Meet Makenna ♡

Hi, I’m Makenna! The mama behind Simply Kenny.

If you had asked me a few years ago what my life would look like today, I probably would’ve given you a completely different answer.

I was in college double majoring in biology and chemistry, with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Somewhere along the way, I got into bodybuilding, which sparked my interest in nutrition, hormonal health, and eventually living a lower-tox lifestyle.

At first, the changes were pretty gradual. I focused on eating whole foods, being more mindful of ingredients, and finding a balance that worked for me. I still ate out and wasn’t nearly as particular about everything as I am today.

Then came motherhood…

While I was applying to veterinary schools, I met my husband, who was an active-duty Marine at the time. As we waited to hear back from schools, I found out I was pregnant with our first baby.

And suddenly, everything changed.

I knew I wanted to be the one home raising my children. So I put my veterinary school plans aside, quit my job, and moved to my husband’s duty station to begin a completely different chapter of life.

Becoming a mom also changed the way I approached healthier living.

It started with baby products. I wanted to be as intentional as possible about what I was using on and around my baby, so I began researching ingredients and looking for cleaner, lower-tox alternatives.

Eventually, that mindset spread into nearly every part of our home—from cleaning supplies and personal care products to the food we eat.

How we ended up homesteading

The more I learned, the more I wanted to make things myself.

I started making more of our meals and everyday staples from scratch, but eventually I found myself asking even more questions. Where were our ingredients coming from? How was our food being produced? What were the animals being fed?

That’s what led us to homesteading.

We started with chickens because I wanted pasture-raised eggs and meat from birds raised on feed that aligned with our preferences: organic, non-GMO, soy-free, and corn-free.

Now we’re preparing for our next adventure—raising pigs! After avoiding pork for the past several years, I’m looking forward to the possibility of raising our own and knowing more about where our meat comes from and what our animals eat.

Our goal isn’t just to raise more of our own food. It’s also to become more self-sufficient and make informed choices about what we’re feeding our family.

And we’re learning a lot along the way!

The reality of trying to live a little cleaner

One thing I’ve learned is that trying to maintain a healthier, lower-tox lifestyle is a never-ending process.

There’s always another ingredient to research, a product to compare, something to make from scratch, or a new project to tackle.

And while I love learning about all of it, it can also be overwhelming.

With my background in biology and chemistry, I’ve always been interested in understanding why things work the way they do. I love diving into the research behind ingredients, products, nutrition, and even what we’re feeding our animals.

But I’m also still learning. My choices and opinions may change as I discover new information, and I want to be open about that.

A little about life right now

These days, I’m a stay-at-home mom with one little one and another baby on the way.

Between motherhood, cooking from scratch, keeping up with our home, caring for animals, and planning whatever homesteading project comes next, life is rarely quiet.

Some days I feel like I’m getting everything done. Other days, the to-do list only gets longer.

And that’s part of why I wanted to create Simply Kenny.

I wanted a place to share our everyday life, the homemade recipes we love, the changes we’re making toward a healthier home, and the things we’re learning as we build our homestead.

Not just the successes, but the mistakes, the trial and error, and all the chaos in between.

I’m not here because I have everything figured out. I’m just sharing our journey as we go.

Welcome to the chaos! ♡