Deciding on less and more

I can easily write a lengthy list of what I want more of. For some reason, more seems to strike a chord... and it makes me focus on what I don't have. But when I bring less into the equation, the opposite presents. I find myself dwelling on what I don't need, what I can discard, what I truly need to be happy {and it turns out that's not many things at all}. 

In learning the art of balance and in a bid for clarity, I write my more or less list each year. It begins with a fair bit of thought, but eventually the words just roll onto the page, unfolding into a manifesto of sorts that resonates with my heart. Here it is.

Less screens, more books
Less sugar, more protein
Less procrastination, more meditation
Less talking, more listening
Less worry, more gratitude
Less criticism, more praise
Less fear, more love
Less rushing, more moments
Less doing, more just being

xx

Will you give the less and more list a go? Do you do a similar exercise, and has it helped you? Love to know your thoughts. Leave me a message or link below or even shoot me an email if you create your own list. I'd love to have a read. Elisa xx 


~~~~~~~~ Love some free prints and affirmations to inspire your everyday? You can leave your email here! Can not wait to send this bundle of mindfulness prints + affirmations to you next month. Elisa xx ~~~~~~~~ 

No coincidence

Before I gave birth to Ruby, I noticed my body calling me to slow. And the week before her birth, slow was just about all I could do. And I chose {what I felt at the time was a conscious decision} to stay present with my baby and maintain as much of that slow for her first few weeks. 

But that slow has lasted so much longer. Almost four months in, and I'm just emerging. In slow, I found myself meditating before sleep, waking to practise yoga before the baby fed and reading so so many books. And I found that when rushing presented itself {hello school mornings} I could deal with it much more effortlessly than before. 

I have found myself so full on love, and with so much love to give. And that boundless love has surprised me so much. Not that it wasn't there before, but because it seems here more often, and love is my first response so often right now. And because it's shown me a second time what I know to be true - that when another baby comes into your world, that love we share as a family evolves - expands, increases, heightens, grows stronger with every experience we share. 

Today I picked up Sara Avant Stover's The Way of The Happy Woman, which I find myself doing as the season's change. And I realised that my desire and need these past few months to retreat from the world, nurture my nest, and write just for me were in line with winter's calling. And my readiness to write for here again, to venture our with friends and be outdoors has arrived just as spring emerges. And I'd say it's no coincidence at all.

xx  

Have you read The Way of The Happy Woman? And do you find yourself moving with nature's rhythms too? xx

Just 10 minutes

"Why don't we take time for ourselves?"

"Because there's always something to do when you're a mum."

"But sometimes I just think it would be nice to be... alone. And do something for me. You know?"

"Yes, but the guilt... What would people think if I put myself first? Did something solely for me? It just sounds so.... indulgent."

"I know, I know... but what if it didn't cost money, and what if it wasn't that much time either... maybe just 10 minutes alone. And what if that 10 minutes meant I would move about the rest of my day feeling recharged, a little more nourished and calmer. Mindful even? That would make it worth it, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose if it was just 10 minutes..."

"Maybe 10 minutes is all I need..."

"Maybe 10 minutes is everything I need."

xx

Do you give yourself a few minutes for you each day?

{I choose to give myself 10 minutes most days. Normally to just be, to breathe, meditate, write. Sometimes I read or take photos. Sometimes I lie down, sometimes I walk. Sometimes I'm not alone. And some days I only find five minutes, but even fewer minutes then I'd like make a world of difference. Image during my 10 minutes this morning by a ferocious sea. So windy my eyes watered, and to watch the waves it became necessary to take refuge behind the boat sheds. Elisa x}

Sunday mornings

There always seems to be something happening on a Saturday and normally I'm flying solo in the parenting duties with hubby at work. But Sundays? Lately they are slow, filled with family and moments that make my heart soar. A part of me would like to say they're spontaneous, but truth is we're intentionally creating our Sundays this way. This morning he ran laps around the oval, the girls chased and I watched on while playing with my camera. Everybody was happy.

xx

How do your weekends go? Do you have an intentionally slow, family-filled time scheduled in?

Inhale, exhale ~ 15/52

It's been pre-winter colds in our house this past week. And whenever that happens I'm so very conscious of how much I can't breathe. Breathing is such a big part of the meditation I do, and when my breath is short and struggling I feel it more than ever. By the sea this week was just a few minutes stopping here on our drive home. But it was enough time to inhale and exhale, and give thanks for being able to breathe big full beautiful breaths once again.

xx

What are you most grateful for today?  

>> Interested in receiving my free mindfulness prints and "breathe" meditation eBook? I can't wait to soon send them your way. You can sign up for them here. <<   

Ten on Ten {finding beauty in the ordinary}

Ten on ten :: one photo an hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth day of the month. A way of finding and capturing life and beauty in the ordinary things in our everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Up to watch the sun rise three mornings in a row so far... thanks to an early-to-rise little miss four.
2. "Let's follow the flags, Mama! It's like an adventure..."
3. And all the way to the beach we walked. Miss four amazed by the way the sun could sparkle on top of the water. 
4. Captivated by the colour.
5. Succulents are a favourite.
6. Sparkly shoes {and then scraped knees} for our little miss two.
7. Watching the colour of the sky and the colour of the sea, matching in places.
8. Tiny raindrops. But then no more.
9. Miss four's been making a whole lot of wishes this month.
10. A dramatic night sky to cap off a restful weekend.

Photos taken on the tenth, posted here a day late... choosing to trust in perfect timing, and joining the ten on ten photo project with Rebekah here.

xx

Daisy chains & I spy

The summer holidays have come to an end yet that relaxed, time-is-ours feeling is still lingering.

I'll do anything to keep it going, although the four-year-old pre-school routine might do a good job at squashing that in the coming weeks...

The plan? To carve out parts of our every week {and moments of our days} where simplicity is our only practice.

The past week there's been a whole lot of making daisy chains, pushing swings, building blocks, dipping out feet in the sea and games of "I spy" on car trips.

And in those little moments with my girls it feels as though I see clearer, truly listen, my heart expands and time lasts that bit longer.... here's to creating more of that.

xx

Any ideas for keeping that holiday feeling an everyday one? x

By the sea ~ 5/52

In a week brimming with the fulfilment of taking our days slow and the excitement of starting something new {pre-school for little miss four}, an impromptu walk in the water was a perfect end. Thankfully these two are just as in love with being by the sea as I am... x 

Reset and restore

I've struggled this past week. My rhythm has been less restorative than I hoped, sickness struck and then exhaustion set in one too many times.

After talking it through, and letting go of the swirling that was my head, a fragment of clarity presented.

And I made a decision. A simple, small choice. Yet a deeply nurturing one to reset my days and restore my rhythm, and replenish my heart.

We drove to the water, as we so often do, but to a spot we rarely visit to watch the water in its natural rhythm, to capture it in photo and for me to witness my internal rhythm and let it recalibrate to slow.

My heart, body and mind are thanking me for this little exercise. Because today feels refreshed, new and so much like a holiday.

xx

{I hope holiday mode has well and truly set in for you... Elisa xx}

No matter the weather

No matter the weather this is where I want to be.

No matter if I'm admiring calm turquoise waters or witnessing a dark sea with rolling waves.

Whichever is the rhythm of the day, being here nourishes me.

Reminds me that every day brings change, and to embrace it.

Reminds me to breathe. And exhale fully. And to give thanks.

It reminds me to look for beauty in the ordinary. Because it's always there. And here.

xx


Do you look for beauty in your everyday? x

Choose

When I woke yesterday one word was on my mind... choose.

Choose your day.
Choose how you spend your time.
Choose your emotions.
Choose your words.
Choose your destination.
Choose to breathe.
Choose to see love.
Choose to be love.
Choose to write.
Choose to read.
Choose to share.
Choose to sit in silence.
Choose to dance.
Choose to witness this very moment.
Choose calm.

All in a choice.
One I have.
One I choose to give thanks for.

xx

{Yesterday I chose play over work, I chose peppermint tea and splashing in the water at the beach with my girls. I chose to look to the sky with wonder in my eyes. I chose to ask for help, and to give thanks for it. I chose to meditate, to journal and to practise yoga. I chose to turn my phone on silent. Today I will choose to remind myself to breathe. And to just be. Elisa x}

What do you choose?

Today {by the sea}

As I drove home this morning miss four called out for me to stop, "Over there, Mummy! Let's see it."

The beach.

We were driving past the lookout, a place I stop often to watch the sky, to reconnect and just be with my two little girls in tow.

Today the sun was shining bright on the turquoise green sea with soft waves crashing in, the sky a bright blue with just a few scattered clouds.

And as I parked the car I saw miss four already had her camera {her recent fourth birthday gift} ready to go.

"Just a few photos for my collection please."

And so we sat by the car admiring the colours and capturing photos. And giving thanks that we can take in this beauty and wonder just about any time we want.

xx

{Gratitude for where we live, for a week where I have learnt and healed, and for my gorgeous photo-taking miss four and her little sister - who make me laugh every day. Elisa x}

What are you most grateful for today? x

Raindrops

 

The rain began overnight and continued on and off throughout the day, and I couldn’t help but miss the sunshine that had graced our recent days.

I lamented on plans that had to be changed, and things that couldn’t now be done.

When the weather finally calmed I stepped outside to collect the mail, but raindrops began to fall once more.

This time I paused in my thoughts, I felt the raindrops, noticed where they landed and chose to bask in them as I do the sunshine.

Later I stopped to look to the sky - grey in places and cloudy all over - and I chose to see wonder and a reflection of our ability to change.

As I drove to my parents’ house, I noticed tiny raindrops landing on my windscreen. One by one, until they met each other and slid down the glass.

And it reminded me of the little steps I can take to make changes. Little steps that can seem insignificant on their own, but really they are filled with hope and change, and when they come together they have the ability to create an amazing sense of new - renewed possibilities, awareness, wonder.

xx

{Images by me – my first time photographing raindrops. So much beauty found in the last place I would have thought to search. Elisa x}

{Gratitude this week for beauty in the ordinary; the ability to change, heal and start again; and for friends who listen with their eyes, ears and hearts and then tell me with love what they’ve heard. Thank you xx}

Beauty, gratitude and the everyday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

1. The sky first thing in the morning: Missing yesterday's sunshine, but loving the new tree leaves.

 

2. Sharing my bed ♡

 

3. Lemons: I go through at least one a day. Lucky we bought a second lemon tree...  

 

4. Finally added some girly colour to the sea of black that is my wardrobe.

 

5. Grounding: Stepping barefoot on to the grass for a minute to reconnect. 

 

6. Her favourite thing to do, my least favourite thing to clean up. Water containment lines (waterproof art smock + towels everywhere) worked a treat.

 

7. Sophie the giraffe - She comes everywhere with us, and is lost {then found} just about everywhere too.

8. I adore drawings by my big girl just as much as I love watching her draw ♡  

9. Admiring pink roses.

 

10. Words of inspiration sitting by my bed.

These images were my Ten on Ten :: an image taken every hour or so on the tenth of the month. A way of finding and capturing life and beauty in the ordinary things in our everyday. {Excuse the fact that I'm a day late in posting these...}
 
I've done this project once before, and what I love about it most is it encourages me to slow down further, to move mindfully and notice the seemingly ordinary moments which make my day and that I love.

With each moment and photograph comes a reminder of gratitude - for what I {we} have, for what I {we} have created, for what is possible, for what can be.

xx

~ Joining this month's Ten on Ten project, and the 52 Weeks of Grateful x
 

 



Just the two of us

We've made a ritual of our little walks hand in hand {miss almost-four and I}.

When we walk together I love that it's just the two of us, up in the early morning, exploring the quiet sounds of close by, taking in the sky and breathing into the cool air.

And while we walk, I always remember how precious and fleeting these moments are of just the two of us together.

Miss almost-four is strong-willed, independent, curious and a chatterbox {otherwise described as a lot like her mum}... and so our walks are either filled with quiet exploration or brimming with noisy discussion.

But often, her pointing out treasures for me to photograph.

As we walk, I try so much to take her in. As she is now. Every bit of my three-year-old, almost-four beautiful little girl. I focus on the gentleness and beauty of her hand in mine. And I wince a little when sometimes she tells me to let go.

xx

{Image above by me. Sometimes I try really hard to capture a certain shot and that's always when my little miss comes dancing into the frame. I love this photo because of that. Elisa x} 

 

 

Unscripted

With sick lingering here for longer than I would have thought {much longer than I'm happy about}, there's been a whole lot of home time and pretty much no script to our days.

I wake up and wonder what the day will bring, and I throw up a couple of options out and see what the little misses like best.

Sometimes we do a whole lot of nothing. Lying on the ground reading books, and lying on the ground with them lying on me.

We bake our bread together. I plan nutritious immune-boosing meals for our days, and my girls make soup {to make us all feel better} in their play kitchen.

But often we make our way to the beach. Miss three requests visits to the water, almost as much as my heart does.

When it rains we watch the waves from the car. And when it's windy, we make our way to the lookout. If it's sunny, we'll run on the sand or watch the sun dancing on the water from afar.

On Wednesdays we keep heading to the market, and wander rugged up down the street.
We buy daffodils and jonquils, and I sip hot chocolate while the girls play at the park.

And every night {after reading their two favourite books} my angels fall asleep in my arms.

And then I find myself getting out of bed to finish work commitments, but not getting to write from {and for} my heart.

We haven't seen much of the people we love to see this past month, we haven't had the out-and-about rushed that comes with normal weeks and I haven't been afforded the time to hit the publish button when I do write.

But always before I fall asleep I notice how our unscripted days of late are filled with heart moments.

And while at times I feel like I haven't been able to catch my breath, I think in a way it's what I needed.

Because in the not-knowing and the lack of planning, I've been propelled to move further out of my comfort zone, be even more selective with my time, to trust and move further in the direction of my heart.

So many things have been thrown up in the air this month, but it's starting to feel like that only happened so things could land the right way up.

xx

How have your days been of late? Do you stop to notice all the heart moments collected throughout your week?

By the water

In the spirit of a little less staring at the computer screen, a little more staring at the water, we headed to the beach this past week.    

Not once, but four times. It was as though the water was calling us to return.

And I had forgotten just how much I adore the beach in winter.

When all sounds bar the roaring of the waves are forgotten.

The mesmerising colours of the sky and water, different each day.

The rhythm of the water, inviting me to witness the seasonal rhythms around me, and transform my internal rhythms of the day too.

The clarity that comes from a change of scene.

And that alive feeling that comes from running through the wind on the sand on a sun-shining blue-sky winter day with your two little people laughing and running beside you.

xx

{Photo taken into the sun while we ran on the windiest sunny day at our closest beach. It was magic. When I arrived home I heard the weather warning that winds of 100kph were hitting coastal areas. Timing is funny like that. Because had I known earlier, we most definitely would not have gone. Elisa x}

~ Gratitude that we are blessed with the beach close by and for spontaneous and intentionally created heart moments that that are filled with a sense of magic and leave you feeling oh-so-alive. Joining the 52 weeks of grateful here ♡

What are you most grateful for today?

Perfect timing

The thing about rainbows that gets me is the timing. The rain and the sunshine and whatever else it takes for it to occur, and fill the sky with beauty for wondrous moments before that rainbow begins to fade.

 

And when I witness a rainbow the timing strikes me even more.. that in the brief moments of it lasting I got to be present.

 

We saw a rainbow last week and it was magical, bright and looked oh-so-close. Spanning out over paddocks with a backdrop of the sky and sea. That's it in the picture.

 

It'd been over a year since we'd spotted one, despite miss three and I always on the lookout the minute the sun and rain begin to meet.

 

Then the following day we saw another rainbow. And it's reminded me that we can't force timing, rush it or slow timing down. I can't even make myself be in the perfect place at the perfect time... but I can choose to savour moments, celebrate our time, give thanks for it and trust in perfect timing too.

 

xx

 

{Grateful for perfect timing, finding and capturing beauty in the everyday and the memories made these past couple weeks with my family too. Elisa x}

 

~ Linking with the 52 Weeks of Grateful here.

 

What are you most grateful for today? And when did you last witness a rainbow? x

Ten on ten {finding beauty in the ordinary}

Ten on ten :: one photo an hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth day of the month. A way of finding and capturing life and beauty in the ordinary things in our everyday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Stepping outside to check the weather, admiring rain drops on the grass.
2. The girls helped make orange juice, and created an orange juice mess too.
3. Making shadow puppets is her new favourite thing to do.
4. The view from our front door. Giving thanks for this winter's bright blue skies.
5. When we drove by and saw the water's colour, we just had to stop.
6. Deep and meaningful chat with miss three {almost four!}
7. Stealing a sip of mummy's tea {and crumpling the cup too}.
8. Loving that after three years we now have lemons on our tree. This one became my cup of tea.
9. Spotting the moon and the last of the sun's shine as I put the rubbish out.
10. Finally unwrapping our new canvas - my favourite shot from our wedding {of seven years ago!}

 

xx

~ I love A Bit of Sunshine's Ten on Ten project, discovered via the lovely Leanne. My first time joining in, and a gorgeous way to be that little more mindful of the beauty that presents in each hour of each day. More ten on ten's here. Elisa x