by on December 31, 2010 • 13 Comments Personal Growth You Happy New Year’s Eve! Today I’m over on (in)courage, sharing my annual list of questions I use to reflect on the previous year. Head over there to read the post.
Then, head back here and download the free PDF of questions. Use it to journal in solitude or to chat with a group of friends. Either way, I hope it’s a blessing to you.
Tomorrow, I’ll share another list of questions that you can use to prepare for 2011. Can you believe it’s already here?
Enjoy your day, and I’ll see you tomorrow!
by on December 29, 2010 • 22 Comments Personal Growth You Written by organizing columnist Mandi Ehman of Organizing Your Way.
It’s that time of year, when most of us are reviewing the past year and anticipating what’s to come — full of goals and resolutions and hopes and dreams for the new year.
When I was in high school, I was involved in the youth group at our church, and one of the buzz phrases that was thrown around a lot was “accountability partner.” For everything from spiritual growth and purity to healthy eating and studying, the key to any change was having an accountability partner.
Looking back, that idea might have been a bit overplayed, but there are some very real benefits in choosing to be accountable to another person when setting and working toward a goal.
If your “accountability partner” has set the same goal as you, a little bit of friendly competition can go a long way. Last year, some friends of ours both decided they wanted to lose weight. They created their own Biggest Loser competition, and the one who lost the highest percentage of weight at the end of 8 weeks was declared the winner. Knowing they were competing for a prize (even just the prize of being able to say “I won!”) helped them both stay on track and achieve their individual goals.
by on December 27, 2010 • 98 Comments Kids: Developing Character Your Family I thought I’d republish this post from January of this year, especially since several of us might be dealing with an onslaught of toy overload in the house, what with Christmas just a few days ago. Hope your holidays have been peaceful and fun. Mine have!
Simple living, going green, and generally doing away with the unnecessary is gaining popularity. And that’s cool. But it’s all for naught if we don’t pass on a love of simplicity to the next generation – we depend on them to do a stellar job stewarding the earth’s resources.
I was very mindful of this when I was writing the manuscript to my book. While I was doing research for the chapter about getting rid of unnecessary toys and paring down kids’ schedules, I was astonished at all the research out there that indicates that children need lots of downtime, lots of freedom, and lots of room to use their imagination. It’s hard to do that when we complicate their lives.
This attitude isn’t that hard to pass on to our kids, if we provide an atmosphere at home that values simple living. Here are a few tips for creating that environment, especially for the preschooler crowd.
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by on December 24, 2010 • 17 Comments Inspiration Friends — merry, merry Christmas to you. May your day be full of good food, companions, and soulful reflection. Remember, as you open gifts bedecked with bows, His whose birth was lowly. It is His we celebrate.
(If you’re reading via RSS or email, you may need to click over to watch the video.)
“And in despair, I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said. for hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men. Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men!’” – H.W. Longfellow
by on December 22, 2010 • 15 Comments Marriage You The following is written by relationships columnist Corey Allan of Simple Marriage.
Christmas is in full swing. A time full of festivity, family, and giving, it’s also a time full of expectations.
Family, friends, co-workers, spouses, neighbors, and strangers all have expectations of you. You have expectations of yourself.
Expectations change our experiences. But they also set us up for disappointment.
So where do our expectations for the holidays come from?
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I'm Tsh, founder of this blog dedicated to the art & science of living simpler. Founded in 2008, this is an online family of writers exploring what it means to slow down and focus on the important stuff of life. Love a clutter-free home? Absolutely. Still step on LEGO? You betcha. Read more...
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