What's for Dinner?

I used to take the willy-nilly approach to grocery shopping, merrily frolicking through the aisles and picking up whatever looked yummy at the moment. Then the merry frolicking would come to an abrupt end when I went to check out and the bill was in the neighborhood of ninety bajillion dollars. And the nuisance of this system continued at home. When one has four jars of unopened salsa and not a single chip to apply salsa to, it's time to evaluate the system.

I've looked at systems suggested by other people and they just never seemed to work for me, so I've created my own. It actually seems to be working! I don't claim that it's a unique or genius system, but it does include those little, bright-colored sticky notes that I love. My husband and I sit down once a week and decide what meals we want for the next seven days. Then I make a list of every ingredient we need and check to make sure we don't already have those things. Of course, the store is the next step - stick to the list. Now come the sticky notes. I've made a "days of the week" chart for meal planning. Next to each day we put a sticky with the meal plan for that day. This way either of us can just check the chart and know what's for dinner. At the end of the week, we put all the sticky notes on the inside flap of the chart to be used again. Tada!

We've been doing this for a few weeks and it is amazing how much simpler grocery shopping and cooking are now. The amount of food we throw out because it has gone bad has been reduced to nothing because we plan for eating anything that will go bad quickly early in the week. It also saves a ton of money, and that should make The Budget Maven happy, too. :)

Quiet Time

Earlier today, my step-daughter and I were having a relaxing afternoon. She was reading a new book from the library and I was knitting away. The only sounds were the subtle clicks of my needles (I use bamboo to cut down on the clickety-clacks) and the occasional giggles of a nine year old girl enjoying a book. No TV or Xbox or chatter - just us reading and knitting. And it occurred to me that I was utterly content...quiet time is definitely being added to my "things I've discovered I truly want" list.

Un-shopping

My step-daughter and I have a new favorite hobby: un-shopping. To un-shop, all you have to do is grab a bag that's bound for the trash or donation, wander around your house filling the bag with things you don't need, and take the bag (or several) to Goodwill (or your local donation-taking organization). To complete the un-shopping experience, it is imperative to discuss how much nicer things will be when you get back home due to the extra space and smaller amount of things to tend to and clean. Just today we gathered a fabulous array of toys, books, and clothes to donate to Goodwill and the local library. And, for our efforts, we rewarded ourselves with Starbucks. Yum. :) It's a great way to simplify life and teach my step-daughter the value of being content with just enough.

Taking the Plunge

Sometimes, if not most of the time, life's complications are 100% self-created. This was the case with my recently deceased insanity- and insecurity-driven pool ritual. Few things in the world make me as content and relaxed as floating on my back in the pool and stargazing. (Yep, I'm a night swimmer.) Until a few days ago, though, my pool adventures were complicated by a complex combination of strategies to cover myself. No doubt, I have body issues, but to swim in a bathing suit with baggy shorts and t-shirt is just silly...not to mention uncomfortable. I won't even go into details about the complicated towel, pool bag, and cover-up procedures involved. Really, it was to the point of swimming being more of a chore than anything. And then....

I decided that was just crazy! Okay, I have body issues. Rather than cover them up, I'm choosing to do something about them. You know, the whole eating healthy foods and getting regular exercise bit. I also made a radical decision - to buy a new bathing suit. I took lots of deep breaths, got my resolve in place, and plunged into the store in pursuit of a bathing suit that I could live with. One that I could wear without multiple layers over it. One that I could throw on and just not worry about. I was determined. I had to do that most evil of things to make it happen - try things on. Yick. But it was worth the effort when I found the one I can live with. I realize simplicity is usually the opposite of buying things, but, in this case, the bathing suit was freeing. I was able to donate all of those shorts and baggy shirts, as well as my previous bathing suit, to Goodwill. Now I can throw on my suit, grab a towel, and head to the pool worry-free, sharing my fabulous cleavage with the world. ;)

Moral of this story? Accept who and what you are right now and find the things that will make your life simple and happy.

Just Say No to Farming

Okay, not real farming, obviously. What would we do without all the yumminess that comes from the farm? What I'm speaking of here is farming games. And restaurant games, pet games, egg games, you name it. I find that I often don't have time to do the things I want or need to do, so I've been looking at where my time goes. I found that I spend a frightening amount of time playing games on our favorite social networking site. So, I'm making another bold move....I'm going to quit playing all of them. They are a time sink and bring me little joy.

Now, I hear a collective gasp from the people who need me to be their neighbor, friend, employee, etc. in these games. Never fear! I won't abandon you by deleting the games...I'll just stop actively playing them.

This is just one of the ways I plan to free up my time for things that actually matter to me. I'll be telling you about more ways in the future. :)

A Little Help

Earlier today, I decided on a new site for advertising Dragon Knits. To do this, I need to email pictures and logos in a particular size to the site. For me, the process of editing pictures and getting them to the appropriate size ends in hours of wasted effort, computers that are treated less-than-kindly, and language that's just not ladylike. Well, normally, in a move of fiercely stubborn I'll-do-it-myself nonsense, I would begin the photo manipulation even knowing how it would turn out. But, today, I decided to do things a little differently. I asked myself, "What would be the simple thing to do here? What would avoid time-wasting and frustration?" Hmmmm.... I just happen to have a husband who works with computers professionally, so maybe he could help me here. (I know - that took a brain leap of monstrous proportions.) So I asked him for help and he happily agreed. Could it get more simple than that?

Moral of the story? Life is much simpler if you ask for help with the things that are weaknesses for you. It really cuts down on ungracious word choices. ;) You're sure to know someone who can help you out, but be certain to make your own strengths available to others as well.

Let's Talk About Sole(s)

In the past couple of days, I've been considering bold steps I can take in the quest for simplicity. One of the most obvious areas for quick and dramatic change is... (insert some sort of ominous, suspense-building music here)...the closet. The closet is a frightening area so full of piles, hangers, stacks, shoes, etc. that it would be nothing but insanity to try to tackle it in one step, one day or one blog post. So, not feeling terribly creative, I just addressed the first thing I came to...my shoes. I have shoes for every conceivable situation that I may ever encounter in this life and, perhaps, several others. Yes, I am prepared to properly equip my feet to hike snow-covered trails, attend formal balls, and go for a sensible walk. But, why? Why do I need thirty pairs of shoes? Simple answer? I don't. Time to take steps.

The easiest bit was getting rid of the shoes that I don't even like. Why do I even have shoes I don't like? That's nonsense. Into the Goodwill stack they went. Then I tackled the shoes I like, but haven't worn in recent memory. Next, the shoes that have been worn so much that they're falling apart (those went in the trash, not the Goodwill stack). Now things get difficult. I have to start answering tough questions about my need for six pairs of ballet flats and the necessity of different shoes for different walking speeds (walking, running, hiking...). After giving serious thought to the wardrobe I'm aiming for and the activities I actually participate in, I've cut down to eight pairs. Okay, maybe ten...I'm honestly not sure if I should count my galoshes and slippers.

I'm not content with having eight (or, perhaps, ten) pairs of shoes. It still seems excessive. Particularly when I think about my husband's shoe wardrobe. His shoe number? Four. And not once have I heard him complain about not having the right shoes for his outfit. So, tomorrow I'm going to take some deep, calming breaths and look at the situation again. I'll let you know how it goes. ;)