by Christina Renee | Home, Simplify
You can hear a lot of talk about minimalism. Not keeping things unless they “spark joy”. I love the idea much better than my family but we are working on it more and more. We have taken several loads to Goodwill, or given to other family members. It’s easier to clean and have people drop in and not be embarrassed.
A Stuffed Closet
Recently, I went through my daughter room with them. It took aallllll day long. Really. We worked 3 hours on the closet alone. But I listened more this time. Not only did we get rid of the clothes that didn’t fit but also the ones they didn’t love. You know, the ones you buy because they would look so cute on. Or it fits really well but it’s the wrong shade of blue. The ones that get pushed to the back of the closet or more likely, the floor. So I listened. I told them if they did’t love it and it didn’t fit well, we would get rid of it. We filled 7 bags. And my children are not naked. They still have plenty of clothes to wear. We did an inventory to see what they needed for school and there are very few needs. Mostly, under garments. Definitely not socks, all the missing socks I thought the dyer ate were in their room, at least most of them.
Room by Room
So I am going through the rest of the house little by little. A couple months ago I gave my son 2 boxes of kitchen items that I culled in the kitchen. I haven’t missed any of them. I’ve gotten rid of books. I park my car in the garage. Whoo hoo! That’s a first. We had surprise house guests yesterday. They said they’d be there in about half an hour. We scurried and picked up and it was done. We didn’t need to hide things in the closet, no dishes in the oven. Please tell me some of you have done that. It was wonderful
Choosing What to Keep
There has been a few things I’ve regretted giving up but they have been far and few between. I have way more to go but I’m looking forward to reaping the benefits. I don’t recommend doing someone else’s things unless they are there to help go through it. Also an easier way is setting a certain number to have and letting them pick their favorites. It makes choices easier than picking what to get rid of. Have you been giving up stuff or more peace in your home? Let me know how
by Christina Renee | Children, Meals, Parenting, Simplify
While at my physical therapy appointment, we were talking about about school day mornings. She was saying about how difficult is was to serve breakfast at 2 separate times and get herself and the kids out the door on time. I have children in 3 different schools, all with separate times. We do not serve 3 separate breakfasts.
The Night Before
All great morning routines start with a great night time routine in place. At least a little. Backpacks and shoes need to be in their proper places. My son hangs both his backpack and jacket on hooks on the side of the shelves in his room. The girls stow theirs in their closet. All papers need to be signed the night before and any thing needed in their back packs. Clothes need to be laid out for the next day. Bedtimes need to be observed. We have 2 times we count down to. Each of them have separate times based on age but all of them have 1 time to be in bed and they get an additional 1/2 hour to read before lights out. This keeps them reading, because what child doesn’t want a later bedtime. It also gives them time to slow down.
Rise and Shine
All the children get up at the same time. No matter what time they go to school they all get up at the same time. I usually get up at least an hour before the children. (Unless sick or recuperating.) I have time to dress, quiet time and make my bed before they even get up. I can get them ready without it but I am not nearly as cheerful. My children all have their own alarms and get themselves up. Toward the end of the week I sometimes hear the alarm go off a little lot longer than normal and I have to go in and prod encourage them to get out of bed. Then they have to get dressed, brush teeth and hopefully make their bed. I’ll be honest, their beds don’t get made nearly as much as I would like.
Plan Ahead for Breakfast
Then they need a good healthy breakfast to eat. I try to freezer cook ahead of time so the days that are busy, I’ve fallen behind or just chaotic are covered. Mornings fit all 3. This is not to say I never cook breakfast but I try to prepare for the mornings I don’t want to. I have made quiche (or any other breakfast casserole) in the freezer and I put it in the oven as soon as I wake up, then get ready. I have assorted muffins, (pancake, blueberry, egg, banana, etc) that they can pull out and are microwaved. Waffles can be put in the toaster or boiled eggs in the fridge. I also have mini mixes that just feed one that you can make in under a minute. I have also done crock pot meals for breakfast. Egg casseroles, different flavors of oatmeal, tapioca, “fried potatoes” with eggs. Preparing ahead makes breakfast a snap.
Out the Door
Watch the clock to make sure no one is late to school. We also have an app at our school and it emails you when the bus is near. Have everything together to make getting to the bus stop easy. Then I have time for a cup of tea and a chat with my youngest daughter whose bus is later than the rest. What have you done to make school mornings easier?
