April 9th - Affordable Luxury

"Luxury need not have a price -

comfort itself is a luxury."

-Geoffrey Beene 

Luxury is abundance, comfort, or something that adds to your pleasure 
but isn't absolutely necessary. 

"Simple Abundance is not about deprivation. 

Nor is it about spending more than you can afford 
in order to make yourself feel better."

Sarah said that this journey has helped her find

True Comfort

and the 

Joy of Moderation

as well as how to be

"open to receiving the goodness of Real Life."

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Simple Abundance is about finally learning how to 

release feelings of poverty and lack 

and replace them with feelings of prosperity and affluence.

One of the ways in which we can start to experience more affluence in our daily lives is through pampering ourselves with affordable luxuries. 

...
[Affordable luxury] transforms a simple pleasure 
into complete contentment. 


Affordable luxuries awaken our awareness 
to the abundance that's readily available to us 
once we finally 'get it'. 


...
Think about affordable luxuries when you think about 
nurturing your personal style.

What simple pleasures could make you feel more abundant?

...
Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion
if we can simply learn that as well as giving,
it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart.
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Some of my affordable luxuries are

Baths with citrus smelling bubbles or epsom salt and lavender 
Taking care of my nails, and painting them pretty colors
Putting on perfume
Getting my favorite candy every time I make my way to Winco
Finding a few thrift store treasures every month or so
In the winter wearing every cashmere sweater I own 
over and over and over again
Gardening, and trying desperately to keep my roses alive and blooming. 
They got sunburnt or something... but my green onion and garlic are doing great!


Sarah suggested wearing your special occasion jewelry on an every day basis. 

Also using the freshest ingredients in your food, getting your hair done, getting a facial or massage, ext ext. 

What are some of your favorite affordable luxuries? 

***
Gratitude Journal
***

1) Grumpy moods. All 5 of us were in grumpy moods today. So we stayed away from each other, because if you can't say anything nice you shouldn't say anything at all. And then when we were done being grumpy it was nice to talk and spend time with each other again, it meant more.

2) Organizing. I've decided to keep almost, if not more than, half the kids toys in the garage. The less toys in their rooms, the less mess they make, the easier it is to clean up. And that helps my ocd. So every day if they want to play with a box of new toys I'll get one out of the garage, and then when they're done it'll get cleaned up and go back into the garage. It feels so good.

3) A productive yet restful Sunday. 

4) Tomorrow's Monday, and I'm looking forward to it.

5) I'm going to get to bed before midnight.