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Wash Away Old Guilt

Is there an old memory that makes you feel guilt or shame when it surfaces? Have you had times when you were plagued with bad emotions and could not seem to let them go?

Here's today's tip: Wash them away. When the memory haunts you, go wash your face and hands. Or better yet, take a shower and imagine all the guilt and shame washing away.

Acording to Mark Waldman and Dr. Andrew Newberg - two neuroscientific researchers* - the act of washing turns down the activity in the guilt centers of your brain. You will not only feel better and feel cleaner, but you will redirect the reaction in your brain.

Maybe that was the idea behind Rachel Hollis' best seller Girl, Wash Your Face?

*Science of Mind Magazine Article "Do You Feel Guilty? Good!" July 2019

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Need a Recipe for Tomatoes and Peppers? Make Spanish Rice

Tomatoes and peppers are in season now. Follow along while we make a delicious Spanish rice dish with the tomatoes and peppers from our garden.

Recipe - Spanish Rice

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Handmade Leather Case with Inspirational Scripture Cards - Simple Life Design

NEW! CC Custom Leatherworks Leather Case filled with 30 Inspirational Scripture Cards

Leather Case and Cards

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Keep Moving

In order to guide yourself to your goals, it is important to keep actively working on them. Lack of motion can often have very undesireable consequences.

Here is an article from the founder and CIO of SuccessNet,
Michael Angier - Keep Moving

Photo courtesy of FreedigitalPhotos.net and xedos4

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Berry Time!

We've been picking strawberries and will soon be picking blackberries, mulberries and raspberries.

Check out our blog posts:

On the Verge Of Berries

Wild Blackberries ... No They're Mulberries

How to Pick Raspberries

 

 

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Could Your Old Stuff Be Valuable?

As you are clearing out your closets, the attic, the basement, and the garage, you may come across an unexpected treasure.

Here are some of the things from The Fat Dollar's blog that may be worth some money:

1950's Furniture

Tacky Sweaters

Bread machines, food dehydrators, espresso machines

Vintage electronics

Lunchboxes with character or celebrity images

Quilts

Costume Jewelry

 

If you believe you have found something of value, check eBay, Amazon, and do an internet search of the item to learn as much as you can about the value and possible buyers. Good luck!

Check out The Fat Dollar for more resources

Photo courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net and Kittikun Atsawintarangkui

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Begin the New Year

This is the year to let go. Let go of all that is false, palnful, unwanted, unused, and unneeded.

Begin with faith, love, and a mind clear of "should have", "should be" and "ought to" and "I can't."

Simply ask "What if..?", "why not?", "how would it feel if ...?", and "what is the next step?"

Then listen. And begin.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Stuart Miles

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A Life Makeover - Clearing Clutter

Brighid tells us how she encountered a wake-up call with home clutter and how she changed her life by clearing the clutter from her home.

Read more......

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and tiverylucky

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Weeds, Still Gone!

Take a look at the long-term results of the all-natural hot water weed killer.

Homemade Weed Killer - Long Lasting Effects

Read more......

Photo by Patti Tokar Canton All Rights Reserved

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Weeds, Be Gone!

Try the plain water, no chemical, rather lazy method for getting rid of weeds.

This is what the dandelions in the walkway looked like the day after being treated with nothing more than hot water.

Read more......

Photo by Patti Tokar Canton All Rights Reserved

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Ah! Spring! Welcome! Come right in!

Here are some of the sites I've found for gardening inspiration. We're still at that time of transformation where it's a little too soon to plant the gardens, but the views from the windows still caress you with promises of fertile earth and tender green shoots.

Top 20 Clever and Simple Gardening Hacks

A Little Garden Craziness for Your Creative Spirit

Read the post ... GARDENING INSPIRATIONS

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Simon Howden

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For Joyful Holidays
Listen to Your Self

This season of Christmas, Hanukahh, New Year's and other December and January holidays, take a moment to determine what your core value is for the season.

Is it the family gatherings, celebrations with friends, religious services, gift exchanges, school programs, baking cookies and candies, festive decorations, vacation time? Or something else that is meaningful to you or your family?

Take a moment to fully imagine and feel the joy of celebrating with your chosen way(s). Use this as your barometer for how an activity will ideally make you feel your own personal joy.

Now, let your body tell you what activities to keep or let go this year. Think about each item on your holiday to-do list.

Does your stomach tense up or your head feel an ache when you think of it? That's not joy! Let it go. Feeling a sense of dread is a good indication that something doesn't fit in your values.

If you think of something, such as the children singing carols, drinking hot chocolate, and opening gifts, and it makes your heart sing, that is something to keep!

You may not have the courage or the ability to eliminate every activity that is not joyful, but you can at least become aware of them. Awareness is the first step to changing something that needs to change.

Happy Holidays!

Photo courtesy of FreedigitalPhotos.net and Kittisak

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The Olympic Creed

Our attention is turned to the power, skills, talents, and beauty of performance in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Let's remember that while winning is awesome and energizing, our athletes should be honored just for the mere fact that they were chosen to participate. It takes years of dedication and practice to be an Olympian athlete.

Here is the Olympic Creed that appears on the scoreboard of the opening ceremonies:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and imagerymajestic

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Need Ideas for Easy Handmade Gifts?

From aprons in several styles, to secret treasures books, to an oilcloth receipt wallet, we've compiled a list of 11 Easy Handmade Gifts that your recipient should love. These were selected both for the ease of creating them as well as for gifts that have an increased chance of being well received. .. .... Get the 11 Ideas here ....

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and stockimages

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Would You Like Some Apple Cake with Caramel Icing?

This year our little apple tree had apples for the first time. They were smaller than normal - about the size of oversized golf balls - but they were sweet, crispy and delicious.

It was a bit of a thrill to make this cake with our own apples. The cake is moist with bits of apple and the caramel icing is a perfect compliment. .... Get this easy Apple Cake recipe here.

Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting Recipe

Photo by Patti Tokar Canton

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Why Do You Keep Doing That?

Sometimes we can make our lives easier by making a few simple changes. Yet often, we just keep doing things the same way, over and over again. Why? Because we are not paying attention. We are not even aware that there is another possibility or another way.

It took a bowl of mulberries to make me realize that I wasn't aware and paying attention to what I was doing to cause myself extra work and stress. .... Read on for the Mulberry Lesson.

The Mulberry lesson of the Green Stems

Photo courtesy of scottchan, freedigitalphotos.net

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Find Your Joy

Deliberately do at least one thing every day that brings joy. Pick a flower, touch a piece of silk, pet your cat, listen to your favorite song, sip a smooth drink of coffee, watch the sun rise, bake some cookies, breathe in the scent of lavender, dance to the music, sit on the deck, walk barefoot in the sand, sing out loud, give away a good book, read a good book, taste a piece of fruit, eat a piece of dark chocolate, .... what gives you joy? Do it! And again!

Finding Joy in Life - It's Not That Hard

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How to Increase Productivity:
Create a Distraction

Mark Waldman and Andrew Newberg, MD, Research scientists and authors have developed a six step method to help you to increase both your productivity and your creativity

How to Increase Productivity.....

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The Raspberries are Ripe and Delicious!

Check out our blog post on how to tell if raspberries are ripe and how to pick them.

How to Pick Raspberries.....

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17 Ways To Say "No"

By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

I used to put everyone else's requests and needs first and if there was any time left over at the end of the day for what I needed and wanted to do, that was acceptable. That is until I began to realize that if you and I are going to be effective time managers, we have to stay away from allocating our time solely on the basis of those who demand it. Instead, if you and I are going to be effective time managers, we have to allocate our time on the basis of those who deserve it.

Read more .....

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10 Steps to Simplify Your Life

By Brad Swift, Veterinarian and Founder of "Life on Purpose"

Perhaps you woke up one morning to realize the old joke is true: "Even if you finish the rat race in first, you're still a rat." Or maybe, the thought crept in more slowly, wedging itself into your consciousness while sitting in the five o'clock traffic jam as you commute home. However it appeared, you now realize it's time for a change to a simpler way of life.

But how do you start? These 10 steps will provide you with guidance to propel you along the path.

Read the 10 Steps .... .

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5 Ways to Improve Your Life

Brad Swift, founder of Life on Purpose, shares his favorite insights, steps, and actions that people can take to enhance the quality of their lives.

Read the 5 Ways .... .

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7 Steps to Reach Your Goals

Have you made your New Year's goals? Use these 7 easy steps for reaching your New Year's Resolutions.

Read the 7 Steps .... .

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How Far Out of Balance Are You?

When you are feeling that you are way out of balance - too much stress, too full of a calendar, too little pleasure in everyday life  - it may have a domino effect.  You may have trouble sleeping.  You may overeat.  You may use your tight, high-pitched voice every time you talk to the kids. You may be so self-absorbed that you pay little attention to your spouse. You can begin to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with anything. 

Continue reading ......

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Making Delicious Grape Juice

 

Making grape juice is a very simple process. The method shown is even simpler because the juice will be frozen instead of canned. To be fair, canning is not a difficult process, but even though my mother and grandmother canned produce, I have always chosen freezing.

Illustrated steps for making grape juice .....

 

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Try a Conscious Act of Love

One of the most rewarding ways to begin simplifying your life is to begin to deepen and smooth your relationships with your family and close friends. This is especially true if you have a person in your life that is very special to you, yet you have lost some of the deep connection that you used to have.

Conscious acts of love can be very powerful in bringing you closer to the special people in your life. These are things that you do to express love to someone else. It is not part of a routine or habit, and it goes beyond just saying "I love you."

A conscious act of love is deliberate. It is usually a very small act, although it often does not feel small when you are doing it. It holds significance. When you do a conscious act of love, you call no attention to it - in fact you often do it secretly. It should be sincere and have a very powerful meaning for you.

Read more ...

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Simplify Your Life - 7 Really Quick Ways To Make Your Life So Much Simpler

By Jan Malloch

Life happens at such a fast pace nowadays. We often have so much going on that we don't take the time to make our lives simpler.

The problem is that we often don't know where to start making our lives less complicated. The more we do, the more stressed we become, which in turn can complicate our lives even more.

It takes courage to change, but it will be worth it. Here are 7 quick and easy ways to help you live a more simple and enjoyable life.

Read more ....

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Clutter Control Tip:

Learning to Clear the Clutter

by Patti Tokar Canton

Today I'll share with you probably the most important thing I've learned on my journey to clear the clutter from my home: It's a skill.

I've always admired the people in my life that always seem to have a clean, clear, beautiful, and well organized home. Before I got well on my way to clearing my own home, my thoughts were a little envious that they "had" some inherent trait or talent that I simply lacked.

As I've begun filling boxes of things to give away, donate, or throw away, I've also begun learning. And learning. If you've followed the clutter-clearing articles on the Simple Life site and on the blog, you will notice that I've been sharing what I'm learning.

It's funny that it took me until now to realize that staying organized and keeping my home the way I want it to be is really a skill. It's not some elusive talent that some have and some don't have. It's simply a set of habits that are practiced to the point that the skills develop.

The skills are what surprise me. .... continue reading

 

 

 

 

 

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