Category: Organizing

The Gift of Less.

November 30, 2016

dsc02135Several years ago we decided to move forward with minimalism but had not yet found a way to apply it to Christmas. Being the overachiever that I am, I would find myself wanting to make Christmas so magical, that I would get consumed on buying things that my children didn’t need, or even wanted all because I had a certain image in my head about the way Christmas should be.

I came across the idea of keeping gifts to a minimum. The approach of buying in 4 to 5 categories. We would gift the children: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. My favorite add on has been: something to do.

This year my children are going to love their gifts!

A Want: Barbie dream house with a Barbie remote control car
A Need: PJs
To Wear: Rainboots
To Read: Jai is getting the Percy Jackson Series and Sophia is getting a sticker activity book.
To Do: Jai is getting a sewing craft on how make a poncho. Sophia will get new finger paints.
Previously we bought the children a trip to Frozen on Ice and in the future I see sewing lessons and maybe one day soon, Disney World!

 

Don’t forget to encourage the children to clean out their toy box before the holidays to make space for new things. This routine prevents toy clutter. Have the children separate their toys in 3 piles: keep, gift, broken/trash. Trick: keep the toys in a bag or chest that allows for a quick visual inspection for when it is time to declutter.

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The big basket is full of puzzles, dinosaurs, and other figurines. The small blue basket holds the furniture to the dollhouse.

 

While you can manage the gift-giving in the home, it can be hard to address this with other family members. I felt the need to share the idea of less gifts to our family because I would notice Jai being excited to gather for the holidays for the gifts, and not necessarily to spend time with family. I didn’t want her correlating love with material things. I want her to be excited to see family simply because they are family.

When the children receive gifts they may already have or are outside of their developmental stage, we keep them in a box. Jai used to cry when we first implemented this. Why couldn’t she keep the new art set even though she already had three?!

We place all duplicates in a box that we gift out of all year! This is helpful for when you’re invited to a birthday party and have to find a last minute gift. The toys that are not gifted by the end of the year, my mom takes to Mexico and hands them out to the children on the border. Jai no longer cries at the thought of gifting to child who may not have had a brand new toy.

 

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Story time.

Growing up in devout Catholic family, I don’t remember gifts being the center of Christmas. I remember all of our family hosting a posada. Posada meaning “home, lodging” is a Spanish tradition of re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s search for rest the night Jesus was born. Everyone sings and prays. Towards the end of the posada, if you prayed, you would get a piece of candy.
On the night before Christmas we would set out one of our shoes under the bare tree with hopes that El Nino Dios (baby Jesus) would bring you a gift. You know, not too many presents fit under your shoe. I remember the best gift was a blue see-through Apple desktop, I was in heaven! As I got older, I stopped sitting out my shoe, but I remember being 16 and my dad telling me to sit it out just in case. I woke up to find nothing under my shoe, but inside was a pretty gold necklace. Good presents, but even better memories and traditions. That goes to show that just because you keep the gifts to a minimum, doesn’t mean that can’t be of good value.

During this season, I hope we remember the love and spirit of Christmas. Let’s remind our children that we have been given the ultimate gift: a savior.

Let’s redirect our children and ourselves to seek the beauty of tradition, family, and the joy of Jesus this holiday season!

Blessings,

Rosa

 

 

my to-do list has a to-do list.

October 9, 2016

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Y’all I cannot express how much I love stationery. Notebooks, calendars, agendas, and planners make my heart flutter!

I love sitting down on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee updating my many planners.

This post is dedicated to the many ways I attempt to get my life together. (Get used to this phrase because it’s an everyday struggle).

My first love: Budgeting.

Derrick & I have a special month-to-month calendar specifically used for budgeting. I won’t emphasize on the importance of financial health, especially in a marriage but I will say this gem has helped us grow in savings, giving, and bill management. What we do is write out all bills in the front by chronological order of due dates and then schedule them out each month so they are always on time. This also gives us the opportunity to foresee what we are expected to pay ahead of time so we can plan around it (comes in handy for saving, Christmas, and vacations).

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On Fridays, I list the bills I am responsible for. Saturdays shows Derrick’s list.

Family Calendar

We also have a large family calendar that is placed in the kitchen. This is a general calendar with birthdays, no-school days, and special events such as picture days or family outings. This gives us a quick peak of the month so we can plan childcare as needed or attempt a date night. This calendar has been a benefit for our oldest child who always has to have a plan to decrease her anxious heart. Jai is now able to see when she has a Girl Scouts meeting or birthday party. She also becomes responsible in updating the calender to keep us updated of events she wants us aware of.

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Personal Agenda

This is for my to-do list. Meetings, deadlines, to-dos, to-buys, and scheduled work-out sessions. Yes, I schedule my work-outs. If it goes in the planner, it has to happen, end of story. I’m sure y’all are familiar with this, so moving on.

Bullet Journal

Have y’all heard of a bullet journal? OH. MY. GOSH. I created a very basic one from a squared notebook from Office Depot but you can make these super fancy. It allows me to gather all kinds of ideas in one place and make them as creative as my time allows!

My favorite part of my bullet journal is my habit tracker. You do this by making a quick list of the things you want to make a priority in your life. Something like a check list for habits. For me this includes: water intake, exercise, blogging, dates with Derrick, vitamins, good rest, and self care (mani, pedi, facials). I love being able to color or check a square knowing I did something good for myself that day. It also gives me a chance to see patterns. If I missed 4 days of working out I think about the whys and adjust accordingly. The same goes for dates with Derrick, it makes me work harder to find that extra time to spend with him if I see it’s been a while. The habit trackers allows me to focus on the choices that make for a better day, which in turn make for a better life!

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In September I noticed that when I exercised, I didn’t read much. I took all my vitamins but didn’t practice yoga as much as I would have wanted to. Derrick and I had 3 dates in September! (That is major!)

The bullet journal can store all kinds of things like list of books you want to read, blog ideas, home improvement projects, weight loss goals, etc. Below are some of my examples. If you wish to explore more, here is the link for my Pinterest board on Bullet Journal Ideas!

How do you keep you and your family in sweet order?

XOXO,

Ro