Simplicity

Hopefully I can find a way to write this post without it being too choppy or overwhelming. Let me start by putting this out there: I'm craving simplicity. Not the extreme kind of simplicity where we sell all our belongings and move into an 8x8 hut with no electricity. That's a little too simple for this city girl. I just want things to be easier. Life to be more enjoyable. Of course, life - in all it's complicated beauty - is not easy. But there are people out there who are making things as simple for their families as possible and seem incredibly happy doing it. I want to be one of them. I say this as I'm about to go back to school as a mom of two little boys, by itself making things NOT simple, but that's why I want simplicity.

Let me go over the basics of what I want to change:

My house gets messy too fast. I've already started going through things stuffed into closets, clothes we don't wear, things packed in boxes that are never touched, toys/games that are broken/missing pieces, etc. They are getting sorted and either sold or given away. We will limit our belongings. Messy areas in the house are being newly organized.

Our schedule, well, isn't one. With Aiden going to school five days per week and me going to class twice per week, we HAVE to have a schedule. This is not an option. I have one week to get us on a new basic schedule and will adapt it to include the things that need to be done as we adjust. The schedule will include housework, homework, and exercise. This will be done as a family. We will avoid over-scheduling and burning ourselves out.

We spend too much on groceries and I stress about meals. I've been spending the past few days researching how other moms tackle this. Meal plans and batch cooking are must-haves to make this work. I am going to attempt a challenge of keeping our grocery budget to $300 per month (family of four with two growing boys). Crazy? Maybe. But I'm sure I'll learn a lot along the way.

I've requested books on making family life easier and more fun from the library. I've discovered mom blogs dedicated to this very subject. Yes, it may require some lifestyle changes, but that's ok with me. Once things really get going, I may start a "spin-off" blog of sorts just so you don't all get bombarded here when you just want updates on the general goings-on. Having a place dedicated to writing about the changes we're making may also hold me accountable and keep me on track if I know people are checking in on me.

So, let the simplicity begin!