Getting Rid of Stuff

It's project week at my house. I have just a few more weeks until another school year begins. Then it gets hard to keep up with the clutter. This year, I have made the commitment to simplify our house. I want to own things we need or use frequently and live without the rest. I think it will help us keep the house more organized even when life gets hectic. 

As I have sifted through room after room, making choices about items, it has also made me feel a little more relaxed. I love the thought of having passing along to someone else. It really warms my heart. But, I also know that I will be happier in less clutter, so it's worth spending hours readying items for donation.

Tonight, we put the last of the items in the driveway for pickup tomorrow morning. I chose the Epilepsy Foundation for the charity we are helping. I can't wait for them to take it all away. With it, a chunk of stress goes with it.

Summer Planning for Kids (lots of fun on the cheap!)

Wondering how you will keep kids entertained, yet stimulated this summer? This year, I'm making sure that my kids have a little more structure to their vacation. This will help them stay in a school-day frame of mind, but also gives me a chance to keep them from camping out in front of the tv for hours (although they would usually choose the computer instead). I posted the schedule on the refrigerator so that they know it's coming...since tomorrow is the last day of school. 

Here's what it looks like: 

Pretty well-rounded. It gives them a chance for choice, but also let me control some of the activities they partake in. We had our family meeting tonight and they seemed pretty pleased.  We also made a bucket list of some of the things we want to do this summer, most of which are visiting our favorite local attractions, but we are also doing some learning and volunteer activities as well. The regular schedule will be altered when we have an activity, and I am planning on doing 1-2 of the below each week (some on weekends though).

Our 2013 Bucket List:

- Visit the Zoo, Science Center, Missouri History Museum, Magic House, Arch, Art Museum, Gus's Pretzel Shop

- Use our free tickets for Six Flags (from the kids' school reading program)

- Go bowling (AMF lanes has a free kids program this summer) 

- Complete the Barnes & Noble and library's summer reading programs

- Have a baking day (hopefully on a cooler day)

- Picnic on Art Hill

- Go to the pool and the batting cages

- Volunteer at the St. Louis Food Bank

- Pass out 2-3 cases of cold water bottles at the bus station in July (there are no drinking fountains there, so people get miserable when it's hot and they have no money for the vending machine)

- Spend the day riding on public transportation and exploring (we used to do this all the time when we lived in the city - it's a cheap, fun day)

- Use our bikes for a whole day of activities (no car transportation)

- Walk to our local dollar theatre (hopefully to catch Iron Man 3)

Most of these activities are free or low-cost. Each year, I also spend about $50 at the dollar store buying outdoor items like bubbles, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, hula hoops, water balloons, and squirt guns. I always have art supplies around the house, so I usually only need to buy a couple packages of construction paper. I am on the lookout at Goodwill and garage sales for an ultra-cheap karaoke machine. I think the kids would love it. Even if I don't find it, I know it will be a great summer...just one more day of school!

Revising Your Goals

Things change from year to year, and that means sometimes you have to rethink your goals. I have been so busy over the last few months, blogging had to be put on hold for a while. Now that summer is here and MANY things have changed in the past six months, I feel it is time to start up again. I visited my life goals page and made some updates. For example, I don't know if having a goal of moving is achievable in the next five years. I have recently accepted a teaching position and am unsure where my career will take me. For now, it seems much smarter to consider staying. I have also completed several of my goals, so I added a few new ones. It is okay to change what you want in life; just make sure your actions reflect what you are trying to achieve in the end.