It's the simple things

“It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.”

―Paulo Coelho

 

Life is made of ups and downs, serious and light moments, impactful days and boring mundane moments.  But in the midst of it all, it's the simple things that are the most extraordinary.  Exactly how Paulo Coelho says it.  And when we accept that, and start to follow it, everything we encounter and are forced to deal with, become much easier to accept. 

 

I've talked about the simplicity of life, my journey to find it and how much I enjoy living life in the simplest of ways.  I hold on to days gone by, to the way things used to be done.  My great grandmother Ema very often comes to my mind and I feel this overwhelming sense of love and peace.  I remember the things she did, the way she lived each moment, and I want so much to do the same.

 

Living simply or rather, enjoying the simple moments, doesn't have to be complicated.  Our joy isn't measured by the big events, the earth shattering happenings, but rather in the every day things that surround us.  In those things that we often overlook because they seem to blend into our surroundings.  So I want to show you the things that bring me the most joy, the simple things that I'm referring to, encourage you to look around your own home and life and start taking notice.  You'll be surprised how it will start changing your mood and shifting your mind from negative to positive.

 

Sometimes it's the snippets of prettiness even in your kitchen.  Yes I have real plants everywhere in my home, but I also have artificial popped in random places here in there.  I don't mind using something that is not real.

 

If you were to ask me what the theme is in my house, I would tell you that I don't have one.  I just keep things that I like.  I am more of a color theme rather than a specific genre kind of girl.  So you won't see Farmhouse, French, Americana or whatever, I tend to see a color and try to go with that for the rest of the room.

 

Sometimes the simple things are just brewing coffee the old fashioned way, the way I would sometimes see my great grandma and grandma, make.  The whole process is very simple and yet calming and beautiful.

Little pops of color here and there.  White, blue, green, plants and flowers and pretty little dishcloths hanging ever so precariously on a cabinet.

An inexpensive but yet sweet egg holder for the refrigerator.  It's simple, it's cute, it's functional and again, it makes me smile and brings me joy.

Sometimes it's in the simple candle burning on a bookshelf, nestled into a gorgeous book.  A candle that is themed after one of your absolute favorite Jane Austen characters, Mr. Darcy, of course.

 

I will never understand how a candle can bring so much coziness and contentment to my life.  It's a glass container with wonderful scented wax.  To the naked eye or the technical mind, it is nothing to get excited about, but my goodness, does it make me smile.

Often times the simplicity of crochet is enough to bring warm feelings of happiness.  I have always found crochet to be very calming.  If I'm having a difficult time, I will grab my hook and yarn, work on a row or two of my current blanket and it immediately puts my mind at ease.

 

Of course, the beauty of the blanket itself is simple yet impactful.

Blooms in spring, reminding us that new life is emerging.  Reminding us to step outside, to breathe in the sweet scent from the peach tree, and the plum tree.  Something so simple, it's just a pop of green, a little leaf turned into a tiny flower bursting with color.  Yet, again, the simplicity of it is what makes a difference.

And sometimes it's a corner in your house.  An entryway shelf, with random bits and bobs, but yet it brings your eye to the beauty of the plant, the deer print, the cute candle and the hyacinths starting to bloom.

Or the little pretty flower garland, careless strung above the curtain rod.  Nothing extravagant, nothing expensive, nothing wow inducing, yet for me, the colors, the mixtures of textures, the whole thing together make this window one of my favorite places in the house.

 

You don't need to live in an expensive home, you don't need to live in a museum, you don't need to remove all the things that signify coziness and simple.  It's a home, it's where you live, where you seek shelter and sustenance, where you rest your weary body, share moments with your family, raise your children, eat a heartwarming meal.  Allow your home to love you, as you love it.  

 

It doesn't mean a messy, unorganized place, but it also doesn't mean you need to remove everything in sight.

 

I think this is where I struggle with the modern definition of simplicity.  It's become synonymous with getting rid of everything, going down to the bare minimum, and creating a place that feels so unwelcoming not only to guests but to those who live within those walls.  They think cozy means clutter, and that's not true at all.

 

Anyway, this is what I think simplicity means for me.  What does it mean for you?  Do you also live a simple cozy life?

{ Perspective - Quiet days indoors }

We have been indoors since March 18th, but it is beginning to feel like it's been the whole year of 2020.  As the world continues to turn outside, as everyone continues to battle this unseen enemy, as we are watching our days turning into weeks of staying home, it is easy to start feeling overwhelmed and smothered.

I'm a homebody, I love being in my home, and I am quite alright being on my own.  Generally.  But even I am starting to feel slightly cabin feverish.

So when I start feeling that way, I take a step back and shift my perspective from feeling as if I'm imprisoned, to feeling like God is showing us all a new normal, a new way of life.   He is at the forefront and center, where faith is our guiding light, and where our old normal is changing into a new much different, but better way of life.

As mentioned in previous posts, I believe that we are to take this time inside, to better ourselves, to learn a new skill, or perhaps to change our perception and perspectives about life in general.

See perception is a funny thing, we can both be staring at the same thing and be put into the exact same situation, and still come out feeling completely different.

When we change the way we look at things, we start embracing them.  Our stress starts diminishing, our thoughts are no longer clouded by negativity, and we begin experiencing life in a completely different way.

There are so many things that we can not do at the moment.  Things that would require being outdoors, or visiting certain stores for supplies.  The answer is not to sit in our homes worrying, thinking, watching the news continuously, and replaying in our minds what we used to have and what we were allowed to do before the lockdown began.

We have to accept the things which we can not change or have no control over, and turn them into creative, positive experiences.

Remember that He takes what the enemy meant for evil, and He turns it for good.

I don't want to look back in a few weeks, and realize that the time I was forced inside was wasted worrying or stressing.  I want to look back and be amazed at what I accomplished even while under certain limitations.

And so I move about my days with a purpose.  I don't let time dictate my schedule though, after all, there is nowhere to go and no appointments to keep.  In turn, I allow myself to do what I want to do, relearn old skills and research new ones.  Try new things, whether it be a new recipe for sourdough starter, or how to take care of a new to you plant.

I spend more time looking out my windows and discovering things I never knew.  Like the one species of bird that apparently has been living in my own backyard for years, yet I didn't realize it because I was always so busy running back and forth.

We lived in a way that pushed us to fill every second of our day with some sort of activity.  Children were enrolled in multiple extra curricular activities after school, and never really got the chance to slow down, to be kids.  I'm not saying that they should be indoors 24/7, but maybe find balance where before it didn't exist.

I used to struggle with being still, with resting, with being quiet or even reading a book.

Society makes you feel that unless you are being productive, or appearing to be productive, every minute of the day, you are a lazy person.  And so sitting down and doing nothing, was never an option, for the guilt of it was sometimes overbearing.

I've since changed my perspective, there's that word again.  I've taken it slow, I've moved about my days with no rush, doing the tasks that are needed with a slowness to them.  What I have learned is that it has taught me to appreciate everything I have, that much more.

I'm sipping tea or having an iced coffee, mid afternoon, without keeping an eye on the clock for fear of missing something or needing to be somewhere at a specific time.

I've been nursing my plants, giving them more attention and in turn, they have been growing beautifully as if thanking me for the time I'm giving them.

We are in a time where we need to embrace the simplicity of living.  I've often talked about living simply, taking an example out of our ancestors pages, and though living in modern times, trying to scale back at home, living within or means, living simply.

I did a small load of washing and I could have popped in the dryer to get quicker results.  Instead I chose to take it outside where the afternoon sun was brightly shining.  It would take about an hour for the clothes to be dried, but it made me appreciate the sun and the warmer temperatures, and the fact that a simple act of washing laundry could bring me so much joy.

I feel that we've been forced to take note of the things we had in our lives.  Those same things we saw as essential and very much needed a few weeks ago, are now some of the things we are being forced to live without, and yet we are surviving and some are even thriving in this new found slowness.

Maybe now is the time to think back on the things you surround yourself with, and when the country opens back up and we are back outside, with no restrictions, which of those things are you going to allow back into your space?

Baking bread, rolls and all sorts of goodies, has become a normal daily activity.  Family favorite recipes, and new to us recipes scoured on the internet and cookbooks.  Learning new techniques, polishing old ones and then sitting back and reaping the rewards.

I am facing each day as it comes, with no clear plan or routine in place.  I'm allowing myself to do whatever is needed at the moment, to shift some priorities to a later date, to put down that vacuum and play with my dog, or to set aside the pile of laundry to be ironed, for an hour on the bed, reading.

Our imposed downtime needs to be looked at as a pause.  Our bodies needed the rest, our minds needed refreshing and our souls needed replenishing.

I'm looking at this downtime as a way to be more resourceful.  If I cook a chicken, I make sure to save the broth for future meals.  As we clean up the yards and trim down tree branches, we chop them into firewood for when needed.

I cook meals that I don't make as often because they're time consuming, but all we have is time now so why not?

Things have been removed from our lives which leave a few with a feeling of not having enough, or doing without.  Again, perception!

It is a time to get creative, to expand our thinking, to use what we have in new ways and to learn to be resourceful.

To take the extra time to put together a meal, or to brew that cup of tea in an actual teapot, set a pretty table setting, and sip it while reading a favorite book.

It is not what we have but what we do with it.

I for one am finding a renewed zest for life.  I start each morning by thanking God for giving me breath and allowing me one more day with my family.  I am kicking out negative feelings the minute they start to creep in.  I'm enjoying that cheeky chocolate while sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing at all.

I'm listening to my children and in doing so, because we are not rushed, we are learning so much more about each other. 

I watch a storm roll in and see it develop overhead, taking notice of the clouds, the first lightning strike or the cracking boom that seems to shake us to the core. 

I'm taking notice of the birds chirping, watching them building their nests and then snuggling in to provide warmth and safety for their newly laid eggs.

For once in our lives, I am witnessing a quietness outdoors, fresh air that seems to fill our lungs to the max, wildlife happily living without fear.  It is a quietness that is balanced with the quietness in our homes and hearts.

It is balance, and that was very much needed in this world.

Perspective, perception, embrace it and grow through it. 

Very soon all of this will be in our past, but what we learn from it and take forward is what matters the most.

{ Taking back our homes - Living Simply }

 Tasha Tudor

“I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare.”
― Tasha Tudor

{ A Blessings Jar and the snow has melted }

I strive for a simple life, one where there is not too much confusion around me, too many materialistic things, and more homey, cozy and homemade.  Those little touches that some people call gaudy or old fashioned, are exactly what my soul is attracted to.  I've said many times before that I think I was born not only in the wrong country but in the completely wrong era, and as the years go by, I am more and more convinced of that.

Every day, I try to do something that keeps that thought in the front of my mind.  It doesn't really matter what it is, it could be baking bread, making a crochet doily, using a meat grinder just like the one my great grandmother used to have, or even hanging clothes out to dry.

I'm actually going to be talking about this a little more in an upcoming post, about how I am ready to take back my life from the modernized world we live in.