New Mommy Rant

2013-05-20T19:16:00.002-04:00

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24 Week Pregnancy Update and Belly Pic

2012-10-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

I had my midwife appointment last week and apparently I gained 7 lbs in 4 weeks. I think that might be a bit off since I weighed myself 3 days before and had gained 4lbs. My fingers were kinda sausage like so I assuming I am retaining water. Next appointment, November 14th, is my glucose screening. Yum! I love chugging that crap. ugh

I have been feeling better overall but need to be careful about how much I lift/carry Jude because my lower back does get sore sometimes. I tend to act like superwoman and then pay for it later. Otherwise I feel good. I have been sleeping AWESOME! Since I started taking the Natural Calm I am getting some solid sleep which is a huge plus when taking care of two small children. I am also upping my vitamin D and taking some krill oil too.

Halloween is next week and I am trying to be especially purposeful about what I put into my body (and into baby) as I tend to splurge during the holidays and then pay for it come January. I am putting a little extra thought into what I consume and deciding if it is a worthwhile splurge,which most times it is not. I am finding that many of the splurgy foods I once enjoyed just leave me feeling gross these days.

23 Week Baby Belly Pics

2012-10-15T06:55:00.002-04:00

Time sure is flying. I am 23 weeks today. We snapped a photo when I picked up the kid's at Pete's studio yesterday because I knew I wouldn't see him for a few days. I had an impromptu trip to the midwife this past week to try and figure some things out. I won't go into detail now, but I am feeling better than I was last week. I am attending Charleston Birth Place, a local birth center, for this pregnancy. I wish I'd have had this option with the other two pregnancies but did not know of anything similar in Jersey, which is a shame. I did hop on the scale while I was there this past week but I'll wait until my official appointment to update weight gain. I gained about 30lbs with both previous pregnancies and I am thinking it will be about the same this time around. I have no idea what my starting weight was because I hadn't weighed myself in about a year but think it was close to 114.

I think my belly pictures get fewer and fewer in the coming weeks with Eliza and Jude.

23 weeks with Rainbow Sparkle

119 days to go

23 weeks with Jude

24 weeks with Eliza

Rainbow Sparkle and Cloth Diaper Rental

2012-10-10T13:51:00.002-04:00

Eliza is very excited that I am having a girl. She is so excited that she decided to name her. Pete and I had something else in mind but Eliza insists that her name is Rainbow Sparkle. It is kind of growing on me...

We will be cloth diapering Rainbow Sparkle. I have quite a few usable diapers left from Eliza and Jude- though most will be put to rest after serving me well. I also have picked up some used diapers at a local diaper swap. I will still need to buy some new ones but will probably wait until baby is born.

Sweet Jude

I rented NB diapers with Jude and that is what I plan on doing again. Both of my kids were born on the small side which makes it difficult to use OS from the start. Plus, I still have two of the covers I used with Jude and a few I purchased recently. It worked out really well last time so I think it is the way to go. I could buy NB cloth and then resell it, but honestly I am too lazy for all of that.

I used Nell's Natural Baby for my rentals. Here is the review I wrote after using them with Jude.

If you are interested in how a diaper rental would compare to buying disposable you can find a comparison here.

I will be taking picture of my stash (both old and new) when I get my hands on a camera.

Here is one of my favorite cloth diaper pictures of Eliza. We used Smartipants with Eliza and Jude, but the leg gussets are all stretched out so we will NOT be using them with #3.

Magnesium and Pregnancy

2012-10-08T15:56:00.001-04:00

I started taking a magnesium supplement a few days ago at the suggestions of some local mommas as a way to help with my Braxton Hicks. I had been taking Natural Calm before I even got pregnant to help with leg cramps. These cramps had started when I was pregnant with Jude and never really went away. There is nothing more annoying than waking up in the middle of the night with leg discomfort. I am guessing I was most likely deficient in magnesium this entire time. For some silly reason I stopped taking it when I got pregnant. Most likely because the thought of ingesting anything for about the first 15 weeks made me feel gross. I drink the Natural Calm three times a day to spread out the dosage.

Since taking the Natural Calm I have had a lot less Braxton Hicks. Additionally, I haven't had middle of the night leg cramps or really woken up in the middle of the night at all. I had been waking up almost every night unable to sleep for about two hours. Since taking the supplement my night wakings are nonexistent.

Here is an article from Wellness Mama on magnesium supplementation. Here is some more information on Magnesium and Pregnancy.

I also plan on taking some Salt baths. I was adding Epsom salt to the bath for the kids but ran out. I need to add it to the shopping list. I also give Jude and Eliza Natural Calm though I do want to get them Kid Calm but they don't sell it locally.

Have you had any positive experiences taking a magnesium supplement?

Week 21, the Move & Belly Pics

2012-10-05T21:35:00.001-04:00

We are all moved over to the new house. Thankfully my mom and brother were here to help us get moved and settled. Even with them here, I seem to have overdid it a bit and ended up cramping and spotting; most likely resulting from dehydration and just being on my feet too much. I went to see the midwife because I wanted to make sure that the Braxton Hicks I had been having were not causing me to dilate. During my exam they saw that I have cervical ectropion. This occurs when inner cervical cells are found on the outer cervix. These cells are referred to as ectropions. So, I am going to be more prone to bleeding from physical activity of...um... all kinds. FUN!

I am not sure what is going on with week 21, but my body has decided to rebel against me. I had been feeling great aside from the BH but now my lower back is killing me and I have been very crampy. I am taking Natural Calm which seems to be helping with the BH. I also definitely need to get adjusted soon and should not have put it off for this long. I think it was easier teaching Kindergarten while pregnant than it is being at home with Eliza and Jude. I am keeping my fingers crossed that baby is just in a weird position and week 22 will be better.

22 Weeks with Eliza

23 Weeks with Jude

I wonder what Eliza was doing while we tried to get this shot...I'm a hot mess. I clearly was not ready for this picture as I would NEVER be photographed with my arm flat against my body.

Here is my current belly pic. I am 22 weeks on Monday so I can't really say this is a 21 week picture.

21/22 Weeks

They all look about the same to me.

Pink or Blue?

2012-09-23T17:52:00.001-04:00

Boy or Girl?

What do you think?

If you guessed blue, like me & Jude, you were
WRONG!

I really thought it was a boy this time.

If you guessed girl, like Pete & Eliza, you were
CORRECT!

Pregnancy Update- 19 weeks

2012-09-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

Row, row, row your belly

Gently down the stream

if your daughter's shoe falls in

She will surely scream!

Here is the pregnancy scoop at 19 weeks...

The nausea has mostly passed though I've had occasional spells here and there. I was sick much longer this time than I was with Jude. I looked back on old posts and it seems I was sicker with Jude than I was with Eliza. Apparently for me it gets worse with each pregnancy. I am making a mental note for the future.

I have been experiencing a lot of dizziness. I had this earlier in the pregnancy with Jude but it seems to be getting worse for me right now. I am so busy with the kids that I don't think I eat often enough and really need to make a point of eating enough and drinking enough water. It has cooled down substantially here in Charleston, but most days it is still pretty warm. Also, all of the bending I have been doing to pack up this house has not been helping at all...especially when I already have low blood pressure.

I guess practice makes perfect because my body has decided to have Braxton Hicks contraction quite often. I think they started at 20 weeks with Jude. This time around they hit at 15 weeks.

Jude is still nursing occasionally though I am hoping he weans by February. I am not ruling out Tandem nursing, but I have already experience nursing agitation while pregnant and I am not looking forward to that feeling while nursing two. I struggled to nurse both Eliza and Jude in the beginning. While my fingers are crossed that it comes easier this time, I know that may not be realistic.

I had my level 2 ultrasound on Tuesday morning. In the past we did not find out the gender. However, we decided to find out this time for several different reasons. It is a .....baby!

Hoping to snap a cute gender reveal photo this weekend. If I haven't already told you, you are going to have to wait a little bit longer. Sorry!

Happy 5th Birthday Eliza...a look back

2012-09-18T05:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 5th Birthday Eliza Marie!

I really can't believe it has been five years!

Here's a look back...

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 2nd Birthday! You have been a big sister for exactly one month.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Pack your bags we are moving to Charlotte in a few days!

Happy 4th Birthday!

This was taken a week after your 4th Birthday. We moved into our house in North Charleston on the day before your birthday. You ended up sick with a stomach virus on the 18th.

Four has been a big year for Eliza. She learned how to ride a two wheeler, learned to read and do a cartwheel. I can't wait to see what her 5th year will bring.

and we are packing our bags again to move...in less than two weeks! Seems like September is a popular time for us to move.

Peter Miller Portraiture

2012-09-16T07:31:00.000-04:00

Pete has been working on some exciting new stuff lately. Here is a video he did of a portrait session. One perk of being a photographer's wife is that you get to be his test subject. I had so much fun doing this shoot. Pregnancy hormones had me tearing up after watching it a few times...or maybe it was just seeing my before picture. I rarely get the opportunity to dress up these days so I wasn't about to turn down the chance to feel glamorous.

You can check out his site at Peter Miller Photography...

Meet Baby Bump #3

2012-09-13T14:05:00.002-04:00

Here is the comparison of all three bellies. The first two are closer to 20 weeks and the bottom picture is closer to 19 weeks. I definitely popped early this time. My stomach muscles have clearly surrendered. I think I am probably closer to what I was with Eliza at this point. I started out that pregnancy and this pregnancy a bit heavier. I have my level 2 ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday. We do NOT plan on finding out the sex. Here's a thought... maybe Pete and I will find out and just not tell anyone. bwahahaha

20 weeks Eliza

My baby turns 5 on Tuesday!

Happy 5th Birthday to my 1st Bump

20 weeks Jude

18/19 weeks

Getting Fermenty

2012-04-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

While we really do try to eat healthy I have been known to go on non nutritional benders (jellybean week) during especially stressful times. This happened after being diagnosed with Epstein Barr and Cytomegalovirus last summer. In addition to being exhausted and depressed I was pissed. I was angry about getting sick in the first place. I felt like my immune system had failed me and I ended up in a downward ice cream ingesting spiral. If I am being completely honest I hadn't been making the best choices in the month or two right before getting sick; including the choice to let neighborhood kids help blow up my kids swimmies. If you add in stress from moving, exhaustion from nursing Jude at night and working during the day, it was a recipe for disaster. So I spent August and September feeling worse than I have ever felt in my life; worrying I would never feel normal again. The previous fall I had spent eating healthy and working out with my brother. One year later I was too tired to walk around an amusement park for my Jude's birthday. So I did what seemed to make a lot of a sense at the time- eat a lot of ice cream.

Fast forward to January 2013. I

I had spent the last four months eating crap- sugar, wheat, sugar and more sugar and felt horrible. I decided I needed to get my act together and do a Whole 30 Challenge. I have willpower of steal when I put my mind to it so it wasn't too difficult. The real challenge was dealing with the digestive upset caused by cleaning up my diet. Let's just say that my belly was not too happy about the lack of sugar. Some people like to refer to this as die off. It took a month and a trip to the doctor (to rule out parasites) to figure out that my gut flora was a mess. It wasn't until I was sitting in the doctor's office telling him about the antibiotics they pumped into me during the month of August and then again in October for a UTI that I realized jut how many antibiotics I had taken in 20111. After about 15 years of no antibiotics I had taken the mother load and my stomach was screwed.

Luckily, the... um discomfort abated. I knew I had a lot of work to do to restore a healthy gut flora. This is when I really started to become interested in fermented foods and probitotics from real food sources. I'd heard a lot about Kombucha, Kefir and Kraut and I was interested. I decided 2012 is really going to be a fermenty year for me. I am learning, slowly, about how to ferment my own foods and working to heal my damaged gut.

Screen Free Week 2012

2012-04-26T20:37:00.001-04:00

Next week is Screen Free Week 2012!

We will be participating in screen free week from April 30- May 6. This will be our 4th time participating in this event. While we do not currently have a television we do have an iPad and a computer. I am definitely guilty of spending too much time on the computer so I am positive this will be more of a challenge for me than for my kids. I think it is helpful to unplug ourselves once in a while. I did it for over two months last summer and I really didn't miss it at all. In fact, I am thinking of a screen free summer again this year.

I am sure we will spend lots of time playing outside, reading books and making messes next week!

Will you take the screen free pledge?

Let our children play!!!

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If you are in Charleston there are some local Screen Free events HERE!

Still Here...

2012-04-25T15:20:00.003-04:00

I once again have computer access on a regular basis so I am hoping to keep the blog updated.

So here is the gist of what has been going on with us...

We are still in Charleston and we love it here. While I really miss friends and family in NJ we are very happy with our decision to move.

Pete is working on his photography business. He is amazing and I have so much respect for him and what he is trying to accomplish. You can check his work out HERE!

I am home with the kids. I am also teaching My Smart Hands signing classes which has been a blast. I have an amazing class and I am going to miss seeing them all each week. I'm planning on teaching a Level 2 class and another Level 1 class.

Eliza and Jude are now little people. Eliza is not technically school age here in SC. She would not be eligible until September 2013. At this point we are homeschooling and it is working. Jude is going to be three. I don't even know how that happened. Eliza was three when we moved from and now Jude is three. and YES- he is still nursing and he is still nursing at night - though no not as often.

Lots of other little stuff happening around here- but I'll save that for later.

Finding our Food Rhythm

2011-09-07T15:37:00.001-04:00

I have used meal planning to save money and make life easier for a long time. However, I usually end up getting lazy and when it comes time to plan for the week I sit down with a sheet of paper and my mind goes blank. There are simply too many choices and so something that should have made life easier was suddenly overwhelming.

I was recently introduced to the concept of having a Food Rhythm from Simplicity Parenting and it makes meal planning a snap. It isn't really something new. In fact I'm pretty sure it is an old concept that my grandparents and great grandparents employed. I think my mom used it to some extent but I am trying to avoid thoughts of pork chops and noodle roni right now. Eating the same foods on a weekly basis may seem limiting in some respects- but you really are only limited by your own creativity. The other bonus is how it creates meal rituals for your family. Kids thrive on knowing what to expect. My daughter likes to know that she will have chicken on Monday and burgers on Saturday. It is comforting to her to know what it going on with our meals. I can definitely see how it will simplify our lives at what can certainly be the most stressful time of day.

So here is our food rhythm for now...we will see how it goes

Sunday- DIY Pizzas. I want to get the kids more involved with cooking and pizza is a no brainer with lots of possibilities. Although it isn't Paleo, we were usually eating non-paleo on weekends anyway.

Monday- Chicken

Tuesday- Taco Tuesday (Mexican)

Wednesday- Rice (white)

Thursday- Soup/Stew

Friday- Wild Card

Saturday- Fun Burgers

So now when I sit down to plan my week I no longer drawing a blank. Instead, it is like I am already half way done.

SIMPLE!

Screen Free Summer Recap

2011-09-06T14:01:00.000-04:00

I am back from my screen free break and my mullet is better than ever. Growing out a pixie is NO FUN!

A lot of people have inquired about my time was away from the screen. Ironically, I thought it would be a really reflective time but it wasn't. What did I do? I read, and read and read some more. I played with my kids. I spent time with family. I talked, played board games and went swimming. I lived.

I still have no TV with no plans for its return. Pete watches a show on the Ipad now and again but I really don't miss TV at all. NOT AT ALL

I traded in my Droid for what I like to call the Zack Morris. The DROID was a financial burden and having Internet access 24/7 was a huge distraction for me. I did not make it the entire time without texting. So FAIL on giving that up- but I did make more of an effort to call people actually talk.

I did miss the computer time and ended up online a few times out of necessity. Darn the convenience of the Internet. The two things that brought me online were looking at real estate- i couldn't justify my husband printing out that information when i could look at it on the computer. The second was because I started getting sick in July and went online to see what the heck was wrong- which is a good and a bad thing. I am feeling better now but spent the latter part of the summer feeling crappy and trying to figure out what was wrong (which involved numerous trips to the doctor and the lab).

I have decided to set limits for myself with the computer. Although I enjoy it, I continue to feel it prevents me from giving my kids 100% of my attention. I need to be a model for the kids and I can't very well ask them do something constructive (play) while I vegetate on Facebook. I plan to minimize my usage and possibly will only be going online when the kids are asleep.

I continue to work towards minimalism and simplicity for our family. I strive to find balance that works for us. We are planning to move again and I will be closely examining our STUFF again. Less is really more and we are learning to Enjoy less a lil more each day.

Growing Out the Pixie

2011-05-23T18:17:00.001-04:00

It is time to grow out the Pixie. I do enjoy the short hair but I just can't keep up with getting it trimmed.

It has been 8 weeks since my last cut and I might as well just go through with all the awkward mullety goodness that happens when you grow out a short cut.

Decisions. Decisions.

Do I let Pete cut it in the interim or do I fork out the cash for a professional

cut?

Either way I will look like this...

I Love it... I Love it ...I Love it!

It's time for the hoedown throwdown.

Book Review- "What's Eating Your Child"

2011-05-18T19:11:00.000-04:00

Book Review

What's Eating Your Child by Kelly Dorfman, MS, LND

About the Book

In this important book readers will find scientifically supported nutritional solutions that address, mitigate and sometime even erase both the symptoms and the causes of stubborn health problems including:

picky eating
reflux
attention problems
ear infections
temper tantrums
behavioral difficulties
lack of energy
insomnia
learning disabilities
chronic tummy aches
anxiety
constipation
night terrors
eczema
depression
speech delays

About the Author

Kelly Dorfman is a nutritionist who specializes in difficult cases. She has written dozens of articles, has been featured in several books and quoted in publications such as The Washington Post. Kelly lectures and speaks across the country. She lives outside Washington, D.C.

My Take

I am all about nutrition. Any book that makes us stop and think about the food we are feeding our families is a good thing. The book is broken down into vignettes, a format that made the topic even more interesting. It was heartbreaking to read about how some of the kids had been on medication for reflux/constipation from infancy. While those stories made me cringe I definitely did a little cheer for all the kids who benefited from dietary changes.

Diet is very important to me and I put a lot of time and energy into making sure my family eats a nutritionally dense diet. I firmly believe that many modern ailments/illnesses are diet related. I am not suggesting that nutrition is a magic bullet, but altering what you or your child eats is a low risk way to see if diet is the issue. I believe Dorfman is sending an important message to parents; Nutrition matters!

If you want to learn more about being a nutrition detective you should definitely check out What's eating Your Child. Kelly Dorfman also has a blog and website.

I did receive a complementary copy of the book which I will be passing on to another mom.

Halfway Point- Chugging Along

2011-05-16T13:52:00.001-04:00

So I am at the halfway point on my 31 day crusade towards minimalism.

I am not going to lie. Getting rid of things has been very difficult. However, it isn't difficult because I don't want to part with things as much as it is just difficult and exhausting going through everything and making decisions. I kinda wish someone would just come and take everything. TAKE IT ALL AWAY! I really wouldn't miss anything one bit. I am considering having am "I'm Going Minimalist Sale" and everyone is invited.

The PROCESS has been trying but I see such tremendous progress. I don't want to lose steam. I know it will take more than 31 days to get to my goal. What I am trying to accomplish in 31 days is to make a BIG DENT. It is so easy to make a small dent and then think, "this looks & feels so much better" and then take a permanent nap on the couch. I've been there before and I am resolved that things will be different this time.

I have become acutely aware of how stuff finds its way into our home. Freebies, swag bag goodies, papers, tiny toys all creep into our house. I am an army of one putting the smack down on the clutter as it tries to break down my door.

I am honestly a little disgusted with myself when I look at all the superfluousness around my house. What a waste of money and time to acquire and care for these things. I keep looking at my six pairs of shoes and thinking, "Do I really need six pairs of shoes for one pair of feet?" I can maybe justify having a pair of boots, flip flops, dress shoes and sneakers. But 3 pairs of flip flops? 3 pairs of sneakers? It all just seems like excess to me at this point. Some of those shoes are going to be on the chopping block.

I am enthralled with the concept of living with only what is necessary. What a freeing concept. If we had to move it would only take a weekend to pack up our possessions and not months. We are still far from living minimally but getting there slowly. There is very little that I won't part with in the end. Everything I cherish is in my head and in my heart.

A Little Q & A Anyone?

2011-05-15T08:38:00.000-04:00

Have a question you'd like me to answer?

Send your questions to me at anyelday@aol.com with Blog Question in the title and I will do my best to respond on the blog. I really do enjoy trying to help people and sharing my experiences as a mom. Take my advice or tell me to go fly a kit...your choice!

I will change your name in my response.

Danielle!

Night Weaning Jude

2011-05-11T09:37:00.001-04:00

I'm tired.

Not tired like had a busy weekend.

Tired like I've been getting up 3-5 times a night for almost 2 years.

Jude and I have a beautiful nursing relationship that has been mutually beneficial in so many ways. I don't regret one second that I have spent with my lil guy. Most times I don't even mind waking up so much at night. It is the days following a particularly busy nursing night that bother me. I am not my best when I am tired and Eliza tends to be the one to suffer. She is an energetic little girl and trying at times. When I am tired I am much shorter with her than necessary and I know that isn't fair.

Last Monday I made the decision to night wean Jude. I know he is old enough to understand. I also know I am home with him all day and we spend lots of time snuggling and cuddling. If I were working outside the home I am not sure I'd be able to cut back on the nighttime sessions without feeling guilty.

I am taking an approach that I feel is the most gentle. I opted against having Pete deal with the night wakings because I didn't want Jude to feel like I was no longer available for him at night. Instead I am helping him to fall back to sleep without nursing. Our rule is no "milkies" between the hours of 11-6. I told Jude that "milkies" need sleep too and so they are going to bed. It hasn't been as bad as I envisioned but he is still waking up at around 2 each night asking for "milkies" or more specifically "milkies now!". I have been getting him back to sleep by rubbing his forehead.

I know there are many who think it is crazy that he is still nursing (especially at night) at almost 2 years old, but nursing is an important part of my relationship with Jude and serves many purposes in addition to providing nourishment. I will not stop before we are both ready.

Night weaning is bittersweet for me because it does signify the beginning of the end. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were just home from the hospital endlessly working to get a good latch. On. Off. On . Off. I clearly remember one very low point. I was sitting on the couch with Jude tears dripping onto my nursing pillow as we continued to struggle day after day and hour after exhausted hour. I knew Pete was also growing frustrated. He was on his way out with Eliza and he stopped and looked at me and asked, "Is it worth it?". I answered, "It will be when we finally get it right." And I was right. Every single tear was worth it and now that the end is nearing I'll probably shed a few more.

Building Bigger Triceps One Shower at a Time

2011-05-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

I have decided to skip the shampoo and see how I do going "no poo." I first heard about "No Poo" over a year ago from Leslie at Recycle Your Day. It's been something I've wanted to try since, but didn't run out of shampoo until now. That was one BIG bottle of Pantene.

Why skip shampoo?

It's full of all kinds of chemical crap that I really don't want to put on my body. I was using Classic Pantene which has a Skin Deep rating of 5. I generally don't using anything above a 2. To complete my toxic chemical wash I was also using the Pantene Conditioner. I'm going to avoid these yummy chemicals because nerve damage and cancer aren't really my style.

Why the bigger triceps? I am scrubbing my scalp for about a minute each time I shower and boy have I felt it in my arms. At this rate I will have Michelle Obama arms in no time.

My last shampoo was Wednesday of last week. Since then I did one baking soda "wash" with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Results? Squeaky clean and I smelled like Easter. I LOVE Easter. I really haven't noticed a huge difference. My hair has been a little more oily than usual but certainly not oily to the point of being gross. Once those monkeys I order arrive to pick out the fleas I'll be golden.

SERIOUSLY= it isn't nasty or gross. If I didn't tell you that I wasn't using shampoo you wouldn't have a clue.

If you are interested in going "No Poo" check out Going No Poo

(aka Getting your 19th Century On*)

I'll be back to blogging about my decluttering soon.

31 Days Towards Minimalism- Day 4 or 5 or 6?

2011-05-06T19:49:00.000-04:00

It seems I've lost a few days somewhere; My guess is that they are hiding under the junk in my front closet.

In an attempt to avoid dealing with the toys I decided to clean out said front closet. I pulled out everything and was immediately overwhelmed. I am not sure who has been saving all kinds of crap and storing it in this closet (me). Probably someone who had the best intentions to do amazing crafts using toilet paper rolls (me). I mean , who doesn't need 10 supersized Folgers coffee containers? (me)

I sorted through about 1/2 and was done.

I really shouldn't attempt things like this at 9:00 at night. I was tired. I wanted to crawl under the enormous pile of size 4T sweatshirts and hide all the while wondering how one little girl ended up with so many sweatshirts. Were they giving them away at The Children's Place?

So, I checked Facebook. I took a shower. I looked up recipes on how to cook the beets in this week's CSA box. I hoped that somebody else would come and clean up the mess.

Finally, I did the unthinkable. I shoved the rest of the junk right back into the closet. I was just too tired.

That closet hasn't seen the last of me. I have 31 days and I intend to use them. Toilet paper rolls beware...

I needed some fuel so that I could get a handle on toys. I found an article by Joshua Becker entitled Why Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids.

After reading this I was definitely amped about shedding some stuff. However, I am going to take a a different approach to purging the rest of the toys. I am going to choose 1 item each day for the next 25 days to toss, sell or donate. I have also drastically limited the number of toys in the room. I am feeling much better now that I have a plan in place.

31 Days Towards Minimalism- Day 3

2011-05-05T19:20:00.000-04:00

Day 3...umm there is no day 3 blog post. The kids toys really have me in a rut. I keep making excuse after excuse to keep the toys. Many of them are quality educational toys. We use a lot of them. Do we REALLY need them all? NO I just am a big baby and don't want to decide who gets to stay and who gets to go.

Last night, instead of going through toys and making tough decisions I went through the all of Eliza and Jude's clothing.

I set aside anything I thought might fit them in the fall and tossed anything that was not worth keeping, They both had lots of warm clothes which don't do us very good in this southern heat. I think Jude had 15 pairs of pants. A lot of them were hand me downs but that number is ridiculous. I culled about half- which were size 12-18 months- and set them aside. I don't know if I should donate them or sell them.

I was going to go through the closet toys tonight but I am backing out. AGAIN. I am going to go through the front closet instead.

31 Days to Minimalism- Day 2

2011-05-03T19:26:00.001-04:00

My goal for this week is the toy room. We have a LOT of toys and books. Unfortunately, for some reason it is excruciating for me to make any decisions on paring down these items. I guess part of my feels like my kids need of all of these things to be happy even though I know that isn't true. The opposite is probably true. They have so much stuff they don't have the room to play. I am trying to teach them that happiness doesn't come from stuff, but they have tons of stuff. I know I am sending them the wrong message.

I also love books and we have a huge library for the kids. We do read many of the books but I am planning to at least cut it in half. OUCH! Then we will abide by the one new book in/ one old book out rule.

Yesterday was day two and I did a quick cull of their books. I also grabbed some of the toys I have been holding onto for no reason and took them out of the room. I haven't even looked in their closet yet. I have set aside an entire week to go through their stuff and at the end of the week I will photograph each item I have decided to keep.