I'm working hard this advent season to keep my focus on the sweet birth of my savior Jesus. There are so many distractions. Good heart warming traditions can be good and heart warming or they can be very stressful and distracting.
The list of things to do is long and daunting.
Buy the gifts
Wrap the gifts
Stay within the budget
Decorate the house
Get the tree
Decorate the tree
Make the cookies
Make the candies
Do we have proper outfits?
Attend the performances
Attend the parties, each requiring something to be made and brought.
Attend the Christmas teas
Write the letter
Address the letter
Buy the stamps
Mail the letters
Organize gifts into family units for all the family gatherings
Plan, buy and make the food for the three family gatherings
Prepare for the Christmas morning breakfast
Get the stocking stuffers
Obtain and implement Advent devotions
Play Christmas music
Put the lights on the house
Encourage and give to those who need it.....
Wow the list could just keep going and going. All of these tasks are good things, heart warming things that allow us to enjoy those we love. All of these things can take away from our focus on WHY we are doing them.
Why are we doing them? Christmas is a big holiday nation wide a lot of time and money is spent on Christmas each year.
For some it's about family memories and having fun. I want it to be about Jesus, being grateful,
celebrating what his birth means for us. I DONT WANT IT TO BE ABOUT OBLIGATORY BUSINESS.
My husband says every year "I love Christmas" and I use to say "I don't it's so stressful".
What a sad statement!
I am finding that this year I am loving Christmas so what's different?
I tried to simplify things, stick to what's important, enjoy the process of each item on the task list and opt out of the less meaningful events. This has helped me to lessen the anxiety of the daunting list.
I'm finding that it's a mindset. Really I don't have to do anything on that list, I want to do what's on
the list.
When I choose to slow down and enjoy the process, take a moment and notice the beauty, sing out loud with the music, my view of that list is changing from a "must do" to "I get to".
Our advent devotion this year is "The Greatest Gift unwrapping The Full Love Story of Christmas" by Ann Voskamp
it's beautifully written and short enough to be read during our nightly family prayer time.
I will leave you with the quote on the back of her book because it is exactly what I am striving for this Christmas Season.
Remember keep it simple and stay focused.
"I DONT WANT A CHRISTMAS YOU CAN BUY. I DONT WANT A CHRISTMAS YOU CAN MAKE. WHAT I WANT IS A CHRISTMAS YOU CAN HOLD. A CHRISTMAS THAT HOLDS ME, REMAKES ME, REVIVES ME. I WANT A CHRISTMAS THAT WHISPERS JESUS"
-Ann Voskamp
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Chart Maker
As a home schooling parent I have been involved in many support groups both as a participant and a leader.
Home schooling families can be very creative and there are a lot of great ideas shared in support group meetings. I found that I would fall into a trap and it was not simple.
What is the trap?
Well, "Susan" shows her incredible chore chart during our meeting and I think to myself "YES! If I put this chart together my boys will get all of their chores done and I will not have to remind them, thus simplifying our chore time." (insert any area of your life here, it doesn't have to be charts or chores)
Great idea, so home I would go, and organize all my supplies, make the chart, explain it to the boys and we were off and running.
The problem is...... I am a great chart maker but not a great chart keeper.
This means there is a very impressive looking chart hanging on my fridge but really it was not accomplishing anything because I just don't maintain stuff like charts. In fact it is accomplishing adding stress and feelings of failure to my life.
So let's keep it simple,
I need to forget the charts and actually use my time and energy on training my boys in their chores. A well trained child is a blessing to their family.
Just figure out what it takes for you to keep things simple.
If you are able to make and maintain charts with out stress then go for it! However if charts complicate your life then put them aside and train your children in ways that work for both you and your kids.
I bet I've made probably 20 or more charts in my 12 years of home schooling, you'd think I would have learned early on that charts don't work for me or my family but I didn't.
I am telling you this personal experience to illustrate that what I write in this blog may work for me but if it doesn't work for you that is OK just keep reading, keep striving and soon you will figure out how you can make things simple in your life.
Just remember to keep it simple.
Home schooling families can be very creative and there are a lot of great ideas shared in support group meetings. I found that I would fall into a trap and it was not simple.
What is the trap?
Well, "Susan" shows her incredible chore chart during our meeting and I think to myself "YES! If I put this chart together my boys will get all of their chores done and I will not have to remind them, thus simplifying our chore time." (insert any area of your life here, it doesn't have to be charts or chores)
Great idea, so home I would go, and organize all my supplies, make the chart, explain it to the boys and we were off and running.
The problem is...... I am a great chart maker but not a great chart keeper.
This means there is a very impressive looking chart hanging on my fridge but really it was not accomplishing anything because I just don't maintain stuff like charts. In fact it is accomplishing adding stress and feelings of failure to my life.
So let's keep it simple,
I need to forget the charts and actually use my time and energy on training my boys in their chores. A well trained child is a blessing to their family.
Just figure out what it takes for you to keep things simple.
If you are able to make and maintain charts with out stress then go for it! However if charts complicate your life then put them aside and train your children in ways that work for both you and your kids.
I bet I've made probably 20 or more charts in my 12 years of home schooling, you'd think I would have learned early on that charts don't work for me or my family but I didn't.
I am telling you this personal experience to illustrate that what I write in this blog may work for me but if it doesn't work for you that is OK just keep reading, keep striving and soon you will figure out how you can make things simple in your life.
Just remember to keep it simple.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Simplify~ Paper Piles Part 2
If you have a school aged child then you have paper to deal with. How do we decide what to keep, and how do we store it?
School papers can take over our homes if allow them to.
Deal with notes from the teacher, field trip permission forms and schedules immediately then throw them away, do not pile them.
I had a conversation last week with a group of home schooling moms about this very topic. We discussed the different ways that each family dealt with the mounds of paper that come along with school.
Here are some of the ideas that were shared:
Keep one binder for each child with page protectors. In this binder keep their completion certificates, awards, samples of their art and writing from each year. This binder can also contain medical records.
One mom said she makes a couple of scrap book pages for her child with the best work from that year represented. Each child has their own book and upon graduation there is a complete record of growth for that child beautifully displayed.
Sometimes you can get pizza boxes from your local pizzeria. One box for each child, this allows for storage of bigger art project pages that may not fit into binders or scrap books.
Take a picture of your child with their creation, these pictures can be printed and then placed into the binder or scrap book. Pictures of any field trips or vacations can also be included in your child's book.
Set a plastic bin aside for each child and keep the papers that are in the running for keeping in the bin. At the end of the year go through the bin and decide what to put into your book, file etc....
So what if you simply do not have the time, energy, or creativity to make a book? Keep one file for each child in the file cabinet to store their best work. You could also keep one plastic bin for each child and just simply put what you want to keep into the bin.
What ever you do limit the amount of space in your home allowed for school work and then stick to it.
If you have methods of dealing with your child's school records and work please share with us as we can all benefit from your experience.
Keep it simple.
School papers can take over our homes if allow them to.
Deal with notes from the teacher, field trip permission forms and schedules immediately then throw them away, do not pile them.
I had a conversation last week with a group of home schooling moms about this very topic. We discussed the different ways that each family dealt with the mounds of paper that come along with school.
Here are some of the ideas that were shared:
Keep one binder for each child with page protectors. In this binder keep their completion certificates, awards, samples of their art and writing from each year. This binder can also contain medical records.
One mom said she makes a couple of scrap book pages for her child with the best work from that year represented. Each child has their own book and upon graduation there is a complete record of growth for that child beautifully displayed.
Sometimes you can get pizza boxes from your local pizzeria. One box for each child, this allows for storage of bigger art project pages that may not fit into binders or scrap books.
Take a picture of your child with their creation, these pictures can be printed and then placed into the binder or scrap book. Pictures of any field trips or vacations can also be included in your child's book.
Set a plastic bin aside for each child and keep the papers that are in the running for keeping in the bin. At the end of the year go through the bin and decide what to put into your book, file etc....
So what if you simply do not have the time, energy, or creativity to make a book? Keep one file for each child in the file cabinet to store their best work. You could also keep one plastic bin for each child and just simply put what you want to keep into the bin.
What ever you do limit the amount of space in your home allowed for school work and then stick to it.
If you have methods of dealing with your child's school records and work please share with us as we can all benefit from your experience.
Keep it simple.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Simplify~ Paper Piles Part 1
Paper piles, most of us have them and they can seem like a daunting task to conquer. Today pick ONE pile to go through if you are like most people you have more than one pile so just keep it simple and pick one.
Before going through the pile gather a couple of tools to help you deal with the pile.
A garbage can
A box to put papers to be filed in
A digital camera
I would guess that most of the pile can go into the garbage, if it has sensitive information on it you may want to shred it or burn it.
How do I know if I can throw it away? Here are some guidelines for you to consider.
Is it junk mail? Throw it out.
Can I get this information on line? Throw it out.
Is it an idea that I want to keep for later? File it or take a digital picture to upload to your idea file on your computer.
Ask yourself why you feel you need to hold on to this piece of paper. I agree there are some things we should be keeping. Tax information, recent pay stubs, charity giving receipts, birth certificates, passports, school records... these paper items are important so be sure to have a file system to keep them safe in.
We also want to be keeping some of our childrens work, we do not want to throw out their childhood.
Be realistic today and try to throw most of the paper pile away.
In the future we will look at what to do with the kids special items from school. For now put those items into a folder or a box.
Just take this one piece of paper at a time and keep it simple. You can do it so go ahead and get started.
Before going through the pile gather a couple of tools to help you deal with the pile.
A garbage can
A box to put papers to be filed in
A digital camera
I would guess that most of the pile can go into the garbage, if it has sensitive information on it you may want to shred it or burn it.
How do I know if I can throw it away? Here are some guidelines for you to consider.
Is it junk mail? Throw it out.
Can I get this information on line? Throw it out.
Is it an idea that I want to keep for later? File it or take a digital picture to upload to your idea file on your computer.
Ask yourself why you feel you need to hold on to this piece of paper. I agree there are some things we should be keeping. Tax information, recent pay stubs, charity giving receipts, birth certificates, passports, school records... these paper items are important so be sure to have a file system to keep them safe in.
We also want to be keeping some of our childrens work, we do not want to throw out their childhood.
Be realistic today and try to throw most of the paper pile away.
In the future we will look at what to do with the kids special items from school. For now put those items into a folder or a box.
Just take this one piece of paper at a time and keep it simple. You can do it so go ahead and get started.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Simplify~ One A Day Challenge Day 6
Today is the last day of our challenge. If you have been following along this week you most likely now have a pile, maybe even a mountain of items that are going out of your house.
Our challenge today is two fold.
1. Go back to the one area that you feel you want to do more work in. I know you may want to weed more out of all of the areas we tackled this week but for now just pick the most urgent one. Go ahead and spend some more time today weeding out and organizing.
2. Today is the day that we take all of the items we have weeded out to the donation center. It is important to have a plan in place to actually deliver the boxes or bags of goods otherwise we end up creating a new problem.
If we allow the bags and boxes to remain in our homes items tend to migrate out of the box as we second guess our decision. You have worked hard this week to gather up all of these items, now go donate them so they can bless someone else.
There are many donation centers around, I'm sure your town or a town close to you has one. Usually you can get a receipt from them as your donation is a tax deduction. Some donation centers will come and pick things up from you.
Where ever you decide to donate do it today and one more thing, do not go into the second hand store because you might come out of there with all kinds of things you do not need.
Remember keep at it and keep it simple.
Our challenge today is two fold.
1. Go back to the one area that you feel you want to do more work in. I know you may want to weed more out of all of the areas we tackled this week but for now just pick the most urgent one. Go ahead and spend some more time today weeding out and organizing.
2. Today is the day that we take all of the items we have weeded out to the donation center. It is important to have a plan in place to actually deliver the boxes or bags of goods otherwise we end up creating a new problem.
If we allow the bags and boxes to remain in our homes items tend to migrate out of the box as we second guess our decision. You have worked hard this week to gather up all of these items, now go donate them so they can bless someone else.
There are many donation centers around, I'm sure your town or a town close to you has one. Usually you can get a receipt from them as your donation is a tax deduction. Some donation centers will come and pick things up from you.
Where ever you decide to donate do it today and one more thing, do not go into the second hand store because you might come out of there with all kinds of things you do not need.
Remember keep at it and keep it simple.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Simplify~ One A Day Challenge Day 5
It is day five of our One A Day Challenge, today we will take a look at the media in our homes.
Remove at least one old media item from your home today, an old magazine, newspaper, book, DVD etc...
The optional challenge for today: declutter all of your media.
We tend to hold onto those movies that at one time we just loved but now we find we do not really long to watch it, get rid of it.
How about VHS tapes, do you have them? Do you have a working VHS player? If you have VHS tapes and no player.... get rid of them, if you have a player and it does not work.... get rid of it.
Is there a Media cabinet for your DVD and VHS tapes, if so be sure that all the tapes you have fit into your cabinet, if they are spilling out weed through them and pair your collection down to only what will fit into the designated space.
Video games also fall into this category, make a place and make them fit, weed out those games that are no longer played.
Work out tapes/ DVDs do you actually use them? If not then donate it so some other well meaning soul can benefit from it.
We will tend to hang onto an entire magazine because we like one article, recipe or decorating idea in that magazine. Tear out what you like and file it IF you know you will use it and then clear the magazine out of your house.
If the city of media has overtaken your home you need to take it back. Be brutal! Be HONEST with your self, do not hang onto it just because you might want to watch it, read it, or look at it again someday.
Media can most certainly be an overwhelming area in our homes as the mound of items we have tends to grow with each birthday, holiday or sale at the store. Ask yourself if this item is bringing your home joy, relaxation, or enjoyable down time. If it really is just there reminding you of the past, take a moment to reflect and then move it out while you move on.
Keep it simple, take it one DVD at a time and before long you will truly enjoy your down time as the space around you becomes peaceful and inviting.
Remove at least one old media item from your home today, an old magazine, newspaper, book, DVD etc...
The optional challenge for today: declutter all of your media.
We tend to hold onto those movies that at one time we just loved but now we find we do not really long to watch it, get rid of it.
How about VHS tapes, do you have them? Do you have a working VHS player? If you have VHS tapes and no player.... get rid of them, if you have a player and it does not work.... get rid of it.
Is there a Media cabinet for your DVD and VHS tapes, if so be sure that all the tapes you have fit into your cabinet, if they are spilling out weed through them and pair your collection down to only what will fit into the designated space.
Video games also fall into this category, make a place and make them fit, weed out those games that are no longer played.
Work out tapes/ DVDs do you actually use them? If not then donate it so some other well meaning soul can benefit from it.
We will tend to hang onto an entire magazine because we like one article, recipe or decorating idea in that magazine. Tear out what you like and file it IF you know you will use it and then clear the magazine out of your house.
If the city of media has overtaken your home you need to take it back. Be brutal! Be HONEST with your self, do not hang onto it just because you might want to watch it, read it, or look at it again someday.
Media can most certainly be an overwhelming area in our homes as the mound of items we have tends to grow with each birthday, holiday or sale at the store. Ask yourself if this item is bringing your home joy, relaxation, or enjoyable down time. If it really is just there reminding you of the past, take a moment to reflect and then move it out while you move on.
Keep it simple, take it one DVD at a time and before long you will truly enjoy your down time as the space around you becomes peaceful and inviting.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Simplify~ One A Day Challenge Day 5
The week of One A Day Challenges is almost complete.
Today we are focusing on our offices. If you do not have a physical room in your house that is an office you still have an office it's just part of another room or maybe it is all over the house. If you do not have time for the optional challenge below just remove one item from your office collection, even a piece of junk mail counts.
Here are some office areas for you to consider today:
The desk top, is it clear of stuff? Is it functional? Flat surfaces tend to collect clutter so declare an all out war with the desk top and clean it off, you will love the result.
The paper piles, sometimes these are piles sometimes they are hills and sometimes they are mountains! If the document is IMPORTANT to keep then file it otherwise toss it, you may want to shred it first. I will deal with how to manage paper piles and what to do with sentimental things in those piles in a separate blog down the road. Today just throw away the junk.
Pens, pencils, markers, crayons etc.... do they work are they broken.... get this down to a manageable number and make sure they have a place to live in your home.
Notebooks, folders, binders, loose leaf paper, post it notes, weed them out and organize what is left.
Envelopes, stamps, stationary, take a look at these things and weed out what you don't use.
Staplers, rolls of tape, scissors, paper clips, binder clips, thumb tacks, brass brads, rubber bands... make a place for them and organize them so they are easy to get to.
Printer papers, printer ink etc..... organize it.
We will deal with computer programs and all those computer CDs in a blog down the road for now get rid of what you do not use.
With the above list get rid of duplicates. Anything you have excessive amounts of but do not really use donate some and keep some.
For items like tape, staples etc... that will be used make a place for them and if you think you have way too many then do donate them, someone will be happy to have them, perhaps a school? It will not hurt you to have to buy new staples in a few years but keeping too many in the house can stress you out.
If you have been taking the weeding out challenge with us you may be finding one of two things happening.
One, you are feeling empowered, invigorated, excited to see some things being weeded out of you life as you gain more and more control over your time, space, and finances. This is an awesome camp to be sitting in, keep going!
Two, you are feeling very overwhelmed and want to just give up even trying to simplify as it is an impossible task. If this is the camp you are sitting in I want to encourage you that this is a normal feeling. Personally I have been working on simplifying for about three years now and I'm still not there. This is the slow and steady wins the race kind of thing. Do not give up! Every little decision you make towards simplifying is one step closer to the freedom those sitting in camp one are feeling.
Just keep it simple, you know what you can handle, however do press on, do not give into the materialism mountain, you CAN conquer it.
Today we are focusing on our offices. If you do not have a physical room in your house that is an office you still have an office it's just part of another room or maybe it is all over the house. If you do not have time for the optional challenge below just remove one item from your office collection, even a piece of junk mail counts.
Here are some office areas for you to consider today:
The desk top, is it clear of stuff? Is it functional? Flat surfaces tend to collect clutter so declare an all out war with the desk top and clean it off, you will love the result.
The paper piles, sometimes these are piles sometimes they are hills and sometimes they are mountains! If the document is IMPORTANT to keep then file it otherwise toss it, you may want to shred it first. I will deal with how to manage paper piles and what to do with sentimental things in those piles in a separate blog down the road. Today just throw away the junk.
Pens, pencils, markers, crayons etc.... do they work are they broken.... get this down to a manageable number and make sure they have a place to live in your home.
Notebooks, folders, binders, loose leaf paper, post it notes, weed them out and organize what is left.
Envelopes, stamps, stationary, take a look at these things and weed out what you don't use.
Staplers, rolls of tape, scissors, paper clips, binder clips, thumb tacks, brass brads, rubber bands... make a place for them and organize them so they are easy to get to.
Printer papers, printer ink etc..... organize it.
We will deal with computer programs and all those computer CDs in a blog down the road for now get rid of what you do not use.
With the above list get rid of duplicates. Anything you have excessive amounts of but do not really use donate some and keep some.
For items like tape, staples etc... that will be used make a place for them and if you think you have way too many then do donate them, someone will be happy to have them, perhaps a school? It will not hurt you to have to buy new staples in a few years but keeping too many in the house can stress you out.
If you have been taking the weeding out challenge with us you may be finding one of two things happening.
One, you are feeling empowered, invigorated, excited to see some things being weeded out of you life as you gain more and more control over your time, space, and finances. This is an awesome camp to be sitting in, keep going!
Two, you are feeling very overwhelmed and want to just give up even trying to simplify as it is an impossible task. If this is the camp you are sitting in I want to encourage you that this is a normal feeling. Personally I have been working on simplifying for about three years now and I'm still not there. This is the slow and steady wins the race kind of thing. Do not give up! Every little decision you make towards simplifying is one step closer to the freedom those sitting in camp one are feeling.
Just keep it simple, you know what you can handle, however do press on, do not give into the materialism mountain, you CAN conquer it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Simplify ~ One A Day Challenge Day 4
If you have been following the One A Day Challenge, you are half way done for the week.
Today let's take a look at our bathrooms. Choose at least ONE ITEM from the bathroom to get rid of, maybe a bottle of lotion you have had for a long time and do not use.
The bathroom has many different areas so just pick ONE AREA for today if you are doing the optional challenge.
The medicine cabinet, if it is old or expired by more that a year, get rid of it.
Cosmetics if it is open and over a year old get rid of it, did you know that cosmetics harbor bacteria and you can get an infection from old cosmetics.
The linen closet, if it is torn or stained get rid of it. Figure out how many towels you need and stick to that number.
What about that pretty hand towel that you NEVER put out to be used, get rid of it.
Open bottles of lotion or bath gel that you do not use, get rid of it.
Old hair products that you do not use, if they are old you are not using them, get rid of them.
Duplicates of anything, hair brushes, hair dryers, etc... you only need one get rid of the extra.
Weeding things out of our lives and homes can be very overwhelming. I was talking to a friend last night and she was overwhelmed by the big picture. If we look at the picture as a whole it is overwhelming but when we take it one pixel at a time it isn't so bad.
Keep it simple, one step, one pixel, one item at a time and before you know it the canvas of your life will indeed be more simple. You will find that you have more time, energy and money freed up to do with as you wish.
Go ahead and take the step towards simplicity now, you will be happy you did.
Today let's take a look at our bathrooms. Choose at least ONE ITEM from the bathroom to get rid of, maybe a bottle of lotion you have had for a long time and do not use.
The bathroom has many different areas so just pick ONE AREA for today if you are doing the optional challenge.
The medicine cabinet, if it is old or expired by more that a year, get rid of it.
Cosmetics if it is open and over a year old get rid of it, did you know that cosmetics harbor bacteria and you can get an infection from old cosmetics.
The linen closet, if it is torn or stained get rid of it. Figure out how many towels you need and stick to that number.
What about that pretty hand towel that you NEVER put out to be used, get rid of it.
Open bottles of lotion or bath gel that you do not use, get rid of it.
Old hair products that you do not use, if they are old you are not using them, get rid of them.
Duplicates of anything, hair brushes, hair dryers, etc... you only need one get rid of the extra.
Weeding things out of our lives and homes can be very overwhelming. I was talking to a friend last night and she was overwhelmed by the big picture. If we look at the picture as a whole it is overwhelming but when we take it one pixel at a time it isn't so bad.
Keep it simple, one step, one pixel, one item at a time and before you know it the canvas of your life will indeed be more simple. You will find that you have more time, energy and money freed up to do with as you wish.
Go ahead and take the step towards simplicity now, you will be happy you did.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Simplify~One A Day Challenge Day 3
For the One A Day Challenge today let's take a look at our clothing.
The Fall and Winter seasons are coming to an end so this is a great time to evaluate what we can get out of our closets and drawers.
If you have not worn it at all this Fall or Winter and it is not a special occasion dress or suit, please note I said A dress or A suit, then get rid of it.
If you always pass it up in the closet, get rid of it.
If it is faded, torn, or stained get rid of it.
If it does not fit right no matter how hopeful you are that it will fit next year..... get rid of it.
If that color or style really does not look good on you get rid of it.
If it makes you look fat then for sure get rid of it!
For todays challenge you can pick the AREA of all clothing as your ONE, or you can pick ONE CATAGORY of clothing. Feel free to choose from, swimming suits, jeans, sweaters, under garments, shirts, dress clothes, work out clothes, pajamas, hang up clothes etc... or pick one drawer, maybe one shelf.
If you do not have time for a whole category today no worries, just be sure to pick ONE ITEM and send it out of your house.
Keep it simple, there is no need to overwhelm yourself, each step matters so go ahead and take the step now.
The Fall and Winter seasons are coming to an end so this is a great time to evaluate what we can get out of our closets and drawers.
If you have not worn it at all this Fall or Winter and it is not a special occasion dress or suit, please note I said A dress or A suit, then get rid of it.
If you always pass it up in the closet, get rid of it.
If it is faded, torn, or stained get rid of it.
If it does not fit right no matter how hopeful you are that it will fit next year..... get rid of it.
If that color or style really does not look good on you get rid of it.
If it makes you look fat then for sure get rid of it!
For todays challenge you can pick the AREA of all clothing as your ONE, or you can pick ONE CATAGORY of clothing. Feel free to choose from, swimming suits, jeans, sweaters, under garments, shirts, dress clothes, work out clothes, pajamas, hang up clothes etc... or pick one drawer, maybe one shelf.
If you do not have time for a whole category today no worries, just be sure to pick ONE ITEM and send it out of your house.
Keep it simple, there is no need to overwhelm yourself, each step matters so go ahead and take the step now.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Simplify~ One A Day Challenge Day 2
ONE A DAY CHALLENGE, the purpose of this challenge is to get started on cleaning out our homes. In order to live simply we must rid our selves of the useless things in our lives that take up our time and space.
Day one the challenge was to remove one item, any item, from your house. Donate it, toss it, burn it, it does not matter but get it out.
I decided to go ahead and blog the challenge so if you don't have the time to join us now you can refer back to the blog and take the challenge at a later date. This brings us to today, Day 2.
ONE A DAY CHALLENGE~ Day2~ if you don't have time for today's optional challenge, no worries just make sure you remove ONE item from your home.
Challenge yourself today to go through one small AREA of your house. A kitchen drawer, one closet shelf, your purse, your car etc....
Keep it small, keep it simple, be real with yourself when weeding out. Remember some weeds have beautiful flowers but they actually chock out the healthy plants. Don't keep it based on the fairy tail that you might really use it someday. You know how you operate. Stick to the truth. Get rid of it!
I decided to tackle my "kitchen gadget" drawer today.
As you can see we were overflowing. This made it very difficult to retrieve items that we needed.
I love to cook, love it. So this drawer was very difficult for me to sort through as I can rationalize EVERY single item in there. I had to be brutal with myself.
Step one was to pull everything out of the drawer so I could see what was actually in there.
We have been back from Singapore for four months now so everything I have used in the last four months stayed. I also kept the cake decorating stuff as I do use it a couple of times a year.
I did end up throwing out a few items. A couple of things were put back into their proper spot in my kitchen and then I had a give away pile.
I know, it is not a huge pile and honestly I will have to go through this drawer again but I did make some progress today. Evey step we take to weed out and simplify is a gift to ourselves and our families.
Here is the after, it is still a little chaotic looking but this drawer is the only place I have to put this stuff and hey, you can SEE the bottom of the drawer so that's progress.
Go ahead, pick an area of you house and clean it out, this drawer took me 20 minutes but only because I agonized over the flower producing weeds in there before I pulled them out. I'm sure someone else could clean this drawer in ten minutes.
Just remember, step by step, keep it simple.
Day one the challenge was to remove one item, any item, from your house. Donate it, toss it, burn it, it does not matter but get it out.
I decided to go ahead and blog the challenge so if you don't have the time to join us now you can refer back to the blog and take the challenge at a later date. This brings us to today, Day 2.
ONE A DAY CHALLENGE~ Day2~ if you don't have time for today's optional challenge, no worries just make sure you remove ONE item from your home.
Challenge yourself today to go through one small AREA of your house. A kitchen drawer, one closet shelf, your purse, your car etc....
Keep it small, keep it simple, be real with yourself when weeding out. Remember some weeds have beautiful flowers but they actually chock out the healthy plants. Don't keep it based on the fairy tail that you might really use it someday. You know how you operate. Stick to the truth. Get rid of it!
I decided to tackle my "kitchen gadget" drawer today.
As you can see we were overflowing. This made it very difficult to retrieve items that we needed.
Step one was to pull everything out of the drawer so I could see what was actually in there.
We have been back from Singapore for four months now so everything I have used in the last four months stayed. I also kept the cake decorating stuff as I do use it a couple of times a year.
I did end up throwing out a few items. A couple of things were put back into their proper spot in my kitchen and then I had a give away pile.
I know, it is not a huge pile and honestly I will have to go through this drawer again but I did make some progress today. Evey step we take to weed out and simplify is a gift to ourselves and our families.
Here is the after, it is still a little chaotic looking but this drawer is the only place I have to put this stuff and hey, you can SEE the bottom of the drawer so that's progress.
Go ahead, pick an area of you house and clean it out, this drawer took me 20 minutes but only because I agonized over the flower producing weeds in there before I pulled them out. I'm sure someone else could clean this drawer in ten minutes.
Just remember, step by step, keep it simple.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Simply Clean It Out
It's not so simple for me to just clean out a room! I find that I have emotional attachment to my "stuff". I also have the "what if I need it someday" syndrome. Along with the emotional attachment, and "what if I need it" , if you throw some memories in there it becomes a disastrously hard process for me to go through the room and get rid of stuff.
Today we tackled our laundry/ storage room. We really had no choice as it was getting to where we could not move down there. I am putting pictures in this blog so please don't judge me, but this is how a room that is ignored can easily become. Over crowded with way too much stuff. Our laundry room was screaming out for help as you can see, I have only one view of the room, why, because I could not get to the other corner to take a picture, sad I know.
Everything was everywhere. My shelves were full so things started to spill over onto the floor creating obstacles. The room was starting to become non-functional.
It took my husband and I a little over one hour to clean out this room. We started by cleaning off the ironing board so we could use it as a table to see what we had as we pulled things off the shelves. I put like things together to make our decision making easier.
I found that I had 12, yes, 12 flower vases! Yikes! We paired that down to a very manageable five, still too many maybe but five is better that 12 and as I have said before this is a process.
After one hour of work this is our room now.
The ironing board is up against the wall ready to be used but not out to be used as a table. Any flat surface is a danger for me as I tend to set something there with good intentions of addressing it later and the later never comes. Also, notice there is a shelf that is mostly empty and the floor is clear.
Here is the corner we could not get a picture of before:
Nice and clean and organized now.
We pulled out all of this stuff to go to Good Will and or the dump.
This only took us one hour to do but in reality this room has been eating away at me for months now. Once I got started and I had someone else down there to talk through some decisions it wasn't so bad, and now it is done.
Take a step today to clean something out, it is a relief when you are finished.
Remember, keep it simple.
Today we tackled our laundry/ storage room. We really had no choice as it was getting to where we could not move down there. I am putting pictures in this blog so please don't judge me, but this is how a room that is ignored can easily become. Over crowded with way too much stuff. Our laundry room was screaming out for help as you can see, I have only one view of the room, why, because I could not get to the other corner to take a picture, sad I know.
It took my husband and I a little over one hour to clean out this room. We started by cleaning off the ironing board so we could use it as a table to see what we had as we pulled things off the shelves. I put like things together to make our decision making easier.
I found that I had 12, yes, 12 flower vases! Yikes! We paired that down to a very manageable five, still too many maybe but five is better that 12 and as I have said before this is a process.
After one hour of work this is our room now.
Here is the corner we could not get a picture of before:
We pulled out all of this stuff to go to Good Will and or the dump.
Take a step today to clean something out, it is a relief when you are finished.
Remember, keep it simple.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Simple VS Minimal
As I continue to study simple living, minimizing, living with less stuff to create more time and peace in our lives, I am finding that I have a war going on in my soul.
For some, living simple means to only have what you need to live, for others it means living with less. As I watch you tube videos on this subject of minimalist I find that it really looks different for each person. Everyone has a personal journey and the end destination is not the same for any of us.
Personally I like to be prepared. I tend to buy in bulk, a 1/4 of an organic grass fed cow, or 50 lbs of non GMO organic flour, oats, rice, lentils for example. Is it simple? Well, it saves me a ton of money and I have the peace of knowing that I have healthy organic food for my family on hand.
So here is the filter for myself that I am putting into place to help me decide if bulk buying will simplify my life or complicate my life.
Do we use it on a regular basis?
Do we save money and time by buying in bulk?
Do I have ROOM to store it and a storage system in place that will allow us to use it?
I must fight the urge to buy things simply because it is a good deal. This kind of mindset leads to chaos in my home as I find we end up wasting the said bought items and we clutter up our house.
It is not simple to buy a side of beef if there is no room in the freezer for it, that is obvious. This principle holds true to all things we bring into our house, just as I would not buy the beef if I have no freezer space, I must not buy the toilet paper if I have no shelf space.
I do not think my family will ever be minimalists in the sense of living on next to nothing, it just is not in our personalities but learning to live as simply as possible thus minimizing our possessions and our purchases is something we will continually strive for.
For some, living simple means to only have what you need to live, for others it means living with less. As I watch you tube videos on this subject of minimalist I find that it really looks different for each person. Everyone has a personal journey and the end destination is not the same for any of us.
Personally I like to be prepared. I tend to buy in bulk, a 1/4 of an organic grass fed cow, or 50 lbs of non GMO organic flour, oats, rice, lentils for example. Is it simple? Well, it saves me a ton of money and I have the peace of knowing that I have healthy organic food for my family on hand.
So here is the filter for myself that I am putting into place to help me decide if bulk buying will simplify my life or complicate my life.
Do we use it on a regular basis?
Do we save money and time by buying in bulk?
Do I have ROOM to store it and a storage system in place that will allow us to use it?
I must fight the urge to buy things simply because it is a good deal. This kind of mindset leads to chaos in my home as I find we end up wasting the said bought items and we clutter up our house.
It is not simple to buy a side of beef if there is no room in the freezer for it, that is obvious. This principle holds true to all things we bring into our house, just as I would not buy the beef if I have no freezer space, I must not buy the toilet paper if I have no shelf space.
I do not think my family will ever be minimalists in the sense of living on next to nothing, it just is not in our personalities but learning to live as simply as possible thus minimizing our possessions and our purchases is something we will continually strive for.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How Much Time?
My Minimalist thought for today.
Its about what we value in life. Material possessions and the pursuit of things take up our time.
We can always go on line to see how much money we have but no one knows how much time they have left.
We must use our time to invest in those things that matter, family, friends, community, these are the things that make us who we are, these are the things that matter.
The pursuit of material things to the extent at which our relationships suffer.... Meaningless, meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Its about what we value in life. Material possessions and the pursuit of things take up our time.
We can always go on line to see how much money we have but no one knows how much time they have left.
We must use our time to invest in those things that matter, family, friends, community, these are the things that make us who we are, these are the things that matter.
The pursuit of material things to the extent at which our relationships suffer.... Meaningless, meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Simple Workout
This can so easily be the truth, as Americans we know full well that exercise is good for us. Our society is set up to help us achieve this discipline in our lives. Many work places have full blown gyms, employee health incentive programs, or both. There are 24/7 fitness clubs popping up in our towns. Entire stores devoted to workout clothes and equipment. We do not have to look hard or far to find opportunity to spend our money on working out.
If you have not or do not currently own a piece of workout equipment that is collecting dust, I am sure you know of someone who does. There are tons of books, DVDs, clothes,etc.... devoted to helping you workout. It is a fierce competition for your time and your money.
If I am going to continue to simplify I need to understand how I operate in the realm of the the workout world. I could waste a lot of time, money and space on an endeavor that is not going to serve me well if I dive in without understanding who I am first.
I have tried running, bought the shoes ($$$$) they still look new. Then I thought I would walk, bought different shoes ($$$) they still look new. When we first got married we bought a Nordic Track, it is still in our basement, collecting dust. I have had workout tapes, leg warmers, cute stretchy clothes, club memberships. All of these things were purchased with the best of intentions but in the end it was a waste of good resources.
When we lived in Singapore we had a full gym at our condo complex it was a two minute underground walk, I used it maybe 10 times in two years. So what is the issue?
For me the issue is certain types of exercise do not connect with me. I did finally join a Yoga studio and knew right off that I could indeed do this kind of workout. There is something to be said about trying different things, you will not know what you like until you try it. If you can try it without a big investment then do it. Many health clubs offer a free trial for a friend, just use the things you already have on hand and try it out.
To keep it simple start off slow with your investment. For yoga all one really needs is knowledge, a towel and some loose fitting clothes. You can even do it in your pajamas, no one will know. Think about your sport of interest, what is the minimum needed, do that first.
After some time if you are still doing your workout then figure out what is the one thing that would help to to improve this workout and invest in that. If you are still doing it then go ahead and slowly invest in the sport making sure that the equipment you purchase fits your budget, space and time in your life.
Purge all of those workout items in your home that are lying around doing you no good. Donate them to a second hand store someone will be thrilled to get it.
Keeping it simple means evaluating, nothing is done on a whim when it comes to purchasing items.
Keep in mind how many sets of workout clothes you really need, this involves knowing how often you will participate in the sport and how often you do your laundry.
Do not buy new items until the ones you have are fully worn out, then rid yourself of the worn out item and invest in the best replacement.
When we limit ourselves to what we truly need, and will use, we save money, time, energy and space making our life simple and more enjoyable.
Whatever your sport, walking, biking, running, yoga, working at the gym, know yourself and only invest in those things that will allow you to improve yourself.
Remember: Keep it simple.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Simple Shopping?
I keep waiting for the road to simplicity to become simple and it just simply is not simple for me.
As I have said in the past, in order to simplify you must know yourself. I am learning that I really do like change. I like to eat different things each week, I never have just eaten a sandwich every day for lunch, or eggs and fruit every morning for breakfast. In fact there are very few "everys" in my life.
The question is why? What is it about me that gets so excited about change?
Clothing is a big area in my life that needs to get simpler. I love clothes, I like to look and feel nice. Again, I like NEW things and I think that I am coming to the conclusion that it is OK to like new things as long as I follow a few guidelines when obtaining new things.
Do I have the money in my personal budget to buy the item?
If I bring home this skirt, what item or items in my closet am I going to donate?
Will I wear this more than a few times?
Is it versatile?
WHY do I want it? Is it just cute, on super sale, or unique but not really something that will serve me on a weekly basis?
I have been reading a lot about simplifying clothing. One thing I know about myself is that looking at catalogs is NOT A GOOD IDEA. That actually is what spurred me on to write this blog, two catalogs in the last three days and I "need" several items in each.
Yikes, put the catalog down and think about this coming summer. What do I really need? After figuring that out, then I can look for it and get the BEST item that I can afford to fulfill that need.
Following the guidelines I have set has lead to simple shopping.
If you are interested in reading more about simplifying your clothing you can go here. Getting my clothing down to a reasonable amount is something I am slowly working on. Good luck to you if you are on this journey.
Please do share in the comment section if you have a method or some ideas on how to simplify clothing.
As I have said in the past, in order to simplify you must know yourself. I am learning that I really do like change. I like to eat different things each week, I never have just eaten a sandwich every day for lunch, or eggs and fruit every morning for breakfast. In fact there are very few "everys" in my life.
The question is why? What is it about me that gets so excited about change?
Clothing is a big area in my life that needs to get simpler. I love clothes, I like to look and feel nice. Again, I like NEW things and I think that I am coming to the conclusion that it is OK to like new things as long as I follow a few guidelines when obtaining new things.
Do I have the money in my personal budget to buy the item?
If I bring home this skirt, what item or items in my closet am I going to donate?
Will I wear this more than a few times?
Is it versatile?
WHY do I want it? Is it just cute, on super sale, or unique but not really something that will serve me on a weekly basis?
I have been reading a lot about simplifying clothing. One thing I know about myself is that looking at catalogs is NOT A GOOD IDEA. That actually is what spurred me on to write this blog, two catalogs in the last three days and I "need" several items in each.
Yikes, put the catalog down and think about this coming summer. What do I really need? After figuring that out, then I can look for it and get the BEST item that I can afford to fulfill that need.
Following the guidelines I have set has lead to simple shopping.
If you are interested in reading more about simplifying your clothing you can go here. Getting my clothing down to a reasonable amount is something I am slowly working on. Good luck to you if you are on this journey.
Please do share in the comment section if you have a method or some ideas on how to simplify clothing.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Simplify Inch By Inch
As I walked into the yoga studio in Singapore I was excited to start my new adventure in healthy living. The studio was big, beautiful and clean. OK, I can do this right?
I carefully selected a mat in the center of the front row so I could easily hear and see the instructor, I was early so I just sat there. Suddenly about five minutes before the start of class the studio was filling up and my nerves started to tense my body up. I had never done anything like a yoga class before, it was completely new territory!
The instructor entered, introduced himself and then proceeded to tell the class to close our eyes, take in a deep breath and relaaaaax, soften all muscles and focus on our breathing. With each breath we were to feel our muscles soften in preparation for the task ahead of us. Tight muscles can lead to injury in yoga.
Yoga is about letting go, yeah right! I was really freaked out now.
As the class progressed the instructor said "inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter, there is no need to force it just let it happen, this is yoga."
As I attended more and more classes I did relax, I did let go, my muscles did soften and the poses did happen.
I can see this is similar to my simplifying process. At first, I had no idea where to start. WHAT do I do? As time has gone on it has become easier for me to catch a vision of what simple might mean to our family.
I encourage you to pick ONE area to clean out, maybe the top of your dresser, a drawer, a closet shelf, your car, your purse, just pick one. Then relaaaax, take a breath and let go as you rid your life of the things that are adding clutter and stress to you and your family.
Inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter, clean it out, let it go, this is simplifying.
I carefully selected a mat in the center of the front row so I could easily hear and see the instructor, I was early so I just sat there. Suddenly about five minutes before the start of class the studio was filling up and my nerves started to tense my body up. I had never done anything like a yoga class before, it was completely new territory!
The instructor entered, introduced himself and then proceeded to tell the class to close our eyes, take in a deep breath and relaaaaax, soften all muscles and focus on our breathing. With each breath we were to feel our muscles soften in preparation for the task ahead of us. Tight muscles can lead to injury in yoga.
Yoga is about letting go, yeah right! I was really freaked out now.
As the class progressed the instructor said "inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter, there is no need to force it just let it happen, this is yoga."
As I attended more and more classes I did relax, I did let go, my muscles did soften and the poses did happen.
I can see this is similar to my simplifying process. At first, I had no idea where to start. WHAT do I do? As time has gone on it has become easier for me to catch a vision of what simple might mean to our family.
I encourage you to pick ONE area to clean out, maybe the top of your dresser, a drawer, a closet shelf, your car, your purse, just pick one. Then relaaaax, take a breath and let go as you rid your life of the things that are adding clutter and stress to you and your family.
Inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter, clean it out, let it go, this is simplifying.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Buy One Get Two FREE
Who doesn't love a good sale! I took my son to get his haircut today and much to my delight they were having a sale. There is something about a good sale that is hard to pass up.
While I've been on this journey to simplify our lives I am learning that just because it is a good sale does not mean I need to buy it, at the same time, just because I'm simplifying does not mean I can never spontaneously buy something that is on sale.
So, how does one decide when to buy items on sale and when to pass up the deal? Here are some guidelines that I have started using to help me make that decision.
Do I NEED the item that is on sale, if yes, of course buy it, if no, even at a good sale I may be wasting my resources.
Is it a consumable item that I already use? If yes, I may want to buy it. If I do not normally use this item I need to walk away from the deal.
Do I already have a stock of this at home? If yes, I need to pass up this sale.
Do I have space to store this item in my house? If no, leave it behind.
Please note it is good to have some kind of organization system for the storage of your house hold goods. If you know where to look on the shelf for an item, it can save you from buying a refill of that item when you already have it on hand.
I once bought a condiment that we normally use, it was on sale so I went ahead and bought two bottles, we go through about a bottle a year. A week later I was cleaning out a cabinet and found that I had two more bottles of the same condiment sitting on the self that were expired. This can happen so easily and it is not simple nor is it economically smart. It is a good idea to know what you have on hand before buying the item on sale because $2.00 is $2.00 don't waste it.
Coupons and sales can save us a lot of money and time IF we are smart about what we purchase.
Don't fall into the trap of getting a good deal if it is not going to be useful for you or your family. We can easily clutter up our lives, our homes and our budget with good deals that are not so good.
The hair spray did come home with me today as it was MY spray that was on sale and I do not have any on my self that are not being used. I was thrilled that I did not have to pass up a buy one get two FREE deal!
While I've been on this journey to simplify our lives I am learning that just because it is a good sale does not mean I need to buy it, at the same time, just because I'm simplifying does not mean I can never spontaneously buy something that is on sale.
So, how does one decide when to buy items on sale and when to pass up the deal? Here are some guidelines that I have started using to help me make that decision.
Do I NEED the item that is on sale, if yes, of course buy it, if no, even at a good sale I may be wasting my resources.
Is it a consumable item that I already use? If yes, I may want to buy it. If I do not normally use this item I need to walk away from the deal.
Do I already have a stock of this at home? If yes, I need to pass up this sale.
Do I have space to store this item in my house? If no, leave it behind.
Please note it is good to have some kind of organization system for the storage of your house hold goods. If you know where to look on the shelf for an item, it can save you from buying a refill of that item when you already have it on hand.
I once bought a condiment that we normally use, it was on sale so I went ahead and bought two bottles, we go through about a bottle a year. A week later I was cleaning out a cabinet and found that I had two more bottles of the same condiment sitting on the self that were expired. This can happen so easily and it is not simple nor is it economically smart. It is a good idea to know what you have on hand before buying the item on sale because $2.00 is $2.00 don't waste it.
Coupons and sales can save us a lot of money and time IF we are smart about what we purchase.
Don't fall into the trap of getting a good deal if it is not going to be useful for you or your family. We can easily clutter up our lives, our homes and our budget with good deals that are not so good.
The hair spray did come home with me today as it was MY spray that was on sale and I do not have any on my self that are not being used. I was thrilled that I did not have to pass up a buy one get two FREE deal!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Living Simply Not Simply Living
I have been on a quest, a learning adventure for about three years now. What does it mean to live simply?
I can now tell you there is not a simple answer to that question. You see, each person who reads this blog is different, we all have different passions, desires and interests in life. What seems simple to me may not be simple to you.
In my three year journey I have learned that in order to simplify I must understand who I am. How do I work best and what will work for my family.
I have read many books, blogs and articles on this subject. Simply reading does get the simplifying job done but it does help me to understand who I am.
My reason for writing this blog is two fold.
1. Writing helps me to process and simplifying for me is something I must process.
2. I have had friends express interest in knowing what I am learning on this journey so this will allow me to share with them while I process.
Let me just say: Living simply is not simply living. When we simplify our lives we actually enrich them, it is not a boring life, it is not a depraved life. It is a rich fulfilling life with room for family, friends, hobbies etc...
So until next time, strive onto simplicity.
I can now tell you there is not a simple answer to that question. You see, each person who reads this blog is different, we all have different passions, desires and interests in life. What seems simple to me may not be simple to you.
In my three year journey I have learned that in order to simplify I must understand who I am. How do I work best and what will work for my family.
I have read many books, blogs and articles on this subject. Simply reading does get the simplifying job done but it does help me to understand who I am.
My reason for writing this blog is two fold.
1. Writing helps me to process and simplifying for me is something I must process.
2. I have had friends express interest in knowing what I am learning on this journey so this will allow me to share with them while I process.
Let me just say: Living simply is not simply living. When we simplify our lives we actually enrich them, it is not a boring life, it is not a depraved life. It is a rich fulfilling life with room for family, friends, hobbies etc...
So until next time, strive onto simplicity.
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