Moving!

"Remember you have one life. That's all. You were made for God. Don't waste it." -John Piper

The moderately minimalist family is moving! We bought a house.

Four years ago our family started the minimalist journey with a move from the suburbs of Indianapolis, IN to the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. We moved from an 1800 square foot house to a 1200 square foot apartment. We got rid of half of our things out of actual necessity. At the time, it wasn't a conscious choice I was making. I was moving from a house with 24 kitchen cabinets to an apartment with 12 kitchen cabinets. How did it feel to get rid of half our stuff? It didn't make me feel deprived. I didn't feel like I was lacking anything. It didn't make me feel anxiety or panic. People ask me if I ever regret anything I got rid of. The answer is no. I have no regrets. I don't feel like anything is missing. I feel... free!

I find I have more time and money. I want less stuff so that I waste less time. Time wasted on shopping and researching where to get the best deal. Time wasted on cleaning it and finding just the right place for it. Time wasted on reorganizing it when people don't put it away. Time wasted looking for things people haven't put away. I want less stuff so that I waste less money. Money wasted on extra clothes, too many toys, an abundance of shoes, bags or DVDs. Money wasted on library fines because I can't find books under everything. Wasted money on buying extra notebooks and pens because they got buried as well. I want to use the extra time and money to serve my family, my community and my church. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt. 6:19-21)

As we began shopping for a house last month, I felt a little anxious. The Atlanta market is tight. The first house we put an offer on was gone in less than 24 hours. And so many of the houses are huge. Houses with 3000 square feet and 5 bedrooms. I was nervous that we would end up with a monstrosity that didn't really reflect our values. I prayed that we would find just the right home to push us toward our goals. A house small enough that we couldn't carelessly or thoughtlessly fill it up. But large enough that we could serve others through hospitality. And we found it! It has 2000 square feet. Now it is up to us what we do with that 2000 square feet.

As we move once again, what an opportunity we have for reevaluation. As we touch every item in our home and pack it in a box, I ask myself questions. Is this something that I use regularly? Does this thing bring me closer to my goals? Is this thing part of the process of using my time and resources in service to others? Or is it hindering me? We haven't gotten rid of much this time around. Moving is phenomenally easier as a minimalist. I am eagerly anticipating our next step in our lives as we settle into our new home. And we find ways to use our time and money to serve our family, community and church.

Pinterest Moms Are Not Trying To Make You Look Bad

There has been a blog post being cycled around simplicity groups for a couple years now. Essentially it says moms are going overboard with the holidays and to please "bring it down a notch". Essentially her children expect Easter Bunny footprints and coins and Leprachaun traps on St. Patty's Day. Here it is if you haven't seen it yet and are interested in reading it yourself.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-howerton/can-we-bring-the-holidays_b_2903040.html

My reaction is the exact opposite that I have seen on the average minimalist board. My first thought is stop letting peer pressure bother you! AND teach your kids not to buy into it. Someone else has something or does something and her kids want it too. "I want to hide coins like the other kids." "I want a pie because someone at school talked about it for Pi Day." "Dr Seuss happened at school and I want it to happen at home." When that child gets a few years older you know what they will be saying? Where's my iPhone? Where's my car? Where's my Aeropostale shirt? That woman is going to be longing for the days when all her kids asked her to do was hide some coins.

I wish this woman would take this opportunity to talk about their own family's belief systems and traditions. A math teacher I know has said she will be having pie on Pi Day. That doesn't mean math is special to me and I should do it. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with her choosing to do it. Use it as an opportunity to talk about simplicity and minimalism if that is why you are choosing not to do it. Let them have their Dr. Seuss fun at school and tell them that Dr. Seuss was a great author of children's books and it was appropriate to celebrate that at school or at the library but maybe not in our home.... or maybe in your home too if he happens to be your child's favorite author. Your child is not going to be shunned if you don't bring candy to school on Valentine's Day. The other kids won't even know. By the time those boxes get opened, half the candy has fallen off the card, the kids are ripping it to open it. My son has no idea who gave him what. Wanting to put candy on the card is again just wanting to do what everyone else does, peer pressure.

I don't do Santa. I don't do Elf on a Shelf. I don't leave footprints from the Easter bunny. I didn't leave out any gold coins for St. Patrick's Day. We do make Resurrection rolls. We do a lego/day for advent. We do make a big deal out of report card day.... but I am getting ahead of myself. My point is.... decide what is important to you and do it! And stop judging other people who are having fun and learn that sometimes one person can have something and another person doesn't have it. Everyone's life is different and that is ok.

"I grew up in troubled, angry, and unpredictable family. One thing proved a small but weighty anchor for me: family holiday traditions. We didn't have Norman Rockwell holidays; ours were a much less funny version of the Honeymooners. But a base of security was laid down for me in the predictability cycle of heart shaped Jello for Valentine's Day and Easter baskets and Thanksgiving salad in that special bowl. No matter what was going on, these traditions went on, and they strengthened me. I counted on them and they were there, year in and year out. Red heart shaped Jello, for crying out loud. Such a little thing. But red heart shaped Jello year after year after year after year was something else entirely."
Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper

Someone bought me this sweet book not long after Luke was born. And we began to talk about what our family would do to celebrate. To celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Birthdays and Valentine's Day. DH would share with me what his family did. Often looking reflective and content as he spoke. Then I would share how my family had celebrated the same day entirely differently. One family was allowed to open a gift on Christmas Eve, the other was not. And it was up to us to decide. What would our family do? When making these decisions, it is super important to take into account who you are, what is important to you, what you cherish or, as Noel Piper writes about, what you treasure. It should look different for everyone. It doesn't matter what the neighbors are doing. It doesn't matter what our parents did. The decision is now ours.

I became a minimalist so that I could spend more time on the things that really matter. Yet I waste much of my time and sometimes get busy with things I wish I didn't have to. For me, I love having something to celebrate with my kids once/ month. I think it gives rhythm and meaning to our lives. On Valentine's Day, I slow down. I tell my kids I love them, cut out paper hearts, make heart cookies, get on Pinterest and pick out the Valentine they want to share with their friends. And since I am a minimalist, I have the time to do it. I'm not doing it to impress anyone. I do it strictly for them. We aren't being commercial. We aren't buying a bunch of junk. I think it fits in with our minimalist lifestyle very well. We are just spending quality time together. Are people really writing articles and getting angry because other moms are choosing to spend quality time with their kids? For Easter we don't do the Easter bunny we do Resurrection Rolls because we are Christian and I am teaching my children what I value. This is about our family and how we do things. Not about how other people do things. And I won't be peer pressured out of it.