“We’ve moved quite a bit in the past few years, which was how our decluttering started. Now we only own a couch, a small dining table, and our mattresses.” Single mum-of-one and writer, Kay Haupt (kayhaupt), on home life in rural Iowa…
Our mornings are … Early! Tad likes to wake up around 5 or 6am and immediately jump out of bed full of energy. We co-sleep, which has just happened to work for us. With parenting, you can plan as many things as you wish before your little one arrives, but that doesn’t always mean it will happen! I was completely against co-sleeping, but now I’ve found that it’s really helped make my child extremely independent and a great sleeper. Once we’re up, I immediately head for the coffee, and Tad has some almond milk. We watch a bit of the news, he greets his toys, and we just keep it slow!
I’d describe our house as … Cozy. We live in a tiny cottage. It still needs a lot of work done, but we’ve tried to make it feel like home as much as we can at this point. I really find that no matter what type of house we live in, I think I’ve found a home in the small community we live in. There’s something really special about rural Iowa – our community is very unique in its sustainability and resourcefulness; half of our town is Amish! I love being able to head out to the Amish stores and find all of the herbal ingredients I need for my recipes, like beeswax and fresh lavender. It’s really just a treat.
My kid mainly wears … Simple, comfortable, and as eco-friendly as we can find clothing. I’ve really been blessed to work with some wonderful small brands on Instagram and share their clothing with my followers. I will forever be grateful for that. Right now, we are loving the clothing from Fin + Vince, Conscious Clothing, and Magnolia Roots Co. Tad likes anything he can move freely in – being comfortable is the most important thing.
I cope with clutter by … cleaning it! I am a bit of a neat freak. We’ve moved quite a bit in the past few years, which was how our decluttering started. Now we only own a couch, a small dining table, and our mattresses. I try to make sure that anything new we bring in can be used well for years for to come. This year I am going to try my hardest to not purchase any new clothing/ shoes/ accessories for myself – wish me luck!
Our favourite family meal is … Midwestern comfort food. I have a passion for cooking. I bake a lot of bread, at least twice a week, and find myself experimenting often in the kitchen. Some of our favorite meals for this season are chicken pot pie and vegetable soup.
I never leave the house without … a knitting project. I used to be an avid book carrier, but they’ve become a bit bulky to bring with me when I have to carry all of our baby-related items. If I have a knitting project, like socks or a bonnet, I can easily drop it in my purse and pull it out when I’m a riding passenger, waiting on a park bench, or even at a movie – I’m terrible. My hands just have to constantly be working on something or I get fidgety.
Having a child has made me … a better person, a new version of myself. It was like I was sleeping before my son arrived, and I definitely believe that this was what I was meant to do with my life. Before he came, nothing felt right and my directions were never clear. He’s completely changed my life for all of the right reasons.
I encourage creativity … by practicing it everyday. There are so many things in my life that inspire creativity, like books, movies, nature and new forms of craft. The only way you can encourage it is by inviting it in with open arms and continuing to practice all you can.
I’ll never be able to part with … my desire to try new things. I am always on the hunt for the next step in my journey, and I hope that I can pass that idea over to my son. He is already wild, and I hope he stays that way, without fear.
When all else fails we … go outside. Walks are our go-to when it comes to bad energy. We always come home feeling refreshed and enlightened.
Follow kayhaupt on Instagram: @kayhaupt