Simplicity vs. Complicity

It is so easy to fall back into old habits. First off, I haven't written on this blog in over a month which shows just how busy we've been. The weekends come and go and while we get stuff done, we aren't slowing down and enjoying much of it, which was my goal in simplifying. I look at the calendar, and there is something scrawled across every day of the week. Most of the things belong to the kids. Welcome to being a mom of school age kids, right? I do limit what they do. I will put them each in 1 activity, my oldest chose cub scouts this year and my youngest isn't doing anything right now. But you add that to family nights at school, plus the many other things we have going on and it all piles up. But I also don't want to take anything away from the kids, becuase they only get 1 childhood and I want them to look back at it fondly.

So, I am recommitting myself to become a simplier person. I have one last push this week to reduce clutter in the house. We are having our garage sale this weekend, and while the garage is full, I still have plenty of house to go through to get things thinned out. I have started the boys clothes, but need to finish it. My youngest has gotten so big, that none of his summer clothes will fit him again next year. So those are going straight into the sale box. Along with shoes, coats and old halloween costumes that we will never use again!

So, I am recommitting myself to getting organized. Which I have to say, although I have somewhat fallen off the simplicity wagon over the last few weeks, I have become much more organized. I have been tasked with clearing out the garage, so hubby can use it for his own room, peace and quiet away from the kids and all. So, I have been reorganizing closets and trying to find spaces that we are using the wrong way. Like the linen closet. I had some towels, toiletries & TP in there and alot of empty space on each shelf. Plus, I also have the mohagany chest that is in the bathroom that sat empty forever, becuase I couldn't fit it in there well enough to open the doors to use it. I finally took everything out of the closet and put it in the armoire. It fit really well. Then I took all of the fall/christmas decor and camping stuff that had been cluttering up the garage and fit it all in the closet. It was a tight fit, but at least the space is being used up now and not wasted. Then, since I don't need to get in there often, I put the armoire in front of the closet door and it worked beautifully! So I just need to get creative with the space that I have and I know I can get really organized! Especially if I get rid of LOTS of our stuff!

Why can't other people help me simplify my life???

I am so friggin frustrated now! As I am expending all of my energy trying to make my life simpler, things just have to keep getting thrown in there to wrench my plans.

I'm not a fan of doctors to begin with. Sure, we need them for many things, but I am not one to drop everything and run to the doctor everytime someone comes down with something. But my oldest son has been plagued by stomachaches lately, and I think there might be something to it. I'm guessing it may be something simple like lactose intolerance or a food allergy, but who knows.

So I call the doctor's office and they tell me they aren't taking new patients. So, I explain to them that we have been patients of thiers for 3 years. The woman proceeds to explain to me that we are considered new patients because we were forced to switch insurance companies (due to a job loss), therefore, all new paperwork must be done, therefore, we are new patients. WHAT???

So after throwing a few choice four letter words at the woman, I hang up and call the insurance agency, who doens't seem so concerned about it. The find me a doctor 30 miles away (the closest one taking new patients) who doesn't speak english well! Woo friggin Hoo. So, I have spent the last hour trying to call the dr's office, and no one is answering. They don't even have a machine or answering service. So this is a great sign.

So to further complicate my life...if I can ever actually get ahold of this office, I will have to meet a new doctor, re-do all the paperwork and have our medical histories moved over there.

I have decided this afternoon that I am going to spend the day online researching stomach aches in children and see if I can't just take care of this all at home! I'm going to start by switching Jake to soy milk for a week and see if that does the trick. If it doesn't work, then I will start eliminating other things and at least then I can rule out food problems, when I can finally get a doctors appointment...which at this point may be sometime in 2009!

Plugging Away...

Wow, I have been so busy in the past week that I didn't even realize that I hadn't posted anything! So it is now Monday, and I am spending the day de-cluttering AGAIN! The garage is getting fuller every day, which is great! I am getting rid of so much stuff that we NEVER use!

I spent today cleaning out my bedroom and the closet in there. Most of the stuff that was stuffed on the floor and up on the shelves, we haven't even used for years! I decided to dive right into the closet, so I took the doors completely off to clean it out! I didn't realize how many old gym bags, purses, etc. were up there! I am finally to the point where I am getting organized enough that I am using all of my storage space, much more wisely! There were a couple of things in the closet that I wanted to get out of the closet, but I didn't want to pitch. Hubby has tons of old baseball cards, and I want him to keep those for the boys. So I put them in a trunk that sits next to our bed, that pretty much sits empty all the time!

Once I got the doors off the closet and cleaned it out, I decided that I am going to turn part of the closet into an office. Our house is so small, that we have always had trouble finding a spot for our computer! Our closet should be large enough to hold a large desk and still have over 1/3 of it left for storing clothes that need to be hung! I'm excited about this. I think I am going to custom build a desk, becuase our current computer desk is literally falling down. So, I am going to go get some 2x4's and plywood and build away tomorrow.

I'm excited about this project, because it will free up so much space & clutter in our living room. I hate having our computer and paperwork out for all to see. So this will be great! I'm going to keep the doors off the closet because both Hubby and I hate the doors on the closet! They are so oversized, it makes it hard to see what is in the closet. So I think I am going to hit the $/yard fabric on sale at Wal-mart and see what I can find and just make a no-sew curtain with a tension rod and some ribbons! It should look cute...just need to keep it from looking too girly for Hubby!

So that is what I am starting this week. Tomorrow I will spend making my new computer desk. I have been looking around the house, for odd items that I can use, so I don't have to go out and buy anything...but I've de-cluttered so much, I just don't have anything in the house that would work! So I will make & paint that, work on the curtain and then maybe start to finish tackling the boys room. We started last week and Josh was really good about putting toys in the garage sale box. I am also being diligent about pitching toys that are broken or missing parts...that is a huge part of our clutter.

So, with the garage sale about a month away, I am still plugging away at getting things ready to go for it! We should have plenty to sell, by the time that I am done! And once the garage sale is over, we'll have a clean garage, so we can start designing the rec-room that Hubby is going to put out in the garage! We've already gotten carpet from neighbors who tore it out of their basement. It is in great shape, so it will work really well in the garage room!

Keeping the old - passing up the new

I am working very hard at making the things that I own last. The hardest part of all of this, is getting hubby to do the same. Our lawn mower broke down this weekend, and without ever even cracking it open to see if he can repair it, he put it on the parkway. Well, guess what...someone else picked it up to repair it.

So, now we have to purchase a new lawn mower before next season. And in all this I learned a valuable lesson. Maintenance on the things that we have, is the most important money saving thing I can do! If I had put some energy into keeping it well maintained, it would probably still be running.

I am also dying to purchase some other new items around the house, but I am trying to overcome these urges! With our anniversary being last weekend, I was realizing that many of our things have lasted 7 years, silverware, towels, etc. I haven't bought any of these things since our wedding. I also realized that I am down to having less than 1/2 the original set of silverware and my towels are totally nasty! I need to keep reminding myself that these things still have life left in them even if they are nasty!

I have been doing a wonderful job at keeping out of the stores, for the most part! I did sneak the boys and I out for breakfast on Saturday morning, but I thought we needed a treat! I also have been staying away from garage sales, although, now would be a good time to hit some and see if I can't find a new lawn mower.

We also had a neighbor bring over some clothes for the boys today, which was super nice of her. We were chatting about needing and getting rid of clothes. I made mention that I needed to sort through the boys stuff and see what they needed for winter. So, she brought over the winter stuff that her son had outgrown! She also brought over some fun stuff for us to borrow for Josh to play with. Dot paints and chalk. We have been having a great time with them today.

So I am working on changing my wants vs. needs still. I don't think I will totally ever get over the joy of buying new things for the house. I will always enjoy making our house a home, but I think I get a bigger thrill out of saving our money!

The Importance of Budgeting!

We have been working our home finances for months now without a budget. The results? Nothing at all is going into savings. Plus, the money I am working to save, I have no idea where it goes after I save it!

So another one of my goals today, is to set up a thorough home budget, which includes just about everything we need and also will include an unexpected expense category. I also plan to include savings at the top of the list, so each week, we have at least a small amount going into savings. Then I will also add any budget savings into the savings account. If I go to the grocery store, and I only spend $40 of my $60 budgeted, then the extra $20 will go right into the savings account.

Not only will it help us save more, but it will also get us more organized, so that every bill is paid ontime every month! Which is always a good feeling. I really need to take control of our financial situation a little bit better. So hubby and I are going to sit down tonight and work on our goals list. Add the wants that we do still want onto the goals lists, under short-term, mid-term and long-term goals (paying off the truck is going on this list)! Then we will have more of an incentive to work on saving money, if we have goals for that money, other than just financial security in case of emergency!

So, I have my day set for me...I have two MAJOR tasks to tackle today. These were both things that I have been putting off for awhile because they are larger, tougher tasks and will take me most of the day between the two!

Rightsizing the Kids Stuff!

I have decided that it is finally time to tackle this project! So far, in simplifying our lives Pat and I have tackled our "stuff", but other than clothes I haven't dealt with the kids stuff!

We accumulate so much stuff for them and it is time to clear it all out before our October Garage Sale! As it stands right now here is what they have that I need to tackle:

Outdoor toys: 2 trikes, 2 2-wheel bikes (we'll keep these and get rid of the trikes), 2 scooters, a little toddler ride on, a power wheels truck, multiple balls of every variety, tons of sandbox toys, and other stuff that is out in the outside bin and is broken and needs to be totally junked!

Indoor toys: Their indoor stuff is out of control! We have so many toys with tons of little pieces! Most of their toys get stuffed under their bed and they never play with them. So I am getting rid of all the "sets" that are missing pieces. I am going to let the boys choose if they want to keep their legos or their wooden block set. They really only play with the wooden ones, so I think the legos are gonna go. Stuffed animals! They have never touched these things. Most of them they got when they were infants, and I put them up on a shelf and they have been sitting there ever since. They are probably so covered with dust mites at this point that they are more of a biohazard than a fun toy! So, I will probably let the boys each keep one or two that they will claim they "love", then get rid of the rest!

I also need to find a better way to organize the DVD's, CD's and video games (both kids and adults). I think I am going to get rid of all the boxes and get the CD books. One for CD's, one for DVD's and one for Playstation games. I can label each one, then maybe put them in alphabetically for organization purposes (It'll be a pain to do, but they'll be easy to find once it is done!) This will save us so much space! We have so many of these boxes hanging around, it'll free up alot of room in my entertainment center and won't look as messy!

I also need to get rid of kid's shoes! They have a whole closet full of shoes that don't fit. I mostly pass them onto friends when the boys grow out of them, but if I can't find the mate, I keep them thinking I will find it later, then give them away. So, most of these are sad, single shoes that I need to pitch NOW!

So, that is one of my two major tasks for the day!

Living Simple in Cold Weather

So begins the fall here in the midwest. We woke up this moring to 40 degree tempratures and what I like to call lazy bones syndrome. You know what I am talking about, when it is that cold, you just don't want to crawl out from under the comforter. But, I had a three year old up at 6:10 am, so there was no way I could stay in bed.

But it made me realize today, that I am going to have to do some seasonal planning if I hope to continue much of my living simply. Taking my oldest to school today, I very much had to fight the urge to hop in the truck and crank the heater on. But we combatted our wants, and we walked like we do every day! I am hoping to walk most days, even through the winter, so I am going to have to go through our hats and mittens and coats and make sure we are stocked up. That is another thing, I may have to get some of those mitten clips that kids use, so the boys aren't constantly losing them! They go through so many pairs of mittens each winter, so they don't even have a chance to wear them out, which goes against everything I am trying to do...so maybe those clippies would work.

I'm also going to have to get our extra blankets for everyone's beds. I really don't want to turn the heat on yet, but we will have to pretty soon, with as cold as it has been. Last year we had $300 gas bills each month all winter, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen again. I am hoping that we can keep the temp somewhere cool, where we feel comfortable in long pants and sweatshirts while in the house. Hopefully, will not only save energy, but we'll save tons of money! This is the time of year that I wish we had a fireplace for warmth!

On the plus side, we are getting free wood this weekend for our outdoor fireplace! Which will be really nice....the bonuses of volunteering. We are helping a neighbor through one of our community projects who had a tree come down. We are getting out there on Saturday and helping him remove the tree, so there will plenty of wood for everyone who needs it. So I'm sure we will spend alot of time entertianing around the fire pit this fall on cold evenings!

There are plenty of other things that I need to do for winter still. In past years, we have used the plastic on our windows to keep the cold out, but I've found that they don't work as well as heavy curtains. So I am thinking about sewing up some heavier curtains for each window (except the front curtains, those are heavy enough already and do a great job keeping the cold out)!

We are going to start working on Halloween costumes pretty soon too. The boys haven't decided exactly what they want to be yet, but I am going to make them all from scratch at home and try not to spend much money on each. Jake was thinking about being a dragon, which could be really cool, I am thinking about paper mache for the head! I have some really cool ideas!

I know there are other things I will need to do to get ready for winter, but they aren't at the tip of my brain at this point!