31 Days of Less and More--Day 3

Less bitterness, and more forgiveness.

That's a good one for me.  I have bitterness about a few things, things I cannot change.  I know the only way I will ever be able to be really happy is to let go of the bitterness.  Often I will find myself wishing that I could go out with friends at a moment's notice.  I watch (with envy) coworkers get together and have fun.  It almost feels like I'm being left out, and I am.  However, I am being left out because I always say I can't go.  With two little ones I can't go out at the last minute, and that has to be ok.  What I can get at the last minute is  a fabulous game of Chutes and Ladders with my oldest.  I also get smothered in kisses, like I did tonight from my youngest.  I get to have that, and that is awesome.  I have to let the bitterness go and look at what I been blessed with.  Since starting this challenge I have spent more time with my husband and children.  We have played games and gone to the pumpkin patch to make pumpkin men and find sleep gourds.  How can I let this time of creativity and imagination in my girls pass me by because I felt left out???  So, tonight I am going to spend time praying about letting the bitterness go, and letting the forgiveness come.

E's pumpkin man

The "sleeping gourd"

31 Days of Less and More-Day 2

Well, today I was supposed to confront a fear and allow more courage into my life.  I didn't actually confront my fears yet, but I am cooking food that I would NEVER taste without this challenge.  Tomorrow night we start eating Mediterranean food.  To some, no biggie.  To me, I am a little nervous.  My taste buds are those of an 8 year old. 
I did do some purging today.  I cut my closet down to 40 hangers!  The girls are on their way to a simpler life.  I am purging toys too.  I love the idea of toys that foster creativity and imagination.  In fact, today the girls played Monsters, Inc.  They took turns being Sully and Mike.  They would scare each other and then fill the scare container, a thermos!

31 Days of Less and More

After a VERY long break I am going to attempt to blog again.  This time I am blogging with a purpose,  I stumbled upon a fantastic blog by Ruth Soukup about simplifying her family's life.  I have struggled with all the "stuff" we have in our very small house.  I have been overwhelmed on an almost daily basis.  I am truly fed up with all of the stuff.  I feel like all I do when I get home from work is clean my house, and my family relationships are suffering.
I have a bit of baggage in my past, and my husband signed on for all of it.  I know that I have spent years using all the stuff in our lives to avoid dealing with this baggage.  Our jobs, our clutter, and our kids have been essential in this wonderful avoidance technique, but I am done with it...TODAY.
So, I am blogging again for public accountability and to just chronicle this journay so that sometime in the future I can look at what I have accomplished.
Enjoy!

The following pictures are me admitting we have a problem...

                                                  Chaos...not good for me, not good for them!

                                                                       Clutter closet

                                                                  "Toy chest???"

                                                                         Frat House

More chaos