Reuse and Recycle -- But Simplify? Maybe...


I found this great slideshow on MSN Lifestyle with 50 ways to reuse or recycle everyday household items. I'm definitely trying the pancake batter in a ketchup bottle... In fact, I'm soaking an old ketchup bottle right now to ready it for my next batch of pancakes!

I love ideas like these, although I will confess that I am cautious about implementing them. I'm starting to ask myself -- why am I saving this? Am I really going to use this again? Is it taking up room in my house that would be better used for something else? How does this simplify my life?

We live in an 1800 or so square foot, split entry house with four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and about a 10,000 square foot lot on a cul de sac. When we moved in here, we had a three-year-old and a 13-month-old. They each had their own room, and I said we were never moving again.

Fast forward 7 years... We now have four kids, and the two dogs and two cats we had are still with us. My husband has started working from home, so he uses the fourth bedroom as an office. I've also started freelancing, but I don't have an office (more about that in another post). Our two boys and two girls share the two bedrooms, and mercifully, we have a large downstairs area where they can play and watch TV.

Still, I feel like we're bursting at the seams in this house. We've mulled over moving, but that seems like a lot of work, especially with the market the way it is right now. Anywhere we want to move would require quite a leap in house payment, and that would require me to work more and be less available for the kids and the house. Is that really a sustainable life?

Sustainability is about the long term. For now, we're staying put. I'm busy simplifying, reducing, and organizing to make it feel less cramped around here. The honest truth is that I love my house. Making it more livable will be more sustainable for all of us.