A Taste of Fall, My School Shopping Secrets & Other Ramblings...

These past few mornings have given us a taste of Fall here in upstate New York. I sure do love those crisp mornings when I wake up to open windows fresh air before the day heats up. I am not ready for Fall quite yet, but I do enjoy it when the humidity lessens at the end of summer.

Lately I've been trying to mold all aspects of our home life into some sort of organized fashion. That's a hard task with two small kids. But I've found that less is more lately. I've been decluttering room after room, each time I accomplish one section, I feel a little bit of weight lift off of me. It could very well be a personality trait. Just the same, I'm sure it gives anyone a little bit of relief to do some good old organization and purging. The kids have so much STUFF! I think about the fact that Christmas is 4 months away and the thought of MORE toys in my home is overwhelming. Scarlett is a little hoarder at times, so when she's not looking I've slowly taken a few things, (that I know doesn't even look at), away for donation. A lot of their clothes I've tried to sell to make money for the never-ending need for new clothes. I will say that the second time around, I am a lot smarter with what I purchase for clothes and baby products. With Scarlett I bought every cute outfit that I came across. If Diapers.com recommended it, I had it. But I guess that's what happens with the first. With Maxwell, I know that that cute outfit will only fit him for maybe 3 months, so is it really worth $60? I am more strategic with my purchases and I know that not every toy on the best baby website is as good as it is reviewed. Maxwell has much less than Scarlett had at his age.

Do I feel bad? No.
I know that he has everything that he needs. The fact that I bought Scarlett a lot of gender neutral items is paying off now that Maxwell can use Scarlett's old toys and things.

As Fall approaches, I find myself doing more of a binge cleaning than any other season. Winter is long and with much time spent inside. That being said, I want my home to be an enjoyable place to live in. Less clutter = less stress in my opinion. I also need to really buckle down on getting my office area organized. It's where I've been working a lot lately now that my sitter left for school. I need it to be clean in order to focus and work well.

We went school shopping for Scarlett's supplies for Kindergarten. Oh gosh....every time I say that I get a little sentimental. Kindergarten. That also means the start of school shopping for clothes. I really do shopping for clothes every season, so it isn't much different. That is the difference with living in an area that has 4 very defined seasons, you need new clothes for your growing kids a lot sooner. We can't wear summer clothes in the Fall. My strategy is this: I buy 2 outfits and a pair of shoes for them. Because at the start of the school year in September, it's still pretty warm here and they end up wearing some of their summer clothes and shoes anyhow. Then about 2 weeks after school starts, I go online and pick up a good amount of things on sale. It's the way to go. I learned that after buying for Scarlett last year and seeing the prices drop a week after we bought them.

As much as I hate to see this wonderful Summer fade, I am ready to get into a routine and start a fresh new period. I always say how much I appreciate the seasons of the North East. We are blessed to have such beautiful, turning seasons. With work going into overdrive, I need to have a little more time to focus. These Summer days of naked kids, ice cream and water play were enjoyed. Now comes a soft and subtle change. A way to keep us appreciating Summer by slipping away for another year. Peace out August....It's been real.