So here I am after how many months of starting this blog and just now posting my second post? That goes to show that I am too busy, thus the need to simplify!
I just spent the best two weeks doing nothing with my kids. That's right, NOTHING. We typically go here, or there. My daughter wakes up every day and says "MOM, where are we going today"? Then off we go to Barnes and Noble, or the grocery store, the farm museum, the park, the farm park, the pool, Target, a play date at so and so's house. On and on. This season my 3 year old daughter said "I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING!" So, that's what we did! We played in the basement on our new bouncer, watched movies, did crafts, walked down the street to look at the Christmas lights, danced in the living room with Mimi and Pop, and ran out in the first snow of the winter and caught snow flakes on our tongues.
What I learned? This "not doing anything" really amounted to an awesome two weeks of memories. And,that's the lesson I am learning, we don't have to go to fancy places or have fancy toys to have fun together. Time together is the best fun there is. And, that is going to be my mantra going forward.
Now, as I simplify I would be remiss if I didn't try to tackle our biggest mess--the TOY MOUND!
Over two days of Christmas there was a major influx of plastic and cardboard packaging waste and multiple toys (enough for 20 kids). I could write a song about it. TEN mini princess dolls, NINE train engines, EIGHT mini cars, SEVEN VTech Toys, SIX stuffed animals, FIVE tinkerbell dolls, FOUR Thomas the Trains!!!! And on and on! We are thankful to have so much, but it's not right for us to have so much when others have so little. But where do I begin? I know I am not the only mom with this dilemma. I would love to know what others are doing with their massive toy mounds that used to be their living rooms.
One thing I have done to reduce the MASS is create a pile of toys that are no longer age appropriate and plan to either sell or donate them. My dilemma is really with the weeding out of the toys--deciding which ones to get rid of. Everytime I go to do it, I say "so and so likes this, or OH, they may like this next year." Does everyone else go through this? There has to be a method to the madness :) I welcome any suggestions.
