Deeply inspired (as always) by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits, and in particular by his personal experiment of A Year of Living Without, I have decided to embark on the same experiment.

I am doing this for the same reasons Leo writes, below:

“It’s my way of finding out what’s truly necessary, of simplifying my life, of making room for other things.

I’m testing the boundaries of my needs. It’s good to test your personal boundaries now and then (or, if you’re me, all the time).

So what’s the Year of Living Without?

Life as a Mom is busy and hectic.  Life as a Single Mom is exponentially busy and hectic.  The lunches, carpools, schedules, laundry, social directing, and daily adventures keep Moms constantly on the go, and as a result we often forget to take time just for ourselves.  It’s hard to balance family time with time for yourself.  I know that for me, it’s always a struggle.  After all, I see myself as Mommy first and then everything else follows.