simple living

So now I have a name for it.  My tendency to not bathe.  My preference for buying all our clothes at thrift stores.  My love of making things.  My empty fridge. It's called living simply.  OK the bathing is just me being gross.  But really, I'm not into consuming.  And there is a definitely consumer market for being clean.  It involves keeping up with a look and having products.  The shelf in my shower has a travel size bottle of shampoo and conditioner and half a bar of soap.  I love how uncrowded it is.  

Now that I know what it is, I have a sense of direction for getting rid of the things that own me. 

I also have a new lease on life when it comes to the kids books.  If it is garbage, I'm allowed to get rid of it.  Last night I read a version of Peter and the Wolf where Peter catches the wolf and takes it to the zoo.  Dumb.  Of course I'll donate it so some other family can have this trash book. 

Months ago I brought home a discarded beach chair with lovely rainbow material.  Last night I finally made a backpack for M out of it.  This simple living idea helped me to overcome a little of my fabric hoarding. 

I need less than I have.  I don't have to take in other people's junk because it might be valuable.  I don't need to buy things that I won't use.

So when G comes home with a new pair of basketball shoes from the school...  We sent in $25 to the fund for clothes and shoes for kids that need them.  His old shoes were worn out.  Then he lost one.  So I sent him in a pair of new/used shoes that were a little big and had a hole on the side.  The principal tried to give us the money back.  I was able to explain that we can afford it, it's just that we had not chosen to buy him shoes.  We prefer to live a simple life.  Yeah, it was a little embarrassing, but it was actually a choice.