not for profit.

A couple weeks ago, on one of those perfect late summer afternoons,  I found myself walking down Main Street in our little town with three small children.  To occupy them (and to distract them from throwing handfuls of dirt at one another) I made up a game called "Who Can Find The Prettiest Leaf?"  What's that you say?  You've never heard of this game?  Well, neither had they.  

I conjured up this game as a lame and desperate attempt at keeping three rambunctious kids occupied...and wouldn't you know?  They totally fell for it.

They all set off running through every yard and open space in town happily and proudly shouting "LOOK AT THIS ONE!  THIS ONE IS THE BEST SO FAR!  THIS ONE IS JUST A BABY LEAF!  THIS ONE IS RED ON ONE SIDE AND ORANGE ON THE OTHER!"  

I was humbled, as I have been so many times before in my adult life, at just how much joy kids can experience without spending a penny.  Just being outdoors, enjoying a little healthy competition, some crunchy fall leaves and the company of one another was all it took.

Free of charge.

Around this same time we had been renovating the mudroom in our farmhouse.  The room was originally more part of the barn than it was the house and well, it needed some love.  The barn board walls are cracking, the knob and tube wiring is exposed and on particularly cold winter mornings you can see your breath in the mudroom.  For real.  

Rather than waiting for the money to gut the room and give it a proper Pinterest makeover (and since I'm perfectly capable of using a paintbrush) I got to work trying to make some sense of the space.  I "deleted" a bunch of clutter that had accumulated over time, hung some additional hooks for jackets, vacuumed up all the spider webs and bought a gallon of paint.  

I went shopping in the barn and found an old mirror hiding behind a bed frame that I didn't even know we owned (truthfully I didn't know we owned either item - the bed frame or the mirror).  After hosing it down with about a quarter bottle of Windex I hung it in the space above the kids' jackets.  It fits nicely, don't you think?

{Next up: painting the trim white}

I love the mudroom now.  And all for the cost of a single gallon of yellow paint.  I get a strange buzz from upcycling things I already have, doing something myself and not spending more than I need to.  

I always thought I was just a cheap Yankee but since reading "Better Than Before" by Gretchen Rubin I've learned it's actually more than that.  It's my personality type...and it turns out I'm not alone. 

This book is a great way to get to 'know thy self' better.  Gretchen defines what she considers the four major personality types by the tendencies they share.  She asks the reader to honestly evaluate how they "get a buzz" in life and explains how those behaviors, when repeated, ultimately turn into habits.  Our habits (how we establish them and how we can change them) make for a very interesting read...I promise.

As it turns out, I'm not just thrifty.  I genuinely enjoy using less, spending less, and having less.  Excess makes me uncomfortable and clutter makes me twitchy.  Only having as much as I need, and not more, gives me a buzz.  It took years for my husband to convince me I should be buying family value packs of consumables like soap.  One bar at a time is just part of my DNA.

it would take FOREVER to use this much soap.

Not everyone is built this way - which is of course, a good thing.  There is no shame in shopping and the economy needs retail spending.  Just ask Trump, he'll tell you all about it.  

Speaking of people who like to fuel the economy, Khloe Kardashian recently had her Range Rover wrapped in black velvet.  The very definition of practical spending.

{I had to read this headline twice before I understood it.}

She was quoted as saying it is like her car is "rocking a Sean John sweat suit".  That's good I guess?  Like, in case your SUV gets chilly?  Still, I can't help but wonder how many goats could have been purchased for families in developing countries for the same price as her velvet SUV "wrap job".  Probably a lot. 

Just for giggles, let's all try out one new not-for-profit activity this fall and see how we like it.  Maybe something like...

• Pack a picnic and take a hike.  
• Go for a bike ride to a lake or river and skip rocks. 
• Build a teepee.  
• Put on a hoodie and make a fire in the backyard on a school night.  
• Throw a party where nothing is for sale.
• Ride to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over an orchard.
• Spread out a blanket in the yard after the kids are asleep and look at the stars. 

Play a game of who can find the prettiest leaf.

Forget your wallet at home and get outside to enjoy this season of change and wonder friends.  Then please share your adventures with me here.

I would love to listen...free of charge.  xo