yourself wishing you could relive a few ordinary moments that seem insignificant today.

The reality is that many of the things we currently take for granted will become memories we cherish.

Stop Waiting for Life to Start

Sometimes we convince ourselves that life will be better when:

• The house is organized.
• The kids are older.
• We lose the weight.
• We retire.
• We have more money.
• We finally get caught up.

But life isn’t waiting for us on the other side of those milestones.

Life is happening right now.

It’s happening in the carpool line, during family dinners, while folding laundry, during conversations with friends, and while sitting in the hot tub watching the sunset.

If we’re constantly looking ahead or behind, we miss the moments unfolding right in front of us.

Embrace the Season You’re In

Every season has challenges.

Young families deal with exhaustion and constant demands.

Parents of teenagers navigate new worries and responsibilities.

Empty nesters face transitions and changing identities.

Retirees encounter their own adjustments and uncertainties.

No season is perfect.

But every season contains joy, purpose, growth, and opportunities that won’t come again in quite the same way.

Instead of wishing for a different chapter, what if we learned to appreciate the one we’re currently living?

Not because it’s perfect.

Not because every day is easy.

But because it’s ours.

These Are The Good Old Days

Years from now, you’ll likely look back on this season with those same rose colored glasses you currently reserve for the past.

You’ll remember the people, the routines, the traditions, the challenges, and the ordinary moments that made up your life.

So don’t wait until they’re gone to appreciate them.

Sit on the porch.

Call a friend.

Laugh with your family.

Take the picture.

Eat the dessert.

Enjoy another ordinary day.

Celebrate the season you’re in.

The good old days aren’t just something we remember…they’re something we’re creating right now.

However, we never have enough time to tackle ALL our clutter, and when clutter continues to accumulate, it can make an already busy season feel even more overwhelming.

That’s why I’m a fan of “mini decluttering challenges”.

It’s exactly like what it sounds — a mini challenge you can do any time you have 5 minutes throughout the day.

These mini challenges work for real life, real families, and real homes because you aren’t organizing anything… just decluttering.

Let me say that again: You are NOT “organizing”, only “decluttering”.

You don’t need to make it look pretty, create labels, or find matching bins. You simply need to remove things that should no longer be taking up space in your home and life.

Instead of setting aside hours for a major organizing project, you’ll spend just 5 minutes clearing out what you no longer need.

No complicated systems. No marathon cleaning sessions. Just small pockets of time spent reducing the excess and creating a little more breathing room in your home.

These quick wins may seem insignificant at first, but over time, they can add up to a home that feels lighter, calmer, and easier to manage.

As you go throughout your daily tasks, ask yourself the questions below. If you can’t answer “yes”, it might be time to declutter that item.

Keep a trash bag and a donation box handy on every floor of your home and continually add to them throughout each day and each week. You might be surprised how quickly you fill them!

General Decluttering Questions

• Do I actually need this item?
• Do I actually use this item?
• Do I even love or at least like this item?
• Do I want this item?
• If I moved across the country, would I pay to have this item moved with me?

Related Reading: Love it, Use it, or Lose it – a Simple Decluttering Guide

Clothes, Shoes & Accessories Questions

• Does it actually fit me?
• Does it flatter my current body shape/size?
• Do I feel great wearing it?
• Is it in style?
• Is it in good to great condition?
• If I went shopping, would I buy this item again?

Related Reading: How to Declutter Your Closet in 6 Steps

Kitchen & Home Goods Questions

• Have I used or displayed this item in the last 6 months?
• Do I have a place for this item?
• Can I make do with something else I have?
• Would it be very difficult or expensive to replace the item if I did need or want it again?
• Am I hanging onto it out of guilt or because it was given to me by someone special?
• Am I hanging onto it because I’m hoping to sell it?

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

Kids’ Stuff Questions

• Is it in good to great condition?
• Is it something I actually liked and found useful?
• Realistically, will I have children who could use/wear this again?
• Will the item be out of style or expired by the time future children could potentially use it?
• Would it be difficult or expensive to replace the item if I did need/want it again?
• Do I have adequate space to store it?

Related Reading: How to Finally Let Go of “What if I Need it Clutter”

Sentimental Item Questions

• Is this something I actually want and love?
• Do I have space to store or use the item?
• Could I repurpose the item in any way to make it more usable?
• Am I hanging onto it out of guilt or because it was given to me by someone special?

Related Reading: Practical Solutions for Sentimental Clutter

More Decluttering Help

I’ve written extensively about decluttering over the last 2 decades… here are some of my favorites:

• Why You Should Stop Organizing and Start Decluttering
• 9 Questions to Help You Declutter Your Home and Life
• What to Do when Decluttering Feels Wasteful
• The Ultimate List of Clutter-Free Gifts (something for all ages!)
• 50 Things to Declutter Right Now

If you’re struggling with clutter in any of the above categories, start asking and answering those questions — and then start decluttering!

You don’t need to

What area will you start with?

I make some version of this cake several times throughout the year (keep reading below for some of our favorite flavor combos). Sometimes, I’ll even bake 2 different cakes at the same time, cut them both in half, put half of each in the freezer, and save half of each to eat right away.

As you’ll notice by the pictures below… anything with chocolate is a winner in our home!

If you’re looking for a simple and delicious dessert recipe for an upcoming event… or just a special weeknight treat, give my from-a-box bundt cake a try.

I promise, no one will ever guess you started with a boxed mix!

Ingredients for Easy Bundt Cake

• 1 – 2 pkgs. any variety of store-bought cake mix (18.5 oz.)**
• 1 pkg. any flavor instant pudding (4 serving size)
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. applesauce or oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. mix-ins (optional) — chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter chips, etc.
• optional frosting, glaze, and toppings

** NOTE: When I first started making this recipe many years ago, cake mixes were 18.5 ounces. They eventually changed to 15 or 16 ounces, and now many are only 13 ounces!! If you buy a smaller cake mix, you’ll want to use 1 full package and half the second package to get closer to 18-20 ounces of cake mix.

You could also substitute the cake mix part of this recipe with the dry ingredients for any homemade cake recipe (here’s one we love for chocolate cake).

How to Make this Easy Bundt Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Grease a 10″ bundt pan and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix dry cake mix and dry pudding mix.

4. Add wet ingredients and any mix-ins; stir until combined.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.

7. Remove cake from pan and cool on a wire rack.

8. Frost if desired and add topping or garnishes (chocolate chips, peanuts, coconut, etc)

Our Favorite Ingredient Combinations:

Almost any cake mix + pudding mix combo could work for this bundt cake recipe, so feel free to experiment. I’ve shared a handful of our favorite combinations below.

• Chocolate cake mix + chocolate pudding powder + semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Chocolate cake mix + butterscotch pudding powder + 1/2 c. milk chocolate chips + 1/2 c. peanut butter chips
• Yellow cake mix + vanilla pudding powder + semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Yellow cake mix + lemon pudding powder + 2 t. lemon extract + 2 T. poppy seeds
• Chocolate cake mix + butterscotch pudding powder + 1/2 c. chocolate chips + 1/c. pecans
• Red velvet cake mix + vanilla pudding powder + white chocolate chips
• White cake mix + vanilla pudding mix + 2 t. almond extract + slivered almonds as a garnish (on top of the already baked cake)

Want More Easy Cake Recipes?

The recipes below are all super simple with easy-to-find ingredients… and best of all, they get 2 thumbs up from our family!

Whole Grain Apple Cake

Zucchini Banana Sheet Cake

Reese’s Peanut Butter Brownie Cake

From-Scratch Chocolate Cake

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Chocolate Cake

Angel Food Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Almond Pound Cake

For some women, capsule wardrobes are life-changing and freeing… the concept is so intriguing (which is probably why I get asked about it fairly regularly).

But for many women (myself included) juggling families, changing bodies, budgets, and wearing so many different “hats”, a capsule wardrobe isn’t always the magical solution it’s made out to be.

And that’s okay.

The intent behind a capsule wardrobe is to simplify your life… not to put frustrating restrictions on your wardrobe that feel almost impossible to keep up with.

Instead of striving for a super streamlined wardrobe of exactly 40 items, a better goal might simply be to create a wardrobe that works for your life… and actually fits inside your closet!

Let me explain, once and for all, why a capsule wardrobe might not work for you, and offer a few (more practical) solutions instead!

1. Four Seasons Require More Clothing

Many capsule wardrobe examples come from places with mild weather (think Southern California).

But if you live somewhere with four distinct seasons (think West Michigan), you know that one wardrobe rarely covers everything.

I live in West Michigan, which means we might wear a snowsuit to our boys’ baseball game in May, and then open our pool the very next weekend (true story).

We often experience 3 “seasons” of weather in a single week — which means we keep all our clothing accessible at all times (I do put the snow pants away from June through October).

If you can relate to needing winter coats, boots, gloves, sweaters, rain jackets, summer shorts, sandals, swimsuits, and layers for those in-between months when the weather can’t seem to make up its mind, then a capsule wardrobe likely won’t work for you.

That’s not overconsumption—it’s practicality.

2. Weight Fluctuation

One of the biggest challenges many women face throughout their adult lives is weight fluctuation.

3. Some Body Shapes are Harder to Shop For

Not every woman can walk into a store and find five pairs of pants that fit beautifully.

Some women are petite. Others are tall. Some have narrow shoulders, wider hips, or a longer torso (me!) Others struggle to find dresses, swimsuits, jeans, or bras that fit comfortably.

When you finally find a pair of jeans, a jacket, or a basic black dress that truly fits your unique shape, it can make sense to buy a backup or hold onto it longer than a capsule wardrobe expert might recommend.

If shopping is difficult for your body type, minimizing your wardrobe too aggressively may create unnecessary stress.

Related Reading: My Long-Torso Swimsuit Solution

4. You’re Still Not Sure What Flatters You

Many women spend years dressing for work, pregnancy, raising young children, or simply getting through busy seasons of life.

If this feels like your situation, you might consider asking for help or advice from a friend who seems to have her style figured out and is always looking cute. You might be surprised how much easier it is for someone else to see what looks best on you.

5. You’re On A Tight Budget

6. You Actually Enjoy Shopping

There seems to be an assumption that everyone wants to own fewer clothes and spend less time shopping (truthfully, I fall into this group).

But what if you genuinely enjoy shopping?

For many women, browsing thrift stores, hunting for bargains, or finding a great deal on a beautiful sweater is a hobby. It’s fun. It’s relaxing. It’s creative.

As long as shopping isn’t causing financial strain or filling your home with clutter, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying it.

You don’t need permission to keep a hobby you love, and creating a capsule wardrobe shouldn’t rob you of that joy!

7. Your Lifestyle Requires Variety

Think about everything you do in a typical month.

Maybe you attend church, volunteer at school, exercise, garden, work from home, attend sporting events, go out with friends, travel occasionally, and help care for relatives.

Those activities often require different types of clothing.

A minimalist wardrobe may work beautifully for those with very predictable routines. But many of us wear several different “hats”, and our wardrobes need to reflect that reality.

Is a Capsule Wardrobe Right for You?

One of the phrases I regularly remind people of when they ask about capsule wardrobes is: “A capsule wardrobe is a tool, not a rule.”

If a capsule wardrobe helps simplify your life, wonderful.

If you prefer a larger wardrobe with more options and you have the space to store more options, that’s wonderful too.

The best wardrobe isn’t the one that fits an internet trend. It’s the one that fits your body, your budget, your climate, your lifestyle, and your personality.

Getting dressed should make your life easier, not leave you feeling guilty because your closet doesn’t look like someone else’s.

Wear what works. Keep what you love. Let the rest go.

Need more inspiration for your closet clutter?

5 Questions to Help You Declutter in Half the Time

10 Things that Should Not Be In Your Closet

How to Thoroughly Declutter Your Closet in 6 Steps

Solve Your Stuff Problems with a Space Budget

What are your thoughts on capsule wardrobes? 

If you’re looking for a handful of simple, low-stress, budget-friendly ways to enjoy summer together, I’m sharing more than 20 free ideas below!

Feel free to add yours in the comments.

1. Have a Backyard Picnic

Spread out a blanket and eat lunch outside. That’s it.

I think it’s a fact that ordinary food tastes better when it’s served outside with little to no mess to clean up afterward.

If it’s rainy, bring the picnic indoors with a blanket on the living room floor.

2. Ride Bikes

Whether it’s around the neighborhood or on a local trail, bike rides are a classic summer activity that never goes out of style.

As our kids and neighbors get older and more independent, they’ve ventured a bit further and often end up at our local high school to play tennis or run on the track. They’ve even biked to get ice cream on their own!

3. Visit the Library

I’ve sung the praises of local libraries for years and years, and I will continue to promote these often under-utilized resources.

Most libraries offer free summer reading programs, activities, and special events throughout the summer months. We always participate in these, and often get great free prizes like free kids’ meals at local restaurants, free books, and free tickets to local sporting events.

4. Catch Fireflies

Sort of nostalgic… but few things feel more like summer than chasing lightning bugs at dusk.

5. Create a Nature Scavenger Hunt

This can be as simple or as involved as you’d like — depending on how much time you have.

Start by making a simple list of things for your find: a feather, a pine cone, a butterfly, a yellow flower, etc.

You could likely find many free printables online… or you could enlist an older child to make the scavenger hunt for the younger siblings (Nora was all about creating games and activities for her younger siblings).

Once you have a variety of items collected, you could let them create some type of craft/art project with their findings.

6. Build a Fort

As someone who grew up with a giant woods in her backyard, fort building is one of my favorite childhood memories. We built forts year-round, but especially in warmer weather. For the record, “The Claw” was, and always will be, the best fort.

However, even if you don’t have access to a wooded area, you could use blankets, a hammock, and a few branches to create a fun fort outside… and of course, you can bring this activity inside with a few couch cushions or boxes!

The bigger the imagination, the better.

7. Read Books Together

A good stack of books can provide hours of entertainment… but reading doesn’t necessarily come naturally for most kids.

I did not enjoy reading as a child, so my parents paid me ($0.10 per page) to read in the summer… and it worked!

We now have a “rule” that our kids need to read at least 30 minutes every day — and this does not include the time they read before bed. 75% of our children have no problem reading for more than 30 minutes… 25% of our children still struggle with this.

We also regularly read aloud after meal times.

8. Go for an Evening Walk

I mean, walks any time of day are fun… but evening walks when it’s starting to get dark, and the kids should probably be getting ready for bed, are pretty fun… especially if they end at the ice cream shop!

Summer evenings are often cooler and less hectic. Plus, if either parent works during the day, this is a nice time to be together as a whole family and enjoy a slower pace.

9. Draw with Sidewalk Chalk

Surprisingly, our kids still really get into sidewalk chalk… and thanks to our giant asphalt driveway, it’s something they do regularly throughout the year.

They like making tracks for bikes and scooters, they’ve made obstacle courses and hopscotch paths, and they’ve even used chalk to draw lines for pickleball, basketball, hockey, and more.

Related Reading: How to Make DIY Driveway Paint

10. Play in the Sprinkler

No water park, pool, or lake required.

Bonus: If you have underground irrigation in place, you can turn an entire zone on, and they can enjoy sprinklers from every angle while you water your lawn!

11. Watch the Clouds

Lie on a blanket and see what shapes you can find in the clouds overhead.

This sounds very simple (because it is), but it’s a great way to cool off or relax in the middle of the day.

It’s also something you could do after an outdoor picnic (see #1 above).

12. Grow Something Edible

Kids love to grow things!

Even if you don’t have space for a vegetable garden, you can help your kids create a planter with something edible. Even a few containers with herbs in your kitchen window, or a single tomato plant on the back porch.

Watching the growth can provide daily excitement, and watering will help develop a good work ethic.

If you can’t make the edible thing work out, at least let them grow grass seeds in a cup!

13. Have a Water Balloon Fight

I used to despise water balloons because of how difficult they were to fill up… but then, we stumbled upon Bunch o Balloons a few years ago, and we’ve been enjoying water balloons ever since.

It’s so easy, our kids can fill them up on their own in just a few minutes.

14. Explore a Local Park

One summer, we made a list of every local park within 10 miles of our home and tried to visit them all.

We found many out-of-the-way parks that were rarely ever busy — probably because so many families were too busy doing other, more flashy, more expensive activities.

But don’t knock a good park experience. Meet up with friends (yours or the kids), bring fun food along, and enjoy not feeling that pressure to fold one more load of laundry!

Bonus points if the park has a splash pad.

15. Learn a Card Game

Teach your kids classics like Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Rummy, or War.

Or teach them a card trick (you can look up so many online).

The nice thing is that once you teach your kids, they can then play together or with friends and neighbors.

If you only have one child, teach them how to play Solitaire using an actual deck of cards (our boys love doing this).

16. Look Through Photo Books

This isn’t necessarily a summer-only activity, but it’s great for rainy days or super hot/humid afternoons when everyone wants to be inside.

Our kids absolutely love looking through the photo books I’ve created for them over the years.

We also have several old photo books from Dave and my childhood, and even our parents and grandparents.

17. Create an Obstacle Course

Use whatever you have available — hula hoops, sticks, chairs, jump ropes, or pool noodles — and create some type of obstacle course in your home, yard, driveway, or even in your neighborhood (if you can get neighbor families on board).

Keep it simple so it’s easy to set up and take down again — that way, you can reuse the supplies and create the course day after day if it’s a hit!

18. Make a “Fun To-Do List”

In previous summers, we’ve often created “Fun To-Do Lists” for our kids at least once per week.

The kids LOVE these lists, which, surprisingly, are rarely ever all that “fun”.

On these lists, we write out exactly what we will eat for each meal, and for our snacks, we list any activity we might have that day, as well as several “fun” options for the kids to do throughout the day (many of them are listed above).

These lists take 5 minutes to make the night before, and give the kids a specific plan of what they can then choose to do the following day (which means they shouldn’t need to come to you for ideas of “what to do” every 4 minutes!

19. Fly a Kite

A breezy afternoon and an open field are all you need… well, and a kite!

You can find a bunch of frugal kites on Amazon, and I know your kids will love this experience!

20. Host a Backyard Campout

My sister and her husband host a massive summer campout on their property every summer. They invite friends, family, neighbors, and probably anyone who wants to come, to hang out, eat good food, swim, play basketball, and literally camp in their yard for the weekend.

However, you could do something much smaller in your own backyard with just your own family (or maybe invite one family friend).

Pretend you’re actually camping and make all your food outside… it’s free, and our kids still talk about doing this years later.

If camping outside is totally not in the cards this year, you could also set up a tent in your living room or basement for a little indoor camping (we did this many times when our kids were little).

21. Make a Summer Journal

This is a great way to use up all those extra notebooks from the end of the school year…

Encourage your kids to draw pictures, write stories, or record favorite memories each day or each week.

It’s a great way to help them keep up with their writing, and it’s fun to look back on.

22. Have a “Boredom Day”

This might be the most important idea on the list.

Don’t plan anything.

Let the kids figure out what to do.

Boredom often gets a bad reputation, but it can be the birthplace of creativity, problem-solving, imagination, and independence. When kids aren’t constantly entertained, they learn how to entertain themselves.

23. Visit With Friends

Invite a few friends over with absolutely no plans. They can play in the yard, swim, or do sprinklers, build a fort, or anything on the list above, while the adults visit and enjoy (mostly) uninterrupted conversation.

24. Watch the Sunset

Bring lawn chairs out front or sit on the porch and enjoy the end of the day together.

Our sun sets SUPER late in West Michigan (like 10:00 ish) so we don’t do this a lot, but we have had several fun summer nights outside watching the local hot air balloon festival — which just so happens to fly right over our house as the sun is starting to set.

26. Look Up Free Days for Zoos and Museums

Our local zoo and museums often have “free days” for kids and families throughout the summer.

Granted, those days are VERY busy, but it could be a nice air-conditioned activity for hot summer days.

27. Get Free Candy at a Local Parade

We have several local parades throughout the summer months, and the kids love getting free coupons and candy.

28. Play Outdoor Games

We have purchased many outdoor games from our local thrift store — things like Bocce Ball, Croquet, or Cornhole.

This may sound strange, but it deserves a spot on the list.

29. Go Hiking

We have a local nature preserve within walking distance from our house… and at times, it really feels like you’re on a hike in the middle of a giant forest.

Take a few minutes to search for a local nature preserve, hiking trail, or forest close to your home, pack some water and snacks, and make an afternoon of it.

Let the kids take binoculars, a walking stick, and maybe even a bug net… and speaking of bugs, make sure to wear mosquito repellent!

30. Make Ice Cream

Don’t worry, you don’t need an ice cream maker or any expensive equipment.

This simple recipe allows kids to make their own tiny jar of ice cream in just a few minutes!

Of course, stopping for ice cream at a local shop is always a fun summertime treat too!

More Frugal Family Fun Ideas!

Frugal Summer Fun for Younger Children

Our Favorite Family-Friendly Summer Fun Ideas

Get my free Family Summer Fun Activities List by entering your email below.

It’s wonderful if your family can enjoy a few camps, vacations, or special outings this summer… but please don’t feel pressured to fill every day on the calendar.

A slower summer isn’t a “lesser” summer.

In many ways, it might be exactly what our kids need after a busy school year.

What are YOUR favorite frugal Summer activities?

Due to the coloring of this salad, it’s also fun to make around the holidays.

Ingredients for Caprese Pasta Salad

• 1 lb. pasta (I like to use a shorter noodle)
• 1/4 c. pesto sauce
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb. (16 oz) mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes or little balls)
• a handful of fresh basil

Make it a Full Meal!

This salad is an excellent side dish for so many meals… but it can also be a complete meal in itself if you add a bit more protein.

I love adding grilled chicken breasts or Italian sausages — but almost any of your favorite proteins could work.

How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad

1. Boil pasta according to package directions.

2. While noodles boil, mix pesto, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

3. Once pasta is cooked, drain and rinse several times in very cold water to completely cool the noodles.

4. Dump cooled pasta into a large mixing bowl.

5. Add tomatoes and cheese to noodles.

6. Pour sauce over top and mix well.

7. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

8. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make Ahead Instructions

Here’s a fun nutritional fact about cooling cooked pasta for 24 hours…

“When pasta is refrigerated, some of the starch in it loses its original structure and forms a new structure that passes through the body without being digested in the same way. That process is called “starch retrogradation.”

So, a portion of the starch is not absorbed and used as calories or glucose in the bloodstream. It’s called “resistant starch.” That means refrigerated pasta has more resistant starch in it. It has fewer calories and leads to a smaller peak in blood glucose after you eat it.” (source)

This salad comes together so quickly, as most of the ingredients are non-perishable pantry staples. It’s also a recipe I’ll have memorized forever because the measurements are so simple.

If you’re looking for a super simple side dish to take with you to a summer picnic or gathering (or if you just need dinner tonight), give this Caprese Pasta Salad a try!

More Summer Salads

• Apple, Bacon, Pecan Salad with Apple Vinaigrette
• Make-Ahead Layered Lettuce Salad
• Broccoli Bacon Salad
• Easy Italian Chopped Salad
• Grilled Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad
• Harvest Spinach Salad with Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing
• Make-Ahead Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
• Our Favorite Taco Salad Recipe
• The Loaded Kale Salad You’ll Actually Want to Eat!
• Yummy Broccoli Slaw

What are your favorite summer salads?

As always, visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!

Favorite Quote

A friend recently texted me this photo — which I thought was very fitting for Dave and our current season!

Back when we first got married, we made 2 somewhat counter-cultural decisions…

1. We would live off one income and put the rest towards savings, retirement, investments, etc.
2. Dave would not get a summer job after we had kids, unless we absolutely needed the extra income.

Compared to many, we have a fairly boring life… but we’re thankful Dave can be home with us every summer.

Simon recently commented about how strange it was that his friend’s dad had to work all summer. I told him it was much stranger that his parents did NOT have to work in the summer.

I’ll take a boring, frugal life at home every time!

Favorite Archived Post = 40 Years in Photos

I celebrated my 40th birthday last June, and put together a fun post with 40 pictures – one from each of my 40 years.

It was so fun to write, and even more enjoyable to read it again this week!

For example, we might assume our rushed mornings are due to the lack of a morning routine.

But a better morning routine might not address the real issue. Sometimes the frantic morning isn’t actually a morning problem… it’s an overcommitment problem.

Maybe we’re staying out too late because of back-to-back activities. We regularly get home later than we planned, leaving us scrambling to pack lunches, clean up the kitchen, lay out clothes, and get everyone to bed so they can squeeze in enough sleep before waking up and doing it all over again the next day.

When morning arrives, we hit snooze because we’re exhausted from getting to bed too late. We move more slowly, and the kids drag because they’re tired too. Tempers flare, shoes are missing, breakfast is a granola bar on the way out the door, and everyone leaves home feeling frazzled before the day has even begun.

In that moment, it’s easy to think, We need a better morning routine.

But if we trace the problem back to the root, we may realize the real issue started the night before… maybe even several days/weeks earlier, when we said “yes” to one too many things.

Related Reading: Organized Days Start with Organized Nights

If we want to bring more balance back into our lives, we have to stop treating symptoms and start looking for root causes.

Find the root cause with “5 Whys”

The “5 Whys” is a technique that gets to the root cause of a problem by asking “Why?” roughly five times.

By drilling down through layers of cause-and-effect, this method moves past surface-level symptoms to uncover the core issue, helping prevent recurrence and creating lasting changes.

Here is an example of how a busy family might trace a frustrating morning back to the root cause:

The Problem = Mornings are always rushed and stressful.

Why #1: Because we have a hard time waking up.

Why #2: Because we usually get to bed too late.

Why #3: Because we don’t get home from our many extracurricular activities and meetings until 8:30, and still need to pack lunches, clean the kitchen, do homework, etc.

Why #4: Because each child is on a different team with a different schedule, and we volunteer for various church and school groups 3 times per week.

Why #5: Because we said “yes” to too many good and fun things without thinking about how they would impact our family and home life.

The Solution = Learn to say “no” to some extracurricular activities so you can have more downtime, including getting to bed on time and enjoying less-stressed, less-rushed mornings.

Related Reading: 99 Effective Ways to Say No

The 5 Whys Works in Most Situations

Rush mornings are just one small example (one I regularly get questions about). However, the 5 Whys method has proven useful with many recurring problems at home, at work, and in life.

• workplace productivity
• marital strife
• customer service incidents
• scheduling conflicts
• even some health issues

Of course, the 5 Whys won’t magically fix an issue for you, but it can get to the root cause, which will give you more clarity on the best solution for the issue (not just a bandage to cover it up for a while).

Here’s a 3-minute video that goes deeper into the 5 Whys Method.

Bringing Balance Back To Your Life

In my experience, balance rarely comes from adding more systems, more planners, or more productivity hacks.

It comes from subtraction.

Related Reading: 5 Choices When You’re Short on Time

Balance comes from identifying the true source of the chaos and making intentional changes, because when we address the root, the symptoms often begin to resolve themselves.

A calmer, earlier evening leads to better sleep.

Better sleep leads to smoother mornings.

Smoother mornings create a more peaceful tone for the entire day.

A more peaceful day allows for calmer evenings… and the cycle continues.

Little by little, balance returns to our homes, families, and lives — not because we’ve learned to hustle harder, but because we’ve finally addressed what was throwing things off in the first place.

Next Steps

Think through some of the pain points in your day, your home, your relationships, and your routines… then choose one to dig deeper.

Ask yourself “Why”, and then ask again and again until you get to the root cause of the issue.

THEN, start brainstorming possible solutions.

This likely will not be a quick process with instant results — but rather, a slow recognition of how seemingly good things (like kids’ activities and volunteering) can completely throw off the balance in our homes and lives.

Once you honestly name the root cause, you’ll finally be able to work towards restoring balance and order!

Ingredients for Layered Lettuce Salad

• 6 c. chopped lettuce (2 heads Romaine lettuce)
• 1 c. chopped broccoli or broccoli slaw mix
• 1 c. chopped cauliflower florets
• 1 c. frozen edamame or peas
• 1/2 c. onion (red, yellow, or green); diced
• 1 large carrot; shredded
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced or crumbled
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 c. bacon pieces (cooked and crumbled)
• 1.5 c. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. white vinegar
• 2 T. granulated sugar or honey
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
• cherry tomatoes for garnish

Ingredient Variations

This salad is very forgiving, so feel free to swap out any of the ingredients based on your preferences or what you have in the house.

Here are a few ideas…

Lettuce — Use a bag of already-chopped lettuce with carrots and cabbage mixed in, or chop up a bunch of spinach if you’d prefer that.

Veggies — I like lots of veggies, but you can omit any of the veggies if they aren’t your favorite. Also, feel free to add sliced cucumbers, chopped peppers, shredded cabbage, etc.

Eggs — if you don’t love hard-boiled eggs, just skip them. Or, serve them up on the side (this is what I do, as some of my family doesn’t like them).

Cheese — most varieties of cheese will work in this recipe, although fresh Parmesan on top really is a nice flavor boost.

Meat — I usually just stick to chopped bacon, but you could skip the meat entirely, or add chopped ham, salami, pepperoni, or even grilled chicken to make a heartier meal.

Dressing — my family loves the mayo/yogurt dressing, but feel free to experiment with other dressings you enjoy too. I will say that using a thicker dressing allows it to sit on top of the salad, which keeps the lettuce fresher longer.

Garnishes — I love the look of cherry tomatoes on top of the dressing and Parmesan cheese, but you could certainly skip them. You could also do hard-boiled eggs on top, slice radishes, fresh herbs, or a drizzle of olive oil.

How to Make Layered Lettuce Salad

1. Chop lettuce and place it in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan.

2. Layer lettuce with all veggies, eggs, cheese, and bacon.

3. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, mayo, vinegar, sugar, and salt.

4. Pour/spread dressing over salad mixture.

5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the dressing and top with cherry tomatoes and/or cucumber slices, if desired.

6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is a great make-ahead salad!

One of the reasons I turn to this recipe time and time again (besides the fact that it’s delicious) is because it holds up so well in the fridge.

It can easily be made a full day in advance without getting soggy.

It’s also very transportable and looks yummy when you bring it to potlucks or BBQ parties (I rarely take leftovers home).

This Salad is Great as Leftovers

Speaking of leftovers, this salad really does hold up well in the fridge, making it great for leftovers later in the week.

Whenever I make this salad, I always plan on enjoying leftovers for lunch at least twice during the week — sometimes on its own; other times, paired with a bit of leftovers from a different meal.

You could also plan ahead and pre-portion individual containers of salad for lunches if you work outside the home.

After years and years of enjoying this salad for so many different occasions, I can confidently say it is a winning recipe (if you can really call it a recipe).

Experiment with what you have in the fridge and make your own Easy Layered Lettuce Salad today!

Do you have any favorite make-ahead salad recipes?

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

If you want / need to clear some clutter but aren’t sure where to begin, these five simple questions will help you cut through the overwhelm and speed up the entire decluttering process.

I ask these questions to myself ALL. THE. TIME. And I go through the process with my children the first week of summer break, as well as over Christmas break.