"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few." -Anne Morrow Lindbergh I am joining the bloggety giveaway over at Shannon's Rocks in my Dryer. This time around, she wants the item given away to reflect something about the person's blog. I know I talk about a lot of different things here, and sometimes it isn't as cohesive as I would like it to be, but I do think that the topic that comes up the most is simple living. Being content. Paring down. Living a thoughtful and intentional life. Spending more time on relationships than stuff. I know that is what occupies a lot of my thoughts. How to live a joyful, simple life with my husband and children.
So, in that vein, I am giving away one of my all-time favorite books, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
If you haven't read this book, you simply must, that's all there is to it. It reads almost like poetry, it is so soothing. Anne Morrow Lindbergh was the wife of Charles Lindbergh, the first american pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She was the mother of six children. Her thoughts on life, mothering, and stillness are wonderful.
So, what do you have to do to win this fabulous book?
1. Leave me a comment below, between now and and 12 pm est on Friday, Feb. 1st. I will draw a winner (randomly) on Saturday morning.
2. You do not have to have a blog to participate. Just leave your email address so I have a way to contact you if you win.
3. In your comment, please tell me a simple pleasure of your day. Something you do on a regular basis, be it big or small, that makes your life more enjoyable and is restorative to you.
4. You do not have to be in the US to participate.
*Image from MIYAZAKI HIROSHI & N73 on flickr.com
The book sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeletetsmoffett@yahoo.com
That sounds great. I am always looking for good books to read. Now all I need is the time to read them.
ReplyDeleteEven if I don't win, I'll probably check this book out as you were the one to turn me on to Mitten Strings for God. :)
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure? Having a family morning with the boys piling into our bed one by one. It's the stuff memories are made of. Absolutely my favorite part of the day!
Now... PICK ME! PICK ME! Ha! Thanks for the giveaway, Laurel! :)
Reading Outlander while everyone else is napping or playing quietly!
ReplyDeleteOh, how wonderful- a book! And this one sounds simply perfect- thank you!
ReplyDeleteA simple pleasure of my day... hmmm... probably my mug of vanilla chai, my favorite chair, and my open Bible in the early morning hours before anyone is awake. It is precious to me.
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ReplyDeleteI have heard wonderful things about this book but have yet to read it - please sign me up
ReplyDeleteOh, yes a simple thing that I do each day? I listen to music while I get ready for work in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS!!!!! Fun, Fun, Fun!!! Please count me in !
ReplyDeletegerijones64@hotmail.com
My most simple pleasure is watching my 3.5 year old run through the woods and along the path to her beautiful montessori school each school day. I have to walk very swiftly to keep up with her but it gives me such joy to see her racing her way to her classroom.
ReplyDelete-n
I would love to read this book. Susan
ReplyDeleteThis is one I have been wanting to read. Reading is one of my simple pleasures. I can't imagine a day without reading!
ReplyDeleteReading is a simple pleasure of mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :)
One simple pleasure in my day is to just mentally pause and focus on one of my children. It might be when they are laughing, or the facial expression they have, or a hug---I just try to make a conscious decision to appreciate these family luxuries. Ah!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of her book, but have never read it. Please enter me in your fabulous giveaway! Thanks,Cindi
ReplyDeletejchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Reading is one of my favorite ways to relax. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteOhh- please enter me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say once the kids are in bed, just settling down to read some good blogs or post my thoughts for the day on my own blog. It really helps me to declutter my mind. I've heard a lot about this book and would love to win it.
ReplyDeleteSomething I do every day that I find both relaxing and refreshing is my morning walk. Everything is crisp and quiet and it's just me and all the fresh air. :)
ReplyDeletenw_wife(at)hotmail(dot)com
Count me in please!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Stop by my place to win a bath set & candles or one of two copies of a book I'm giving away.
Laura @ Laura Williams' Musings
Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeletetaowyn (at) gmail (dot) com
Sounds like a neat book.
ReplyDeletePlease enter me, thank you. And my simple pleasure would be coffee... I love it and have a pretty close bond with my Bunn lol.
ReplyDeleteI've seen that book listed everywhere but have never read it! Thanks for entering me. :)
ReplyDeletePlease count me in! Thank you for offering such a nice prize. :)
ReplyDeleteI would really enjoy a book that incorporates mothering and stillness. I have a 5 y.o., a 3 1/2 y.o., and an almost 2 y.o.
ReplyDeleteMy (almost) daily pleasure is vanilla flavored coffee. It would be even more enjoyable if I got to drink it while it's still hot. :-)
I've been wanting to read this! I love to read in a hot bath to relax. Count me in please!
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is drinking tea while I knit. Even when I'm ridiculously busy it helps to take a break, if only for ten minutes.
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this.
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is to sit in a rocking chair all snuggled up with my little girl and feel her relax into my arms
ReplyDeleteTia
Thanks for giving a chance to international bloggers!
ReplyDeletegrace [at] sandierpastures dot com
Sounds like a book worth spending time. Please count me in the draw.
ReplyDeleteEMAIL: mom [at] theparentingdiaries dot com
my simple pleasure is when i get to veg out at night with my husband and all my kids are home safe. Bliss.
ReplyDeletePlease count me in:)
melanie@nunde.com.au
My simple pleasure? Napping with my newborn :) or a cup of coffee (hot!).
ReplyDeleteWould love to read this book!
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure: a cup of coffee and a good book and silence, beautiful silence...
ReplyDeleterookiem at live dot com
My husband just listened to this book and said it's a must for our family library. I walk my kids to and from school. It gets me out in the fresh air twice a day, even when it's really cold. Very good for my spirits!
ReplyDeleteHi Laurel! Hmm...calling MY grandmother is one of my favorite simple pleasures. I call her at least four times a week and I always have - even in college! Sometimes, I simply leave her a personal message telling her how much I love her. Other times, we talk for an hour. It is a wonderful way for me to stay in touch with my roots, my family, and with someone much wiser than me. she keeps me grounded, spirited, happy, and knowing. By the way, are you going to Bunko? Your blog is so awesome. I just love it...STILL!
ReplyDeleteI always need another book!!
ReplyDeleteI have to have my one cup of cappuccino in the morning. It is so important to my day. Not just the caffiene, I can get that from soda.
ReplyDeleteI have 7 kids, I bet I could relate!
I'd love to check out this book for our bookclub - it sounds like a great story!
ReplyDeleteCamille
www.snaphappymama.com
wiredwilsons AT gmail DOT com
sounds like a good read!
ReplyDeleteI'm interested - count me in please!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks like a great read.
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is cuddling my son at 3 am while feeding him.
great giveaway! please throw my name in the hat! good luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is when the kids are all down for naps and I catch up on blogs with a cup of french vanilla cappuccino.
ReplyDeleteI love getting new book suggestions - so win or lose I'm going to have to check this one out!
ReplyDeleteSo very cool - thanks for offering such a great giveaway! That is very generous of you!!! Good luck to all!
Great contest! I want to win!!
ReplyDeleteI have the book and LOVE it...I read it every year when we go on a beach vacation. So you don't have to count me in...I just can't resist commenting on your blog :)
ReplyDeleteSimple pleasure: definitely the morning coffee my sweet husband brings in to me to wake me up. I sip as I sit snuggled under my duvet while gazing out the window at the beginning hints of morning...ahhhh.
Great giveaway! I make time for reading everyday. monk5@charter.net
ReplyDeleteA soothing book - sounds good to me!
ReplyDeleteenter me please!
ReplyDeleteJen
whitty4jen@yahoo.com
What a great giveaway! Thanks so much for doing this!
ReplyDeleteahiltzy@yahoo.com
sounds like a great book! please enter me !! Something I do for me: post to blog and read my friends blog that leaves far away so I can stay in touch with her.
ReplyDeleteSounds great!!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Char
charlainej@hotmail.com
reading is my simple pleasure
ReplyDeleteI love a good read. Thank you for a great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI live on Sanibel/Captiva Island where Anne Lindberg wrote this book and would you believe that I have never read it. Now is my chance.
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is actually reading before I go to bed. In fact, I'm reading Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of Saint Louis right now. And that's why I'm entering in this giveaway. I'd love to read something by his wife.
ReplyDeleteThanks for participating in the giveaway!
I have heard about that books and want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this--but I've read other books of hers and I love them! For relaxing--it probably sounds funny, but I really like hanging laundry out on my clothesline!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book. My one thing I do every day is to read from a book called God's Little Devotional Book for Women. I try to find something in what I read that holds meaning for me and my life.
ReplyDeletesounds lovely!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to read this book. My simple pleasure is lying awake in bed at night, listening to either the dishwasher or clothes dryer running. For some reason it makes me feel like I've done good that day. :-)
ReplyDeleteI would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteI try to cuddle with my dog a little each day. It's amazing how calm and happy that makes me.
Every day I try to read part of a book. The simple act of book reading (not blog reading!) just calms me. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteenter me please. ernestsgirl82@aol.com
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is a hot drink, soft robe and slippers-all after a long hot bath. (Of course, I'd have a different answer in a few months!)
My simple pleasure is reading before bed. All 3 kiddos asleep and me relaxed and enjoying my quiet time!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds interesting. I'd love to read it. Your blog is peaceful and pretty!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite books! Would love to re-read it. A simple pleasure in my day is reading for pleasure each night before bed. mlciavola(at)yahoo(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great giveaway! Please enter me, arogers(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDelete76 comments!?! Are you kidding me?!?! WOW! Well no need to enter me since I just got my wonderful package yesterday!!!! Thank-you so much! What a great idea and I'm looking forward to reading all 3. I do have Shep a childs heart, so the workbook will be great to read with it again now that I actually have a child. Thank-you for the support, encouragement, and sweet blog comments. I can't wait for you to come up and meet her. She is a dream!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasures change often, sometimes it's a cup of coffee (that's my current one - I am not normally a coffee drinker but have been having a couple of cups a day for the past couple of weeks!), sometimes it's reading a book (I love to read but don't get to do it every day), but everyday I love spending time with my hubby after the kids go to bed!
ReplyDeletePlease enter me. I would love to win this! i love to read
ReplyDeletethis sounds like a wonderful read...
ReplyDeletelaurabethgraham1@gmail.com
A simple pleasure for me is reading, either a book or a good blog :) In the summer my biggest simple pleasure is going to the beach though, this book looks amazing!
ReplyDeletewonderful book
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! One of the things I try to do each day is give big hugs to and share laughter with my children.
ReplyDeleteI admit I don't have much time to read given my little one, but this book sounds really good (and believe me I have skipped a lot of them in this round of giveaways!)
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is snuggling my baby. It's so much better when he decides to lay his head on my chest for awhile... :)
I am always looking for a great read and this book sounds right up my alley. Please count me in and thanks for the great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteIf I could I would like to recommend a book for you. Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup. I was truly moved by her true story and I think she is someone that exemplifies living a deliberate life. I wrote a post about her book here:
http://hobtwins.blogspot.com/2007/09/here-if-you-need-me.html
And my cousin-in-law wrote her own review here:
http://fourthkh.blogspot.com/2007/10/here-if-you-need-me-and-story-about-my.html
I hope you check it out and thanks again for the giveaway.
The book sounds very good.
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is a cup of tea at night before I go to bed, it calms me...
Thanks for the chance to win!
Thanks for the great contest! I've wanted my OWN copy of this book...
ReplyDeleteSounds like it would be an interesting book.
ReplyDeletePlease enter me. One of my simple pleasures is kissing my children and tickling them. Thanks - the book sounds so lovely and refreshing.
ReplyDeleteThis would be great...I'm always looking for new books. My simple pleasure is rubbing my cheek on top of my 22 month old daughter's head...so sweet.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds cool! I love the picture of the shells
ReplyDeleteCount me in!
ReplyDeleteSimple pleasure - just a bite or two of chocolate. ;0)
A simple pleasure of my day is snuggling up to my SO :)
ReplyDeleteanastasia_falling@yahoo.com
This is so nice! Thank You! My simple pleasure is my shower. It is 5 (or 10) minutes of peace and solitude with NO ONE calling my name, and I am able to pamper myself with my scented soaps, shampoo, and lotion:)
ReplyDeletekpuleski at gmail dot com
After the terrible year we had last year, I have begun to reevaluate what is important in my life. It is the simple things that matter the most. Mostly, anytime I am with DH.
ReplyDeleteSusie
island_baby1217@yahoo.com
Please choose me!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very calming and after reading about your life - I am exhausted ;)
ReplyDeleteOne of the simple pleasures of my day is making sure I get kisses and hugs from the little ones.
ReplyDeleteI'd love this book especially since I have six kids of my own. Her insights would be wonderful. :)
Thanks for the chance to win! :)
adashofsassitude(at)gmail(dot)com
Looks like a good book. One of my simple pleasures is sewing. It is calming and soothing to me at the end of the day. Another is reading, even a few pages of a book, every day.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to read this book! One of my simple pleasures is reading. I love getting my mind away from the daily grind.
ReplyDeletecount me in!
ReplyDeleteA simple pleasure of my day is to sit with my dog in the morning after everyone has left.
ReplyDeleteA simple pleasure for me is to sit and read an enjoyable book instead of my school books!
ReplyDeleteChristina
christinas11 (at) msn (dot) com
I have just loved discovering your blog today through the bloggy giveaways. It's so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI *love* your eggs in a colander, I am so stealing that!
I'm looking forward to reading more about your marathon journey!
Thank you so much for the link to Walk Slowly. I wish had more time to read it right now! (the only down side to finding so many lovely blogs! How will I ever read them all?)
My simple pleasure is having a cup of coffee early in the morning with my hubby, while kiddos are still sleeping. It's my favorite part of the day.
Looking forward to reading more of your blog!
Melissa~
Pink Paper Peppermints
My simple pleasure is a bowl of ice cream and a dip in the hot tub at the end of a hard day.
ReplyDeleteMy simple pleasure is having one of my 3 young grandchildren snuggle on my lap:) This book sounds lovely - thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI read this book and simply adored it. I would love to own a copy. My simple pleasure is my cup of tea in the morning with cream and sugar. It's heavenly, especially when I have a sore throat to soothe, like I do this week! ( meg.wilson@gmail.com )
ReplyDeletethis book sounds wonderful. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis is a fabulous book! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteKJ
California
A simple pleasure would be to just set quietly and drink my coffee, no rushing!
ReplyDeleteAfter the kids are in bed, I turn off all but one light and sit there in the quiet for a good twenty minutes. It sounds odd, but I just enjoy those few minutes of quiet. Right now, I enjoy feeling my belly - I am pregnant with my surrogate son. So I feel him move around and then just reflect on my day. :) surrogacyrocks at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of that book before--it sounds very interesting. :) For me, a simple pleasure right now (usually) is nursing my little girl. She's getting to an age where she's almost over nursing, but it's still sweet to hold her close and feel her love and trust. :)
ReplyDeletePlay with my 6 month old baby I love her smile and it makes me so happy
ReplyDeletePlease enter me in your contest
My simplest pleasure is knitting a couple of rows on my latest knitting project.
ReplyDeleteA simple pleasure in my day is kissing my childrens precious faces!!
ReplyDelete