The Easier Way

Today’s theme is “The Easier Way.” Anything where I have to decide which way to go, I’m going with the easier way. Elizabeth could stand to have a bath this morning, but it’s not at a crisis point yet so I’m going with the easier way and not bathing her. When I packed the boys’ lunches, I went with whatever items were easiest to grab and toss into the lunch boxes—and if today’s hot lunch option hadn’t been something I knew they wouldn’t eat (“Warm Egg-and-Cheese Bagel”), I would have had them get hot lunch. The kids are going to watch a LOT of television today, and I’m not doing any laundry or any cleaning. I don’t think I’m even going to unload the dishes from the drying rack.

Let’s see. I know I had some Positive Spin things to say. Now what were they? Oh yes!

One: My Mother-In-Law Good Dishes are one of the best purchase decisions of my entire life. I feel happy to get them out, happy to use them, happy to set the table with them, happy to WASH them even. When my mother-in-law announces a visit, I have the happy thought that I will get to get out the Good Dishes. They’re dressy without seeming unreasonably dressy. I like to look at them. They’re to my tastes. I don’t mind if, later, the children fight over who gets to inherit them. And yet, I don’t mind putting them away between visits. Here they are, so we can all admire them for a moment:

Except my set has mugs, not cups-and-saucers. I’m not sure why, except that I bought mine open-stock-style at TJ Maxx.

I had more positive-spin stuff, I’m sure I did. Oh! My mother-in-law visited some other relatives first, and she brought me two nearly-new, good-quality coats another relative was getting rid of. And, unbelievably, I really like both of them. One is a light, clear, vintagey aqua color, and a vintagey cut, too. It’s old-ladyish, but in what I THINK is a cute, sassy way. The other has a red suadey outside and an orange fleecey inside, and it’s cute and warm and cozy. So even though my mother-in-law announced with a merry laugh that she’d told her cousin, “Swistle is bigger than me—I’ll see if she can use them,” I’m happy to have both coats. I wore them on outings and felt like a cuter person than when I wear my usual coat (one of Paul’s). And for the record, I am NOT bigger than her. Taller, yes, and I could totally take her in a fight.

Now I’m going to brew a pot of coffee and get caught up with everything you’ve been writing while I’ve been gone!

34 thoughts on “The Easier Way

  1. Psuedokim

    Those dishes would be the EXACT style I’d pick out if I was in the market to get some fancier dishes. I love all that blue and white china, no matter what the pattern is. Wow, they are pretty.
    And I’m happy for your inheritance of the two coats, since I’m in dire need of buying one this year and I hate putting out a lot of money for something like that. Even though they came with a thinly veiled compliment/insult. Ugh. I bet you’re going to be in a very good mood today!

    Reply
  2. Tuli

    I’m intrigued by the aqua coat. If you get some time soon, would you post a picture? I love all things vintage and would love to admire your new coat. :)

    And your dishes are lovely. I followed the link but wasn’t able to determine if the plates had different castles or the same.

    Enjoy that coffee!

    Reply
  3. Swistle

    Tuli- The castles are the same on each type of item, but different on different items. Er, that could be put more clearly. I mean, all the dinner plates have the same castle on them, and all the bowls have the same castle on them—but it’s a different castle on the dinner plates than on the bowls.

    Reply
  4. Mimi

    The Easier Way… that sounds good. I think I’ll do that today too. Congrats on making it through the MIL visit. Treat yourself to something fun!

    Reply
  5. gdstone04

    I am ALL IN on the “easier way”. My contribution? WAY easier to eat a few of the chocolate chip cookies for breakfast that my Mom baked and gave to me than to fix a bowl of cereal. AND easier to let daughter watch television than play Candy Land (again).
    g~

    Reply
  6. CAQuincy

    We’ve adopted The Easier Way ’round here since I went back to work. If I wasn’t afraid of the school/daycare calling us in, the kids would probably be wearing the same clothes everday–and sleeping in them also every night. Baths! Pshaw! If it don’t stick, don’t clean it!

    BTW: So glad to have you back online. It’s been way too quiet lately!

    Reply
  7. Anonymous

    I think you should drink that coffe out of one of the Good China mugs. You deserve some pampering.

    And here’s to the easier way!

    Slim

    Reply
  8. Hotch Potchery

    I love it when people post pictures of their stuff! Your dishes totally remind me of Holland…they seem Delft like.

    And, I too, want to see a picture of your aqua coat…the “clear” part has me intrigued.

    Oh, and thanks for the comments on my blog…it sure does get lonely over there!

    Reply
  9. Heather

    I am taking the easier way too today. I put dinner in the crockpot and my little boy is already watching his third episode of Barney! I thought about going out to buy more socks (because we are running low) but the easier way was just to do 1 load of laundry. Of course now it is sitting in the drier and I have taken just the clean socks out.

    Welcome back Swistle!! I have missed your posts so!!

    Reply
  10. ccr in MA

    I have the same dishes, only in red instead of blue. My aunt handed them down to me. I use them everyday, which makes me feel special, since I just had random garage sale before that (but of course I have no kids, so if anything broke, I could only blame myself).

    Congrats on the freedom!

    Reply
  11. Katie

    This whole “easier” way of parenting? Ummm…I do that EVERY day. Is that not right? Shit.

    Also, LOVE the dishes. My mom has some very similar ones that her parents bought from a grocery store in the 1950s. It is called Liberty Blue and I WILL be inheriting that set. Yes, I will.

    Reply
  12. Sara

    YAY! You survived! I love the Easier Way Day. That should totally be a regular day of the week… say, between Wednesday and Thursday?

    You’ve been missed!

    Reply
  13. Michelle

    Ohhh very cute dishes. But no fair… you show the dishes but not the new(ish) coats? How else can we judge how lovely you would look in them?

    I will give me MIL this — she’s just not with it enough to be mean. She’s sweet… just not my taste. I feel for you.

    Reply
  14. Anna

    Oh my goodness. Those MIL comments. Oh. My. Goodness.

    But she’s doing her part to make the rest of us seem so kickass and WONDERFUL, right? It’s her public service!

    Reply

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