Oxymoron

I told my friend that I write a simplicity-centric blog with my mum and sister, but we don't post regularly because we are all pretty busy.

He replied, "Too busy to write about simplicity? Isn't that an oxymoron?"

Hmm. Well, yes.

Perhaps I should call a meeting of our editorial staff. Maybe I'll wait till Christmas so we can all be in the same state, maybe even the same room. =)

Reasons

Why do people declutter their homes, lives, and environments? I'm sure there are myriad reasons for simplifying.  Colleen's post The Joys of Decluttering over at http://www.365lessthings.com/ got me thinking about why people have been writing about simplifying their lives and decluttering their homes.

• Anger.  Years ago I read the book Messies Anonymous by Sandra Felton.  She relates in the book that she first started decluttering because she was angry.  Angry at herself.  Angry that she had allowed so much clutter to live all over her house that she did not even notice the water leak in the kitchen until it had caused major damage to her floor and walls which required a very expensive repair.
• Freedom from Fear.  Many people hold on to all kinds of items out of fear for the future.  What if they can't afford to purchase another "...(you name the item).."?  They 'need' to keep either the old one or an additional new one around 'just in case'.  Usually this ends up not being cost effective because of disintegration from disuse or because when they do need the stored item, they can't find it in the clutter.  In addition, they've had to spend the resources to store whatever it is.  If you deal with the underlying fear issue, you can free yourself from fear of the future and the accompanying clutter.
• Moving.  People move. A lot.  It's unusual to meet a person who has lived in the same house or even the same neighborhood all her/his life.  Lugging all that stuff around from house to house, city to city, gets expensive.  Do the math.  If a new bed, sofa or table costs less than the price to move it, it's a better financial choice to sell it and purchase a different table, bed or sofa in your new location.  Schlepping three sets of dishes, five boxes of holiday decorations, or 25 boxes of books out of the old place, into the moving van, and back up the steps into the new spot is exhausting and expensive.  People are asking, "Do we really need all that stuff to make us happy in the new home?"
• Cleaning.  It's so much easier to clean when there's less stuff in the way.
• Desire for Peaceful Living.  Face it.  Living in clutter is not peaceful.  People who are decluttering and simplifying their physical spaces are finding out just how much their surroundings affect their ability to relax.  When their space is uncluttered, their minds can be at peace.

If you're on a decluttering kick, what is your motivation?

Week 1 Update for Project 333

After sitting around in the living room shivering while I was correcting student compositions, I realized that yes, I had underestimated the number of layering sweaters I would need. (Here's where I again plead the excuse of 105 degree weather the last week.)

Therefore, I have added to my list:

31. turquoise fleece pullover
32.
33.

We are one week in to the challenge.  My initial reaction is that it's easier to do laundry. 

And that's a good thing.

Minimalist Fashion Project 333

I quietly joined Minimalist Fashion Project 333 on October 1st.  When I first read about the project on Courtney's blog BeMoreWithLess, I thought, "Hey, I could do that. No sweat.  I don't have that many clothes, anyway."  Then I walked back to my closet and took an honest look.  I certainly had more than thirty-three items hanging there.  So I began to glean and declutter the clothes I obviously would never wear again and dropped them in to a big black trash bag to take to the thrift store.

Here are the original rules for Project 333:
•When: October 1 – December 31 (It’s never too late to start so join in anytime!)

•What: 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes.

•What not: these items are not counted as part of the 33 items – wedding ring, underwear, sleep, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

•How: over the next two months, outline your 33 items, by the 1st of October, box up the remainder of your fashion statement, seal it with tape and put it out of site.

•What else: consider that you are creating a wardrobe that you can live, work and play in for three months. If you purchase items for project 333, stick with the one in, two out approach. Consider the essentials and stick to 33.

Now it is October 5th.
I'm posting my list:

  1. black dress slacks
  2. black capris
  3. grey jeans
  4. tan jeans
  5. navy fleece jacket
  6. long sleeved black knit top
  7. long-sleeved white knit top
  8. navy skirt
  9. navy short-sleeved knit top
10. teal cashmere sweater
11. purple cashmere sweater
12. turquoise cardigan
13. print blouse
14. black camisole
15. white camisole
16.-22. various colored t shirts
23. black shoes
24. black flipflops
25. sterling silver earrings
26. watch
27.-28. two necklaces
29. gloves
30. lavender 3/4 sleeve sweater
31.
32.
33.

These last three slots I am reserving for scarves and a sweater that I've nearly finished knitting.  Or maybe another pair of earrings (I do love my earrings).

Five days in to this and I'm thinking that because I made my final list last week and started the project when the weather was presenting us with triple digit temperatures I may have over estimated the t shirts and under estimated the sweaters.  This week we are having rain, clouds, fog, and temperatures in the 60s. We shall see.

And now I'm wondering if anyone besides my husband will notice that I am only wearing 33 items for 3 months!

Simplicity Quote

“You can’t force simplicity; but you can invite it in by finding as much richness as possible in the few things at hand. Simplicity doesn’t mean meagerness but rather a certain kind of richness, the fullness that appears when we stop stuffing the world with things.”

- Thomas Moore, The Re- Enchantment of Everyday Life

Simple & Thrifty Style

I am a great advocate of shopping at thrift stores. One can obtain all sorts of useful items for one's person and home. Thrift store shopping provides benefits in so many areas, such as:

• The world and environment - You conserve resources by reusing existing items instead of buying new ones.
• Worthy causes - Many thrift stores operate to benefit charitable organizations.
• Your creativity - An artistic or creative person, for example, may find inspiration or simply some ready crafting supplies just by having the eyes to see what is available in unexpected places.
• Your pocketbook - Items at thrift stores typically cost mere fractions of their original prices.

For my part, just the other day, I obtained a "like new" pair of Gap khaki trousers for $0.95. What have been your thrifted prizes? Please share!

Simple Knitting

I just posted a few thoughts about simple knitting habits over at my knitting blog Willow's Knits.  If you're a knitter, pop over there and read it!

A Link for a Helpful Giveway

Kathie at Two Frog Home teaches classes in her local community on a variety of subjects.  She is publishing two e-courses in the next few weeks.  One is about debt reduction and budgeting and the other is a 5 week course on simplicity.  Because she wants to make sure that all the kinks are out of the courses before she publishes them, she is offering the courses free to the winner of her giveaway hoping that she'll receive feedback at the same time that she gives help with the courses.

If you are interested in throwing your name into the hat for the giveaway, use THIS LINK to TWOFROGHOME to leave a comment and get a chance to win.

Decluttering Tip: Footwear

I had some gently used shoes that I wanted to clear from my closet. They were still in good condition, but no longer useful to wear to work, which is the only use I had for them. I donated them to Soles for Souls (www.soles4souls.org), and that organization will provide them to someone who needs them and can put them to good use.

Unless you live in a very remote area of the continental United States, Soles for Souls will probably have a donation location available near you. Go to their website and search if you would like to find one.

You can clean out your closet and do some good at the same time.

Lovin' it!

We two here at Willow's Cottage decluttered and cleaned out the shed this morning.

Gone is a really large box of stuff.  And our recycle and trash bins are fuller than they were this morning.

It's a GREAT feeling to be so many pounds lighter!

Guest Posting

I was featured in a guest post on Jonathan Blundell's blog http://www.welivesimply.info/five-questions/five-questions-with-linda-price/.  The title is Five Questions with Linda Price.  If you're interested in my answers to those five questions, click on the link.  Thanks!

Still working

Hey, y'all! I'm still working on those home projects, including trouble-shooting on one that turned out to be not as child-proof as I'd expected. When your child is a genius, you are the proudest mom on the block but also the mom that has to be the most hyper-vigilant.

Just didn't want you to think that I forgot.

Setting up home

Hi, all! I haven't posted for a while, but I did want to mention that I've been working on some homemaking tasks, which tend to be somewhat challenging for me. I excelled in physics and ancient Greek, but keeping a clutter-free home is a difficult problem for me to solve.

In the process of tackling the above problem, I have discovered the truth of my father's highly regarded platitude, "Many tasks can be made simple, as long as you have the right tools." Getting the correct tools for cleaning and organization have begun to make all the difference in my homemaking routine.* I am hoping to have commentary with pictures up by this weekend.


*Now, if only I can figure out how to clone myself and/or obtain a timeturner, I'll be all set.

He Comments

This afternoon, my husband read an article in a national magazine about living simply.

"There wasn't anything the article discussed that we aren't already doing," he stated with a smile.

Could we be a little more frugal?  Probably.  Could we spend less at the local coffee place? Sure.  Could we lower our monthly expenses? Maybe.

Are we basically satisfied with what we have, and how we are living our simple lives?  Absolutely!

Simple Pleasures

My list of simple pleasures includes The Three Great Goods in Life.

1. A hot shower.

2. A comfortable bed.

3. A great cup of coffee in the morning.

I'm choosing to add a fourth.

4. The sweet sounds of a new baby.

A Minimalist Home Office

Or Home Office, Simplified.

That's what I need.

My job description for next year is changing slightly.  I foresee that I am going to need a real desk and a designated file cabinet for my work space.

I am looking for ideas and suggestions!  Does anyone have any thoughts?

A Little Decluttering

Most days, I look around my little home and think, "Yikes, it's cluttered again! How did that happen?" Clutter has a way of creeping up on me. I don't notice the piles of mail and paper, and then all of a sudden, those piles are spread out on the table or counter.

The same kind of creeping happens in bathrooms, except that the process is much slower. I buy back up toothpaste, shampoo and soap and those items need to be stored somewhere. I do not like cluttered and crowded cupboards, so I work at striking a happy medium between storing supplies I purchase on sale and keeping the shelves uncluttered.

This week I am focusing my attention on the guest bathroom. I decluttered some outdated items and reorganized what is left. I suppose that a true minimalist would not have done what I did: I found three small baskets on a sale at a craft store, bought them (50% off!), and replaced two large, old, tattered cardboard boxes that I have used for years to hold Bactine, bandaids and other first aid supplies. Because I had decluttered those shelves, all the useful bath items now fit in the baskets. The bathroom cupboard looks neater and cleaner. And color coordinated. I like the look of a minimal, uncluttered, green and white bathroom.

Join me in decluttering the bathrooms in your home, and then tell me what you've done so we can celebrate simplicity together!

New Starts

I have allowed this blog to languish for several months. After I posted in September about simplicity beginning in your attitude and moving in to your actions, I continued researching what other people considered to be the essence and meaning of simplicity. I read more books and searched the internet. I discovered that there is a wave of minimalism sweeping over the coastlands of the world and I realized that every person has his or her own definition of minimalism and simplicity.

I've found some great blogs and websites and some not so great ones, 'great' meaning that I agree with the writer and like the writing style. At this point, my personal favorite is becoming minimalist, a blog written by Joshua Becker. Because he is married and has two children, his focus is on how to live a minimalist lifestyle in suburbia; he defines it as 'rational minimalism'. I like that. I have read his book titled Simplify which you can purchase as an e-book on his blog. In general, I already knew and agreed with the content but it was good to be reminded of the benefits of simplicity and minimalism.