the good is the enemy of the best!

I too LOVE books!! And we have quite a collection of stuff!! God has really helped me to sort through and refine what is quality and what is twaddle. As He refines our home life I am able to let go of some good curriculum we have bought but that no longer fit into our philosophy for education. I’ve donated some to a homeschool curriculum exchange, other books to a ministry that helps Hispanic people with remedial reading and others to Good Will. I must admit that some were not worthy and would have been better off left as a tree—I threw those away!! I was very hesitant to just get rid of books that we bought with intentions to use and pass down through all our children, but after praying and finding CM, I did it and let me say what a burden is lifted!! I thought I’d regret letting it go, but totally the opposite!! I feel free, like I was it’s servant. We also have stopped buying on impulse. I used to tell myself “It’s a book!! It’s not like I’m blowing money on a new pair of shoes I don’t need.” Not that there’s anything wrong with buying new shoes.

We just started a new agreement at our house. If we buy something new (non-consumable), we must either donate or sell something we have but don’t use anymore. This alone has helped us to really think before we make that purchase. We limit the number of toys, puzzles etc. that are accessible to the children, so there’s less clean up time and they don’t get overwhelmed as well with stuff. We store the rest in plastic tubs in an unused closet and rotate them out every few weeks. It’s like bringing out new toys to them, because they tend to forget what we have!!

Our house is sooooooo much easier to keep tidy since we’ve simplified and the attitudes of all (yes, including me—or should I say especially me!!) have improved greatly.

We still have some work to do in this area, but it’s progress that counts.

Another idea is to find other families to swap books, etc. with. I do this with about 4 other families. We look at what we all have, write our names in it so we know who to give it back to when we’re done, and we share. Sort of like a library system.

Hope this helps…remember, it’s a process…take one bite at a time!!

Blessings,

MJ