Autumn Update (and Kitchen progress)

Things have been really out of control lately... I say that like my life doesn't constantly shift between out of control and just busy. But lately things have been extra chaotic.

Right now I'm working for a corporate company, something I considered expanding on with training and certification beyond my current position, but if I'm being honest it's not really my passion. The smaller store that I was working at was slated to close mid-september, and with all my extra hours, I decided to take a break from everything else until I got through that. Leading up to the close, my hours kept expanding well beyond what I was comfortable with. The week of cleanup, my schedule was all over the place. Luckily, I managed to have a week off from work before transfering to another location. 

My time off coincided with my birthday, and weekend plans out of town with friends of ours. So, more or less it felt like Monday through Thursday off, but that's still nice.  ^_^

Fast forward to Monday morning, and I ended up dealing with some issues that came up with our bank... That lasted the first two days of my days off. So for the last two days, I have been busting my butt to get our kitchen under control.

When I decided to take a break from everything, I told my husband that other than necessary laundry, I was letting everything go. I was getting so stressed out that I was finding myself overwhelmed, anxious, and overall unproductive in my exhaustion. I just needed to "get thru".

Our  situation is a little crazy, because it's not like we have a normal, functioning house that I'm just cleaning up. We don't just have one messy room, or a garage, or an office that got crazy. We have an entire apartment that is completely filled from our wedding gifts, things from college, furniture from friends and thrifting, stuff from my grandparents estate... It's just really gotten out of hand. It feels like a an episode from Hoarders, except that there isn't any excrement or piles of the same item.

I would say that probably 50% of it is paperwork, and most of that is trash. We have a lot of items that we've accrued with the intention of using, and haven't gotten around to actually using. When we first moved in, I bought a small steamer because I used to steam vegetables at my parents house a lot, and it has sat in our cupboard with a sticker from the Salvation Army for nearly three years. That is now in a box, about to be re-donated. 

Anyway, sometimes I find it really hard to share our progress... Because sometimes I'm just organizing drawer. And because lately things have gotten so out of hand with my schedule that I really didn't have the energy to focus on organizing the house. But tomorrow is my first day at a new store, and my hours should be down from what I've been working oh, so here's hoping. 🤞🏼

Update on the space... still not finished, but I am aiming to have it wrapped up this week. Or at the outside by the end of this weekend.

It probably doesn't look like much, but that's because a lot of stuff that was in the back got pulled forward.

This is how the area looks behind our kitchen nook, in the back corner next to the door. Admittedly, I liked having my kitchen items on the baker's rack, but I'm going to be caring for some potted plants this winter. So I decided to use this space to start bringing them in before it gets too cold.

This is the area when you first step into the kitchen, to the right hand side. You can see that I've started a box of donation items - in front on the left. I also still have this step ladder folded down, because I climbed up on top of our pantry shelving and cleared out what was in that box. I sorted all of the coffee that my husband has, based on best by date, and I stored them above the shelving. The food items that had been that box had gone bad, so I tossed them.

I have been moving everything that doesn't belong in the kitchen out of the room, or at least sorted things as I go into piles to be removed. Nothing that doesn't belong in that room will go in there once we are done. We 

I will, of course, share the finished pictures when we are done with this room. Admittedly, this whole project has surprised us both in the amount of time and energy needed to complete our goals. But we are both in agreement, that we don't want to live this way going forward. 

Short Break

I will be taking a short hiatus for the first half of this month.

I have been helping to close out a store, and will be transferring to another location by the end of the month. So my work load has picked up a lot in the last week, and I haven't had any time to sit down and compose entries for the blog.

Rest assured, I am diligently keeping track of any work that is going on at the house! And I will update you as soon as I come back.

Have a wonderful September! Be back soon! 

Setting Boundaries

Let me start by saying that this is one of my worst skills. I'm writing this because I know it is a personal struggle that directly impacts my journey from cluttered chaos to a minimalist lifestyle. Even if people in your life are supporting your goals, they can get in your way by eating up your time and energy. Likewise, you can set out with the best plans to get things done, and not set proper boundaries with yourself to avoid distraction. Boundaries are essential for change.

Let me share with you a recent occurrence of a  personal boundary issue, that I encountered...

Just this week, a family member hijacked my day off from work. I had made plans with them, to get together around noon for an activity. At 11:15am they called me to say that they needed to run across town (something they had planned to do before we got together, but their day ran behind). I was concerned, with this added errand, that our visit would go past my available time. They knew that I needed to be wrapped up and leaving by 3 p.m.

I gave them the choice: I could come with them on their drive and we could visit in the car, or they could call me when they were back on this side of town and we would see what time there was left. They opted to have me visit with them on their drive. So at noon, I pulled into their driveway and joined them in their car to set off.

We were driving an hour out, in lunchtime traffic, but I wasn't too concerned because we had three hours total to get there and back before I needed to leave. They decided to stop off for some food on the way, so we went inside a fast food place for a quick bite. After that we arrived at our destination.

After waiting for about 20 minutes, I was surprised when this family member turned to me, and stated that they were "thinking we should just visit here for a couple hours before we head back."

Originally, they were supposed to be out in this area earlier in the day, dropping something off, and then they were going to come back and pick it up in the evening... But because things got so delayed, they figured we would just stick around and bring the item back in one trip.

When I looked down at my phone to check the time, I realize that it was already 5 minutes before 3pm. I was absolutely shocked that they had completely violated the time limit I had given our visit, and beyond that, they assumed I could stay longer!

Now, I was across town by an hour, without a vehicle of my own, and way off schedule. I let them know that this was not going to be an option, and in fact I was running late for my own schedule. They quickly adjusted, and we ran an errand for me on the way back to my car. But I did not end up returning to my vehicle until 4:30pm, but I didn't make it home again until after 5pm.

I was exhausted following this visit, so when I got home, I took a nap. After I woke up, my husband and I had dinner and attempted to reclaim our schedule that evening. But things had been pushed so much later then we had planned, that there were several things we weren't able to accomplish. I was upset with myself that I had allowed my day to be taken over - especially when I had so clearly set limitations and boundaries with this person going in! Moving forward, I decided that I'm not comfortable allowing this person to be in charge of transportation during future visits.

Boundaries with Others

Has something like this ever happened to you? People will treat you as you teach them to treat you. If someone is used to you being available for a favor, or to talk on the phone, or to cover a shift at work... they will expect that you are still going to be available in these ways, even if you're working on your own things. Most of the time, it's not malicious when people get in your way. But bear in mind, this doesn't change the fact that they are getting in the way.

If you do have someone who is actively not supporting your lifestyle changes, it may be necessary to keep your progress to yourself. Maybe you just don't share your journey with that person. And perhaps our would be a good idea to take a moment to analyze why they would not be supportive of that change... do they fear that you will no longer need them? Are they worried you will fail? Do they worry that you are going to become a better person and outgrow them?

The changes that you decide to make in your life, and the path that you take, is for you. Don't let anybody else define how you live your life. Suggestions are great, and we all want support, but we don't need approval to go after the things we want in our own lives.

Finding Focus for Yourself 

In my process, it is very easy for me to imagine the lifestyle that I want, but it can be difficult to take steps toward creating that vision. It's not just the exhaustion of sorting through things, it can be just as difficult to schedule a block of time for these tasks.

I find it works best to set my phone to airplane mode, and put on a timer, so I can focus on what I need to accomplish without interruption. Otherwise, right as I get started - I'll receive a call from my my mother, then my best friend will message me, and I'll end up pulled into everyone else's day. I do make a point to message my husband, so he knows I'm not available for a limited time frame, but other than that I try to block things out that can wait. My priority is the task in front of me.

If I'm wanting to play music, I'll download a playlist on Spotify and go offline. I try not to listen to podcasts or audio books while I'm sorting, because it distracts my focus. I save those for cleaning tasks only, but it's all personal preference. Use what works for you, as long as it's actually working. (ie, folding laundry in front of the TV may only be a good idea if it's the last thing you're planning to do before you relax that evening)

Boundaries with Yourself

You can also get in your own way of progress. If your tasks are overwhelming, or if you don't set them as a priority, you may find yourself doing other things instead of progressing on your projects of decluttering, exercising, or any other goals you are pursuing. Be honest with yourself. Know when you are feeling overwhelmed or unmotivated, and give yourself the chance to analyze what will work best in that moment. Sometimes breaking down a task into a super simple project, like sorting out one small drawer, can be enough to get over that hump. Sometimes you may need to walk away for a moment and do a bit of self-care.

Really be honest with yourself about what activities recharge you versus distracting you from what you don't want to face. If you sit down and read a book or magazine for 10 minutes, you're going to feel different than if you watch a TV show. Some other great options are to meditate for 15 minutes, or go for a short walk, or take a 20-min nap. Self-care might be all you need to reset and come back to your task at hand.

I find that it is helpful to set a timer, giving myself no more than 30 minutes to do something else, then I check it with how I'm feeling. Try not to nap for longer than 20 or 40 minutes, and often following rest with a healthy snack can reenergize. If you feel like you need to sleep longer than that, maybe you need to look at how well you are sleeping each night. Sleep deprivation can really suck at your energy reserves. 

For more information on how to set boundaries, feel free to check out these other articles and blogs:

https://psychcentral.com/lib/10-way-to-build-and-preserve-better-boundaries/

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/set-boundaries

*Please note, I do NOT own the rights to images used in THIS blog post. 
For credit, please contact me.*

Kitchen - Pt. 3

Focus: Organizing the Kitchen Nook & Canned Food Drawers

Last week, I focused on cleaning up a space to store our medicine. We've been keeping everything in a large bag for the moment, but that's not really functional or nice to look at. So I began with sorting thru our canned goods and reorganizing the top drawer for medicine and vitamins. 

I was left with a small selection of items that didn't fit top drawer, so I mixed those in with the small tray that's tucked under our new coffee cabinet. I had a few items that needed to be thrown away, but overall it just needed to be combined  and reorganized. Afterward, I was left with an empty bag to use, a clear table nook, and a few more coffee items for the coffee tray. 

More to come soon!

In this current week, I have been focusing on trying to commit a half-hour daily on cleaning the kitchen. I'm not sure how I got off schedule, but I haven't been committing to a daily routine for a few weeks. The plan is to have the kitchen finished by Sunday, following this approach. 

My next post will showcase the changes that I have done throughout the course of the week. I want to show what can be accomplished throughout one week, when a half-hour of daily focus is given to a room or project.



So, what are you working on this week? I'd love to know! Comment or link to your blog below: 

Kitchen - Pt. 2

Things have been progressing slower than I would like. Aside from washing as many dishes as possible, I've only had two days over the past week to further this project. Not having much time to push forward, I started pressuring myself, "okay, I should do this in one big chunk". I imagined how I might tackle it all in one day... then I started to feel overwhelmed. I had to remind myself that small parts move projects along quicker than big tasks do.

Living life in the midst of change is always a bit of a dance - two steps forward, one back. I've also been working on seeing boundaries with family so I can focus on my own priorities. That's harder than doing the actual work, I find.

Focus: Fridge & Coffee Nook Area

We cleaned out our fridge about a week ago, and we still need to go through a lot of food, so I didn't bother with the inside. First, I cleared all the junk we had hanging on the fridge, and arranged the magnets so everything looked neat. Then I cleared off the top of the fridge, cleaning the surface and replacing only the large container boxes (and a couple smaller ones that still have their items in them).

After that, I turned my attention to our current nook table/coffee area, and microwave/toaster set up. My husband has a huge collection of coffee that we are going to be working through, and a while ago I gave him a large basket to store the one-pound bags in. On top of that collection is a bag of vitamins and medicine that we haven't found a home for.

The biggest issue with the microwave/toaster area is that we have no counter space to set down plates when we are using these devices for food prep. It's lead to some interesting dinner prep balancing acts. 

Along with these areas, we also have a display case, that I had been storing in the kitchen. I got it for free at my parents storage unit, in a drop area where people leave things they don't want to keep. Because it's skinny, I knew it would fit well in our apartment, but up till now I wasn't sure how to incorporate it. 

I decided to put all the coffee bags in there, clearing out  the basket, and im very pleased with the result. There was enough space to put the coffee maker on the same table, getting it off our nook, and a little room on the front edge for coffee mugs when preparing our drinks. 

I then decided to turn our nook table, pulling it out from the wall, to give us more table space. Placing the microwave and toaster oven at the wall, we have more table space and the option to pop up both leaf's for a full table if needed.

Due to time and energy, I had to stop there. Leaving the table a bit cluttered and items strewn around the kitchen area. This is sometimes part of working thru spaces though. Especially with all the clutter we're sifting thru, there will be some areas that look messier before they are cleaned up and organized. The mess that comes from cleaning and reorganizing can really give a solid picture of how much extra stuff shouldn't be there. It's all part of the process. 

Financial focus:

Beyond our Minimalist Decluttering, we have begun tracking our finances down to the penny. My plan is to compare the last two months to our spending habits in August. My suspicion is that we can cut our food budget way down, but I'm curious to see if there are other areas we can cut from as well.

I've transitioned to a new day planner. One I purchased this at the end of last year, with blank months to fill in. Since it's a year-long planner, I thought it would line up nicely with the Spend Less Year and other goals o have for the next 52 weeks. 

It has multiple sections for notes and lists, and I'm actually tracking the first 10 days for the first week of August so that I start fresh on a Monday for the following week. I also don't want to waste any pages.

I had initially started traking our spending in the day planner, but it got way too crowded on the page. Moving forward we are going to track everything on a separate pad - just for finances - something we also already have at the house (thanks to my obsession with notebooks and office supplies).

What's new for you...?

I'm curious if anyone out there is doing anything similar to my project. Are you working on anything long-term? What's your approach? Please comment below!

1st Area - Kitchen

We are starting in the kitchen, because aside from the bathroom, it is the smallest room in the house. We have a small eating nook, coffee station, cookware and everything we need to keep the area self-contained. Hopefully meaning that once we clear it out, we can be finished with that area and functioning out of the room properly. 

Overall measurements:

The room itself is 9" by 11" but with our counters and appliances all on one wall, the usable space is more like 5" by 10" with a walkway on one end and an outside door on the other.

We have tried different arrangements for furniture, all in an attempt to create counter space that we don't actually have. At one point, we even had our 3'x5' dining table against the long wall across from our sink. It's definitely a work in progress.



Starting at the top:

When I surveyed the room, I realized that I would have to start small. So focused on the upper cupboards, above the counter space. We have three cupboards (if you count each separate unit as one) with six cupboard doors, running from the fridge, above the counters and sink, across the top of the stove.

I pulled open each cupboard and took a photo, giving myself a "before" snapshot of what we had been functioning out of. Then, starting from the left, I started to pull everything out of the cupboards, wiping down each surface, and reorganize where I wanted the items. Keeping in mind "ease of use", I moved the drinking glasses to just over the sink and lowered the glass Tupperware by one shelf.

I immediately pulled out anything that I knew we hadn't been using, leaving it on the counter as I sorted. I knew that we would have too many mugs, and I pulled out any plastic ware that we didn't need in favor of some of the nicer wear, like glass and porcelain. Then I put everything back together, and took new photos of the cupboards.

Even though things are a lot more organized, and a lot of the extra clutter has been removed, I am still not happy with how much I have left in my cupboards. Some of this is because we live in an apartment, and we don't have a full house space to spread things out. Some of this is because I'm afraid to let go more than I am ready to let go of... but I have decided that during this process I will be swift. Anything that I feel comfortable with will go, and the things that I don't feel comfortable with will stay, and I will probably go through this process more than once.



Wrap up:

I have not yet addressed what is being stored over the cupboards, or what is stacked above the fridge. I have plenty of spaces to dive into, and I think one small space at a time is going to be the best approach. At the completion of this room, I will share the full list of what we've removed.


What do you think?

Any pointers? What works for you? What's the smallest amount of dishes, cups, cookware you could see yourself happily owning? I'd love to hear your thoughts below. 

Personal Update: Family Weekend

This weekend has been especially busy for us. After working all week, we got together for a Family Game Night at my parents. We stayed up way later than I'm used to, and on Saturday we slept in till noon. 

In the afternoon we drove out to a neighboring city's Pro-Minor League Baseball Field, where I was set to sing the  National Anthem before the game.

My husband, family, and a handful of friends attended the game. After I sang, we stayed for the rest of the game. We were out fairly late, but it was an evening game. 

Then today, Sunday, my parents had a gathering at the local city park for family (and friends) to visit with my brother and his family before they leave the country in August.

Quick background: 

My brothers and I grew up in Southeastern Michigan. Both my brothers are older and studied language in the Military, afterward my oldest brother got a degree in Slavic Studies. He went on to attend programs in St Petersburg, Russia, where he met his wife. 

My other (middle) brother met his wife in Windsor, Canada, where they performed in a musical together. He now lives in Canada with his family. I am still in the states, about 10 miles from my parents. Our older brother comes in to visit when he can, usually about every three years. My other brother is able to visit more often.

So after I worked a short shift, my husband and I walked over to the park, which is not too far from our house. We had a nice visit, and a good sprinkling of rain. And after a few hours we left to claim the remainder of our Sunday evening.



As you can imagine, I haven't had a whole lot of time to work on my cleaning projects with such a busy weekend, but I thought I would share what was going on with you. I will update with our progress soon!

I hope everyone who reads this is also having a wonderful summer - building memories, taking photos, and spending time away from social media when you can. Have a good evening (or morning!)

Approved List

As promised, I am posting our Approved Shopping List for the Year of Spending Less. These are items we will need to replace, or have already decided on purchasing, that will be allowed over the course of the next year.

Approved Shopping List:

• A new (used) car
• New laptop (probably refurbished)
• Protective laptop case
• Work Gear (husband)
• Guestroom futon 
• New Mattress/Bed/Foundation Support
• A tattoo (both of us, me for sure) 
• Updated Gaming Console (preferably used) 
• Messenger Bag (for my husband) 
• Sustainable Items (to replace plastics and one-use items) 
• Candles (only one per month, if desired)
• Plants/Supplies for Herbal Cooking Garden
• Outdoor/Biking Gear (as needed for trips & planned activities)

Notes about the list...

The list was compiled in no particular order, but I did decide to list the more necessary items at the top. We will need a second car in the coming months, and a new laptop has been on our list for some time. Work gear is expected but unknown, as my husband is changing directions. And we have plans, once we clear things out, to purchase an affordable futon (that we've already shopped around for and chosen) for our guest room.

The candles are not necessary, as I have a collection I'm working thru, but I listed the option because I do use them regularly and I believe there is a good chance I may run out in less than a year. The "herbal garden" is a future plan as well, for when the house is cleaned up. I have always wanted to cook with fresh herbs available, so I've included it for when the space is ready. I don't expect everything on the list to be purchased immediately, but making this list did bring our priorities to light. Seeing everything we actually wanted listed out, we could also see that our money has been wasted on stuff we didn't really care...

Other than this list, and basic consumables, we'll be focusing on not purchasing anything new for our home. Books and videos will be rented from the library or borrowed. I will be cancelling my Audible Account for the year, which will be hard. We have canceled our underutilized gym membership, and we will be looking at the necessity of any subscriptions we currently have.

We have decided to keep our shared Spotify account, because we use it daily, and for the $10 per month, we believe it's worth it for the content. We don't have cable or internet at our home, and unless it becomes necessary for income purposes, we will keep to just our cell phone data service.

Avoiding Temptation

Something that Cait did her book (link to previous entry about this) that I thought was really smart, was that she unsubscribed from all digital adverts. She stopped receiving emails about sales, and anything that she might want to shop for. It will take us a moment to get ourselves off of every list that we have subscribed to, but we are planning to do the same.

My only exceptions for this are emails from Kroger (where we buy most of our groceries), and emails from the company that I work for... Even though the emails are advertising sales and new products, I still plan to review them in order to stay informed for our customers, everything else will have to be cut.

Clearing Out Clutter 

As for our excess of physical items, I will be clearing things out using three options: Throw Away, Donate or Sell. I think there is a lot of junk and paperwork that can just be tossed. A fair bit of it can be donated and used by someone else. And for some nicer items, I will try to resell them at a marked down cost to put toward savings.

I'm going to try to Throw Out or Donate most of the clutter, because it's too easy to put higher value on stuff than it really deserves. I don't want a whole room of stuff that I'm keeping, because I'm waiting tosell it. My planned limit is one month, and after that time I will donate any items that haven't sold.

I will still be using Poshmark, and possibly FB marketplace, to sell my items, but I will not be shopping in these forums. Hopefully, as I pare down my closet, I will feel less in inclined to shop and add more stuff back to it.

What do you think? Do you have any questions about our plan? Is there anything I haven't addressed that you'd liked me to share or keep track of? Please comment below, I'd love to know your thoughts!

Spend LESS Year

To kick off our journey to a minimalist lifestyle, my husband and I have been discussing a "no spend year".

This was inspired by my recent audiobook purchase of A Year of Less by Cait Flanders. Her story had popped up into my awareness from time to time for the last several months. It would be mentioned in an article, a book I read would reference it, or it would come across my feed on social media in some way. Finally, I decided to download the book on Audible, and I was not disappointed.

Beyond the initial story of her spending restrictions for the year, the author went into a lot of her personal life as well. She struggled with events that were going on outside of her control, she explained her process, and she even changed jobs in that year. Overall, the story inspired me to make a drastic change in my own life. I decided to take on a challenge that we had never attempted before.

Not only do we have a house full of stuff to go through, but we also have debt to pay down. And we also have expensive items that we need to replace, like the laptop I've been operating off of for the last decade that was a refurbished model when I bought it 10 years ago.

I've decided to coin this a Spend Less Year because we're not going to stop purchasing items all together, but what we do choose to purchase is going to be well thought-out and agreed upon OR already listed on are pre-approved shopping list. (We've been working on making that list for this past week)

If I'm being honest, I'm a little nervous about telling my family that we're doing something like this. I think they would be supportive, and at the same time I think that they would see themselves and their priorities as exception to what we are doing. I feel like they might not understand if we said we can't participate in something because we're not spending money in that area... We're also not planning to go over the top with Christmas this year, but gifts for holidays and birthdays are still listed in our approved spending.

Our goal is to get on a better track with our debt payments. Have a couple of accounts we need to address that are not even getting payments right now, and there are other ones I know we could be paying off a lot faster. We also have a number of things that we need to upgrade (Hello laptop that works without a power cord!) and we like to focus on "where our money is going".

Our Spend Less Year

Starting August 1st we will ONLY be allowed to purchase the following items: 

• Basic Pet Care Items (litter, food, etc.)
• Groceries that we Meal Plan for 
• Basic kitchen supplies (bags, foil, paper towel)
• Toiletries (toilet paper, shampoo, etc)
• Cleaning supplies (detergent/dish soap)
• Cosmetics (if I run out, nothing extra) 
• Gifts (limited to Holidays, Birthdays & Special Events)
• ONE Souvenir per trip we take (optional)

We are NOT allowed to buy...

• Fastfood (unless on a trip out of town)
• Coffee On-the-go (unless traveling on a trip) 
• Craft Items (unless a specific item needs to be replaced/purchased then we will discuss it) 
• Home Decor Items (an issue of mine)
• Books
• New Clothing (unless it is in replacement of a worn out piece) 
• Hair color/Beauty Supplies*

*Hair color is a funny one for me, as I have a boxfull of colors I really need to use or get rid of, so this is really challenging me to use what I have before running to the store for something new. I also work at a store that sells makeup, hair care and acessories, so I'm really challenging myself to NOT spend my paycheck there.

We will be keeping a close eye on money spent on food. We are limiting our "eat out" budget to One Meal per week, (unless we're on vacation out of town). We will be meal planning for what we buy, and I'm hopeful we can go grocery shopping once every two weeks. Going to the store less will help us avoid temptation in purchasing stuff we don't need, and it should encourage us to eat what we have at the house.

As I'm sure you noticed, fastfood and coffee on-the-go are out. That will help our health and our budget. We've made some allowances for things we might need to do if we are on a trip out of town, but for the most part we would like to keep those items to a minimum.

As for our "Approved Shopping List", we are still solidifying that, so I will post the final version in my next post.  ^_^

Starting Over

For the last eight months I've been trying to keep things going on my social media platforms. I have multiple blog entries that I started, and never got around to finalizing... So this blog hasn't gotten very far off the ground.

It all started last September, when I finally attempted to start an Etsy Shop. This was not just on a whim, I really thought things through, really considered what my business would stand for as well as what it would provide.

Then I traveled over 600 miles to help settle my grandparents estate after their passing. And Then I got sidelined by just how busy my "part-time" job had kept me from October on. And THEN I made the difficult decision to change directions in the spring. 

Even though I had started my blog in December, I still held out hope that I was going to be able to roll into launching my Etsy business soon. But with everything I had going on with my work hours, and the state of my house, I knew that it wasn't going to be possible.

I say that it was difficult to change directions, because for me it was. I have been wanting to open an Etsy business for years, I have considered a slew of different products that I could make well enough to market them. And this time, beyond just fantasizing, I had spent time creating my own personal brand, considering products I would make with natural elements, and designing a logo for my new store.

I began to promote first on Instagram, and gained small following. I also established an account on Etsy, to make sure that my business name would be available. Stepping away from everything without even launching, made me feel like a flake. I worried it would appear like I didn't care and I wasn't serious. But my schedule had gotten so busy (even since we got married the previous summer) that I had gotten sick at every break we took. 

When we went away for our 1st Anniversary  in July, we stayed at a B&B. My husband, who never gets sick, ended our three-day weekend with a sore throat and congestion. He was better in a matter of days, but I followed him in getting sick and raised the bar to a full-body flu. I did not fully recover from that for a couple weeks.

About the time that I had looked to start my Etsy account, things had started to slow down... Or they felt like they might. And then I went out of town for 10 days to help with the estate, and when I got back my work hours took off. (I was working 50+ hours the week of Thanksgiving, as part-time help!)

When we finally had a break on Christmas Day, I got sick again. I knew heading into the new year that I was not going to have downtime to make any crafts, let alone market them for a business. I decided to focus on my blog.

Unfortunately I didn't have as much time for that as I had hoped either. I started posts and left them in draft. I started other posts, covering other topics I wanted to touch on, and left those in draft too. Eventually, I defaulted to posting a few things on Instagram every so often, so that I would not disappear completely in the constant wave of new updates. And I hoped I wouldn't lose my followers all together.

Now in mid-July, almost a full year later... I'm starting over. I have a new, informed approach. And a new job. 

I have been wanting this blog to be a resource for people who are in my position, to help them become minimalist. But let's be fair, I am not minimalist myself. 

I have a goal of becoming minimalist. I am mentally minimalist. In my head, I can picture a calm open space in my home, and a schedule that feels uncluttered, where I have time to do most of the things I enjoy. I can imagine not wasting my time shopping for things I don't need, or ordering take-out for dinner because I'm too tired to cook.

But I'm not there yet... And it's foolish for me to write a blog as though I already am. I'm not sure what made me approach it that way. I guess because I started with the idea that someone else who felt like me could come here, read it, and know that they are not alone.

I want to write a blog on the subject of going minimalist, from the perspective of someone who has a lot to tackle. Not just some extra stuff, or out-grown baby clothes around the house that can be donated. I, personally, have a lifetime of boxes, a mountain of paperwork, fluff dander from a long-haired cat that gets all over our rugs if we don't vacuum regularly enough, and spaces in my house that I am not fully utilizing because of all of the objects I have to sort through.

But I am also NOT a hoarder...
And I will tell you why.

This is not a skill I was taught. Periodically sorting through my personal items and  donating or getting rid of things was never a regular thing in my life. My parents, in all of their wisdom, did not have the skills to teach me something that they did not know how to do for themselves.

Ever since I was a small child, I have been surrounded with messes of my own creation. My room never had a clear floor, and the space under my bed was always full of random toys, clothing, paper and whatever else. Whenever we would "clean" my room, my mom would collect everything that was on my floor and place it in a bag or box for storage, then she would tell me that "once my room was kept clean, they would bring that box or bag of my stuff back". I don't recall a single box or bag ever coming back to my room.

Our family also went through a bankruptcy when I was very young, like Elementary School age. I don't personally remember it very well, I didn't really understand what was going on and my parents did a good job of sheltering us from most of the anxiety and work they endured when going through that process. But I do know that I was always attached to "things". I always wanted to keep things "just in case". I was always afraid that if I got rid of something I would find out that I needed it, and I wouldn't have the means or capacity to replace it. I suppose that's how it feels to be a child, you don't have much control over your environment.

My family even claims that when I was a kid I told one of my relatives, "I like trash". I'm sure I was referring to the fact that I liked to collect things that other people would toss aside, with a vivid imagination of what I would use it for or turn it into, but that's the only statement that they all remember.

So here I am, in my early thirties, married with no children, owning two cats, in a small two-bedroom apartment that is technically considered a condo as it is one-story with separate entrance access. And everything from childhood through High School, through college and beyond, has followed me into my new home.

At one point we had filled a 20x20 storage unit. Lined with shelves and furniture, with boxes and bins of objects to sort, prior to us moving into our own place. But we decided to move those items into our apartment, since we had an extra room, instead of spending nearly $200 a month to keep it somewhere else where it wasn't being sorted. 

Since then, I have also recieved wedding gifts, inherited heirlooms from my grandparents house, and purchased furniture and other household items. We donated extra furniture that did not work for our space, and we have a few pieces stored with family that we don't yet have room for.

Even though we have donated car loads of clothing and objects, thrown away countless full garbage bags of junk, and reorganized our clutter time and time again, our house is still a mess. I don't consider myself a hoarder, because I don't want it. I would love open space over the piles of paperwork I have to sort, but it's a process. And there are important items hidden in that mess that I would like to find before tossing out the rest.

I am still a consumer, and I do use retail therapy from time to time to make myself feel better, and that does not help the issue. But I have a solution for that too.

So stay tuned, because I am ready to share the nitty and gritty. All of the fun and sour moments, the strides forward and any missteps along the way. I'm turning this blog into a documentary of my journey, not an instructional guide to where I haven't been.

And one day, when someone is in same position that we're in now, they will see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel... once I've made it though. 

Social Media Break

Hello readers!

I super appreciate the support of your readership, and I hope you follow me on Instagram at @Simple.Joy.Goods That being said, I wanted to let you know that I will be taking a short hiatus from posting new blog entries to focus on some personal matters.

I am excited for the personal project updates I'm planning to share, so stay tuned and I'll see you again in March/ Early April.

Keep up your progress, feel free to leave comments, and have a great rest of the month!


Sincerely,

Elizabeth
From Simple Joy Goods

One TOO Many Projects

It's easy to get excited, with a picture in your mind of how everything will be, and then find yourself overwhelmed.

(Image from article at letterstoa.com)

The process of decluttering is emotionally exhausting, if not physically. And as someone who jumps into things with a positive outlook and a mapped out plan, I have hit this point over and over again.



So what gives?

I don't have all the answers, but I can tell you what has always worked for me: If you want progress, then PACE YOURSELF.

That doesn't mean go as slowly as possible (if you're like me and you itch at the idea of sitting down when there's so much to do), I mean that you should do a FINITE amount of work at a time. Just like exercising, learning a new skill or studying for a test, doing a little each day will ALWAYS prove more productive than a couple days jammed full of tasks.

Added bonus: It's much less overwhelming, exhausting, and time consuming then trying to do it all at once.




Do a little Each day
(Or 3 days a week, whatever works for your schedule)

Start with 30 minutes and set a timer. When it goes off, stop. Take a breather, take a look at what you've accomplished, and decide if you want to work for another 30 mins. If 30 mins is too much, break it down into 10 or 15 mins at a time (with a short break in between).

If you're new to this approach, give it a week to see what you think. It might feel like you're not geeking anywhere at first, but after 6 days you'll have put in 3 hours of focused productivity!

Considering the amount time you have been able to consistently put toward cleaning or decluttering... and I promise this approach will be an improvement.

Setting yourself this daily task, WITH a time limit, will also allow you the peace of mind move on to other important tasks, like cooking dinner, getting to the gym, or taking some down time for yourself. 




FIRST - Make a List of Priorities
(I like to focus room by room) 

This might sound pretty obvious, but take the time to make a list of everything you want to accomplish. Not just tasks for one day, but for the week. If you're really inspired, you can make a long-term list, just write it all down.

Try to be specific in your tasks, like "reorganize patry next to fridge" rather than clean the kitchen. The more specific you are, the more likely that you are going to get that task done without being sidetracked. Being specific also breaks bigger tasks down into manageable sizes.

Here's a sample of one of my lists:

Actual photo from my personal day planner...

Once you have a list (big or small) then map out your week. I like to pick a few tasks from the list, and leave some space in case I need more time to complete a task. You might have break up one task into parts, if it proves to be more time consuming.



SECOND - Use your list to create a Focus Area:
(Example)

Monday - Focus: Laundry

1. Wash Sheets
2. Put Away Towels
3. Sort Laundry (colors & types)  

Tuesday - Focus: Kitchen

1. Kitchen shelves (clean, mount, organize)
2. Move Toaster & Microwave to new counter location
3. Clean up Counters

Wednesday - Focus: Task Completion

• Work on anything not finished from Monday & Tuesday. If there is time, do general household cleaning (ie, wipe down bathroom, take, etc.) 

As you can see, I did not put EVERYTHING from my list into one or even two days. Focus on between 1-3 tasks total. This will keep you on task and ensure that you accomplish something.



THIRD - Observe  the Progress:

After a few weeks, you'll discover how much time you should schedule certain tasks. And after a month you'll be amazed at what you were able to do in such little time! 

There were things I had been TRYING to do for months, and I found I had finished them completely in just a couple weeks. It doesn't seem like much when you start, but you can get so much done in 3-4 hours each week when you pace yourself and map it out.

TRUST ME. This is part of Finding Balance.

New Year, New You, New Life!

I don't know about you, but i LOVE New Years Resolutions! The fresh beginning of a New year, a Clean slate, and the post-holiday energy of "I'm Ready!"

Maybe that's not you, maybe you are exhausted and stressed at the idea of going back to your routine from before time Holiday Rush... Well, that's what Resolutions are for!

This isn't what-wish-can-I-hope-for-and-fall-thru-on-this-year kind of thinking. I'm talking about, "This is what i Want, and what i Will do, to improve my life"!

Okay, we've all seen articles about setting goals, but really, what is it going to take to make THIS Year different? What do YOU Need to get the ball rolling??

Start Here ----> MAKE A LIST

Seriously, sit down and dream it up. Write down your dream vacation, your dream job, those items, experiences, and activities that you WANT to have in your life!


Really get your energy flowing...

• What would you do if you had no debt?
• Where would you go if you could travel anywhere?
• What would your house look like if you could completely redecorate?
• Where would you live if you could?
• What wardrobe would you buy if you had the funds?
• Which hobbies have you always wanted to try?

AFTER you've dreamed up your perfect life, take a moment to look at your physical environment.


Ask yourself,  "if I could snap my fingers and change something right in front of me, what would make me IMMEDIATELY Happy or Relaxed or Grateful?" What would take the stress off...

• A remodeling project completed?
• A clean kitchen table?
• An office space that is free of clutter?
• A closet with ONLY clothing that you Love to wear?

If you're reading the blog there MUST be SOMETHING that is out of balance in your life...
Is your schedule crazy? Do you find yourself with no free time?

*****

If you've said YES to ALL of this,
then slow down... 
one thing at a time. 

*****

If you're searching for what will truly make you happy, then be honest with yourself. Maybe make a list of what makes you UNhappy about how things are now. Sometimes reframing the question helps our mind solve a problem.

I'VE GOT MY LISTS, NOW WHAT?

Great Job! Here's the deal...

Your first list is your Motivation. These are your long-term future goals and the reason why you're going to do all the little steps between where you are Now and where you Will Be.

Your second list (snap your fingers) are the projects/areas you will focus on.

So where do Resolutions fall? Right in the middle.




EXAMPLE:

DreamList:

1. Vacation in Hawaii 
2. Have a toned/fit body (50 lbs down) 
3. Work with Animals (rather than retail)

Snap Fingers List:

1. Have clear counters and kitchen table
2. Money in the bank (at least $1,000)
3. Have a relaxing corner of the house where I can work on my (incert passion project here) without interruption

Resolutions:

1. Create a budget to set aside $50 every paycheck for Savings (and eventual Hawaii trip)
2. Start a workout program (2x week)
3. Volunteer with local Animal Shelter (gleem information about future career shifts and training)
4. Choose a location and Design my Project Corner (where I can read, write, paint, etc)

Your dreams may be a couple years away,  but your resolutions are the small changes (that turn into Big Changes) that you work on over the next year to get you Closer to those dreams!

So get going! Set your bar high and focus on what REALLY matters to you!

Good luck everyone! Please share your New Year's Resolutions (and Big Dreams) in the comments below. Let's inspire each other!