Home Life Simplified

Grateful for people watching

Debra Dane — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:11:45 +0000

This week someone asked on Facebook if we like to people watch and I had to reply that it is in my blood and one of my favorite pastimes. I don’t think you can grow up in New York City and not people watch – they might kick you out – it is such a normal part of the culture. I would actually say it is a sport.

It is one thing (among many) that my British husband had to get used to. He would nudge me and tell me to “stop staring” when all I had been doing is “observing” and taking it all in. I watch families, check out women’s clothes and accessories, decide what I will order in a restaurant after following waiters with my eyes as they deliver dishes around the restaurant.

I have been known to approach women to find out where they got their handbag.

I do not hesitate to lean over to another table to ask if the dish tastes as good as it looks.

I have enjoyed many interesting conversations that I was not actually a part of.

I was aware this week how often I still people watch and observe and eavesdrop – especially in my own house. I love nothing more than to hang back quietly while my girls talk, make up songs, play and draw and simply observe and listen. Sometimes they catch me and give me a little look. Lulu, especially, will say “whaaaat?” with a bit of a cheeky grin. She knows I enjoy watching them, but teases me nonetheless.

For most of my life I was actually known as a talker* – seriously never shut up… Now I feel I am happier being an observer and I don’t always have to be involved in the conversation. I am grateful for that ability to hang back just enough to take it all in now.

What are you grateful for this week?

Find your simple,

Deb

Photo credit: NYC photo by flickr user vanz

*I might still be known this way – not sure how others perceive me as a slowed down and quieter New Yorker is still louder and more out there than your average Australian so I don’t think that perception will ever change. I laughingly explain that this is the laid back version of me – not sure if I will ever achieve true “laid back” – unlike the people watching, that is not in the New Yorker blood.

linking up with Maxabella Loves and Kidspot for 52 weeks of Grateful

Dealing with the extremes in life

Debra Dane — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:27:37 +0000

Along with cultivating a life filled with gratitude, the greatest mental shift I have made this year has been coming to terms with the extremes in life. It seems my husband and I are currently living through the stage of life that simultaneously includes extreme work pressures, health issues (ours and friends’ and family’s), financial loads greater than we ever imagined in our carefree 20s (hello mortgage), worries for our children as they grow and thoughts on aging (mostly in terms of our parents in their 70s and our own retirement someday / hopefully).

It all feels so intense some weeks.

I finally realised the extra-intense periods and issues serve to help me appreciate the “normal” periods I used to complain about.

My husband’s work load seems forever intense and I bemoan the fact that we never have weekday family dinners as he gets home between 7 and 8pm.

Then he is hit with a two month frenzy that sees him working past 9-10pm most nights and through weekends and public holidays. What was that I was complaining / talking about before? Oh yeah, how great it is for him to be home between 7 and 8pm every night in time to tuck the kids in. Perspective is a bitch, but an honest one at that.

I am cranky about my screwed up hormones, thyroid condition and genetically high cholesterol levels that all require medication that I can’t even seem to remember all the time. Taking a bunch of pills and seeing my doctor regularly makes me feel like I am an old lady before my time.

Then I learn of yet another friend battling cancer or losing a loved one and I am suddenly grateful that I am here every day for my girls and that I can take pills that do not make me feel wrecked. I can make peace with my normal.

Over and over through the months I am given opportunities to put things in perspective and find my silver lining. It is always there if I am willing to look. Even my husband can see it now. The other day he called with a bad – news – good – news phone call. The bad news is a major project fell through which will put him under pressure at work. The good news (which he switched to rather fast) is this means we can actually look into finally taking the girls to America this year – Lulu is almost 7 1/2 and has never met my extended family and Alice was last in NYC for her first birthday almost 8 years ago. Our plans were on hold as this project coincided with my dream of spending Thanksgiving in the States. As much as we need work, we need a holiday and family too. Silver lining indeed.

I was so happy to see that my husband did not dwell on the negative after spending so much time focused on that project. I think our family’s focus on “what we have” has really trickled through to our way of life. Our ability to bounce back from setbacks and essentially “snap out of” things more easily has definitely increased. I tend to look for the lesson to be learned and usually can find one being offered.

As always life is full of trade-offs, but if we are still alive and kicking and screaming we are doing pretty well aren’t we?

It’s all about perspective!

Do you look for silver linings? Are you living in the era of life extremes?

Find your simple,

Deb

Image credit: flickr user robteasdale99

Colour coding to simplify my life

Debra Dane — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:07:14 +0000

As a visual person my number one tool for making life easy and simplified is colour coding. It saves me time by knowing at a glance where the right information is or who an item belongs to in my home. While labelling often helps with identification of the same items, I often do not even need to get close to know what I need (or to direct someone else to the right items).

10 ways you can use colour coding to save time and stress

1. Binders/notebooks and clip boards you use to store information, recipes, files, bills and more

2. File folders for all your active paperwork – I love using colour to identify what files I need to grab

3. Storage boxes with different coloured lids (or bases or tags) – if you have things packed away and stacked in your closets, garage, basement or attic it can help save a ton of time if, for example, you know that Christmas decorations are in the red lidded boxes and Winter clothes are stored in the blue boxes.

4. Towels – no question who has left their towel on the floor when you know the blue one belongs to your 7 year old. If you like your towels to be all the same colour you can still colour code by attaching a coloured tag to each towel (tutorial on Martha Stewart, photo below).

5. Clothing – we have quite thin school uniforms and the girls wear either shorts or leggings under them. One simple way I eased laundry sorting was buying Lulu all black and Alice navy blue. With kids close in age I would end up checking labels for size all the time since there is only a small difference in these items.

6. Laundry baskets – I use a white basket for light clothes / warm wash and a blue basket for dark / cold wash. The kids know at a glance if the clothes stand out dark against the white basket it is in the wrong spot. At 7 and 8 they are master laundry sorters thanks to the colour prompt and I never worry about a red item sneaking in with my husband’s white shirts as it would stand out too much.

7. Organising my blog schedule as I plan out content for this blog. Since I cover a variety of topics it has been a huge help to colour code based on topic so I can see at a glance if I have been writing too much or too little on any given category on the blog. This was one of the best tips I picked up in a recent blog course so have to give credit to Melissa and her Content Brew course which I highly recommend to all bloggers. Click here to view more details *

8. Kids school items – give them their own colour of lunch box, bag tag if they use a school branded backpack, drink bottle or food storage containers. When I am loading the dishwasher I know instantly if there is no green water bottle that Alice has either left it at school or in her bag.

9. Your calendar (s) – you can use a different colour for each family member (works digitally or in print), different colours for different calendars like business, personal, family, spouse (if you use digital calendars), or different colour for different contexts (errands, meals, exercise, social plans, etc).

10. Cutting boards in the kitchen – I love using red for meat, green for veggies and so on. There is less chance of contamination and I don’t have to think about it too much.

These are just some ways you can save time and stress with colour coding. Do you use colour to organise your life at all?

Find your simple,

Deb

*Momcomm is one of my favourite blogs to learn about blogging design tips and content so I jumped at the chance to take Melissa’s Content Brew course (paid in full by me). It was a great course (check out the link above for all the specifics), opportunity to chat with other bloggers privately and learn tons of new tools and techniques to make content creation and planning easier. She still has spaces in her June course (but the other courses all sold out so don’t delay if you are interested) and if you happen to use the link above know it is an affiliate link that earns me a little money (I thank you if you do use the link). If you are a blogger who needs help generating content or headlines, organising all your social media, ideas, guest posts and projects this class will pay for itself fast. When I took it in April, by the end of week one I had content organised through September (but can change it up as I move forward).

It is Tuesday so I will be linking up with the lovely jess for IBOT. If you are on the lookout for some new blogs to follow this is a great way to find new bloggers as it is such a diverse group.

Simplify your life {Week 20: revisiting goals and catch up}

Debra Dane — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:55:17 +0000

I am sure many of you are in the same boat as me – sitting here wondering how on Earth we are at week TWENTY already. I know this is not the easiest challenge going on the internet so thank you to those that are sticking with it (either blogging or doing it privately) and with me. Whether you stick to the weekly way I deliver the challenges or do them in bursts it is all good. I said at the start that this is not a strict path to follow and “real life” is there every day.Some topics you will fly past and others you will need to revisit many times to find what works for you.

We have now finished all the time management topics in the simplify your life challenge. It is a huge topic though and if this is one of your stumbling blocks in simplifying your own life I suggest you spend more time on it – read more information if needed, but mostly just experiment with tips and ideas you already know. As your life changes so should your systems and routines. If something is not working try to ask yourself “why” questions until you find out what your underlying issue is. It can be anything from boredom to a too complex system, whatever is going on with you is valid – think of what you can add or let go of to tweak things.

This week I want you to take the time to catch up a little or update us on your goals again. I have been reading along and so many of you are still attempting to simultaneously tackle many (or all) or your overall goals set and feeling frustration. I cannot emphasize enough times – tackling one or two goals and giving them your full attention will always be better than tackling many goals, getting frustrated and giving up on it all (or worse beating yourself up for “failing”). We only have so much time and energy to devote to change, so prioritise and invest your time wisely. What do you need most right now to move you forward towards the vision you have for your life? Look at your goals and pick one to focus on for the rest of May and June and see what changes develop and how you feel.

If you need to rethink your goals or come up with some new tactics to move forward I thought I would bring all my goal related blog posts into one place for you. Do you need to let go of some goals you set that were based on “shoulds” (I know at least one SYLer has dropped a goal for this reason)? Are any of your goals too big and need to be broken down further to a realistic first goal? If you never exercise or don’t have a regular routine don’t expect to go from that to daily exercise immediately. You might set a goal of twice a week for a month and then build up a day a month or set a goal of trying a new exercise each week this month until you find one you love (do this with an open mind and you may find a new passion).

Goal setting (and achieving) resources:

Goal setting and priorities (from week 6)

7 tips to help you achieve your goals

Are you making any of the 7 goal setting mistakes in this post

Do you need some resources in the form of printable worksheets or online trackers?

Getting rid of mental roadblocks to success:

5 critical steps to change your mindset

Letting go of perfectionism

Are you resisting your goals because you are afraid of dealing with change?

This week’s challenge: move forward!

If you are not up to week 20, then move onto the next week of challenges you are up to right now. Whether you are up to week 4, 8 or 18 does not matter, just keep moving forward at your own pace.

If you are up to date, then move forward with one of your goals (and refine your plan if needed). If you are having success implementing your goal plans please share what has been working for you, what changes you made to move forward, what resistance you overcame and how…If you are stuck write about why and ask for help- this is a great community of smart women full of support and wise words – reach out!

Twenty weeks in – you are awesome! Tell yourself that now – no negative talk, just celebrate yourself for any weeks you have showed up, any changes you have made, any discomfort you have pushed through, all the comments you have left for others cheering them on and celebrating their changes. If you are reading along and have implemented three changes that have improved your life, then you are already better off than on January 1 and that is to be celebrated.

The next block of simplify your life will start next week and lurkers beware, you might want to participate (blogging or privately) in the next two blocks to simplify your life. We are going to be tackling our homes (and “stuff”) and then our household management over the next 11 or 12 weeks.

Find your simple,

Deb

Note: In case you missed it I want to share my current project as we begin June 1st! The self care blueprint will help you tackle all the roadblocks that currently stand in your way related to self care and self love. I’d love you to click on that link and check it out. We have a wonderful group of almost 40 women so far committed to working on this together – it should be a fabulous group of like minded women meeting in a private facebook group for support and discussions. I hope to see you there.

Link up for week 19 (please visit and comment on a few other blogs):

Image credit: Dream Big Set Goals Take Action - awesome metal art work available from etsy seller jnjmetalworks

Choosing a life overseas

Debra Dane — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:42:41 +0000

Today I have another guest post – this one is personal and I am happy to share more of my own story. I have said that I am American, married to a Brit and raising our children in Australia. That chosen life has pros and cons and today I am sharing what it is like over at Mummy Smiles for her “Smiles around the world” feature.

From the post:

Almost 18 years ago I set off from New York City (my hometown) on a trip around the world. I had spent my entire final year of college saving, planning and organising the trip. I set off in September 1994 to my first stop, a stay on a kibbutz in Israel, with plans to continue through Europe and then into Africa. Instead I met my husband and everything changed. After three months together he was headed back to England and I had to choose which path I would follow – the one I had planned so carefully or the one that included him.

I took a leap of faith and here we are 17 years since the day I made that choice. That “here” is not where either of us expected to be. We have chosen to settle down in a neutral third country and both our girls were born and raised in Australia – thousands of miles from our friends and family.

On the surface Australia seems like a safe and easy option for an expat life – at least everyone speaks English. Well, actually they speak Australian English and life in our house can get pretty funny at times. Three countries represented, all English speaking and yet so different. There are constant discussions about what is “right” and now that our girls are both in school we face issues with homework and class projects as the girls have to try to unlearn any American spelling or pronunciations they have picked up (and deal with parents who lack knowledge of Australian history and cultural references).

I hope you will go over to Natalie’s wonderful blog to read the rest of my story and enjoy her series that aims to give us a glimpse into different lives of women around the world. We have many cultures and countries, but also much in common.

Grateful for coming full circle

Debra Dane — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:57:18 +0000

Only Thursday and posting a gratitude post?

I am dealing with health stresses right now and could feel a little spiral starting downwards. I don’t just talk about self care on here to lecture others on how important it is, but truly walk the walk.

Having talked to my doctor yet again and planning blood tests yet again I decided I just needed to let go of my plans for the next couple of days and reboot. Something is going wonky in my body with my thyroid and I am finding myself retreating from writing and the computer. I could battle it out or I could give in. I chose the easy option to retreat and am glad I did.

Yesterday I started a new book “Heaven is here” by Stephanie Nielson. I was a reader of her blog back in 2008 when I was shocked to read news that she had been in a plane crash with her husband and his flight instructor. I have fallen deeply into her book and finding myself in tears at her story and at her spirit. I am grateful that my health problems are minor in comparison. I do try to remind myself to have perspective and this is how I ended up shifting gears to gratitude today.

I am grateful I have a doctor who continues to try to keep my body on an even keel no matter how many times it has baulked at the idea. My body seems to hate routine and throws me curve balls from time to time. The good thing is there is always an answer for her to find and I always get better.

It is so easy to feel down and limited by health issues. I have too many friends right now battling cancer and chronic conditions and I am always in awe of how they stay strong and their spirits remain high. I do not ever want to take this life for granted. One lesson I know for sure is there are no guarantees in this life and I swore I would never forget that. Still, I get lost in the details of life too often. I am grateful for the reminders I find, often telling me to slow down, focus on the important “little things”, take the moments as they come.

It takes all my strength to live in this moment when my mind naturally turns to thoughts of the future which in turn start to create pressure and stress. Mindfulness and staying in the present is something that may take me a lifetime to learn, but I am willing to keep trying.

I am grateful this week for my little family unit. I feel I have come full circle in the last year – seeking things outside my family to fulfil me and finding my family are what fill me up the most now. When I am not feeling well it is a cuddle from my daughter or a cup of coffee made by my husband that cures me as much as a tweak in medication. Snuggling under a blanket with two little girls watching Little House on the Prairie on these crisp Autumn days (in our house that is colder than being outside) before helping with homework finally. While we often talk and dream of overseas trips, it is my time cocooned in our house with them that I treasure most.

What are you grateful for right now? Stop and take a moment to appreciate the people and moments that make up this life.

Find your simple,

Deb

I will be linking up with Bron of Maxabella Loves for 52 weeks of grateful. One constant I have found is the power of gratitude – nothing has as great an impact on my life as focusing on what I have in my life.

Image credit: red rose by flickr user Temari 09

5 tips to combat feeling overwhelmed

Debra Dane — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:59:52 +0000

Today I am guest posting over at Adventures & Misadventures of a Mummypreneur and sharing my top 5 tips for when you feel overwhelmed with work or your to-do list.

From my post:

The number one mantra that helps me manage my “to do” list is “You will never reach the end of the list”. It shifts the focus from trying to get every single thing done before I can fully relax and turns my attention to “what can I do today?” There will always be more things that come up – both work related and personal and there is a finite amount of time and energy I can devote to things.

My top tips for dealing with overwhelm:

1. Brain dump (and triage): Get everything out of your head including to-do items, worries, random thoughts that occupy your head space. Writing them down stops them distracting you and depleting your energy. Take time to triage the list and decide what can be delegated or outsourced easily (including to other family members), what can be dumped (not everything we think we have to do really needs to happen) and what can be delayed long term (no point worrying about a home project you know you won’t tackle for 6 months).

2. Make a focused to do list for just today: First decide what has to happen (“must do” items instead of what is top of mind or easiest), and then determine what you can realistically achieve given your resources for the day (ie if you work from home and today only have three clear hours, set your daily goals accordingly).

Head on over to Amanda’s lovely site to read the rest of my tips and to read some of her posts about juggling her business with family life.

Simple ways to step out of your comfort zone

Debra Dane — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:24:38 +0000

In January I shared that my word for this year was “fearless” and that I was going to continuously push through fear and whatever else holds me back. My usual M.O. in recent years had become to play it safe and stay where I felt comfortable.

Many people hear the word “fearless” and picture brave and daring crazy adventures. They think to be fearless means you must live a life on the edge, or at least far removed from average.

Each of us has a different comfort level, a different starting point and different goals. For me, my attempts at being “fearless” have more to do with challenging those self-limiting thoughts where I have already written myself off before I even try something. I want to be open minded and receptive to what life is offering me. I want to stop playing it safe and push my boundaries.

I know many others also feel they are the ones holding themselves back, they are their own worst enemies. I am here to tell you that you can find many ways to step out of your comfort zone without doing what many would class as “daring”. Start to push your boundaries little by little and see how you feel.

6 simple ways to step out of your comfort zone with new experiences

1. Try a new recipe – new flavours, a new technique, break out of your food rut

2. Deviate from your favourites – your “usual” coffee order, your weekday bowl of porridge, anything you do over and over on autopilot switch to manual mode.

3. Talk to strangers – in line at the shops, in the waiting room, at a school event, a mother at the school gates

4. Explore a part of your city that you’ve never been to before – park your car and wander, find the fun in the “new”

5. Change your appearance – try new make-up; get a haircut that you dream about , but are afraid to try (nothing is permanent); buy a new outfit that is not “your style”, but you are drawn to when ogling others or pinterest or magazines.

6. Rearrange your furniture or decor – many of us “set and forget” our homes unless going for an overhaul. Add a new piece or edit out some of what you have, go browsing at a flea market or antique shop, swap pieces with a friend, paint your walls or add one brightly coloured piece.

You might notice your energy or your confidence levels increase. You might start to see things differently and notice more when you are out and about. What do you feel yourself drawn to? Can you let yourself explore more instead of playing it safe? Trust yourself and that nothing is irreversible.

What is one way you have pushed yourself out of your comfort zone – gently or diving in with both feet?

Find your simple,

Deb

I am linking up with Jess for IBOT – go check it out and find a blog you don’t normally read. You never know what great words or images await you…

Image credit: by flickr user Patrick Hoesly

Simplify your life {Week 19: Routines}

Debra Dane — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:49:13 +0000

Here we are in week nineteen for simplify your life talking about the last time management topic. I hope that you have started to look at how you manage your time and make a few changes that simplify things for you based on planning, priorities, focus, decision making, and reducing procrastination. The last piece of this puzzle for me is establishing routines.

Routine is a word some people love and others hate. If you are someone who feels routine means “boring” I can honestly relate. I am not talking about setting up your whole life on a schedule where you squeeze all the flexibility out of it. Instead I propose adding in routines where you can to simplify life and make it easier for you. That means leaving well enough alone for things that work for you already.

If you do not currently have a routine for cleaning your house or exercising or any number of areas and it is working for you then leave them as is. If there are areas that currently cause you stress, find you missing deadlines (ie bill paying), leave your household in chaos (“what do you mean there are no clean school uniforms?”), or find you consistently missing your goals, then consider adding routines into your life.

Use routines to decrease stress and improve your quality of life. Only you know where specifically a routine or habit will best help and support you. Some areas are outlined below and benefits vary from saving you time or money, to reducing stress or improving family time.

Possible routines to simplify your life:

Automate your finances- with online bill paying, direct regular deposits and transfers. This covers never missing a bill due date and paying yourself first by allocating income to cover necessities and savings before leaving money for non-essentials.

Cleaning routines – everything from having set chores each day to a system of assigning chores to family members. If dealing with tasks as they arise leaves your house in a shambles most days, then consider following a regular routine that works for you. You can create routines for everything or just specific areas (ie do your ironing on a big TV night each week and stick to it each week so you never fall behind again, have a big cooking session on Sunday afternoons to stock your fridge and freezer with food for the week ahead). Having a routine place where things “live” simplifies tidying up and makes it easier for everyone to find what they need.

Meal planning – either weekly or monthly you can set up a day that you consistently sit down and plan meals (and shopping lists).

Grocery shopping – routines can include shopping on the same day (s) each week or setting up online ordering for the same day each week / fortnight

Batching tasks – having a set errand day is an example of a routine that can save you a lot of time and money if you plan ahead and group errands together as much as possible (ie make one trip on Thursday mornings to drop off library books, the dry cleaning, get cash, groceries and any returns at the shopping centre instead of potentially 5 trips through your week using gas, time and searching for parking each time).

Laundry routines – set days or “run the machine when a basket is full”, it does not matter what routine you pick, but having one can help you avoid the family dramas of not having required clothes on the required days (especially for school kids) or ending up spending hours “catching up” on laundry.

Planning time – having a set weekly appointment with yourself (and/or with your family or significant other) can see you plan out your week ahead, note things that are due, appointments coming up, plans you have and things you need to follow up, etc.

Handling digital files / devices – everything from downloading your camera daily / weekly, charging batteries, clearing your email in box or organising family photos can be set into a routine that suits you.

Health and fitness – if you struggle to reach your goals with exercise try locking in a routine that you stick to regardless of mood or hectic life issues. If you always exercise at 6am it becomes engrained in your lifestyle. If you lead a busy life and often skip meals build in a routine for set meal times and snacks (pre-planning can help a lot with this area). Something as simple as setting up a daily fruit break might see you increase fruit consumption in a lacking diet, decrease snacking / hitting the chocolate at 3pm etc). Automating appointments can make life easier and healthier for all involved (simply set up your next appointment while at the dentist, doctor, vet, optometrist, etc based on your family’s needs).

Family life – establishing an evening routine along the lines of dinner, bath, stories and bed has worked for many families for a long time (predictability is often your greatest ally with kids), knowing that meals and snacks come at a set time (roughly) can be a great way to anchor your day, structuring your week with little ones so they (and you) know Tuesdays we go to story time at the library, Thursday we do swimming lessons and Friday we go for a long walk in the woods with the dog can also be a big help. Some families benefit from locking in a weekly routine (rather than a schedule) so everyone knows what is happening and can plan and look forward to things. if you currently live without family routines , as I said, there is no need to change if you are happy as-is. Many other families prefer to take each day as it comes.

Challenge this week: These are just some possible areas where routines can simplify your life. Reflect on areas in your own life that currently cause you stress or include tasks you avoid regularly and see if there are ways you can build a routine around them (or piggy back them on an existing routine until you form a new habit). Even a few simple changes in your week / month can cause big changes. Designating a spot for your keys to be placed every day (the most frequently misplaced item in homes) can be revolutionary if you stick with it. Filling up your car with gas on the same day every week regardless of how full / empty your tank is means you will never be running on fumes racing to find a gas station before you head out for an appointment. Little changes, big results.

Find your simple,

Deb

Link up below for week 18: Procrastination and take 15 minutes to visit and comment on other participants’ blog posts.

Grateful for opposites

Debra Dane — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:23:28 +0000

Almost eighteen years ago I met a man and we became friends. Three months later we crossed a line and never looked back. On the surface even I would never have picked him as my life long mate. I had always heard “opposites attract”, but up until then I had always been drawn to guys who were similar to me. Then I met my husband and found the meaning in “other half”. Being with your opposite means you have a complementary person who challenges you (instead of just “yes” all the time), helps you grow, gives you insights into worlds you may never have looked at before (books, films, travel destinations, viewpoints and more).

All these years later that is what I love most about my relationship (and, at times, least) as it will always be a challenge and part of my growth as a person.

He’s spontaneous!

Last week I posted on facebook because my husband had a sudden day off and wondered if I could drop what I was doing and play hooky. Now I know most people have the first instinct to run off with their other half and have some fun while the kids are at school. The timing could not have been worse as I had things to do and someone else to consider since I am not working alone. I did compromise and got some stuff done before racing out the door for a long lunch with my husband.

Every step of the way our differences were highlighted and I became acutely aware of how grateful I am for them (and him).

He’s laid back!

Practical me was thinking we should just find somewhere easy and local (time was running out).

His thoughts went along the lines of “we have all the time in the world, let’s go into the city.” He was still figuring things out while driving (trying to arrange a car park at his office that did not happen).

He’s flexible!

Without a bit of worry he just followed where the car was now directed and adapted – oh how I love adaptability!

We ended up in West End which is one of our favourite areas to eat – so many yummy choices.

In my mind, again ever practical, I figured the $10 lunch special at a Thai or Indian restaurant.

Hubby is in a celebratory mood after working so hard for months and we end up at a VERY nice restaurant I had been to once before.

He’s indulgent!

The food was incredible, we lingered, he had drinks (I drove), I pre-ordered the check (he told me to relax), I settled into a warm pot of chai on a cold and grey day, and finally I started to unwind.

I texted my neighbour to let the kids know we might be a few minutes late to school pick up and we entered dream world – possible vacations or trips “home” to family, how we could renovate our house, what we want for the future… all those conversations you can’t have in the 20 minutes of relaxing time you have on a normal day. We held hands on the walk to the car. He insisted I drop him at school so he could pick up the girls and walk them home.

I got home and had a few minutes to straighten up before friends were arriving for the afternoon. Instead of retreating, my husband hung out with my friends and their kids, playing cricket, enjoying my girls, sipping hot drinks and laughing.

An unexpected Friday day off! One I am more grateful for than I ever expected. That’s the thing with opposites – you can’t truly predict what they will do next and isn’t that great?

What are you grateful for this week?

Find your simple,

Deb

Linking up this week for 52 weeks of grateful with Maxabella Loves and Kidspot