The simple sophisticate is someone who prefers quality over quantity, sensible living over mindless consumption, personal style instead of trendy fashions, has an insatiable curiosity for life’s endless questions and a desire to live a truly fulfilling life rather than being led around by the nose. Inspired by her lifestyle blog The Simply Luxurious Life, Shannon Ables (the original Simple Sophisticate) shares with listeners tips on how to live a refined life on an everyday income, a life of true contentment. Founded on the principle of the art of living a life of quality over quantity, episodes explore topics ranging from creating an everyday life you love living, strengthening mindfulness practices, preparing seasonally delicious meals, building a capsule wardrobe, traveling the world (Francophiles and Anglophiles tune in as France as well as the Britain are favorite destinations), and living life to the fullest without breaking the bank because living well is really quite simple. *illustration by artist Sarah Löcker exclusively commissioned for the show
"Buddhism is not a belief system. It's not about accepting certain tenets or believing a set of claims or principles. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It's about examining the world clearly and carefully, about testing everything and every idea. Buddhism is about seeing. It's about knowing rather than believing or hoping or w...
"With the right training, nutrition, lifestyle strategies, and the power of the mind, women in their fifties and beyond can still [accomplish amazing feats] . . . women prove every day that our best years can be ahead of us no matter how old we are now . . . you've accumulated hard-earned wisdom and power over the years. You...
“France is Europe’s most diverse, tasty, and exciting country to explore. It’s a cultural bouillabaisse that surprises travelers with its varied, complex flavors.” —Rick Steves
The rain in Bretagne/Brittany. The dry hot heat in Provence. The bustle of Paris. The butter in Normandy (and Brittany). I could go on and on about the...
When beginning this journey back in September 2022, I never imagined I would feel comfortable speaking French without thinking too far ahead of myself nor caring if I spoke incorrectly (which is still quite often), but two and a half years later, it has happened!
Imperfect French is being spoken and the fundamentals are more confidently understood than ever before. Wahoo!
While having attempted to take a French language class here ...
There is an awareness available to anyone who steps fully into their forties. It often happens a couple of years after turning the big 4 - 0, but it's there, waiting for each of us to realize we are half-way through (if we are so fortunate to live into our 90s) this beautiful gift called life.
This awareness prompts courage and discipline as well as motivation to just get about the business of living out the dreams we may have been...
"Taking back your power means reclaiming responsibility for your life. It means demanding more of yourself because time is ticking, and you've wasted enough of it worrying about things that don't matter. It means being laser focused on the things you can control, and not giving a single second to the things you can't . . . Let...
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, an annual holiday to celebrate love, those we love in all its different relationship forms, it can be helpful to be reminded that love doesn't have a hierarchy. One type of relationship be it a friendship, a spouse, a parent/child, a pet companion, a universal love for humanity, self-love - isn't more or less important, but merely other avenues of giving and receiving love. Love, when i...
"The confidence to dare to be simple." —Monty Don
To be simple is to knowingly let go of what is not necessary and wisely keep, nourish and invest in what is.
Gardens in many ways are a wonderful analogy for living well because they take time to mature into their full potential, and it isn't guaranteed that they will, but if t...
Maintaining our balance whether we are holding a tree pose in yoga or riding a bicycle requires dynamic engagement.
While the tree pose in yoga may look static, nope, it is actually dynamic as various muscles are engaged. Similarly and more visually obvious is riding a bicycle. We must remain in motion, and a motion that is balanced, so again engaging our motions to align with each other if there are multiple, in this case our two ...
"We can attain almost anything we want—but not instantly. If we're methodical, if we're persistent, and if we take small, deliberate steps, we can arrive there. The going may be slow at first, but the advantage of those actions, compounded over time, can lead to stunning results." —Doris Clark, author of The Long Game: How to ...
"Some of [our] beliefs, habits and behaviours are acquired by chance, and some we have designed for ourselves. But the beauty of the human mind is that no matter how these beliefs were shaped, they can be changed." —Nicole Vignola, author of Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change
Maybe it is the...
"In general, people who have more optimistic expectations about the possibility of forming a connection are more likely to overlook superficial differences, and wait to see if they feel the spark of connection. They tend to have more diverse relationships, while those with fixed assumptions tend to have more limited social cir...
In many arenas of life we witness what appears to be an immediate change, but upon looking at the road that prompted the change, the steps were gradual, intentional and focused. Over time, repetition and application, the skills coalesced, and much like finishing a house that has been built from the foundation up, it is complete. But it takes time, knowledge and consistent effort to experience the benefits of that warm house to live...
"Healthy skin begins the moment you start to take care of yourself." —Anonymous
Healthy, natural, as well as radiant skin is something we can include as one of the most statement-making accessories in our exterior presentation. The questions begin though when we don't know what is worth investing in and how much is too much an...
389: The Importance of Gratitude and Celebration throughout our Everydays and along our Life Journey
When we see and acknowledge what is going well, we begin to permanently change what our mind not only looks for but believes is possible. And when we change our mindset, we change the potential of possibilities that cross our path.
Which leads me to celebrating.
Perhaps hearing that celebrating is a necessary part of the journey of success may come across as frivolous or unnecessary. Or perhaps when you envision celebrating, the th...
What I would like to share with you today are 14 foundational pieces that will establish and continue to grow your financial freedom. Whether you work for a boss or work for yourself, I will be sharing how to make your way to financial freedom and also remain financially free once you arrive without being stagnant. In other words, when we are financially free, we now have space, energy and opportunities that we didn't have before. ...
When we think of the term hero in its typical circumstance, we think of someone saving the day, making everything better, and restoring the peace, security and joy to those or what had momentarily been in peril. Now fashion or our personal style is not a life or death situation, I will acknowledge this upfront, but for the purposes of today's conversation, the hero pieces in our wardrobe are, as defined by The Ethical Brand Directo...
The learning continues, and the French language continues to become clearer and clearer with each word I hear. Granted, it is a slow journey of progress, but indeed progress has been made.
As I sat watching both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Jeux Paris, I found myself for the first time actually wishing there were no translations as I found I could understand most of what was being said in French (admittedly, I may have...
When it comes to finances, to solely focus on the numbers actually can hinder the success and outcomes we seek of not only financial freedom, but deep everyday contentment.
Co-host of the established podcast Frugal Friends, Jill Sirianni joins me to not only talk about the founding premise of their show which debuted back in 2018 and now has more than 400 episodes, and also to talk about her and her co-hosts' Jen Smith's new book B...
When we make the life changing decision to embrace our true selves, a change that we cannot see at the outset, we open up a world of seemingly magic opportunities, gifts and moments of awe.
Over the years, beginning in 2018 and the post from which the excerpt above came, we've talked about honoring our true selves, what it entails, why it's important and how to stay the course.
The choice to step onto the journey's path of who each...
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.