Simplifying our Stuff

We previously lived in a very large three bed, 2 bath home complete with dining room and garage. We had a lot of stuff. I didn't take pictures every step of the way, but here are a few from the process.

This WAS our office. (No, it didn't always look like that. I was moving, okay?!)

This is what is left! Pretty nice, huh?

Even after several weeks of purging stuff and one HUGE garage sale, it got down to crunch time and we had to haul our stuff to my inlaws house just to get the house empty. That left me with two days to go through all this:

What a mess! I managed, though, mostly by myself while hubby worked. I'm pretty impressed with myself, if I may say so. Everything here either got packed into the RV, stored, or thrown away. I slightly altered Flylady's 15 minutes at a time mantra. I told myself I could just do one box or bag, then I could stop. But once I got started I didn't want to stop working! Plus, having a two day timeline helped. :)



Stepping Away From the Computer

I have been making an effort to step away from the computer more. Too often I would put Doodlebug in front of the TV so I could have a "break"; aka computer time. No more. It's not like I was using the computer an unholy amount, but that I needed to step back and invest that time in real life.

A week or so ago I purposed to only use the computer when Doodlebug was asleep. Not only that, but I would have Bible-reading time before I got on the computer. I thought that there was no way I would have time to do everything I wanted to do online in just the short time that is naptime, especially if I had to read my Bible first. I thought I would have to cut some things out.

But I haven't. As I have used my time to invest in my family, God has multiplied my "me time". I have been able to (somewhat) maintain my blog, keep up on my reading and forums, as well as get some other things done. Yesterday I was able to take a nap in peace, knowing that I didn't have to get on the computer. I would "catch up" later.

Doodlebug is definitely more important to me. Do I still sometimes want to sneak a peak at the computer to see if someone left a comment on my blog or something? Of course. But it goes off when she wakes up from nap and no matter what it's not coming back on. I don't miss it, and I wouldn't trade those moments with her for anything in the world.

In the end, I just have to remember this: I don't want my daughter to grow up and remember my face glowing in the light of the laptop. I want my daughter to remember my face glowing with the light of life.

Keeping Cool When It's Hot Out

It has been hot hot hot here lately. We are big on going outside and making sure that Doodlebug spends lots of time in nature, but it's been too dang hot lately. I really don't want her to spend all day sitting in front of the TV. So I thought I'd compile a list of ways to keep cool when it's super duper hot out (I'm talking 110 degrees kind of hot).

~Go out early. I don't worry about the chores or anything else until we've had some outside time. We have breakfast and then head straight out to take advantage of the cool time.

~Stretch your time with water. It starts getting warm and we fill the baby pool. I can sit with my feet in the pool and relax while Doodlebug plays, and she can stay outside longer. (Don't forget to water your plants with it when you're done!)

When it's time to come inside:

~Bring out the "special" toys. You know? The electronic ones you hide because you don't want to hear them. Sometimes this helps us to get by without the TV. We also rotate our toys, so now is a good time rotate some new toys out of storage.

~Get out of the house. Go to the library, the children's museum, etc. I'm sure you can come up with a list of places in your town. Just go somewhere with air conditioning.

~Go somewhere novel. And I mean in the house this time. For us this means opening up the guestroom for play. It's a whole new world for her to explore.

~Play with them. Rather than trying to accomplish a bunch of stuff, why not take a break and enjoy your kiddos? Build a fort with pillows and blankets, play with blocks, have a tickle fight... anything to enjoy each other and keep them happy.

How do you keep your kids happy when it's too hot out to play?

"I don't have time."

I saw some time management "expert" on TV a few weeks ago, and while I don't normally care for "expert" advice, she had one particularly good point. Rather than saying, "I don't have time," you should say, "It's not a priority." If it rubs you the wrong way to say it, you should re-prioritize. Her example was a child asking you to read to them. If telling them, "it's not a priority" hurts you, then you need to take the time to read to them and get rid of another obligation.

I have spent a LOT more time reading to Doodlebug since I saw this, but I have also applied it to other areas of my life: primarily money.

Rather than saying, "We can't afford it," I have been trying to say, "It's not a priority." Because the fact is, we COULD afford to eat out, buy more stuff, etc. But it's not important enough to put ourselves in debt or other financial jeopardy. Spending money is just not a priority.

This also justifies some things that I do spend time/money on. I spend a ton of time reading to Doodlebug and playing outside. Others may think this is a waste of time, but to me these are the basis of a happy childhood. We also spend more money on natural/organic foods when we can. These are a priority because I think they are important for the health of our family.

So consider your priorities the next time you think you don't have the time or money for something. Chances are you could make the time or save the money if it is truly important to you.

What I REALLY Want

I received an email from Flylady recently with the quote,

"Self-discipline is remembering what you really want."

This quote has really inspired me in my mothering. When I want something that is not particularly good for Doodlebug (or myself), I try to remember what I really want.

*I want to sit Doodlebug in front of the TV so I can have a break, but what I really want is for her to grow up with a creative mind that doesn't require TV to be entertained.

*I want to sit on the couch and eat dinner with the laptop in my lap, but what I really want is for Doodlebug to have the routine of eating meals at the table as a family.

*I want to eat a whole package of oreos, but what I really want is to be healthy, to teach Doodlebug to be healthy, and to have a high fructose corn syrup free diet.

*I sometimes want to go shopping and spend boo-koos of money (rarely, but it happens), but what I really want is a simple life, financial freedom, and contentment.

This little sentence: "Self-discipline is remembering what you really want," has changed my life. It has helped me to remember that my main priority (no matter how lazy I feel that day) is to take the best care of Doodlebug that I can, to be the best mommy I can be. It has truly helped me to remember what is important in life.