E is popping in to say hi

A New Direction

I am very excited about our upcoming venture - one family (us), one year, and not buying anything new for an entire year. It is going to be a true test for someone who spends much of her Wisconsin winter walking around Target just to get out of the house. We're going to learn how to do without, to make the most of our food at home, to give handmade gifts instead of cheap plastic toys, spend more time together as a family doing free things like hiking and having movie/homemade pizza nights at home.

In the process, I am going to make sure that the kids really have an understanding of where our food comes from (the fact that we were eating a cantaloupe from the garden yesterday and J remarked to L that he saw it growing on the ground from a vine made my heart do somersaults), find even more ways to help take care of the earth and other people, devote more time to learning the biblical virtues that help us in daily life, to lay on the ground and find shapes in the clouds, to figure out a way to find more balance in our lives as a family.

I don't even know if we would make it a year without one new piece of clothing, toy, brick-a-brack or thing but I'm willing to try. I am steadfast to make sure any new clothing needed is bought used or any equipment needed is borrowed or used. We'll still have a lean monthly budget to buy new things like food, toiletries and diapers. You know, things that cannot or should not be purchased used. And probably the most entertaining thing about it would be to watch me slowly go mad.

I was/am going to start a new blog about our experience called Simply Spent. Potentially something that could be a good resource for other families who want to simplify and reduce. And then take the concept to a book publisher possibly. It was a whole big plan to kick the writing into gear again.

But we're on hold right now. Life is throwing us some new challenges and I've agreed to help Keith by focusing on those. So for those of you who had to listen to me talk and talk and talk about this - it's still in the works, just not enough time to devote to a live version now. We'll still be cutting back and easing into it but to be very honest - I am not suffering completely without the golden carrot in front of me - and a Internet full of people holding me accountable. Right now the kick off has been postponed until Jan, 2009. And that will have to be flexible too.

Until then I am arming myself with post ideas, selling and purging everything we don't need, and gathering reference books like Last Child in the Woods, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and Affluenza. If you have read any books recently that you think I would enjoy and get ideas out of - feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks!