Simplifying (Still): Holiday Edition

As cute as this pic of my little consumers perusing the Target special edition toys sale flyer may be, it pretty much sums up the opposite of what we’re trying to teach our kiddos. Perhaps it’s this year in particular, specifically because we’re anticipating the arrival of our little one (less than six weeks!), that I’m feeling claustrophobic with all the stuff already in our house, but I have been on yet another (or maybe continued) decluttering/simplifying/organizing tear. Call it my version of nesting.

Saturday we conquered the basement. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been that clean (and organized!), well, ever. We took two full van loads of stuff to the People’s City Mission (the Pretty City Mission, as Simon calls it) and filled up our recycling and garbage cans to overflowing. I commented to Jason that it was remarkable how much stuff we had down there—and how good it feels to get it all out—and he replied that it was pretty disgusting actually. I agree. I don’t have before and after pictures; I think it’s something you need to see in person to get the full effect.

I’ve really appreciated Simple Mom‘s series on planning a peaceful Christmas. And I’ve already simplified even more by skipping task 3, order and organize sending Christmas cards. I keep thinking one of these years I’ll feel grown up enough to start sending Christmas cards, but turns out this isn’t that year.

I’m *this close* to feeling done enough for now with the decluttering. With the exception of everything in Jason’s office, I have now gone through everything in the whole house once. I can already tell that things need to be gone through again (and again and again)—I’m looking at you, pantry. Jason told me this morning that I can clean today but that after today he’s putting a moratorium on the cleaning/decluttering. He says he needs me at 100 percent for the holidays. I hope he’s taking into consideration that 100 percent at 34 weeks pregnant is about 40 percent or less. Also, now I need to start baking.