A Simple Life - the beginnings

SIMPLE LIFE

A Simple Life – the beginnings

‘Dreams come a size too big…so we can grow into them.’

Josie Bisset

I’ve been reading much lately about living ‘a ‘simple life‘ one not complicated by the expectations of society. Not the ‘declutter’ fad that seems to be growing as fast as Ikea can create imaginative ways to store it all.

I’m not thinking of matching fabric covered boxes held in shelving units made especially for them or 100 ways to declutter your kitchen. It doesn’t mean giving away all our possessions and living in a teepee either.

I’m not certain what our version of a simple’ life will look like but it’s really starting to excite me.

So what is a simple life and why does it have such appeal for so many?

Time to just do nothing at all, home grown food, less time on computers and TV, moments to share with friends and family, even something as easy to achieve as a good book and a comfortable chair.

We have been unknowingly living a simple life for years now, it comes with renovating, our need for ‘things’ slowly released it’s strangle hold. I had no choice really as most of my treasures have been in boxes for numerous moves, this last big move to Italy has us pared down to a handful of stored boxes for each of our lives to date.

We will head off with a few suitcases and the only thing that will follow later are Sam’s tools and Luca’s dinosaurs.

This is an adventure, we are stepping into the unknown….creating life as it happens!

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This is what YOU thought!

Carla Ann Coulson – Friends, food, fresh air and love…

Tracy Robinson – Living a simple life, less social media, more books, enjoying and appreciating nature… Simple dinners with family and friends, long walks, less car time, holding hands with my fiance, snuggling with my pooch, laying on the grass watching the clouds go by, needing less material items…

Ryrie Wild – Strolling on a beach; playing with my grandson; looking in second-hand stores; reading in a comfy chair in the shade; cooking a lovely meal for family or friends; wishing wells; taking photos of whatever takes my fancy……..

Lourayne Mahood – Time with my sons, friends and cats. Beautiful food and wine. Good bread. Clean, crisp linen. Triple milled soap. Fresh flowers. Smiles

For The Love Of Italy – Wild rosemary. A glass of wine. The setting sun. And soon afterward… fireflies. Soulful conversation with my best friend. A fresh breeze dancing amongst clothes decorating the clothesline. I’ve seen all these things at once. I don’t sound too demanding, do I?

Jos Parkinson – To me it means finding joy in the simple things. Like taking time sit with a cup of tea & look at the beautiful flowers in my garden. Enjoying a walk along the beach with my family & thinking how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful country.

Michelle M Burke – Living a simple life, what does it mean to me? I’ve been searching for this and I think, maybe I’ve found it…to live in the country, and breath in the fresh air, the peace, the birds, the kids running around and just being themselves..loving each other and having appreciation for what we have been given x

Bronwyn Marquardt – To be happy with the things I have rather than worried about what I don’t have. To be grateful for the joy and beauty in life, nature, my children and our world. To enjoy the simple things in life – good food, a roof over our heads, safe water to drink, each other, pets, friends, family and love. Oh and chocolate. It’s nice to have chocolate.

Sarah Ager – For me, a simple life is being content with what you have and taking great pleasure in the small things even if it’s just a cup of tea after a long walk or extra froth on your cappuccino! If I have the opportunity in the future, I’d love to grow my own vegetables and herbs. I think growing your own food would make you really appreciate the taste & value because you put so much effort into it. I don’t know if others feel the same.

Jeannie Marshall – A simple life would have big stacks of books, comfortable leather chairs and good reading lamps. Doesn’t sound so hard to achieve once you write it down.

Karen-Louise Taylor – The simple life is making the best of what you have & trying to be as self sufficient as possible. A life where possessions are not as important as friendships.

Monica Cesarato – A simple life is to take each day as a gift and treasure it!

I’d love to hear more about your idea’s for living a ‘simple life”and if you are achieving them…

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and the gang x

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Corrina Tough says:
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Hello Lisa, this is something I have pondered and tried to achieve in the last few years. Firstly- I did need to de-clutter my ‘stuff’-‘ things we all had been hanging onto way too long- in turn I think it helped unclutter my mind, spirit and soul. One principle I really love and think I do fairly well is when buying something new 1- get rid of something old 2- do I need or want it? 3- If i need it I get the best quality of that item I can afford so it lasts and I look after it or if I want it why? will it help or hinder? 4- I regularly do the big clean out so its actually not that big each time and I love to give to charity so this is beneficial to others. (but if I stick to my other rules I inevitably don’t have too much to get rid of in the first place. An example for the kitchen was i found a list of the absolute basics you need to run a good kitchen (and its actually not that much) I refuse to give in to my kids and husband when they request popcorn machines and the like as they usually sit in the cupboard taking up space. When I buy clothes I get very good quality ones that last for years and don’t date- I actually have very few clothes which can sometimes be frustrating but on the whole fine- I wear them to death and then I replace them. By the way folks this all great for the environment too. My kids have a limited wardrobe but the pieces are beautiful- we mix and match and wear them until they grow out of them. Then usually because they were good quality I can pass them down to nieces/nephews and they benefit too. As a family we focus more on experiences than stuff! Our vege garden is amazing and the kids have a hand in that. We keep chooks and have a pet rabbit, we walk to the water near our place or hop in the car for the short drive to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We cook and eat together……… We do struggle with the ‘screen’ thing- TV, computers etc but we’re trying to manage that more effectively- a necessary thing in one way but the kids can become to fixated on them (this is my goal for the coming year). Living simply I believe isn’t having nothing but the way you live and the focus you have on the ‘stuff’. Living in a place where from time to time we have to be evacuated during bushfire season you realise what’s really important to you- for me its always my family first and my photos- if everything else went up in flames I guess you would be gutted at first but it really just doesn’t matter. If anyone wants my essential guide to kitting out a kitchen let me know- its so good and you end up with heaps more space for the important thing- Cooking the food!!!! xx Corrina
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Karissa Reedy says:
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Mio marito e Siciliano, mai sono Americana. That being said, we hope to relocate with my Sicilian mother-in-law, who lives with us and has Alzheimer’s, back to Catania province where her family lives. She doesn’t have many functional years left and we hope to spend them there.

I love your website and would love any advice. Happy renovating.
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- Karissa Reedy says:
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  That is we *hope* to to spend her last years there.
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I truly hope you can xxx
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  What an incredible thing to do with your mother in law, are you in America now? Has it been a long time since she was in Catania? I hope your dream comes true and you get to share this time with here back in Sicily. Not really sure what to advise you on, my own Mum is in her 80’s and I wish she could be with us but she has here life in Australia xx
- Karissa Reedy says:
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  We visited the family in 2007 and took my mother-in-law with us. She is a widow now and all of her family is there. She married an American in the US Navy, my husband’s father, who is passed away. The good news is that we do have a lot of family and some are experienced in renovation.
  
  I understand how you must miss your mother. I would be leaving both my parents, all my siblings (there are 5 of us), and their families to relocate. However we believe God has a plan for us there.
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  She sounds like a courageous lady, creating a life in America with her husband I really admire her and other women like her who stepped into the unknown. It’s so hard leaving family behind yet possible to stay connected via skype and fb etc. Not the same I know and my Mum isn’t very computer savvy. You may find that you’ll need to follow your plans and dreams or they will just keep calling you xxx
Melissa {Suger} says:
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Simple for me is having my family close by, food in my belly and a smile on my face. The rest, well it’s just cream. xo

Great post Lisa.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh and don’t we all love the cream!!! xx
Krista says:
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I’ve been pondering this so much, Lisa. Moving to Australia necessarily meant giving away/selling 90% of what I owned and had treasured for so many years. It was GUTTING!! But once I got on the plane I felt so light and free. Now that I’m settled again I’m realizing that for me simplicity is not being frantic. Not in spirit, not in thought, not in lifestyle. For me it is quiet, steady, purposeful, and responsive rather than reactive. When I do manage to live like this it doesn’t matter if my house is cluttered and the farm needing a tidy-up, my soul feels simple and that is good. 🙂 xo
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It is gutting Krista but one day I went through some boxes I’d left at my Mums years ago and realized I wasn’t hanging onto the physical things I was holding the memories. Yes that quiet contentment and peace of mind are what we nourish here. You always put things so beautifully xxx sending much love
Pauline says:
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Great post! I have been looking into ways to simplify life for a while now. For me it is trading money for time. Earning less to live more. Having the time to see the sun rise, being mindful about your acts, watching what you grow, cooking it, eating it, being sustainable… I recently bought a little house in Guatemala that I am renovating with some hens and a garden, that dream is taking shape.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  thanks Pauline, your home in Guatemala sounds fantastic and the perfect spot to realize that dream! Why Guatemala, I have to admit I know nothing about it and you have totally got me fascinated now LOL xxx
Catherine Whitty says:
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PS. Hope you foot is feeling better. And I have been thinking about setting up a blog all day…..!
Catherine
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Fantastic, you need to set up a domain name and go from that point, someone who is a guru for us bloggers is Darren Rowse from Problogger, also Blog Tyrant has lots of easy to follow information and a great forum type comment system to get questions answered. From the workshop I know that Francesca Muir has a blog and so does Deb Kolka and of course Carla.
  The foot is bruised but okay and I am going to the police today to make a further statement!!
  xxx
- Catherine says:
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  Thank you Lisa! I’ve set up domain name
  . Off I go!
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Fabulous let me know how it goes x
Catherine Whitty says:
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Hi Lisa
It was lovely to meet you yesterday at Carla’s workshop! Wasn’t it fantastic? Actually, you’ll laugh at this, you know how we had so much time at the airport last night? Well we nearly missed our flight! Take care. Catherine
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  On no how funny, I limped all the way to gate 38 and realized it was departing from gated 32 grrr. I hope you didn’t fall asleep LOL. The workshop was fantastic and I am taking time to put my notes in some order and start getting everything in place to get published. Hubby has set me a challenge so I need to get on the ball.
  If you need any help with the blog let me know xxx
currybadger says:
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Good question, I wanted to call myself the Honeybadger, but I ended up in India when I finally decided to make the blog. So I decided Currybadger would be more appropriate. And in India, everyone calls you Mr or Ms, so I sandwiched these things into my name.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Classic I love it! Our little boy Luca calls me Mr Mum…
  
  What a happy chance that you started blogging in India!!
  x