This has been a lesson in a long time in the making, in my opinion. It boils down to acknowledging that somthing can be, useful/beautiful/nice to have, and not needing to own it myslef. Do I always do this? No. Is it a perfect solution? No Can it still be helpful? Yes. What this often helps me do though is realize in a store or online or whatever that an item might be something compelling intriguing, or just plain nice but that I don’t have to own it myself and have to store it in my home to enjoy it. It honestly comes from intentionalism (read: minimalism) and trying to…

Hi everyone from the Koelzes! We started off the year not quite at that point but with great friends from church none the less. We also enjoyed one good outdoor skate this year with them. I (Katherine) had a wonderful time hosting a galentines get together at my home for church friends just after Valentine’s Day, complete with tea, cookies, and other delicious treats. Unfortunately in February we also said goodbye to Grandpa Parkin, praise the Lord we were able to all go see him as a family just before he passed. Just 3 months after Grandpa G’s passing. February brought my family’s side (Glader/Parkin) bridal shower along with my…

So I have a podcast, it’s not big, but I’m proud of myself for taking the initiative and producing the episodes I have so far. I wanted to challenge myself to make one and host it solo. I mean I’ve had guests but it means that I make the call on who’s on the show what’s talked about etc. It also means there’s no one to “banter” with “on-air” – I have to keep the flow and monologue – unless I have a guest, and then it’s still up to me to prepare. There’s a few lessons to be gleaned from this experience. One, I don’t think podcasts need to…

So if you’ve read my post on “becoming minimalit” you know that decluttering is the first step. …and honestly, that’s like half of organizing in my opinion at this point. Why? Because it cuts down on what you would otherwise need to organize. So here we go. Organizing Start with putting like with like, as much as you can, from keeping dishes and kitchen things in the kitchen, to keeping all the clothes that fit you in your closet(s), to ensuring paperwork is all together. This means you know what you have in totality. I also suggest being a bit selective with your decor. I’ll be the first to admit…

I will be the first to admit that I not only grew up going to camp, going on camping trips, both tent and camper, and I spent the first few years of my life living in a small town far away from any “rush hours”. Though since moving to the Twin Cities at about 6 I’ve largely considered myself a city girl. That said I I am trying to figure out where I find myself wanting to be. At this point though I find myself wanting to live a lifestyle that is both beautiful, budget conscious, practical, and elegant. I live in the suburbs and I like that to a…

I’m surprised at myself even as write this – associating with minimalism? me? and maybe some would think I’m off-base but if you saw my YouTube watch history, my garage sale efforts, my past giveaway boxes and trash bags, I believe you’d see the intention if nothing else. No I’m not perfect about it, but I don’t think there is really a perfection to it, as Joshua Becker a famous minimalist says in paraphrase – he’s always working to becoming minimalist. I don’t remember how I first heard about minimalism which is both not particularly important as the action but for me personally, it would be nice to know how…

I really enjoy chicken of most all kinds, like a lot, so over time I’ve tried to do some comparing of different options. I put together a list of my thoughts on which places get it right. Chick-fil-A. Great service matched with great chicken, not to mention great fries, and the stellar Chick-fil-A sauce. The sauce has no contest to me, though I will say it one of a couple memorable sandwiches, though it always seems just a tad spendy, but you get what you pay for, plus curbside pickup for the win, that said my local one makes you go through the drive through instead and I admittedly avoid…

I love my church, I’ve been attending there since 2009, and it’s a place I love dearly. I love going to church with family, and friends, and a leadership team I respect. I love that the church sticks to the Bible as a whole. If you’ve ever looked for a church these are some attributes I’d consider. I would also consider the types of ministries available at a church, whether it’s for the age group you’re in or for one you want to volunteer for, or maybe it’s a church without this and you want to build a new ministry. Consider also denominations, I realize some care about this more…

Woah. Shocking intel. I know. I’ll be the first to admit it’s not fun, but I think it’s a huge sign of maturity and wisdom to consider you might be wrong about something yourself. Everyone wants to believe that they’re right about what they’ve learned over the years. We don’t want to believe we were led to believe something false, it’s just not encouraging, and it makes us feel less intelligent in the moment. Though it’s important, and I think knowing when to acknowledge you’re wrong or that someone else could be right is a huge sign of maturity as I alluded to. It doesn’t make it easier to accept…