Summer is OVER. Hallelujah!

Summer is finally over.  I'm pretty sure we spent more time away from home than at home.  I am so glad to be back to "normal" every day life!  While we all love our summer freedom, if the fun lasts forever, it starts to wear on you some, right?

So what now?  Kids are back in school, homework starts and a hectic life of sports starts once again. Parents breath a sigh of relief as they head off to work not wondering what their kids are doing today. Kids get to hang out with friends once again (we live in the country so daily play dates don't happen) and stay-at-home moms either send kids off in tears or shout for joy.

For me this year, I was really excited to send my teenage boys back to school.  They need the stability.  The girls are glad to see friends again and they both love school.  And my little buddy, well, he is loving having mommy and the house all to himself.  The house is quieter once again and stays cleaner for part of the day.  (I'm sure his enthusiasm for quiet and a break from teasing/loving siblings will wear off in a little while.)  This year is definitely a "Hallelujah!  School has started!" type of year.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: 
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing  

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What's the plan now, though?  If you are needing an idea of how to entertain yourself and fill up all your new free time (because parents are NEVER busy, right?), here's my plan - KONMARI. Every heard of it?  The organizing method is based on the best selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.  We are going to organize all the crap out of this house, literally, and only keep the things we love.  This is a different kind of organizing than I've previously learned.  Instead of going room by room we are sorting by category and only sparking those items that spark "joy".  Why spend time shuffling and organizing stuff you "might" need someday instead of just enjoying today?

We've got two years left until oldest leaves and I intend to make the most of it.  Obviously my previous methods didn't work because I am STILL finding things to get rid of even after starting this process two years ago.  Albeit, not much yet as we are only on clothes so far.  Why?  Because I was holding onto things either "just in case" or because I couldn't bear to part with them yet but knew I didn't use items.  It has taken me a few cycles to get rid of a lot of these.  Not anymore.  I'm ready to let it all go!  Fortunately, my previous efforts will aid me and we have seen a big difference already, which meant lots of extra play time this summer.

Theoretically, there shouldn't be a lot left to get rid of in the house.  The garage and outside, well that is another matter.  Hubby hasn't had time to help outside and he has been working on a Master's Degree for a few years.  Now he is finally done!!!  So, I know he'll love having a nice organized garage if I can just get him started in on it.

So, it's time to celebrate in my little buddy that loves to help mommy, spark some serious joy and get organized!  If your wanting to join in, check out the KonMari Adventures Facebook page with over 20,000 members and click to get Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, get reading and get moving. It's going to be fun and I'm so excited to make the most of the school day and just play with my kids after.  Here we go to a great and productive school year for everyone!