In Gratitude

One of the themes of my blog is living life simply. In order to live simply, I believe it's necessary to live gratefully. Gratefulness makes you joyful for what you have, regardless of how simple or inconsequential that particular thing may seem to the outside world.

I hope I live gratefully every day, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to focus this month on just a handful of people and things for which I'm grateful.

This first one is a given:

My immediate family (fish not included). I'm thankful for the fish, but they're not part of my immediate family. Oh, forget it. Just know I am thankful each day for each family member, even those not pictured above.

I'm also thankful for something I've had a very long time:

This Bible is my favorite for a couple of reasons. First, it was the only thing I got from my grandfather's house when he passed away. I was 10 years old, and this has been a treasured Bible since then. On the intro page, my grandfather's name is written, followed by my (maiden) name underneath. He never wrote in it, but I could tell it had been well used. It looks a little shabby now, and I have written and highlighted all over it. I loved it when I was 10 because I could understand its story-like conversational tone when I couldn't make heads or tails of what King James meant. Now, I love it because it helps my son understand the Word a little better than other translations.

I would love to hear what you're most thankful for in the Comments section below.

In gratefulness,
TCB

My New Best Friend is a Vacuum

Happy brings happiness into our lives...

... and LOTS of hair.

I could vacuum every day and still have white hair covering the floor. Therein lies the problem: if vacuuming were quick and easy, I would do it every day and everything would be a little less hairy. But draping the vacuum hose over my arm to bring it downstairs every day along with the attachments is too much work. Even though I have a central vacuum system, the hose takes up too much space to have one upstairs and downstairs, so I "share" between floors. Which means vacuuming downstairs - where the dog lives - is burdensome enough that I don't want it to be an everyday task.

So here's my savior:

A super small and lightweight stick vacuum - with removable handheld vacuum - for the first floor. Plugged into the wall, this Electrolux Ergorapido is so light I can vacuum with one hand. It swivels around so I can reach in all sorts of (hairy) places and makes my chores so much faster. Now I can bring out the big guns once per week and use this quick, "lick and a promise" solution daily.

The instructions say it should "only be used by adults." Bologna. Hogwash. Nonsense. It fits perfectly into the hand of my 11-year-old.

Perfectomundo!

I'd highly recommend this product.*

Love,
TCB

*No one paid me anything to say this. That's too bad.

Summer Nostalgia and Marsh Views

Post-Labor Day, I always become nostalgic for summer. I feel like it's all gone (even though we still have mid-90 temps). Everyone is in the fall rush with work-related projects and school is back in full swing.

So, I was flipping through some of my photos of our summer island visits. Even though there's a beach there, we love hanging out in the tidal creeks and on the marsh just as much.

Isn't South Carolina's coast beautiful?

Can I please go back there?

No deadlines...

No homeschool lesson plans to complete...

and no telephone ringing.

I feel happy and sad all at the same time.

No one call a psychiatrist, please.

I promise I'll have it all together by October 1, when there's no chance of summer's return.

Love from the country,
TCB

Wedge Pillow: Useful at Any Age, Stage

I love my wedge bed pillow. Never mind it is 11 years old.

It has been used multiple times for multiple purposes by more than one person.

For example, I first used it (and bought it) when I was pregnant with my son and could not take anti-reflux medication. It kept the heartburn at bay.

It next went to work when I had a sinus infection. It helped me breathe at night.

Then, my son used it when he started coughing all night with a cold.

Next, I used it to help relieve the pressure from lying down at night when I suffered a bout of TMJ.

I've tried to get Mr. Country Belle to try it out. He has yet to take me up on the offer.

I encourage you to try it. If you already have, leave me a comment below and let me know when it was most useful to you. I'm always looking for good tips to share!

Love,
TCB

You'd be Surprised What You Can Buy Locally

Rural living provides an easy opportunity to "go green." Living sustainably is eco-friendly and fiscally responsible. I'm not even mentioning the convenience. If you don't live in town, sometimes it's very time consuming to travel to all the stores you need to complete your shopping list.

When I'm not growing or making it myself, I really like to support the local farmers and craftsmen that live in my rural area.

On a recent Saturday afternoon full of errands (I group them for less driving), I purchased from three neighbor vendors who had exactly what I needed at exactly the right price.

Homegrown tomatoes from the farm stand. I didn't plant a second round, so my supply was long gone.

Chicken feed pellets produced locally from another community right down the road. It was sold by a family-owned feed-and-seed supplier 5 minutes from my house. (I love going there for good conversation and a Coke).

A flat of pansies hauled home in the back of my SUV from a grower 10 minutes from home. You can't beat 24 plants for $10 (and I didn't have to exhibit any patience growing my own flowers from seeds).

Buy local! Support your neighbors and create a better life for your family. Knowing who made what you consume each day is one important step we all can take to be environmentally and safety conscious.

Happy day!
TCB

What Happened to my Baby?

2002

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Where did my baby go? I want another! (Mr. Country Belle is sweating right now).

I'll leave you with a current photo......

....of me in denial.

Have a happy day.

TCB

My Newest Favorite Beauty "Find"

I'm a busy, busy mom like many of you, so when I find a product that gets me out the door faster by removing a few steps in my hectic day, I want to share it with everyone.

Here's a new beauty product I absolutely love. I use it to replace my primer, concealer, and makeup. No one is paying me to say this, but L'oreal's "BB Cream" [stands for Beauty Balm] is fantastic. One step equals three products I can "X" out of my morning routine (that is, on the days I decide to wear makeup). It's great to even out my complexion.

Another happy part is that you can buy it at your local drugstore.

Give it a try to speed up your routine in the a.m.

TCB