About
The Balanced Living Guide is an ongoing exploration of what it means to live in flow with life, not against it. It’s a space for reflection, honesty, and the kind of quiet rebellion that helps you stop settling for “fine” and start feeling fully alive again.
Balanced living isn’t about getting it all right.
It’s about learning to move with life instead of trying to control it — finding the balance between structure and surrender, curiosity and calm.
I created this space as an experiment in remembering what matters — a place to question the illusion of “normal,” to listen for truth beneath the noise, and to rediscover a way of living that actually feels alive.
Hey, I'm Bailee McClellan
Deep thinker, mom of two, and the heart behind The Balanced Living Guide.
For most of my life, I was drowning in expectations – the kind the world hands you with a smile and a checklist.
Be a good daughter. A good student. A good mom. Do everything “right.”
I kept swinging between burnout and “fine” – never fully alive, never truly free. I was surviving life instead of living it.
I thought if I could just find the right system, the right rhythm, the right way to do things, I’d finally feel OK. But no matter how much I perfected or performed, something was always missing.
What I’ve learned is that I was trying to control life instead of living with it.
I was gripping so tightly to how things should be that I missed the magic of what is.
When I finally started questioning the illusions I’d been handed – and listening to how I was actually designed to move through the world – life started to feel lighter. Less forced. More real.
At first, I tried to turn that into a roadmap for other women. But somewhere along the way, I realized I’m still very much in it.
So now, I’m not here as a teacher. I’m here as a fellow traveler – learning how to let go of control, enjoy the ride, and trust that life knows where it’s taking us.
This space is where I ask questions, share what I’m discovering, and explore what it really means to live in flow – together.
What You’ll Find Here:
🌱 Honest reflections on unlearning pressure and perfection
🌱 Small, meaningful shifts that help life feel more real and less performative
🌱 Curiosity about what happens when we stop forcing and start flowing
🌱 Permission to take the slow route back to yourself
What You WON'T Find Here:
🚫 Hustle talk, guilt trips, or performative wellness
🚫 Quick fixes or 10-step plans
🚫 Advice that assumes we’re problems to solve
This isn’t about getting it “right.” It’s about waking up — to yourself, to your life, to what actually matters.
About me
Mom of two wild and wonderful girls
Piper (2020) and Callie (2021) keep me humble, overstimulated, and constantly rethinking what it means to live with intention. Parenting them is what cracked me open — and what brought this whole journey to life.
Married to my favorite person
André and I tied the knot in 2023 on our 10-year anniversary. He’s Danish, which means he’s chill about everything. I’m… learning.
American expat living in Denmark
I’ve called Copenhagen home since 2015. I’m raising bilingual, dual-citizen kids and trying to figure out how to blend Midwest roots with Nordic life.
Things I unapologetically love
Wii Mario Kart, chick-lit novels, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, messy gardening, perfectly timed GIFs, and the Iowa Hawkeyes.