Fun with Feminist Hacker Barbie!

If you haven't yet heard about Kathleen Tuite, Feminist Hacker Barbie and her awesome backlash against Mattel's book “Barbie: I Can be a Computer Engineer,” this Wired article is a great place to start.

Then visit the site, view the original pages, and rewrite the book for all our sakes.

(And btw, her mom and my mom are friends, so I'm pretty sure that makes me cool too.)

Here's my bit of fun....

Decluttering toys for a brand new year

After Christmas is the perfect time to make the New Year's Resolution of decluttering the toys. In our house, we have birthdays early in the New Year - even more motivation to make room for the new favourites.

Since I do regular toy audits, I don't have large dump piles. But my my youngest is now school-age, so there are quite a few toys that will not be missed much.

What's gone

Mr Potato Head and a puzzle or two went to a friend (always my first choice). My favourite charity shop also benefited from my constant search and seizure of tiny unloved treasures. It never stops. I try to remember my own advice on toy decluttering and the Top 10 Toys List.

A small building set went on Trademe - it's a quality set but we got lots more Lego and Brainbox for Christmas, and those are what we'll build on.

A shallow storage tray, reclaimed from wooden puzzles, became the Lego tray - much more accessible and stored under the couch.

Other bulky items on their way to another home...



The biggest win for the big picture was selling the kids' art tables.

My sister had these made and they are great. But kids grow.

It wasn't a large cash payout, but it was like the right move in those sliding number puzzles.

The student desks came downstairs into the office space with us...

The dollhouse moved into the toyroom.

Now the lounge looks one grade clearer and two grades more grownup.

Who am I kidding? I've just cleared space for bigger Lego projects!

What are your New Year decluttering goals?

Decluttering - big time

Some of my recent decluttering has been on the small side, but plenty of big stuff is still going down.

On the shelf

Building on past success, I've again decluttered so well that I had DH remove an entire shelf that he so kindly installed for me in a previous life.

"More storage will solve my problem!" "Yes dear."

 "Maybe I just need less STUFF"

 "What about even less?"  Now you see it...

 ...and now you don't.

Our walls need some care after their abuse, but I still love it.

A bedtime story with a happy ending

We had a double bed (from my student days) leaning against a wall.

Then we used that bed as co-sleeping space alongside our kingsized bed.  Acres of sleep space - almost wall to wall!  Kids loved it. By night a bed - by day a super trampoline.

 Then we moved that bed into the au pair's room, and bought a simple single bed to be co-sleeping space.

Now, co-sleeping still happens, but only the cats use that single bed. I like the cats, but they already own the entire house, so...

Now I have a retreat. 
And we can get in and out of bed without gymnastics.
And we already sold the single bed for more than we paid for it.

Aaaaaahhhh....

 

 

 

 

Moral

My successes are just me rescuing myself from problems I'd created in the first place. 

Secondhand Smarts - Merry Christmas!

In my last decluttering post, I reported acquiring from as well as donating to my favourite charity shop.

Here, I brag about my savvy purchases.


This pile includes:

• A brand new Dora Memory Game in original plastic (we have it already; this one goes straight into the present box for some other lucky kid)
• At least 50 Lego pieces, including three anthropomorphised animal figures
• 3 gorgeous butterflies
• A dressup mask (so I can play along with Labyrinth)
• Masses of sidewalk chalk
• Mini bubbles
• Alphabet craft stickers
• Coloured paper, decorative pencils, coloured pencils, modelling clay and crayons
• Bratz and My Little Pony activity books (Princess Bratz is leaving the house quickly, one way or another!)
• 2x goggles and surf socks in my son's size (both on our shopping list)
• Slinky
• Magnifying glass

All for $32!  I paid that much, even secondhand on TradeMe, simply for that amount of Lego.

These have been wrapped festively and frugally - stay tuned for family and eco-friendly wrapping help!

Top Clutter - the Series

I'm proud of my many decluttering successes and the new look of our home. 

So how do I protect that success?  New clutter is always arriving to fill up empty corners.

There are some very simple and effective methods to recognise and prevent new clutter.  Attitude is key.

Know your enemy

Ours are:

1. Papers
2. Toys
3. Projects

Each of these include Grownup and Kid versions and deserve their own post.  Stay tuned to hear all about Paper!

In the meantime...

Be aware - beware!  When you take something in your hand, make sure you know where it will land.

Decluttering, meet reorganising

I set my decluttering sights on this (the shelf with the ugly paper piles of pretty kid artwork).  This is highly visible clutter - seen all the way from the dining room through the kitchen.

I have been reducing toys so my big plastic box of "surprise" toys is nearly empty.  We have enough hidden nooks full of great toys. I moved the best art into that box, kept a few for artistic wrapping paper, and the rest generated some heat and entertainment in the fire last night. 

I really enjoyed looking through all that art and will enjoy the memories for years to come. But I'm happy for them to be in a closet instead of in full view.

Much better!  I'm now thinking hard about what objects deserve to be stored so visibly.  Might we be heading toward a shelf disappearance a la the infamous cube shelves?

Success inspires success

I love my son's student desk, but it doesn't get used much due to regular snowfalls of paper clutter.  I already learned not to store things in the tempting empty spot underneath because it is hard to get to.  After failing to enlist some shorter people to help me retrieve crayons from underneath, I finally took some time to plan.  Clutter is always going to fall off the desk, but the desk can be somewhere easier.

Another after shot is reborn as a before:

 

 And after quite a bit of grunt work...

Both Alex and I can get to his desk, Nadia has her own space, and when things fall into the corner by the window, I can easily reach them.

Best of all...

Build it, and they will come....

Minimalist....birthday parties? 5 easy steps

Fun and minimalism
Of course it can work.  And it can work for your kid's birthday party too.

I've just endured... I mean organised two large home birthday parties in quick succession for my children.  Nadia turned 3 in late January and Alex turned 6 last week.  Both parties were declared a major success, both with quite a reasonable budget.

Here are a few tips:

Invitations
While my kids love getting party invitations in the mail, I have not returned the favour for our parties.  Same as my Christmas greetings, I use either e-cards or a carefully-crafted email.
Benefits:

• my convenience (no shopping, multiple invites sent all at once, late invites sent easily)
• low cost
• low environmental impact
• recipient's convenience in replying, scheduling and storing the information

And there are some very cute e-cards out there.  Care2 is free and supports the environment.

Presents
My last several party invitations have included:  

XXX has lots of toys - instead of a present, please consider making a small donation to your favourite charity and/or bring a gold coin to contribute to his special gift from the family.

I'd much rather some charity benefited than a chain store.  With the Christchurch earthquake, this was particularly appropriate.

Some invitees love this and some don't.  Alex very much enjoyed the haul he got this time regardless of this note, and I don't begrudge him that.  But the predictable happened:

1. he didn't even see all the presents to open
2. he hasn't even played with all of them yet
3. I haven't managed to find a new home for them yet 
4. He is having severe attacks of the gimmes from the mini catalogs that come with some of the toys

Remember when present opening was part of the party entertainment?  It's now so complicated and overwhelming that most parents skip it until later.

Food
Serve some real food.  Serve it before the sweets appear.  OK, not celery sticks and raw broccoli, but active kids will not ignore crackers, nuts, fresh and dried fruits, etc.  Make it special - splurge on grapes, melon, cherries and blueberries.

If your guests party on with a table loaded with junk food, by the time the cake is cut, tummies are bloated and teeth sugar coated and the most beautiful and delicious cake is left in uneaten chunks on plates.

Remember when the cake was the finale and special treat of the party?

Entertainment
Nadia's party occurred during a flooding downpour and the weather was iffy for Alex's party as well.  
Nadia's guests were happy enough with our selection of toys but I needed to be more savvy for Alex's older guests.

We set up zones in our house for Face Painting (thanks Mom! and remember that you don't need an artist like my mom to paint a flower or zigzag on a cheek) and LegoLand.  Kids zipped out to the bouncy castle (hired) and trampoline (ours) and back in again when they needed food or quiet play or a break from the light showers and cold winds.

Having experienced serial party games, here's why they don't work for me:

• Hard work for me!
• Winners and losers - some kids (like mine) take this really to heart
• Regimented - groups of kids find their own entertainment.  Calling them away from their own activities to play a formal game can be disruptive
• Prizes - kids can be very disappointed to miss out on prizes.  And the prizes are usually more candy or cheap toys... leading on to....

To take home...
I don't know who invented the party bag, but they didn't do anybody any party favours!

Embarrassingly, my children now expect and ask for party bags when they attend parties.  When my kids have spent a few hours loading up on sugar and excitement, the last thing I want is a plastic bag containing more sweets and plastic toys.  Enough already!

I did the party bag thing once.  Once.  What hard work!  At the last party, I let each child pick a lollipop and a balloon to take home (no plastic bag needed), and parents and kids alike were very pleased.

Lighten up, it's a party!

Of course.  But let's celebrate the birthday and fun and not the availability of cheap food and toys.

What was the best party you've ever given or attended?

Toys - in with the new, out with the old

After listing our Top 10 Toys, I ruthlessly culled another lot of less-than-loved clothes and toys.

Kids, don't think of this as losing toys.  Think of it as being able to see the rest of your toys!

I made some tough choices here because I've already done so much releasing - some of these are pretty cool.  But I thought about whether a toy entertains either of the kids for as much as five minutes, and that helped.  Some toys (like the black and yellow motorbike which really is Super) just can't compete anymore in the pile of new scooters and real bikes.

So along with Red snail, Blue snail, Yellow snail, and Green snail and other favourites, they can make some other younger children happy now.

I also threw away a magnetic drawing board that was broken but still limping along.  It's quite hard for me to do that but our shelves look better already.

For those who don't have children, this may seem a strange and pitiful activity to brag about.  But life in our house improves with every item that is gone and not missed, and that is truly an art.

Do you discuss it with your children when toys need to go?

Help! What do I do for a minimalist mum?

Dear Diary,

I'm getting the feeling that my dear daughter/niece/etc doesn't like it when I bring over lots of presents for her kids.  How ungrateful!  I guess I'll stop trying to help out if it's not appreciated.  Hmmph!

From:  A Generous Relative

Dear Generous,

Don't despair!  Your favourite younger mother is really happy that you are thinking of her and her kids.  You loved it when grandma brought you special gifts when she visited, and it's your turn to carry on the tradition - that's what grandmas are for.   I bet both the kids and mother think the toys you brought are fun and cool.

While you may have grown up in a time of particular austerity and wished you had more to play with, today's mother's household is probably already spilling over with toys.  Our culture means that toys arrive constantly - Christmas presents, birthday parties (everyone attending often gets toys), promotional items, rewards for patience and cooperation during boring parent jobs...

Any new toy is very attractive, but the mother is probably wondering where in her home to find a home for the new resident.

• A mother working at home with children is constantly faced with the neverending task of holding back the toy tides for another day.
• A mother working outside the home as well can be totally demoralised because it takes almost no time to create a toy avalanche and she has limited time to restore order.

At the end of last year, I found myself wanting to hire a caravan and go travelling around the country for months.  With the young kids, I would probably find this quite stressful, but the main impulse was to escape the daily toy herding in our house.   I wanted to leave the house (which I like) because of the stuff!

This shouldn't just be the mother's job.  Every member of the family should help, and your role, Generous, is to consider other ways of showing your love than arriving laden with gifts.

Generous Gifts of Love

• Ask what some favourite family meals are, and bring your casserole dishes, pie plates, and cookie jars full
• Ask the children to show you their favourite toy or game, and play it with them
• Before you visit, phone and ask if there is anything on the shopping list that you can pick up on your way
• Tell the children some fun family stories about you or some other family member they know
• Share your favourite fairy tale or teach them a nursery rhyme or simple song
• Offer a warm lap and lots of smiles and patience to a child who might be missing out from a busy mother
• Babysit

Thanks for the advice, but no thanks!

At my age I'm not so interested in doing things that don't make me happy.  I really like to shop better than any of those things - not all Grandmas wear permanent oven mitts you know!  A young family doesn't have lots of money to spare on toys so I that's what I want to do.

OK, OK...
Yes, CinderGrandma, you shall go to the mall!

But you could ask her what is on the kids' wishlist at the moment before going on a spree.  That way you give the kids a super treat and take something off the "pester the parents" list as well.  Happy shopping!

Has your family been involved in mismatched generosity?  How did you handle it?

Top 10 Toys for a Minimalist Family

Imagine you are a real minimalist mum.

Not like I am, writing about it on my computer in utter middle-class suburban bliss while surrounded by a houseful of things I am still trying to tame.  And odds are, not like you are either.

Instead, imagine you are a mum who does not buy a toy for her kid "just because" ... ever!  You value money, space, time, imagination... you name it... too much for that.  Your friends and family also know this, so they don't give toys "just because" either.

Think about the tabula rasa (clean slate) method.  You have no toys left in the house.  (Wow - huge sigh of relief from the person who organises the toyroom!)

Now pick 10 toys to entertain your children.  We'll make it easier:  a set can be a toy and a game can be a toy.  If a toy has parts that get used up, you can replace them.  As toys are outgrown, you can replace them.

My Top 10 Toys

1. Stacking blocks
2. Lego
3. Playdough and accessories
4. Beachball
5. Chalkboard and chalk
6. Train set
7. Soft toy (animal or whatever)
8. Musical instrument
9. Dress up costume
10. Marbles

Could that be enough?  Why not?

My kids would be richer for the experience of using only these.  They would need to:

• Share
• Cooperate
• Imagine
• Invent
• Enjoy

What would be on your list? I guarantee you'll learn something if you make one!

Top 10 tips to tidy your toyroom

Once you have the knack of decluttering your grownup knickknacks and do-nothings, you might be ready to tackle a much thornier problem - Kid Stuff!

Why is Kid Stuff harder?
The essence of decluttering is "Do I need this?"  Adults usually have a few main interests and activities - we have learned we must focus on only a few for any level of quality.  So the essential question can be answered with a minimum of struggle.  Even the followup question "Will I need this later?" can, with some honesty, be handled.

Kids are butterfly beings with different interests each day so... "does she need this - will he need this later?"  How do you know? 

Inspired by a lovely Montessori handbook,  I have redesigned our home toy areas.  Here's what I've learned:

Decluttering

1.  Declutter first

Only store and organise what you want to keep!

Your kids will gain as much from the improvement as you do.

2.  Art is in the making

Be brutal with kids' paintings and crafts - at preschool and early school they might make something each day.  Do the math.  How many boxes of crumpled coloured paper and scattered glitter do you really want in your house?

If it doesn't make you say "Wow!" and rush off to show your partner or grandma, it's not this year's keeper.

3.  Dig deep!  

Toys which have been buried and haven't been played with for some time are the best candidates for someone else to love.  It is tempting to bring them out as a new surprise for your children, but beware!  Unless you can get rid of familiar toys instead, you won't end up decluttering anything.

Remember that they have too many toys and that's why you are here.  You don't have to do anything heartwrenching, but don't fall into the "this is sorta neat, maybe they'd like this again" mediocrity trap. 

4. There can be only one... 

You may find (like me) that you've bought several versions of a toy at different times, because you liked it just as much each time you saw it.  Full marks for consistency - now let's work on improving the clutter.

I'm a sucker for letter and number teaching games and there are so many cool ones!  But perhaps my kids don't need a Bob the Builder spelling game and Pooh Bear dominoes and an ABC puzzle and fridge magnets to learn the alphabet?

5. No one-trick ponies

The secret to having fewer toys is keeping only the toys that are full of surprises to stir your child's imagination.  Some toys look great but really only do one thing. 

• One pull-along toy grabbed my son's attention and he even bought it with his own pocket money.  But even though this cute Elmo-head opened up to show Cookie Monster when pulled, that's all it did. Pull, roll, open, and giggle maniacally.  Its string was so short that a child tall enough to pull it would generally pull it off the ground.
• A building set we were given that makes only a dog or a duck has limited entertainment value - the frustration of putting it together wrong generally outweighs the satisfaction of building a dog one more time
• Current Lego fashion for sets with special pieces that build only one thing get a big thumbs down - we have a giant jumbled set of mostly basic blocks and I'm amazed at what gets built.  Again, I like toys where doing it differently doesn't mean doing it wrong.

Do yourself a favour and find one-trick ponies another stable...and think hard when bringing new toys into yours.
 
6.  Be careful giving away your kids' stuff!  

I judge what stuff my kids don't love anymore.  If I gave them refusal rights, they might develop a new attachment. So far, I haven't been bitten.  But just last week, my niece claimed a handed down book (now Nadia's favourite) as one of her favourites still! (This is the first time - both my nieces are very generous with passing on their things to us.)  Oh, the dilemma!  Oh the agony!  Oh, the irony, for my sister has yet to forgive our mother for donating her soft toys without asking her...

But we've got at least a 99.99% success rate.  And when my little baby darling girl wasn't looking at the book, I slipped it into my sister's little baby darling girl's schoolbag and luckily, I haven't heard anything about it at all.  Because if there's one other thing we have too many of, it's books!  I know this will strike a chord with many of you, and I'd love to hear what you do when you have so many great kids books that your shelves runneth over.

Storage  
Now you're ready to put your remaining beloved educational and entertainment gems away. 

7.  Take professional advice

Dr Maria Montessori designed a revolutionary and successful teaching method that is still being used today.  Originally, their special handmade learning toys were dispensed by the teachers from locked cupboards.  But the children showed they would treat their playthings with respect.

Today's model allows children free access (many early education centres also use this model):

• Open low shelves
• Baskets or boxes to contain parts of toys
• Last toy put away before next toy out (very important, but we are still working on this habit for home use)

I have seen this design in so many centres, but I had to see it described in a book to act on it.

I had two stacking basket sets where the shelves are now, and they ended up as stacked jumble piles that the kids rarely dug into for toys.

That big basket on the top shelf will become another junk basket if I don't dedicate it to a purpose.

8. Easy access
A good play area must be easy to put things into and get things out of.  Otherwise, anything stored there will turn into a junk pile. Remember that good things might as well be junk if you can't find them. It's much easier to throw something down and under than to pick it up and out.

It took so long to clear out underneath our small school desk in the corner that it was an obvious lesson - nothing more is going to be stored there.

9.  The storage must fit the the stored

Small toys in a deep container might as well be in a black hole, or expect the whole lot to be on the floor for searching.  As a rule, toys shouldn't be piled more than three layers deep in a container...excluding building sets like Lego, of course.  Luckly, shallow containers are more likely to fit under furniture for storage.

We have a few big containers (probably verging on too big)

• Bucket for bats and paddles and spades
• Hamper for balls and balloons (my kids like blowing up balloons just for the sake of it)
• Tall basket and a wall mounted hammock for large soft toys

I do my best to keep small toys out of these black holes.

10.  Rotating toys

You may have great toys that you and the kids can't part with but still can't fit into your professionally-inspired uncluttered easy access play area either.

If you have the room elsewhere, box those winners up and bring them out in a few months (and choose current toys to live in the box).  Rotation time is a great time for another round of decluttering!

When boxing up:

• choose toys with some lifespan left - if your child will be too old for that toy by next rotation, that's one to leave available for play
• store with care - you don't want rotation time to be jumble cleanup time

Must try harder
You can see from my pictures that we are still a work in progress.

Seriously, I am donating in fruit bags when I have so much stuff I ought to be donating in rubbish bags.  Has anyone tried the clean sweep method with toys and other kid stuff?

Other takes on tidy toyrooms:

• Toy Crazy
• Taming the Toy room
• Organising tips

Have I missed out your favourite tidy tip?  Share it!

It's the thought that counts....or what madness lies in the heart of the giver

I would love to have this as a timely Christmas post, but I can't possibly wait that long.  Plus, with kids, a gift-giving experience is always just a few sleeps away.

Gift-giving is crazy...in so many ways.  It's a fantastic mix of fun and guilt, guessing and missing, happy surprises and award-winning performances.  It's also about overspending, confusing needs and wants, and often sadly, CLUTTER!

I say again, crazy.  I consider myself a rational gift-giver, and I still succumb to it.  My mother suggested we all contribute some $$ for my sister to get herself some special jewelry for her, ummmm, recent birthday.  (The adults in our family exchange birthday gifts but only do Christmas pressies for the kids.  I love this system.)  Great suggestion, and Mom even did the birthday coupon herself.  We anted up the dosh, and Whew!  Duty done for this important recent birthday!

That's not crazy, I hear you say.  But when Sis mentioned later that she'd used the money to buy herself some proper exercise gear instead, I had an genuine moment of "Huh? That was supposed to be for jewelry!" Didn't say it out loud, thank goodness.  Crazy!  If Sis wanted new exercise gear more than new jewelry, then of course that's what she should get.  All of us close to her know that what she's doing with that exercise gear is more flattering than another little sparkly.  Hello, the jewelry wasn't even my idea in the first place.  Yet gift-givers ownership madness had taken over.

There's not enough "Got you this, hope you like it" and too much "Verily, I have given thee a gift and therefore thou shalt please me in its dispensation!"  Of course we want to feel our gift was a winner and not an "Oh..."  I once gave a gift that made the recipient cry from its poignancy.  In the words of Jack Nicholson, I overshot a little - I was just aiming for personal and memorable.  But although I haven't seen that person for quite a number of years, I still remember this unusual achievement. 

For my kids' birthday parties, I love inviting lots of people, but I hate having lots of cheap toys arrive as my kids' new and temporary best friends.  After one birthday party for my son where he was simply overwhelmed by wrapping paper and gifts, I had to do something different.  My invites now include an invitation to bring a gold coin contribution (that's NZ$1 or $2) to a special family gift and/or donate a small amount to a favourite charity in the child's name.  No further questions asked, because I'm just as happy whichever they choose.

I hope that I'm saving busy parents a chore, saving the earth just a little bit, and saving myself from the hassle of having my children fall in love with a flashy toy today, crush it tomorrow, and wonder where it went the day after that.  I'm sure I'm not doing the Warehouse any favours.

•  My favourite disposable, cheap and cheerful toys are stickers, colouring books or art supplies.  I'm not 100% anti-plastic, but I'm certainly not a fan.  And shouldn't a toy that will never biodegrade at least provide some years of service?  Not hours?

Most of us get a real thrill that someone cared enough to get us a gift, and do feel obligated. Add it all up, and this is what keeps unwanted gifts moldering away in boxes in closets, tucked at the bottom of drawers never to see the light of day, or hurriedly brushed off and shown off when a visitor is due.

Regardless of needs, credit-card balances, and room on the shelves, gift-giving runs rampant.  It's not just the Hallmark holiday problem - it's just plain fun to give gifts.  So how can you do it thoughtfully as a minimalist or for a minimalist?

Everyday minimalist has some great tips - Unclutterer always has good advice too!   And for me?

1. Keep their values in mind, not mine
2. Choose something they will enjoy using over something they must enjoy keeping
3. Don't spend what I will miss
4. Enjoy giving with love

In some cases, I just need to look at what I have and use it.  In my kitchen post, one clutter box was a snazzy chocolate lovers mug set with shaker and frother from my Mom.  Dunno exactly why I wasn't using it - some idea that we already have enough mugs?  We do, but I'm really enjoying having my own special one.   The kids are thrilled with their fluffies with choccie sprinkles on top!   And how can I have so many cute bottles of moisturiser and also have cracked heels?  (Pause for brief foot care break - I've stored them by the computer because that's where I'm most likely to have a spare minute.)

So what do you do with a well-meant but unwanted gift?  And if (totally hypothetically of course) my most recent present is right inline with one of my hobbies, but it would immediately be seconded as toys and ruined by the kids, how do I break that gently to my favourite giver?

Baby steps

It's time to do before and after shots!  I can see I'm going to have to plan these better, because I've had to search hard for a decent before shot, and the comparison isn't as easy as I'd hoped. 

Clearly, tidying would make the after shot look even better, but that wouldn't be authentic. Cropping is quicker. 

Our lounge, after we accepted some wonderful furniture from my sister.  I couldn't let go of all our old furniture.  Because it's nice to have all that seating, right? And it fit, sort of.    And now?

The big tub chair is gone (from the house, not just from that room).    My display cabinet is much less cluttered.  Fewer knickknacks and cookbooks, and one of those 3 drawers is EMPTY!   I still have my eye on you though, cabinet...

The big speakers are gone.  The plant is on a TV stand rescued from its unused TV.  The TV stand tidies some toys away.

Net lost seating?  Absolutely zero.  That extra seat was always cluttered.


Pan to the TV corner of what seems like just yesterday.  Oh my god....  well, the kids looked good.
Note:  toy libraries are a great idea.  If you don't already have too many toys.  Let's move on quickly.

Yay, gigantic speakers GONE!  Baby guards GONE!  Kids GONE...oh wait, they were the cute part.
I can open the door, I can open the blinds.... whenever I want.  Can you feel the excitement?
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I do.

And here's a photo of our "out basket."

Yes, it's all gotta go...I'm so proud of us!

Minimalist? But kids are so untidy!

Untidy city. And another not so secret - I'm only about average in the tidy department myself. Total slob? No. OCD neatnik? Don't make me laugh. But do you know what? If you're not the naturally tidy type, minimalism is an even better idea.

If you have too much stuff, and not enough space or inclination to put it all away, what's going to happen? Yeah, you know it, and that's what happens at my house too. Generally, things are where they shouldn't be. When expecting a visit from someone who might object to your inhome obstacle course, with a herculean effort, things get tidied and/or hidden. And the next time you look around, the untidy fairies have sprinkled their wee magick again.

You can't ever win unless you actually get stuff out of your house.

I have been working harder on releasing my own things than the kids'. I have been working some minor miracles getting rid of outgrown toys and clothes, but I unashamedly keep kid toys in many rooms of our house. We have more great toys than they can possibly play with at once.

How is that still minimalist?

1) It reflects my values. Even if at 10pm, I am faced with a lounge covered with three sets of scattered toys plus those kicked for touch into the kitchen, I have a wee frisson of triumph if I know that this joyous abandon kept them away from the TV. TV for kids is a constant battle for me. I'll revisit that. And maybe I'll tidy up myself, or maybe figure there's some magic left in them for early risers the next morning.

2) This toy bonanza is housed in various baskets, trays and boxes, and many of them live out of sight underneath couches. Last week, I even filled a storage bin (recently emptied of bathroom stuff following VERY successful purge and rehoming) with many of the less organised toys that are still age appropriate. Boxed up, out of sight, unmissed, but all the more entertaining when they appear again.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

But wait, there's less....how do you keep things under control at your house?