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Simple Times

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Vol. 9, No. 8 -- December 20th, 2007

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

debi

Copyright 2007 Deborah Taylor-Hough

ISSN: 1527-1269

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Subscribe: join-simple-times

Un: leave-simple-times

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Celebrating 9+ years of saving your time, money and sanity!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

-- " Dear Readers " : Recipe, Seattle/Tacoma info, funny story, and more

-- Simple Living Quote

-- Living a Life of Voluntary Simplicity

-- Opening Your Home for Holiday Guests

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (archives, etc.)

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< < < O.U.R S.P.O.N.S.O.R > > >

 

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Dear Readers,

 

Several things before get onto the rest of the newsletter:

 

1) The other day I stumbled upon a delicious dessert recipe on the

Betty Crocker website. It's not a pie ... but the bottom layer is

essentially pumpkin pie filling. It's definitely not a cake ... but it

uses a box of cake mix. It has a crust on top that's almost like

a cobbler crust with nuts added ... but it's not a cobbler either.

 

Everyone loved it and it's so simple (although maybe not the

healthiest thing ever). I think it'd make a great recipe to use

with a child or teen just learning to cook and bake. Or an easy recipe

to bring along to a potluck or other holiday get-together.

 

Here's a link:

 

Praline Pumpkin Dessert

http://eatingcheap.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/praline-pumpkin-dessert/

 

 

2) Also, I just wanted to include a quick note reminding readers

that the content, wording, and products in our Sponsor ads

don't necessarily reflect a recommendation from me, or reflect

my views and opinions. But I do encourage readers to consider

supporting our various Sponsors to thank them for their continued

support of this email newsletter. They help to make it all possible.

 

If you'd like to consider placing an ad in Simple-Times, drop an

email to Andrea at marketing and ask about the modest

rates for Simple-Times sponsorship ads.

 

 

3) If you're in the mood for a funny seasonal true story, my

oldest daughter recently wrote on her blog about a Christmas-

time happening from a preschool Sunday School class she

taught several years ago. It still makes me laugh to hear

about it again. :-)

 

You can read " The Cow that Ate Baby Jesus " here:

 

http://snurl.com/cowstory

 

(But be forewarned ... this story contains extreme cute-ness!) ;-)

 

 

4) If you're a single parent (or just solely responsible for the

day-to-day parenting of children), consider signing up for my

new email newsletter, Solo-Parents. The first " official " issue

will be going out sometime in early 2008.

 

Be sure to let your solo-parenting friends, extended family, and

co-workers know about this new email resource coming soon

to an email box near you.

 

To : join-solo-parents

 

 

5) And lastly, are you in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington

State? If so, you might be interested in a new email announcement

list I'll be starting soon. It's called " Simply-Seattle " and will be

quick announcements and bulletins from me about events of interest

to local families.

 

It seems I'm often stumbling upon fun, inexpensive, and/or educational

things to do in our area, but other than a small discussion group of

local moms, I don't really have a place to share the information.

 

So if you live in the Puget Sound area (or know someone who does),

feel free to sign up for Simply-Seattle by emailing:

 

join-simply-seattle

 

 

Here's wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday season, a very Merry

Christmas, and a blessed New Year.

 

Simply Yours,

 

Debi

(Deborah Taylor-Hough)

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' series; 'A Simple Choice: A

practical guide for saving your time, money & sanity'; and 'Frugal

Living for Dummies®

--Editor, Simple Times, Solo Parents, and Bright-Kids email newsletters

________________________________

 

Visit my new site!

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

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SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE

 

" Somehow, not only for Christmas,

but all the long year through,

The joy that you give to others,

is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing

the poor and lonely and sad,

The more of your heart's possessing,

returns to you glad. "

 

--John Greenleaf Whittier

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LIVING A LIFE OF VOLUNATARY SIMPLICITY

Copyright David Bohl

Used with permission from EzineArticles.com.

All rights reserved.

 

 

We've all heard of " simple living, " and we see the magazines

and the news articles and the web sites. I often advocate

what I call " voluntary simplicity, " by which I mean determining

what's important to you and designing a life in support of your

values and beliefs.

 

Many people, when they think of simplicity, think I'm suggesting

that they sell everything and become hermits in South Dakota.

That isn't at all what I mean. What I really mean is that many

of us lose sight of what's important to us, and collect a great

many things, people, and situations that have nothing to do

with what we really believe in and want from our lives.

 

Simplicity can be a pretty complicated business. The Simple

Living Network lists ten different kinds of simplicity. Who knew

simply living could be so complex? Among the options offered

by SLN in " Choiceful Simplicity, " which consists of choosing

our path through life consciously, deliberately, and of our own

accord. This type of simplicity comes closest to expressing

what I mean by voluntary simplicity.

 

My main theme is that we should spend time with ourselves

and really know what is important to us, what we value, what

we want, and what we believe. This may take a great deal of

time over several sessions of contemplation.

 

Once we know what we would like to have in our lives -- what's

important to us -- then we can begin to look at what we do

have in our lives. Most people think of objects at this point,

and certainly " too much stuff " can be a problem, but it's also

important to look at the people in our lives and the obligations

we have taken on.

 

There may be people in our lives who simply are not helping

us reach our goals, who are not in line with what we believe.

Sometimes, as with family members, we don't have a choice

about keeping these people in our lives, but we certainly have

a choice about how much time we spend with them and how

we let them influence us.

 

We may also have organizations, including our jobs, that aren't

in line with what we really want. We can change jobs, or we

can find a way to make that job work. We can resign from

boards and leave groups and find other groups that fit with

what we believe.

 

The key to voluntary simplicity is not giving things up, but

finding the people, places, things and situations that work

best with our lives. Simplicity, when it's successful in your

life, does not cause a feeling of deprivation, but a feeling of

exhilaration.

 

Finding true, voluntary simplicity in your life can only bring

more fulfillment and joy.

 

To get started with this idea of voluntary simplicity:

 

1) Schedule some time to think about what you really

believe and want.

 

2) Eliminate one " thing " (or person or situation) from your

life.

 

3) Start mapping out what a life of voluntary simplicity

would look like to you.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--David B. Bohl is a lifestyle mentor, personal coach, author,

educator, and entrepreneur. He's the creator of Slow Down

FAST. To learn more about this step-by-step strategy for

Living YOUR Life YOUR way, and to sign up for his 9 FREE

Tips for Finding Happiness in a Fast-Paced World, free tele-

seminars, free Special Report, free bi-monthly ezine and

more, go to: http://www.SlowDownFAST.com

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Bohl

 

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O.U.R. S.P.O.N.S.O.R.

 

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instructions, and a single trip to your local store.

 

Go to: http://www.createyourownnosestrips.com

Download Instructions will be emailed to you immediately

after purchase. The Ebook is in a PDF format.

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OPENING YOUR HOME FOR HOLIDAY GUESTS

Copyright 2007 Cheryl Gochnauer

Used with permission. All rights reserved.

homebodies

 

 

' TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE VISITORS, and all through the house,

the hostess was obsessing, drafting children and spouse.

 

Do you really need to dust the top of the refrigerator? " The more I

do, the more I feel I have to do, " sighs Sally. " I'm like one of those

hamsters on the wheel. "

 

Relax. Your home should be comfortable, not spotless. People are

coming to see you, not to conduct a white-glove test.

 

 

HARK! THE HERALD DOORBELL RINGS

 

One source which understandably wished to remain anonymous

says, " With my family, there's no notice. They just come and run

you over. " Avoid having to just say " Go " by scheduling the visit's

end before guests arrive.

 

Give new visitors a tour. Present simple ground rules positively.

If you'd rather guests not smoke inside, provide an alternative.

Demonstrate how to operate remotes and microwaves. If they

have free access to the refrigerator, tell them.

 

 

WHAT " CHILD " IS THIS?

 

When guests surprise you with Fido, remain calm. If you don't

allow indoor pets, offer your garage, suggest a nearby kennel,

or ask that the animal be confined to its carrier.

 

On the flip side, forewarn visitors about your own pets. " I make

it known that I have a dog, and the dog lives in the house, " says

Teresa. " If they can't handle that, they need to find somewhere

else to stay. "

 

 

DANCE OF THE SUGAR-FREE PLUM FAIRIES

 

" My husband, Bob, and I talk with guests ahead of time to see

if they have any unusual food preferences or dietary needs, "

says Charlotte. Sidestep the disappointment of a " no, thanks "

response to your seven-course meal by determining crowd-

pleasing menus ahead of time.

 

Why slave alone in the kitchen while friends reminisce in the

den? Prepare several meals in advance. Make double portions

and throw the extra in the freezer. Stock up on foods that won't

spoil if everyone decides to eat out -- or if guests don't show at

all. Make breakfast easy for everyone whether they are early-

risers or sleep-ins by setting out cereal the night before.

 

 

SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

 

Make guestrooms as dreamy as possible. Test the bed's comfort,

imagining yourself as an outsider. Furnish a nightlight, alarm clock,

extra blankets and storage space for belongings. Please night owls

with a television with an earphone jack or magazines to browse in

the wee hours. Plan for pallets in case parents want their small

children to sleep in their room.

 

 

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHAOS

 

If everybody's enjoying themselves, there's no reason to rush friends

and family to the door. But if they're there for several days, you

should definitely look to them for help. Don't be shy about inviting

guests into the kitchen to help chop vegetables or set the table.

Playfully toss them a dishtowel after dinner. If they're getting low

on clean clothes, show them how to operate your washer and

dryer. Point out extra toilet tissue and cleaning supplies under

the guest bathroom sink.

 

 

O, HOLY NIGHT-LIFE

 

Explore the local holiday sites together. Have a tentative entertainment

schedule set before guests arrive so you can coordinate your plans

with theirs. Tug-of-wars over checks are avoided, too, by discussing

finances in advance. Will you split expenses, or treat each other?

Presenting options in a forthright, cordial manner sets everyone

at ease. Be sure to carve out some downtime so your guests can

spend some time to themselves, too.

 

 

AWAY IN A MINIVAN

 

As the visit winds down, do a room-by-room check to make sure no

one's forgotten anything. Help take luggage to the car, then gather

everyone together for one last photo, surprising children with a small

gift to entertain them on their way home.

 

Hugs. Kisses. Waves.

 

Close the door. Reclaim your recliner.

 

Enjoy the silent night.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Cheryl Gochnauer is the author of several popular books including,

" Stay-at-Home Handbook " , " So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom "

and " Mom to Mom. " Cheryl is also the founder of Homebodies, a

weekly encouragement and empowerment e-zine for stay-at-home

parents and working parents considering the at-home lifestyle. To

join, admin?subject=HomebodiesSubscribe

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.

Send your simple living comments/tips to: DSimple

 

 

Re: Sippy cup cleaning tip

I realize this might not apply to everyone -- but as I shared it recently

with a new friend she was kicking herself for not knowing it earlier.

When the sippy cups get cleaned in the dishwasher, every so often

I clean them in a cup with a denture tablet. This helps to disinfect

and sanitize them, and gets rid of the nasty milk smell.

--L. Jacob

 

 

Re: Back issue praise

I just wanted to take the time to tell you that Vol. 9, No. 5 was

the most inspired newsletter I have ever received. Perhaps I feel

that way because of how relevant it was to me personally as a

single mom with you becoming one also, but also the " Thank

You notes " and the " Top 10 Reasons to tell Your Kids Stories "

were truly special articles that touched my heart and I was

thankful to you that they were brought to me at Thanksgiving

time. I have often cherished telling my children stories and

encouraged other members of my family to do so also and this

article really brought the importance of it to the forefront of my

mind. Thank you.

--Denise M.

 

 

Send your thoughts and tips to the Editor at: DSimple

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As always, a special " Thank you! " goes out to Gary Foreman

and the friendly folks at the Dollar Stretcher for making this

mailing list possible!

 

== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==

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SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Book list for frugality and simple living

Go to: http://snurl.com/simplebooks

_______________________________

 

< < B E . O U R . S P O N S O R > >

 

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Andrea at marketing Subject line: simple-times

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SIMPLE TIMES ARCHIVES

 

Two years' worth of back issues are available by clicking the

" Read Messages " button at: http://snurl.com/st_archives

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

________________________________

 

EDITOR'S BOOKS AND AUDIO RESOURCES:

Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

http://snurl.com/debisbooks

________________________________

 

DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:

Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Cooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/

Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com/

Tupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

Kids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids

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