The Simple Show

We're beyond thrilled with the new direction of The Simple Show—it’s been a long time coming. Curious what we're talking about? Listen in on this short bonus episode to find out. Show notes are here: http://theartofsimple.net/showchange

We can do good in small, simple ways, right where we are. And those small, simple things can be a force for major global change. In this conversation, Tsh talks with Chris Marlow, founder of Help One Now and author of the book, Doing Good is Simple. They talk about his experience starting a nonprofit organization, why he cares about people not feeling overwhelmed at the thought of doing good, and a certain '90s band Tsh loved in college. Yep. Get $50 towards an obsessively-engineered Casper mattresses with the code SIMPLE—head here: http://casper.com/simple Head here for the show notes: http://theartofsimple.net/41/

Sometimes, loving something isn't enough—if it's just not giving you the life you want, it's time to part ways amicably. Kendra Adachi is a great example of calling it quits in the best of ways, and in this episode, we talk about why she quit her baking business she loved. She doesn't regret it for a second. We also talk pop culture, since that's one of her greatest loves, and she recommends a show I promptlly devoured. Head for show notes here: http://theartofsimple.net/40 Big thanks to this episode's sponsor, Prep Dish! They're a fantastic healthy food-prep subscription service—get a two-week free trial here: http://prepdish.com/simple. 

What's it like being the wife of a baseball coach? In this episode, Tsh talks with Alysa Bajenaru, who takes her two kids on the road along with her husband, a coach for a minor league farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. She shares the ins and outs of nomadic living, and what she's learned from carrying only what she needs for spring training, away games, and more. For show notes, head to http://theartofsimple.net/39.

Fake breaks (that totally aren't breaks), putting up chairs, when brave looks boring, and being the boss of ourselves: these are the conversation topics Tsh has in this episode with Shauna Niequist, author of New York Times bestseller Present Over Perfect. If you're tired of hamster-wheeling through your day in search of perfection, you'll probably like this chat. Plus, Tsh hints at some fun changes headed to the podcast! Head here for the show notes: http://theartofsimple.net/38

Tsh continues her chat with Stephanie Langford on extended travel with kids (head to episode 34 for part 1; 35 for part 2). They've both traveled around the world with their families, and love seeing likeminded families getting out the front door. In this episode, they about education—worldschooling the kids and taking school on the road. They talk about what they did with their kids—what worked, what didn’t, their constant nagging concern we weren’t doing enough, and the surprising results in the end. Head here for the show notes! Big thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Casper. They create an obsessively-engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Try it for 100 nights risk-free in your own home with free shipping and returns to the US and Canada, and get $50 toward any mattress purchase by heading here and using the promo code SIMPLE. 

This is the last of Tsh's chat with Stephanie Langford on extended travel with kids (head to episode 34 for part 1; 35 for part 2; 36 for part 3)! They dole out a heavy dose of honesty: the parts of extended family travel that were hard. It’s easy to see all the stuff online and think it was all roses. Real talk in this episode. They get into the wonderful stuff, too, and what they did to make those hard things easier. And in the end, they share their favorite countries they visited. Head here for the show notes.

More travel goodness! Tsh is continuing her chat with Stephanie Langford on extended travel with kids (head to episode 34 for part 1). In this episode, they get into the how—more of the nuts and bolts, like packing and planning. There's more nitty-gritty stuff here, so if you’re hoping for the practical, this episode is for you. Head here for the show notes!

The next four episodes, starting with this one, will be an extended conversation on extended travel with kids. My friend Stephanie Langford and I have both taken round-the-world trips with our clan when they were (are) young ages, and our family's paths even crossed for six weeks last spring in southern Europe. We'll hash out stuff like what we packed, how we decided where to go, how we handled worldschooling, and yep, the things that were miserable. We talk about how we handled our own work on the go, the things that made us stronger as families, and ultimately, why we're both itching to do another big trip before our oldest children leave the nest. This first episode is an intro to the idea, where we answer the question we both get frequently: Why travel in such a big way while the kids are so little? Head here for the show notes! Also, big thanks to this episode's sponsor, Around the World Stories. They create original audio stories about the adventures of children from other cultures, providing fun, memorable and culturally authentic stories that help develop a child's interest in the broader world. We love 'em!

Ever wanted to start a book club? Nicole Bennett did, too—and so, she did. In this episode, she shares the ins and outs of how she started it—how she picked the right people, how they decide which book to read next, how often they meet, and why the right food makes it even more fun. Consider this your primer to start a club of your own. Pair this with episode 29 with Anne Bogel and her reading guide, and you'll have what you need. Head here for the show notes!

Home—why does it matter? Christie Purifoy has great insight into this—the significance of what she calls “placemaking,” and what it means to dig deep into where you’re planted. Her book, Roots and Sky, is a memoir on her first year in their Pennsylvania farmhouse, and what it meant to find where she’s supposed to be, even though she never knew it. She and Tsh talk about the significance of seasons, of gardening, of being a good neighbor, and more. You'll want to be her neighbor. Head here for the show notes!  

When you hear the word "noncomformist," your imagination might conjure up a black-sheep rogue protestor dancing in the streets. If you hear "dominating the world," the first thing that comes to mind might be Pinky and the Brain. Chris Guillebeau is one of the nicest, most generous guys around, and yet he's a big believer in both those things. He's also a traveler and author—in this chat, he and Tsh talk about when he traveled to every country in the world, what happened when he wrote a brief guide to world domination (it's not what you think), working a side hustle, and his new book, Born For This. Head here for the show notes! And head here for Tsh's steps on starting a blog.    

Minimalism is a word used so much these days, it’s easy to roll our eyes at it. But when it’s defined right, minimalism can actually be pretty great. That’s what Joshua Becker thinks, anyway. He's a dad of two and a writer, and his new book, The More of Less, explores the deeper benefits of living with less. Head here for the show notes! Also, head here for Tsh's recommended books on simple living.  

What better way to start off the summer season than a fun chat about books and reading? Tsh is joined by friend of the show, Anne Bogel, to talk all about summer reading—what you should be reading, how you should be reading, and how to help your kids with what they choose to read. (Note: The sound on Tsh's end isn't so hot. So very sorry about that. Womp womp.) Head here for the show notes! Also, sign up for the weekly digest email and never miss a new podcast episode or blog post. And check out the sponsor of this episode, Morrocco Method—fantastic, all-natural hair care!

We all know who ISIS is, and we all know there’s a major worldwide refugee crisis. But what does it even mean? What does it look like on the ground? In this chat Tsh talks to Jeremy and Jessica Courtney from their house in Iraq, where they’ve lived for almost a decade. We talk about ISIS, who they are, what they’re doing, what it looks like right in front of their faces. And we talk about soap—a really, really cool thing they’ve helped start to help Iraqis fighting for their lives, their homes, and their dignity so that they can provide for their families. Links from this episode: Preemptive Love Sisterhood Soap Kinsman Soap In Iraq, chemical-free is more than a luxury Jeremy's favorite thing: the Sleep playlist on Spotify Tsh’s favorite thing: Chuck on Netlflix Leave a quick review of The Simple Show on iTunes! Sign up for the weekly digest email For photos and videos of this work in action, head to the show notes of this episode.