I became a minimalist – well, as much a minimalist as you can be with a husband who decidedly isn’t (frugal though he may be) and four small kiddos.

My daughter conducted “fitness classes” for the boys, and they just enjoyed the clean house. She was also so inspired by the wide open space that she voluntarily tidied and vacuumed the entire house.It comes with the batteries it needs, so it's great for Christmas - there won't be a mad dash for them on Christmas Eve.

Because we homeschool and are a one car family, we are home all day most days: I expect the house to get messy. In summer, you’ll find all sorts of great outdoor toys and games, with trampolines, climbing frames, bouncy castles, garden games and sports like tennis and badminton, waterslides and much more. And with bigger outdoor toys, we can even deliver them direct to your door. We’ll see how it goes, but I anticipate having much more free time, peace, and cleanliness in my future. This mom’s childhood memories of her mother selling a beloved toy (against her wishes) resurfaced as she was about to purge her kids’ toys for the umpteenth time.I don’t want to do things just because my parents did them or because parenting expert so and so says its the right way or because it makes my life easier. I want everyone to benefit from my decisions as a mom, not just me (because kids are people, too ).

The first day I implemented this system, there was so much free space, the kids ran around for more than an hour. I also want to instill a sense of personal responsibility in my kids.If all the toys are everyone’s, but only two children played with said toy, why should the third child have to clean it up? On the other hand, I also want to impart a cooperative spirit. Far too often, I’ve heard my kids say, “But it’s not my mess, mom. Why do I have to clean it up?” I want personal responsibility plus offering to help each other. But then, this ugly purple airplane taught me a really important lesson about gratitude and minimalism.When the weather’s not so great, we’ve got play time covered too – with a brilliant variety of indoor games, puzzles and books to fire their imagination, whether they’re just learning to read or are at a more advanced stage. We’ll have works by popular children’s authors, and books designed to help them learn about the world, right from an early age. Our amazing toy range is big on fun, and just as big on value! As part of our Specialbuys, they vary throughout the year depending on the season. My answer (and hers) to feeling out of control was always just declutter. Get rid of more – more – more. The toy cash register was originally posted by a shopper on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains Facebook group, much to the delight of parents. When I decided to halt my relentless war on toy clutter, I still needed a way to manage the toys we kept without losing my mind.