Contentment and Simplicity - Hand in hand

This post has been a long time in the making. At first the ideas floated around in my mind in many bits and pieces - one of those times when I couldn't seem to get it all together in one place long enough to put it into words. Then as I drifted off to sleep each afternoon for my nap and again at night, thinking on various areas of my life and how this, well, thought process, fit in, a few little pieces began to fall into place. Words began to pop into my mind, like little handles enabling me to grasp all of those flowing thoughts, and I would wake excited, and run to the dictionary or search for connections on Google. Words like prayer and romantic and simplify and poetry. Do you see why I've been having a hard time making a connection? I've spent a lot of time reading lists and articles by Leo Babauta on everything from organization and health to happiness and simplicity. I have prayed a lot throughout the day and night. I have begged God for wisdom and even more for understanding. I have shared with friends and bounced ideas off of my husband's wise and sensible way of thinking. Meanwhile, it all marinates in my mind and in my heart. I still have many more questions than I have answers, but I am learning and growing and I am super excited about the whole idea of that. And now, I'm hearing my friend Julia's voice ringing in my ears as she laughs and tells me, "You're so funny!" "What do you mean?" "You're so... ramble-ey!"

So I'll get to the point, or at least head in that direction.

The concept of "simplifying" is probably where most of this began. Somewhere in my quest to learn contentment, I realized just how closely intertwined these two words were, not only in things, but in a million other areas of life, both large and small. Less things require less care, less choices, and less cost. Less expectations result in less disappointment. Less commitments mean less stress. And so it goes...

I made a new start in organizing myself. I read of an organizational system on Handmade Homeschool that seemed to make sense, but I tweaked it quite a bit in order to simplify it enough to make it work for me. I'm beginning with just two folders - one to hold actual projects I am working on right now and the other to keep all of my lists and ideas in one place. I am totally a notebook kind of person, but a file seems more practical in that I can drop any size or shape of paper inside and it will stay together in one place.


I recently made a change in our homeschooling that has made a big difference in the production level around here. Even more than I love the idea of being perfectly organized, I hate the feeling of pressure that a strict schedule and an unattainable "to do" list put on me. For years, verbally assigning a required amount of daily work that could be added or subtracted as time allowed, and then keeping a record of finished work for each child has been what worked best for us. But since adding in my eighth student, I feel as if I have lost track with accountability. I often say that the one weakness I find in homeschooling is a lack of motivation. So I recently made up a goal chart for each one of the children that does school work. It's very similar to what I used for A.C.E. when I was in school. Just having the week's worth assigned and in front of them, and knowing that they can either work ahead and finish the week's worth early or be irresponsible and spend Saturday finishing their work has been great motivation. I know, some of you are wondering why it's taken me so long to figure this out, but being relaxed and flexible has worked fine for us up until this school year. The best part of this plan is that the goal charts are kept in a file box on my kitchen counter (vs. in their individual notebooks), enabling me to check on each child's work at any time, whether that child is present or not.


Another area I am working on is "hoeing out." I love the sight of these black bags filled with all of the "stuff" that is taking up space in my house that didn't need to be there. I have become ruthless in tossing things. Whenever I have a bit of extra time, I have been going through closets and drawers and cleaning them out. Wouldn't it be great if I could send more out than I brought in in 2009? Besides consumables, I wonder if that is an attainable goal?


And that brings me to the shopping part. I'm not a lover of shopping to begin with, but that could have something to do with pushing two carts full with little ones in tow and more little ones at home that I'm hurrying to get back to. Anyway, I must admit that I am not a wise shopper. I am usually in a hurry. I am still trying to remember to compare prices or check expiration dates. I am working on keeping a menu, keeping up with cutting coupons and writing a list ahead of time. It is a continual learning process that I have yet to master.

Then there's thrift shopping. It takes time, lots of it. Last week, when I realized that somewhere along the line, Rachael had grown a size and I had missed it, I took a few of the girls and stopped in at a couple of thrift stores. I was surprised to find that the consignment shop prices weren't all that better than Walmart prices. The benefit would be the better brand names, but I was glad I had started out with "simplifying" in the forefront of my mind. It helped me to be picky about not only what I wanted to spend my money on, but whether we really needed something, if we could use it now or if it was worth putting away to be grown into, and if I really loved it enough for it to be used again and again. And... did I really need to drive through Burger King on the way home or could I pack a couple of sandwiches, or better yet, just wait until we got back home? That's a tough one.

The fun part is returning home and showing the kids all of the deals that I found. Beka was so happy with the coat I bought for her for next winter and the new hat. She ran and got her mudboots on, too. Do you think she forgot something kind of important?


The more I think about simplifying, the further it goes. Why do I need 20 different kinds of teabags in my cupboard? Couldn't I just choose my favorite three and only buy those? Do I have to keep 25 pair of socks in my drawer when I wash my clothes twice a week? A few books are obvious keepers, but why couldn't I pass a good book on for someone else to enjoy once I've read it through? I've picked our top favorite three meals and plan to serve them each once a week - spaghetti on Sundays, venison stew on Mondays and homemade pizza on Fridays. I know that I've shared the following links in the past, and I can't say that I completely agree with every opinion here, but out of all the articles I have read on simplifying, these two have made the biggest impact on my thinking: "A Dangerous Immune Disorder" and "Do You Want a Permanent Vacation?"

And then there are other areas...

My expectations. Did you know that the definition of romantic in the Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary is "wild, fanciful, or fictional"? How things have changed since then. Over time, our society has created the desire in us women for our husbands to be "romantic" men. I'm thinking that this is the result of a young girl reading too many "love stories" in the pages of library books and watching too many emotional movies. Reality is the happiness of being married to a man of integrity, whose love is one of commitment and patience and whose presence brings laughter and peaceful security. I am so thankful for the man God has given me.

My goals. I am a goal-setter and a list-maker by nature, but lately, I've been wondering how different I would be if I worked on just one thing at a time. If I set one goal to work on until it had become a habit. If I concentrated on just one task at a time and gave it my all, rather than prided myself in how many things I could multi-task at once. You may have read this quote on my Simply Content blog, but I think it is worth repeating:

“Whatever the tasks, do them slowly
with ease,
in mindfulness,
do not do any tasks with the goal
of getting them over with.
Resolve to do each job in a relaxed way,
with all your attention.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh

What a difference this has made for me lately. I am learning to relax. To be content with the mother that I am. To accept my family that God has given me. To appreciate my husband and the joy that we share together. To be content...

It is an ongoing process, but I am truly enjoying the journey.

I am wide open to new ideas right now and would love to hear your thoughts on these lines.

Wishing you a simply happy day,