SIMPLIFY ALREADY!

My favorite things are slight. No, really they are. Regardless of what my husband will tell you, the things I love and need are truly the small things.

My biggest challenge is slowing down and being content in the small things. The things that I want.

We get so wrapped up in going and doing and having that it all gets whirled into a big blender and you can't tell one thing from another. I'm so sick of running around and accummulating stuff with no value that I'm looking to simplify. It shouldn't be that hard. I know what I want. I know what I like. I just need to commit to it. Why is it so hard?

So, what are these small things?

1) Indie Flicks - Gratefully, I have cable tv. I pay for HBO and with that comes Starz and Encore and some others that I've never really payed attention to before. The cool thing about these channels is that aside from being commercial free, they showcase some of the coolest, strangest, and more thought-proviking films and documentaries that you could find. Sure, it's a paid expense, but pretty cheap entertainment when you think about it. And far outweighing the cost of going to the movie theater and all it's semi-requirements (popcorn and soda for $28?).

2) Hot Coffee - Duh, right? But more than the coffee itself, with all it's redeeming qualities of antioxidants and caffeine, the very calm and soothing ritual of it's steam rising into your nose as you stare into the morning fog that may be your routine. Coffee is an experience and an object of desire. And really, unless you're buying quad-venti-mocha-caramel-extra calorie-gut bombs, it's not all that expensive.

3) Good Wine - Another easy and relatively inexpensive luxury is good wine, and it's satisfying reaction to a great meal. My favorite bottles clock in under $15 a piece and since I'm the only one drinking them, they last a few nights. Plus, you feel like a grown up with some cultured interests. A mood-boost is an added bonus.

4) Quiet Afternoons Reading - Totally free! The hardest part is getting it quiet. With kids who don't sleep during the daytime hours, it can be a challenge on some days, but cuddled up in bed when in the middle of a good book is pure prime time.

There are more and all equally subtle, but it's a nice reminder to myself, and maybe to you reading, that the things we reallly want and care about are the things we already have, or have quick, easy and low-cost access to.