Welcome to Simplify, Live, Love – a blog about our life in Eastern Iowa. I’m Michelle.
I have one husband and four kids! That means, some days I have five kids… Here’s my family ~ the stars of my blog ~
And my hip dysplasia baby
I blog about all kinds of stuff: Slow food cooking (from scratch), grinding my own flour and baking my own bread, gardening, cloth diapering, homeschooling, shopping in bulk from Amish to save money, shopping loss leaders, our efforts to renovate an old barn that should have been burned, and hip dysplasia – something I would rather not have to deal with at all.
But most importantly, I blog about our crazy adventures trying to build a sustainable homestead in Eastern Iowa. We are self-employed. We try to be a green family. We try hard to balance wants and needs (a first grade lesson that sadly, most people seem to have forgotten), and being frugal without being cheap. To that end, I blog. I love sharing my pictures and the foibles of our journey with you.
I hope you’ll join me! Please take a minute to:
and follow me on Twitter!
I’d love for you to join me in this crazy thing called LIFE.
Hi! I found your blog through MMM. I am so excited, as we have many things in common. I homeschool our children, grind flour, cloth diaper and try to feed my family as nutritionally as possible. Oh yes, we live in eastern Iowa too! As I was digging through your previous posts, I noticed you went to Yoders Produce Auction, and Stringtown. They are both about 10 minutes from where we live. Are you apart of a Homeschool group? I look forward to reading your blog
Hi Annika! Thanks for your comment! We’re part of group in the QCA and also part of the HSAP in Muscatine. I hope to head back out of the produce auction this week!
Heading over to your blog – it’s always exciting to connect with local people! 
I have been looking through your blog and am getting hooked! You are one busy, busy lady!
It is so sad so many of your friends have struggled with cancer… I agree that chemicals have got to play some role. Autoimmune disorders- celiac disease, allergies, and possibly MS- might be related to the increased amount of artificial food we eat and products we use.
I LOVE the Heathy Child Healthy World blog. I first found out about it through gDiapers, our choice of non-pampers. Isn’t it tough to balance health and money? The “good” products cost more, dollar-wise, but the cheap stuff is costing us so much more in the end….
Cheers, from the Dark Side of Iowa.
LOVE this post! I’m a word nerd by nature and in my main occupation, so I’m smiling right now. I’m not sure how I found your blog, but following your likes will provide enjoyable sidetracks for a long time as we have many interests in common.
Hello,
I just wanted to invite you to my new giveaway link up for February. We just posted it today, so we’d love for you to join us. February link up will run through the rest of the month. A March link up will be posted this weekend.
I would also invite you to visit my contact page on http://www.mrscarrigan.com and if you fill out the information, I”d be happy to do a blog review on your site and add you to my states list.
Mrs. Carrigan
http://mrscarrigan.com/2012/02/top-2012-giveaway-link-up-for-february-2012/
Stringtown is one of my favorite places in the area. The butter, the produce and the bulk baking supplies are reasonably priced and great quality.
Hello! I found you via pinterest and I’m from Eastern Iowa as well, currently in DSM. We have been considering homeschooling and I am super excited to find your blog, follow you on pinterest/facebook and all that good stuff.
Welcome, Cassandra! Thanks for commenting!