Annelids!

I'm very excited, as I've just put together a proper and well-designed vermicomposting system and populated it with about 100 worms so far. It just occurred to me that I could include pictures, so maybe I'll get some of those.

Decoration

If there is one area of life that doesn't come naturally to me, it's interior design. [Well, lots of things don't come naturally to me, but interior design is the one relevant to this post.] It is not very easy for me to make a room attractive, especially when I'm limited by so many practical concerns, including budget (all-important) and the fact that I have a resident energetic and messy preschooler. However, I'm beginning to make inroads into an understanding of how to make my home both functional and beautiful.

Part of the issue is my own personal aesthetic, which trends toward the utterly classic. Yesterday, I was being teased by Candace, who is both friend and sister (-in-law-once-removed-ish), about my preference for neutrals. "That's right," I joked. "I've got to make sure those beiges aren't too light or too dark!" It's not quite as bad as all that, but even so, there's a bit of reality under the humor. The problem is, I really prefer to work with a lighter and more restrained pallet. I would rather have my walls, floors, and furniture be pale neutrals, and allow my wall art and shelved curiosities to take center stage. And as I work on decorating my little cottage, I've come to realize that the old adage, "Be yourself," is as most cliches because there is good reasoned truth behind it. Your home is where you have to live, and it should reflect you. If, like me, you recoil at most trends, and any professional decorator would break out in hives just looking at pictures of your house,well, it doesn't matter as long as you like it.

Here are some elements that I, being me, plan to incorporate in my new home:

• Neutrals - I really do better with furniture that is in whites and softly cool-toned off-whites, or light wood such as pine or white oak. It's what I liked when I was 13, and I haven't changed. Any attempts to branch out of this have resulted in expensive purchases that I found I didn't actually like. Same for walls, floors, etc. Exception: I don't mind a more ornate area rug or accent rug, and I might be able to handle a border or even mild wall-paper on some walls. But the latter is not certain.
• Owls - Owls are my favorite bird, owing to an old family tradition that would take too long to explain, and I've collected them since high school. I have a sizable collection, and I'm always looking to add to it. Owls are enjoying a boost from a current popularity trend, so it makes it easier to acquire owl-themed household items, but as with all trends, it's fated soon to pass.
• Blue - My favorite color, ever since I was old enough to have a favorite color. Blue can serve as both a neutral and as an accent or theme color. I own plenty of blue stuff, and I hope to find a rug that has plenty of blue. It's so versatile, but moderation and variety in its usage prevents rooms from feeling too cold if there is a lot of blue.
• Maps - Maps have fascinated me all my life, and I now possess several antique maps that I am planning to have matted and framed professionally, so that I can put them up in my front room.
• Natural - I may be or of the least hippie members of my family, but I still have an affinity for natural materials rather than synthetic, so I use a lot of woods, rattan/reed baskets, and nature-inspired art or fixtures.
• Jungle - Hey, a few really cool jungle-themed items can really make a room, right?
• Books - I own too many books, and while I am always culling my collection, I still seem to be being constantly overwhelmed by numerous tomes. Despite my scale-back efforts, I will always need to incorporate BOOKSHELVES into my home design.

We'll see how it all works out.

Tip for Cat Owners: Pine Pellets

This blog has been on hiatus for more than four months, but we are still devoted to seeking and then sharing the simple pleasures of life.This post relates to two of the simplest of pleasures: owning (and caring for) pets and saving money. I enjoy both of those activities!

As a cat owner and cat lover, I've spent a fair amount of money over the years buying the kitty cat necessities: food, litter, litter boxes and scoops, catnip and toys... I started out with the standard clay-based litter, and while it was functional, it didn't neutralize odors, it scattered and spread dust everywhere, and it created a lot of trash. I know that clay is a natural material, but it didn't seem useful to put a bunch of dirty clay in the landfill. I switched to silicon crystal litter, and while it was quite expensive by comparison, it absorbed odors much better than clay, it didn't have much dust, and it produced less waste because less of it was required to be effective and it lasted twice as long per unit as clay litter. Still, I didn't like sending all those bags of tiny rocks into the landfill to fester in nitrogenous waste. And even more than that, I didn't like spending top dollar on something for my cats to poop on.

One day, while shopping at the local grocery mart, I decided to take the plunge and try something completely new and different: plant-based litter. While more expensive than clay, it is far cheaper (~$5 for 10 lbs) than crystal litter. The pine pellets are resource-efficient: in addition to being 100% natural and biodegradable, they are formed from the waste product (sawdust) of another industry (lumber). Perfect!

I bought a few bags and found that I loved the effect: pellets absorb odors as well as the crystal (I don't have quantitative data, as I don't own a smell-o-scope; I'm just judging from my own olfactory experiences) and when stirred to activate or increase absorbency, they emit a pleasant "pine fresh" odor. I was happy with my choice and worked on switching over completely to the new litter system. And then... while researching pine litter on the internet, I read that the "pine pellet cat litter" is actually sold very cheaply in bulk at feed stores because it has been used as horse stall bedding for ages, and has just recently been adapted, remarketed and sold (with significant price increase, of course) as cat litter.

I live in a small town in a rural area, so at the next opportunity, I took myself off to the local farm supply superstore and picked up two bags of pine pellets, each bag $5 for 40 lbs. While not everyone would find it practical to stock up on 80 lbs of pine-scented cat litter (I know, for example, that there are apartment-dwellers who wouldn't have a place to put it), there are probably feed and farm supply stores that carry smaller denominations that still provide the benefit of bulk pricing.

I'm happy with my purchase. And I'm thinking about putting the post-usage sawdust in my compost, where it is likely to not only biodegrade (nature has microbiotic organisms who exist to break down nitrogenous waste) but also to keep away critters who have been messing up my bin but may be dissuaded by the scent of feline urine. I'll keep you posted.

Technology can simplify

I got a blogging app for my phone.

Now I can blog from anywhere. The keyboard interface still isn't what I like, but I'm giving it a try.

Soon-To-Be-Fall Cleaning

I think I'll be doing some housekeeping around here.

I might add some links to useful sites about simplicity, organization, decorating, etc.

Baby Steps.

Keeping Up

Well, it seems as if my life is becoming more complicated rather than more simple. In addition to being a full-time mama, I work a "regular" job in an office, and I've had to put in overtime lately.

Perhaps I should institute some sort of schedule so that I can get one or two things done at home nightly, rather than giving in to feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by everything staring me in the face and doing nothing at all.

Baby Steps (still)

As stated in the previous post, the midwest portion of the Simple Pleasures crew recently took up residence in a house with a yard. Adventures, with hilarity, have ensued. I should share some of those. However, I haven't forgotten my focus on Sleep and Baby Steps, including those tiny little steps to simplicity and a life that is uncluttered, both physically and psychologically.

In tidying up my bedroom (still not completely unpacked from my move nearly two months ago, but such is life), I found a packet of diapers (nappies) that my little guy has long since outgrown. I didn't know what to do with them, but it occurred to me that I could donate them to any place that would have little children roaming around on a regular basis. So this morning (a nice sunny Monday morning, in point of fact), I took them with me to the daycare and left them with the toddler-age teacher, who was immensely appreciative.

The best part? Everyone benefited from that little arrangement!

Spring Cleaning... to Moving!

So exciting! A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to finalize the purchase of an amazing little cottage that is just crying out to be loved and updated into a haven of joy, purpose, and simplicity. We've spent the past several days working on readying it for habitation, and on the weekend, we'll move most of our stuff into it, submit a Change-of-Address form to the Post Office, drop by the DMV, etc. etc., and take up residence in a perfectly retro 1930s bungalow storybook cottage. There will be plenty of composting, gardening, DIY projects, and more, to make good housekeeping for me and good (I hope) reading for you.

Spring Cleaning

My Winter Cleaning has transitioned into Spring Cleaning, even though spring is really take its sweet time arriving to my part of the country. I was very excited to participate in an action that blessed someone else while improving and simplifying my own life. Week before last, I heard of a single mom at church who really needed a crib for her infant. I'd been cleaning through a lot of old stuff, including the crib that my own Little Bug has long outgrown, and hoping to get rid of it. Perfect situation! I called the contact person and was able to give away not only the crib, but the mattress and pad, sheet, and crib bumper. Another mom can use the crib to meet one of her needs, while I am lucky to not be storing it anymore.

Winter Cleaning, mini-post again

Most excellent tidings! I found someone to take the bag of maternity tops (and I slipped in some old maternity-related books and magazines of which I also wanted to be rid--I'm so sneaky).

I still have a long way to go, but every little bit helps. Baby steps can carry you a thousand miles if you take enough of them.

Winter Cleaning mini-post

I have taken something of a break from heavy cleaning efforts while hosting a visitor for a week. However, I was able to do a little sorting, and I pulled out some maternity clothes that I obviously won't be needing any time soon. Yes, I could keep them on hand in order to attempt to be prepared for some nebulous possibility that I may have more children in the future, but I'd rather be rid of the clutter, and it's more sensible that someone else get some use out of them, rather than have them sitting in a box in my closet.

I have been asking around, and apparently nobody at church or work is (or knows anyone who is) expecting a baby right now. I could list the items on Craigslist, but so far, that hasn't worked well for me, so I may very well just end up giving them to Goodwill.

Winter Cleaning, Part 5

The Great Winter Cleaning Orgy continues... I'm hoping that once I deal with all these boxes and the things in them, I actually won't ever have to deal with this level of cleaning/organization again. If you get all your stuff organized and keep it that way, it isn't as bad anymore, right? Right?! I mean, it should make daily life easier (and more efficient and thrifty) and it will make moving much easier. And when I die (many years from now, I hope) it will make things easier for everyone who has to go through my possessions. So, ease all around.

ANYWAY.

Over the weekend, much was accomplished:

• Did a recycle run to get cardboard, paper, and plastics out of the garage and apartment.
• Added cardboard bedding to the vermicompost, put all compost from container in the apartment into bins in the garage.
• Went through old papers and memorabilia, organized it, recycled a lot of things I didn't need. I actually was able to consolidate enough to get rid of two boxes.
• Went through the Little Bug's school papers, eliminated a lot of the ones that don't need to be kept, and then organized the "keepers" in a single location.
• Sorted through magazines, took out and filed any articles or pictures I want to keep, and put the magazines in a stack in the garage, ready to be given away to anyone who wants them. Or maybe I'll give them to the library for their used book store.
• Got a new space heater, because the old one mysteriously quit working on Thursday night.
• Got some new plastic bins, the better to store and organize things.

To do for this week:

• Deal with some insurance issues.
• Organize and file papers currently being centralized on the table.
• Remove more recycling.
• Go through some boxes of clothing, glean.
• Take stuff to Goodwill.
• Give away some items to people who can use them.
• Clean fridge.
• Plan menus for upcoming week and a half.
• Plan the Little Bug's birthday celebrations.
• Bake cookies and rolls.
• Take the Little Bug to get his feet measured.
• Have the Little Bug's hair cut.

So far, no interest in the book I put on Craigslist. I don't care about getting money for it, really, but unfortunately, I don't even know anyone to whom I could give it away for free.

Winter Cleaning mini-post

I got rid of three more books. A friend came over, I offered some books to her, and they completely fit some needs that she and her family have at this time. Perfect!

I put another book for sale on Craigslist but am not sure if it will get any interested parties. It's a book focused on a fairly niche market.

But small victories are still victories.

Mini Mission

Posted by Willow:

At the instigation of Colleen at 365lessthings.com, I gave myself a mini mission for this week and I want to share it with you.

Is your jewelry box overflowing with necklaces and earrings?  Are you like I am, and when you are dressing in the early morning, hurrying to rush out the door, you rummage around in the messy jewelry case looking for the match to the earring you have in your hand and plan to wear because it perfectly matches your outfit of the day?  Maybe we have too much jewelry.

I decided to declutter my jewelry and get rid of the old necklaces and earrings I no longer wear.  Unfortunately, I'm somewhat sentimentally attached to some of the pieces.  This weekend, I hit on  a plan that I think will work to deal with the unwanted, unneeded jewelry.  I pulled a gallon plastic baggie from the kitchen drawer and strategically positioned within easy reach of the jewelry drawer in the bedroom to hold any jewelry I know I don't wish to keep.  I separated the items I know I've worn in the past week--a few sets of earrings and one necklace--and now whenever I choose a different ring, earring or necklace to wear, I place it with the "yes, I've worn it and love it" items.  At the end of a specific period of time (maybe a month?), I'll know with certainty what jewelry I actually wear and what I don't.  I've done this experiment with my clothing and as you can guess, it was an excellent, unbiased exercise in discovering what I really like and wear.  I have a feeling that I will be dropping quite a few pieces into that gallon baggie which will then be placed in the bags reserved for the thrift shop.

Join me in decluttering your jewelry box!

Winter Cleaning, Part 4

I haven't really made that much progress in cleaning, but I want to celebrate the little that I've accomplished.

• I conquered my hall closet! It used to be an inefficient and disorganized hodge-podge of boxes and random things that I just threw in there when I first moved into the apartment. Now, it holds some well-organized plastic bins of long-term storage, as well as all the large items that I stock in bulk and use all the time (diapers, paper towels, etc.) and my games (readily available to be enjoyed by any guests that we might have in the future).
• I found my random magazines and put them all together on a shelf, ready to be gone through and then disposed of.
• I got rid of two magazines already! The break area at work is always full of old magazines, and it turns out that people just bring them in and leave them there once they are done with them, and others can read them there on break or even take them home if desired. I can put some of my magazines there, but I doubt Vogue and wedding magazines will be very popular at a large technical company populated primarily by middle-aged male rednecks.
• I made chicken-rice stew from scratch! It made me happy just to be cooking (with my crock pot, no less) but it also helped reduce clutter in my kitchen because it called for some items that were about to expire and needed to be used. This was a new recipe, and while it is reasonably tasty, I found it kind of bland and so I will tweak things and adjust it before recommending it to anyone. Note: This is often the case with new recipes.

It does get depressing and overwhelming at times, but I remind myself that I really am doing what I need to do, and it's better to do a thorough job and really go through all those boxes, rather than just keep moving them from place to place and then avoiding them by shoving them out of sight in the bowels of a closet.

Winter Cleaning, Part 3

The Little Bug has been sick since the weekend, so that has put a damper on my cleaning frenzy. However, I've managed to do a little organization and decluttering.

• I have given away two books already!
• I made a pile of items that actually belong to my ex-husband and I'll hand them over to him when he visits in a few weeks.
• I made a pile of books that I will give away or sell once I have finished reading them. You know those books that are always lying around in boxes or on your bookshelves, and you feel guilty because you spent money on them, or someone gave them to you as a gift, yet you've never actually read them, but you feel as if you can't just get rid of them (because you spend money on them or received them as gifts)? Yes, THOSE books. Well, I've given myself an ultimatum and a deadline. I bought those books, or people gave them to me, for a reason, and that reason is probably that they contain valuable information and I would enjoy reading them. So I'll read them instead of I Can Has Cheezburger sites or something. I'm going to read those books, acquire the knowledge within them, and then send them out into the world to enrich other people's lives. And if I start a book and then realize that I don't like it and don't want to finish it, I've given myself permission to just send that book along on its way. I'm 1/3 of the way through The Crucible of Europe since Sunday.
• I took two loads of recycling to the bins up in town, working these trips to dovetail with other errands (thus saving time and gas).

Baby steps.

Winter Cleaning, Part 2

The great Winter Cleanse of 2011 continues in my home.

For months, I've been avoiding confronting the huge scary organizational monster in my back bedroom. I have boxes that hadn't been opened or even moved since I took residence in the apartment last April. The sheer volume of stuff was intimidating, and there were also some very emotional issues at work as well, since the vast majority of items in those boxes were relics of my married years. I was tired, overwhelmed... I couldn't face those boxes. It is legitimately VERY DIFFICULT to go through dozens of boxes (not to mention bags and shelves) all by oneself. However, add to the mix a very active and curious toddler who is interested in everything and wants to climb all over everything, and the task is elevated from difficult to nearly impossible.

However, one of my two lifestyle changes for 2011 is "Face Your Fears"* and so on Friday night and much of the day on Saturday, I hauled boxes down and around, opened them, made decisions... My apartment currently looks as if it was attacked by the proverbial tornado, but please believe me when I assure you that progress is being made. I organized books and put them on shelves or back in boxes to wait for further decisions to be made. I identified no fewer than a dozen books that I can give away (I'm a book hoarder, so this is huge for me). I even went through a box of the Little Bug's old things and gleaned a bag of baby clothes for the give-away pile.

Baby steps.

Most importantly, although it may take a while to realize my vision, I have a definite idea of how I want that back room to be organized and utilized as a combined workroom/office and playroom. The room has a southeastern exposure, and in the spring, it will be great to be in there on weekend mornings, with me being productive and creative with the Little Bug playing and learning right next to me.

*The other is "Sleep", which is doing wonders for forcing me to examine my life and my priorities, but that's another story.

Winter Cleaning

My steps toward organization in my home are baby steps, rather than leaps and bounds. However, as the saying goes, every little bit helps. Rome wasn't built in a day. A journey begins with a single step.

Today, I went through a basket from my kitchen that had become a receptacle for all kinds of paper, but primarily receipts and coupons. I went through the papers and put the vast majority of them into bags for either recycling or shredding. It was a task that had daunted me before I began, but ultimately took me only several minutes, all told.

Lessons learned:
Many household jobs are much less difficult and time-consuming than our reluctant anticipation tells us they will be. So: Just Do It.
Doing just one thing today will make you feel as though you've really accomplished something, which will build your confidence for doing one more thing tomorrow, while also eventually muting that negative little voice in your head.

A wise woman (Willow) once said to me (on the phone today, actually), "If you do just one thing per day, at the end of the year, you've done 365 things!"
I would just like to respond, "That's true, Mom, and may I add that in a leap year, it's 366!"

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?