Lately, I’ve been struck by how our society takes great pride in over-complicating the simplest of things. It seems we like to take ordinary, everyday tasks and items and make them as difficult and complicated as possible. Let me give you an example.
I was inspired a few weeks ago by this post at Kitchen Stewardship to start weeding out and replacing the plastic in my kitchen. I began ditching plastic sippy cups, warped food containers, and the like. I was going through my cabinets in search of more plastic when I saw our Iced Tea Maker, a wedding gift given to us some 12 years ago.
That’s right, I said Iced Tea Maker.
For a moment, I actually debated parting with this bulky, plastic, past-its-prime gadget. I live in Georgia and we drink a lot of sweet tea. Could I really give up the item I had used to make it for so long? And then, suddenly, the hilarity of the situation hit me. For over a decade, I had been using a gadget to make iced tea! Seriously, is the tea-making process so complicated it calls for its own gadget which takes up preciously limited cabinet space?? Let’s see. In our house, the process goes something like this:
1. Pour boiling water into pitcher.
2. Add sugar and tea bags.
3. Steep.
4. Remove tea bags and chill.
Not exactly rocket science, eh? And yet for more than ten years, through 4 different homes and 2 different states, I had been convinced that I needed a gadget to help me make tea. Talk about needless over-complication.
And the Iced Tea Maker is just the tip of the iceberg. Through books I’ve been reading, conversations with my husband, and just general observation in my life, I see so many things that we needlessly over-complicate. Let me name a few that have come to mind:
-Cleaning our homes (particularly the products we use)
-Entertaining our kids
-School
-Church
-Caring for babies
With all of these things running through my mind, I thought perhaps this would make a good summer blog series. So, I’m going to be writing in the coming months about how our family is seeking to un-complicate our lives in each of these categories, and perhaps others. I hope you will join the discussion and add your thoughts on how to live simply in an over-complicated world!
So true! We’ve been having similar discussions in our household. We also have been weeding out the plastics and letting the girls use “real” plates and glasses for meals.
Another thing I did recently was make homemade cleaning products (all-purpose, glass, counter, tubs/toilets, etc. cleaner) using simple ammonia, white vinegar, and baking soda. I also bought bleach, but decided I didn’t want to clean with bleach. I am LOVING ammonia!! Seriously, loving it!!! I also bought some cinnamon essential oil, added it to some spring water, and filled a small spritz bottle…making a nice, relaxing (and harmless) smell after I clean. 
I am looking forward to reading about your other ways to un-complicate life!
*made, not make. Sorry…I can’t stand if I see a grammatical mistake…I can’t leave it.
A great little book on simplifying life – by Anne Morrow Lindbergh – “Gift from the Sea.” She makes wonderful comparisons to a beach vacation (in how little we need) to life at home…… perfect read for a beach vacation or to open your mind to simplicity.
I just picked this book up at the library to take to the beach next week! So looking forward to reading it.