Weekly Links: Sunshine and Summertime

It feels like summer is officially here and I’m loving every second of it. While I’d like to think that I’m above being swayed by weather, I find the sun incredibly energizing. I’ll take full advantage of the weather this weekend by… um… writing? Anybody else out there find themselves secretly dancing the mambo when the sun comes out?

photo credit: ★eclaire

On with the linkage!

Wendi Kelly encourages us to let loose and get down and dirty. Okay, it’s not as lascivious as I make it sound, but it is a great read about reconnecting with the freedom and joy of childhood pleasures.

Marelisa at Abundance Blog helps us create positive new habits. This is a pretty comprehensive approach. If you’re on the fence about making some changes, I highly recommend it.

Over at The Positivity Blog, Liz Massey encourages using a To-Don’t List. I love to play around with to-do lists a lot, since they can be great motivators. I like Liz’s idea of separating the real to-do items from the rest to actually get more things done.

JEMi at In My Heels touched on big dreams in bite-sized pieces. As she writes, “Taking a grasp of childlike freedom when giving yourself a moment to breathe and conjure up the mental images of your hearts desire is a liberating and thrilling exercise.”

Heidi at Banker Girl compares design lust to well, actual lust, and lets us in on a secret: sometimes the fantasy can be enough. After all,”good design (like a beautiful woman) can be appreciated without being owned.” For anyone trying to live a simple life, separating appreciation and ownership is critical.

Karl at Work Happy Now shares lessons on working happy that he learned from his dad. All 25 are very simple, but I suspect that anyone who put them to work would find some deep satisfaction. My favorite: “You can enjoy your work or you can think about going out tonight. It’s up to you.”

I’ve also been lucky enough to be featured in a couple cool places this week:

Dumb Little Man posted No Takebacks! Five Playground Rules to Live By, which was inspired from my work with kids.

Remodeling This Life posted Cultivating a Simple Lifestyle. I was more than happy write something while Emily enjoys some well-deserved vacation.

Oh, and check out the wonderful things people have learned from animals at Middle Zone Musings. Robert was kind enough to include The Tao of Roo: Lessons in Simplicity from My Dog even though it was written before the assignment started.

If you’re hungry for more, check out these two gems I ran across. They’re both a bit older, but they’re new and fabulous to me:

LivSimpl touched on one of my favorite concepts: appreciating what you already have. Here, the context is Re-seeing Those You Love.

Finally, Nneka gives us a list of 43 Things to Do When You Stop Watching Television. I like #38: “Go for aimless walks.”