Good Enough

*hanging out on my roof*

One of my intentions for this year was to create some s-p-a-c-e in my life. Space to play, to spend time with loved ones, to explore new places, to do the things that make me feel whole and complete. Between work, raising a child, and trying to take care of myself, I have a crammed-full life, and yet I have a mind and heart that need a lot of space and time to stay balanced. I simply was not getting that space or time, and it was causing a little bit (ok, a lot) of emotional upheaval.

Lately, though I've noticed just how much space has opened up in my life. It's not that I'm any less busy, or have any fewer obligations. In fact, things have ramped up a bit. My daughter doesn't spend much time with her Dad these days due to his schedule, thus limiting my own schedule, my work is busier than ever, I spend quite a bit of time with friends and family, and I'm actively working on developing new talents and hobbies.

Despite this, I have found that the space I needed has, indeed, opened up, and I can attribute it to some well-considered processes. After spending time making sure that I was solid on what my priorities were, I made three very intentional and much needed changes in how I live my life.

-I spent some serious time, energy, and elbow grease getting organized and on top of things around my house (stuff like decluttering, meal planning, budgeting,etc.) This keeps me from feeling like I'm always playing catch up with housework and grocery shopping and the minutiae of daily life. I thrive on structure, and this type of planning creates inordinate amount of breathing room for me.

- I started saying no to everything that wasn't an absolute YES. I used to think that I should attend every book club to which i was invited, go to every concert that sounded fun, and train for every race or event that came my way. I've realized that I just can't maintain this type of pace, so now I opt out of everything that doesn't just scream my name.

-Finally, I've really worked on adopting the "good enough" approach to life. This is hard for the type A perfectionist in me, but I'm getting better and better at knowing when "good enough" is, indeed, "good enough". (I think that this one thing alone has been the most important change I've made.)

So yeah...I've done exactly one triathlon and no century rides this year. But I've spent several evenings walking around my neighborhood with Riley, enjoying the lovely scenery and people that abound. I still try to eat a very healthy diet, but I plan super simple meals for most evenings and get my foodie fixes on the weekends when I can enjoy the process of cooking healthy, yummy meals. I get plenty of exercise, but if I don't feel like going on a hard run or killer ride, I don't force it. Instead I take a long, rambling walk or do some yoga. I go to bed when I'm tired instead of trying to finish up that 'one last thing'. I put in a solid day at work and then I shut it off and leave it there.

This type of living is not something you achieve and boom! You're done! Like everything else, it's a continual process and it's never going to be perfect. Sure, it often seems like I could be doing more, and in some cases, I wish I could, but right now, life has slowed down to a very enjoyable pace and I'm savoring it. I'm enjoying the evenings spent on the roof, the books I wouldn't normally have time to read and the time I get to watch my daughter learn and grow. These changes are giving me a lot of space and breathing room, and bringing with them a lot of peace and happiness.

My life these days - - it's really, REALLY good.

Domestic Goodness

Little known scientific 'fact': when you spend all spring working on a kitchen update, it triggers some sort of 'domesticity gene' and you end up spending the summer indulging yourself in all sorts of household goodness.

A few of the latest examples:

Jam
Last week, one of my favorite people EVER was in town, and we spent a lovely Saturday morning turning this:

into this:
Hannah taught me the art of making jam, and I gotta say...it's mighty satisfying. We did a couple of batches of low-sugar apricot together and then I tried my hand at raspberry-blackberry later that evening. I was going to put a photo of Hannah from that morning up, but she was not feeling her best *ahem*. So, you can just see me making the second batch of apricot. I can't wait to make more.
DIY cleaning products
This next endeavor started out as a way to try to keep my little girl's sensitive skin away from harsh chemicals. I noticed that every time I cleaned my bathtub, no matter how well I rinsed it, Riley ended up with a bit of skin irritation after she bathed. I did some research on more natural cleaning methods and started cleaning the tubs and sinks using baking soda as a scrub and a vinegar rinse. Worked like magic on my tub, kept my drains very clear, and her skin was much less irritated. So I did some more research and expanded my new ways so much that I basically got rid of all commercial cleaning products and am now using only the items in this photo to clean my entire house.
(the one exception is dishwasher detergent. I'm going to start making my own after I use up what I have left.) I'm even making my own powdered laundry detergent out of borax, washing soda and ivory soap, and I am in love with it. Besides cleaning as well or better than any commercial detergent I've ever used (seriously - it got out the very worst stains easily) my skin is less dry, Riley's skin is not irritated at all, it's really easy to make, and it is super inexpensive. I estimated it to be about 7.5 cents per load (yes, I did the calculations. I'm that big of a numbers geek).

Salvaged Chair (aka glorified dumpster diving)
In my city, they do a neighborhood cleanup times when people put out things to be taken away, recycled, etc. by city workers. I happened to be driving through my neighborhood when I saw a chair that was dirty, yes, but the lines were amazing.

I thought about it all day. I could not understand why anyone would toss that chair when it was so gorgeous.

That night, Hannah and G were at my house, and around midnight, Hannah and I went and 'liberated' the chair. Here it is in all it's dirty glory.

Since then, I've had it professionally cleaned and it made a world of difference. Once I got it home, I realized it was in really solid shape and the fabric pattern is so cool. I'm looking into ways to dye it so I can keep the fabric, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying a cool, retro chair and Ican now say that I'm one of those people who will steal other people's trash.

I'm a homebody at heart, and I'm really enjoying the time I've been spending making my home more comfortable and authentic. I feel like doing these kinds of things are right in line with my values of simple living, cultivating a healthy lifestyle, being mindful of the earth and being thrifty.

This domestic goddess thing...it's a lot of fun! Who knew?