LIfestyle Design - Balanced, Clean, Calm, Natural...

When my daughter was 8, she asked me why there was a birdhouse on my business card. I told her that it represented how simple life can really be. By creating Campfires and embracing the Four Basics of Balanced Living, living well comes naturally. When you stop and think about it, what really is a birdhouse?

- a sheltered place to
rest,

- a place for belongings,

- an entrance (and exit),

- a view to the outside,

- a place to sit,

- and a comfortable place
for visitors.

For me, this birdhouse is a campfire, a center of positive energy that encourages meaningful experiences. If we take focus a bit of time and thought in the right direction, we can create the experiences of life, instead of the appearance of life.

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Campfires for Balanced Living

Campfires – Back Then, and Three for Now

“There must be more to life than having everything.” — Maurice Sendak

Just as you feel content and rejuvenated sitting before a crackling fire in the evening, you can recreate that warm glow throughout your home and your life.

After decades of “bigger is better,” it is becoming evident that “less” may be the key to true quality of life. Made up of objects, routines and even living things, Lifestyle Design campfires have the power to energize the moments that make up life. These modern day campfires exist when objects and ideas come together intentionally to create a sense of well-being, comfort and community.

In earlier days campfires were a necessity — a source of warmth and sustenance. Lifestyle Design Campfires are just as important today, as they ultimately they nourish our souls - an essential ingredient of a life well-lived. There is a reason that everyone always ends up in the kitchen. A kitchen is inevitably a campfire… but what about creating them in other parts of your life and home?

Campfires do not have to be elaborate to work, and creating them is easy, but you do need to be intentional about it.

Enjoying Food:

Instead of stand-up meals or eating from take-out containers, a campfire for enjoying food might be a table with silverware, placemats, napkins and candles. This setting becomes an invitation to savor meals, rather than consume food. Having matches nearby and the table set beforehand allows this campfire to be lit with ease.

Taking a Break:

Instead of passive time in front of a screen, a campfire for taking a break is an area that invites people to relax, either solo or with others. It is grounded by objects - a rug, some comfy seating, a lamp or two, and probably a coffee table accented with a few treasured items. These elements join together to create a glow that says “sit and relax.” When people take the cue, this campfire will then glow even brighter.

Returning Home

Instead of coming home to a dark and empty house at the end of the day, this “re-entry campfire” might include a table with a lamp illuminating photographs, treasured art and other mementos that say “welcome home!” The lamp, equipped with a light timer (with a compact floursecent light bulb) that is set to turn on at dusk and off a few hours later, allows this campfire to practically tend itself.