There’s one sad truth in life I’ve found While journeying east and west – The only folks we really wound Are those we love the best. We flatter those we scarcely know, We please the fleeting guest, And deal full many a thoughtless blow To those who love us best. - Ella Wheeler Wilcox In [...]

We all have one or two of those friends who just drain the life out of you when you’re around them (or is it just me?!) They’re critical, complaining, selfish, bitter, always finding the worst in others, demanding, stuck in their ways. The list could go on and on. But then there are also those [...]

Another super easy side dish, or a meal all by itself for Meatless Monday. I enjoyed this one as a full lunch last week. 1 can of black beans 1 can of corn 1 can of Rotel 1/2 pkg of Ranch dressing mix Simply drain the beans, corn and Rotel and then add them all [...]

Debbie Jones (aka wife of Tall Skinny Kiwi) shares some of the difficulties their family has encountered in being travelling minimalists. I’ve mentioned the Jones family once or twice here before, but for those not familiar with the Jones family, they’ve sold the majority of their possessions and are currently exploring Europe and north Africa [...]

If you’ve stopped in your local Starbucks lately, you may (or may not have) seen a poster advertising the company’s stance on Fair Trade Coffee. Thanks to their size, Starbucks is the largest purchasers of Fair Trade Coffee in the world. According to their website: Starbucks began purchasing Fair Trade Certified coffee in 2000, helping [...]

This morning on NPR I heard a great story about Sid Lerner’s new campaign: Meatless Mondays. For those who are unfamiliar with Lerner (like I was), he’s the brains behind the “Don’t squeeze the Charmin” ads, as well as a number of other successful ad campaigns. Now he’s taking on a new challenge — encouraging [...]

We’ve been in our new house for a little more than two months and I’ve started to notice something important… Pantry organization is vital. Our pantry in the new home is a bit smaller than our last and yet I’ve started noticing food can still go missing in a small tight place. We purchase a [...]

Some musical fun for your Friday enjoyment. (If the video is unavailable please click here to watch.) While things are never really as good as we remember them… the simple days of old still sounds pretty good doesn’t it? And we can still create an even great future. Who’s with me?

Reading several stories of Francis of Assisi and his community this weekend, I’m inspired to see what it really means to live simply, so others may simply live. Francis of Assisi was born around the turn of the 13th century as one of seven children born to Pietro di Bernardone, a rich cloth merchant. He [...]

Chris Stroud suggested that as part of the “six-month anniversary celebration” for We Live Simply (July 18th) I share what I’ve learned in the past six months. It’s taken a little while to get it all in writing but here are some of the things I’ve learned personally about myself — and about others in [...]

As part of our effort to build a clean drinking water well for the under-resourced, I’ve decided to give away a free PDF copy of my novel, St. Peter’s Brewery, to everyone who makes a donation to charity:water between now and August 31, 2010. Give any donation — of any amount, and you’ll receive a [...]