Keeping Small-Town Life Simple

There’s a quiet kind of richness in small-town living—the kind that doesn’t show up on a balance sheet, but fills your days with meaning, ease, and connection. Over time, we’ve learned that keeping life simple isn’t about doing less—it’s about choosing what actually matters and letting that be enough.

Here are a few of the ways we’ve built a slower, more intentional rhythm into our everyday life.

Rooted in Simple Spaces: Plants, Planters & Little Touches of Beauty

One of the easiest ways I bring life into our home is through house plants. I have plants in just about every room. I’ve also come to really appreciate the basics—like a good snake plant. It’s one of those plants that quietly does its job, helping clean the air while asking for very little in return. You don’t have to fuss over it, and it still thrives, which feels like a small win in a busy season of life. It’s also one of the easiest plants to ‘split’. When it gets too big for the planter, I just pull out, split down the middle and replant. I purchased my original two from Costco but they have now multiplied to about 8 different pots. Very reasonably priced yet doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. I water once a week.

And then there is the golden pothos – it just keeps growing and growing. I have several of these, even a few in water vases that do really well, too. These do great, hanging – i have one in each of my Living Room windows. There’s something so satisfying about watching them trail down a shelf or stretch across a space over time. They’re a simple reminder that growth doesn’t have to be rushed—it just keeps going, little by little.

Another fun flowering plant is the Christmas/Easter/Thanksgiving Cactus. I have one from my “Nanny” who is actually my husband’s Nanny but I claim her as my own. Since she has passed, that plant is even more special. I did trim last year (after I watched a video) and accidently dropped a piece on the porch. I didn’t realize it landed in a pot which had been cleaned out from the summer. A few months later, i noticed it and it was green. So….I replanted and have watched it grow. It’s amazing how much it has grown and continues to thrive. Now we have a little bit of “Nanny” everywhere. This one actually blooms around Thanksgiving.

I did find some really nice planters that come in multiple sizes – they make it easy to water. You fill the base up with water, there’s a small ‘rope’ that weaves through and absorbs the water, allowing the plant to get what it needs. With these, we can water every two weeks.

For our bigger pots, I purchased some clay watering devices. You basically push them into the dirt and add a bottle – a wine bottle fits nicely.

But honestly, one of my favorite little routines is even simpler than that. I love picking up a $5 bouquet (more recently they have been $10 😟) from Walmart and spreading it throughout the house. Instead of keeping it all in one vase, I’ll separate the flowers into smaller bunches and place them in little bottles I’ve saved and recycled over time—old jars, glass drink bottles, anything that can hold water.

I did also purchase this plant stand which doesn’t take up much space but adds color and life to a small space in front of the window. I love it!

It’s such an easy, inexpensive way to make the whole house feel fresh and lived-in. Those tiny pops of color in unexpected places bring so much joy, and they remind me that beauty doesn’t have to be complicated.

Weekend Resets: Camping in Our Travel Trailer

When life starts to feel a little too full, we hitch up our travel trailer and head out. Camping has become one of our favorite ways to reset and reconnect.

During the COVID season, we traveled just about every weekend. We didn’t go far but it still provided an opportunity to sit outside and enjoy nature. When our children were younger, we traveled to Disney World each year during Spring Break. We would have 4 or 5 children in this ‘small’ space but it was perfect. So many memories.

There’s no pressure to plan anything fancy—just a simple campsite, a good cup of coffee, and time outdoors. We cook easy meals, sit by the fire, and let the days unfold without a schedule.

Living in a smaller space, even for a weekend, reminds us how little we actually need. It slows everything down in the best way and brings us back to what matters most—time together, fresh air, and a break from the noise.

Keeping Memories Close: Our Frameo Display

One of the simplest things that brings so much warmth into our home is our Frameo digital frame. It quietly rotates through photos of our family—past trips, everyday moments, snapshots we might otherwise forget.

You don’t have to go searching for memories—they just show up as you walk by. And somehow, in the middle of a regular day, you’re reminded of how full life really is.

We have one in our home, the Beach house, our Air BnB bag and camper. These were also great gifts for our grown / adult children and grandparents. It’s so easy to check each frame in the Frameo App and upload to all. That way everyone enjoys new pictures all the time.

It’s one of those small additions that doesn’t demand anything from you, but gives so much back.

From Morning Coffee to Evening Rocking Chairs

If there’s one place that captures small-town living perfectly, it’s the front porch. During the Spring and Fall seasons, our rocking chair and “Jimmy Buffet” chair have become part of our daily rhythm—we find ourselves out there in the morning with coffee and again in the evening as the day winds down.

We sit side by side, chatting about our day, listening to the birds, and watching the cars go by. And oh are there cars that go by. Our area has grown up so much…the quiet is not constant engines unfortunately. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s become one of our favorite parts of the day.

Just a quiet kind of peace that reminds us to slow down and be present. In a world that constantly pushes for more, the porch reminds us that what we have right here is already enough.

Choosing Simple, Again and Again

At the heart of it all, simplicity isn’t a one-time decision—it’s something we choose over and over again.

It shows up in the way we decorate our home, the way we spend our weekends, and the way we hold onto memories. It’s in the small, everyday choices—flowers in a recycled bottle, a quiet camping trip, a moment on the porch.

Small-town life has taught us that joy doesn’t have to be complicated.

Sometimes it looks like slowing down.
Sometimes it looks like making do with what you already have.
And sometimes, it looks like simply being present right where you are.

And honestly, that’s more than enough.