I didn’t start the year with a concrete number for how many items I wanted to declutter. I was invited to do a few different challenges. The most dramatic one promised to part ways with 1,000 items. I didn’t accept. Because honestly? It seemed too easy. For a house that generally abides by the clean … [Read more…]
I’ve written about our decision to opt out of opting out before. In short, major spending restrictions don’t seem to target our money needs right now. Five years ago, when I literally bought an espadrille in every color so I could make a rainbow on my personal Instagram account? Money gods, yes. Now? Not so … [Read more…]
We made a choice when we had our son. We agreed to raise him differently. He eats pizza. He’s even had French fries. If I’m being entirely honest, he’s also eaten crayons, sock fuzz, and whatever he found in the dust pan at the play place that accidentally got left in the middle of the … [Read more…]
Babies are expensive. Newsflash: so are toddlers. I’m fairly certain that any human that I have to feed, clothe, and house is going to be costly. Of course, there are ways to scale back these costs, and I think embracing a more minimal or essential perspective is key. I am not a minimalist by any … [Read more…]
Exactly one year ago, my maternity leave ended. In some ways, time has never moved faster. In other ways, I can’t believe how much things still feel the same. But for 365 days, I have had a full-time job in addition to being a mom. My son has spent more of the time that he is … [Read more…]
“He looks like Buster Brown.” This statement is equal parts puzzling and entertaining when you don’t know who Buster Brown is. That’s the camp I fell into before today. I could tell my mom was dismayed over my son’s new haircut based solely on her delivery. The deadpan look. The hand on her hip. The … [Read more…]
I’ve been a bit busy lately. Instead of blogging, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time pricing out bounce house rentals for our son’s first birthday. I know. I KNOW. My son can’t walk. He can’t even crawl properly. He looks more like a dog scratching its butt on carpet than a graceful cherub … [Read more…]
It started with a box of Weebles. A coworker of mine loaded up a small Amazon box with a few dozen pear-shaped plastic creatures. My name was scrawled on the box in permanent marker. At first I thought it was to keep Weeble thieves away. What I realize now, though, was that it was a … [Read more…]
To say that I’m not sold on minimalism is an understatement. Maybe it’s not minimalism as a whole that I’m skeptical of. Just the kind that comes with a podcast and a really expensive travel bag for sale. But the idea of decluttering and being more intentional with what is allowed to take up space … [Read more…]
Kids are expensive. I’m going down swinging. But how expensive they are does have some variability. In fact, when it comes to caring for an infant, we have found that we can fit him into our regular budget. This excludes the cost of childcare, of course. Hence why I’m still swinging. But looking back on … [Read more…]