On Sunday I was told to 'lighten up'. Excuse me?!?! Am I not the epitome of fun? Apparently not. Or at least the Hubby thinks not. Is he the only one? ...
Life simplification
Getting Your House In Order
On Monday I attended a funeral. It was a sad and unexpected occasion. Part of the service concentrated on how such untimely deaths (and death generally) can focus the mind. The priest spoke about how death reminds us we aren't infinite beings and to not waste time on the mundane. Even if, for some, that reminder is fleeting. "One day you will wake up and ...
Spring Cleaning / Let The Big Declutter Commence
There are many possible origins to the term 'Spring Cleaning'. A quick search on Google will uncover most of them. But my very favourite, and the one I always use as my point of reference dates back to prehistoric times. "Spring cleaning origins probably most date back to prehistory, and represent the time when it was easiest to conduct a good cleaning of ...
5 Years On Am I Living Better?
It dawned on me, last Thursday, I'd reached a milestone. Had I achieved a million hits on Simply Being Mum? No, not quite, although that would be lovely. It was my 5th anniversary. Of what? Getting married? Moving house? Giving up coffee (unlikely...)? It was the 5th anniversary of choosing to live a family life simply done. ...
Memories Amidst The Clutter
"Sometimes you've got to let everything go...purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything...whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out." Tina Turner The state of our garage was beginning to get the Hubby down. It's being used as a holding bay. As redundant ...
The Definition Of Clutter
Last week was a strange week. A couple of things happened, out of the blue. On Thursday I met a stranger, who among other things, told me how he never buys anything he doesn't use. He'd recently purchased antique crystal wine glasses at auction - not as an investment, but to enjoy. It was a pleasure to talk to this person. It's a conversation that will ...
Beware Of Project Clutter
I had a rare summer-holiday-day without the Kids last Friday. Carpe Diem! I siezed the day, and the opportunity to tackle this. Our home is now relatively clutter-free. It's been a long-slow-steady-stroll toward a more minimalistic home over the last few years, and although not perfect, it has improved greatly. But still I can create clutter. In fact ...
Lessons From Leo
27 February 2009 was a day that changed my life. As uneventful as the day seemed, at the time, it was the start of a journey toward a different type of family life. A simpler family life. I won't bore you with the detail as it's likely you've heard it all before, but if it not - click here. Who'd have thought a short stroll, and buggy-push, to the local ...
Meetings? For The Office, Home Or Both?
Leading a simple family life doesn't mean you don't do anything. There are always things to be done. Running a home can be incredibly involved and time-consuming. Now as one who is very conscious of how time is spent, I'm always looking for ways to make laborious tasks more efficient. “Time is what we want most,but what we use worst.” - William Penn ...
Back To Simple Reality
I've been away with the fairies of late. (Cake decorations from my daughter's 1st birthday cake, over 7 years ago. I'm such a sentimental hoarder!) I mean - literally away with the fairies, or should that be vampires? 4 seasons of True Blood have been devoured over the last few weeks. We're talking just shy of 40 hours - yep you read that right! Hardly any ...