Beginning the Process
Over the past few months, I have been trying to move towards a more minimalistic lifestyle…in my mind. This process has mainly been a mental step as I prepare for the unloading that is about to begin.
My husband and I talk about getting rid of things, but don’t have the time or the desire to appear on “Help us get rid of all our *Stuff*”.
We recently went away for a bit. Before I left, I took some of the things off the kitchen counters. I remember thinking that it looked very ‘stark’ when we came back home – like we had just moved in. Not sure if I like that. Perhaps I just need to change the lighting in the kitchen. (My husband’s eyes just glazed over).
We recently visited friends that have adopted the minimalist lifestyle, too. They have one car by choice. We have one car because our 2nd one died and we refuse to buy another one on credit. So, we are saving our money until we can pay cash (or until we move somewhere that we don’t need a 2nd car).
Their home was very calming and inspiring – only surround oneself and decorate the home with things that are truly loved.
Simple. Nice.
I have been inspired while reading Leo’s blog http://mnmlist.com
I gotta tell ya – he KNOWS how to move to a new house 100′s of miles away. Sell everything and bring only what you can carry on your back or in a couple boxes that you ship later.
He challenged himself to possess only 100 things. In February, he cut the list in half and now owns less than 50 things (not including shared family items). I am not sure when I will get the list to 100, but I am shooting for the end of the year: 12/31/2010. I am sure my husband’s eyes are gleaming as he thinks about all the t-shirts I will no longer own. I won’t tell him yet that the kitchen items don’t count. Although I AM going to pare down the amount of plastic and “Tupperware”-like objects we own. You’re welcome, honey.
I know he thinks I am crazy as this is another project that I am adding to the list which includes finding time to exercise, losing weight, and homeschooling – but I think the first two go hand in hand with “lightening up” …
I think I am finally ready to begin. So, I should go – I have a drawer to empty out.
Oh, please let me know how this goes for you! Other than photographs and books, I think I could so do this. I hate unnecessary things lying around. I never understood buying things to decorate with, like wooden balls in a bowl or an iron-work “thing” on the mantle. With very few exceptions, the things I have were given to me by people I love, or purchased on vacation, hand made by me, or really mean something to me. I think you should be able to walk into someone’s home, point at an object and ask “so what’s the story behind this?” and the owner should be able to say something meaningful, and not just, “oh, I picked that up at Target one day.”
I love when there is nothing on my counters but the toaster, nothing on my coffee table, nothing on the side table. The clean space calms me.
Do holiday decorations count? How about DVDs? This is sounding harder and harder the more I really think about it. Clothes, jewelery, shoes – toss it all, I don’t care. But my Halloween decorations? My craft supplies? Erm, I don’t know.
Good luck to you with this!
I love the counterspace, but “LONG” for more cabinet space. (Which I know will come as I remove some of the “stuff”.)
I feel the same way about my books…dvds….holiday stuff…scrapbooking things….school supplies for The Kid. He loves to invent, so I want him to have materials for that purpose. When we get the garage cleaned up, we are going to give him his own “workbench” and pegboard with materials, duct tape, paint etc. for his designs and creations.
Still ongoing…will let you know….
Can real people actually live without clutter? I don’t think so. Not if you read books, have hobbies, have kids, have pets, have a life in other words. One car, yes – we do that, but no clutter, no way.
I agree to an extent, but I have seen it done…
I grew up in a house that had no clutter. My father was a salesman, but was always very organized with all of his paperwork and materials. My mother doesn’t like messy, either. So, the home was always “company ready”. I love the organizing and the prep – but will admit that in a family that has as many loves as this one does and is as busy as we are, the clutter does creep in from time to time.
Trying….trying…trying…
I’m just laughing at how well my wife knows me. All those reactions she described – right on target. I’m ready to help, dear. The weather is beginning to cool, so the fire will be ready to incinerator the paper you don’t want to recycle. There’s space on the external drive to copy music before getting rid of the CDs. I think I could even cut the albums from 5 crates to two. (You’ll have to pry some of them from my cold dead hands – as you know.) That mBox I never really used? Gone. iMac collecting dust? Gone.
Now, my wife is nodding her head in a placating fashion, because one of the BIG reasons most of this hasn’t happened yet is because I spend each night and each weekend day working. Which means there ain’t much cleaning house getting done, with a child who deserves some attention. So that’s the part I’ll get to work on.
I just saw this! I am so proud and excited that you adopted Leo as an inspiration.
Thank you for introducing me to Leo~ You are inspiring me in more ways than one…
One day I hope to return the favor!!!