One of my biggest frustrations is the whole “time” thing or better put “the hunt”. Why is it so frustrating? Because it steals my time – which I seem to not have much extra of! Like having to hunt for a pair of socks for one of the little ones {that’s why they’re all kept in a basket in the laundry room now, not far from the shoes.} Or the time it takes to hunt for a match to a shoe on a Sunday morning – argghhh. {That’s why Sunday shoes are now stored separately – so they don’t get “lost” during the week.} Or the time it takes to hunt for a sweatshirt {and that’s why they are all hung in one spot and the four little guys can reach them themselves and in one glance I can see if their hooks are empty – meaning they need to go find them and hang them up}.

But probably the thing that would get me the most was the hunt for band-aids and Neosporin {I swear someone used to eat the tubes, cause they would disappear like there was no tomorrow!} Or how about the stumbling around in the night hunting for chewable {Equate brand} Tylenol in the night, or the frustration in the night hunting for Vicks Vapor Rub?

Which is totally a side note here but, we never buy cough syrup. I steer away, as much as possible from cough medicines or any medicines for that matter, preferring to let our bodies heal themselves…but I heard a little trick many years ago….so when someone in our home has a cough, we rub the Equate brand of Vicks Vapor rub on the bottom of their feet and put a pair of thick socks on. Voila! Coughing done. {Oh yes, we rub it on chest as well.} Simple and frugal! I haven’t bought cough syrup for the kids in probably 10 or 15 years!

Anyway, so to simplify my life I bought two adorable little purses at a yard sale for about $.25 each. In each little purse is the off-brand of each of these items: Neosporin, Band-aids, Tylenol, Vicks Vapor rub, a few cough drops, Pamprin. the babies “Africa” lotion and some sanitary pads…..

Then I pounded about 7 feet up {not kidding} a nail in a closet upstairs and one in our master closet, which I hang each little purse. Nobody short can reach either sack. {Nobody short needs to reach it!} And then, whether day or night, whichever floor I am on, I can easily reach, get what I need – cause no one has heisted it {cause no one short can reach it} – and there is no hunting and hunting or stumbling around in the night.

I have been doing this for many years and it works well. It’s simple. Your “purse” might be filled with completely different things, but that’s what we seem to need and what I always seemed to hunt for.

Please share your simplifying journey or tips that have made your life simpler, as you Strive for Simplicity. Or perhaps share what you would put in your sack, cause it’s what you are always hunting for…don’t be shy….cause we are encouraging each other with our ideas, tips, thoughts….

Please follow the rules {if you don’t I will delete it}….If you are going to post a link to your blog post…The rules are simple! =) You must be a friend, meaning your picture is on the right sidebar under “follower”…you must post a permalink {which means a link to the exact simplifying post you did….you must mention in your post A Place Called Simplicity and link back to here. For more detailed directions or how to do a permalink, click here. There were some really great ideas shared last week….