Compacting Mommas? - Page 17

[vermonttaylors]

Hi, there is an article about this in this month's Yoga Journal and I was just about to post it here when, lo and behold, you guys are waaaaaay ahead of me.: I'm often the last to know.

So, doing the compact is going to take some reorganizing and preparing for me. I also really like the idea of starting on January 1st. It's arbitrary, granted, but it has a nice ring to it.

In the meantime, I plan to try and make most of my christmas presents and will try to de-clutter and simplify in preparation for the Compact.

Anyone interested in doing it with in the new year?

[anthasam]

Still drafting our "rules" -- thanks for everyone's input on my previous post. I have yet to discuss them with DH. From a money-saving aspect, I think he'll be on board. His Dad was very resourceful -- they rarely paid for new items to renovate their old house. They bartered, salvaged, etc.

ETA: I am going to purge the house of about 500 items as well this month! Should be fun!!

[melissel]

I'm still working up the nerve. I can totally do it for myself and the kids (I mostly already do), but I will have a REALLY hard time not buying new gifts for people, and DH wouldn't accept an alternative for his family. Gifts are very big there--not the useless kind, fortunately, but well thought out gifts that the person really would like or need or want. Plus I am not good at planning ahead to find an alternative. January 1 may be the best time for me to start, so I'm not committed for the holidays until I'm better at this

[Bex80]

I like the idea about joining for the New Year. Count me in as a compactor on Januray 1st!!

[momaste]

I'm taking off the Compact for Christmas, but am otherwise sticking to it. I'll need more time to plan home made or bartered gifts.

We went to a local, organic pumpkin patch this morning to pick out pumpkins. We took a little tractor ride and were given a head of lettuce straight from the ground. And for just the price of pumpkins, we had a fun family activity.

Now I have this monster pumpkin to dissect and cook! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, and roasted pumpkin seeds, here we come!

[aolinsmama]

just subbing, i joined the compact yahoogroup a few days back. we buy mostly used already, but definately could do better, and this is just more inspiration!
yay!

* i just noticed the compacting mamas group, i am subscribing to that as well!* thanks for the link!

[Natalya]

Uh... I just got the Hearthsong catalog and I am soooo TEMPTED. I think some of you mamas think ahead and are more realistic than I am, because I am thinking of Christmas and I want to get DS some stuff! : I will check e-bay/craigslist first... but no promises on keeping to my Compact for Christmas. In my defense, I only buy one or two things for ds, so it shouldn't be excessive. Does anyone want to try and talk me down from my purchasing temptations?

[HipGal]

So I read most of this thread a week or so ago and thought that it would be so hard and I would never be able to do it... BUT I *have* been doing it! I kinda started out curious, but now I'm hooked.

For the holidays, I have already bought a few things here or there when I saw them on sale (before I heard about the compact). I also occasionally see new things at the local thrift store (baby clothing with tags, etc.). Last summer I found a bunch of new yarn. I was thinking I could knit something for someone, but then I realized that a couple people on my gift list were knitters, and would probably enjoy the yarn more, anyway!

Anyway, hopefully we can keep it up around here. We have a few challenges coming up that might be tough. We will be redecorating our office into a nursery, buying work clothes for dh (he is 6'5" with a 31" waist, so I'll never find the right size used!), and will have to figure something out for ds's birthday party. It is time to get creative!

[mugglemom]

Originally Posted by Natalya

Uh... I just got the Hearthsong catalog and I am soooo TEMPTED. I think some of you mamas think ahead and are more realistic than I am, because I am thinking of Christmas and I want to get DS some stuff! : I will check e-bay/craigslist first... but no promises on keeping to my Compact for Christmas. In my defense, I only buy one or two things for ds, so it shouldn't be excessive. Does anyone want to try and talk me down from my purchasing temptations?

OK, I'll try a little. If ebay/Craigslist doesn't work, could you find similar things made locally or at a fair trade store like 10,000 Villages? Even if you bought new, then you wouldn't be paying for all the transportation, packaging, etc. and keeping the money more local. You're in Chicago, I think? The Kristkindlmart (sure that's spelled wrong) downtown in December has fun stuff and there's a 10,000 Villages in Evanston.

That Hearthsong Catalog is a siren song, though, isn't it? My girls have been combing through it daily. But they know I'm doing the Compact, so they say they'll give their list to Grandma!

Margie

[memory maker]

Originally Posted by melissel

I'm still working up the nerve. I can totally do it for myself and the kids (I mostly already do), but I will have a REALLY hard time not buying new gifts for people, and DH wouldn't accept an alternative for his family. Gifts are very big there--not the useless kind, fortunately, but well thought out gifts that the person really would like or need or want. Plus I am not good at planning ahead to find an alternative. January 1 may be the best time for me to start, so I'm not committed for the holidays until I'm better at this

this is how it is with dhs family too. My parents always tell us not to buy them things (and mean it) but dhs parents always give us detailed lists of "these are the things we want"
:

[p.s]

Well, after reading through the whole thread and thinking on this topic for the past two weeks, I think I am about ready to join.
Most of what we do and how we live in our daily life is in accordance with the compact.
Last week was DS first birthday. To repeated questions of what we were going to do, the answer was: not much.
We had a simple dinner: my mom made noodles (symbolic for long life) with different ingredients, each of which had a symbolic meaning. I made a brownie pie for his "cake" with Callebaut choc and when it came out of the oven dumped a cup and half worth of truffles on top, which melted into automatic frosting.
Since DS has everything he needs ( I think), we didn't plan on getting him any presents: , but this past weekend we were at an estate sale and DS loved a pewter jefferson cup for sale and played with it the whole time we were at the sale. So one lady works twenty years and gets a jefferson cup, and we got it for DS' first birthday. I like the continuity thing.

[litlwons]

Last week I wrote about how I had lost my cell phone.: The worst part and most embarrassing is that I know it is in this house somewhere, or at least it was when I first missplaced it.: So I haven't given up hope that I will find it, but DH is adament about getting me another one right away. I drive my DS all over the place for classes and such (leaving him at a few for a couple of hours), and he thinks it is very important I have one for safety reasons.

Would this fall under the "safety" section for the compact? What do you all think? I am still hoping I will find it and this will be a non issue, but if don't I have to decide.

This is spuring me on to declutter even more! I have joined the November 500 decluttering thread and hope to get more out of here!

Thank you!
Kathleen

[kathirynne]

Originally Posted by beanma

ravin, don't know if anybody mentioned it about the iPod, but we use ours in the car. dh listens to his w/ headphones, but i've never been a big headphone/earbud fan. too noise sensitive i guess. anyway, you can get a cassette adapter and run the thing in your car and then you've got 10,000 tunes at your fingertips. you would have to acquire the cassette adapter, but i'm sure you could find something like that on ebay or if you're not above it ask for it on your next gift giving occasion.

hth and more power to ya <insert upraised fist smiley here>

I have a cassette adapter. Wanna swap?

[kathirynne]

Book reccomendation

Originally Posted by kellid

We just moved into a new house a couple of months ago and I need to do a clean sweep and get rid of s#(t. I have two kids 4mo and 2.5yo. Having that been said, is there a system that has worked for you all that is efficient. Room my room? How to sort? Where to take stuff? I know I can sort keep, give, trash, I'm looking for an system that is tried and true that someone wants to share for pure efficiency. Oh and ideas on how to deal with dh's stuff if he's not on board. I hate it. I am the "keeper" of the house and he has so much........stuff and it is everywhere. I feel I getting rid of my stuff to "free" myself, but then I feel I will still be held down by his stuff. I feel like keeping a box and just throwing it all in there when it's laying around and making him find a home for everything and keep it there. Problem is, it will have to be a really pretty box, one that stays there all the time, because I can't MAKE him do anything. I've been trying for about 10 years now.

Ranting and requesting ideas.

My favourite de-cluttering book is It's Here, Somewhere by Alice Fulton and Pauline Hatch. It addresses all of the issues you listed, and goes step by step and room by room.

It has really made a difference in my house.

[snowbunny]

Maybe you can find a used cell phone on Ebay? The plan should remain the same, right--just a new-to-you phone.

[kathirynne]

Shabby Chic

Has anyone read any of the Shabby Chic books by Rachel Ashwell? I got 2 at the library on Saturday, and her philosophy seems to go hand in hand with the Compact. (As long as you don't buy any of her retail stuff! )

She talks about how things that are purchased new lack the "history" of items that are reused. The books also give great ideas/instructions for using old things in a new way, or repairing things to give them a new lease on life.

[momaste]

When I needed a new phone recently, we asked around if our friends who had recently upgraded still had their phones. One friend just gave me his old phone, which is WAY newer than my old phone. We activated it with my number and are all set.

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by kathirynne

Has anyone read any of the Shabby Chic books by Rachel Ashwell? I got 2 at the library on Saturday, and her philosophy seems to go hand in hand with the Compact. (As long as you don't buy any of her retail stuff! )

She talks about how things that are purchased new lack the "history" of items that are reused. The books also give great ideas/instructions for using old things in a new way, or repairing things to give them a new lease on life.

I always see that at the library! I'll check it out next time.

[bendmom]

Rachel Ashwell's philosophy is fine, but the stuff that goes with her philosophy is spendy! Because her decorating style is so popular, you can't find things that follow her design for a decent price. I have spent years collecting vintage chabby chic things, plates, linens, rugs, furniture, etc. Most things that people sell that they can say it's shabby chic ends up costing more than a new item at Pottery Barn. I think her philosophy is great, but trying to follow it is costly. Now I don't want this stuff any more but don't know what to do with it all! Sorry, this is more of a personal rant I guess. I bought a book light new today and didn't even think about it till I got out to the car. I couldn't return it since ds had pulled it out of the package and was playing with it. I sat in the car trying to figure out what to do with it. I feel like it's A.A. and I just ruined 90 days of sobriety or something.

[momaste]

I fell off the wagon! I bought a roasting pan. I didn't have one, and I have an enormous pumpkin to roast, plus the first Thanksgiving that I'm hosting is coming up and I'll need something to cook a turkey in. I went to Target to buy Halloween candy and it was all shiny on the end cap. I was weak. Okay, it's like those "Days without an incident" things hanging in dangerous work zones; I'm back to zero! But I did go 2 1/2 weeks in between. And I'm pleased with the roasting pan and feel like it was a useful purchase. I should have tried to find one used, though, first.