Simple

Sometimes, you just need a book that makes you think but is still a breeze to read... Tsh's co-host Haley talks about The Eyre Affair, which is basically a beach read for literary nerds, and Tsh talks about Wonder, a middle-grade novel recommended to her by my kids that she can't stop thinking about. Naturally, the conversation moves into the great Jane Eyre, movie versions, ableism, and how to talk to kids about hard stuff. For show notes, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 63.

Sometimes Tsh and co-host Stephanie unintentionally make it sound like they never deal with travel concerns, health issues, or challenges. Nope—they still deal with them. They're normal moms, after all. In this episode, they answer some of YOUR questions about how they handle fear of the unknown, food or other allergies, medical issues and illnesses, and other unforeseen challenges from the road. They share stories of stitches in Rwanda, chipped teeth in Turkey, swimmer's ear in Thailand, and more. For show notes, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 62.

It's a bit early, but the smell is in the air... spring is on the horizon. And that means opening up the windows and clearing out the cobwebs. In this episode, Tsh talks with Erin about their favorite hows and whys of decluttering. They share the questions they ask when we're deciding whether something stays or goes, along with the thing both a blog reader's mom and Jim Gaffigan have taught them about buying needless stuff. For links in this episode, go to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 61.

What does it mean to be naturally, inherently messy? What's it like to want to be someone who's good at cleaning, but just... isn't? Consider this a sort of confessional episode with Tsh. Dana White calls herself a slob—this is what she writes about, and where she's ultimately found her people. Last fall, she released her book, How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, and has a gracious, laid-back, enlightening attitude about who she is and how she's learned to make life work. If you feel like you're always wondering how people keep their houses clean—or you live with a messy person—then this episode is for you. For links mentioned in this episode, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 60.

Time for a books episode, where we each talk about a book we recently read and recommend. In this conversation, Haley talks with Tsh about Shusaku Endo's Silence, a based-on-true-facts story which has been made into a movie by Martin Scorsese, and she relays a bit of history none of us knew much about until this story released. Tsh talks about The Road Back to You by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile, a new book taking an approachable position to the Enneagram, an ancient personality profiling process, and a dive a little into what the Enneagram has personality meant for her the past few years. For show notes to this episode, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 59.

The world is chock-full of amazing cities, and in this episode, Tsh and Stephanie dish over their most memorable: the cleanest, dirtiest, most expensive, cheapest, surprising, best food and coffee, their all-time favorites, and which ones are still on their bucket lists. For show notes, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 58.

This hard-to-pronounce, hard-to-spell Danish word is everywhere these days, and just like most internet trends, there's a bit of eye-rolling tossed its way. But, we can't help it—we like this trend called hygge. Tsh and Erin talk about what this word really means, and how they hygge-fy their homes. It's not about the right blankets or right candles—it's about the right attitude. And not at all coincidentally, they also talk about simple ways they brush off the winter blues. Because February can bring 'em, right? Hygge definitely helps. For links in this episode, go to http://theartofsimple.net/podcast and look for episode 57.

How do you parent a child that is... different? They beat to their own drum, they walk a path different than your other kids, they may even have an official diagnosis or two (cue the acronyms). That's what Tsh talks about with Sally Clarkson, a mom of 4 adult children, one of whom is Nathan, who's "outside the box." Nathan and Sally co-wrote a book called Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him, and in this episode, Sally talks about her experience. For show notes, head to http://thesimpleshow.com for episode 56.

Winter just screams time for a good novel, we think. Haley shares her recent discovery of old world mysteries, particularly Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers, who was a fascinating character in her own right. And Tsh chats about her newfound love for writer Chris Cleave and his release from last year, Everyone Brave is Forgiven. They chat about character-driven novels and why they like them so much, why it's good to try a genre we normally aren't into, and the significance of new books set in World War II. They also talk about why sometimes it's good to read about the horrors of war, especially when the writing is so on point. For show notes, head to http://theartofsimple.net/podcast and look for episode 55.

Going anywhere this year? Co-host Stephanie is planning another big trip for her family this year, whereas Tsh... is mostly staying put. Womp womp. But there's good to be had in keeping travels rather close, and in this episode, they talk about both. Stephanie shares the practicals on the pre-trip side of things—how she researches flights, guesthouses, and itineraries as she does exactly that for their family's travels this spring. Tsh talks about small, simple ways she plans to incorporate a global spirit at home, as they focus more on renovations than strapping on backpacks. For show notes, head to http://thesimpleshow.com and look for episode 54.