The woman behind Simplify With Bee
This looks nothing like the life I thought I wanted.
There was a time when I pictured a high-rise in downtown Vancouver, a fancy job, and no kids.
These days, I’m married, raising two boys on a farm, running a coffee business, and watching my children hang out with our goats.
Turns out, I really love this version.
I’m Shelby, the woman behind Simplify With Bee. And somewhere between building this life and trying to keep up with it, I realized I was spending a lot of time treating myself like a project.
Better habits. Better routines. A better plan for fitting everything in.
I loved my life. I was also running on empty.
Balance is bullshit.
I used to think that if I planned well enough, I could give enough to everything: motherhood, marriage, work, home, friendships, myself.
But my energy has limits. What I have to give changes. So does what needs me.
Somewhere along the way, the question became: am I so busy trying to improve my life that I’m missing the one I’m actually creating?
Because there’s a lot here I want to be around for. The boys outside with the animals. The business I once dreamed about. A good coffee. The ordinary afternoons I probably won’t remember individually, but want more of anyway.
A few things about me
Canadian roots.
Grandma hobbies.
Big ideas.
I live on a farm in beautiful British Columbia with my incredible husband, Dillon, our two boys, and Willow—my dog and forever firstborn.
Dillon and I did life a little backwards: eight years together, two babies, then the wedding. I really love the life we’ve built.
I spent five years at university getting a degree, but apparently one area of interest wasn’t going to cut it. So I jumped into entrepreneurship, where all my interests get to take turns being the next big idea.
I’m done pretending I don’t love the things I love.
For me, that looks like grandma hobbies, letting my inner Nonna shine, and finding room for one more shade of pink.
You’ll usually find me in cowboy boots, listening to Machine Gun Kelly way too loud in the car—when the kids aren’t with me, obviously.
I’m building a life I love being in.
There’s still ambition here. Big ideas, creative work, things I want to build.
There’s also room to change my mind, let something wait, and choose what deserves my energy in this season.
That’s what Simplify With Bee has grown into: a place to share the life I’m living, the things bringing me joy, and the support that makes the everyday a little easier.
You’ll find simple systems, honest conversations, farm life, books, coffee, and things I’m figuring out as I go.
I hope you find a little room for yourself here, too.
Find your starting point ↗
Raising my little dudes.
