THE ART OF LETTING GO Over the course of our lives we accumulate so much in the way of clutter - notably, our possessions, commitments and even our thoughts. So, in a world where less is often considered more, it is a good idea to simplify and declutter all aspects of it on a regular basis. The best way to do this is to let go of everything that is holding you back. If you don't, you can start to feel completely overwhelmed. But, if you do, it can be quite a liberating and invigorating experience. But how do we kickstart the process of letting go enough to actually be able to simplify ..read more

HOW I USED TO DEAL WITH LIFE For as long as I can remember, I've always been someone who wants everyone to be happy, to be doing well, and to be at peace with me. I HATE it when I feel like I've upset someone, or that they have an issue with me. Conflict causes me a lot of stress and that inner gut churning that is miserable. I then proceed to overthink everything, to try to smooth the waters, to apologize, or to change to make the other person more comfortable. Well.... that was how I always used to be, but over the last few years I've been growing a bit of a backbone,  I've disc ..read more

HOW DO WE FIND JOY? I wrote a series of posts several years ago on twelve areas to focus on for happiness. It was popular because a lot of us are looking for ways to be happy and to not end up as grumpy old people. What I've come to see over the ensuing years is that there isn't a switch we turn on to make ourselves happy, we can't force ourselves to be happy....but we do have control over our minds and our thoughts, and we can set them towards joy by choosing what we give our attention to. Our feelings follow our thinking.... Read more ..read more

INTRO Over the last year or so my husband and I have been chatting about when it'll be time to downsize from two cars to one. Neither of us are driving to work anymore and most of the time at least one car is sitting idle in the garage....when do we sell one and save on some of the costs vs keeping both and having a car each that suits us? (I like small cars, he prefers a bigger engine and more space). Today on the blog I have a collaboration that covers this topic in more detail and I found it to be really helpful with the list of pros and cons that come with making the decision of whether ..read more

LOOKING BACK AT THE WINTER THAT'S BEEN Winter has been a lovely change from the hot, dry, extended Summer we experienced here in Western Australia. The cooler days and the rain have been really welcome - it's so lovely to see the world green up around me and to hear the rain on the roof at night as I snuggle under the covers. It's been three months since I wrote my last update and today I wanted to share a few of the highlights from the family, the blog, and life in general - I hope you'll enjoy them too..... Read more ..read more

A GOOD LIFE VS AN EASY LIFE When I was younger, I always had a small kernel of envy in my heart towards those who seemed to lead much easier lives. I'd see those who had large incomes, or those who were making big purchases, or those who seemed to be high fliers, and my heart would give a little twinge as I continued along with my daily life of work and paying bills, saving money, and going without those added extras. I thought that the easy life was the best life, but as the second half of life has come along and things have steadied, I can see that it isn't an easy life that I'm drawn to ..read more

"JUST LET THEM" QUOTE I read a quote a little while ago, it was called "Let Them" - it was an attempt at being positive and proactive when it comes to people in your life who don't treat you in the way you'd like to be treated. At first it sounds very strong and powerful, but the more I thought about it, the less appealing it became. This is the quote: Read more ..read more

INTRO Today on the blog I have another great collaboration with some sensible advice on how to stay healthy so we can keep living our best life. I know that a positive mindset is vital, and it's so much easier to stay that way if we keep our body and brain in good shape too.  So, let me pass the blog over to my collaborator to share some sensible tips on how to stay as healthy as possible as we progress through the second half of life... Read more ..read more

FEELING UNSETTLED Life can be really wonderful overall, but still throw little upsets and irritations into our days. I seem to have a couple of those that have been on-going in my life over the last few months, and I've been trying to untangle the "why?" I start with wondering why someone would be mean spirited, then I wonder why I'm unhappy with a particular place, then I start beating up on myself for being bothered by it all....then I beat up on myself a bit more by wondering if I caused the irritations.....then the loop starts again. I find myself playing scenarios over in my head as I ..read more

LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE I used to think that living abundantly and luxuriously involved an expensive lifestyle and having everything you could imagine at your finger tips, wanting for nothing. As time has moved on, I've found the types of abundance and luxury that revolve around extravagance are meaningless to me. I have no desire at all to add more "stuff" to my life, to own more, to spend more, or to keep up with the Joneses. Abundance and luxury for me are all about the small delights that are part of everyday life, simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Today I thought I'd sh ..read more