It’s nice to meet you.
I’m an Orlando Florida mom blogger, the mother of a fabulous 10-year-old, adventurous 9-year-old, animated 7-year-old, spicy 5-year-old, and wife to my husband of 18 years.
Our family packed up our house in North Carolina in the Spring of 2016 and moved across the country to Denver, Colorado. Then in 2018, after an epic road trip along the West Coast, we moved from Denver to Orlando Florida – SUPER close to Walt Disney World Resort!!
Life is an adventure, and I am here for it.
We love to travel as a family. It’s kind of messy, but all good adventures are.
No matter the weather, the mornings will find me drinking coffee with non-dairy creamer and sugar, and gluten-free something. If you see me out at Disney Parks or out and about, you’ll usually find me in jeans, a t-shirt, and TOMS. Stitch Fix has helped me get out of the “mommy rut” clothing dilemma. Do you know they carry TOMS?! THEY DO!
As of 2016, I can call myself a half-marathoner. I set a goal to run a half-marathon, and I reached that goal. As a mom of four littles, training was not an easy task, but I made it work. In 2017, I added several more medals to that one. I ran in the runDisney Princess Half Marathon in February 2017, and ran in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in May 2017, which earned me the coveted PINK Coast to Coast Medal!!
Simplifying Family
Life is never dull with four kids and a dog. Our family is loud, loving, and spicy. We love adventure, spending time together, and add a bit of laughter and mess everywhere we go.
The most profound lesson I learned over the last 10 years as a mom is my need for simplifying.
We try so hard to live up to the expectations given to us by family, friends, and society. The truth is, only we know what is best for our family. We know our children, our family dynamics, only we know our breaking point.
Friends, I want you to stop comparing your life to the ones you see online.
I want to give you the tools to help you simplify your life so you can find freedom, live stress-free, and reinvent your family life.
Because if you are like I was, when you look at your life right now, it’s nothing like what you thought it would be.
Join the journey to discover more family time and less “mess stress”.
As with every family, each person is an individual with their own personality that shines through.
The boys are polar opposites. While the oldest (7) has never met a stranger and speaks his mind, the youngest (6) is reserved and thoughtful, taking it all in. Once he warms up though, he’s a comedian. Both love to travel and a good adventure. They are big Disney Junior fans and could play with LEGOS for hours. But neither one ever wants to eat anything green, unless the oldest is at Olive Garden. Only then will he eat a salad. They share a room and are fine with that unless a bunk bed is involved. Neither likes the top bunk because Mommy refuses to climb the ladder to lay with them at night.
The girls are our bookends. While only five years separate them, sometimes that feels like an eternity. The oldest is trying to pave her own way, while always wanting to play with her siblings. She loves to travel and talks about wanting to visit Paris, France when she’s older. She is currently reading the Harry Potter series. The littlest is sweet and spicy. She can hold her own in squabbles with her older siblings. She is the best storyteller with stories of her “other” family, Gaston who is a troublemaker, and life in the clouds before she came to us. The Littlest has quite the imagination.
Last but not least, is our pup, Ellie. She is our first “baby”. She’s a 10-year-old black lab/golden retriever mix pup. She is super sweet with the kids and loves to play fetch and keep away. She would eat all day long if we let her. One of her favorite pastimes is napping.
Holidays and birthdays are always an adventure. We think our kids need stuff but is that really what will make them happy? Let’s come up with creative solutions to celebrate our children without more toys to clutter our living spaces.
Small space living also means that my office is in the living room which is also kind of the dining room. There is also room sharing as our oldest and youngest share space, as do our boys.
Family travel is important to us. If we can travel as a family of six, then anyone can. If you would like to sponsor a road trip, email me at whitney@simplifyingfamily.com.
Our unique situation leaves us flexible and allows us to think outside the box.
Let’s Connect!
Email me at whitney@simplifyingfamily.com
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