Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Finished another mei tai!
This one is for a sweet friend at church. Ashton did a great job as photographer. Can you tell I'm tired in these pictures? :)
So many changes
We have been so busy around here! Dan and I did some talking and decided that we should go ahead and try and sell the house. We found a realtor and we're trying to get the house on the market ASAP....like in less than a week. So for several days we have been doing our best to move furniture and declutter. Clutter...stuff...crap. We have so much of it! After 2 trips to the goodwill with the 4 runner FULL of stuff we still have things to take! Seeing all our books in one place was enough to overwhelm a librarian and Dan just kept muttering, "i can't believe how much stuff we have". We still need to paint a few rooms, replace the kitchen counter tops, and replace the vanity and flooring in the kids' bathroom. I'm tired just thinking about it! Not to mention all the books that still need to be packed up or taken to 1/2 price books!
So my quest to pursue simplicity has been kicked into overdrive. I told myself (and the family) that I was never buying anything again that wasn't consumable...like food. Honestly, I have no desire to walk into a mall, target or the thrift store ever again. Even a trip to the once upon a child didn't trip me up! I walked out with nothing! Well, I did get $50 for some toys and clothes I had brought to sell. We're going to use that for the kids' soccer fees.
If I ever have to throw out, give away, sell so much again it will be because I was completely wasteful and foolish in our spending. And because I didn't move out toys and clothes as the children outgrow them.
I will feel so much lighter and free when i can get rid of all these things!
I look forward to being creative, doing without and enjoying more time with my children.
So my quest to pursue simplicity has been kicked into overdrive. I told myself (and the family) that I was never buying anything again that wasn't consumable...like food. Honestly, I have no desire to walk into a mall, target or the thrift store ever again. Even a trip to the once upon a child didn't trip me up! I walked out with nothing! Well, I did get $50 for some toys and clothes I had brought to sell. We're going to use that for the kids' soccer fees.
If I ever have to throw out, give away, sell so much again it will be because I was completely wasteful and foolish in our spending. And because I didn't move out toys and clothes as the children outgrow them.
I will feel so much lighter and free when i can get rid of all these things!
I look forward to being creative, doing without and enjoying more time with my children.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Beautiful Weekend Part 2...
Sunday was another big day. We went to Sunday school first. Dan and I are taking the new member's class at our wonderful church. This is really exciting to me because we've never joined a church together before. We move so often that it's hard to find a good church, get involved and actually get to the point where we would become members. Thanks to an extra long shore tour we were able to do that! After Sunday School was church...mareea slept through the sermon and I could listen! and then they had a luncheon for the new members. We were able to meet and chat with the pastor's wife and some other members and we had a wonderful time.
Walking out of church we again decided it was too nice a day to go home for nap. After a quick change we headed out to one of our beautiful local parks for a hike/walk. Didn't even need coats once we started walking. Thank you Lord for this preview of spring!
After a wonderful dinner of burgers on the grill and sweet potato fries, I finished up this T-shirt dress for Thea.
We all slept well!
Walking out of church we again decided it was too nice a day to go home for nap. After a quick change we headed out to one of our beautiful local parks for a hike/walk. Didn't even need coats once we started walking. Thank you Lord for this preview of spring!
After a wonderful dinner of burgers on the grill and sweet potato fries, I finished up this T-shirt dress for Thea.
We all slept well!
Beautiful Weekend! Part 1...
Saturday was a very busy day! We started by going to the museum center to see the IMAX film, Under the Sea (at least I think that's what it was called). It was amazing! Mareea pointed at the fish and talked to them, then she nursed and fell asleep. We learned about so many different types of fish and Landon was thrilled to see his favorite, the lion fish. At one point, the narrator talked of how the oceans are warming and the fish are dying and Landon turned to me and said, "I don't like the ocean getting all warm, mama!" Dan surprised me by getting a membership to the museum and we walked through the natural history museum and saw an exhibit on the body where the children were able to pump "ventricles" and floss teeth in a huge fake mouth. We can't wait to go back to the history and children's museums!
It happened that there was a Learning through Play convention going on that day and lots of booths and activities were in the lobby. Here are the boys making a suspension bridge.
Walking out of the museum center we decided it was too nice a day to go home and by inside. So we went to the zoo! Several exhibits were closed, but we were still able to see a lot of our favorites. The tigers, polar bears and lions were still on display thankfully! It was a little cold at the zoo, but a coat and hat made it perfectly comfortable. I was telling Dan that I would rather wear a coat then be sweltering hot as we often are at the zoo in the summer.
Mareea slept
We posed by an alligator
You can't tell, but there's another lion lying right next to this one. We weren't able to see him until we got to the other side of the exhibit.
After we got home, I had to take a nap. It is worth mentioning because this was my first nap in a year. Thankfully, my wonderful husband watched the kids (and Dogfights, their new favorite) while I rested!
It happened that there was a Learning through Play convention going on that day and lots of booths and activities were in the lobby. Here are the boys making a suspension bridge.
Walking out of the museum center we decided it was too nice a day to go home and by inside. So we went to the zoo! Several exhibits were closed, but we were still able to see a lot of our favorites. The tigers, polar bears and lions were still on display thankfully! It was a little cold at the zoo, but a coat and hat made it perfectly comfortable. I was telling Dan that I would rather wear a coat then be sweltering hot as we often are at the zoo in the summer.
Mareea slept
Thea pushed
We posed by an alligator
You can't tell, but there's another lion lying right next to this one. We weren't able to see him until we got to the other side of the exhibit.
After we got home, I had to take a nap. It is worth mentioning because this was my first nap in a year. Thankfully, my wonderful husband watched the kids (and Dogfights, their new favorite) while I rested!
Friday, March 5, 2010
I went thrifting
Ok, so I know I'm not supposed to be thrifting for fun...so i didn't! I went into the Goodwill today to find some specific things. Our boys have started a new hobby, soap making, and we needed some supplies for it. My list was
1. a soap dish (to put the handmade soap in)
2. a large Pyrex measuring cup to melt soap in
I found the soap dish, but I couldn't find anything to melt the soap in. And I found soap base which was very exciting. $1 instead of the $10 it costs at Michael's. Since we were needing to go out and get it, I decided buying it at Goodwill for $1 would not be cheating.
It was hard, but I left all those great books, toys and kids clothes there for someone who really needs them and I came home with way less to put away and deal with. Success!
1. a soap dish (to put the handmade soap in)
2. a large Pyrex measuring cup to melt soap in
I found the soap dish, but I couldn't find anything to melt the soap in. And I found soap base which was very exciting. $1 instead of the $10 it costs at Michael's. Since we were needing to go out and get it, I decided buying it at Goodwill for $1 would not be cheating.
It was hard, but I left all those great books, toys and kids clothes there for someone who really needs them and I came home with way less to put away and deal with. Success!
Cleaning Out
Yesterday I filled up 2 laundry baskets with kids clothes and toys. One was to sell to Once Upon a Child and the other was to donate. However, I think I'm just going to donate everything, because driving all the way out to the OUAC to get $10 is hardly worth it. Not to mention it will be way to tempting to go inside and find all the cute gymbo stuff for the girls! Their prices and selections are amazing!
So today I have to do a Goodwill driveby and listen to the kids cry as their wooden rocking horse is donated. Honestly though...they never used that thing except to stand on or push around into the kitchen and leave it there. It never gets more than 30 seconds of play time a day and I decided that's not enough to be taking up as much space as it does!
Hoping to fill up another basket today. We're looking forward to a beautiful weekend of walking and enjoying the warmer weather!! I'll be back to post pictures if I don't forget my camera (again).
So today I have to do a Goodwill driveby and listen to the kids cry as their wooden rocking horse is donated. Honestly though...they never used that thing except to stand on or push around into the kitchen and leave it there. It never gets more than 30 seconds of play time a day and I decided that's not enough to be taking up as much space as it does!
Hoping to fill up another basket today. We're looking forward to a beautiful weekend of walking and enjoying the warmer weather!! I'll be back to post pictures if I don't forget my camera (again).
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The clutter
I talk so much about clutter. How it is bothering me, how it's making me frustrated and tired and how I'm getting rid of it. However, it seems that no matter how much I get rid of I still have the same problems. Stuff...everywhere! Today I have been putting a box together for Goodwill and a box for the children's consignment shop. It's so sad for me! I hate doing it. I see the toys and I remember how they loved them at one time or how someone gave it to us and it makes me so sad to see it go. The thing that makes me the most sad is when I'm getting rid of a toy that never gets played with...and I feel like it never got played with because I didn't have time to sit down with the little ones and play with them. It breaks my heart.
About a week ago I did some thinking and decided that the real issue of my clutter is not necissarily having too much but that I
1. keep buying more (i LOVE thrifting)
2. don't put things away. Well...no member of this family is good about putting things away and 7 people leaving their stuff out can make for a really big mess.
So I decided to get at the heart of the issue. I am not going to go to any thrift store this month unless I specifically need something. However, as any thrifter knows...if you need something specific it will not be at the thrift store when you look for it LOL. Well...90% of the time.
I have been in houses of thrifters that are just crammed full of junk for house decorating, pillows, etc. My problem is not buying house stuff. I buy children's clothes, children's books and toys! While this has been good for my family's budget, it has not been good for our space. We now have a big library of wonderful, quality children's books that were bought for 25 -50 cents each! I'm talking corduroy, DK eyewitness books, Jesse Bear, the complete Little House set and One Morning in Maine. Not to mention the 100 cute board books that Mareea loves and Thea takes to bed with her!
What a blessing the clothes have been. Quintin's feet grow like weeds! He hardly stays in a size for a month! I have found him 3 pair of asics, new balance and adidas at the thrift store for $3 and $4 each! All his jeans are from there and in very good condition and he has very nice church shirts and church pants also. These clothes will be passed down to ashton and Landon and I will proudly say, "I paid 29 cents for those Tommy Hilfiger pants you're wearing! And you're the third one to wear them!" Each child has a rain coat and rain boots. We never could have afforded special items like that any other way.
And toys...can I give tribute to the toys also? The little people dollhouse from the early 90's that all my children have loved, the fisher price pirate ship and castle that are constantly used for playmobil set ups. They cost me less than a dollar! How can I beat that? Knowing how highly priced toys are new. We have gotten the vintage fisher price farm, parking garage and tudor house all by thrifting. What wonderful sturdy toys for nothing!
But I HAVE to stop. We have enough now. The boys are set on clothes. They will have hand me downs to spare. The girls have plenty of clothes thanks to Sue's boxes of Clara's things. There are enough toys and now they only really play with legos, playmobil and crayons. There's no need for 1,000 plastic things sitting around. And the books...we have so many. Our library is wonderful and there's no reason to keep buying now. If we never went to the library again we could have a great rotation of wonderful books and never get bored.
It's time to let go. It's time to quit thrifting for fun and focus on enjoying each other and what we have. I think I will enjoy everyone more when I'm not constantly picking things up or feeling like the walls are closing in on me due to boxes of things lining the edges of every room!
No thrifting this month...and next month...get to working on picking up!
About a week ago I did some thinking and decided that the real issue of my clutter is not necissarily having too much but that I
1. keep buying more (i LOVE thrifting)
2. don't put things away. Well...no member of this family is good about putting things away and 7 people leaving their stuff out can make for a really big mess.
So I decided to get at the heart of the issue. I am not going to go to any thrift store this month unless I specifically need something. However, as any thrifter knows...if you need something specific it will not be at the thrift store when you look for it LOL. Well...90% of the time.
I have been in houses of thrifters that are just crammed full of junk for house decorating, pillows, etc. My problem is not buying house stuff. I buy children's clothes, children's books and toys! While this has been good for my family's budget, it has not been good for our space. We now have a big library of wonderful, quality children's books that were bought for 25 -50 cents each! I'm talking corduroy, DK eyewitness books, Jesse Bear, the complete Little House set and One Morning in Maine. Not to mention the 100 cute board books that Mareea loves and Thea takes to bed with her!
What a blessing the clothes have been. Quintin's feet grow like weeds! He hardly stays in a size for a month! I have found him 3 pair of asics, new balance and adidas at the thrift store for $3 and $4 each! All his jeans are from there and in very good condition and he has very nice church shirts and church pants also. These clothes will be passed down to ashton and Landon and I will proudly say, "I paid 29 cents for those Tommy Hilfiger pants you're wearing! And you're the third one to wear them!" Each child has a rain coat and rain boots. We never could have afforded special items like that any other way.
And toys...can I give tribute to the toys also? The little people dollhouse from the early 90's that all my children have loved, the fisher price pirate ship and castle that are constantly used for playmobil set ups. They cost me less than a dollar! How can I beat that? Knowing how highly priced toys are new. We have gotten the vintage fisher price farm, parking garage and tudor house all by thrifting. What wonderful sturdy toys for nothing!
But I HAVE to stop. We have enough now. The boys are set on clothes. They will have hand me downs to spare. The girls have plenty of clothes thanks to Sue's boxes of Clara's things. There are enough toys and now they only really play with legos, playmobil and crayons. There's no need for 1,000 plastic things sitting around. And the books...we have so many. Our library is wonderful and there's no reason to keep buying now. If we never went to the library again we could have a great rotation of wonderful books and never get bored.
It's time to let go. It's time to quit thrifting for fun and focus on enjoying each other and what we have. I think I will enjoy everyone more when I'm not constantly picking things up or feeling like the walls are closing in on me due to boxes of things lining the edges of every room!
No thrifting this month...and next month...get to working on picking up!
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