Simple Living - Dream

(I just bought a fabulous collection of e-books called "The Ultimate Homemaking e-book Bundle."  The books cover all aspects of the home, from cooking to parenting to marriage to budgeting to beauty to the home.  One of the first books I've cracked open is called "Simple Living" and I'm going to try and go through, lesson by lesson, in an effort to embrace a little bit more simple living.  The book encourages the reader to journal their thoughts, and so I figured this would be a great place to record my feelings as I turn inward and uncover my own thoughts about home, cleaning, possessions, and simple living.)

Simple Living - Lesson 1 - Dream

What do you want your house to look like?
I want my house to have an open, airy feeling.  I like lots of light, open spaces, and as few things as possible in each room.  I want art and decorations on the walls that are meaningful to our family.

What do you want your schedule to look like?
I want lots of time (when the weather is good) for outdoor play and physical activity.  I want to leave time for hiking and biking.  I want to commit to no more than one scheduled activity per child, and no more than two per day.  I want to leave time for meeting with friends and connecting instead of rushing from one thing to the next.

What about your emotional and physical health?
I want to dedicate naptime every afternoon to scripture study and a short nap for myself, if I need it.  I want to commit to kayaking once a week during the summer.  I want to teach the boys to hike/bike longer distances.  I want to bike or walk to as many things as I possibly can and leave the van at home.

What are things you wish you had more time for?
I want to jump start some writing projects I've had simmering for a while.  I want to play a musical instrument once a day.

What is most important to you?
Acknowledging that as an introvert, I need time alone in order to recharge and meet the needs of my family.  Without those brief moments of silence, I am apt to lose my temper at the constant demands for my attention.

How would you define success in your life?
Balance between the different areas in my life.  Feeling joy throughout the day, even in the seemingly mundane tasks of household chores.

What would you need to do or accomplish to feel successful?
Have a gentle flow to the day that does not rush me from one thing to the next.  Have a creative outlet (through music or writing or photography or digital art).  Be the calm eye of the storm in the middle of the chaos that young children (and accompanying responsibilities) can bring.

Are there people whom you admire?  Why?
I admire K.G.  She is cheerful and positive.  Her home has the feel that I am striving for.  She has a similar family make up to mine and so she inspires me that what I'm after is both possible and achievable.

How big a house do you really want?  Why?  What about location?  How settled down do you want to be?  Whom do you want to be with?
I dream for a property in the country that allows my children a safe place to move about more freely without the confines of a fence.  But I want to be close enough to town that it doesn't feel like a day trip to pop in on a friend.  I do not want a big house where everyone can scatter to separate spaces; I want a space where the fluid movements of everyone intersect with one another.  I want a home that my children will be raised in, and then love to come back to when they have children of their own.

(Some images that inspire me)