Welcome to Simplicity Relished.
Hello! I’m Daisy, a social entrepreneur, writer, and fellow adventurer. I’m here to help you finally follow your heart, explore the world, and live courageously.
Why We Need Rituals (and how to develop your own)
I spent this past weekend celebrating a friend's wedding in Columbus, Ohio. If you've ever been involved with a wedding-- yours or someone else's-- then you're aware of all the fanfare and fuss that surround it. Not only are there standard elements in almost every...
10 Simple Things That Remind Me Of Home
It's funny the way that your childhood home shapes the way that you perceive that concept for the rest of your life. My childhood home was nestled in the hills, a peaceful getaway from the busy-ness of school and activities. It was the perfect place to grow up. Time...
How to Build Daily Gratitude Practices
Gratitude: I'm working on it. It seems that outside the month of November where Thanksgiving is nestled, our culture isn't a particularly grateful one. We're consumers by economy, and as a result we're constantly told to want more, acquire more, dream of more. While...
Into the Desert: Sahara Dunes and Surrounding Scenes
Our journey through Morocco continued from Fes to the Sahara desert-- nearly 4 million square miles in size and the largest hot desert in the world. In other words, there is a lot of sand. It's pretty amazing to me how, when there is a large quantity of one thing, it...
5 Mindset Changes That Limit Unnecessary Shopping
I have come a long way in this area. I used to be able to enter the first letter of my favorite brands into my search bar, and their full URLs would pop up. That's how often I "window-shopped" online. Of course, said window-shopping quickly became real shopping. There...
Fullness in the Waiting
I had promised in this Instagram post that stories and photographs from the Sahara would come out this morning, but alas-- we have a surprise visitor with us tonight and I'm not quite done editing. Recently, I've been thinking about why most of us hate to wait. We...
7 Lies That Keep You From Changing Your Life
Have you ever wanted to drastically change something about your life? Perhaps it was a habit you wanted to quit, or a habit you wanted start. Maybe you wanted to finally "grow up" in an area of your life, such as your finances, your health or your relationships....
Fes, Morocco: 10 Things You Absolutely Have To Do
I could wax poetic in a long exposé about this fascinating city with institutions dating back to the 9th century. I could, but I won't-- because I want more people to see this. So, despite my love-hate relationship with the list-form blog post, here it is. Because in...
Introducing: Capsule Accessory Series (how I wear the same clothes all the time)
It has been about a year since I started my capsule wardrobe project, and it's been quite the learning experience. I now function with fewer than 40 pieces in my wardrobe at one time, and have not needed to add new items since late summer last year. It has taken me...
Morocco Travel Diary: Casablanca and Beyond
Traveling through completely unfamiliar territory is inevitably like drinking from a fire hydrant. There are depths of culture to plumb, ancient stories to sift through, and pockets of communities that are nuanced and complex. I continued to return to a single...
5 Ways to be More Intentional with Your Time
When we were in Morocco, our guide got used to us being 10-15 minutes late to everything. Eventually, he got tired of reassuring us and we got tired of apologizing-- so he told us this: "In the West you have watch. In Africa we have time." I can still hear his accent...
72 hours in Barcelona: Architectural Wonderland
We had a special Barcelona experience: we were barely there for 72 hours, and spent Christmas Eve Catalonian-style. I can hardly do justice to Barcelona's highlights since we only had time for a few stops, but I was absolutely in awe with its architectural...
Choose Your Adventure
I've been wrestling with some gut-wrenching career and life decisions. Robert Frost's poem about the road not taken has never resonated so powerfully with me. And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day!...
Alhambra Photo Diary & Quick Guide
Oh, the Alhambra. What a gem. No visit to Andalucia is quite complete without strolling the grounds of this magical palace, the last Moorish stand against Christian Spain. I've raved about the Moors and their architectural prowess in this post about the Royal Alcazar...
My Favorite Nonfiction Travel Reads (that have changed my perspective)
I hate to admit it, but I read most when I'm traveling. The otherwise idle time spent in transit is distraction-free (with the exception of movies on the plane), and I find myself more likely to make it through a book while on the road. This past year, I yearned to...
48 Hours In Seville, Spain: itinerary & map
Seville might possibly be one of my favorite towns in Western Europe, and I have been to a handful. Laid back, sophisticated, sunny and romantic, it's pretty much everything you might possibly be looking for on vacation. In 2015, we ended up traveling to 5 different...
The 5 Secrets of Powerful Speech
Words are everywhere. We are constantly bombarded with messages, promotions, updates, advertisements and campaigns, and the majority of it will add very little value to our lives. Despite my efforts to subscribe only to useful newsletters, I can easily receive over 50...
The Royal Alcazar in Seville, Spain
Oh, the south of Spain. Romantic, vibrant, charming and irresistible. Where does one begin? It's a fascinating part of the world that integrates European, Islamic and Mediterranean cultures all at once. Our foray into this amazing corner of the world only lasted...
Hello 2016: looking back and looking ahead
Did I miss the the Happy New Year gravy train? Despite being barely a week into 2016, I feel like I did. How quickly we move along these days-- and what's the rush, really? It seems as though it will be January for a while. So let me indulge in a little reflection. As...
Bon Nadal.
Merry Christmas, sweet friends. It's funny how travel can take you far away-- and then closer than ever-- to the heart and soul of the season. From the moment we stepped foot in Sevilla to this very moment in Barcelona, I've encountered strange new reminders of the...
10 Highlights on our Upcoming Spain and Morocco Itinerary
We're en route to Spain today and will be spending the next two weeks enjoying Andalusia, Barcelona, and then Morocco! I am so excited to travel internationally again, not least because my posts on Japan (particularly the ones on Kyoto) have had such positive...
Why Travel Is An Excellent Component Of Simple Living
There's a fluidness between choosing to live simply and choosing to explore the world. Simple living allows us to focus more on things that matter to us-- faith, family, advocacy, community-- as we shed off the frivolous things that ensnare us. But sometimes, simple...
Let’s Build A Cafe In Ecuador
You might remember that Aaron and I spent July in Ecuador. We wandered through the lovely streets and plazas of Quito, and made a 3-day jaunt to the Andean town of Cuenca as well. But the main reason we visited was to volunteer with Casa Victoria. We helped run their...
Making Room: The Truth About Hospitality
Come in, sir, for you are weary And the night is cold out there Though our lives are very humble What we have, we have to share... These simple yet remarkable words are sung by the bishop in the musical Les Miserables (kudos if you recognized it!). I experience a jolt...
Give Impact: 7 Socially Responsible Gift Ideas
It's no secret that we Americans spend billions of dollars every holiday season purchasing gifts for each other. It's also no secret that many products we purchase are made in industries that have been neglectful (at best) when it comes to the lives of factory...
10 Realistic Goals For The End Of 2015
Friends might already be mourning the passing of another year and setting hopes and expectations for 2016, but this year isn't over yet! 2015 still has a good 30 days, and a lot can happen in 30 days. If you've come to the end of this year anxious, tired, and with a...
Our 2015 Thanksgiving Menu Inspiration
It's that week again... when I'm wandering down the aisles of our local grocery store like a child in a candy shop. I just can't wait for our family gathering on Thursday where we get to feast on delicious, seasonal dishes that I'm creating this week. For the past...
When Authenticity Becomes A Recipe For Disaster
We are now a culture obsessed with authenticity. We've donned a peevish perspective on social media, on networking, on new friendships-- basically on anything that might not feel "real" enough to us. We expect everyone to divulge everything. Authenticity is a good...
7 Ways to Make Today Matter
In the wake of tragedy-- whether personal or global-- we find ourselves asking questions that often lie dormant when things are going "just fine." The challenge of living in this tension we call the human experience, where we fluctuate between exceeding joy and...
Why Thanksgiving Gets So Little Marketing (and it’s the best thing ever)
The day after Halloween, I walked into a crafts store. According to their displays, Halloween was so yesterday and Christmas season had officially begun. There were plastic trees on display, cheap ornaments in boxes, and ribbons of every color. Somehow they even...
The Life-Changing Magic of Finding Your Purpose
I've been championing simplicity on this blog for about a year now. It started last fall when I came across Courtney Carver's Project 333-- a capsule wardrobe challenge that has now become a near-mainstream trend-- and I took it upon myself to find additional ways to...
Celebrity Gossip: Why I Don’t Keep Up
I didn't grow up in a family that watched much American television. In fact, my family didn't watch any television-- we owned a TV for years without actually knowing how to turn it on. As far as I know, there were no truly strong moral objections to television. There...
How to Practice Self Care This Holiday Season
I am so thrilled to have Sheryl from How To Make A Life on the blog today with some tips for self care. The holidays are a busy time, and we need to develop rhythms to practice peace, relaxation, and true enjoyment during this season. Hello everyone! I’m Sheryl from...
My Epic Formula For Getting Dressed Super Fast
Does the title of this post promise too much? Perhaps. But I can't express how much it has improved my life to shrink my closet to the essentials. I think my fall capsule wardrobe is the best capsule wardrobe I've but together yet, and I'll tell you why. The trick to...
10 Minimalist Secrets To Minimizing Regret
We've all heard the adage that hindsight is 20/20, but that's no consolation for poor decisions made. We can easily become so wrapped up in self-punishment for the past that we experience very little life in the present. While all of us have regrets-- large and...
4 Mindset Changes That Are Good For Your Body
I used to roll my eyes when older people would say, "Youth is wasted on the young." Now I'm one of those old(er) people. The past few weeks, my vision has started to get blurry. I have a hard time reading screens especially (which is why my posts have become less...
10 Best Snapshots From Taiwan
My love for Taiwan runs deep. I grew up visiting at least once a year, partly because much of my extended family still lived there at the time. Every January, my mom would fly us to Taipei to celebrate the Lunar New Year when my cousins would get a break from school...
Does Your Demeanor Tell Lies?
Demeanor, (n.): outward behavior or bearing (e.g., a quiet, somber demeanor). Synonyms: manner, air, attitude, appearance, look. The past few weeks have been chock full of failures, frustrations, rejections, and struggles. But you wouldn't know it if you came over to...
10 Simple Things I Want For My Kids
This post is going to make me sound really old-fashioned. Perhaps, just old. I work with kids everyday, and even if I'm barely 10 years older than some of them, I see a stark difference between their realities and mine. While my students are hardly a conclusive sample...
How To Wear White This Fall in 3 Easy Steps
Once autumn rolls around, we tend to put away the whites. The old fashion "rule" of not wearing white after Labor Day has sunk in deep. But, as someone who loves wearing white and doesn't believe in fashion rules anyway, my goal is to make white a wearable color all...
7 Confessions of a Chronic Problem Solver
Someone recently remarked that we are a nation of problem solvers. I would extend that statement to encompass much of Western culture. Our instinctive response to a problem is to seek a solution-- the sooner the better. There's nothing wrong with solving problems per...
Why You Need To Choose A Lifestyle (and not just a career)
As diplomatic as my writing voice (usually) is, I've always marched to the beat of my own drum when it comes to lifestyle choices. And by that I mean that I've rarely bent to the culture around me. Being naturally introspective and determined has led me to...
6 Ways To Stay Connected When Life Gets Busy
I anticipated that this season would be busy for me-- both due to personal pursuits and the rhythms of our culture-- but I must admit I've been feeling unprepared. It's only early October and I've already felt the pressure of a tight schedule, too many items on my...
Fall Capsule Wardrobe: 33 Essentials For 3 Months
Here it is, finally: my fall 2015 capsule wardrobe! This is the first fall capsule I've put together, and I'm so excited about every piece that is in it. Fall is a tricky season to dress for, especially here in Southern California. This week we'll be experiencing...
5 Practical Ways to Restore Your Joy
This week was more difficult than most. For the first time in months, perhaps, I felt stressed. Truly, overwhelmignly stressed. It was not the good kind of stress that pushed me beyond my comfort zone and made me work hard at my endeavors. It was the kind of stress...
6 Indispensable Habits To Schedule Into Your Day
I'm becoming more and more aware that habits are built with intentionality and discipline. There's a part of me that knows what I should do and desires those good things, while there's another part of me that proves that those desires aren't quite strong enough. You...
7 Foolproof Secrets To Decorating With Plants
I've fallen in love with indoor plants! It all started with our quest to fill up a small patch of dirt in our new patio here in Southern California-- which forced me to look into drought-tolerant options. With most drought-tolerant greenery being succulents, I...
8 Good Reasons To Choose A Small Home
I'm no advocate of the tiny house movement, but I am becoming more and more convinced that the best homes are small. Despite my appreciation for beautiful architecture-- much of which is made grander in larger spaces-- I find myself less and less desiring an...
Late Summer Green Apple Juice with Cucumber and Mint
As we transition into fall, apples of every color are showing up at farmers markets. This is an exciting time of year in terms of produce, because summer fruits are phasing out just as autumn fruits are phasing in. If you like to make juice or smoothies, apples are a...
Winter 2015 Travel Plans… Revealed!
It is strange to be discussing winter when summer continues at full heat here in Southern California. Aaron and I spent some time this weekend making a few more arrangements for our winter 2015 plans, and I'd like to share them with you today! Over the course of 2...