About Smart Living Mama

You want to live a healthier life and create a healthier home for your family, but you’re feeling overwhelmed.

With so much information out there, you don’t know where to begin or what information to trust. Perhaps you fear that you won’t be able to afford a more natural way of life.

But still, you know deep down that your family’s health (and your health, as well) is simply too important to dismiss.

I hear you.

I was once where you are now, desperately searching for a way to manage ailments and illness, and even better, to keep my family from getting sick in the first place. I needed to figure out how to not only feed my family, but to nourish them with wholesome foods — without going broke in the process.

I’ve spent years researching ways to live a healthier, more natural life. And if this is your desire, too, then you’ve come to the right place.

Imagine for a moment…

Feeling confident using natural remedies in your home to keep sickness away, or to minimize the effects and the duration of illness when you or your family does get sick
Having several simple, go-to recipes that nourish your family with fresh, wholesome ingredients (that taste great and are affordable, too!)
Being able to whip up easy DIY cleaning and bath products that are natural, safe, AND effective

You will learn all of that here at Smart Living Mama, and so much more.

Meet Kristine

Hey there, mama! I’m Kristine. I’m a wife and mother of four, as well as the founder of Smart Living Mama. My journey into natural living began a decade and a half ago, when I first became a mom.

I knew I wanted to give my baby the very best I could offer him (as most moms do), so I made big plans to have an unmedicated birth, and to exclusively breastfeed, and cloth diaper, and only use natural, fragrance-free bath products, and…the list goes on.

But, as with many things in life…things didn’t go quite as planned.

I had complications during labor, breastfeeding was a struggle, I spent way too much money on cloth diapers that didn’t work out, and the bath products I thought were natural and safe gave my baby a terrible rash.

Our pediatrician at the time would dismiss my concerns and quickly scribble out a prescription for a medicated diaper rash ointment that actually made my baby’s rash worse.

Well-meaning family and friends would tell me to give up on my natural ideas and take an “easier” route. Or, even worse, give bad advice that only caused more harm in the long run.

I was exhausted, confused, angry, and overwhelmed.

Turning to Google (back when Pinterest wasn’t even a thing…I know, hard to believe), I searched for answers. For any shred of information that helped me figure out how to help heal my son’s diaper rash or make breastfeeding and pumping easier.

As overwhelming as it was to wade through the abundance of information on the internet, I pressed on. I carefully weeded through everything I read, checked sources, compared articles, and ran my research by our (new and amazing) pediatrician.

I figured out what was contributing to my son’s rash and learned how to heal it.

I started making simple, homemade bath products out of natural ingredients.

I began to have more confidence as a mother, and in my abilities to take what I had learned and apply it to our home and to our family.

So, what does this mean for you?

My friend, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be when you want to start living a more natural life, but just don’t know where to begin.

I get the struggle because I’ve been there, too.

Let me help.

I’m passionate about helping other moms learn how to cook healthy and wholesome meals for their families, create natural bath products and home remedies, and either make or find non-toxic cleaning products for their homes.

You will find all of that here at Smart Living Mama.

Here’s a little help to get you started:

And don’t forget to check out my Shopping Guide, where I list all of the natural, non-toxic products I use (and love!) in my home.

So what can you find here at Smart Living Mama?

This blog was created to share my personal life experiences and all the things I’ve learned along my journey as a wife and mother.

This quickly grew into a passion to help encourage other mamas in their own season of motherhood. To help remind them that they are abundantly loved by God – even in their blessed yet messy life – and to help them grow both in their walk with God and in their own ministry as a wife and mother.

I write about the following topics here on the blog:

Family Life

I share my experiences and things I've learned about marriage, motherhood, parenting, faith, homeschooling, intentional living, and so much more.

House & Home

Easy-to-implement strategies for cleaning and organizing, meal planning, productivity and time management…and some fun crafts and DIY projects, too!

Healthy Living

Whole food eating, natural remedies, holistic living, tips for keeping you and your family healthy, developing healthy habits, and the importance of self care.

My Mission

My mission here at Smart Living Mama is to share with other tired, overwhelmed mamas the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to living a more simple, intentional, and productive life. The lessons I’ve learned – through trial and error – have helped shaped my life into a more fulfilling one, and my desire is to help you cultivate a blessed and less-stressed life as well.

I’ll help you learn how to lean into God during each season of motherhood. To help you realize that you’re not alone in this journey. To offer tips and encouragement from things that have helped me. And just to be your online mama friend who has been where you are and understands the ups and downs of motherhood.

I am delighted and honored that you’ve chosen to spend some time here at Smart Living Mama. I hope you will join me on this journey, and I pray my blog is a blessing to you, sweet mama! Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope you stay awhile!

xo, Kristine