It’s almost the beginning of another new year, and as I write this, a sense of calm prevails.
Right now I’m at my most relaxed. The flurry of Christmas is over, and every year before I return to work, I use the time to reflect on the previous year, and prepare for the one ahead.
I scream, you scream… and it’s only the start of the silly season.
If your chest is beginning to tighten at the impending volume of festivities, it’s time to stop, breathe, and prioritise.
Anyone who’s heard the song ‘Hard to say I’m sorry’ by Chicago is unlikely to forget the opening line:
“Everybody needs a little time away, I heard her say, from each other.”
For me, this 80’s ballad is top of mind.
I’ve taken a road trip for work, and as I write this, I’m perched in a hotel room located just a few hours away from home. It’s nothing flash, just a standard space with the basic amenities.
Dinner time. It was a favourite part of my day when I was growing up.
At 6pm every workday evening, a ‘supper-time symphony’ would occur in my family home. Dad would walk through the front door, Mum would sing out “up to the table”, and my brother and I would race each other furiously to our chairs. Continue reading
At Christmastime in 1917, a speciality store in Kansas City, U.S.A. ran out of red, white, green, and holly embellished tissue sheets (sold as gift wrap).
The owners of the store were brothers, J.C. and Rollie Hall who improvised by bringing in French decorative ‘envelope lining paper’ from the manufacturing plant of their greeting cards. It sold out so quickly they decided to produce their own sheets, and this marked the beginning of the modern-day gift wrap industry.
“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value, and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle” ~ Joshua Becker
The other day, I realised something remarkable. For the better part of 12 months, I’ve had a considerable amount of freedom to do the things I love, despite the fact that it’s been my busiest year ever.
Toilet paper. Not something I ever imagined blogging about, but on this occasion I can’t hold back.
Don’t worry. I’m not about to draw you into a scrunch or fold debate, or try and convince you there’s a right way to hang the roll (there is), I’m here to share that there’s a new kid in town, and it’s kicking butt.
Last year, right before Christmas I deactivated my Facebook account. It wasn’t unexpected.
Twelve months before that, I started simplifying many areas of my life through the philosophy of minimalism.
Part of that journey included decluttering my digital space, so I ‘unfollowed’ every single one of my Facebook friends, and systematically placed them into ‘Lists’. Continue reading
sweetsimplicity.net 