It feels GOOD

I have been cleaning the house all day today. Well that and getting ready for Purim.

If you have never celebrated Purim, you are missing out. This is one of the kids FAVORITE holy days. If you want to compare it to a holiday, compare it to Halloween. You get all the benefits of dressing up in costumes, acting up, but instead of GETTING candy you GIVE it.

OK, enough about Purim.

I am always talking about how I have too much STUFF. And I do. I have collected items here and there because they were free, or a deal too good to pass. But I have learned that all that does is clutter the house. MUCH better to save the money and get the few things (like Lamplighter Books) that will last and edify my children.

And today, after going through my son's room and getting rid of 3/4's (yes three fourths) of his toys, I noticed not only how cleaner his room was, but how much HAPPIER he was. He knew where his favorite things (which he had not played with in months because they were lost in all his other junky toys) were now. And as soon as we were done cleaning, he went to playing. "My cars! I love my cars." For 40 or so minutes, I played cars with JJ (and of course once the girls heard all the fun, they had to get in on it too). His GeoTrax train set, which he LOVES, now has SPACE to be put out and played with! Such a HAPPY BOY!

And my daughters are learning too, now with their chore chars, that if they have less clutter in their room or their area, then they have less to clean up and spend less time cleaning.

Now if only I could learn and apply this myself to MY things. :D I need to stop rationalizing that I *NEED* something and decide if it truly is a need (or do I have something else that can help or do the same thing)? Is it something I absolutely love, or would I be OK without it.