A couple of weeks ago I attended a workshop given by Laura Iarocci, who will be joining me on my Balance Through Nature field trip. I let myself be surrounded by her world of plants, flowers and the concept of creating beauty through nature and left feeling fully rejuvenated.

I hope you will consider joining me for my field trip later this month, but meanwhile, here is a link to the work of Ansel Adams. His celebration of the drama and subtleties of nature was groundbreaking. Take a minute to enjoy… and then see if you can join us on April 23rd!

1. A Home That Glows:
With a light timer on a lamp, set to turn on at sunset, your home welcomes you inside.
2. A Ready Dinner Table:
With placemats, napkins and flatware ready when you are, sitting down to dinner is almost inevitable.
3. Dishes On Stand-by:
With dinner plates and glasses set out on the counter, even takeout meals have integrity.
4. Candles-and-Matches, Together:
Keeping candles and matches on your table, encourages their use at mealtimes.
5. A 5-Minute Meal:
Having a plan for a meal that can be prepared in a few minutes, like stir fry with chicken and leftover rice, allows the process to flow smoothly.

Believe it or not, routines this simple encourage positive experiences when they are needed most, at the end of the day.

Removing the “noise” of unnecessary distractions is a sure-fire way to reduce stress. Noise can mean clutter, TV’s that are always on, and even technology. Last month, I streamlined my computer desktop. What was once a screen totally filled with folders and documents is now two rows of logically-sequenced folders. I would have never thought that such a minor change would yield such major results! Just as with material objects, technology can overwhelm just as easily. Whether it is a chaotic computer desktop, an overstuffed e-mail inbox or tangle of electronic wires and remotes, taking stock of technology can be a big step to making “home” a positive experience for all who live there.

To learn more about creating home environments that reduce stress and promote a balanced lifestyle, register for my workshop this month, and Discover the Eight Basics for yourself!

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a wonderful carol that conjures up images of golden rings, lords a-leaping and partridges in pear trees. Day by day, increasingly elaborate gifts are given - and appreciated. Similarly, the lighting of the Hanukkah candles has a day-by-day sequence. Each day, the glow from the menorah becomes a stronger and brighter symbol of the miracle of Hanukkah. For me, both of these serve as reminders to live in the moment.

Of course, this applies to living spaces as well. In our task-oriented society, the tendency is to want to be “done” with our homes. When you think of it though, how can a home ever be done, if we are continually growing and changing? In Lifestyle Design, the goal is not to “be done,” but rather, to allow your surroundings to evolve.

For much more on this please join me next month for my workshop Discovering the 8 Basics. Meanwhile, here are 6 Practical Tools for a balanced holiday season. Hopefully they will allow you to enjoy these coming weeks more for what they are - a season, as opposed to a single day. The tools are listed here. For more on each click here.

1. Keep the Joy in Gift Giving
2. Tame Your Social Calendar
3. Know Your Limits and Get Others Involved
4. Enlist Technology to Celebrate the Season
5. Enjoy Family Time
6. Honor Traditions, While Being Open to Change

… and most important of all, just have fun!

A bit of advance planning - and action - can work wonders for living in balance, especially during the holidays. With Thanksgiving just weeks away, now is the time to be intentional about planning some experiences that can balance out the frenzy of the holiday season. Take a look at your calendar for December, make some calls to plan a dinner party, a girls’ lunch, or an outing to see The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, or something else that sounds like fun. A bit of planning can go a long way, as those who joined my “No More Excuses for Entertaining” Field Trip learned last month. The same holds true for virtually every other aspect of life, whether it’s home maintenance or holiday preparation.

As you are checking the calendar, why not block out some time for your holiday shopping and plan to have someone join you, whether it is your spouse or a good friend? Gift giving should be a joy for the givers as well as the receivers, and it needn’t be a solo effort in the chaos of crowded stores and backed-up traffic. I assure you, the holiday spirit is alive and well in November, with a chill in the air and early-bird retailers all decked out for the holidays. Here in Atlanta, there is the added bonus of the Partners Card, which gets you a 20% discount for 10 days, between November 3rd and 11th, while benefiting Camp Twin Lakes at the same time (see What’s News for details). For the past 15 years or so, my husband and I have made a date out of gift shopping. We book a sitter and spend the day together doing our shopping with a nice lunch to break the day up, and often a movie in the evening to celebrate our efforts. A week or two later, we make a point of wrapping the gifts together, which makes the task so much nicer than doing it solo!

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about transition to the Skyland Trail Associates. This group of inspiring volunteers supports Skyland Trail’s work in providing an environment of treatment, education and support to those suffering from mental illnesses. With events happening more and more rapidly in today’s world, dealing effectively with change is key. A healthy outlook on moving into the future can make all the difference in the quality of one’s lifestyle.

1. Music, Sweet Music - Your car is not a phone booth, but perhaps it is a music hall. Jazz or Classical music can the perfect solution for a stressful day.

2. Have Supplies, Will Travel - Keep essentials in a carryall or basket. With a bottle of water, some favorite CD’s, a local map (see tool#3), stamps and envelopes, and a $20 bill, you won’t make unnecessary stops and can get where you want to go.

3. Take a Drive on the Wild Side - Take back roads whenever possible for a less stressful journey. (That’s what the local map is for!) You’ll find fewer cars and traffic lights and probably get the added bonus of a more “gentle” drive - even if it’s only a ten-minute trip for groceries.

4. Fill It Up and Add a Mini-Clean - When you stop for gas, fill the tank up. Instead of merely watching the dollars and gallons add up on the meter, use this time to throw in a mini-clean: get rid of trash, shake out floor mats, etc. A clutter-free interior makes everyone feel better, especially the driver!

“Shelter is a basic human need… it provides protection from physical elements, physical security, and a sense of belonging.”

This sense of belonging is what you feel when you once again are able to fall sleep in your own bed and resume familiar routines. Even so, sometimes I find myself trying to shift too quickly back into day-to-day life. I have to admit, there is no better way to obliterate vacation memories than spending hours wading through e-mails!

Over the past few years, I have been trying to intentionally maintain my connection to the vacations I leave behind. Not only does this soften my ‘reentry,’ but it also allows me to weave some of my newly-gained perspectives into my way of thinking and living. Here are a few things that work for me:

Making Use of Photographs:
Upon returning from a June trip to Greece and Valencia, Spain, we downloaded photographs onto two digital frames located in the kitchen and my husband’s study. As images scroll past, we continue to keep special vacation moments alive in our minds.

Using the Internet and the U.S. Mail:
While on a July trip to New York, I kept coming across books that I just had to have, including one on Greek Style. Instead of lugging them in my suitcase back with me, I went onto amazon.com every few nights and ordered them to be sent home. In the days and weeks after, I had a gentle flow of books that continued to inspire me well after my return.
(Another idea, though I’ve never done it myself, might be to send yourself a postcard of a favorite place, with a message to yourself on the back to bring you back to that moment.)

Extending ‘Vacation Mode’ by One More Day:
An ongoing ritual of our family is to return home early enough for a family dinner. Instead of arriving with the threat of late bedtimes followed by crack-of-dawn Monday mornings, we intentionally set aside the time to settle in a bit. This includes our ongoing family ritual of ordering take-out, which we eat comfy-style as we reflect on where we were and talk about places that might interest us in the future. (I also consciously try not to do anything “administrative,” including e-mail, until the following day.

Let’s start with food (one of my favorite topics!)… I love cooking with fresh herbs. This is the time of year where you can plant some fresh cilantro, sage and basil, so that it’s just a step away for some great salads and grilling marinades. Even if you live in an apartment, there is always room for some pots of herbs on a nearby windowsill. While you’re at it, how about planting a container of mint for some tall, cool mojitos? These days many supermarkets stock fresh potted herbs, but if not, your hardware store is a just quick errand away.

While you’re at it, take a good, hard look at your spice rack. If you can’t remember when you last used those oh-so-cute little jars, it’s WAY past the time to throw them away! Before you buy more, ask yourself, “Do I even know what marjoram is? (More importantly, do I even care??!!)” When was the last time you used dried basil instead of fresh leaves? Be vigilant, and throw those vintage spice jars out. Think first, before you replenish. Just because your mom always had dill weed and dried onion flakes in her spice rack, doesn’t mean you have to!

Instead, try looking at that daily apple from a Lifestyle Design perspective. How about taking them out of the bag, and instead of putting them in the fridge, set them out on the counter. Furthermore, if you put those apples in an attractive basket or bowl, then they actually become appetizing, instead of just some grocery store produce. That basketful of apples is transformed into a visual invitation to eat and enjoy. Who knows, maybe seeing them might evoke memories of times you made apple pies with your mom, ate candied apples at a fall fair, or picked apples from a tree…

Well, you see where I’m going with this. The bottom line is that eating an apple a day can be about a lot more than just an apple, if you take a few extra moments to give it extra meaning.

This can be the case for everything in our life, furniture, clothes — even a photograph that you just developed. By framing a photograph and intentionally placing it where you and others can appreciate it, you can add to the quality of your day every time you see it.