First day of Minimalist Parenting Camp!

"If you understand yourself, you can belong to you." - Arabella (02/28/2013)


I thought this wise-beyond-her-years Arabella quote above is a great lead-in to my latest project:

The Minimalist Parent camp, that is (Thank you so much to local blogger Nichole Beaudry of In These Small Moments for alerting me to this great opportunity!).

From the website:
Through a series of 14 daily tasks, you'll make real progress in the areas many of us find challenging: managing your time, handling clutter (in your home, schedule, and mind), simplifying mealtime, and making room for self-care.

And when you complete your task, you get a badge, just like in Girl Scouts (I was a sucker for Girl Scout badges). 

And it's free - what's not to love?

Today I had my first task - make of list of things I want MORE of and things I want LESS of. The things could be anything: 

1. In the MORE column, list things that enrich your life and the things you'd like more of.Feelings, objects, experiences...anything goes. List even the far-fetched and impossible-seeming stuff. Try not to censor yourself (this list is for your eyes only).
2. In the LESS column, list the things, assumptions and situations you'd like less of. Things that are complicating your life, reliably dragging it down, or are plain un-fun. No guilt or judgment allowed.

Followed by this great advice: Resist the urge to let “shoulds” sneak onto your list. What’s right for others isn’t necessarily right for you or your family. Keep your list somewhere readily accessible so you can refer to it as opportunities and obligations come up. You may begin to notice that your More and Less List helps guide your decision-making.

So I spent a good 20 minutes this morning making my more/less list: 




I want MORE: 

And less:

And here's my sweet badge:

If you'd like to join camp, here's the link: http://www.minimalistparenting.com/mincamp/

What would be on your More/Less list?