When your home and life feels chaotic...

In the last decade since I was a young mother, the pace of motherhood has changed so much. Even for mothers who stay home full-time with their children, there are endless opportunities and distractions available to us through our digital devices. When Sarah realized she was running on the hamster wheel of busyness and distraction, she knew she wanted to make a change. Through her own pursuit of simple, intentional, slow motherhood, Sarah began sharing her journey with other mothers who were longing for the same. If striving and busyness have left you feeling burned out, this episode will inspire you to pursue simplicity and connection in your everyday life.
In this episode, we cover:
- What led Sarah from living a fast-paced life to embracing slow motherhood
- Managing the balance between living a slow and simple life and pursuing goals in business
- Creating a simple slow living bucket list to keep your family centered
- A day in the life of an intentional stay-at-home-mom
- Embracing intentional connection in a way that fits your unique family
- Is it possible to live a slow and simple life while keeping up with housework?
- How minimalism makes space for a slow pace of life
- Keeping your family priorities front and center when deciding what extracurricular activities to pursue
- Adding intentionality to your days when it seems like every moment is accounted for
- Examining the mental clutter in our digital world that contributes to overwhelm as moms
Thank you to our sponsors!
Azure Standard is a family-owned company dedicated to providing you with high quality, affordable organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, and household products. Place your order at www.azurestandard.com/ and use the code SIMPLESUMMER10 to receive 10% off your purchase. This promotion expires August 31, 2023, and is only available for the first-time Azure customer order, with a minimum of $50 order (orders to drop locations only). One time use per customer.
Toups and Co Organics uses nourishing, organic ingredients to create simple and safe skincare products. Toups and Co is offering my listeners 10% off any one purchase with the code FARMHOUSE. Visit toupsandco.com/ to order today.
ABOUT SARAH
Sarah is a wife and mama who is on a journey to ditch the hurry and embrace a slower-paced life. Married to her (homeschool) highschool sweetheart, she and their little family live on a small piece of land about 50 miles east of Kansas City. Through her popular Instagram account, Simplyy Sarah, she encourages other mamas to reclaim motherhood from busy culture’s narrative, find beauty and purpose in the midst of the mundane, and to savor the slow and simple life.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Download Sarah’s free Slow Summer Bucket List: stan.store/SimplyySarah/p/slo...
Aro Box: www.goaro.com/
Check out Sarah’s Slow Rhythms Guide: stan.store/SimplyySarah/p/get...
CONNECT
Sarah Roof of Simplyy Sarah
Website: stan.store/SimplyySarah
Instagram: / simplyy_sarah_
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: www.farmhouseonboone.com/
KZbin: / farmhouseonboone
Instagram: / farmhouseonboone
TikTok: / farmhouseonboone
Facebook: / farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: / _created
Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community: / 748012922264552
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.co...

[@KatAdVictoriam]

I have a 14 year-old, 4 year-old, 2 year-old and my 4th son is due in November. I look back on what life was like with my eldest, and I can say that I was always busy. We were constantly doing something, going somewhere, meeting up with other kids at the park, or some library/museum/group, etc. and I thought that I had to constantly be doing all of these things, or I was somehow failing as a mom. I was also working full time as was my husband, somehow we made it work, but every minute of time away from work, I was busy with him. Fast forward to now he's 11 and no longer the only child, we've moved out of the city onto an acre in the mountains, I'm having one baby after another, I'm an "older" mom now with all of these little ones and the pace for us shifted dramatically! I quit all social media after my 2 year old was born, I realized it was creating so much pressure mentally on me to achieve some ideal of motherhood that just wasn't healthy for me and I was better off using that free time pursuing my goal of fiction writing when I can find the time, and raising my little ones without that distraction of the phone all day. I think that my age definitely impacts the pace of things, I'm not the energetic 25 year old anymore. But, I've also seen that running myself ragged to keep the kiddos occupied and stimulated all the time, kind of makes us all much grumpier and exhausted and having a rhythm to everyday -- outside play, read-aloud, tons and tons of cooking and free play and singing and dancing and such -- It just feels less chaotic for our family overall and I see how so many of my neighbors and friends live with their children, hustle bustle all the time -- I'm glad to have opted out of that. Some people can make that work, but I prefer the slowed down, rhythms of life. This was a great episode.

[@gabcarol8]

Do you have any fiction out yet? Always looking for new things to read!

[@KatAdVictoriam]

@@gabcarol8 Not yet! I'm saving up to pay for a professional editor and hope to be published in the near future. It's tough going the self-published route and tackling all of that with a big family too, but I work on it consistently so I'm optimistic it'll come to fruition. Thank you for asking :)

[@vintagebeliever5023]

Sounds wonderful 😊

[@kelleybishop6275]

When I was a young homeschool Mom (my kids are now all young adults) we always had quiet time after lunch for 1 hour. It was time we all needed to reset our day.

[@HaleyMariah]

I love Sarah! I love how many different guests you’ve had on. Would love to see Madisun Gray on the podcast!!!

[@jessicajohnson3196]

Yes!

[@jessicarupert8815]

Yes she's my fave!

[@cattailsforlunch]

I had my first child when I was 19. My 20’s were consumed with my own education (I got a masters degree), establishing a career, volunteering for all kinds of my own personal interests, and carting my first 2 kids to all of the activities. My oldest was in traveling soccer year round, so every single waking moment was busy. Wow was that hard. My life came to a halt when I was 33 (that’s a different story). My kids quit extra activities, I backed off volunteering, I was finished with school, and I reevaluated my dedication to my job. It was a total pause and it completely changed my life. Now since 2020, I’ve gone even further, and I can qualify as being more “in the present”. My two youngest kids are so much better off for this new type of mom I’ve become. It’s a better life for sure, and so much more rewarding than the fast-paced life I thought I wanted 25 years ago.

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Thanks for sharing!

[@swisschalet1658]

What a sweet mama she is, her son is lucky! My children are grown and I am sooo glad to see the younger generation of mothers wake up to the mainstream lies about motherhood in general. Motherhood (and fatherhood) is a sacred role. The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rocks the world.

[@kaylazinkhon6339]

Love this!

[@Amgirl03]

❤😊 Thank you so much! Well needed discussion 😊 it is like Mother Culture coming to life 😊 so nice to see...creates hope and mental, spiritual and physical well being...😊

[@debbiemize2269]

I wish this had been around when my children were little! They are now all in their 40s, and I certainly would have done many things differently.

[@jenniferknight2788]

100% would prefer a slower paced life... still running at full speed. ❤❤❤ I love my home and just want to spend time in it. ❤❤❤

[@charlotte22]

I love Azure Standard! I've never seen Azure Standard as a sponsor before and I didn't know they gave out coupon codes. Definitely would use it if I was a new customer.

[@LB-ku6ry]

I love who you sponsor.

[@justamags]

Lisa and Sarah, thank you! I really, really needed this message today. ❤

[@steffa648]

Will have to change that into 😉 congratulations on number 8!!!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

yes!

[@erikastanger7848]

One big benefit of having my babies in 2007, 09, and 11 is that there wasn't as much social media and other distractions. I would say that our lives were nice and slow and simple. It was bliss compared to now where I have 3 teens in a million different directions, and our lives have gotten exponentially more chaotic. I miss the days of just being home with little ones.

[@jessicablakely6802]

I'm SO glad I found your channel as hopefully soon-to-be mother. I've really been feeling pulled towards motherhood and homemaking (especially cooking and making something out of nothing) in this past year or two, and I kept trying to find the channel that had ALL of my interests combined, and your two accounts are IT😊

[@KAStodgell]

Love the afternoon pause and connect. Sara you look very sleepy.

[@jamiecorisis6122]

I have a whole page of notes from this podcast! I’m a mom of one teen and am still learning how to ‘slow down.’

[@elliekirk7219]

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your podcast and the thoughtfulness you put toward having each guest on! Thank you more being so authentic and bringing light to real and joyful things!

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

You are so welcome!

[@juliamahoney1509]

Wow I love the way you two put how there are probably many simple and slow tasks throughout our days we’re just oftentimes doing something else mentally. I definitely struggle with wanting to escape my present moment through listening to something while doing something else (even playing with my son) or multitasking several different chores/things I want to do. But you have got me thinking how much better I would personally feel if I gave my complete attention to a task before me. It’s like I know that but the way you explained it has helped me in wanting to actually pursue implementing it.

[@sapphire965]

Same!! Lol

[@rachellebrooke4614]

So good! Being mindful in the mundane is something we can do because it doesn’t take any extra time!

[@vintagebeliever5023]

Enjoyed this chat.. going to forward to my daughter. Thank you!

[@samanthahoos9827]

I love that you say there are different styles of parenting and hearing from others is helpful.❤ When I had little ones I stayed home teaching them, building their interests, exposing them to new/different activities and giving space to relax at home. When they started public school at 5 years old I was disappointed at some teachers telling me I was giving my children too much knowledge at home so they were bored in class or now it alls. 😂 Now my daughters are in their 20’s, in careers, responsible for themselves and very different people erasing their interests. MOM KNOWS BEST! 😊 Never forget the young years can pull your emotions, but breathe, cry, eat, laugh and show love - if that means going to your room for a time out DO IT. Your children will see you’re a human/real person and it will allow them to learn how to handle their emotions too. Ex. Yesterday I saw 2 small boys (2+3 yrs old) sitting on front porch steps alone, a car drove away and one boy kept screaming “I want Daddy”. When my children tried this attention/emotional move I’d cry “I want lobster” and it would make them sympathetic, but today my daughter used the same tactic with her students which had them laughing. ❤

[@ElinoraMilanesi]

beautiful, wonderful comment. Very beneficial. Thank you very very much . أَتَمَنّى لَكَ نَهاراً سَعيداً

[@j87waldo]

When my son makes me irritated at home he just starts screaming daddy 🤣 ( daddy is always working at the mill) I'm like daddy's not here to tell you no don't do that you can die... go poop on the potty .... He would be irritated with the same stuff my child lol 😂

[@cassies123]

Loved this one!!

[@nicolevanhuyssteen4466]

Loved this. Thank you 😊 💓

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alicardon1013]

Me listening to simplifying the inventory as I pick up 72 teethers off the floor 😂 🤪

[@Simplefarmhouselife]

mom life!

[@worldtravelerxoxo1201]

I would like to hear more podcasts from mothers with multiples. 0-1 can be a big change but how do you balance having more than 1 and being out numbered

[@typeaeverything2853]

Some of this is funny. One toddler is not messy!

[@RuthEdelstein]

One toddler is a lot of work. Don't knock her just because she has 1 kid.

[@j87waldo]

Lady what you do is super hero status.... Most of us only dream of having our own milk cow .... So what I am facing now is ( see I knew it I should have ran away from home and joined a farm ) but just pray for our kids and food I can not get them to eat simple ingredients.... If it doesn't say bio engendered they say it's gross it's so frustrating!

[@j87waldo]

So when I try to connect with my kids ( 3,7,8. ) They melt down ... They become squirming screaming no I don't want to monsters it's a very sad situation... You can never have to many books ! But yes the massive amounts of plastic Cr*p is driving me bonkers

[@swisschalet1658]

Go outside with them. Go hiking as a family. Do not take any toys with you. Reduce the toys they have to one single toy box for each kid, and put them completely away with a lid on it at the end of every day. Gradually reduce them (throw them away) and spend more time outside at parks, trails, etc. pack a lunch so they don’t get grumpy from hunger.

[@j87waldo]

@@swisschalet1658 that would be nice but the fire smoke is thick here and 6 cans of bug spray for ticks and mosquitos later 2 camping nights is about all we could get in before thinking yeah not doing that again ! In a perfect world .... Also I have agoraphobia so that makes it impossible to go anywhere

[@j87waldo]

It's also way to hot 🔥

[@j87waldo]

I trying to teach the elements from the periodic table and they just started plugging their ears and going lalalalala lalalala the disrespect is aweful ... Remember that mother who just walked away from her family and was never seen again until like 15 years later I can totally see why she did that ... Part of our issue is were not into child-rearing the same I can see why a lot of people separate after they have children...

[@karenb6253]

It was a nice chat but I had a hard time taking her seriously has she only has one child right now. She has a great perspective and ideas

[@RuthEdelstein]

She's young and I'm sure she'll have more. She is a better mom than I was with one kid.

[@karenb6253]

@@RuthEdelstein hopefully. I know it’s sounds mean but we also don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. She could be struggling just as much as you did

[@lyang4131]

'PromoSM' ❤️