Beauty In The Mundane With Danielle Symes
Photographer @danielle_symes shares her top 5 tips for finding beauty in the mundane climate we currently find ourselves in. An honest, real account into her life in South Australia with her husband Brad and children Harper and Charlie.
Danielle's top 5 tips.....
1) I like to take my time in the mornings which luckily right now is an option but even during the hustle and bustle of regular life I try to give myself a bit of extra time each morning to have a coffee to myself, eat a decent breakfast and ease into the day. I find on the mornings that I am running around like a headless chook I tend to be quicker to snap at the kids or at Brad and it sets the mood for the whole day.
2) I try to keep on top of the house as much as possible because I find that if the house is a mess my mind is a mess. I try to encourage the kids to pack away what they have been playing with when they move onto their next activity. Little things like making sure the beds are made each day, the dishes are done and benches are wiped down tend to make me feel calmer and less chaotic. Doesn't always go to plan, especially with them being home 24/7 right now but I always attempt to maintain some kind of cleanliness. I also love burning a candle and setting out a vase of fresh flowers after a big clean. I swear that’s a form of therapy haha!
3) Getting outside as much as possible is something I always try to do, especially with the kids. I find that if I sit outside with a cup of tea the kids are more likely to want to be out there too and they play a lot more independently. If I sit inside I can guarantee they will eventually migrate inside as well and cabin fever sets in pretty quickly. Also, I find that when I'm outside I tend to be more in the moment. I am guilty of picking up my phone when I get a bit of down time but I don't seem to do that as much when I am outside.
4) Separating work and family time is a big one for me. Working from home with kids is not always easy but if I draw a line in the sand for 'work time' and 'family time' I find that I am a lot more present for both. On days when I have the kids, even if Charlie has a day nap, I avoid getting on my computer to try and squeeze in a bit of work as I find it triggers me back into work mode and it's then difficult for me to switch it back off. Trying to keep the two completely seperate allows me to appreciate both my job and my family without them clashing against each other too much.
5) Making time for my husband is probably the most challenging thing in our life, especially right now, but it is by far one of the most important things for us all. It could be as simple as having a wine together on the porch or cooking up a big pasta meal and watching a movie together but we find that if we are disconnected the whole household is out of sync.
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