{ on my mind...money }

So the thing I get asked to blog about the most is finances...which is hilarious since 1) that is clearly not my area of expertise and 2) I don't think I have ever balanced a checkbook. But it is something that we all have to think about and do something about, right? So, some $ things on my mind lately...

- Danielle LaPorte always gets me fired up about all sorts of good things. But her 20 personal money practices that got me to a place of grooving prosperity (and Part 2) are so great. My favorites include when she says that "Money Management is about FOCUSING ON CREATING FREEDOM." And her great bank account names include ADVENTURE + CARE and I'm setting my kid up for the future. She says that investing for her son "gives me very deep peace. Everyone deserves a leg up." LOVE! Go read the rest of her list now!

- Love this article about a family's No Spend Month. I have been reading lots of stuff like this in an attempt to get my frugal groove back ON after several months off the bandwagon.

- Love Joslyn's new project...Operation Simplicity. She will be blogging about everything she gets rid of and brings into her home over the next year.

- Loved this story about a family that bought a house with CASH. No mortgage. No debt. Voila.

live simply print above via etsy

{ waste not want not }

Tea towel from here.

Are you guys sick of hearing about my spending hiatus yet? :) So, I've really been contemplating a lot lately how it seems as though we have lost the simplicity and practicality of our grandparents generation... I've been thinking a lot about my gram + gramp lately (now in their mid-80's) and still living in the same house they lovingly restored and raised 6 children in. They came from very modest means and gramp fixed everything...and I do mean everything. They didn't waste food (and still don't to this day). They grew their own veggies and hung their laundry on the line and shoveled their driveway by hand. They have never had a dishwasher or a cell phone. They have had the same phone number their entire lives. I think they are completely mind-boggled when I go back and visit and come back with my iphone, laptop, digital camera, card reader, ipod, yoga mat, portable crib, portable dvd player for Sam, multiple bags, 3 kinds of lotion (day time, night time and sunscreen), several pair of shoes (running sneakers, flats, flip flops), stroller, baby carrier...etc. etc. We have so much STUFF. I want less stuff. We have so many distractions today. I want fewer distractions. I don't have all the answers...all I can do is to continue to strive for my goal of a less hectic, more balanced, simple life. {Waste not, want not.} I've been hanging our laundry on the line each day, I've been tending to our veggie & herb garden, I've been selling stuff on ebay and donating items to the VOA thrift store. I've been slowing down. I've been spending less. Gram + Gramp would be proud.

{ps - I didn't buy anything this week other than groceries + dog food + one of those swimming noodles for sam ($1).} but i would like to buy this, this, and this. but i won't.
{pps - Here is a cute little picture of gram + gramp in their backyard in case you were wondering.}

{ new year, new you - simplify }

One of main resolutions this year is to simplify my home, my life and the way I work and live...Simple Family Living is my new motto. Over the past few weeks I've wrapped up some projects that have been hanging around, cleaned out several cabinets and closets and made lots of lists. I've said no to some commitments and projects and have felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. It feels good to pare down and get rid of things I don’t need and don't want to do and to clear away some piles that were hanging around. I know you can all relate. {Less is more.}

It's hard to believe mid-February is upon us...it's a good time to check in with your new years resolutions &/or goals...how are they going? Have you been able to take any steps forward towards living the life you want, or do you feel a bit stalled? Take a deep breath and do one thing today that helps you work towards one of them...take our your weekly planner and schedule in some time each day for self care, for exercise, for healthy meal planning and preparing and for working towards your big goals. Clean out one drawer if your goal is to de-clutter. Try a new workout class if your goal is to tone up or lose a few pounds. Get up 1/2 an hour earlier tomorrow to have time to write if your goal is to write more.

How are my resolutions coming along? I've actually been doing really well...considering it is the yucky middle of winter and I am craving spring and more sunshine...I've been waking up early and having some time to stretch, meditate, breathe, drink tea and read blogs before the kids are awake. This quiet time in the morning has been amazing. I've also had the time and energy to exercise almost every day (mostly at the gym as I am not much of a cold weather runner) and feeling really healthy {knock on wood.}

One of the areas I really wanted to focus on this year was better financial management - sticking to our spending plan; making more $ and spending less...we've been doing well with this and I think we are on track to meet our financial goals this year. Joslyn's Spending Hiatus support group has been a kick! The free PR in Shape Magazine certainly hasn't HURT sales! ;-)

I've been on a cleaning, decluttering and nesting mission this winter...with the new bebe and the cold weather keeping us more home bound than other times of the year, I've been getting a lot done around the house.

Let me know how your resolutions are coming along...and have a great week!

{ ps. today is International Read in the Bathtub Day! No joke. Kick back tonight in the bath tub with a new magazine! }

{ pps. my blogging will be light this week, as we've got a lot going on... but feel free to follow ME on twitter for random thoughts oozing out of my brain! Speaking of blogging, this is my 701 th post...who would have thought I'd have that much to blog about?!! Thanks for reading! }

{ simple ME }

Been inspired to pare down our stuff yet again - I don't know where it ALL comes from! Looks like some of you are on a mission too (here and here). I've been going through each of our rooms this week (one at a time) and cleaning and decluttering them. I've been gathering stuff to donate (an entire truck load), sell and just chuck/recycle. I still have a ways to go but it feels so good to do this!

{ simple Christmas part deux }

wreath

On average, it takes 6 months for families to pay off holiday bills...ouch. The mode of our culture is to consume and shop throughout the year. During the holiday season people feel they have to shop even MORE than normal. Instead of shopping like crazy, here are some ways to simplify your holidays. { Here is my original post on this topic and here is a great article from the Seattle Times about moms taking back the holidays by taking on consumerism. }

1) Establish or honor family traditions.

2) Sit down with a calendar and make a list of things everyone in the family would like to do over the holidays. I like to build these things into our advent activity calendar.

3) Schedule in some "helping other" activities...donating food at the food bank, donating blankets to the homeless shelter, adopting a family for Christmas, etc. Involve your kids in choosing and taking part in these things. For example, I have Sam decorate paper bags that we then fill with food for the food bank and deliver together.

4) Celebrate the Winter Solstice on December 21st. It can be an all out party or a quiet, fancy dinner at home with your family.

5) Light a special candle each night during the month of December and take turns reading stories, poems or saying things you are each grateful for.

I've had a few questions about what to do with paring down the gifts and how to explain it to the kids like this great question: "Ok, so I am really into the Christmas idea you had with the 6 categories. It is hard b/c the kids have always just gotten gifts from Santa. So, I was wondering if you are really only getting that 1 gift for Samme from "Santa" and the rest are considered from you and Will?? I wondered if I could just use the categories as a guide and have them all be from "Santa" except for the handmade one . . . just thinking out loud. Any thoughts?"

I've figured out the kids 6 gift giving categories a bit better...here's my plan for Sam. Note: She thinks Santa leaves ONE gift for each child (lots of kids to give things to...only one per child reasoning).

1 Want from Santa: As of right now that "Want" of Samme's is the Barbie Diamond Princess Castle + associated crap (i mean stuff)...gulp. I'm trying to talk her into this Eco Friendly Dollhouse instead. :)

1 To Create: This is going to be a project we work on together...we are either going to paint and decorate this cardboard cottage and turn it into a home for her fairies or this cardboard dollhouse for her princesses. Note: Uncommon Goods also has a firehouse for boys.

1 To Read: This book.

1 To Wear: a new dress (most likely from etsy). Any etsy suggestions for 5T winter dresses?

1 To Learn: learning to read Clock.

1 To Help: some little helper cleaning items from For Small Hands.

Danyelle makes adorable gift tags for some of these categories to put on the packages. She does 4 categories in their house (Want, Need, Read, Wear).

I've also been hard at work on creating a year in review photo book from Shutterfly for all of the grandparents and birthparents. If you order them soon they are 30% off. This is all our parents/grandparents are getting {oh and some custom (painted by Samme) notecards}.

Teachers are getting homemade bread and LobotoME notepads. Neighbors are getting bread or cookies. Hostess gifts will be wine & LobotoME notepads.

We are putting up our lovely tree after Thanksgiving (I prefer the term reusable to fake...as much fun it would be to tromp into the woods and cut down a tree I can't bring myself to do it)...the peace wreath above on the front door, a live tree with white lights on the front porch (that we'll plant in the spring) and our stockings hung by the chimney. That's it. The rest of the holiday decor is going on ebay or to the VA thrift store next week.

Simple is good.

{ simple christmas }

So with the holidays approaching, a new baby here and a newfound realization that less IS more, we have been talking about ways to reduce the commercialization of Christmas and make it a simple holiday here. We've also been inspired recently by this book.

Step 1. We sent out an email to all of our family & friends asking that they honor our desire to spend time with them but not exchange gifts this year in a attempt to simplify our lives. We sent it out in August BEFORE people went shopping! :-) Budget for the rest of the expenses. Check out Simple Mom's post today for some good ideas on holiday budgeting.

Step 2. Decide what we do want to buy & give (obviously we will get some meaningful gifts for Sam & Henry).
What we decided to do:
1) Continue our family advent calendar tradition like we did last year (and instead of candy or gifts, include a fun thing to do together each day - ice-skating, skiing, hot chocolate making, cookie making & delivery to neighbors, sledding, delivering food to the food bank, giving money to the homeless shelter, making snowflake pancakes for dinner, etc.) More on this later this fall.

2) We also decided that we would ask all of her grandparents for donations to their college fund instead of gifts. Most have been excited about doing this and relieved not to have to try to figure out what a 4 year old today wants.
3) We also decided that we were going to get her 7 good, meaningful gifts in addition to her stocking with the following categories/tags.

1 Need. Something that she needs. (eg. new ski boots)

1 Want. This is something that she wants - most likely a princess thing. :-)

1 Wear. A new dress.

1 Handmade. Something homemade for her. Not sure what this is going to be yet.

1 Read. A new book.

1 Create. An activity - like a set of new paints, etc.

1 from Santa. {We'll wait and see what she asks for!}

Step 3. Decide on celebrations, travel, company, etc.

We are still working out this part of the plan (with my parents here, Will's mom & brother in Boulder & Will's dad in Alaska, it is difficult to see everyone during Christmas). But with a new baby, we most likely will get a hall pass on traveling this holiday season (yipee) and be able to be HOME. I think we will try to plan a winter solstice celebration again this year. More on this later.

I hope this ideas help get you started thinking about the holiday season and ways to infuse it with simplicity, giving and meaning. So what are YOU going to do to simplify your holidays this year?

{ organize ME & simple ME link luv }

Loved this organized family home in the most recent issue of Real Simple magazine and this post of why it is important to simplify from Frugal Dad.

{ green ME }

"Ten Thoughts on Green Living" from Body + Soul magazine.

1. Think about where your purchases came from- and where they're going.
2. Never underestimate team effort when it comes to setting change in motion.
3. Going green doesn't have to be difficult or hard; quite often, simple is best.
4. Make it a goal to spend more time outdoors.
5. Ask yourself how you can use, and reuse, what you already have.
6. Living sustainably comes with learning to see the world in a new way.
7. Rather than worry about the costs of going green, consider what you're investing in.
8. In everything you do, align your actions with your personal philosophy.
9. An ecofriendly life happens in stages- with one decision at a time.
10. Many of our biggest problems get solved when we view ourselves as part of a whole.

{ simple living }

"....the lure of personal freedom - freedom from the tyranny of never having enough time, freedom to do more things our own way, proved utterly compelling. A quest had begun in our lives, a search in all things, great and small, for that which could make us free."
- From: Simple Living

Leaving you with this great quote for the rest of the week and this link to 30 awesome articles on how to simplify your life.

ps. You'll find ME by the river this weekend reading this book. Go get it from your library today all of you moms. It is amazing.

{ simple ME }

I'm still on this big push to simplify our lives - our home, our finances, our work systems, our days, our meals, etc. I'm selling stuff on ebay; donating stuff to charity; cooking simple, fresh summer meals; working less and spending more time with the family playing outside and working on the garden; buying less and saving more. And I'm really trying to do this for the summer because I want more time to do the things I enjoy.

{And for those of you that tried bidding on my items 2 weeks ago, my ebay account is back online (someone hacked into it - can you believe it?!?!) - anyway, my listings are back up if any of you are interested!}

One of the things I've been doing lately with my momME planner is deciding what I'd like to accomplish on any given day and then highlighting the 3 Most Important To-DO's (eg. send rep kits, order new banners, return call to M.) Those are the 3 things that MUST get done. There are lots of other things on the list, but by making sure I am getting through the most important things first, it takes some pressure off for the rest of the day. Anything else that gets checked off the list is BONUS. I've also been listing only one major house item a day (eg. catch up on laundry, clean bathrooms, or weed garden). This doesn't mean I don't do other "household" related tasks (washing dishes, tidying up, watering the garden - all things that I do everyday) but I only undertake ONE major item (requiring an hour or so of time) a day. I've been keeping the meals simple with hardboiled eggs, fresh fruit & plain yogurt for breakfast and healthy mini flaxseed muffins (recipe to come soon); turkey, avacado, & veggie sandwiches for lunch; and something on the grill (chicken, fish or steak) with a big, healthy salad for dinner.

Here are a few great articles I've come across lately that might inspire YOU to live simply this summer (and all year long).

Simplify Your Cleaning Routine
Simplify Your Budget

Simplify Your Morning Routines

Enhancing your Productivity at Home by Simplifying Things

So what are you guys doing to simplify your lives this summer?