Three steps to simplify any activity

Three steps to simplify any activity

My not-so-little-any-more boy recently turned six. We had a party to celebrate. He wanted a big party, if he’d had his way he’d have invited every kid he knows. We compromised on 22.

I’m not going to lie, the prospect of hosting 22 three- to eight-year-olds was daunting! Plus, the timing was fairly awful. Both my husband and I were going to be away (separately) in the lead up to the party and I had a massive work deadline the day before. It could have been a perfect storm of my own making. The kind of thing you avoid if your goal is to banish busyness from your life .

What was I thinking?

I was thinking, “I’ve got this”. Because I knew I did. Over the years of adopting a slow not lazy approach to life , I’ve learnt tips and tricks that help me to cut through the chaos and avoid feeling overwhelmed. I marshalled them all into action to enjoy the birthday party.

Essentially, it comes down to an easy, three step process that you can use to simplify any activity.

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For me, right now: October 2018

Looking back over October, the first half of the month was all about the school holidays.

By a stroke of luck, work schedules aligned so I was able to give myself most of the two weeks off. My days together with Mr 6 reflected my slow not lazy approach.

There was a lot of hanging about at home …

Lots of fun hanging about at home in the October school holidays
Lots of fun hanging about at home in the October school holidays

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Three easy ways to kick-start your decluttering

3 easy ways to kickstart your decluttering

Have you got too much stuff? Do you want to free up some much-needed space and create a sense of calm, but have trouble getting started?

You’re not alone. The thought of sorting through all your junk can be pretty overwhelming. It’s hard to decide where to begin and it’s easy to put it off.

To help get you started, here are three easy ways to overcome common barriers to decluttering.

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For me, right now: September 2018

Summer is on the way. I can tell because I want to scratch my eyes out from all the pollen around at the moment. I’m pretty excited that the days are getting longer and I’m looking forward to getting back into regular evening walks.

For me, right now: September 2018. A round-up of what I've been doing, reading, listening to, making and thinking about this month.
Climbing up to get a first glimpse of your birthday cake

September marks one year since my son started school. The time’s flown by, well apart from the first day. That first day seemed like the longest day of my life. Waiting and waiting to pick him up and find out how it went. I climbed up a bank so I could sneak a peek through his classroom window. I still love it when I arrive early for pick up and get to watch him doing his thing when he doesn’t know I’m there.

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For me, right now: August 2018

I am a bit bleary-eyed as I write this as I’ve just returned from Chicago. I took a short, impromtu trip to help out a family member. While the trip focused on practical matters, we also had plenty of fun.

For me, right now: August 2018 What I've been doing, reading, listening to, making and thinking about.
Can you tell I like pickles? Mustard application needs improvement

I’ve visited Chicago before, so this trip was more about hanging out and appreciating everyday local gems than seeing the sights. I discovered Jeni’s ice cream  and Dovetail brewery. I tried horchata and root beer for the first time. I ate at Chicago Diner  and could do so every day and be very happy. But, the highlight was going to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, a smashing introduction to baseball … plus hotdogs!

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For me, right now: July 2018

For me, right now: July 2008 | Our kitchen and the joy sparking stools
Our kitchen and the joy sparking stools

“Does it spark joy?” For devotees of the KonMari method this is THE defining question as to what you should keep in your home and what you should ditch. I’m not a KonMari devotee – some aspects of her method appeal to me, others, not so much.

What I like about the whole sparking joy thing is the acknowledgement that our attachment to stuff isn’t purely rational. What I don’t like is some of the practices I’ve seen it lead to – what I categorise as rampant updatism. Like getting rid of all your towels, which, until yesterday, were perfectly functional, but now no longer spark joy and must be immediately updated to something more joy sparking.

Well, this month I did some updating of my own and it sparked a ridiculous amount of joy. We have new bar stools and every time I glimpse them I smile. I’m now considering updating something else. Is this the beginning of the end?

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For me, right now: June 2018

For me, right now: June 2018
There have been some cracker winter days

Looking back at June, a clear theme emerges – letting go. At the start of the year, with my son settled into school, I decided to pivot towards more paid work. I told everyone I know that I was looking for contract or freelance work. I crossed my fingers and hoped some work would trickle in. Well, there’s been a steady stream. It caught me offguard. I still consider myself a stay at home mum who works a bit on the side. Well, that was until this month, when some crunching of the numbers revealed I was working virtually full-time and pulling in pay cheques equal to my husband. It isn’t a blip – I’m a working mum now and there had to be changes for that to be sustainable. I couldn’t add in more paid work without letting other things go.

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