• The 5 Best Articles On Minimalism

    I’m really into this new minimalism trend. I hope it becomes a lifestyle for most people and doesn’t fade. I support buying less things of greater quality and creating less waste. The shift from rapid consumerism to buying fewer quality goods makes me very happy! Before we bought our house, we knew that we wanted to buy small and only buy what we need to furnish it. We carefully thought out each purchase here, buying gently used goods when we could (our couch from Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is the perfect example of this) or saving up for slightly better…

  • My Life Is Boxes

    Exciting news! We are moving out of our cave of a townhouse and ending our rental life. With a government program, (Attainable Homes), we were able to get help with a down payment and we’re buying a small townhouse. For years, Josh and I have been obsessed with moving into the smallest space that would be comfortable for our family. We love the tiny house movement because it has finally caught up with our sensibilities. I know that, as you have a family it is normal to move up in space, but we have decided to do the opposite. We…

  • That’s It. I’m Throwing it On the Lawn and Setting It On Fire!

    I really feel like I could do that. I do. But I won’t. We still have quite a lot of stuff. In Marie Kondo’s book, she stresses that you should not declutter your family’s things, just yours. Kondo says that even a three-year-old child will get the decluttering bug if you’re setting a good example and they see how happy it makes you. With my kids, this didn’t happen. They saw how nice my room was and then just hung out in there. (hahahah!) Going to their own rooms just had them feeling overwhelmed. I asked my kids a few…

  • Five of the Easiest Ways To Get a Handle On Your Finances.

    The other day, Josh and I sat down and made the beginnings of some very big decisions. Actually, a long time ago we did that. We made some very vague goals for our future a few years ago, did a couple of quick meetings with advisors (who gave us some vague advice) and patted ourselves on the back. We are great at being adults, we thought. We, of course, followed through on nothing and a few months later felt stuck-again. Like hamsters in a wheel, I tells ya. So we made some more decisions and some promises to each other.…

  • Decluttering and Unexpected Emotions.

    When I begin my decluttering journey, it was more about the effort to find the things I need more quickly and not feeling as if I was drowning in “stuff”. How many times can one person trip over a laundry basket of “things to be sorted later” before they feel frustrated? (Answer: Once past ‘too many times’). Even the amount and assortment of clothing I had was starting to annoy me. (You can read about that here). I took a test in a magazine that pointed out I am a “sentimental clutterer”. I keep things because, once upon a time…

  • Capsule Wardrobes

    Have you guys heard of Capsule Wardrobes? You must have! The sites touting the benefits of them is everywhere and there is major inspiration all over Pinterest. I stumbled across the idea of a Capsule Wardrobe on the blog Un-Fancy , and I instantly loved the idea. I started it, but then I got scared of taking my wardrobe in that direction, and I quit. My style now is very teen-inspired-eclectic and I thought I loved it that way. Nowadays? I crave basic staples I could mix-and-match easily and effortlessly. I also want to accessorize more but, with my current wardrobe,…

  • Thoughts

    Hello All.   As promised I am going to blog more often. Yesterday my brain wouldn’t shut off with ideas and I realized my creative spirit is awakening from hibernation! Hurray. I don’t usually use Tarot Cards as more than a game, but before our Cuba trip, I was reorganizing and I dropped the cards as I moved them over. “As if I have time for this!” my mind shouted, as I played 52 (+) pick-up and glanced over at the halfway packed suitcases.  When I picked up one card it was like an electric jolt to the brain and…

  • I Have Too Much

    I have the basics, I am happy. I have more than the basics. I am happy. Am I slightly annoyed I don’t have more than the more than basics? Sometimes. I wish my sewing machine worked. Right now I hand sew the toys and the clothes that need mending but I am happy enough to do this instead of replacing them. Do I wish I had a needle for my record player? Absolutely. Do I NEED these things? No. Once you have been deprived of the simple things, like fresh water or even the slightly more complex things, like enough…