Fast out of gate, slow around first turn...

Slow as in: been two months since I posted anything, Christmas was challenging, and I may buy a treadmill today (oh no!).

Last things first. The Treadmill. I justify this expense in that we cancelled our gym membership in the spring and have been meaning to replace that with a treadmill, but didn't make it before the end-date, or start date, as the case may be. This may actually be considered a medical expense. I'm going to apply to the MS society for a subsidy. Anyway, please hold your tomatoes and read on. Remember the title is "experiment."

I wanted to write about gift giving and birthday parties in the fall. Noone in our family has had a birthday, but my children have attended several. As gifts, we've given Chex Mix Muddy Buddies, a Blockbuster gift card specifically for soda, popcorn and two movies, a manicure, and an ice cream date.

The ice cream date didn't really work out because it was for a little boy in my daughter's 3rd grade class. She also chose to use her own money to buy him a $5 lego set. His response to that was, "another one?" I think we can safely say that little crush is over.

Here is the point where I really regret not posting during the holidays. There were weekly items pertaining to this subject that I now won't remember. I think a good resolution for me would be "Post when something happens, not later". I'll do my best and use a listing to break it up a little:

1. Mentioned slippery stairs and was given tread paint
2. Decided to gift my mom dinners once a month for a year
3. Same thing for my best friend, but bought her a cookbook to go with
4. Picked up pants for myself off the "Free" table at MOPS
5. Bought larger coats for kids for Christmas, but gave away small coats and extra jackets to a charity to pass out to other kids

I'm noticing the Christmas theme in my list, so I'll take some time to comment on the holiday. My husband was adamant in the beginning that Christmas be somewhat of an exception to the rule. We decided (apparently along with many Americans) to buy socks and underwear for the kids--necessities. One magazine I read called it "grim news for kids this year". BUT, we also bought them each one big ticket item, as well as an ATM savings bank to go along with our theme ($20), and allowed them to choose toys as gifts for each other. Our 15 year old actually got a snow trip for his big ticket, and bedroom curtains from his siblings; yes, he did request them. My husband and I each made a list of need to be replaced clothing items. For the stockings, I went to trader joes and loaded up on edible goodies. The kids didn't notice the missing toys among the soda, pop tarts, gum, chocolate, candy and energy bars.

I want to take a breath here to reflect on how this made a difference. This experiment is supposed to buy time. I bought the doll, curtains, ATMS, pajamas, coats and books online. I knew exactly what I wanted, and where to get it, so it didn't take much time. My husband and I spent a nice morning finding socks, underwear, gloves and hats at Marshalls, after which I reflected, with some doubt that I was done with my shopping for the kids! My husband did a little shopping on his own for me, and traded his dead IPOD for his son's new NANO at the Apple store. We also passed down my old cell phone to my 6th grader and got a free phone for my daughter with the purchase of two sim cards (pay as you go minutes). And finally, we took the kids for an afternoon downtown for carousel riding, and mini-doughnut eating. While there, they helped shop for those clothing items for their parents.

We sent Christmas cards (I'd bought last year), went to a christmas show, and made felted soap to give away. The kids and I also shopped to fill two boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Do to my new non-stressful holiday prep, I was willing to throw a last minute potluck party for my cousins and their families on the 20th. I planned to go to Target and load up with gifts for the little ones, but the kids and I managed to find almost new hardcover books they were willing to part with. We also managed to find little trinkets to tie to the top of the wrapped books. Huzzah! Christmas was not all that challenging!

A have a little story for my grand finale:

I mentioned our experiment to my son's teacher at conferences in October. At the time I told her, "Oh well, I've wanted riding boots for two years, guess I'll wait another year." In December, I helped direct the class play. As a thank you, she surprised me with, you guessed it, boots! Surprised as in, made sure my son was out of the room when she told the class, guessed my size by looking at my feet, dug through boots at Marshalls and tried them on herself, found one boot and search until she found the other, and then called my husband to caution him against buying me boots.

And a last confession: I bought 2 pairs of earings on my AZ trip and a souvenir for each kid. At least one of the souvenirs was a rolling backpack for my son. I needed it to bring home the "new" food processor that I saved while helping clean out a laundry room. I laugh because the food processor was an example I have used when explaining this experiment. I wanted a bigger one, but had resolved not to buy one unless my little chopper broke and needed replacing.

So, boots and a food processor. Coincidence?

Halloween Costumes

So, first holiday hurdle--costumes for Halloween. Thankfully, both children decided to be something similar to characters they've chosen in the past.

Last year Bella chose to be a racoon. We bought a cat suit at Target (masks and tails sold separately) and ears and a coonskin hat at party city. So, we have ears, and costume, but wrong tail.

I creatively e-mailed and posted on Facebook, looking for a cat tail to borrow. I received two offers, and an idea to stuff a sock or knee-hi, and make one (great idea).

This morning, a friend dropped by with not one, but two choices. One of the tails she was offering was a little boa made of goose or ostrich feathers. Unusual for a cat tail...

Perfect for Bella's costume, which has feathers around the neckline, and all four limbs. Perfect. Better than I could have done myself. Probably couldn't have found it if I had gone looking (and I didn't even think of it!).

Now, if I can just find some hay or rafia, Tristan's Pitchfork costume for the school Harvest theme will be taken care of. Maybe the 2nd graders have some hay laying around for their guinea pigs...

What does it look like?

I think anyone could do it, really. Right now we have agreed to buy food and things like shampoo that run out (we’ll also go to the movies and spend money on activities). We’ll buy necessities, and replace things that we use/rely on that break. So I can’t buy a bigger food processor, but if the small chopper one I’m using breaks…, I have to put new boots off for another year, and I have to live with the paint colors I already have unless I find some free paint and supplies (I’ve never painted my basement). AND we’ll look for free decking on Craig’s list to rebuild our rotting deck. If the kids need sporting equipment, we’ll try to borrow it before we buy.

That being said, this is really a valuable time to do this in my kids lives. They’ve been getting allowance for a few years, and they are pretty tuned in to the Media telling them what they need. As soon as they get their funds, they want me to take them to Target to "buy something".

For everything we spend money on, we’ll be asking if we really need it, or if we can re purpose something else, or be creative in solving the problem, rather than running to the store. Last night I bought hand soap and paper towels. Writing this has got me thinking…I purchased microfiber towels and I have rags, do I really need paper towels?

Family Project

Our family has recently decided to embark on a project: We aren’t going to buy any “stuff” for one year. I’m wondering what the many blessings of that will be, but my hope is that contentment is one of them. We are taking a break from consumerism for just one year! I have a suspicion that we will find God providing our wants many times and Bella has already experienced that.

She was having a hard time accepting that she had some money and couldn’t spend it. She asked if she could just buy one more, and then be done. I’d been holding out, even though our official start day is Thanksgiving (we plan to reward ourselves with a family trip to Disneyland the week after Thanksgiving next year). She wanted to buy a new Webkinz (she has about 5).

My girlfriend treated us to bowling Friday night, and Bella’s big brother, Matt, noticed there was something sticking out of the 50 cent toy machine (the claw). He pointed it out to her and she retrieved it. It was a silly duck that quacks “do dah” and squawks when you grab it’s neck. I haven’t heard about buying anything since. I had the awesome opportunity to point out that God gives good gifts to his children, and wants to give us the desire of our hearts.

Anyway, thanks for reading my story. It is too good to be true to believe that God wants to bring us joy this way in our daily lives, but I’m beginning to believe it!