I've been on a journey this year. A journey into minimalism. (Anyone who's spent time with me lately is probably rolling their eyes right now and thinking "shut up already") but it's been life changing, so no, I won't shut up ;) Less stuff. It's just such a wonderful notion. Realising I don't need it all and I definitely don't need more of it, seems such an obvious realisation but it's taken me a while to get here. We have probably given away a third of our stuff since January, and I feel I'm only just getting started. For the first time in the history of my life there are shelves in our cupboards and wardrobes that are empty. They have nothing on them. And what was once there hasn't been missed for a minute.

The kids toys are probably my hardest area to simplify. They have so much and get given so much too, and they want it all. The stuff they never play with, that's easy to give away. But they seem to genuinely play with all of it at one time or another. But watching Ezra play with a shell on the beach today has helped remind me that it really doesn't take all the shiny plastic in the world to keep kids happy. And for them I know less will actually be so much more. And do you know what, since deciding a couple of months ago that we wouldn't buy them anything in the shops anymore, not even kinder eggs (how annoying are those toys?) they can now only buy things they've saved pocket money for, we've been tantrum free at the shops, and it is so good!

I am loving our simpler life.