A Life of Simple JoyReducing stress, increasing joy one post at a time!

Sorry to yell but it is time for you to stop and take time for YOU! As women, we push ourselves to the limit and beyond. We tend to feel guilty taking time for ourselves. Mr. Diva refers to this as “Chick Guilt.” We keep going like that bunny in the commercial. Unfortunately, when our batteries wear out, we try to keep going. This only exhausts us more. Look around at young moms. How many of them seem exhausted all the time? How many seem to get sick easily? Face it, Divas, we are not doing anyone any favors when we push ourselves beyond the point of exhaustion. No one is going to give us a medal for going above and beyond the point of duty.

So, what should we do? Listen to your body! It will tell you when you need a break. When it starts sending those signals, LISTEN! If you don’t, your body will take stronger actions when you become sick. If you still keep pushing ahead, trying to do things when you should be resting, then you will only get sicker. Do you really want to end up in bed for 2 or more weeks? Of course not!

Take some down time occasionally. Rest your body. Veg out in front of the television. Give your mind and body a chance to renew and discover how wonderful you feel when you get back to work. Doing nothing without guilt is a simple joy you and your family. Try it soon!

I have a confession to make: I plan to work REALLY, REALLY hard setting up our company, get everything moving smoothly, then I plan to do NOTHING! Well, not nothing but I want things to work so well that I can stand back and watch it work. See, I am lazy. Not slothful, just lazy. If there is an easy but effective way to do things, that’s for me! I am willing to work hard today if that means I can kick back down the road. And kick back I plan to do.

I know. Some of you are shocked. Well, laziness is high underrated. Pushing ourselves to achieve one goal after another gets old very quickly. We all need time to sit back and watch the world go by. Think of it: a whole day when you do absolutely NOTHING! You can read or watch videos or just go outside and stare at the clouds. Jesus did this. He would work incredibly hard, then go off to recharge His batteries. He even scolded Martha for working so hard rather than relaxing while she visited with Him.

Laziness may not be the trait you want to make primary in your life but it is often overlooked in our lives as women. Tell you what. This Mother’s Day, tell your family all you want is a whole day of nothing! A day when you don’t have to think about all the things you need or want to get done. Shut down for 24 hours. See how renewed and refreshed you feel when the next day comes around. Laziness may become a habit with you. After all, those tasks will still be there when you resurface!

When I was growing up, we didn’t have a car. I was raised by my mom and grandmother and they couldn’t afford a car. Didn’t know how to drive, either. Needless to say, I walked a lot as a kid. I still enjoy walking. I get lost in my thoughts when I walk. time has taught me to walk on a path with no traffic rather than on the street when I need to think. Too many times, I found myself blocks away with no idea how I got there. Which meant I had crossed street without paying attention. YIKES!

These days, I have 2 places I prefer to walk. One is around our neighborhood in Old Towne Orange. It is a large historic district and the houses are fabulous. I walk around the neighborhood when I just need to get out and away from things for awhile. When I need to think, I go down the street to Hart Park. There is a path that goes around the ball fields in the park. A hill is built into the path so it gives me a workout. The park is always busy but quiet enough to allow me to think.

I wander around the path, sorting out my thoughts and ideas. I like to pray as I walk, asking for guidance and clarity. Some days, I lose track of the number of laps I take around the ball fields. I figure this is a good thing. Getting out of myself, being outside, surrounded by other people in various activities. When I finish, I am able to go home and return to the tasks at hand. I have a fresh perspective and I feel more grounded. The fresh air and exercise calm me and give me greater focus.

While I don’t walk most places these days, it’s nice to know I have not lost my love for getting around on foot. That is a simple joy I hope to continue the rest of my life.

We had rain last week. In the rest of the country, rain in the spring is a common occurrence. In southern California, spring rain is not common. Some years, rain isn’t common at any time. That’s why I enjoy it so much. Rain tends to drop the temperature so it seems like autumn even in the spring. I love to sit on our front porch with a book (usually a mystery), a cup of hot coffee and my throw. I snuggle up in a chair and try to read. I am distracted by the rain. I watch the birds on the lawn feasting on the bugs brought to the surface by the rain. I enjoy the smell of the damp earth. I listen to the hiss of tires on the wet street.

Sometimes, I wander down to the park down the street from us. The parking lot in the park becomes a runoff when the rain is heavy. I like to stand on the bridge and watch the water rush over the rocks.

Rain also makes me want to nap. Curling up under the comforter with the window open above my head, I listen to the rain hit the driveway and grass outside. The cool, damp air makes me drift off to sleep. Rain may not come often so I take advantage of it when it visits. A simple joy any time of the year.

It is raining today. Not so unusual if you live in the Midwest where I grew up but a bit off the norm for Southern California, at least this time of the year.

I love the rain. I like the way it sounds outside my office window this morning. I love the way it smells, so fresh and clean. Most of all, I love what it is doing in my garden. When I know we are scheduled for a rare Spring rain, I like to get out in the garden before the sky opens up. I take time to turn the soil around my plants so the rain is able to soak in more effectively. I put in any new plants so they can have a day or two of cool, damp weather before the warm SoCal sun returns. Even more important, I bust out the manure. Yes, I am old-school when it comes to fertilizer. I try to avoid chemicals as much as possible. Don’t like them in my yard. Don’t like them in my ocean. Most of all, don’t like them in my cat. Fido walks around in the garden, gets the chemicals on his paws and then licks it off. YUCK! So, it’s manure for me!

Manure has always been inexpensive at the store but they have lowered the price even more. Such a deal! I put my gloves on (I’m not THAT into manure!) and drag the bags to my yard and garden. Reaching into the bag, I break up the clumps and spread a layer of manure over my grass. I add it around my roses. I spread it in my flower beds. Then I wait for the rain to do its part. Drop by drop, the rain breaks up the manure and carries it into the soil. Between the rain and the manure, my garden plants and grass must feel like they are in paradise. Does the manure smell? Of course! It smells like Spring and that’s a Simple Joy any day!

I don’t have to tell you that times are tough. If you and your family aren’t experiencing difficulties personally, then you have seen the problems on the news and online. Odds are, though, you’re going through some lean times. This leaves you feeling uncertain, even anxious from time to time. This is when you need to call on F*A*I*T*H:

FAMILY: When things are difficult, you must lean on and rely on those closest to you. Be honest with your spouse and children. If money is tight, let them know. You need to get everyone on board if you want this to work. You don’t need to scare your kids, making them think the family finances are about to collapse. However, this is the perfect time to teach your kids about family finance and budgets. If they are old enough, get their input and ideas on ways to economize. Make it a family project. Teach kids how to clip coupons. Let them plan the menu and offer a treat to the one who comes up with the least expensive but nutritious meal. Take the kids along to the grocery store and let them do the shopping. Kids are great when it comes to finding the best bargains. Tell them what the budget is for the weekly grocery shopping, give them the list and let them know something special can be purchased with the money saved. It can be a special dessert or the money can be saved up for a special event for the entire family. This is only one way to teach your kids about budgeting and running a household. Combine your imagination with your kids’ enthusiasm and your family will not only get through the current crisis but also any other difficult times in the years ahead.

When you mention champagne glasses, most people think of a coupe which, legend has it, is in the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast. While these are very traditional glasses for champagne and sparkling wine, I prefer flutes for champagne. The long slender shape of the flute allows the bubbles in the wine to rise elegantly. I believe flutes show sparkling wine off in the best light. Flutes also work well when serving or enjoying Mimosas. I use my martini pitcher to mix Mimosas and then serve in our flutes. Fabulous!

Flutes from Crate and Barrel Oregon Flutes

As you may have noticed, I like to keep things simple. Rather than working harder, I work smarter. I recognize the things my guest appreciate and offer them dishes and techniques that honor them. I have found my guests appreciate clever more than they do complicated.

For Thanksgiving, I either use frozen pumpkin pie I bake or I buy pumpkin pies that are ready to go. To these easy pies, I add 2 touches my guests seem to enjoy.

1. Fresh Whipped Cream: Few people whip their own cream for a fresh topping anymore. It is so easy to do and, surprisingly, it seems to impress people. Most of us use frozen topping or the stuff in the squirt can. It takes little time to whip the cream, giving others the chance to clear the table. See, there is a method to my madness. Make fresh whipped cream for your pie topping this season.
2. Pastry leaves: Again, these are easy to do since you begin with the pre-made refrigerated pie dough. I found this recipe to be very easy: Pastry Leaves Decorate your pies with the leaves to add a professional touch without the hassle. Once again, very simple.

So there you have it. Two easy things to make your pies special. The perfect end to your Thanksgiving of Simple Joy.

A Life of Simple Joy offers women tips, information, advice and products to help them simplify their lives, helping them to reduce stress and increase joy. We are offering a fabulous Christmas of Simple Joy gift set for one winner. All other entries receive a copy of A Thanksgiving of Simple Joy e-book. Gift set items are shown at the end of this post

GIVEAWAY

Here’s your opportunity to win this gift set. To enter, leave a comment (200 words or less) offering your best tip to help other women simplify Thanksgiving. It might be an easier way to prepare, a simple but fabulous recipe, techniques for getting others to help get ready for the holiday, decorating ideas and more.

You can earn optional, additional entries by:

• Becoming a fan of Life of Simple Joy on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook ID.
• Following me on Twitter (@lifeofsimplejoy) and tweeting about this giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL of your tweet. You may tweet once a day. Please leave a separate comment for each tweet.
• Putting a link for A Life of Simple Joy blog on your blog. Post a comment with your blog’s URL.
• Posting this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment with a direct link to the post.
• Listing A Life of Simple Joy blog as one of your Favorites on Technorati. Leave a comment with your Technorati user name.Posting this giveaway on one of the sites listed below this post. Leave a comment with a link to the posting.
• Subscribing to A Life of Simple Joy blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment for each subscription method.
• Join our Life of Simple Joy social network.
• Subscribe to Simple Joy online magazine

One winner will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received by Monday, November 23, 2009, at 11:59 ET and notified Tuesday, November 24, 2009. Please leave an email address on one of your comments. Winners must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn. U.S. residents only.

Halloween is a big event in my neighborhood.  But then, every major holiday is a big event in my neighborhood.  I live in a very large historic district and the very appearance of the neighborhood lends itself to Halloween.  In the days to come, house after house on block after block will begin the process of decorating for the season.  People come from all over the county to bring the children trick-or-treating to our streets.  We make it well worth the trip.

I have already begun my plans for our house.  After I beg my husband into running white Christmas lights across our porch ceiling, I plan to string cobweb from one side of the porch to the other.  A headless man will take his position in my rocker, his pumpkin head on the table nest to him.  Tombstones will dot the front yard and, if I am lucky, a body will occupy one of the gravesites.  This job has been held by my daughter’s friend for the last two years.  I remember last year when the girls took a break for dinner, one child came to the door and demanded to know, “Where’s the body?  We heard you had a body in your yard!”  Good news travels fast.

It takes a couple of weeks to slowly complete the decorating process.  It takes only one day to dismantle the whole thing.  I always begin to get a bit misty as I pull the cobweb off the porch.  I soon cheer up as I remember it will soon be time to decorate for Christmas.  I usually begin humming a Christmas carol as I finish my work.  That is the simple joy of tradition.