Down To Earth Guide To Luxury
What does luxury look like to you?
It’s such a delicious word. It makes me think of things that are rare and rich.
Belgium Chocolates, Scottish Cashmere, a trip on the Orient Express!
The dictionary describes it this way.
Luxury
: a condition or situation of great comfort, ease, and wealth
: something that is expensive and not necessary: something that is helpful or welcome and that is not usually or always available
I hate to argue with Merriam-Webster.
But I believe luxury can also be a state of mind.
Some of my favorite luxuries are not only affordable, they are often free.m
- The luxury to say no. Simply no, N. O. without feeling I have to explain myself.
- The luxury to say yes…to what I enjoy.
- Quiet time each morning with a cup of tea, a scented candle and a book. I have a comfy chair in the bay window of my bedroom where I start my morning quietly and slowly.
- The luxury of cooking and eating fresh, organic food. We have a Whole Foods in town that I love to shop at. I know they have a bad reputation as being overpriced. I haven’t found that to be true. When I buy organic foods at other supermarkets, they’re sometimes cheaper but the quality is often, inferior.
- The delight I feel when I hear my grandson laugh. It’s a luxury and a treat beyond all measure for me.
And just to keep things real, these are luxuries I enjoy, that many women can’t have…at any price!
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- The luxury to come and go as I please. There are women all over the world who don’t have that freedom. They’re culture or religion, seriously limits their activities and lifestyle.
- The luxury of turning on a tap and getting fresh, clean water to drink. Fresh water is in short supply in many places these days. It’s at crisis levels in many third world countries. Many of us even find our clean tap water lacking, and drink bottled water instead.
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What does luxury mean to you?
Love this post Jennifer! I agree with you on having a quiet time and hearing the laughter of my grandchildren too! It’s the best thing ever! For me, it also means spending time with my best friends and a beach trip is always a luxury! xoxo
For me the greatest luxury is time. Time alone to write, read or just to putts about my garden. Time with my husband & daughter to eat, play or enjoy homemade popcorn & a movie. I heard it said that hours are slow & years are fast. At this stage in my life I find this so true!
Great prompt Jennifer!
Luxury as a state of mind! Such a wonderful way to look at it. I couldn’t agree more. To me, being able to manage my time and the projects I work on is the very best luxury! The freedom to enjoy what’s most important to us – now that’s luxurious!
Thanks for a thoughtful take on our topic! XO
Freedom and time are such precious gifts and yes, luxuries!! Thanks Jeanne.
Wonderful post! I agree with everything you said. My luxury is having the time to spend with my new granddaughter. I also feel very lucky to have a garden and now that spring is here spend as much time in it as I can. Like many of your readers, I love the quiet moments in life where I find inspiration.
Your granddaughter is so adorable! That is a true luxury. And time, time to enjoy what we love…Thanks for sharing Sunday!
I love your ideas on life’s luxuries, Jen. I agree, it’s so much more about a way of living, and a mindset, than about expensive things. For me luxuries are a few unexpected moments of extra time in my day, an hour to float in the pool, picking calla lilies from my garden and watching the ever-changing day and night time views from our terrace. I still get a rush from a fabulous pair of heels, I won’t deny that. My biggest luxury is travel and adventure with my husband. Life is short, so making the most of it is a TRUE luxury.
xx, Heather
You do live in the moment! Your trips with your husband are the most amazing adventuresw. I love to follow along!! Time seeems to be a very poopular luxury and we need to steal and enjoy it whenever we can!
xo
Luxury for me = fresh island air, my darling husband, living by the sea, velvet, time to take time, Chanel lipstick.
Oh velvet…you’ve hit on something there Alison! To live by the sea with your love would be priceless. Thanks for sharing!
Great post Jennifer and a reminder that we have so much here and what we take for granted is really luxuries to much of the world.. Loved this. Your grandson is such a doll! xo Kim
Thanks Kim. We need to appreciate the luxuries right in front of us. I have a whole new appreciation for how loving and wise my readers are. I knoew they were smart, but this is awesome! xo
I must say it is completely astonishing……COMPLETELY ASTONISHING; that this group of women have responded this way!
And each respons (I have only read a few) have responded with the opposite of what the rest of the world……(what I read about???) as “luxurious”
I hear family, chickens, animals, bird nests, lavender, country…..it all makes perfect sense to me…I just find it “mind boggling!!!) And DELIGHTFUL! IT SHOWS WE ARE CHANGING AND WE CAN!!!!
XXOO
Penelope
Me too Penelope! I thought I would be the only one in our group with this take on it. I should have known better. We are wise, kind and apreciative women! Bravo! xoxo
That first photo means luxury to me too! I’m usually up at 5:30 and grab a cup of coffee and then it’s back to bed for about 20 min. to read. (BTW my husband has that same Starbucks mug as in your photo that he uses every morning)
Since I quit working years ago, my biggest luxuries are having the time to exercise 6 days a week, cook healthy meals (vs. eating out) and spend time with family. None of which require a ton of cash 🙂
I love Whole Foods too, the closest store is a bit of a drive so I can only get there once a month.
Your grandson is a cutie pie…my daughter just got married in Sept. so grandkids are in my near future!
Linda
Lucky you Linda! I just can’t bolt out of bed in the morning. My mornign ritual calms my spirit and allows me to feel blessed.
You will be insane for your grandchildren…trust me…it’s way better than having children:)
Jennifer, your comment about water is inspirational. Please go to water.org (Matt Damon’s charity) and see what they do. You can donate and they send you a tee shirt or something with one of their slogans. We should all be ashamed of ourselves that children in these countries have no idea that water is basic to life. Of course, what you wrote resonates with me as I, too, have passed the stage of having to have the next new thing, no matter “what” that thing might be. Your grandson does look a wee bit like you, doesn’t he?
xx’s
I’ll pop over for a look.
We don’t appreciate in this country how much of a crisis fresh watewr is in the world!!
I think he does…:)))
Great post Jennifer. We are one grateful group! So many things I view as luxuries and take none for granted. But they are all simple things, like good health, happy marriage, weekends to putter around the house, or sit and read with a hot cup of tea. Although I still work full time, I have the luxury of setting my hours and schedule. Lots to be thankful for.
Thank you Karen. We all have much to be grateful for and counting our blessings is a great way to remind ourselves!