I was a year and a half into my minimalism journey when I was finally able to pare down the items I was holding on to for nostalgic purposes. You know, those things you don’t use, but you keep because seeing it evokes fond memories. Often these are trinkets without large monetary value that you might keep in a small (or large) box. These things are not necessarily viewed as useful or essential, but they are often the most difficult to part with.
Category Archives: decluttering
Making Time for Quick Cleans
As I sit here writing this post, my home is currently clean. Like actually clean. Like everything is orderly and put away. There might be a pile a boxes on the counter waiting to be dropped off at USPS, but, overall, things are looking pretty damn clean. And why is this worth mentioning? Because today just felt so much easier than it usually does. My day was pretty usual. Woke up before 5am for barre, had a yummy breakfast, showered and dressed, woke up and fed the twins, played in their room while a contractor cleaned our chimney, went to the grocery store, made lunch, played a bit, and put them down for a nap. If this were any other day, the beginning of nap time means me collapsing on the couch with a bag of snack food while simultaneously watching Netflix, reading blogs on my laptop, and checking Instagram on my cell phone. This goes on for an hour or so while I contemplate the chores I’ve been putting off and stress about everything I have to do. It feels nearly impossible to lift myself off the couch and pry my iPhone from my hands just so I can accomplish SOMETHING before nap time ends.
Decorating with Purpose
The dining room in our apartment is probably one of my favorite areas in our home. It’s purpose is purely utility, yet is has taken on this relaxed, minimal look that I am really digging. Besides the kitchen countertops, the surfaces of the dining room receive the most cleaning of any area. 3 toddler meals + 1 toddler snack on a daily basis = a lot of wipe downs. So it makes sense for surfaces to stay clear. It also allows for the dining table to serve multiple purposes. Besides meals and snacks, it makes a great location for typing away at blog posts or rummaging through the mail. My husband has also commandeered the table on several occasions as a location to solder various projects for the truck.
The Financial Benefits of a Zero Waste Home
Happy New Year’s Eve Eve, everyone! This is my last blog post of 2015 so I thought I would post about a subject that will definitely be influencing my choices in 2016. I wouldn’t say it’s a New Years resolution so much as a lifestyle change. Which in my opinion is one of the best ways to really stick to positive changes in your life.
30-Step Minimalist Challenge
I have been feeling particular uninspired and unmotivated as of recent. And, lemme tell you, it is not a good feeling. And the longer I go without being productive, the farther I fall into a place where it becomes more and more difficult to accomplish anything. Which is why it took me until 3pm to start a post that I meant to publish 10 hours ago. But we live and we learn.
“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and the KonMari Method
Last night I read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo. I heard about this book a couple months ago, but after stumbling across several YouTube vlogs focused on the book and it’s method, I realized it was something I had to read this very moment. Luckily at 126 pages, it’s a quick read. If you are not already familiar with the book and/or the KonMari method, I’ll give you a brief synopsis. Marie Kondo is a professional declutterer and organizer in Japan. Gaining great success from the method she developed, her waitlist was so long, she decided to put the details of the KonMari method into a book.
Lauren, Etc. 