Today I woke up to the unmistakable sound of a child puking. I wasn’t sure which child or the chosen unloading location, but I knew my “to do” list was going to change. I found the child (this one is old enough to find the bathroom and just wanted to be left alone). Then deciding that my day had begun, I looked outside…
What I saw is a subject of debate in my household. My husband saw a majestic winter wonderland. His eyes lit up at the white gusts of snow flying in every direction. He quickly googled the weather forcast and smiled as he listened to a report of six more inches today. I saw cold. I saw messy. I saw my entire lack of driveway. I felt like I wanted to puke…
My kiddos, with the exception of the cookie tosser (who went back to bed), rushed through their personal hygiene, morning chores, and “school” work, so they could get out to their new playground. They try out each new snow for taste, packability, and depth. They came back inside after a couple of hours of scientific calculations, lured only by the promise of hot chocolate and the relative warmth of our little home.
I chose to console myself the only way that I know how:
- I watched Ellen Fisher’s most recent vlog. I thought, as I always do, “Why don’t we live there?”. I explained to my husband for the 83rd time how all I would need for clothing in Hawaii is my muumuu and my bathing suit. He basically told me not to sell my coat, hat and boots.
- I balanced my banking accounts – being careful to check my total debt. I hate any sort of debt, but we do still have a mortgage on our home and a loan on one of our cars (which will hopefully be paid off soon with our tax return).
- Then I checked hotel rates for a family trip to Disney World (man that mouse is expensive!). I am not a really commercial kind of person but, Disney World is the only place on earth that we can go on vacation, where everything can be paid in advance (okay you still need money for tips), and I don’t have to cook the ENTIRE time (anyone dealing with an assortment of allergies knows what a BIG deal this is).
- I started mentally packing for a trip to Disney, then a move to Hawaii. In my mind I think of what I might take with me (maybe a few more things than my muumuu and bathing suit, but not much). I pack for each member of my family, also. Not just clothes, but toys and toiletries, books and music, electronics and furniture, cookware and tools. Would I really need or even want all of the items that are currently in my house?
This is a good exercise for all of us. Mentally pack, and then physically get rid of things that wouldn’t make the cut (hang on to the mittens if you need them in your current climate). If it’s not good enough for vacation or a new home get rid of it! Our REAL lives deserve to be simple and uncluttered too!
An AMAZINGLY SIMPLE way to use our daydreams to make our real life better!
simply,
bridgette
AMAZINGLY SIMPLE 