Thoughts on Simple Living

Merissa has a great post on her blog Little House Living about simple living and is it even possible in today's world.  It's a great post, and she has a great blog so hop on over there and give it a read.

And then come back.  I'll wait.

You're back?  Good.

I agree completely that living simply is something we can do even now in the world of instant at our fingertip touch communication, convenience frozen anything, and cheap throw away fashion.  As she states, you don't have to go completely Amish.

You don't have to be a totally off the grid, end of the world conspiracy believing, tinfoil hat wearing loony.

I think you get the drift.

Then what the heck am I talking about then?  Simplifying doesn't mean denying yourself the things you love, just taking away the things that distract you.  To me simplifying means learning how to do more with less.  I apply this to cooking, clothes, stuff for my house, etc.  To me simplifying means enjoying the things that make me happy.  To me simplifying means learning to find the joy in the simple things in life.

And that's not to say I don't have stuff.  I don't live a minimalist lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I've learned to strike a balance.    Here's my top simple living choices.

Homemade broccoli and cheese soup and bread

1.  I cook from scratch where I can and when it's feasible and practical.  I don't make everything from scratch, there's no way I can and work a 40 hour a week job and take care of a toddler, but I do it where I can.  For example a bag of self rising flour will make biscuits, pancakes, gravy, dumplings, pizza in a pinch, cakes, cookies, quick breads, cobbler, etc.  No need to buy those things individually when they all have basically the same ingredients.  And yes from time to time I buy a bag of cookies because I just don't want to make the darn things.  

2.  We eat out sparingly.  We eat at home.  A LOT.  It's cheaper, it's better for the waistline and blood pressure, and we spend quality time together at the dinner table.   All good things.  Also the hubby makes a darn fine steak and I would honestly rather eat his than most restaurants.  

Wine and sewing: Always a good combination

3.  I sew a lot of my own clothes.  Now this one is not for everyone, but I've been doing it for years and I enjoy it.  I get to save money (sometimes), have beautiful things that fit me well, and don't have to go shopping.  I.  HATE.  CLOTHES.  SHOPPING.

It's almost this time again!

4.  We grow a garden.  The past two years with Allie being small I've not raised much more than tomatoes and peppers, but we do have a locally owned produce farm in Macon so I buy local where and when I can.  If I'm not growing it, I'm sure not going to purchase something grown outside the country.  I also put up produce for use throughout the year.  Easy, cheap, and not loaded with salt and preservatives.  

Getting dirty does not require cute clothes

5.  I utilize hand me downs for Allie.  Allie has new clothes on a regular basis, but for daycare where they are painting and coloring and smearing food and who knows what all else all over each other I love hand me down clothes from friends.  The thrift stores here are abysmal with much of the children's clothing on the racks needing to be thrown out instead of sold.  I love my friends that send us clothes.  It has made my life so much easier and I love yall for it!  Also my friends have great style and Allie always looks super cute.

Super sleepy and riding home with our new ball yesterday

6.  We're very picky about the toys we purchase.  I always ask myself two questions.  Are they good quality?  Is it something that's going to hold her interest for years to come?  I've been lucky that Allie is still young enough that she hasn't reached the "I want that!" stage yet.  She has lots of toys and definitely does not go without but all her stuff right now will fit in three large baskets.  She plays with everything and I love that she has a good mixture of dolls, legos, trucks, books, some electronic stuff that makes noise, and balls.  None of it is very expensive and you know what, I don't think she cares.  In Wal-Mart yesterday we were picking out her birthday presents and between a $15.00 Elmo and a $4.00 ball guess which one she put in the buggy to ride beside her and then held all the way home from the store?  You got it, the $4.00 ball.

7.  I make a lot of my own household cleaners.  Yep, I'm that kind of crazy.  I've cleaned with baking soda for years but after I had Allie I started looking at the stuff I was cleaning with and decided that I didn't want all that chemical laden stuff around her.  I use baking soda, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide for most things and it works.  I don't have to use gloves to clean with it and if she accidentally got into a bottle of vinegar, what's the worst that could happen?  It's also dirt cheap.  End of story.  

To me these are pretty simple and I'm probably restating what's been restated a dozen times before.  And I'm not perfect.  I love a frozen pizza as good as the next person.  I made cupcakes for Allie's daycare last night with a Duncan Hines cake mix and bought frosting.

No one's perfect and Momma stayed up way past her bedtime as it was to get those cupcakes done.

But, those times I do choose to make my own pizza, shirt, or whatever are the times I enjoy the most.  I get way more satisfaction out of making things with my own two hands than buying it in a store.  I like that feeling I get with providing for my family with just a few simple ingredients.

Makes me feel all Laura Ingalls Wilder.  All I need is a bonnet and an apron.

What do you do to simplify your life gentle readers?  Do you think I'm an absolute tinfoil hat wearing nut?  Let me know in the comments below.  And if you read and got through all this, here - you deserve one of Allie's strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

I may or may not have had one for breakfast.

Have a great weekend my lovelies!