Simplicity

When we moved from Phoenix, AZ to Portland, OR my husband and I gave ourselves a challenge. Let's see how little we really needed. We packed what we could into the back of our CRV. Every nook and cranny was filled to the brim. Each child brought a small rubbermaid storage tote filled with their favorite items. We pretended we were very spoiled pioneers following our own Oregon Trail. We had all the modern amenities, but we didn't have much space and we had to be selective about what we took and what we would leave behind. We did not bring a TV, but we do watch a movie on our computer each weekend. We assumed we would use the library for our little readers.

O, almost 3yo- filled his box with train tracks, trains, building blocks, alphabet blocks, and tools.

F 5 3/4yo-chose to bring his car collection- mostly corvettes, his paper airplane book, and a few stuffed animals.

Z 7 3/4yo- Brought a few books, her scriptures, her small American Girl dolls, her Groovy Girls, her beading supplies, stuffed animals, and a sewing kit.

The children have shared so nicely with each other, played with all their toys, and cleaned them up on a regular basis. I think sometimes when I buy a toy for my children , I imagine it will make my child smarter or buy me some free time. What this experiment has shown me is we don't need much to provide a rich learning environment for our children and our attention is much more important than the latest video game or newest solar system kit ( or fill in the toy name blank). My children have struggled learning to leave me alone, when I need a break or to get something finished quickly. Here, without the extra stimulation of our home in Phoenix, they are learning to play with each other and to respect my boundaries and house rules.

We regularly send the kids to the park behind our apartment- I can see it directly below my 2nd floor balcony. They love the freedom, the independence, and most importantly the responsibility to look after each other. Each child has gained confidence and learned compassion and empathy for each other. Does this mean they never fight- no, they are learning how to get out of the fights better and how to be loyal friends. It was tough for me to let go and ato trust them, but they have exceeded my expectations and are a source of great pleasure.

If you look closely you can see the little park in the bottom left hand corner of the picture.

B and I packed the bare minimum of clothing with very different stratagies. I assumed we'd take lots of pictures and selected more presentable outfits. B, ever the pragmatist, brought mostly what he would leave behind. Almost worn out? Pack it! Hate that shirt? Bring it- I'll leave it in OR. We brought our cast iron skillet and no other kitchen supplies. I brought my sewing machines and he brought very few personal belongings. I shipped two boxes of school books to my friend. Our car looked like it would explode if we put one more thing in there! (We are getting a rack and cargo box for the trip back to Phoenix). We assumed we could furnish our apartment mostly with 2nd hand items! The thrift stores out here are awesome! We had a friend lend us a couch and we bought a laptop and printer out here. Since we will take the electronics home with us, I'm not including it in our overall spending. We furnished our apartment- for about $1000. That paid for pans, dishes, storage containers, cooking utensils, stereo, table and chairs, coffee table, stereo table, dresser, 3 kid mattresses (new), 1 king size mattress set, vacuum cleaner, some clothes for the family, and 2 air conditioners. None of the items are made out of particle board (yuck!). I am amazed at how well we did and the kids learned some valuable lessons on budgeting and what you can buy used and what should be purchased new.

Living Room


Kitchen & Dining area

Kids room

My room

I have come to appreciate and enjoy simplicity. I think I am going to purge even more stuff from our home in AZ when we return in October/November. I love our experiment and so far it has had so many benefits for our family.