Get Rid of the Toys

PaPa Bear and I moved into our new house October of last year.  Since it was only a few miles away, we decided to safe money and move ourselves.  As we were slowly bringing our belongings over, our new neighbor was getting ready for a garage sale they were having as a fundraiser for charity.  We had LOTS and LOTS of garage sale "stuff" but we didn't want to deal with a garage sale while trying to move.  So we decided to donate our stuff to their cause.  They must have thought we would have nothing left in the house, because we walked over to their house with loads of "stuff" at least 50 times.  We donated TVs, tools, kitchen supplies, barware, toys, lamps, the list goes on.  It was nice to be free of this stuff.  We wanted our new home to be clutter free and simple.  And we didn't want the kids' toys to "take over."  We definitely started on the right path!

Of course, societal pressures gets to you.  You start feeling the "need" to buy things again.  Toys in particular.  But these are educational.  But its Christmas.  But it is her birthday.  More clothes.  More books.   More.   More.  So the house that was on the road to being clutter free, is starting to look like a toy store again.

Since moving to the new house, I joined the MOMS Club in my area, and fortunately they have a Facebook Page where they post questions, events, and yes, even things for sale or give-a-ways.  One day, I went through the house and posted numerous toys to give-a-way or sale for at a small price.  Most of them where gone in minutes.  Some ladies even asked if I had anything left in the house!  I even sold some beanbags we were holding onto for "later" when we would have more room and the kids could use them.  But these things were HUGE!  Once they started to make me feel claustrophobic, they were gone!  And it felt SO GOOD.  

What is so wrong with getting rid of all the extra toys that are sitting in the closet for months?  All the extra plastic noise makers that hold my children's attention for only a few minutes before they are thrown on the floor as they search for something else to entertain them?  Here is the exciting part!  Once I started to free our house of extra toys and extra plastic noise makers, my kids began to "play" with the toys that were left behind.  Wooden blocks, wooden puzzles, pouring glasses, scissors, colored pencils, sewing boards, sandpaper letters and wooden stacking dolls.  They LOVE these things and can entertain themselves for 4 or 5 times longer than with the "educational toys."  So I say, they are learning something more important then their letters (which they already know anyway), they are learning how to entertain themselves and create things.  They are learning how to build castles or get all the stackable dolls together in the right order.  I believe, this is way more gratifying than pushing a button on a LeapFrog game!  Now don't get me wrong, my three year old son does know how to turn on the iPad and get to a Curious George episode, but he only does so when he has permission.... even when the iPad is sitting at his level most of the day.

But being creative and productive is the path to happiness... not constantly getting new "toys."

Journey Begins

As a health coach, I am always reading articles, blogs, and yes, even books about health.  The more I read, the more concerned I become of the way we live - our society as a whole and, of course, my family.  We live in a world surrounded by too much.  Too much processed food.   Too much sugar.  Too much medicine.  Too much hormones.  Too much plastic.  Too much toys.  Too much entertainment.  Too much electronics.  Too much makeup.  Too much activities.  Too much garbage.  Too much chemicals.  Too much handbags.  The list goes on.  It is just too much.

So here is my journey on trying to create real. simple. free. lives for my two wonderful children.