Living Simply October Challenge: Day 21 Rest

     Today's challenge is simply this: Take time to REST when you need it. Today I woke up feeling kind of sick and had a headache for the first time in a long time. I had a list of things I originally wanted to do today, and some I "should" do to make a few other people happy - but...
 I needed to take time to REST and feel better or else I wouldn't do a good job at anything.

     This holiday season, you too may find yourself feeling under the weather, or stressed out, or over-tired. Give yourself permission to rest a little to get yourself back to good health.

     Also, remember when others need time to rest for various reasons during this season of busyness, give them the time to also get back on their feet without adding to their trouble with guilt, manipulation, or pushing them beyond what they really can handle.

     Let this holiday season be a time of not only purpose, intentionality, giving, love, relationships, and simplicity - but also let it be a time of peace and serenity. Everyone needs a little time to themselves now and then. I challenge you to start with you - give yourself permission to rest when you need it. If you've been stepping up to these baby step challenges to live a more simple life, then you've earned the right to rest when you feel it's necessary before moving on to the next challenge. Peace.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 20 Be Creative!

     Today's challenge is to simply take a look at all these minimalist, simple living, easy, do it yourself holiday decoration photos - and pick one to duplicate (or something similar). BE CREATIVE! You don't need to spend lots of money - or take lots of time - to have simple, elegant, yet festive holiday decorations - and you can alter these ideas to fit your specific holiday, faith, event, home, or style. Check out these easy ideas:

You can have a lights tree to take up less space.

You can decorate a tree with pine cones & lights.

Create a tree with lights, twigs, & a jar or large vase

Fill vases with popcorn or lentils, add a candle.

Top a table with a vase full of unused bulbs & ornaments.

Use acorns and white candles for a formal or natural look.

Take advantage of cheap candy corn for a centerpiece.

Decorate a window with simple short strings of lit stars.

3 large boxes wrapped nice on the front porch adds a special touch.

Simple paper cutouts turn a door into a snowman.

Lights, anything you have laying around in a vase can be decor.

What's easier than a simple jar & a paint marker? Add a tea light.

Use mittens to decorate a door, wreathe, or tree.

Clothes pins, a wire hanger, green paint, and a bow. And you can use the pins to hold Christmas cards

     So challenge yourself today (or this weekend) to make one of these simple, inexpensive projects.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 19 Remember

     Today's challenge is short and simple. This holiday, REMEMBER THE LONELY. Take time to schedule a visit or phone call with someone you know will be lonely this holiday season. It may be an aging parent or grandparent, a college student who can't get home because of work, the neighbor you know has no friends or family over and is alone, the single person who's always home alone, the coworker with no family in your area, or people at church with no family nearby. Today, list those people and put something in your future schedule so they don't get forgotten. Be there for them. Show them you care. Most suicides happen on New Year's Day more than any other time of the year. Let lonely people know they aren't alone this season. Include someone special in your plans.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 18 Local

     This holiday season, regardless of what holiday or holidays you'll be celebrating, what about enjoying the LOCAL events? Many communities offer celebrations, parades, sales, ceremonies, services, and events during this time of year. Why not look to see if you can find something locally that you can bring friends or family to so they can learn something new and have fun in the process?

     If your holiday has a customary gift exchange, then try shopping LOCAL this year. Try all the little local places like book stores, thrift and gift stores, gift certificates for the non-franchised family restaurants, diners, and coffee shops. Help keep the money in your own community as well as keeping those local businesses (and their families) in business.

     Most communities have some type of church, temple, city building, or specific community center (like a Jewish Community Center/JCC) that has holiday events that are open to anyone - often for free or a small donation. Why not take in another culture for an evening? There's usually music, some type of performance, display, or event to share what others' celebrate. Sometimes there's even food to try that's special to that holiday - there's so much you can learn.

  There's almost always stuff for the kids to do
locally too! There's usually a bunch of ballets, symphonies, plays, and other things put on by either local groups, especially local groups of children that have been rehearsing for months. Even public, private, and charter schools put on holiday events for the public, often for free. Why not support your neighbors and their children this holiday season? Simply call the schools, or email them and just ask if and what they have going on in December.

 So I guess today's challenge is to find some local things to do and support - and to challenge yourself to take in one new cultural event this holiday season.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 17 Health

     Health is something the entire world needs more of, and you can find it while living a simple life. Today's challenge is to start being more intentional about your lifestyle. Take baby steps towards a healthier YOU. Here's a few small changes to keep in mind and incorporate so that you'll get through the holidays better - and start the new year off in better health than you are in now.

1.  Veggies - I know most people don't love vegetables, but there's no real way around it if you want to be healthy. They contain vitamins and minerals that you can't get from other foods. Before you say you'd rather just take a pill, understand that most vitamins cannot be absorbed by the body, they pass right through. Sure, there are some high end ones that actually DO get absorbed, but if you aren't willing to eat some vegetables, you're probably not willing to pay those higher prices either. Quick true story...someone we know worked for a septic system company. He used to clean them out and see a particular #1 selling brand vitamin in the systems, still with the company name stamped on them. Not to be gross, but obviously it's passing right through without any absorption. Don't waste your money - eat veggies. Maybe make a saucer of carrots, broccoli, and celery with some hummus instead of a bag or chips or bowl of popcorn next time you're watching a movie or tv. Simple. Effective.

2.  Move - Get moving every day. Be intentional. Park a little further from the door, take the stairs, do a few push ups or sit ups when you first wake up, do a short workout a few times a week, walk either before you start your day or after supper - or even during your lunch break. Bike with your kids. Bowl with your friends. Take a spin class at the local gym. Borrow a DVD from someone to workout. Hike on your day off. It doesn't matter WHAT you do, just do something more than you were doing before. Be intentional.

3.  Junk food - Avoid it. You know very well that when you're eating fast food, baked goods, candy, and chocolate that you aren't doing something good for your health. You know there's nothing healthy about sugar-laden (nor ones with toxic-laden artificial sweeteners) soft drinks. You know eating a bag of chips is bad for you. Switch to healthier alternatives if cutting them out cold turkey isn't a realistic option for you. Instead of a burger, order a grilled chicken sandwich and skip the fries. Eat a piece of fruit for break or snack instead of hitting the vending machine. Buy almonds or peanuts from vending machines instead of junk. Try healthier ice creams like Halo Top or Enlightened - lots of protein, natural sweeteners, less calories and fat. Instead of traditional chips or fritos, maybe switch to pea pod crisps. 

4.  Salad alternatives - If you hate salad, try a quick stir fry. Just buy a bag of cole slaw mix, throw it in a hot pan with about a teaspoon of sesame oil on medium-high heat. Add  broccoli florets first, since they take a bit longer.  Then add pea pods, bean sprouts, bell pepper strips, maybe a small amount of cashews, and any other veggies you think might taste good with it. Season it with a bit of soy sauce, ginger, salt & pepper. Takes about 5 minutes just to warm everything through. Healthy as a salad, but tastes very different. Also, try making a salad of some type of lettuce, spinach, or a mix. Then add fruit - like berries, apple or pears diced up, or mandarin orange segments. Then add some cheese - shredded, grated, soft cheese like goat cheese, or even sharp cheddar cubes. Last, add some crunch for texture. You can add sunflower seeds, a small amount of nuts, croutons, or some type of bacon (or imitation made from soy) bits. It's healthier than most American's typical meal loaded with fat, sodium, calories, carbs, and very little nutritional value. Be creative.

5.  Water - drink more of it. Water is essential to our bodies and most people don't drink enough. If you aren't getting 8 cups a day or more, start today to work towards that goal. It can be as easy as drinking a tall kitchen glass (usually they're 16 oz) in the morning, and again with each of your 3 meals. This way it aids in digestion, and you're not feeling sluggish trying to drink it all day long. You can replace anything on top of that 8 cups with unsweetened tea, coffee that's unsweetened or sweetened naturally with Stevia, xylitol, or Monk fruit. Just be very careful not to load up on the half & half, and don't use sweetened, flavored creamers. Make your own at home with natural sweeteners, cream, and extracts. 

6.  Accountability - Find an accountability partner. It can be someone you're close to that will either do active things with you, someone you can cook with, or someone you call or text at the end of a day or week to be accountable. It can even be someone on social media, like a Facebook friend, Twitter friend you follow, an Instagram buddy, or if you're still using it - you can email a friend or relative regularly. Challenge yourself today to incorporate these baby steps into your life. You'll be thankful on January 1st that you already started and have made some headway. Good luck in your quest for better health. 

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 16 Cleaning

     Today's challenge, which you can do any day this week, is to really take the time to get in some good, deep cleaning around the home. Before the holidays come, you'll want your home to be clean for when your guests come visit. It doesn't take much money, in fact, if you search online you'll find thousands of recipes for cleaning products that only use household items like lemons, baking soda, white vinegar, and things like lavender, rosemary, or essential oils for adding scents around the home.
Here's a list of some "forgotten" areas of the home that only take a few minutes. You can set aside a morning or afternoon to do all of these, or just do a few minutes each day working through the list until they're done:

1.  Porch/Entryway/"Curb Appeal" - This is the first area people see when they come to your home. If you're in an apartment it's outside your door, and the entryway. In a larger home, it may include the foyer. For this area, remove all things that don't belong there & put them away. Get rid of piles of leaves from the corners of the porch or entryway. Clear away cobwebs (unless you're decorating for Halloween, then this can wait). Dust the railings, wipe your door clean, replace any burnt out light bulbs, sweep, mop, or vacuum your entryway, depending on the flooring you have. Make room in your coat closet for guests' coats, and add a welcoming, simple touch - maybe a wreathe made from twigs, pine cones & leaves, or a welcome mat, or a funny sign, maybe a plant on the porch, just keep it simple and inexpensive.

2.  Next work on the next room guests enter. This could be your living room, dining room, or even your kitchen. Work on the other 2 areas after that. This may be done a little each day for a few days so it's not overwhelming.

Living room - clean out the clutter, wash the windows, wipe the walls and baseboards, remove cobwebs in the corners, dust the window sills, clean under the cushions, do the floors, polish furniture, straighten out bookcases, entertainment centers, and shelves, dust artwork/photo frames.
Dining room - clear the table, find a pretty, simple centerpiece, remove what doesn't belong there, dust the china cabinet if you have one, dust & water plants, do the floors - especially under the table.
Kitchen - Clean out your fridge, toss outdated/old stuff, wipe down inside and out, clean out your microwave, clear the clutter from the counter tops and island if you have one, wipe your stovetop, clean fingerprints off walls, dust lights/ceiling fans,

3. Guest/Hall bathroom(s) - Clean the tub/shower, wipe counters, clean mirrors and mirrored surfaces like faucets, clean the toilet, empty the trash, remove whatever isn't absolutely necessary from the counters, have clean towels int here for drying hands after guests wash them, clean the rug, mop the floor. You may want to add either an air freshener or a can of air deodorizing spray. Stock towels for guests to shower if they'll be staying overnight.

4. Guest room/spare bedroom - Dust & clear cobwebs, vacuum or sweep the floor, wash the window, make the bed so it looks "ready for guests", clean mirrors, empty any trash, polish the furniture, put away any stray items, wash curtains if necessary.

5.  Last - your own bedroom, because you deserve to live and relax in a nice, clean space too. Just follow the steps for the spare bedroom for your own, including putting away those stray items. Maybe straighten your closet out too, or some drawers.


If you also have a laundry room, office, den, 3 season porch, etc - you know what needs to be done there as well once you've gone through this list. If they really need it, you could shampoo the carpet in your home too. You could find a local service offering a good deal this time of year before they get busy, or rent a machine and do it yourself. A quick google search should help you find somewhere close to home pretty quick.

Once your home is not just de-cluttered, but also CLEANED, you can relax more when everyone else is scrambling to get it all done at once. Begin the challenge today - it's so worth it when you're done.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 15 Celebrate

   

 Today my post is late because it's my mom's birthday. When living simply and intentionally, I prioritize what, and who, is most important, especially in the moment. Today, it's her. I took her out for lunch after church, then while we were out, I arranged to have my brother and daughter get her a cake & card so we could surprise her after we got home. She never expected anything more after lunch, so it was a nice surprise. My daughter even got her a small gift card for a place close to home she would like to go to once in a while to eat. Today's challenge is to CELEBRATE something.

   

 Can you celebrate a birthday or anniversary this week? A friend getting a promotion or new job? A student who did well on a test? A spouse who did something good at work? What about welcoming a new neighbor to the area? Find someone or something to celebrate. Sometimes we're new to the area and aren't close to family or friends yet. Could you celebrate accomplishing something on your own? You're worth celebrating too.

   

 It doesn't have to be fancy. It can be simple. Celebrate with a picnic, cup of coffee together, enjoying tea together with a simple dessert, go see a movie with someone, grab a drink after work with the one you're celebrating. If celebrating something you did, you've earned the right to a nap, or a night in/out depending on what would be something different. You could treat yourself to a manicure or a massage. Maybe it's tickets to something? Be creative.

     

Many people ask me about minimalism and living a simple life and they automatically think it's a life of sacrifice, doing without the basics of life, a miserable, boring, lonely existence. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's not about living in an empty, cold, cement cell with nothing but a bare mattress on a bed frame. Fill your life with moments to treasure, people to be in relationships with, and joy-filled occasions for memories that last a lifetime. Today, I challenge you to find someone or something to celebrate this week. It's not expensive, it's not time consuming, it's intentionally celebrating this life we're living. Enjoy!