I have always liked to think of myself as a minimalist....only keeping what I need and honoring what I love. Well, I wish it were true. Reality is my life is not my own... I share it with a husband who can eat 6000 calories a day (and not gain a pound,) a thirteen year old son who is a Lego addict, an eleven year old daughter who is a hoarder of all things small and plastic, a five year old daughter who has to change her clothes every five minutes, plus two dogs (one is 165 lb Great Dane) and three cats! My. Life. Is. Not. My. Own!

So I've changed my vision... now I like to think of myself as a Prepared Minimalist. I keep a full pantry with emergency back up snacks. My son has organized systems to contain the Lego madness. My daughter has "catch-all" baskets so she can clean up quickly. The five year old helps with laundry so she can see first hand what a pain in the ass it is! I am prepared with Amazon subscribe and save delivering essentials, like 50 pound bags of dog food to my front door. If every one in my family decides to wet the bed in the middle of the night, I've got one set of back up sheets ready! We keep extra Trader Joe's appetizers in the garage freezer for an impromptu get together. Even my car is stocked with emergency snacks and changes of clothes.....But what that means for a true minimalist is that there is STUFF everywhere!

Life is about trying to find balance, even though sometimes it feels like a juggling act. I've learned that its ok to keep a spare and to have a back up plan even if it takes up space. Plastic toys don't spark joy for me but they do for my kids. I don't need three choices of chips but my husband likes variety. But you know what...my family sparks joy for me! So I guess I'll keep 'em and all the STUFF that comes with them.

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