When you say the simple life, often an image arises of living on a farm, shopping only at garage sales and Goodwill, and buying food in bulk at a discount place. But, this is not the necessary path to take.

Personally I look to live a quality life.

Quality Food

My mother is a fantastic cook and showed me the differences in food quality. Fresh, organic produce from the farmer’s market in season tastes much better than canned fruits and vegetables from the discount food store. European and quality cheeses tantalize the tongue more than processed cheese slices. A square of Ghiradelli or Droste chocolate delights me more than a candy bar from the checkout line. We rarely get bread from the bread section, but choose bakery bread or bake our own.  Organic milk and brown eggs taste more rich than their regular counterparts.

But, how do we afford the good food? By eliminating as much processed, convenience food as possible. We rarely buy cookies from the store. Homemade taste better anyway. And we don’t often buy chips (although sometimes those lime organic tortilla chips and salsa call my name). I’m trying to get away from boxed pastas and rices full of sodium.

It turns out it doesn’t take much time to make your own flavorful sauces. We grate our own cheese, create our own hamburgers and meatballs, shred our own potatoes for hash browns, and make our own yogurt all saving us money. 

We also don’t buy much meat. None of us have much of a taste for it so we only have meat 3-4 times a week. We don’t buy processed meats like hot dogs or lunch meat. Mainly because we don’t like it.

I didn’t used to cook much at all. We survived on ramen noodles, tuna sandwiches and mac & cheese. To my surprise cooking without convenience foods didn’t take that much time. Especially when you are cooking simple meals. Often our dinner is a piece of grilled meat or fish (on the George Foreman), sauteed vegetables, some kind of fruit, and a piece of bread, a bit of rice or pasta. Most of my meals take less than 30 minutes (usually less then that). I try to spend little time cooking. I didn’t get my mom’s cooking gene. But even I can make these simple, quality foods taste wonderful.

Quality Furniture & Appliances

After two bowing entertainment centers, a bookshelf that barely holds my books and an old laminate kitchen table, I understood why people save for quality furniture. It took a year of saving to get our bed, but it is so comfortable! I haven’t had any back problems since. It took us a year to save for our couch after our old one got threadbare. This couch should last much longer. Our new bookshelf and entertainment center have already outlasted our old ones.

Most of our appliances, when we got this house in ‘99, were as old as we were. And they kept running until a few years ago. When everything broke. At once.

We researched to find the best appliances we could afford.  These are things we use every day and get lots of wear and tear. We want to be able to use them for years.

After our 4th electric can opener died since we’ve been married, we’ve gone back to a hand cranked opener that hasn’t broken once.

Maintenance is so important to making them last. My husband oils, washes, fixes, and replaces parts so our possessions can last longer.

Quality Shopping

I don’t shop for the fun of it, frankly, because I don’t find shopping fun. (Unless it’s a book store.) I only go shopping if I have something specific in mind. I rarely go to garage sales to browse because I don’t need more stuff. And it takes too much time to go to a bunch of garage sales to find what I specifically want.

I know people that love to shop at garage sales and talk with the people there. They find all sort of bargains. Especially on kid’s clothes. They enjoy it so I say go for it if you like it. I never find clothes that fit at them.

Being 4 ft 11 (almost) it’s very difficult to find clothing that fit even at most stores. There are only two stores in my area that have petite sizes so I only go there for clothes shopping and two places online that have styles I like. Shopping only at 4 clothing stores total saves a lot of shopping time.

I don’t have many clothes. We have a small 5 foot long closet I share with my husband. I’ve finally gotten to the point where I love everything in my closet. I used the 1 in 1 out rule to keep the amount of clothes reasonable for my space. And I learned what colors, lines and styles look best on me. (I love What Not to Wear I try to get clothes that last so I don’t have to shop, unless it’s a ‘just this season’ item. I may buy one of those a season as inexpensively as possible. 

I pay more for green cleaners and makeup, for things grown or made locally, and handmade items which reflect my values of caring for the earth and supporting my local stores and artists. It feels good to spend money that line up with your values.

Quality Experiences

I think a quality life has many different experiences. So we do things like get a season pass to the cultural events at the college nearby. Or go to the film festival. We get a state park pass and see how many we can visit in a summer. We buy or find craft supplies so my daughter and I can make art together. And enjoy plays, books and music. If something comes along we haven’t done before, I jump at the chance if it will fit in the budget.

You can have free quality experience as well - getting out into nature, watching the street performers, going to art fairs or local galleries, getting together with friends, volunteering as a family, and saying yes when invited somewhere.

It turns out if you don’t buy a lot of stuff (we certainly don’t have the biggest house, the best decorations or the latest technology), you can buy experiences and memories. Living life instead of maintaining life.

Of course a quality life means different things to different people. That’s why a simpler life is so personal.

What does a quality life mean to you? What are you willing to let go of to get your quality life?

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Photo credits: Wandering Angel, M Baylor, Alicia Nijdam, Marg Nac

The kids left on a mission trip to help with houses in Georgia. I am hoping to get some extra writing time and husband time this week.

1. Work on an incomplete project.
2. Set aside hobby time.
3. Have you been using your declutter calendar? If not, start with today’s date.
4. Clear your mind with journaling or making a list before bed.
5. Gather mail and papers to sort.
6. Pay off your credit cards each month or create/update a debt reduction plan.
7. Get a massage even if you have to swap with someone

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New Simple Self Care Playbook

I got an email from someone saying they would like to do the Simple Self Care Program, but didn’t need the coaching and did I have it in eBook form. I replied, "No I don’t, but that’s a great idea!" So I spent the past few days putting the self care program into a workbook, I mean Playbook.

You can find it right under the Simple Self Care Program:

http://www.encouragingcoach.com/programs-selfcare.htm

(It’s also more affordable if the self-care program was too much.)

1 open coaching spot - 1 spot filled, 1 to go

Having trouble decluttering, simplifying or finishing that project? Would you like one on one accountability and personalized help? Do you feel stuck somewhere and could use support to get through that? How would it feel to be able to move forward on that big goal?

Become a Client

With everyone home right now, I really, really, really needed my retreat this Saturday.

On Friday I listed different ideas of what I could do. Then on Saturday I glanced through the list to see what appealed to me during the day.

I began with some yoga. For breakfast I had fresh Michigan strawberries and homemade yogurt.

I had an extended quiet time of prayer, reading and doing some questions (like these). During my quiet time I had some insights about a project I have been working on so I created a mind map of it.

Then I made my own superhero. (And no you can’t see it - you would blow my secret identity.)

I checked up on my boundaries to see where I needed to strengthen them.

Then I felt like writing some postcards to friends and family.

For lunch I savored farmer’s market deep green swiss chard with bright yellow stems, soup, fresh nectarines with farmer’s market cherries and soft vienna bread with a dab of butter.

For fun I did the circle page in Keri Smith’s Wreck This Journal. And wished a couple friend’s Happy Birthday.

I created a healthy meal plan for the month and a new desktop wallpaper for July.

I enjoyed doing a visual journaling page.

And finally I did some monthly planning.

By the time the family got home for dinner, I was feeling renewed and positive.

I had been getting up later and later. Which mean working later and later. And playing less.

Our eating here has been sporadic. I haven’t felt my best and neither has the rest of the family.

I let go of any schedule it seems since the kids have been out of school. Perhaps I needed to relax them for awhile.

But I felt I needed to add a bit of rhythm to my days and came up with just a few things.

Mornings

Now at 7 am I wake up and do exercise.

Then it’s  breakfast, a few morning chores and planning for dinner.

Some quiet time before getting dressed.

Work

I’m at my desk for work by 9:00. I plan my work and begin with the most important work.

I’ve limited email to 10:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 7:00pm.

Meal Times

These will help me from grazing all day. Or notice as I am working that it’s 2:30pm and I haven’t eaten lunch yet.

Breakfast is at 7:30

Lunch at 11:30

Small snack at 2:30

Dinner at 6:00

and fruit or something small for dessert at 8:30

Evening

And I reimplemented an evening routine an hour before bed of journaling, taking a shower and reading or snuggling.

And this rhythm will leave us more time to play, explore and relax.

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Photo Credit: Lepiaf Geo

I think some people have the impression that simple living is, well… boring.

I believe it’s just the opposite. Once you quit doing or simplifying things you don’t want to do - overworking, dealing with too many possessions, running a zillion errands, chairing a committee you don’t even like - you have more time to do what you do enjoy.

One of the benefits of simple living is being able to follow your curiosity. Many adults have had curiosity squished out of the them. After all, why bother getting curious about something if you have no time to follow up with it.

Curiosity is an emotion related to natural inquisitive behaviour such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and many animal species. The term can also be used to denote the behavior itself being caused by the emotion of curiosity. As this emotion represents a drive to know new things, curiosity is the fuel of science and all other disciplines of human study. - Wikipedia

When you have a schedule broken down into 15 minute increments and something catches your eye, you have to stuff down that curiosity to keep with The Plan.

There is no space in your calendar for meandering walks and questions like, "Which way do I want to go?" You already know to get to where you’re going you have to take quickest way possible so you can get to the next thing on your list.

But, curiosity is one of the things that makes us feel fully alive. You get excited. You find different passions as you explore life. You keep your brain active and don’t do the same thing day after day. Curiosity allows you to look at things in different ways, ask questions to come up with better ideas, and share discoveries with others.

What would your life be like if you could go off on tangents? Or spend an hour researching something you are interested in at your library? Or take a class in something you think you might like, but aren’t sure you will like?

You could take a different route than the usual road. You could explore the foreign food section in the grocery store instead of sprinting down the aisles. You could stop and chat with that person who looks like they would be interesting. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to experiment or explore just because it is fun to do, instead of needing a specific product, outcome, or skill.

As you go through your day today, see where you feel a spark of curiosity. If you can’t look into it further right now, make a note of it. Even if you don’t have time at that moment to explore, you might be able to at another time. Keep making notes of things you are curious about. When you have a free evening or a couple hours on the weekend, you can get out your notes. Then you can explore, learn and feel really alive.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning… Never lose a holy curiosity."
Albert Einstein

Wow between my computer going out and my basement being flooded this week didn’t turn out how I had planned. But, do they ever?

1. Say yes when someone offer you help.
2. Eliminate one stressor in your life.
3. Establish no email periods like after 8pm or Sunday afternoons.
4. Sit down at the table when you eat.
5. Notice your pace.
6. Know your limits.
7. What is your intention for this week?

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1 open coaching spots

Having trouble decluttering, simplifying or finishing that project? Would you like one on one accountability and personalized help? Do you feel stuck somewhere and could use support to get through that? How would it feel to be able to move forward on that big goal?

Become a Client

Friday West Michigan got hit with a major thunderstorm. My family and I sat on our front porch watching the rescue workers help people that stalled or lost control on our flooded street. Police bracketed it  off so people couldn’t come down.

A nearby street that was washed out

Lightning was brilliant -  illuminating everything briefly. And the thunder boomed right after it. We knew the storm was right on top of us. We wondered at the power.

The water covered the street, then the sidewalk and was inching up the grass. My husband decided to check in back and discovered our backyard was a lake. He rushed downstairs and saw water leaking in. He quickly turned off the electricity to the basement and the gas.

We all raced and got what we could off the ground.

By morning we had 10 inches of rain in our basement. Besides a couple small laundry floods our basement has never flooded since we’ve moved in here in 1999. It ended up taking a day and 1/2 to pump the water out as we had to pump out the backyard too to keep it out of our basement.

We spent Sunday moving things outside to dry or get thrown out. We had a whole trailor of stuff that was ruined - boxes, the carpet, books, holiday decorations, papers. It actually felt good to get some of the lesser used things out of here. So we decluttered some more. My daughter let go of 3 garbage bags of craft stuff she had outgrown. More toys were put with the garage sale stuff and I got rid of even more paper.

It was not a cheap weekend - 2 pumps, a dehumidifier, putty for the concrete basement, shelving to keep everything off the floor, new filters and pizza since we were too tired to cook. Our lawn mower, snow blower, leaf blower and other equipment were completely submerged in the shed. We are still waiting for them to completely dry to see if they work. And of course no flood insurance.

By the end though, our basement is going to be totally decluttered and a nicer place to be. Opportunity floods.

My computer was dragging and numerous scandisks, virus scans, ad-aware scans and disk defrags didn’t do anything.

Time to start over. After my husband wiped the computer, I only installed the programs I use regularly and will install the others if I need them. It’s much easier to find the programs I want quickly.

I also decided not to add many Firefox extensions to keep my browser faster.

We use Retrospect for daily, automatic backups.

To make things easier when I re-install or use a backup I keep a list of what computer programs I have and where I got them (CD, download, etc.)

It’s so nice to have a clean desktop again. I also have on my Google calendar monthly to go through my desktop.

Another tip that makes things faster for me is I drag websites I visit every day to my browser tool bar. (You drag from the graphic left of the URL). You need to make sure the toolbar is unlocked.

And in my Windows XP, I add programs I use every day to my bar at the bottom. First, I unlock the toolbar. Then I pull the .exe graphic of the program I am using to the toolbar at the left. I also make sure show desktop is there.

If you use your computer, but don’t know how to do the basics like install programs, personalizing your computer or find things you have downloaded - you might want to take a few minutes to do some internet research and practice your computer skills. Most of the time the computer skills are easier than you think, it’s the fear of technology that makes it difficult to learn.

How can you simplify your computer?

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Photo Credit: Doug Wood

I love reading blogs, inspirational newsletters, good twitter posts, magazine articles. I love listening to informative audio.

But, for the rest of the summer I’ve decided not to listen to another audio until I glean actions out of my current audios. I will not read every blog post in my feeder, instead implement what my starred posts.

I want to have time to read an item slowly and contemplate. I want to make decisions and think thoughts for myself, not just listen to what others think.

I want to spend less time on email. More time contemplating, enjoying and being. I want to dive deep this summer.

It’s a lovely time to get outside here in Michigan. We’ve been enjoying hiking, the zoo and getting out the old croquet set.

1. Admit when you are wrong. Or at least that the other person could be right.

2. Empty your purse or wallet daily.

3. Commit to a quitting time for work.

4. Schedule play time with your spouse or a friend.

5. Use dividers in an out of control drawer.

6. Rotate toys and put some out of the way.

7. How are your exercise and eating habits?