Saturday, July 28, 2012

E-Book Sale

For the e-book lovers among us, Ave Maria Press is having an E-Book Sale on selected items.  You can get Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila, Chasing Joy by Edward Hays, Living the Rosary by John Phalen, C.S.C. and others for only 99 cents.  The sale ends tomorrow, so check it out today.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Tackling the Toys

Tami Kiser's book Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms is full of practical ideas for getting our homes and families organized so that we can experience real life.  And what is that?  An deep, joy-filled relationship with God and others, in our case, our husbands and children.  In her introduction, Tami tells us that her ways will not necessarily be ours, nor our ways hers.  But we might discover a little gem in someone else's experience.  In the first chapter, Tami tackles the toys.  In the last couple of years, I have become a minimalist in regards to toys, and I am not entirely unhappy.  Because the floors are easier to clean and to keep clean, my children tend to play with the toys rather than throwing them around the house.  But I am rethinking my strategy just a bit after reading this chapter.  We have Legos, Duplos, and Brio Trains, but I am thinking that I might add some other building sets, perhaps K'nex and Lincoln Logs, so that I can rotate them.  And with John's fifth birthday just a month away, this is the perfect time to buy some new toys.  I also liked Tami's idea of chests for dress up clothes and weapons (gotta love the boys).  I had purged the dress up clothes selection over the past year, but I am thinking that it might be time to add some new items.  

How do you tame the toys in your house?