Stitches in Play

topsy-turvy (but in a good way)

Stopping in to say Hello!  

We are safe and sound post hurricane Irene - we lost power for two days, several trees fell, and there are leaves, branches and debris scattered on our property but we are just fine.  Sending best wishes to those still dealing with the aftermath of this storm.

I've been away from this space so that I can fully partake in the fun, and topsy turvy summer, we've been having.  The kiddos and I have been playing and driving and eating and driving and spending time with friends and driving some more this summer.  All the while we have been enjoying a wonderful and fun-filled summer while redoing the city home.  We knew it was a fixer and were excited about putting our personal touches on this home.  After nearly two months of new roof and new HVAC and tile and countertops and paint everything seems to be coming together to the make the sweetest little city house we could've imagined.  I cannot wait to share our new space with you.  But first we have another week of summer to enjoy around here before school begins. 

Just to prove that we're all about topsy-turvy around here - here's Abigail watching tv. 

She'd much rather pose for pictures than watch Sorcerer's Apprentice with her brothers. 

My guys didn't mind the power outage too much.  Gave them more time to work on puzzle solving.

And picking and eating yummy veggies from our garden.

We have a beautiful bounty thanks to Ezra who loves to tend to the garden.  He has been out there each morning at 7am watering and picking and doing whatever else he does because I'm really more of a garden "planter" - the tending part is really not my thing.  I'd rather be in the kitchen making pasta sauce and lasagnas using these yummies!

I heart you all (and miss you) and will be back once school starts!

a quick PS:  the hubby and i enjoyed a wonderful film via netflix last week.  I wholeheartedly recommend Departures (2008).  Watch it - you will not be disappointed.

weighing benefits

Thank you so much for your encouraging comments on my last post.

You sure got me thinking about the benefits (or not) of country vs. city living.  But first I'd like to share the only benefit that my sewing machine table is providing these days.  Do you think he's dreaming up exciting new quilt patterns?

Lots of benefits to having a pool these first few weeks of summer vacation.  We're in it every day that we don't spend driving to the city.

We even find benefits in cleaning up the pool at the end of the day.  This girl adores her big brother and is so excited that he takes the time to give her "noodle rides."

And some nights this mama finds benefits in eating Chinese takeout for dinner.

Accompanied by the benefit of a welcome fortune that reads:

    "Lucky you make this choice.  Everything comes out for the best."

There's something endearing about the poor english and timing of this fortune that made it feel like more than a ramdom slip of paper found in a stale cookie.

Now for the Benefits of city living (in my opinion/experience):

 - The city provides numerous free or low cost amenities such as -

  - public parks with play equipment and restrooms,

 - public swimming pools so that my kiddos can make new friends,

 - well maintained walking and biking trails,

 - summer concerts in the park,

 - weekend farmer's markets,

 - large libraries that offer e-books for download and fun activities on Tuesday mornings,

 - large chain bookstores kiddos can spend hours reading + browsing in,

 - museums, aquariums,

 - zoos, and botanical gardens,

 - local yarn store,

 - target, trader joe's, joann fabrics, tj maxx, panera

 - our temple and all our friends there.

 

Benefits of country living  (in my opinion/experience):

 - living on five wooded acres,

 - walking dogs off leash through the woods,

 - kiddos riding bikes down small quiet roads,

 - watching nine chickens happily free range on our property,

 - running and playing in the woods without a care in the world,

 - having a pool in our yard, surrounded by woods, where my kiddos can splash and scream and swim in various states of undress.  (some days this one doesn't actually feel like a benefit!)

 

Not-so-much benefits of country living (for our family):

 - driving for 50 minutes - 1 hour to get to most parks, museums, bookstores, trader joe's, temple  (with three high energy kiddos in the car)

 - having to leave the house for much of the day when we drive to said city so that our trip will be "worth the two hour round trip drive,"  (this one is difficult with three opinionated kiddos.  just the other day we drove to the city for an hour at the bookstore followed by a picnic lunch and playtime at a wonderful park when a certain ten year old middle child complained that he had no energy for a grocery store trip to buy organic fruits and veggies (we have almost no organic produce available in the country - and no CSA)

 - eating out on many of the days we drive to the city because there's really no way to drive an hour there and an hour back and get home in time for lunch.  (Some days I take along a picnic lunch and other days we get panini's, pizza and fruit salad from the deli section of gourmet markets but i would love to just be able to make a quick trip to target, buy what we need and get home in time for lunch.)

 - having to leave the house extra early and return home extra late.  (the best time to be at the farmer's market is 8am but that's hard when you're an hour away and have to get three kiddos to agree to sit in the car for an hour.  When we leave the summer concert at 8:30pm we are still an hour from home and  end up going to bed way past bedtime.)

 - our temple is an hour away in the city (it's the nearest temple to our home which just happens to have the best ex-highschool english teacher, kiddo loving rabbi who always has time for a knock-knock joke or a game of plants vs. zombies.  My kiddos cry when we can't make it to service - it's their "club.")

For our family, right now, there are benefits to both country and city living and, for a while at least, we won't have to choose.   And for this we feel very fortunate -   "Lucky [we] make this choice.  Everything comes out for the best."

 

appreciating the moments

School let out two weeks ago and we have been thoroughly enjoying our summer vacation.

Eating healthy lunches that include yummy eggs courtesy of our sweet hens.

Arranging flowers on our kitchen table.

Picking perfectly sweet strawberries from our garden.

Reading and playing together.  (not always this amicably)

 

Gobbling up salt water taffy.  (yet another reason to love trader joe's)

Swimming (and splashing and teasing and giggling) in the pool until we are exhausted.

And then resting up so that we can do it all over again the next day.

These days I am being patient with myself. 

After the tornado hit our town the oldest boy has arrived home from am school by 12:45.  With Mondays off from school and my husband working most weekends I have had little alone time. 

I have been taking moments for myself here and there.

Giving myself space to breathe deeply. to pause. to think.

to enjoy the weather.  to walk my dogs in the woods.

I have also chosen enjoy the not-so-pleasant chores.  like cleaning out the chicken coop.  mowing. weeding.  planting. mulching. driving my kiddos to Hebrew school, swim meet, taekwondo, math bowl practice.

Chosen to spend more one on one time with my kiddos.  with ezra leaving for school at 6am I have two hours each morning to spend with the younger kiddos.  Middle child who never gets to sit in the front seat of the car really enjoyed the privilege each morning for the short drive to the bus stop.  even though we barely drove for a mile he loved adjusting the seat and turning on the seat warmers.  I never use these because it can't be that healthy to sit on hot electric coils but i figured that just a few minutes each morning wouldn't hurt.  Plus we giggled as our backsides became warm. 

We also found the time to stop by the ice cream shop after finding out that his team did not place in the statewide round of the great computer challenge.  We decided on ice cream floats to "drown our sorrows" and giggled at how silly we sounded.  In the booth, sitting on extra tall bar stools the boy told me how much fun he had and how well he worked with the two girls that comprised his team.  We agreed that his team would have done better if there was more time to practice bridge construction methods.  We realize that with the short school year only four practice sessions may not have been enough and we move on.

We are living in the moment.  We are focusing on fun.  We are sucking down ice cream and soda through pink straws.

I'm not really making much of anything these days.  Still knitting a dishcloth out of yarn sent to me by a friend.  Washing dishes using the dishcloth she knit for me.  Feeling fortunate to have made many wonderful friends through blogging. 

Just finished washing dishes from lunch.  Peering out the window every so often to see that the rain has broken and the sun is shining.  Feeling fortunate that I have dishes to wash.  Fortunate that it's summer and I no longer have to wake up at 5:30am to get ezra on the 6am school bus.  So happy that I am a mama with many commitments and responsibilities who is finally figuring out that not everything needs to be done immediately or perfectly.  But that each and every moment must be appreciated.

We are also just two weeks away from finalizing the purchase of a small home in the city.  We are just overjoyed.  After years of hoping and dreaming and preparing our country home is nearly paid off and we were able to make a small space in the city a reality.  For the past six years I have been driving to the city several times per week (usually fridays and sundays and some saturdays) to the city an hour away to attend temple services and hebrew school.  This is the closest temple to our home and while an hour drive each way isn't that bad add in three kiddos and a husband who's at work while mama is driving said kiddos and you get the picture.  Plus with two bar mitzvahs in the next three years we are going to love our little oasis in the city even more.  We are already planning lunches and play dates with all of our city friends who have generously invited us over and fed us over the years - this home base will do us a world of good.  I am not even allowing myself to think about the fact that I will have another kitchen and two more bathrooms to clean or bedrooms to pick up and more clothes to put away because I would rather do all those things with my kiddos than spend six hours per week strapped into our car seats driving through traffic.  So if all goes well in two short weeks we will be enjoying our woods and chickens in the country and our friends, temple and community pool and playground in the city.  Oh, and while this had nothing to do with our decision to buy the city house it just happens to be exactly one mile away from a trader joe's and a target.   I am one lucky girl - and I am appreciating each and every single moment because they fly by so fast.

Thanks for letting me share this news with you friends!  Hope you are appreciating the moments this summer.

re entry

"We do not remember days.  We remember moments."  - Cesare Pavese

This is such a good thing because I haven't a clue where my days have gone.

Thanks goodness I managed to take some photographs.

 
 
    

 

 

During the days that I have been away from the computer my middle kiddo turned ten years old and  greg and I celebrated our nineteenth wedding anniversary. 

I have missed you all and I am so glad to be in this space again.

I only have a few moments today and it's important that I make this re-entry slowly.

I'd like to share two quotes with you:

"The greatest gift I ever received was a present my dad gave me one Christmas.  He handed me a note which read: Son, this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner.  My dad not only kept his promise, but he renewed it every year after that.  It's the greatest gift I ever received in my life.  I am the result of his time."   --Someone's Child

And:

Marriage Advice from 1886 - "Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.  Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.  Believe the best rather than the worst; people have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.  Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.  The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies and kindness you bestow on your friends.  Please hand this down to your children and your children's children for the more things change the more they are the same."  --Jane Wells

Hope you enjoy these words as much as I do.

 

two winners

Oops.  I forgot to post the giveaway winners.  So here goes.....

The winners of Jennifer Casa's awesome new book:  Teach Yourself Visually - Crafting with Kids are:

#41   Jessica from j bee delightful  and

#4  Andrea from at home mommy knits

Ladies, please email me your addresses so that we can get your books out to you.

I meant to get here all week but time has gotten away from me.  We have been working, playing, driving, celebrating, going to school a bit, and dealing with an unexpected issue (nothing particularly good or bad - just something that required dealing with).  I'll be back in this space again soon.  In the meantime we are heading to Virginia Beach tomorrow where my kiddos will compete in the ATA tournament.  Wish us luck!

Jennifer Casa's new book Teach Yourself Visually: Crafting with Kids - review and giveaway!

Welcome friends!  Today I have the pleasure of reviewing Jennifer Casa's awesome new book:  Teach Yourself Visually - Crafting with Kids. 

First a little disclaimer.  Jennifer is my friend, I have loved reading her blog for years, two years ago I won some gorgeous wool in a giveaway on her blog and I have purchased some of her lovely creations from her etsy shop to gift to family and friends for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts.  So when Jennifer asked me if I'd like to review her new book in a blog tour I jumped at the chance.  I was sure it would be filled with fun and creative ideas to make with kiddos....

But then I received this book and saw that it had 75 fun crafts and projects (yes 75!), each illustrated with numerous step-by-step color photographs and using common materials we have on hand and divided into chapters for seasonal making, game playing, gift giving, party celebrating and more! 

Immediately, my kiddos were inspired to grab what we had on hand and create Button Botanicals on page 71. More on that later....

This book is great for so many reasons.

First, every single project is accompanied by so many photos that you don't even have to read (heck, you don't even have to know how to read) the instructions to get the urge to begin making.  The moment this book arrived at my house my kiddos began flipping through it's 240 pages and rummaging through our craft supplies.  What's so wonderful about this book is that although Jennifer provides clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions the photos provide so much inspiration to get the creative juices flowing that kiddos can easily put their own spin on the projects.  This is a must at my house  - my kiddos love to be inspired to make but they often rebel if they feel that they have to follow precise instructions.

Second, I love that most of the projects call for craft materials that most people already have on hand.  You can complete so many of these projects with just paper, paints, fabric scraps, glue, buttons, foil, toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks and yarn.  We always have these items lying around the house but need ideas to use them in new and creative ways and this book does just that.  When I was reading this book I often had to stop and say, "Why didn't I think of that?" or "So that's how you make a Kaleidoscope out of two toilet paper tubes!"

This brings me to my third point.  This book is not just for kiddos - it's also great for grown people.  I loved learning about how to make dyed t-shirts, easy play dough, tissue paper sun catchers, marbled paper, and button barrettes.

Around here we love collecting buttons and coming up with new, fun ways to create with them.  So button botanicals was the first project we tackled.  We already had these canvas boards, some poster paint, buttons and glue so off we went.

Even the just turned twelve year old boy was inspired and had a blast making.  And he gifted his creation to his mama!  Then he told me he wants to make watercolor cards (page 148) next.  I just love what a great book can do!

Teach Yourself Visually Crafting with Kids is such a wonderful book to add to your making library.  And yes, Jennifer is providing a signed copy of this fabulous book to one of you.  Plus I will be sending my promo copy to another lucky winner because I purchased a copy of my own  - that's two chances to win!  Please leave a comment on this post between now and Monday night.  Don't forget to leave your email if it's not linked to your profile. I'll announce the winners on Tuesday. Good luck!

Here's the blog tour schedule for more reviews, interviews and chances to win:

Tuesday, April 5 (release date)  -  JCasa *handmade
Wednesday, April 6  -  The Crafty Crow
Thursday, April 7  -  Sparkle Power
Monday, April 11  -  WhipUp
Wednesday, April 13  -  A Stitch in Dye
Friday, April 15  -  Smile and Wave
Monday, April 18  -  Elsie Marley
Wednesday, April 20  -  Maya*Made
Friday, April 22  -  Stitches in Play
Tuesday, April 26  -  Aesthetic Outburst
Thursday, April 28  -  Artsy Crafty Babe

about what matters

I cannot believe i have been away from this space for so long.  But not only did my kiddos get a super long spring break due to budget cuts but...On Saturday a tornado hit our town.  Many homes were damaged and the roof was completely blown off one of our two middle schools and mangled school buses were thrown about the roads.  Clean up is underway.  People are thinking about what is important and which possessions truly matter.  One newspaper article stated that teachers had asked to be allowed to return to the school to retrieve their belongings.  But on Tuesday the perimeter of the school was fenced off and it was announced that the structure was not stable enough to enter.  Everyone received an important lesson on letting go of the 'stuff' and turning our attention to the people and community.

[On a personal note my family is just fine - we lost power overnight and our yard is littered with branches but we suffered no damage.  Today I drove Ezra to the bus stop at 6:30am for AM middle school.  He will attend school until 12:45pm and the students from the damaged school will be bussed to his school for PM classes (1:00 to 6:30 pm!). Thank goodness there were no students in the school when the storm hit on Saturday and thank goodness there are only thirty-four days of school left - i, for one, cannot wait for summer vacation to begin.]

All of this has caused people around here to focus on what is important:  friends, family, pets, relationships, health, sunshine...

This article talks about living with less stuff and how we are happiest when we spend our time and money on experiences such as vacations, entertainment and sports because they allow us to create lasting memories. I love the simple quote by Professor Dunn, "It's better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch"  This quote, in particular, speaks to me because last July I painted the walls of my home white and donated two of our three couches.  I fully intended to replace them with a nicer, no-so-worn couch but nearly a year has passed and our family of five has lived very happily with just one couch (and two arm chairs + the twelve chairs surrounding our dining room and kitchen tables!).  All of this leads me to the post I said i would write on how i go about keeping our home clear and clean.  Although i enjoy decluttering, organizing and donating these tasks are not synonymous with having a picked-up home - complete with clean, cleared-off surfaces.

Cleaning up, unfortunately, is a daily chore that I have to constantly remind myself to stay on top of.  To find motivation i tell myself how much better my family functions when the kitchen table, couch, coffee table, and kitchen counter tops are clean and available for play, cooking, and making.  And having supplies for crafting, cooking, and playing games neat and organized allows us to begin a fun project or recipe when we choose rather than waste precious family time searching for the lost game piece or missing purple marker.

My number one trick to quick cleaning is to keep all surfaces as bare as possible.

Only flowers and a candle on the kitchen and dining tables.  I have put away the place mats because crumbs and juice spills get underneath so i have to clean the top and bottom of five place mats as well as the table top. This way i just clear the dirty dishes, throw the napkins in the wash, and wipe down the table.

Only a lamp, alarm clock and a book on the bedroom nightstands. Makes for easy and quick dusting.

Only a lamp and artwork propped up on dressers in each of the kiddos bedrooms.  Everything else has a home in a drawer or on a bookcase.  I can dust all four bedrooms in ten minutes when all the surfaces are free of clutter.

Only a toaster oven, cutting board and blender (for daily smoothies) on the kitchen counter. I do not have many appliances or kitchen gadgets and i have made room for the ones i do have in the cabinets.  My kitchen is tiny with only four pull out drawers and four cabinets and very little counter space.  I have gotten into the habit of cleaning as i work when preparing meals - i am constantly wiping down the counter top and cutting board and putting away ingredients as i use them.  This makes for quick cleanup after dinner because there are no spills or stuck on food to scrub.

Only soap, toothbrushes, and contacts lens stuff on the bathroom counters.  (the kiddos only have soap and toothbrushes).  I dislike cleaning bathrooms the most so very recently i decided that i would wipe down the counter tops and sinks with just a rag and warm water daily.  While i'm there i swish the toilets with a bit of comet cleanser.  I usually wipe down the master bath and guest bath in the mornings and the kid's bath when abigail is in the tub.  This only takes a few minutes per day and i never feel like the bathrooms are dirty.  About once a week i use method all purpose cleaner in grapefruit scent on the counter tops and floors - i get mine at target.  I do not worry too much about killing all germs in the bathroom - there will always be germs and i don't like the thought of being responsible for their death.

In order to maintain all these surfaces free of clutter i do two things:

1.  Follow the rule "if you used it - you are responsible for putting it away."   Your kiddos will do this if they see you doing it.   Remember that kiddos learn by example and love working as a team.  We also have a "five minute put-away time" each night before dinner or before bedtime.

2.  Donate all things in your home that you do not use often or love.  The dilemma here is that often the items we use most are out on tables and counter tops while those that we have no use for and have forgotten we own are neatly stored away taking up precious space in closets, drawers, bookshelves and pantries.  To remedy this, every few months I go through my closets and drawers and donate items that i don't use to make room for those that i use daily.  I came across this book on amazon the other night and judging from the stellar reviews it could be very useful.  I have not read this book - just putting the information out there for those who wish to live with less and want a bit more guidance.

As for laundry, I have recently switched from a big laundry day (where i washed a weeks worth of clothes + bedding and towels) to throwing in a load every evening after dinner.  Some days I fold this load in the evenings while the kiddos are going about their nightly bathroom + snack routine.  Other days I fold the clothes in the morning while everyone is waking up and preparing for breakfast.  The following sentence is controversial but I will admit to putting my kid's clothes away for them and straightening up their rooms and tossing trash while i am in there - my boys rooms are often already neat and tidy but the six year old girly still cuts, shreds, glues and paints on every surface and needs some help to keep all the supplies + the resulting projects organized.  Once a week, in the morning, i wash everyone's bedding and get it back on the beds by bedtime - that way i don't have to worry about folding or putting it away.

Ezra vacuums most of the house every week (or more often if needed) and David and Abby each vacuum their own rooms.

Each of the kiddos dust their own rooms.  I dust the rest of the house (usually in the evenings when the kiddos are doing homework) using a Swiffer sweeper cloth - these work great for dust.  I do not own the stick sweeper that it attaches to because i do not use these to clean the floor (we just wipe up spills and vacuum the floor).

We do not make the beds - everyone just straightens his or her covers/ quilts each morning.

I hope this helps a bit and that you can take this information and apply it to your cleaning routine.  Don't worry too much about what you clean or organize or donate - just do what you can today.  

 Because "You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time."  Anonymous

If nothing else, be sure to clear off a space to create with your kiddos and then stop by here on Friday for a review of Jennifer Casa's gorgeous new book and a chance to win one of your very own!  Book tour schedule is here for more chances to win. 

Big hugs to you and thanks so much for stopping by!

 

making a choice

Last week was spring break and my kiddos and i headed out to play in the sand and surf and to visit cool places.  We were all a bit sad that papa had to work and wasn't able to join us.  The day before we were set to leave my kiddos questioned whether we should leave for five whole days and if we could have as much fun without dad there. I must admit that i had doubts myself.  But i revisited one of my favorite quotes and then shared it with my kiddos:

"There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it.  Only the wisest of mankind acheives the second."  - Logan Pearsall Smith

We decided that we would make the choice to truly enjoy our vacation - and set off for a week of fun.

We had the best time ever because we made an effort to focus on the simple pleasures like:

watching the sunrise over the ocean from our hotel balcony,

taking bubble baths in a tub that mama didn't have to clean afterwards,

wishing on twinkly stars while staying up way past our bedtime,

giving and receiving huge bear hugs,

being tickled and getting ticked,

jumping in the cold, salty ocean, and squealing with delight,

digging for sandcrabs (and collecting and counting and playing with said sandcrabs),

falling asleep each night to the sound of waves crashing (except for the night that the lacrosse team staying on the floor below threw a wild party!)

saying bedtime prayers all together,

playing 'this little piggy' on the toes of my too-quickly-growing kiddos,

sharing a bed with my girly who is always super warm and gives the best good-night hugs,

enjoying yummy breakfasts we didn't have to prepare while reading the newspaper,

feeling the warm sand seep between our toes,

Saying "I love you" and hearing "I love you" over and over again.

We returned home feeling very 'wise' indeed.

Enjoy your weekend friends!

 

spring breakin'

Just stopping in to say that we are currently enjoying our Spring Break!

Thank you so much for all your awesome comments on my last post.  I plan to write a part II on how i tackle the cleaning (and keeping rooms clean) of our home.  Because while i do enjoy de-cluttering and organizing, i truly dislike cleaning and am constantly coming up with little tricks and motivators to get the job done.

Sadly, dad has to work every single day so we are on our own.  But worry not, mama and kiddos are having a blast.  Right now we are heading out for a couple of days of sun and sand and water.  I will be back in this space on Monday but for now here are some photos from our trip (last month) to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  We loved the Picasso exhibit but no photographs were allowed.  You know what that means - Yes, the very minute we left Picasso i began snapping dozens of photos of us enjoying the rest of this huge, gorgeous museum.

 
 
 
Have a wonderful week, friends! 

doing what i have to do

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do"  -Epictetus

I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately.  The calendar says it's spring yet the weather is dark and dreary and yesterday it snowed and rained and hailed and then snowed again.  I can't seem to focus or sit still long enough to complete any making.  Instead I feel the need to clean, to declutter, to donate and toss. 

Back to the above quote.  I want "to be" a mama who spends time reading, talking, playing, and walking through the woods with my children.  I already do these things but i also spend a lot of time caring for "stuff."  So what I "have to do" is keep my home free of stuff that needs washing, dusting, tending to or picking up - this will give me more free time to spend doing those things I find important.

For the past week I have been cleaning out drawers and closets and donating any clothes that have not been worn in the past year.  I feel a bit more free with each to-be-donated bag that is loaded onto the minivan.  I go quickly before I can change my mind because the rational me knows that I will not miss any of these items.  I am sure of this because many of the donated things are items I considered letting go of last year but figured I would find a use for them.  Well guess what? I didn't.  I never wore the cute brand name jeans that never fit me quite right and caused my stomach to stick out.  (Alright, it may not have been ALL the jeans' fault but you know what I mean)  I'd rather wear the same two pairs of jeans (with a white cotton tee from Target + a cardi) everyday and look lean and put together than wear a hundred different outfits that make me look frumpy and cause me to feel less confident.  Actually, I'm wearing more clothes now because I rediscovered several shirts that were buried behind all the stuff I never wore and I have lots of empty hangers for a few new Spring items.  But I have no plans to go shopping any time soon because those bare hangers are making me oh so happy.  Happiness really is in the little things - or in the lack of little things.

I've cleared books off my coffee table (bench, really) which, of course, encourages kiddos standing on and jumping off said coffee table-bench.  But that is all part of the carefree play that is in the "what would be" part of above quote.

I also put away pillows and quilts that adorned the couch.  These inevitably ended up on the floor, collecting dog hair and dust bunnies (I have no idea where these come from as bunnies are about the only pet that we don't have), and causing my kiddos to trip as they race through the family room.  All this caused this mama to reprimand said kiddos so I did "what I have to do" in order to achieve the "what I would be."

Even my husband noticed that two lamps were gone and asked why they didn't make the cut.  For a brief moment I questioned whether I had cleared out too much or left too little.  Maybe I had created a home that was so bare bones that even my guy - who rarely notices such things - realized that we were living with less.  But no, I had not cleared away and donated too much - I took away just the right amount of stuff to create a home where the unnecessary clutter was gone and what was left had room to shine - and that was what greg noticed. 

Yes, my home is pared down to the things that we need and love.  Things that did not serve a purpose had to go - i'm sure that someone perusing my local thrift store right now is seeking a red glass lamp and will be overjoyed when she comes accross the one I donated.  I feel like a giver - which sure beats feeling like a hoarder!

For extra clearing out fun I went through each of our sock and underwear drawers and pulled out items that were worn or didn't have a match.  You don't need to know this but I kept only four white bras - the ones that looked good under white tees and only the underwear that I actually wear.  This really is too much information for a crafty blog but if this helps someone out there clear the excess clutter out of their homes then so be it. 

Since I cleaned out all the excess I am able to breathe deeper and feel less stressed.  Plus I have more room for flowers and more time to enjoy them!

And for moments when you feel like this, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

"Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." -Albert Einstein