Parenting: A Little Crunchy

A few weeks ago, a mom friend was telling me about the health reset she was leading at her gym. I mentioned that I could use something like that and she commented that I already practice some of what she was teaching and that I was "a little crunchy". She did not mean it in a negative way but it gave me pause. I had never thought of myself as crunchy. In that moment, I could see myself as she did- Emaline and I cook homemade granola for goodness sake!

As somebody who overthinks things, the phrase tossed in my mind. I was stuck, not on whether she was right but when did this happen? I had not always been this way. I used to not read labels or think twice about where my money went. I used to think a bagel for breakfast and frozen pizza for dinner constituted a well-balanced diet. But somewhere, something changed.

And I began to hear myself: talk about the food we eat, the products I purchase, my desire to buy and own less, and my hope that the planet begins to tilt in a more conscious way.

I have to admit, it does sound a little crunchy.

But it's not. Not really. It is just wanting better. It is being aware of the problems that we face and wanting to make changes to make the world a happier, healthier, more peaceful place. If not for me, then for Emaline. 

I realized then when this happened: When I became a mom. 

I was eight months pregnant when my hometown was bombed. I have to shut the television off because the news is too much for a little person to see. The first time I fed my child a jar of baby food, a rash broke out on her face. The day she was born, I looked at her and knew I would do anything to keep her safe. The list goes on.

As a parent, your stake in the game changes. I feel responsible, not only for my child but the world that is left to her. And so things began to shift. It will never be perfect but I can never stop trying. 

Change requires making conscious decisions, small choices over and over that will improve her life today and tomorrow. I am striving for something better and I think things like kindness, generosity, and taking care of our planet are keys to getting there. I also love homemade granola. So I guess I am a little crunchy.

Space for Creativity: Bring to Life

Yesterday, I was listening to this podcast and I was inspired to go through boxes in my basement. Bins that are labeled "Kerin's Keepsakes", "Kerin's Stuff Fragile", "Kerin Wedding", and "Kerin Photos". I vaguely knew what was in them but not entirely. Between last night and this morning, I picked up each item and made a decision. I narrowed from four overstuffed bins to one. Some things I threw away, some I donated, and some really important items moved from being stashed in a box to actually being displayed in my house. Pretty awesome.

I also found something I wrote. I don't know when I wrote it. My guess is a year or two after college. I used to create things like this as an exercise against writer's block. I showed it to Nick and he said I should put it on my blog. Why not? What strikes me about the piece is my relationship with Creativity. It seems to be doing much better these days. But like anything that close to my heart, I'll always worry.
Enjoy!

Bring to Life

Out of practice. I can only hope that the imagination which brought me so far as a child is able to be revived. I hope it is not too late to pull out the paddles and resuscitate. Creativity lies on the operating table: split open and spilling, spreading across the floor, creating a mess. I hover above it and try to recognize my old friend. I wonder how I let it get this far. I press down hard, waiting for a response. Nothing. I look at the screen searching for hope, waiting for a flicker to tell me- "you've still got it." Nothing. I try again.

If it is gone, then what? 

Creativity has been such a dear friend. All of the make-pretend games as a child, the fantasies, the dreams, and most importantly- the stories. When I needed an escape, I merely had to let my fingers fall. A-S-D-F-J-K-L-;. Squint my eyes and lightly move my lips. It was my secret recipe. Stir well and wait for my friend to tip-toe across the screen. I feel a surge of desperation as Creativity codes, right there in front of me. And although I am supposed to be the one in charge, the one controlling the room and the outcome; in this moment I feel helpless. 

What would the obituary read? What for my love of writing and Creativity have I to show? A collection of work- finished and pressed- not quite. 

So I approach the computer like a forgotten friend. I ask forgiveness and I type away. Line by line, I write blurbs of meaningless thought. But the letters are coming and it's more than I could ask for after such an extended break. "I did not forget you", I whisper as Creativity takes a tiny breath, so light and so short I almost miss it. 

I press again and remember so many late nights. A  spark would fill my fingers and I would fight off sleep just to type. The minutes tick by and all my thoughts meld and before I can try to piece them together, they are on the screen- unedited and exposed because that's how they fell. And I leave them just as they are. I used to think that somebody guided my words, that a visitor came to my screen while I slept and made my sentences flow better than I ever could.

I know if and when my sweet Creativity wakes up there will be lots of questions, mainly my reasons for not visiting. I do not have an answer. I guess I needed time for a break. Creativity would understand as long as it knew that I will not completely give up that younger version. The one that sat with words playing on her tongue until the room began getting light. I never want that to not be a part of who I am. I never want to let it go. 

Marching: 7 Simple Shares

Playground in February. Pretending it is spring.

A few random things:

1. We recently painted the kitchen, dining room, and hallway. The entire house was a variety of tan and I needed to break it up a little. I am so happy with how it turned out! The kitchen and hallway are this color and the dining room accent wall is this.

After. Don't mind the phone charger and the few items missing from the sideboard.

2. Have you seen Home? It is Emaline's new favorite movie. I feel like I did not hear much about it when it came out. When I look it up, the reviews are mixed but my toddler loves it and so do I! It is funny and sweet with a positive message and a great soundtrack. You can find it on Netflix.

Nick and I went to a concert last weekend.
3. My favorite song from the opening act is this.

4. And my favorite song from the headliner is this.

5. The show was at House of Blues Boston. We have had friends complain about the venue before and we never understood. It turns out that the floor is great and the balcony is awful. If you ever find yourself looking at tickets to a show there, make sure your tickets are for the floor. Do NOT buy tickets for the balcony. Trust me on this.

6. If you are not yet watching Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, you need to check it out. It is informative, sharp, and seriously funny. It airs Sunday nights on HBO. Nick and I watch on HBOGO through our AppleTV and if you don't have access to that, you can find some of his best segments on YouTube like this, this, and now this.

7. Today starts a new month. If you are looking for some inspiration to start decluttering your house, check out this.

Simplify: Simplify

Have you ever noticed that when something is on your mind that it starts to pop up everywhere? I don't know if that is what I am experiencing or if there has actually been a shift. But it feels like simple is the new buzzword. As though advertisers, marketers, writers, bloggers, etc have a new found focus on less.

And it makes sense. In a culture that is so inundated with... well, everything- a comforting sssshhhhh seems in order. A nod to say that it is okay to slow down, to look up from your phone, to hang out with the people in front of you without responding to that text right now.

I named my blog with the hope that I would pursue simplicity. And for the first time, I am. A few months ago, I stumbled upon minimalism and was inspired. I love reading the blogs, some are too intense for me, but they all have something to offer. (You can see the ones I read if you scroll down to my favorite blogs.)  I am not a minimalist but I'm leaning in and learning more. The ideas are refreshing.

I have been going through my belongings, picking up each item and thinking about the why. We have moved twice in the past year and I am astounded what made it through the transition. Items that have been dragging along behind me, slowing me down. CDs, old books, worn clothes, extra sets, abandoned electronics. It takes time to clear away and to decide. Sometimes I come back to something two or three times, to dig a little deeper- donate, sell, give away

It is nice to shed the weight, the stuff. I watch it fall away and once gone, it is forgotten. I do not regret anything that I let go. It is not easy but it is addicting and liberating! I am clearing space to discover what is useful and beautiful.

This doesn't mean I won't buy things or that our walls will be empty. It does mean that my purchases will be intentional. And Emaline's stuff has mostly been untouched. Her closet, toy boxes, and bookshelves remain full. If she uses it, it has a place.

In doing this, I feel closer to creating the home that is right for my family.

Less to clean, organize, wash, fold. Less looking for misplaced items. Fewer boxes, fewer distractions. More reading to Emaline, more chances to write. More time with the people I love.

Previous entries on Simplicity.

New Year: One Word

A few weeks ago, I told Nick about an author who intentionally lives each year carrying a one word theme. Growth. Change. Fun.

Nick caught me off guard today by asking if I chose my word. It was an interesting idea but I hadn't intended to pick a word. Usually I am able to identify themes only in hindsight, after the surprise twists of time begin to make sense. But as he asked me, the word rolled forward as though called upon and letters bolded in my mind.

Balance.

A little bit more and a little bit less of all of the parts of my life that matter. I walk a tightrope carrying all of the things that I hold dear. It is easy to forget to look up, to lose my footing, to not stop for a breath. Balance.

Happy 2015. May you find your word, whether you know it or not.  


Also, I keep thinking about this post from a few years ago and this one as well.

Nice Day: Fall Schedule

Labor Day has just gone and taken with it, the unofficial end of summer. As a season, we have a few more weeks. But as soon as yellow buses start filling the streets, it feels time to empty the beaches. Not that I want to, at all. I am pleading with the sun to last a little longer this year. I want more time with sandy clothes, open windows, iced coffee, trips to the Cape, summer beer, food on the grill, baby swim lessons, sun-blocked skin, and long days.  

There is a chance that my wish could come true, at least somewhat. I am living in New England for the first time in almost a decade. Minnesota in the fall is lovely but blink and you might miss it. It lasts about five minutes. New England weather is more unpredictable but generally is a little gentler in the transition. 

Nick and Emaline on Long Sands Beach, York, ME.

I stopped writing on my blog and now that I am back, I write two paragraphs on the weather. Probably not what you were looking for. But like many conversations, you start with small comments and light pieces of notice. Sometimes you start with a proclamation. Spit out a statement and dive in. But not this time. I am wading in, one step at a time. It is rocky and I slowly work to find my footing. As the water gets higher, I will start to swim. But this is the gauge, the place where I figure it out.

As kids head back to school, I find myself wanting to recommit time to this platform, this little blog. I want to share our life on the Seacoast. I want to remember simplicity. And of course I want another venue to write. I am reluctant to state that now but Nick always says- you are more likely to follow through if it is in writing. So there you go.

I have been writing, though not here. And I have been reading voraciously, for someone with a 15 month old. But summer is ending and I want to step it up.

Cape Cod Canal

*If you are a regular reader and ever want to request a new post, I encourage you to let me know. I work well under pressure.

Boston Harbor from my sister's roof deck.

Writing is Simple: Simplicity is Not.

I started this blog for two reasons:


1. I love to write. I need to write. I wanted to create a platform that would encourage me to share thoughts, ideas, and stories.
2. I have a desire to seek out simplicity. Little things, like feeling more organized or donating clothes make me feel like I am moving in the correct direction, but it is much larger than cleaning closets. To me simplicity means clearing out the clutter, prioritizing my time, and remembering what's important.


My biggest creative predator is feeling overwhelmed, weighed down, and un-inspired. Simplicity is my solution. The word gets thrown around and sometimes can even sound negative. Simple can sound boring or uneventful, but that is far from what I am striving for. I want to be exciting and remembered and important. I want to dream big and live big.

Nick asked me last night what I want out of life. I had a hard time answering him. Not because I do not know but more that I do not know how the pieces fit.

I wish to:
• have a house
• have a family
• provide stability for my kids
• always be in love with Nick
• travel
• not live in Minnesota forever
• always have a dog or two
• have a writing career
• see my family and close friends often
• see my kids grow up with extended family and friends around them
• be comfortable with money
• live a long, healthy life
• be a good friend, sister, mom, wife, and daughter
• really enjoy my work
• look back at this list and feel satisfied.

Am I asking too much? It's a lot. But it's not insane. I'm not asking for private planes or super-stardom. Nick said he thought I wanted to be J.K. Rowling and I actually do not. I enjoy my anonymity.

I think that my biggest obstacle is that some of my wishes clash. My family is in Boston. Nick's family is in Minneapolis. My best friend lives in Ohio. My other closest friends are splattered around Minnesota and New England and even Australia. The distance will always create challenge. Stability and Travel? A girl can dream.

After these messages: We'll be right back.

So much to catch up on. I want to try something new. I'm writing to say that I'm still here and I'll be writing on here again very soon. But hold on....
In the meantime, inspired by one of my favorite blogs, here are some fun links:

• I love this idea. One of the reasons for my the name writetosimplicity, came from wanting to follow some of these rules.
• These are great reminders
• An easy way to do some good and a fun and educational way to make the world a better place.
• My favorite TED talk. She speaks so well and her words are inspiring and fall very close to home.
• A coworker just started a fun new blog and I'm really liking her recipes and design idea.
• If you do not know Pentatonix, you should. My favorite is still probably this and here is the newest.
• Music is good for the soul and here is the proof.
• Wow. I will probably read this one hundred times. I get it.

I'll be back soon. Love.

Options: What I Would Rather

Things that sound more appealing than sitting at my desk right now:

A picnic. Relaxing, fun, and will forever remind me of getting engaged!

Can never go wrong with this. I keep encouraging Nick to pick his guitar back up.

Laying out on the beach with friends sounds pretty perfect.

Don't get any ideas. This represents sleeping, not babies.

Buddy needs a walk.

Simple Inspiration: Eye Candy

Who is this girl with three posts in one week??? I guess that's what happens post-wedding when your friends leave town and your husband goes back to school. I just have some fun images to store. A little bit of eye candy and inspiration.

Am I a hypocrite if I follow that beautiful quote up with a page out of Anthropologie's fall catalog? I say not as we spend a third of our lives sleeping (probably more for me) so what better place to start finding elegance and refinement than in your own bedroom!




Oh Anthropologie, you have my heart and sometimes my wallet.

Speaking of bedroom the new husband and I are waiting on this to finish off our bedroom. We used our Macy's gift cards to purchase. Thanks friends and family. Also today I caved and bought this to wear to Nick's Dad's wedding in two weeks! I was debating what to wear and pulled up this dress for the umpteenth time to find it on sale. I took it as a sign and acted quickly. The thing that makes me nervous it is says that the model is wearing the same size dress that I ordered. That doesn't seem right. Online shopping always makes me a little nervous but that's what a good return policy is for. 





Nick, someday you and I must waste days together in this tropical paradise. Please??



Simple Inspiration: Countdown Inspired Quotes

There has been an absolute transition of time. It used to be that when people would ask when the wedding was, I would tell them, and they would respond: "Oh you have plenty of time!" And now all of a sudden the canned answer is, "Oh, that's coming up fast!"

117 days until the wedding. 89 days until the send off party.

Yikes when did that happen??

I have been collecting love quotes since we got engaged. I am not sure what, if anything, I will do with them but they are lovely.

Most of these have come from this blog.

Every house where love abides

And friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home sweet home

For there the heart can rest.

-- Henry Van Dyke

"When you're in love you never really know whether

your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love,

or if it attributes them to her;

whether the light which surrounds her like a halo

comes from you, from her,
or from the meeting of your sparks."
- Natalie Clifford Barney

"Open your life wide, and take me in forever.

I will never be tired-
I will never be noisy when you want
to be still...nobody else will see me, but you—
but that is enough—I shall not want any more."
—Emily Dickinson to an unknown recipient

 

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be …

It really is worth fighting for,

being brave for, risking everything for."

— Erica Jong

“Sometimes, when we’re lying together,
I look at her

and I feel dizzy with the realization

that here is another distinct person from me,

who has memories, origins, thoughts,

feelings that are different from my own.

That tension between familiarity
and mystery meshes

something strong between us.

Even if one builds a life together based on trust,

attentiveness and mutual support,
I think that it’s important
that a partner continues to surprise."
-Barack Obama

Simple Inspiration: Photos

I have so much to say but I'm saving up my creative words for another outlet. Today, I need only to share photos, images that are cheering me during this stressful time.

Image courtesy of Engaged and Inspired. So lovely. This picture makes me want to have a photo session with NV when we are all dolled up.  

 

Reese Witherspoon at the Oscars this year was flawless. Classy and beautiful and makes it look easy. And I LOVE that hair. It's actually a half up half down, not a pony as it appears.



I may have just bought these for our July 22nd party! Badgley Mischka is my new favorite shoe designer. I dare you to go to amazon and look for a pair of shoes by Badgley Mischka that you don't want!

I've always liked James Franco but my like has turned into a serious celebrity crush upon finding out that he is currently pursuing his PhD at Yale and then stumbling upon this photo care of cute boys with cats.

I promise to be back soon with more than photos. Until then please pray to whomever your god may be that it warms up in Minnesota. This has been the l-o-n-g-e-s-t winter e-v-e-r!!

Simple Words: Still Hold True

I keep seeing these signs around and I love them. I want to get one for myself to hang up at the office and sometimes I wish I could send them to the ones that I am talking to on the phone. Anonymously just mail a little note that says: Read this and breathe deep. You will be okay.

Simple Dream Home: NOT a Design Blog

In contrast to the above picture, it is so cold here today! I stepped out of the house with plans to ride the bus but my leggings argued for the corolla and won.

To distract myself for the -35 that they are projecting for later tonight, I found pictures of homes that are beautiful, that feel warm, that are not in the upper Midwest.

They are the kinds of homes that I would like to find myself living in. Some of the pictures I have viewed on other blogs a long time ago and fell so in love, that I continue to go back and drool over the warm, simple life that I imagine the space would provide.

This kitchen is simple. Classic with a modern twist. Elegant yet comfortable. Love.

So calming. It would be such an escape to collapse into this bed. I want to nap there right now.

I adore this set up and I'm in love with the light fixture. It just looks so cozy.

Love love love this library. Classy and eclectic. Funky with timeless pieces.

Cutest little girl room I have ever seen. I actually saved this picture twice on two different locations from two different places. I am consistent in my taste.

Oprah's library. Enough said.

Oprah's library part II. I want to curl in in that chair and read/nap by the fire OR have a glass of wine with Oprah.

Oprah library part III. Love this room.

Escape: Here but not Here

Today I'm feeling kind of dreamy. I do not feel like working. I want to get lost inside photos and words. I want to cuddle in bed and finish reading this book.
 
 I want to dress as if I'm going somewhere fancy with my love and then just pull down the shades and dance in my livingroom. 
 
I want to plan a trip somewhere tropical where the sun drips out of the sky and I move slowly through my day absorbing every fragment of warmth and light. I want to lay on the beach, dig my hands in the sand and listen to waves chasing each other to shore.
 

Writing Decisions: Rev It Up

Some people are just made to inspire. They have the voice, the enthusiasm, the spirit and the ability to make you believe.

My father has a lifelong friend and, well, their friendship story deserves its own post. But for this post I will say that every time I talk to this friend- I want to go out and conquer the world. I'm pretty sure if he walked around with me all of the time that I would own a company or a country or something equivalently cool and impressive.

He is somebody who has overcome a lot of obstacles in his life and has had a lot of success. He squeezes life like a lemon into his glass and enjoys every drop.

He is the wise mentor and I am the eager student. We talk writing. I don't do that enough. It is refreshing.

As we hung up the phone I thanked him for his kind words and and his support. He responded like he was my coach and I was running back onto the field after half time,

"You gotta rev it up! Rev it up!"