A New Look, A Fresh Start

It’s March! And is it just me or does something look a little different around here? 🙂

I know change can be a little hard for some people, so hopefully no one will completely freak out on me, but after pondering it over for ages, I finally decided it was time for a new look and a fresh start. It might seem trivial or superficial or even completely meaningless (at least so says my husband, who truly doesn’t understand the countless hours spent discussing every last detail with my super talented and incredibly patient blog designer, Heather.)

But here’s the thing: this blog is pretty much an extension of my own life. What you see here is what you get. Week after week I lay it all out, the good, the bad, & the sometimes painful. There are so many times I just want to crawl under a rock and hide after pushing that big red “publish” button and never show my face here again. But I keep coming back. And amazingly enough, you do too. You guys seriously rock!

I feel like this past year has been transformative in so many ways. I’ve made some major changes and my priorities have shifted from wanting more of everything for less to simply wanting less. Ultimately, I felt like the physical appearance of this blog had to match the changes in my heart.

I wanted this space, my online home, to be a little cleaner, a little simpler, but mostly really, really well-organized. I wanted it to reflect the things I am passionate about–saving money, keeping house, creating DiY projects, cooking yummy food, homeschooling my girls, and caring for my family–in a way that is easy to navigate and makes sense not only to me, but to those of you who read it, the wonderful people I welcome into my “home.”

I hope you’ll take a few moments to explore, and hopefully the shiny new navigation bar above will help you find anything specific you are looking for. (Just keep in mind that there are a few pages that aren’t quite completed yet!)

And now, for some essential details:

• Beginning next Thursday, March 7th I will be hosting a new link party called Thrifty Thursday. I hope all you bloggers will come link up your budget friendly crafts, recipes, household tips, & decorating ideas! The party will go live each Thursday morning at 9am, and I’ll be featuring a few of my favorites every Sunday. I need YOUR help to make this party happen, so please come and link up all the fun & thrifty stuff you are doing!

• I’ll still be posting 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday mornings (or at least trying to!) I would absolutely love to start adding some amazing guest posts, so if you are a blogger (or even if you’re not but just like to write) and are interested in submitting an original guest post, please contact me at ruth@livingwellspendingless.com for guest post guidelines.

• If you haven’t already, please consider joining the Living Well Spending Less community on Facebook. I post a lot of questions and photos there that I don’t always share here the blog, so it a really fun place to connect.

• I have a growing obsession with Instagram, which is fast becoming my absolute favorite form of social media. It is so simple and addictive and fun….seriously, genius! I’d love to have you join me there–I’m @ruthsoukup.

So that’s it! My big exciting news for the day and my early birthday present to myself…..and to you! We will be tweaking some of the final design details over the next week or two, so please bear with me (or let me know) if something you are looking for isn’t quite available yet. I truly hope you all enjoy the changes. {And thank you Heather!}

*   *   *

I would love to hear your thoughts! What do you think of the new look? Is it easier to find what you are looking for? While we are still making the final changes, is there anything else you would like to see (or not see)?