About me
My name is Irina. I blog about the joys and challenges of motherhood, traveling the world with my 4 kiddos, reading, saving money, and everything from gardening, healthy living, and frugality to scrapbooking, menu planning, and tea parties. I enjoy decorating, organizing, and homeschooling my children.
Author Archives: simplemotherhood
Tips and tricks for traveling the world as a family of five on a budget
Kids enjoying the beach time at the Mai Khao Beach in Phuket, Thailand Many people ask us how we are able to afford to travel as a family of five. The answer is simple – it usually requires a lot … Continue reading
Posted in asia, Europe, frugal living, tips and tricks, travel, travel with kids
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Destination: Vancouver, Canada. Our lovely afternoon at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens
After a pretty long drive from Seattle this summer we had a few hours left before our scheduled ferry over to Victoria, BC. By a popular vote we decided to visit VanDusen Botanical Gardens. It seemed like it would be … Continue reading
Posted in Canada, travel, travel with kids
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15 destinations in 8 countries in one month! Our whirlwind trip to Canada and Europe.
Our family visiting Stonehenge, England This summer we were privileged to take a month long trip of Europe and Canada. It was sort-of-last minute planning, but ended up creating amazing family memories along the way. I am planning to write a … Continue reading
Posted in Canada, Europe, travel, travel with kids, trip itineraries
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Reviving this blog…
Our family in Prague (Czech Republic) this summer I have decided to start working on reviving this little blog of mine. A lot has happened in the past 6 years since I last wrote here. We have moved 3 times, one … Continue reading
Posted in blogging, travel, travel with kids
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A few pictures from our Independence Day Celebration
We had a wonderful and sort-of-quiet 4th of July celebration this year. Stan’s cousin Leona and her husband Rob came over to hang out with us in the afternoon and evening, and kids just loved spending time with them! Edward … Continue reading
Posted in children, life as it comes
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Summer Gardening Series: The First Harvest
We’ve been getting the herbs from our garden for a couple of weeks now (rosemary, basil, parsley, and mint (yum – fresh mint tea!)), but today we finally collected our first harvest which weighed in at just about 4 lbs! … Continue reading
Posted in frugal living, gardening
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Happy Birthday Connor!
This past Sunday 2 years ago, my sweet little blue-eyed wonder entered this world to make me a mommy for the second time. This year we celebrated his precious second birthday. I cannot believe how fast this time flew by, … Continue reading
Posted in children, life as it comes
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Happy Sunday!
Beautiful Rose after the abundant rain… Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation today. I just wanted to share a couple of beautiful summer flowers with all of you. These are all from our garden/yard. Beautiful Azaleas Cheerful gerbera daisies Bright … Continue reading
Posted in gardening
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The True Russian Borsch Recipe
A friend of mine recently asked me to give her my Russian borsch recipe as she had too many beets she was trying to figure out what to do with. Since I had to get it from my head down … Continue reading
Posted in recipes
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The Joys of Simple Motherhood 