This post was written as part of the monthly Simplicity Parenting Carnival hosted by The Lone Home Ranger and S.A.H.M. i AM. This month we are discussing how we organize our lives. Be sure to read to the end to see a list of the rest of the excellent carnival contributors.
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How do you organize life? Do you put things in boxes and label them neatly? Or do you have a calendar filled with highlights and "penciled" in activities, showing who goes where and when? Can you put life in a box, highlight it or pencil it in? Life cannot be organized. Things and plans are organized. And try as we might, life happens whether you are ready for it or not.
What do I mean by this?
Well little kids don't plan snuggles, kisses, and impromptu trips to the park, they just joyfully happen.
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| Playground |
My dog decides to try and have porcupine for breakfast, this was certainly not on my calendar! And thanks to our fantastic vet; he is doing just fine! Hopefully the old man has learned his lesson!
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| Bear v porcupine, the porcupine won! |
Love happens, and if you desire, more than once. I have fallen in love 4 times, with the Hubs, Peanut, Little Bird and Little Bug. I had always hoped to fall in love one day and it just happened. No plan, no penciled in appointment.
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| The hubs with Little Bird and Little bug |
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| Sweet sixteen party! (r-l) Peanut, Little Bird and Little Bug |
How do I organize the things in my house? The simpler the better I say! I have learned to pare down my stuff. And believe me, as a
Also last year we decided to pare down our schedules. We decided that one activity per season was enough for the kids, it gave them the social interaction they needed and still kept us sane. We were finding that if we did too much we end up with cranky children. And who likes cranky children? Not me! So our schedules are pretty light. The kids get to pick one activity to do, Little Bird is playing Little League. In the fall her and Little Bug want to play soccer. Nice, easy, and light.
So can I tell you this has been the happiest year of my life. I feel so liberated! And while I do agree that it should easily be able to find spices, spoons, toilet paper, etc., I think that slowing down and spending time with my family is way more important than anything else!
So can I tell you this has been the happiest year of my life. I feel so liberated! And while I do agree that it should easily be able to find spices, spoons, toilet paper, etc., I think that slowing down and spending time with my family is way more important than anything else!
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Thanks for reading the Simplicity Parenting Blog Carnival! We hope you’ll take time to read these other great contributors’ posts:
- Finding Our Organization Groove - Becky from Crafty Garden Mama has been working on establishing organizational routines in her house. The Fly Lady program has helped, but she understands that flexibility and reflection are important parts of finding her groove.
- Weekly Cleaning Schedule - Joy of Pardon My Poppet thinks the only way to stay sane while raising a family, and still maintain a clean home, is to follow a weekly cleaning schedule.
- My Organized Kitchen - With 3 kids (ranging in age from 3 to 20), a landscape design business and a house to run, it is essential to be organized. Sheri at donuts, dresses and dirt shares her secrets for organizing recipes, meal-planning for her family and her growing piles of cookbooks and magazines!
- Simplicity Parenting Blog Carnival: Organization - Anne at Raising Sweet Grace asks: Can you organize your whole life or does life just happen?
- Martha and Me - Justine at The Lone Home Ranger figures out she might not have to be perfect to resemble Martha Stewart. It's a good thing.
- Keeping It Clean - Jamie at I Love Junkmail...and Other Stuff, a second-time new mom, finds a way to organize care of her home and self.
- Finding a New Rhythm (or, letting go of my lists) - Emily at S.A.H.M. i AM discusses how letting go of her long to-do lists and focusing on one day at a time leads to a simple daily rhythm and better organization in the long run.
So true! The simpler the better! Less stuff equals less mess and less stuff to do means more time for life to just happen! Thanks for participating in the carnival!
ReplyDeleteLoved this - and oh my - your dog!! I try to be better about "going with the flow" of the unexpected. Definitely a work in progress for me.......your words inspired me! :)
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, one activity per season. This is a great idea! I have all of these plans for my daughter to try out activities of different kinds...swimming, sports, music, dance...but I think she becomes exhausted (as do I) with so much to "do" in our daily life. I will think long and hard about implementing the one/season idea. It will almost certainly take more convincing for me than for my kids, which is probably a wake-up call for me. Thanks for getting the wheels turning in my head, and thanks for joining up with the carnival!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant move to pare down the schedule. Kids are so overscheduled now that they don't have time for free play and end up overtired. As a former third grade teacher, I can speak to how it impacts their school days. Thanks for sharing your simplifying tips. I hope the dog ended up okay after meeting up with the porcupine. Have a great weekend!
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