A simple life. It's something that many strive for and many more wish they had. How many times do we say to ourselves "why can't it just be more simple?!" I find myself being reminded on a regular basis how blessed my family is and how blessed I am to have a simple life. Sometimes, I think I need to remind myself of why our life is so very simple. Here are 10 things that help keep me sane and our life simply blessed.
- Faith. We have a close, unapologetic and loving relationship with our Heavenly Father and Creator, Yahuah (God/YHWH). He has given us more blessings than I can list. He has given us meaning, purpose and direction and continues to do so each and every day.
- Embracing routine. I am a very organized person and personally, I love routine. Chicken Man has had routine since he was a tiny babe. I believe that children need structure and are happier when they know how their day is going to go. Our day begins at either 5 or 6 am, depending what shift the Big Chicken is working. For us meal times are always around the same times: 8 am, 1 pm and 6 pm. School work begins by 9 am. Chicken duties are done morning and evening, before breakfast and after dinner. Sometimes there are errands to run and play dates to enjoy but the core structure of our day is usually the same.
- Eat well. I try and prepare as much as I can from scratch with the best ingredients that I can afford. We store as much as we can from our summer garden and we have a great supply of chicken and eggs. I buy organic as much as I can and choose fruit and vegetables that are in season and local, if possible. I buy bulk organic grain, beans and rice which helps to keep costs down. I freeze leftovers for the Big Chicken's lunches. We eat out very rarely and enjoy knowing that what we are eating is wholesome and nutritious. I prepare larger batches of meals and then can or freeze them so, if I am not going to be home all day, we can still eat something yummy that I prepared earlier.
- Homeschooling. Many people would say that this cannot possibly be part of a "simple life" but I honestly have to say, it is. We have freedom and flexibility that doesn't exist in the public school system. We can have our school breaks around the festivals that we keep and even continue to home school during appointments and vacations if we need to. We have only been homeschooling for a year but it has been a wonderful experience. Chicken Man finished Kindergarten three months early so we are making a head start on 1st grade math and language arts. We have enjoyed some wonderful home school excursions and every part of every day becomes a learning experience.
- Grow your own. We grow a garden and keep our own chickens (for both meat and eggs). It is so satisfying to grow vegetables and I store as much as I can to see us through the winter months.
- No time for the iron. I don't do ironing. Seriously. Not at all. OK, I might have to bust out the iron if the Big Chicken needs a dress shirt but that is rare. I do not own a tumble dryer so all our clothes dry in the house (during winter/bad weather) or on the line. I find that folding is key to keeping those clothes from ever needing to see an iron.
- Being content. I can honestly say that I am happy. I love my life although sometimes I need to remind myself of that. We have no complaints. We are healthy and live comfortably, within our means. I get to be a wife and mother who can provide for her family to the best of my ability. Not many families are blessed enough to have a stay-at-home-mom and I am grateful each and every day for that blessing.
- Make time. For God. For your husband (or wife). For your children. For your family. For your friends. You need each and every one of them. To laugh with and to cry with.
- Outside time. We love to go camping, hiking or just a simple walk on a sunny afternoon. We are incredibly blessed to live somewhere that is not only beautiful, but has wonderful places to explore.
- The Sabbath. We keep the seventh day sabbath or shabbat. We stop from sundown on Friday (the 6th day) to sundown on Saturday (the 7th day). I make sure my house is clean, laundry is done, food is prepared and I am ready to spend the day with my Heavenly Father Yahuah and my family.
Frugally Sustainable Blog Hop #74
