Christina at Soul Aperture is doing the simple things today and I wanted to play along.

::My List::

lazy weekend breakfasts

our six pound dog sleeping under the covers with us

new books

chocolate chips

dark chocolate with chocolate nibs

chocolate chip pancakes (sensing a theme?)

hot tea on cool fall days

good movies that really stick with you

a google reader with new threads to read

my baby putting words together

husbands who step up to take care of everything when needed

the anticipation of the older girl when daddy gets to go to preschool with her

new lavender shea butter body wash

cuddly blankets & flannel sheets

the sun shining after it’s been cloudy for days

the way cats rub up against your leg

]]> http://misadventuresofkellyandkelly.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/the-simple-things-2/feed/ 11 misadventuresofkellyandkelly http://misadventuresofkellyandkelly.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/monday-best-of-last-week-link-style-51/ http://misadventuresofkellyandkelly.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/monday-best-of-last-week-link-style-51/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:56 +0000 Kelly http://misadventuresofkellyandkelly.wordpress.com/?p=2743 ]]>

Tips on having a more simple Christmas. On LobotoMe.

are you walking on the balance beam or lying down and holding on to it? find out what I’m talking about on meg’s whatever blog.

a cup of jo on parisian style.

a great reminder on Veteran’s Day – do watch.

knock knock tour.

Read my first post in this series right here – read.

This one is my post about what I need.

I realize need is subjective and there isn’t much I need in this life. I am incredibly blessed.

Homeopathy kits.

Glass Jars for the kitchen.

My mom and I were talking this morning about how fast this whole year has been going.  I can’t believe it’s only two weeks until Thanksgiving!

Lately we’ve been trying and pushing to slow down our lives a little bit.

We’ve been taking time to enjoy the sun and warm weather. And have been spending as much of it as possible outside.

The girls washed potatoes for me last week. We had some friends over for dinner and I have been finding that it helps me to get cooking done if I involve them somehow.

We went to see grandma and grandpa for some tailgating. And eating. And lots of fun.

We went out to breakfast at a local dive breakfast place. That was packed and yummy.

Cora wrote her own name. All letters in the right direction too!

I made a new recipe that turned out to be a success. The husband said “10 out of 10″.

And Cora made her own banana bread! Pretty much. I measured out the ingredients into bowls she did everything else, with some instruction. It’s super good!

A few weeks ago we cleaned the girlies room. I clean it often but I only do a deep cleaning 3-4 times a year. By deep cleaning I mean I clean out every single little item. I clean out every box full of treasures. I move furniture out and sweep everywhere.

This last time I did it I found a huge pile of Sonic kid’s meal toys. A pile so large that i decided to count them.  Any guesses?
26!

I order kids meals too when we go to fast food restaurants.  But that equals way, way too much eating out in my opinion.  So we will refocus and try harder.  I’ve gotten way too used to saying “sure” when Cora asks to go to Sonic for lunch (especially after preschool when I’m tired and she is tired).  I need to remember why I want to say no and start saying it more often.

What are your strategies for eating out less?  Especially for people who stay at home – what do you eat for lunch?  I think we are all tired of peanut butter & jelly every day.

I get a newsletter in my inbox every day from enjoy parenting. Some days the newsletter is more or less meaningful to me at the time I read it. But the one I got yesterday really struck me as important and I’ve been thinking about it nonstop ever since.

“:: Unreasonable Love ::

To love *unconditionally* means you don’t need a
“reason” to justify loving. In other words…

1. When you have a good reason to love, then you love.
2. When you have a good reason *not* to love, you love anyway.
3. You love for no reason at all.

In our conditional-loving culture, “reasonable” loving
is the norm. So today let’s practice the second and
third types of loving…

Whenever your child behaves in a way that would
conventionally be seen as an excuse to love *less*,
be a rebel and love *more*! That doesn’t mean praising
behavior you dislike, it means responding with your
heart wide open.

Also, draw a heart on the back of your hand (or create
any easily noticeable cue), and whenever you notice
it, say “I love you” or offer your child a hug, a
loving gaze, or any loving gesture.

How does it feel to love “just because”? Are you
willing to love *yourself* “unreasonably” too? “

Are you able to love unconditionally? To love when you don’t want to? It’s easier to love kids like this. But how about your husband? And how about yourself?

My reminder:

Kelly & I aren’t exchanging gifts for each other this year.  These are the categories we use to get the girls gifts:

want
need
wear
read

So I’m going to devote a few posts to what I would want if we were to exchange gifts.

A few things on my ‘read’ wish list.

Fall 2009 Stitch Magazine.

A Living Crafts magazine subscription.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Carefree Clothes For Girls.

The Kind Diet.

Some new blogs I’ve been loving lately.

Wide Open Spaces. I can’t get enough. Seriously beautiful blog and even more beautiful content. Love it.

Maus & Nugget is about a family in San Francisco and I love seeing the city life through their blog.

the secret life of high energy parents – a great list!

must the show really go on? a great post on the holiday season and priorities on Ordinary Courage.

permission to rest.

stunningly gorgeous pictures of a trip to North Carolina.

this post on a cup of jo made my mouth hang open in amazement. stunning.

great parenting post here on apples for poppy anne.

simplicity on uncommon grace – fantastic post.

no one is perfect no matter how perfect it all looks. worth a read on bullseye baby.

Today at church a family sat in front of us who I had never seen before.  Not a huge revelation as we go to a very large church.  But then I recognize one of their little boys as one of Cora’s classmates.  I introduced myself to the mother in the cry room and now we are not strangrs.

But all day I had been thinking about this family.  They look like the perfect family.  Gorgeous parents – something out of a magazine, really.  Four beautiful little children.  The oldest was probably only 5 or 6, and they were really good throughout mass.  I didn’t realize they lived in this part of town so I asked if they were new to it and in fact they were.  So that prompted me to learn where they live.  And as I realized that their house costs over three times as much as ours, I cringed a little bit (inside).  These people are not only good looking, have great looking (well-behaved) children, and seem very nice, but they are also very  wealthy.

I’ve been struggling lately.  I try to think we don’t do the “keeping up with the Jones’” business.  I drive a 6 year old, hail damaged min-van.  The husband’s car?  A 1993 Geo Prizm with paint that is peeling off from too much time out in the sun.  Our house is not filled with fany furniture.  Our clothes are nowhere near designer.  Our splurges are very much deliberated and are

So why is this family and their perfect looking life bothering me?

Then I got on here and checked my google reader.  And this great post on bullseye, baby! came up and it was kind of just what I needed today. And she even linked to a great post of hers that was written a few years ago called stacking up. This post seemed spot on for what I needed to read today.

So I’m going to focus on the lovely bits of our lives and try to remember that even the most perfect looking family surely has problems too.  I’m going to remember sunshine filled walks around the block gathering leaves.  I’m going to remember yummy breakfasts at our local neighborhood dive.  I’m going to remember girlie hugs and wet cheek kisses.

I’m going to try (again) to enjoy what we have instead of wonder what we don’t have.  Because if I even start comparing our life to anyone else’s life, then I will start down that slippery slope of not ever being able to stop.  There will always be someone better looking, someone with more money, someone with more kids or less kids, someone with a bigger house, or someone with a more mindful mindset.  And I don’t want to go there.

Please tell me I’m not alone in this struggle!  And what do you do to keep yourself from falling into this mindset?

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday!  It’s absolutely gorgeous here.  We are headed outside as soon as naps are over.