It’s Over!

And just like that another month is over and another challenge comes to an end. Whew! What a month. And what a challenge!

How did it go?

If the quiet chatter I’ve heard about the subject here and there is true, it sounds like a number of people are not only feeling great about their results but are also beginning to look at life in a whole new way! Love the excitement and energy (and bewilderment! I do still get a bit of the “that’s absurd” reaction as well, no worries, but it gets me just as excited) you all have for this topic.

As you already know, my Mins Game calendar was a bit off due to the move and was completed a little while ago, but I do still owe you a final update on our Toys situation – my least favorite project thus far, for some reason!

It has truly taken me all month to complete, but I finally took a last look at my daughter’s entertainment selection and made a few new changes to her treasures. Dr. Payne suggests losing 50-75% of a child’s toys, however, I tossed out the counting game on this one and simply went with my gut.

We had disposed of a handful of broken or well-worn items and pared down on a few duplicates prior to the move, but the greatest contribution by far, was simply bagging up about 20-30 of E’s stuffed animals that were regularly overflowing from her baskets. She’s welcome to rotate through these dear friends as she pleases, but for “simplicity of mind and environment” sake, they are safely stored in the top of the closet until she starts looking for something new again.

I had also separated out a number of E’s “baby” toys a while back and have put those away in her bedroom cubby bins until I can find a more permanent place to hide them should we ever need the collection again! As we don’t really spend much time upstairs, she hasn’t discovered them in her shelves so far…

Add a little, reasonably stocked, home-made kitchen to the mix, and this is where E’s daily exposure to “kiddie items” currently stands in our household (“kitty items” too, now that I take a second look! it’s ok. you can give me a pass for that one.) :

I do genuinely believe that Dr. Payne is on to something life-changing. I know that I personally do not do well with extra clutter (any other stress cleaners out there?! I CANNOT get started on a project until the house is clean and tidy!) and can easily believe that my child will act, feel, and grow far better in an environment free of “extras.”  And, I’m reminded on a daily basis that, specifically here in London, with all of the group activities, playgrounds, parks and museums at our fingertips, there is no reason for me to overload my own space with more things. It seems more and more frequently, that home is where E and I come to find quiet and space – a special, slow-paced breakfast on an activity-free morning or an extra hour spent playing in the crib with her stuffed animals after a nap is what we really need out of our “home,” and the energy-releasing, exploring-the-world requirements for her growth can so easily be filled by friends and the slew of other resources sitting just beyond our doorstep.

Well, that was a bit of a pep talk for myself. Maybe one of these days my body will whip in to gear and make those words even more of a reality for our household. Until then, we’ll play on.

Thanks for going on this journey with me again!