*This blog post contains affiliate links.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s easy to make and the perfect activity to do with kids who need something to cure their Summer boredom. It also makes for a great base minus the strawberries for other flavors, spiked (add lemon flavored vodka), popsicles – to name a few.

I fell in love with this easy recipe and think you will too! I have been wanting to help my kids create a lemonade stand for years and this recipe was the beginning of getting that plan in action.

Check out what you need to get started. Jump to Recipe

Easy Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (8-9 lemons)
• 6 cups cold water
• 1 cup of sugar (1/4-1/2 cup more if you like it extra sweet)
• 1-2 cup diced strawberries
• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar

Strawberry Lemonade Recipe Instructions:

1. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice. I used this lemon squeezer.
2. Add lemon juice to a pitcher of 6 cups of cold water.
3. Mix sugar into pitcher until fully dissolved.
4. Take diced strawberries and powdered sugar and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until strawberries are soft and forming a sauce. Take off heat- allow to cool then add into pitcher.
5. Add strawberry sauce into pitcher and stir well.
6. Serve immediately over ice or chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours prior to serving.

FAQ

Below I will answer some of your most common questions about making homemade lemonade.

How long does homemade strawberry lemonade last?

If you place it in a covered pitcher in the fridge it will be good for 5-7 days.

Is homemade lemonade healthy?

Homemade lemonade can be a healthier option, as you cab avoid additives and chemicals with a homemade recipe. You can also make it even healthier by using low glycemic sweetener like agave nectar or sugar substitute like stevia instead of sugar.

I hope you enjoy this simple strawberry lemonade recipe with your loved ones! If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy these recipes as well:

• Mini Lemon Meringue
• Instant Pot Honey Lemon Chicken
• Lemon & Lime Shrimp Parmesan Linguini 

Don’t forget to pin this Recipe for later!

Print the recipe HERE:

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Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Simple old school lemonade like grandma used to make.

Course Drinks

Keyword lemonade

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh squeezed lemonade ~8-9 lemons
• 6 cups cold water
• 1 cup sugar 1/4-1/2 cup more if you like it extra sweet
• 1-2 cups diced strawberries
• 4 Tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

• 1. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice. I used this lemon squeezer.

   
• 2. Add lemon juice to a pitcher of 6 cups of cold water.
• 3. Mix sugar into pitcher until fully dissolved.
• 4. Take diced strawberries and powdered sugar and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until strawberries are soft and forming a sauce. Take off heat- allow to cool then add into pitcher.
• 5. Add strawberry sauce into pitcher and stir well.Serve immediately over ice or chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours prior to serving.

The post How to Make Easy Homemade Strawberry Lemonade appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

Oriental Chicken Salad Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken tenders
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 Tablespoon of Baking Soda
• Garlic salt
• Seasoned pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce
• 1/2 small head of green cabbage
• 1/2 small head of purple cabbage
• 2 Carrots – shredded
• 2 Green onions – cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 1 cup of Chow Mein noodles

Oriental Salad Dressing:

• 1 cup of miracle whip – OR mayonnaise (if you want it less tangy)
• 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons of oil
• 2 Tablespoons of honey (plus a little more if you prefer the dressing sweeter)

Oriental Chicken Salad Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, add the flour and baking soda, and stir well to blend. In another bowl, add the egg, and milk, and whisk together until completely blended. Turn on the deep fryer (I used the Fry Daddy – Grand-Daddy Deep Fryer) and heat the oil, according to deep fryer directions.

2. Sprinkle the chicken with garlic salt and seasoned pepper, and dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture, and back in flour. When oil is heated, drop chicken a few strips at a time, and fry for 10-12 minutes, or until Golden Brown, and completely cooked. Repeat until all chicken is fried. Remove from fryer, to paper towels to drain.

3. Chop the green cabbage, the purple cabbage, and the romaine lettuce, and rinse/wash at least 2 times in a large bowl, and drain in a colander, or place in the salad spinner, and spin several times to drain water from lettuce/cabbage. Peel the carrots, and shred on a grater. Clean the green onions, and slice into thin slices. Place all chopped/sliced vegetables in the refrigerator.

4. In a cruet, or dressing bottle, add the Miracle Whip, rice wine vinegar, oil, and honey, and shake well to blend. Place in the refrigerator.

5. When ready to serve the salad, place the fried chicken on a cutting board, and slice into bite size pieces. In a large salad bowl, place the lettuce, green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, sliced almonds, and toss altogether to mix. Drizzle the dressing over the oriental salad, and toss to blend. Place salad on dinner plates, and top with chow mein noodles, sliced green onions, and several slices of fried chicken. Serve, and Enjoy!

Tips for making ahead and storage:

• Storing salad: This salad is best enjoyed the day you made it but if you want to store it, its good for up to 3 days. I place the salad, chicken and noodles and dressing in 4 separate air tight containers to help preserve all the textures and flavors for enjoying later.
• Making salad ahead: Just as described above, you can prepare all the different components to enjoy the salad later for dinner or possibly a gathering.

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Copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

Delicious crispy chicken salad with asian dressing

Course Salad

Cuisine Chinese

Ingredients

• 2 lb Chicken tenders
• 2 cup Flour
• 1 Tbsp Baking Soda
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 heads Romaine Lettuce
• 1/2 head Green Cabbage
• 1/2 head Purple Cabbage
• 2 Carrots, shredded
• 2 Green Onions, cliced
• 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
• 1 cup Chow Mein Noodles

Dressing

• 1 cup Miracle Whip
• 1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 2 Tbsp Honey
• Garlic, Pepper; to taste

Instructions

• 1. In a medium bowl, add the Flour and Baking Soda, and stir well to blend. In another bowl, add the Egg,and Milk, and whisk together until completely blended.
• 2. Turn on a Deep Fryer and heat Oil. Sprinkle the Chicken with Garlic Salt and Seasoned Pepper, and dredge Chicken in Flour, then dip in Egg mixture, and back in Flour. When Oil is heated, drop Chicken a few strips at a time, and Fry for 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat until all Chicken is fried. Remove from Fryer, to paper towels to drain.
• 3. Chop the Green Cabbage, the Purple Cabbage, and the Romaine Lettuce, rinse in colander or use Salad Spinner.
• 4. Peel the Carrots, and Shred on a grater. Clean the Green Onions, and slice into thin slices. Place all chopped/sliced Vegetables in the Refrigerator.

Dressing

• 1. In a cruet, or dressing bottle, add the Miracle Whip, Rice Wine Vinegar, Oil, and Honey, and shake well to blend.
• 2.Drizzle the dressing over the Salad, and toss to blend. Place Salad on dinner plates, and top with Chow Mein Noodles, Sliced Green Onions, and several slices of Fried Chicken. Serve, and Enjoy!

This Copycat Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad will  satisfy you  all year summer salad season ahead of time! I hope you enjoy this easy to prepare salad recipe. From my kitchen to yours! Dovidenia. XO

More salads you will enjoy:

• Asian Chicken Salad
• BBQ Chicken Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad

The post The Best Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad Recipe appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

*This blog post contains affiliate links.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s very easy to make and versatile. You could make as is, make it spiked, “virgin” or blend it up either way – you could even make this into popsicles using a mold.

I fell in love with lemonade as a kid and have had fun lately making homemade versions such as my Strawberry Lemonade too.

Check out what you need to get started. Jump to Recipe

Limeade Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh squeezed  juice (4 lemons and 4 limes)
• 6 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• orange liqueur such as triple sec (add 1 shot in an 8 oz cup over ice once served)

Spiked Limeade Recipe Instructions:

1. Cut lemons and limes in half and squeeze juice. I used this lemon squeezer.
2. Add lemon and lime juice to a pitcher with 6 cups of cold water.
3. Mix sugar into pitcher until fully dissolved.
4. Serve immediately over ice  and ADD a shot of Triple Sec or chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours prior to serving over ice.

FAQ

Below I will answer a few common questions about this recipe:

Which alcohol goes best with lemonade?

Gin, vodka and bourbon are all some of the most popular sprits to add to your lemonade beverages.

How much alcohol should you add to your lemonade to taste good?

The most common serving is 1 1/2 to 2 oz of liquor to a standard 6-8oz mixed drink. Adjust to your preference.

I hope you enjoyed this simple tutorial on how to make spiked limeade recipe! If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy these recipes as well:

• Pomegranate Lime Spritzer
• Mini Key Lime Pies
• Lemon & Lime Shrimp Parmesan Linguini 
• Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

Don’t forget to pin this Recipe for later!

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Spiked Citrus Limeade

A refreshing spin on a classic limeade recipe.

Course Drinks

Keyword limeade

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cups

Author stefanie

Ingredients

• 2 cups lemon and lime juice 4 limes and 4 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar adjust to sweetness preference
• 6 cups cold water
• 1 shot orange liqueur per 1 cup serving adjust per preference

Instructions

• Cut lemon and limes in half and squeeze juice into bowl or pitcher.
• Add sugar to juice.
• Add water to juice and sugar mixture and mix.
• Add tripe sec to beverage once poured over ice.

The post How to Make Spiked Limeade appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

You’ll love this recipe so let’s get started! Jump to Recipe

Easy Apple Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal Ingredients:

• 6 chicken apple sausages, sliced
• 1 small red onion cut into wedges (about 2 cups total)
• 2 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
• 2 cups sweet potato, diced
• 2 cups sliced apples (Granny Smith or Gala)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme) 
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 
2. Place the chicken apple sausages evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. 
3. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, apples, garlic and herbs. 
4. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Stir until fully coated.
5. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet around the chicken sausage. 
6. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. 

See this video here for a full video tutorial of how to create this Easy Apple Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal! I hope you and your family enjoy my Dutch Oven Chili this season. From my kitchen to yours! Dovidenia. XO

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Easy Apple Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal

Delicious sheet pan meal your whole family will enjoy.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword sheet pan meal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 1 sheet pan

Ingredients

• 6 chicken apple sausages
• 1 red onion cut into wedges
• 2 cups brussel sprouts
• 2 cups sweet potato quartered
• 2 cups sliced Granny Smith apples
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 
• 2. Place the chicken apple sausages evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, apples, garlic and herbs. 
• 3. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Stir until fully coated.
• 4. Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet around the chicken sausage. 
• 5. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. 

Video

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrGh742/

The post Easy Apple Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

You’re going to love this recipe, and so will everyone who tastes it! Jump to Recipe

Ingredients for Dutch Oven Chili:

• 2 cans of beans your choice ( I like kidney beans, navy beans and chickpeas)
• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup of diced onion (I didn’t have any in the house the night I made this so I threw in some salsa that had onion in it)
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 packet of chili seasoning mix, pinch or salt and garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

Here is how to make it:

1. Cook your ground beef in a skillet until browned.
2. Add in the cans of beans with the liquid and ALL the other ingredients. Stir and let simmer on low for 15-30 min with lid on – stir every so often.
3. Serve with cheese and sliced jalapeños and a side of corn bread. (We didn’t do anything fancy just a boxed cornbread and it was still yummy with butter and honey on the side).

See this video here for a full video tutorial of how to create this simple dutch oven chili!And that my friends, is how you create a new Cinnamon Roll recipe favorite!

I hope you and your family enjoy my Dutch Oven Chili this season. From my kitchen to yours! Dovidenia. XO

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Dutch Oven Chili

An easy and comforting ditch oven classic meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chili, dutch oven recipe, homemade chili

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 1 Equipment needed: dutch oven pot

Ingredients

• 2 cans beans navy, kidney and chickpeas are good
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 c diced onion
• 1/4 c diced tomato
• 1 packet chili seasoning packet, pinch or salt and garlic salt
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

Instructions

• Cook your ground beef in a skillet until browned.
• Add in the cans of beans with the liquid and ALL the other ingredients. Stir and let simmer on low for 15-30 min with lid on - stir every so often.
• Serve with cheese and sliced jalapeños and a side of corn bread. (We didn't do anything fancy just a boxed cornbread and it was still yummy with butter and honey on the side).

Video

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrqdN4y/

If you LOVE this recipe, check out a few more I think your family will enjoy:

Easy Homemade -ish Chicken Pot Pie

10 Best Instant Pot Soup Recipes

The post 5 Ingredient Delicious and Simple Dutch Oven Chili appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

You’re going to love this recipe, and so will everyone who tastes it! Jump to Recipe

Ingredients for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls:

• Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls or your favorite pre-made in a tube cinnamon roll product
• Canned apple pie filling

Here is how to make it:

1. Simply follow the baking instructions on the cinnamon roll container BUT before you bake them- roll them out and spoon the apple pie filling on the dough as you roll it back up as to stuff each cinnamon roll with apple pie filling.

See this video here for a full video tutorial of how to create these simple and delicious apple pie cinnamon rolls!

Why choose Immaculate Cinnamon Rolls(and this is NOT sponsored), you may ask?  They are SO good, moist, organic and taste the most like homemade I have ever tasted!

And that my friends, is how you create a new Cinnamon Roll recipe favorite!  I hope you and your family enjoy my 2 Ingredient Easy and Delicious Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll recipe this season. From my kitchen to yours! Dovidenia. XO

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Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

A quick and easy take on a classic brunch treat.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie cinnamon roll, brunch recipe, cinnamon roll, easy breakfast recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Ingredients

• 1 can Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls
• 1 can Apple pie filling

Instructions

• Simply follow the baking instructions on the cinnamon roll container BUT before you bake them- roll them out and spoon the apple pie filling on the dough as you roll it back up as to stuff each cinnamon roll with apple pie filling.

Video

https://simpleacresblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/apple-pie-cinnamon-rolls-1.mov

If you LOVE this recipe, check out a few more I think your family will enjoy:

Easy Homemade -ish Chicken Pot Pie

10 Best Instant Pot Soup Recipes

The post 2 Ingredient Easy and Delicious Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

If you love crock pot recipes you will also love these 17 Easy Slow Cooker recipes too! What I love about crock pot recipes is the ease of adding the ingredients, leaving it and coming back to the aroma of a meal ready in the kitchen. I always feel like I have scored such a mom win when I can put a good meal on the table in time for dinner.

Easy & Delicious Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups pulled or diced chicken
• 1 can Corn
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1 can of black beans or beans of preference
• 1 carton of organic creamy tomato soup
• 1 1/c cup mild salsa or a can of Rotel
• Topping: tortilla strips, sour cream, chopped green onion, & cilantro

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in a Crock Pot on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

• Instant Pot Creamy Crack Chicken
• 10 Best Instant Pot Soup Recipes
• Potato and Kale Soup

If you love those recipes you will also love these 17 Delicious and EASY Slow Cooker Meals!

This Chicken Tortilla Soup is such a wonderful recipe delicious in all seasons. If you are tempted to try this recipe you may also like this fresh homemade salsa recipe or this yummy light cheesecake.

I love sharing recipes that bring health, simplicity and quality of life to you all! Thank you so much for following along! Dovidenia. XOXO

Don’t forget to pin this Recipe for later!

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Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Simple and delicious family favorite slow cooker soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken tortilla soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6 servings

Author stefanie

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 can beans of your choice
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 1/2 cup salsa or sub for a can of Rotel
• 1 carton creamy tomato soup
• 1/4 cup diced onion you can add more per preference
• garnish: sour cream, tortilla strips, green onion, cilantro

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to your crock pot.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 2-4 hours.

The post How to Make Easy & Delicious Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

This blog post is stocked full of slow cooker recipes you could use to develop your own weekly meal plan. What I love about crock pot recipes is the simplicity of adding your ingredients, leaving it and coming back to the aroma of a meal ready. What is better than that? There is something about having a plan in place for nourishing our families, that when implemented, makes life feel less chaotic-leaving space in life for making memories and cherishing moments more. It makes me feel like I just scored a total MOM WIN!

Get this BONUS (Click—> ) Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe!

This first recipe is my favorite Citrus Taco Crock Pot recipe  you will love the flavors and simplicity of this recipe! Add a little lime juice and cilantro to jazz it up.

This second recipe is one of my husband’s favorite recipes. My Crock Pot Taco Skillet recipe is delicious and only calls for a handful of ingredients. If you like tacos you will love this one! This recipe only takes 15 minutes to make.

I have soup recipes, ribs and many chicken dinner options in this round up I think you will love too!

Check out the rest of the slow cooker recipes below:

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup – by Five Heart Home. If you love Split Pea soup you will enjoy this one for it’s simplicity.

Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork – by Handle the Heat. Enjoy this on a hoagie, alone or wrapped in a tortilla with the works!

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork – by Simply Recipes. We love this added over nachos or in tacos.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup – by Pink When. Add crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and cilantro on top and you will have a hard time stopping at 1 bowl.

Crock Pot Ribs – by Garnish With Lemon. Add some air fried corn on the cobb and you will be in heaven with this one!

Fauxtiserrie Chicken – by Our Best Bites. This is a classic and SO good!

Apple Jelly Meatballs – by Shaken Together Life. Who doesn’t love slow cooker meatballs?! These are a great snack or appetizer or add a salad and potato fro a full meal.

Slow Cooker Green Chile Shredded Beef Cabbage Bowl – by Kalyn’s Kitchen. This is a delicious and comforting meal!

Crock Pot Mongolian Beef – by Lil’ Luna. Add this recipe over brown rice and stir fry veggies for a complete meal.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourgignon – by the Healthy Foodie. Who doesn’t love a good beef meal?!

Slow Cooker Pot Roast – by the Gunny Sack. I love to add carrots, onions and potatoes!

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Vegetables – by A Cultivated Nest. A comforting and filling meal.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Tomato Basil Pulled Chicken – by Real Food Whole Life. This is a delish and fresh tasting meal.

Orange Soda Slow Cooker Chicken – by Totally the Bomb. If you haven’t tried making this recipe you should. The meat is very tender!

Crockpot Cashew Chicken – by the Idea Room. Throw this over brown rice and stir fry veggies for a balanced meal.

I hope you enjoy these 17 Easy & Delicious Crock Pot Meals Anyone Can Make and they help you as you start to ponder weekly dinner menu plans! Here are a few menu plans to get you started as well! Dovidenia. XO

The post 17 Easy & Delicious Crock Pot Meals Anyone Can Make appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

Here’s how to make pomander balls, which are simply oranges pierced by cloves. As the orange dries, it will release a yummy citrus and spiced fragrance.

How To Make Pomander Balls

Supplies Needed:

• Oranges
• Whole cloves

Step – by – Step Directions:

Follow this simple set of directions to make your own pomander balls. If you’re making simple designs, each ball will take only a few minutes to make! Have fun and enjoy the process!

1. Stick the Clove in!  It is as simple as that. Use the sharp end of the clove to puncture and push in to the orange. Creating a design makes these beautiful, fun and even relaxing to create. Getting the kids involved in the pomander ball process can be a fun Christmas tradition to add to your holiday decor. There are really no rules to this besides to ENJOY the process and aroma as you make them.
2. Create designs.You can try designs such as  swirls, shapes, hearts and more. My kids liked putting their names in them and crosses for Jesus too.

How to Use Pomander Balls

Once you have created your pomander balls place them in places that spread their yummy smell and look beautiful. You can place them in a centerpiece on your dining room table with fairy lights, some greenery and candles.

You could also make ornaments for Christmas with them or even put them in a wreath or garland! They give such an organic, vintage and beautiful touch to your home. Where are you planning to put yours? I would love to know!

Drying Your Pomander Balls

To get the longest and best life out of these hang them up to dry a bit. As they dry they will become more aromatic and also it helps reduce any mold formation. The best time to create these is at the beginning of the Christmas season if you are making them for that otherwise enjoy them whenever you wish- that is what we do!

I hope learning How to Make Easy DIY Pomander Balls was a simple and fun DIY your family and YOURSELF will enjoy year after year!

Dovidenia. XO

If you like this DIY you may also like these:

Simple Fall Embroidery Hoop Wreath

Tied Fleece Blanket DIY

You also may love this fun DIY you can do with your kids!

The post How to Make Easy DIY Pomander Balls appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

I have spent the last 5 years trying to live a simpler life. Years of succeeding at times and failing at times. What is important to note when you want to change your life for the better towards simplicity is that simple living is not necessarily just living with less. Simple living is actually living with more! Let me explain.

What is Simple Living?

Per Wikipedia, simple living is a voluntary lifestyle choice that focuses on being content and satisfied with what one has rather than constantly wanting. Simple living often holds components of minimalism, self-sufficiency, work-life balance, frugality, reducing stress and being more present in life.

In my own words, simple living is about reducing the excess in life so you can savor and enjoy the parts of life that truly matter. It is about reducing the noise so you can be in-tuned to what REALLY matters. Simplifying life is about getting your priorities in order, self care and true PRESENCE to increase your quality of life.

1. Organize your life. Organize can be as simple as clearing out the spam in your email to reduce time waste to literally making your entry way one you want to come home to. I have found getting my schedule in order, decluttering “time-sucks” from my day and making my literal environment less cluttered and more organized a great place to start.
2. Clean up. This can be a daunting task that everyone has an opinion on. I have found just STARTING ANYWHERE and focusing on just that area THEN moving to the next a simpler and less overwhelming process.
3. Declutter your life. We often think of decluttering our home which I have tips for ( here are 6 things to keep in mind before you declutter your home) but what about our MIND? Sometimes first we need to clear out the clutter we carry mentally day to day to feel we can take on the rest of life’s clutter. Once you clear you mind you can also take a wack at decluttering your schedule too.
4. Create a routine. I love time blocking. It helps give yourself the control you need over your time and what you want out of your life. For me too many varied tasks, even if time blocked in a day, create anxiety. I personally do better allotting different days to different tasks with a few repetitive ones at set times daily. i.e. Monday I have meeting in my business and do content scheduling, Tuesdays and Thursdays I am in my studio, morning I do self care, check my emails, evenings I read and drink wine (lol)…you see where I am going with this anyways.
5. Learn what to say YES to. Our YES should be aligned with our values and what we want to create our life to be. YES, I said we GET to CREATE the life we want! As a natural “pleaser” I have learned to think through things much longer before freely giving a YES for the wrong thing. A YES in error is inadvertently a NO to the things in life you want. Better yet-start with jotting down what you WANT in your life, business, motherhood ect – this will help direct your YES.
6. Learn what to say NO to. Saying NO is a beautiful thing. Really this is all about having BOUNDARIES. I will come back to this at a later date and share more on all the tips and tool and wisdom I have gained through years learning and developing this.
7. Create a budget. This is an area I am still learning SO please check out my good friends site at Family Finance Mom – she is an utter wiz in this area. FOLLOW HER AND DO WHAT SHE SAYS, That is all.
8. Set bills to autopay. I just started doing this this year. It saves a TON of time, prevents late payments and makes life easier.
9. Create an auto deposit for your savings. Anything is good but 10% of your income is a great start – heck even 5% then every time you get a raise put half of that in too (a wise financial advisor told me that one).
10. Create a meal plan. Meal planning takes the thinking out of the day to day, gives you a plan to follow and with that plan you can prepare for the week. Sundays work great for getting everything for the week.
11. Switch to grocery pick up. I love this! It saves time and money. I have done it at Fred Meyer and Walmart and they both were amazing. You can do it right from their app and even save your most used items for ordering next time.
12. Use Amazon Pantry for non-perishables. Did you know you can put some of your common monthly needs on auto pilot? Yes you can. Definitely look into it! Time saver for sure!
13. Delegate and outsource where it makes sense in your life. This may be help in your business, childcare, house cleaner- whatever will buy back some of your time and sanity can be a great investment. We just started getting childcare/housecleaning on Saturdays. We then use that day to spend quality time with each child doing something fun and end the day with a date night just my husband and I.
14. Reduce TV time. Less TV means more time for more valuable activities in your life. More rest, more quality time with loved ones, a more efficient schedule or more time to read and learn are just a few benefits to less time wasted watching TV.
15. Reduce social media time. This can be a time suck and a joy suck as you get caught up in all things not related to your life. Set a timer then move on to more meaningful things. BALANCE is key.
16. Prioritize. Often we get discouraged because we thing everything is important but in reality we must choose the top 3 things we want to achieve in a day then be OK if the rest gets done another day. With setting priorities you then feel accomplishment instead of overwhelm.
17. Simplify your time. Time block. Cut out distractions. Make time to do nothing and then also anything you want. Time is a precious commodity – treat it as such.
18. Get a planner. Whether you love paper or digital- get all this information down somewhere to keep you on track. I use paper for some things and google calendar for my business.
19. Slow down. Learn 10 way to slow down and enjoy life more. Take ME time. Take rest time. Take hobby time. Take NOTHING time. Take time to connect AND disconnect.
20. Meditate or pray. This can be in many forms but it is good for you. JUST DO IT…..or don’t. It is up to you – those that do generally feel better.
21. Change your mindset. The way we think and what we say to ourselves IS what we will ultimately do. We act out what we believe to be true. Find a coach, mentor, pastor, good friend and make a point to change and commit your mind towards the better.
22. Ask for help. This is a hard one for many. I like to think of asking for help as a way to bring value to others. We all want to have purpose and impact in others lives in one way or another so why deny someone that when you need it?
23. Reduce commitments. BUSY is not success. Overcommitment can actually reduce the value of the commitment in general. Take things back to a time when people gathered 1-1, had conversations uninterrupted by cell phone and NOISE.
24. Schedule self care. ME time needs to be a PRIORITY you SCHEDULE if need be. If your cup is not full you can’t be who you want to be for others.
25. Schedule slow down time. Whether it be a set time or day, pick a time to rest and stick to it. This may meaning turning off devices and wifi to achieve this. That is OK.
26. Simplify your wardrobe. Less is more. If you have not worn something in 2 years give it to someone in need.
27. Declutter your digital life. You can use services to un enroll you from spam emails, clean out your friends list, get out of groups you don’t utilize that add noise to the time you are on social media, reduce any negative accounts you might be following. Organize the apps on your phone.
28. Do what you love. Is it art, singing, dancing, gardening or??? Do it regularly and schedule it. This brings balance and more peace into ones life.
29. Be present.Being present means truly feeling the breeze as you go on a walk, noticing the new freckles on your child’s nose, the way your bed feels when you lay down at night. Connect in all the ways that help you experience life more richly.
30. Minimalism. This can be truly reducing things but it can also be reducing commitments, stresses and any excess that takes from your joy.
31. Live frugally. Live within your means. Most don’t do this but doing so simplifies life by reducing stress.
32. Find contentment. If you can find joy and contentment where you are then what more that comes is just gravy. Contentment often stems from gratitude.
33. Eat healthy. Fuel your body with foods your grandparents would have eaten. As a Registered Dietitian I could talk for ever on this but that thought is a simple one that truly will make a difference. They often ate less and more wholesome REAL food when they did eat. Start there and drink enough water.
34. Exercise. 30 minutes daily is what is recommended just to stay well and prevent disease.
35. Consider creating passive income. A course, digital product, a site that has ads, real estate – financial freedom does simplify life.
36. Leave space in your life to just BE. To do NOTHING is a beautiful thing. How do you want to just BE and how often do you need this?
37. Journal. This can be done in a notebook, through a blog or social platform. There are so many traditional and not traditional ways to journal and reflect on life. Bullet journaling is something I have been trying lately.

Well there you have it, 37 ways to Finally Simplify your Life. Dovidenia. XO

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