100 Things Challenge

I want to screaaammmm! The room is a mess. Christmas is just
around the corner and I promised myself that I will greet the New
Year with a much neater room.

How did we get here??? We have been in the process of moving for
some time now. Add to that the latest addition to our family. Ha!
Imagine a room bursting to the seams. Half of me wants to just
give it all away. Half of me wants to just hold on for dear life.
Obviously, I am torn.

Apparently, I am not the only once faced with this dilemma. Some
people have even taken extreme measures to get rid of the clutter.

Let me introduce you to a guynameddave. Dave started the 100
Things Challenge. You read that right, Dave only has 100 things.
I don't think I'm ready for that. But you have got to admire how
disciplined Dave must have been to have successfully pulled this
off.

Staycation is now an official word!

It's official! Staycation is now included in the latest edition of the
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

What is a staycation?

"The word "staycation" is a portmanteau of stay (meaning stay-at-
home) and vacation. a period of time in which an individual or family
stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home
to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in
current hard economic times in which unemployment levels and gas
prices are high." ~ Wikipedia

I must say, it never occurred to me to go on a staycation. If I couldn't
afford to go on a vacation, I simply didn't go on one. OR I would save
up until I could afford one. Naturally, I am intrigued by the concept.
May be we could try having one in the future?!?

Here are some tips on How to Have a Great Staycation from ABC
News:

a. Schedule start and end dates.
Just as you would with a vacation, schedule a beginning and ending
for your staycation to make it feel like an official vacation. Otherwise,
it runs the risk of feeling like just another string of nights in front of
the tube.

b. Pack that time with activities.
Plan a daily activity, and make sure something takes you out of the
house — for fun — every day.

c. Declare a "choratorium."
That means no chores! Don't make the bed, vacuum, clean out the
closets, pull weeds — nothing. You're on vacation!

d. Take staycation photos or videos, just as you would if you
went away from home for your vacation.

Is that a photo project I see on the horizon???

Glass half empty. Glass half full.

Bed rest can be a nerve-wracking experience! But if you play your cards
right, you can use the time to dream and plan for your next big adventure.

Like most first time parents, H and I are excited about having our first
baby. I have been researching on things we can do with the baby once
he/she is out in the world.

Yes, we live a simple life. But no, we do not live a boring life, or we at least
try not to hahaha... Instead, we've TRIED to focus our time, energy and
resources on things that matter to us.

On my to do list: A tradition that H, the baby and I can start as a family.
No, it does not mean skipping traditions that we already celebrate together
with our families. It will be more like having or starting a tradition of our
own.

We haven't quite decided on what this first tradition will be. The current
flavor of the month involves a photo project with the baby. Here are 3
inspiring "traditions" that are on the mood board:

a) The Arrow of Time - Since 1976, Diego Goldberg and family have had
individual portraits taken every 17th of June. The result is a time capsule
of the past 30plus years of their lives.

b) Project 365 - This project involves taking one photo, daily for one year.
Choose one topic: yourself, your kids, the neighborhood, your work, etc etc
etc and watch what unfolds in the ensuing year. One year does seem like a
long time. Imagine doing this with a Polaroid for two decades.

c) The '76s and Sveinn Birkir - You will only be born once... Project 1976
is Sveinn's audio/visual anthology for his birth year. Here you'll find photos
and audios of important and mundane matters pertaining to that year.


What are your favorite family traditions? I'd love to hear what works for your family!

Why we live simply

Around a week ago, H and I had a few friends over. It was
great fun! Our first time to have people over. I kept thinking,
"are we all going to fit in here?" Well fit we did and I must say
it was a nice night for us all.

At the start of the evening J pleasantly remarked, "Wow,
do all your clothes really fit in that cabinet?" The answer is
a resounding yes. You see, Hubby and I are trying to master
the art of living comfortably with precious few.

Okay, I admit, we are somewhat cheating. We still have things
with my wonderful in-laws. They're mostly wedding gifts which
we do not have the heart to part with, some clothes (for when we
visit) and books. But for our day to day living, we have managed
to pare things down to the bare necessities.

We live in a studio type apartment. The main room is our
bedroom and home office. We have a bed, a clothes cabinet,
a bookshelf and 2 slim tables. We have a small adjoining area
for our kitchenette. We have there a folding table. And right
beside the kitchenette is the bathroom. That's pretty much it.

Why do we choose to live simply?

Firstly, because we are happy living this way. We try to let go
of the desire to acquire things that we don't need. Too many
things can clutter one's physical space. People do not realize
that this physical clutter can cause unnecessary emotional and
mental strain.

Secondly, because H and I are dreamers. There are many things
we'd like to do and many places we'd like to go. There is the
quality of education we'd like for our future children. There
is the small business that we are growing. There are the future
businesses we'd like to have. There is also the quality of life
we'd like to have in our retirement. In the older days, this was
known as delayed gratification. We know that we cannot possibly
achieve all these if we did not put aside enough today. Oh yes,
we also like to plan for the "unexpected guests". The emergencies
that could show up when we least expect them.

Lastly, because we believe that it's the right thing to do. Our
money is not just for us. We believe in tithing. We also believe
in helping those in need. We are not a big fan of dole outs. What
we do is support organizations that provide opportunities for
the poor to make sustainable changes in their lives.

If you notice, I used the word "choose". Living simply is very
much an active decision. There will always be the temptation to
buy buy buy. We are human too. But if you have the right whys,
it's much easier to stick it out.