Clever Housewife, Rewritten: From Mormon Mom to Reclaimed Woman

Over the years, this blog has seen a little bit of everything: couponing, product reviews, recipes, parenting tips, travel writing, and a few quiet confessions along the way. But like me, it’s changed. This post is part reintroduction, part personal transformation story. (Psst — here’s one of the recipes that put this blog on the map.)

I started The Clever Housewife when I was deep in motherhood, marriage, and Mormonism. Back then, the name made perfect sense. What most people don’t know is that this blog also helped me find my footing when life started to crack. It became my escape, my outlet, and eventually, the thing that helped me leave an abusive marriage after 11 years.

I’ve grown a lot since then. I’ve unraveled old beliefs, let go of roles that no longer fit, and started piecing together a life that actually feels like mine. So here I am, telling that story—the messy, brave, still-in-progress kind—as I figure out who I am now.

Welcome — Whether You’re New or Have Been Here Since the Couponing Days

Some of you have been here since the beginning, when this blog started as a way to share money-saving tips during a tough financial season. After the 2008 housing crash, my ex-husband left construction to attend chiropractic school, and I turned to couponing to make ends meet. I eventually began sharing recipes and travel reviews, and the blog quickly grew. Before I knew it, I was landing major brand deals.

If you’ve been along for the ride, thank you. Truly. And if you’re new here, welcome! I no longer cover couponing, but you’ll still find food, travel, and now something more personal: my story. Whether you found me through faith transition content or simply landed here by chance, I’m so glad you’re here.

 

Who I Was: Mormon Mom, Housewife, and Clever Blogger

I was a Mormon mom and housewife for as long as I can remember. Basically my entire adult life. I got married just before turning 19 and was pregnant a few short months later. Five babies and two husbands later, that 18-year-old girl is now single again. I’m navigating life on my own terms, and in the midst of real personal transformation.

I started this blog in early 2010, though I took a bit of a break in recent years while trying to figure out who I am and what I want this space to be. It’s seen me through raising my babies and surviving two divorces, and I’m glad it’s still here.

Mormonism shaped everything: my motherhood, my marriage, my homemaking, and even how I blogged. I stuck to family-friendly topics. No alcohol. No swearing. And definitely no questioning the system I was raised in.

Since leaving the church a year and a half ago, I’ve been slowly rediscovering who I am outside the boundaries I once believed were absolute. That shift is showing up here too, in what I write, how I share, and what I no longer feel the need to hide.

My Personal Transformation: Faith, Marriage, and Finding Myself

I didn’t set out to lose everything I thought made me who I was. But life has a way of undoing us when we’re no longer in alignment.

Many assume my faith unraveling led to my marriage falling apart. But what people don’t often see is the deep loneliness I felt in that marriage long before I began deconstructing my religion. That said, my faith transition did help me find myself. And with that came the realization that I no longer wanted to settle for less than I deserve.

I’ve recently started writing more openly about leaving Mormonism, if you want to go back and read. I believed wholeheartedly in the church, but the questions began to surface slowly, painfully. It started with my temple sealing cancellation, and unraveling quietly from there.

Losing my spiritual framework was terrifying. It was also freeing. It wasn’t just about belief. Mormonism had shaped everything: my role as a wife, a mother, a woman. Without it, I had to figure out who I was when no one else was handing me the answers.

There have been ups and downs, grief and growth, but overall, this journey has brought deep personal transformation. Still, there’s a twinge of pain in knowing that some of my relationships haven’t changed alongside me. And maybe never will.

Even with everything that’s changed—my beliefs, my marriage, my identity—one thing stuck around: this blog. Which brings me to the name.

Still the Clever Housewife (Even If I’m Not a Housewife Anymore)

Given my breakup with the “housewife” title, I debated whether a full rebrand was in order. After all, I’m no longer married, and I don’t spend my days homemaking the way I once did.

But the name stuck. Not because I’m still living that role, but because I’ve come to realize that cleverness isn’t about recipes or routines. It’s about resilience. It’s about surviving, evolving, and finding strength in the messiest parts of life.

The Clever Housewife blog is part of my story. I want this space to honor the woman I was, while also celebrating the evolution of cleverness and womanhood. I want this brand to reflect freedom, voice, and authenticity. Not just in me, but in anyone who’s felt boxed in by roles that no longer fit.

Who I Am Now: Reclaimed, Resilient, and Still a Little Clever

Life isn’t easier during my personal transformation. But when is transformation ever easy? My life is occasionally messy, but it’s mine. And it feels really good to be living on my terms.

I’m learning to trust myself more than a system, and that hasn’t come without a learning curve. I still mess up, still question things, still get uncomfortable. But I keep going because I’ve found something worth fighting for: me.

I’m still a fierce mom of four, a baker, writer, and traveler. But I’ve added some new titles too. I once thought I was a full-blown extrovert. Now I’d call myself a cozy introvert, a raver, and a faith transitioner who finds healing in both dance floors and quiet nights.

I used to avoid anything messy or confrontational because it made me uncomfortable. Now, I write about the hard things so others won’t feel as alone as I once did. I used to measure my worth by obedience. Now, I measure it by alignment.

I love hard and care deeply for those in my circle. I’m no longer willing to let fear or blind obedience keep me silent about things I don’t agree with. I’ll keep speaking out, and I’ll do it with as much grace as I can.

Accepting brand deals just for a paycheck? That’s a thing of the past. If I don’t feel connected to what I’m sharing, I won’t share it. Authenticity is non-negotiable now. And now that I’ve found it, it’s here to stay.

I may not be the “clever housewife” I used to be. But I like to think I’m still clever, just in a different way. Clever enough to grow, to pivot, and to own my voice.

What You’ll Find Here Now

What can you expect to find here now? Stories of growth, truth-telling, faith transition, healing, and womanhood. Maybe the occasional cinnamon roll or travel tip too. But always with heart, always with honesty.

Come Walk With Me

If you’ve ever unraveled something you once built your whole life around—faith, marriage, identity—and lived to tell the tale, you’re not alone.

This space isn’t just about my story. It’s about creating room for yours too. For the woman trying to find her voice again. For the mom questioning what she was taught. For the person who no longer fits the mold and isn’t sure what comes next.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’m walking this path with open eyes, an open heart, and a lot more honesty than I used to. If any part of my journey resonates with you, I’d love for you to stick around. Read, share, comment, or just quietly be here. You’re welcome either way.

I’m still becoming. And if you are too, come walk with me.

Has there been a moment in your life where everything you thought you were started to shift? I’d love to hear what you’re navigating or reclaiming, if you feel like sharing.