Archive for February, 2010

I am VERY excited to announce that our new blog is officially LAUNCHED!! Woooo hoooo!

Come join us at Happy Janssens!

There are 23 blogs already posted for your reading pleasure and TONS of new photos (including lots of new listings at my Etsy store). I’ve been blogging all of our travels from the time we bought the RV, but the dates aren’t exactly right because I blogged them all at once Now that I’m caught up, the posts will be in “real time”. We love love love comments…so don’t be shy!

You will see there that we are currently taking bookings for photography sessions, veggie oil conversions, and custom RV remodels.  Please contact us right away if you’re interested in hiring us for these services when we are in your area. We are basing our route on our booked jobs.

Spread the word…and put one of little blog “buttons” on your site!
Have a wonderful weekend…see you over at Happy Janssens!

**This will be our every day travel blog…it does not replace Walk Slowly. I will still blog here as well.**

In my most recent photography post, I gave you a link for Clickin’ Moms…a new forum that I discovered. I’ve come to really LOVE it. It’s a wonderful site for those who are just figuring out how to use their camera…as well as professional photographers. They have tutorials, giveaways, places where you can post for critique, etc. Many of you write to me asking questions about your photography business…and there is a great forum dedicated specifically for that. I’ve found it very helpful. There is such a talented pool of women there…so much fun to read. Be careful though…it’s addicting!

Right now, they are running a contest for their affiliates, so if enough of you sign up…I can win some yummy prizes! (I really want that 5D Mark II…but even the Starbucks gift card would make my day). The links in this post are embedded with my afilliate code…so no need to enter anything. Just click here and sign up.

Disclaimer: I am trying out some new affiliate programs/sponsorships. Please know that I will only endorse things that I really adore and have actually used. By signing up and/or using these products, you help our family in our mission to inspire others on the road. Every little bit of income helps…I appreciate your love and support so much!!

I’ve recently discovered this awesome discount/coupon site called Groupon. They have daily deals for restaurants, museums, massage…cupcakes! It’s available in most major cities and it’s gaining popularity. If you sign up…please use my affiliate code so I can earn some extra $$ for fun stuff in the cities we travel to! Check it out here.

If you’ve ever taken steps to simplify your life or home, then you know that it’s not just a one time deal. It’s an on-going journey…one that takes diligence and commitment to maintain. There are lots of little tricks that you can implement to make it easier for you. In our family, one of the things we try to do weekly is a purge of our “extra stuff”. I’ve nicknamed it “Simplify Saturday”. You could pick your own catchy name. Like “Thrifty Thursday” or “I Want Less Wednesday”.

Every Saturday, we get out grocery bags and we walk around the RV and grab stuff that we are not actively using or something that we know someone else will use more than us. Most of it comes from our closets. It’s amazing how few clothes a person actually wears on a daily basis from their wardrobe. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and only keep the clothes that fit these criteria:

• I wear this on a weekly or monthly basis.
• This makes me feel beautiful.
• I have to wear this for work.

Yep. That’s it. Get rid of the rest. If you don’t LOVE it, it’s gone. If it doesn’t fit you very well, it’s gone. You will feel free…like a bird. If it helps you, you can say Bella’s mantra out loud as you go: “I can give more stuff away if I just try harder”.  In fact, just today she told me that she really doesn’t like hanging clothes up and she wanted to give most of her clothes away so she just had a few things to put away. I was all for that. So she went through and gave away another bag full…on top of the bag she already did yesterday! I love this girl. She’s hard core.

To make it even easier, I’ve now implemented a giveaway drawer. Everything we come across during the week that we want to giveaway goes in that drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. Even items that we think we MIGHT want to get rid of go in this drawer. On Saturday, we go through it one more time and the drawer gets emptied into a bag with the rest of the stuff. Many people have another version of this…and it’s just a box by the back door. That way, you see it when you’re walking out and you remember to take it to Goodwill or your thrift store of choice.

Keeping clutter at a minimum is the key to a less chaotic home. Clutter saps your energy! It makes you feel overwhelmed. When your home is uncluttered, so is your mind. Live clutter free and be happy.

Happy simplifying!

We did it! Our first installment of The 12 Project. We’ve been enjoying our time in Vegas…every time we’ve been here before, we have flown in for business and taken taxis everywhere. This time, we have our own car, so we are exploring the “real” side of Vegas and not just the strip.

The mountains are beautiful and the weather is warm. We are living downtown and there is a Thai restaurant 4 blocks away with such huge portions that we only need 2 orders of pad thai to feed everyone. I’ve also heard there there is a Thai restaurant here that is the “best in North America”. You KNOW I’ll be checking that one out!

Bella can’t get over all of the twinkling lights downtown and on the strip. She loves it…and always wants to drive around at night. Luckily, we can see many of them from our front window!

Our neighbors are the cutest couple from Canada…Lois and David and their dog Barney. The family we are working with here are also unschoolers and we’ve enjoyed hanging out with them. We love life on the road.

Post a link to YOUR month 1 family photo in the comment section! I’d love to see everyone.

I’m guessing Formspring has been around for awhile, but I am just now learning about it. It seems like fun. I can’t promise I will answer all questions submitted…in fact, I know I won’t. But I will do my best! Some questions may morph into new blog posts All I ask is that you be respectful and kind.

Click here to join the fun!

Tara Whitney just issued a fabulous challenge:

Take a photo of your family once a month.
Write a few things about that month.
Make it into a book at the end of the year.

Yes! I LOVE this idea. It’s amazing how many families there are who have NEVER had their photo taken. They just never take the time to all sit down (or stand up!) and take a photo. The days get busy. Tempers run short. And it’s forgotten. I’m guilty of this too. We do family photos…but not enough! Being a photographer, it seems I’m always snapping photos of everyone else’s family, but never mine (with ME actually in the photo). And having a physical, “in your hands”, book of the journey if even more fun. It’s one thing to blog about it, but to bind it up at the end of the year is even more fun. And a great Christmas gift for someone special this December!

I’m definitely going to take part in her challenge…I can do anything once a MONTH! Instead of the 365 project, it will be my “12 Project” Even if you only have a camera phone, have someone take your family’s photo once a month. Or use a timer on your camera. Or do the “long arm shot”. Just do it. Your family and your memories are worth preserving!

Read her blog post for more details.