Welcome to Simple Systems: Come for the Calm, Stay for the Snacks
Welcome!
Hi there, and welcome to my little corner of the internet.
I am writing this blog for you, in the hope that it helps make your life easier. In a way, I am also writing it for the me of 10 years ago, who was a single mom completely overwhelmed by the competing demands of parenting, work, and attempting to have a life without going crazy. And I am writing it for the me of 10 years from now, as I move even more firmly into the land of caring for aging parents and in-laws while still navigating parenthood and work.
There is a good chance my life looks a lot like yours: a schedule packed with meetings, errands, baseball practice (when was that added to the schedule??!?), meal planning and shopping, and making sure we never run out of Oreos and milk. All while scheduling home maintenance for my mom, who lives halfway across the country, and in-home care for my father-in-law; sneaking in the occasional 20-minute yoga session at home; scheduling doctor visits; and adding yet another baseball tournament to the calendar. Seriously, where do these things come from?
Or, as I like to call it, a typical Tuesday.
What Simple Systems is (and what it’s not)
Over the years, I have tried many different ways to deal with the chaos. Paper calendars, digital calendars, virtual assistants, a rotating schedule of babysitters and home services, grocery delivery—you name it, I have researched it and most likely tried it. And sometimes, the results have been spectacular failures. Looking at you, sticker-based chore charts.
Some results, though, have been amazingly great. I have put systems into place now that I wish had either existed 10 years ago or that I had tried back then, because I definitely would have been less stressed and might even have had time to read a book or two. And now I want to share this hard-earned wisdom with you, in the hope that it helps you navigate your own chaos and find a bit of peace along the way.
I want to be clear, though: this is not just about apps and hacks and 10 amazing tricks to get you the full night of sleep you have been craving since, oh, forever. It is about how to build a life that makes sense. One that gives you space to breathe, laugh with friends, and remember who you are in the middle of the crazy chaos of adulthood.
If you’re parenting and caring for aging parents, you’re in the right place
Let’s also be honest: this is not easy. Just when you think you have it figured out, life decides it is time to mix things up. And it is a very different level of adulting pressure when you are at that age where you are still raising kids while also becoming the parent to your own parent.
While there are many resources out there for developing coping mechanisms when you are part of the sandwich generation, very few talk about specific, actionable steps you can take to actually care for your people without drowning yourself in the process. The attitude that “you just need to survive it, even though it will suck up your every waking moment and crush your soul” just does not fly with me.
Sweetie, I am a proud, card-carrying member of Gen X. I survived latchkeys, Pop-Tarts, and drinking out of garden hoses. This is just one more adventure.
I want to do more than just survive these years. I want to make room for the little joys and the occasional nap. And I hope you can join me.
What you’ll find here
Here’s what we’ll tackle together, one practical step at a time:
Household systems that reduce the daily mental load—because your brain is not the family’s storage unit.
Family calendars and routines that don’t require a color-coded spreadsheet or a project manager certification to maintain.
Paper-taming workflows for household paperwork and vital documents so you can find what you need when you need it—not three days later under a pile of school flyers.
Kin-keeping and caregiving logistics for aging parents and in-laws: appointments, coordination, updates, and the stuff no one warns you about when you suddenly become the parent of your parent.
Teen and young adult systems to help them become their own personal assistants—so you can retire from your unpaid admin job.
Simple checklists and “do this in 15 minutes” tasks so you can actually fit into real life.
Welcome to the village
I grew up in the age of “it takes a village to raise a child.” I would expand that to: it takes a village to get through life.
So if you are new here, welcome to the village. I am so happy you are here. I am excited to share some of the systems and approaches that have finally given me breathing room despite the crushing pressure of balancing, well, everything. And by building this community, I hope to learn from you too, because there is always something new to learn.
Ready to start? Let’s jump right in with the basics.
