Simplify Your Life Week One #syl12

The wonderful Deb from Home Life Simplified has launched her 52 Weeks to Simplifying Your Life challenge which I am so excited for! The challenge for week one is to reflect back on 2011 in a positive light. In late 2011 I reflected on the past year but didn't focus so much on me and the positives. 

I thought this task would be easier than it actually was. I do feel a lot better after this exercise though. Maybe 2011 wasn't as negative as I think.

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Reclaiming my life from anxiety and getting the house organised. I can now go out and not get anxious, something I could only dream of at the beginning of 2011. We live in a small space that can easily feel cluttered which clutters our minds. Organising, decluttering and donating material possessions that we just don't need or use really created a better energy in our household.

Seeing lufflump go from a shy, awkward child to the outgoing, adventurous child he is today. His growth has been amazing and beyond our wildest dreams. The mister is in a good place as well with work and getting back into fitness. Finding out about sesame and watching her and my belly's growth has been a joy. Learning and growing through my blog has definitely made me happy.

Lowering expectations of self, events and others has given the mister and I both peace this year. We've been able to find a medium where we expect less but with the respect we believe we deserve to get. I'm still learning to focus my energy positively and not waste it negatively.

The mister continued and continues to be a positive influence in my life. Through blogging I've met many positive people who have helped enrich my life. In 2011 I decided I didn't want negative 'friends' in my life so did a big reassessment and culled those negative people out of my life. It was very cleansing moment and continues to be.

Luckily lufflump still naps which allows me to also nap which has been necessary during this pregnancy. I've also been lucky to have almost weekly day dates with the mister. Lufflump also has had some overnight dates allowing relaxation and rejuvenation. I also discovered the simple beauty of a nice hot, private shower for a quick feel good fix.

This a constant change with new challenges often due to lufflump's development, my health and the mister's work schedule. The mister and I have always worked well as a team; encouraging, communicating with and being supportive of each other. Disagreements are discussed but not dwelled upon. Sitting back, trusting and allowing him to parent the way he believes is best and him doing the same with me makes our family work. If one of us says or does something the other backs them up. Luckily for us we parent similar and where we don't it balances out.

Starting and growing my blog motivated me and gave me the excitement I lacked in other areas of my life. Forming connections over social media with amazing women was definitely a highlight of 2011 for me.

I learned to trust my body more, I am stronger than I think, no one is a perfect parent and that life is what you make it. A big lesson for me was from the floods; I realised that things, material possessions, are just things and don't make up for love or family. That helped me begin the declutter process in my home and life.

I was and am grateful for my wealth, health, family, friends and freedom we have in this country. We are, in fact, living the lucky life!