What to do?

I have three articles of clothing that do not fit me, yet as hard as I try I cannot get rid of them.  One is a beautiful skirt that I got at GAP when Aidan was a baby, it is a Size 0 (no I didn't forget the 1 in front of the 0, I was that SMALL, actually freakishly skinny), one is a cute sun dress that I wore to Nick's brother's wedding, but I can't wear dresses, I am constantly nursing someone and the third is a beautiful Hawaiian sarong, and I just don't wear sarongs.

So what can I do with these?  I have a few ideas, but I am not fully decided.  For the dress, I want to cut it at the waist-ish area and make it into a skirt and for the sarong I want to put it in the "play-room" above Téa's little reading chair, but maybe not.

Any ideas?

Questioning Consumption.

We've moved, we've downsized, I've donated, sold, traded.  I am happy with what we have.  But I constantly want MORE...NEW...BETTER.  Why?  If I showed you pictures of my children's closet and dressers you might faint, but yet I still find new that I have to have for them.  I see things and I want them.  Not because I need them, but purely desiring to have them.  Anything from a new Gymboree outfit for Téa, to new cloth diapers, to a new shirt/shoes/pants for me, or what about a new candle or frame or gadget.

The concept of living on THE COMPACT came to my attention for the first time about 6 or so months ago.   According to http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/, THE COMPACT, is to 1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc; 2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er); 3) to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact).

I was intrigued, intrigued enough to go out to the garage where my husband was playing music and tell him of my new plan.  He laughed.  Maybe I didn't explain it good enough, maybe he knew how much I liked going shopping, maybe he didn't want to give up buying new things for himself, maybe he just thought I was NUTS.  Well I didn't go on THE COMPACT that day, nor the next, but I did stop shopping at WalMart for a month or so.

But while I was walking through Target the other day, my baby attached to me in the Ergo, I found myself, saying OOOHH, AAAHHH, I need, I want, that would be great for... Then remembering I had just downsized my family of six and our belongings to fit into our 1000sq ft house.  (Not a simple task, but doable!)  I think how much simpler life would be if I didn't even give myself the option to buy new.  Then I think about Christmas, what would we give, would our family and friends be angry that they didn't receive the item or items they desired because we weren't buying NEW?  Should I care?

Really this BLOG is my mind talking, racing actually.  Thanks for listening.

Happy Halloween!

This year Fall has flown into action, really without me knowing it. Right as Fall began we made the decision to move, so Fall decorations were put on hold. There has been no smell of Yankee Candles "Pumpkin Pie", no harvest-y colors filling the house, no pumpkins and no trips to the pumpkin patch, that was until Monday. Monday we were able to truly begin Fall. The SIX of us took a trip to the pumpkin patch and it being #1 two days before Halloween and #2 ABSOLUTELY FREEZING, we were the only ones there, it was AMAZING. This year we opted to paint out pumpkins, WOW, I must say it is way less mess, but not quite as rewarding. We have read The Pumpkin Gospel a trazillion times this week and the smell of Pumpkin Pie candles is filling my house. Halloween was fun, we attended a Harvest Party at Church the morning of and then hung out at Nick's aunt and uncles in the evening, they live in a high traffic neighborhood and we handed out candy to over 400 trick or treaters.