Friends! Meet my incredible sister-in-law, Taylor Cowan. It’s still so weird to write her first name with my old last name. :) Taylor is married to my younger brother, Brett. The two of them met in high school (Brett was misbehaving, naturally, in Anatomy class and got moved to sit with the “good girl” in the front – Taylor). Needless to say, she straightened him right out! :) Taylor was my maid of honor in my wedding in 2008 and I was her matron of honor just last year. I can’t say enough goodness about this sweet girl and her thoughtful, giving heart. If you know me personally, you know how Taylor has supported me and loved on me over and over and over again over the past eleven years I’ve known her. And if you’ve ever seen my scrapbook collection, you know she’s responsible for half of it. Girl can scrapbook. She is a third grade teacher (just like my mama!) in Pensacola, Florida. Without further a due (because I could sincerely go on and on), meet Taylor and her pick-six.  VIDALIA CHOP WIZARD: I don’t know about y’all, but I am not fast with a kitchen knife. And these days, my husband and I are in a hurry to cook dinner to spend as much time as we can with our two new pups- Marley and McGuire. Which leads me to introduce the Vidalia Chop Wizard. This chopper cuts our prep time in half! Simply quarter an onion, pepper or any vegetable you need chopped, place onto the tray, press down, and Viola, instant diced onions! AQUAGE UPLIFTING FOAM: This is by far my favorite hair product. For a weightless lift at the root, squirt the cream near your scalp making sure you apply all over in sections. Work the cream into your hair and blow-dry! You will see instant results before teasing or even styling. Unlike a lot of products I’ve tried, Aquage does not leave any type of residue. I have looked to buy it in Ulta and hair salons around town, but no luck. Instead, my husband orders it from Amazon Prime. GLAD TO GO CONTAINERS WITH DRESSING CUPS: As a teacher, I pack my lunch the night before to quickly grab on the way out the door. No longer do I have to worry about salad dressing leaking in my lunch box. There’s a cup underneath the lid that pops on and off to hold your dressing. Genius! FOSCAM IP/NETWORK CAMERA: My husband and I recently drove to Louisiana (from Florida) to pick up our new pups! Not having any kids of our own, raising puppies is a new adventure for us. So, we’ve set up a camera to watch our boys while we are working, or even from another room in the house! With the IP Cam Viewer Lite App, we can watch them from our phones at anytime during the day. It is also equipped with night vision and audio (if you upgrade your app for a few dollars more).  This will also come in handy later down the road when we decide to start a family. :) THE NEST THERMOSTAT: I was very skeptical of my husband buying The Nest since 1. Our house was not built yet and 2. It was a pricey purchase during a time we were saving every penny. He explained all the fancy features and how much money we would save, so I gave in. Boy, was he right!!! (Don’t tell him I told you that!) The Nest is designed to learn your routine of turning down the AC at night and turning it back up during the day while you’re gone. It does it automatically for you. Another great feature is the green energy saver leaf that pops up when you’ve chosen a temperature that saves energy, thus keeping your cost down. My personal favorite option is being able to control our thermostat while we’re away from the house by using The Nest App on my iPhone! I highly recommend The Nest for the fact that it makes life simple.  NATURE’S MIRACLE STAIN AND ODOR REMOVER: Our puppies have an occasional accident in the house, whose doesn’t right? Nature’s Miracle really is a miracle! The stain and smell immediately goes away with a few swipes. It is all natural, there are no chemicals, and is made with an enzyme formula. Not only can you use this product on carpet and hardwoods flooring, but you can also use it on furniture, clothing, and so much more! I have never been worried about my house smelling like puppies when I have a guest swing by. Photo at top by Meg Baisden Photography. Second photo of me super sweaty at my reception right after Taylor help me rip all the crinoline out from beneath my dress. It was HOT! _ THE SIMPLICITY SERIES features busy gals, in different stages of life, making what matters happen and tips and tricks they’ve found to be helpful. Simplicity is about building margin into your life and spending time on and with that which fuels your heart. While we love to share products and services that help us day to day, but simplicity is about HEART and intentionally choosing the thing that matters most (your TREASURE) more than anything money can buy. We wear many hats and we know you do too, so we’d love to hear your thoughts as well!  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34