spring clean(s)ing

 

 

I've never been much of a 'spring cleaning' person;

I've never had the patience or energy required for this.

So I just did a bit of cleaning here and a bit of decluttering there;

the result was a decent home but never a perfectly organised one.

Procrastinating is my middle name and as long as the flat is

clean enough to be healthy and messy enough to be happy

it was fine by me!

This year something changed, though.

I'm not sure I can put it to words.

It's this need I have for simplifying;

for having less stuff,

having fewer obligations,

having more time for my family and for me.

So before going away for the Easter holidays, 

I looked around for inspiration

- blogs, pins, spring cleaning lists-

and kept some notes on my,

truly inspiring, Susan Branch wall calendar.

My biggest challenges were the bedroom walk-in closet,

the kitchen glass cabinet (it's huge) and the balconies.

I'm proud to say I managed to do them all.

There are still cupboards and drawers to be sorted out

but I have a plan

and a whole month ahead.

Of course, with schools starting again on Monday......

we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Wow! Look at how much I've already written.

And to think that it's the cleansing part I'm mostly 

interested in.

I'm trying to look after myself a bit (or rather a lot) more.

I eat healthily and try to walk as much as I can. 

(going to the gym is not an option for now)

I love seeing my fuel -salad-  all washed and ready to get in the fridge.

I make beautiful combinations; yes, beautiful.

I take my bowl to the study and search the net for spring images.

Finally, the most important part.

I seek inner peace.

I want to get rid of any past bitterness and find the strength in me to forgive.

I need to stop reproducing mean dialogues in my head.

It's the only way I can think of 

to move my life forward.

Cherishing the simple things and enjoying the gifts I was given.

Making others happy.

It's not easy. I've been through a tough period

and quite often I didn't even like myself.

So spring clean(s)ing it is, then.

Wish me luck

and do stop by.

I'll do my best to do so, too.

Take Care!

Yiota

a birthday party!

Happy Birthday, Christina!

These are for you!

Could you put them in some water?

Good! Now, let's see...

...the birthday wishes...

~ may your days be filled with all the simple things you love

~ may you see beauty in the petals of a rose

~ may you shed happy tears when your kids make you proud

~ may you take heart-warming strolls in gardens full of blossoms

~ may you capture the poetry of everything around you with your camera and words every day

~ may you fill your home with wonderful smells from the kitchen

~ may you read piles of books that nurture your soul

~ may you get lots and lots of big hugs and sweet kisses from your family

~~~~~

Enjoy your special day!

xxx

The Simple Things - School Project

( if you aren't familiar with 'the simple things idea'

you may read this and this and this if you like.)

~~~~~~

Oooh! I'm so excited! Totally over the moon.

About a month ago when Christina organised another 'simple things' day

I pondered about it a little:

"finding happiness and beauty in the little things

is actually huge; being grateful for what you have,

not taking anything for granted,

learning to appreciate whatever surrounds you,

makes you a better person.

These are values I'd like my students to have.

In a time and era that they have everything they want,

I want them to be able to look around and find joy

in the little things."

So I asked Christina if it was ok with her to use her idea with my classes

and of course she said yes.

At first they were a bit numb.

"what's our new grammar and vocabulary?

will we be tested on this material?"

"No,no,no. Now we're talking about you.

We're using this foreign language we've been learning

on a real-life project"

And then they got it.

We talked about it as a class -there was a handout with ideas to get them started;

then they made their personal lists,

and finally, working in groups, they made posters with a couple of ideas from each student.

I brought this idea to four of my classes-

students aged from 10 to 12, third and fourth year of studying English.

They loved it!!!!

They were so enthusiastic about it and so proud of their final lists!!!

and they made me happy oh so happy.

There were 'computer games' and 'TV' of course

but there were also things like

'helping friends' and 'a warm hug' and 'books' and 'a colourful picture'...

And can you see the little drawings? Aren't they cute?

I'm telling you, they loved it!

I love every single idea they wrote,

the colourful posters they created,

all the fun they had...

But most of all I love that I got them thinking about what really matters.

I bet they all were a little more grateful for the lunch they ate with their families

when they went home after that.




xxx

The Simple Things

a flat to clean ...

dishes to wash ...

clothes to wash and iron ...

a job to go to and get tired ...

lots of shopping bags to carry ...

tons of books, CDs, toys to put away every night ...

blankets to air ...

phonecalls to return ...

..............

* * * * *

Thank you God for all the boring, tiring things I need to do every day.

For these and many more, I am grateful.

* * * * *

My list today consists of some of the things I'm blessed with,

things we often take for granted,

things that the unfortunate people in Haiti

have been deprived of.

For more fun 'simple things' see this list.

Visit Christina for more Simple Things;

this time it's for a great cause.

The Simple Things

Joining Christina at Soul Aperture

here is a -short- list of some of the simple things

that make my heart sing...

watching the sunset from the kitchen window...

finding the perfect frame for a picture I love...

(picture won at Lecia's giveaway; see it better here)

a pupil's drawing with the heart-warming words " I love you, Miss"...

the first bloom in spring...

my geraniums which are still in full bloom today...

making my son laugh and laugh and laugh...

a shower of rain in the summer...

precious family breakfast...

reading The Shell Seekers every summer and Winter Solstice every winter....

collecting shells and pebbles in the summer and making crafts with them in winter...

coffee and cake on a quiet afternoon while the flat is still filled with the aroma of baking...

my angel's face while he's sleeping...

a walk in the countryside...

beautiful stationary...

the smell of old books...

girlie pyjamas...

floral bedlinen...

planting bulbs on a sunny November afternoon...

mail - sending and receiving...

laughing...

crying...

being human...

Ooooh! That was a lot of fun!

Visit Christina's blog for more Simple Things.

xxx

PS. The giveaway is still open; see previous post