Simple Pleasure: Swinging

We took a family walk tonight and wrapped up our family time with a trip to the playground. Sitting nearby, quietly with my husband, I enjoyed watching the kids running and playing. They each learned a new skill at the playground tonight. It is exciting to watch them learn something new. They are growing and eager to show us what they have learned. We watch them thoroughly entertained and clap at their achievements. Later, I notice my daughter is swaying on a swing and I join her. Swinging is a simple pleasure - I don't feel too old to swing, although I am usually the only Mom on the playground doing so! My daughter and I are swinging side by side. It is exhilarating to lean back and stretch my feet high in the air. I have that familiar childhood feeling of my feet touching the tree tops. There is a blend of colors - green grass, green tree tops and the blue sky. I love the feeling of moving back and forth. My daughter is delighted beside me and tries to swing higher than me. It's a liberating experience of flying through the air - free. The wind is gently blowing. My daughter is smiling beside me. All feels right with the world. As I move higher, I quickly glance over at the cement anchors in the ground - they are firm and holding me. I feel safe. I am really high now. Finally, at the pinnacle of my simple pleasure, I get that "grown up" feeling of being too high and have butterflies in my stomach. I need to slow down. The vitalizing feeling is over. I slow down and eventually stop, refreshed from my simple pleasure. The kids relish in Mom swinging like a "big kid" and I feel invigorated having acted like one. =)

Holiday Shopping - Planning Ahead by Decluttering Now!

One of the things I like to do in early December is declutter the kids current toys. I go through their toys to determine which they no longer play with anymore or they've outgrown. I take them either to Goodwill or offer them to a friend. After all, where are you going to put the new things? Make room for them ahead of time. This also gives you an opportunity to declutter. You can also apply this to the kid's clothes if you haven't already gone through them with the change of seasons.

I go through the kids' clothes with each change of seasons. That way I know what they may need for holiday shopping. Then I add those items to a list of potential gifts.

For our family, in keeping these simple, we have choosen to give 3 gifts to each child. It really does keep things simple. We have done this since the beginning so that is what they know. =) When they ask for a lot of things, I ask is this item one of their 3 gifts? I find they are really able to prioritize! What a great skill to teach them now!

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ~Confucius

Just Passing Through

I have just heard this story....of the American tourist traveling through Israel who encountered a rabbi living in a simple room. A bed, table, and chair comprised his furnishings. The tourist was shocked at the rabbi's lifestyle, and asked how he could live with so little. The rabbi in turn asked the American how he could live with only the luggage he brought on his trip. "But I'm just passing through," the tourist protested. The rabbi smiled and replied, "So am I." So are we all.

Living the Simple Life with One Car?

Our family currently has a vehicle under repair. It had much more extensive damage than we originally thought. It has taken a week for the insurance adjuster to come out, look at it and give an estimate. Now it's spent an additional week at the dealership awaiting the part. As of this morning, the part hadn't arrived yet.

Thinking over this situation today, is there anyway to have simplified this process? I am informed by the dealership service advisor - the adjuster approved a used part for the repair. The delay has been receiving that part. So we could have simplified the process by paying more (about $1000 more), receiving the factory part and the repair being completed by now. Or do we continue to just wait and see how much longer this process will take?

I was thinking over this situation today, then I realized the simple life part. I am not in need of this vehicle at this time. It is not really holding me back, not having it. I am still able to do most of the day to day things I do without it. Had I not simplified my life, this may have been a big issue for me. As it is, I have. I have very few activities on the schedule and those activities are local. Simple living in day to day life is working for me.