I am passionate about living simply and owning less. My journey began when stress was high and I burned the candle at both ends. I'm here to tell you there is a better way. Uncluttered Course One key component of my journey was Joshua Becker's Uncluttered course. He's a husband and dad with great advice for families. He gets it. Joshua's story started on a beautiful spring Saturday with a garage full of stuff and his son playing in the backyard alone. He was too busy to play with him. Joshua's family felt burdened by all the stuff in their house. It was stealing their time, energy, and money. That was the moment when he knew something had to change. And he certainly followed through. My Moment My moment came in the hospital with an out-of-control, two-week-long migraine. The pain had escalated to where I could not open my eyes. When I tried to lay down, the pressure was unbearable. I sat curled up in a ball on the floor. My husband …
decluttering
How to Prepare for Online Learning in the Fall
If you’re a parent with school-aged children, the question of the hour is about school in the fall. How will online learning be taught? When will it start? Should I homeschool? Our family weathered the storm of distance learning this spring, but I recognize that’s easier to do with an only child and a flexible work schedule. For many families, the spring was a nightmare. And now we're trying to start the year off right. I get it. But before you rush out and spend a bunch of money on new desks, homeschooling curriculum, and rearrange your house, I recommend taking a step back to “pause and plan.” You have time, I promise. Take a deep breath and read on. Step 1 - Enjoy Summer The school year will be here before you know it. For the sake of our children and their childhood that was turned upside down in March, let’s try to enjoy the last few weeks summer. Be present, in this moment, which we’ll never get back. Since I have 4 summers left before my one-and-only heads …
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9 Easy Ways to Organize Your Home
I love to declutter and organize spaces but it doesn't happen overnight. Over the years, I've established practical habits to control clutter and organize our home. Here are nine easy ways to get started! Stop Shopping I really mean stop shopping. I know, it's easier said than done. But question your purchases before you make them or wait 24 hours to click order. Avoid stores that result in impulse buys and extra purchases. The bullseye store comes to mind. :) Before you buy, identify storage for new items. Where will it live? Do you have space to store it? Borrow, Repurpose, Reuse or Do Without Save time, build relationships and borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor. Or maybe a weed whacker, power washer or crockpot. I love building community through borrowing. Several of my friends join me in saying "We own 8 folding chairs." and "We own a piano." If you cannot borrow an item, try waiting a few days to see if the need …
Decluttering Duplicates and the Top Third
Years ago, I heard an organizer talk about how we only use the "Top Third". What he meant was, we own a stack of t-shirts, but rarely wear items beyond the top third of the pile. You can apply this every category in your closet, blouses, shorts, t-shirts, jeans, and sweaters. But what about other belongings? Do you have a favorite pair of sunglasses or gloves? Maybe you prefer one umbrella. So, why keep the rest? Here's the case for owning one or at very least, for owning a lot less. WHY JUST ONE My items are of high quality and fair trade. Are they more expensive? Yes. Are they high quality and made to last? Yes! And they are made with labor that pays a living wage. The average person loses 9 items per day. Have you ever re-purchased something because you could not find it? Minimalism spares this cost because it’s easier to locate items with less. Consider setting up a landing spot to corral your keys, phone, and wallet. Practices like this mean fewer …
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Why I Donated My Entire Candle Collection
I was recently asked about where to store candles and how many do I own? Not many. But here's why I reduced the number of candles in my home. Collection There was a time when I owned an impressive collection of votives, tapers, scented jar candles, and candleholders. I even saved the jars after the candles burned out. Why? No idea. But this is what makes collections dangerous. We have no idea why, but we continue to buy the items. We are supposed to because we declared it a collection. When I started organizing this collection, I realize they represented more work than enjoyment. I had to store them, and then reorder, replace, and refill them. When new boxes arrived, I threw away wasteful amounts of packaging. After they burned, I cleaned soot off candle holders and my furniture. And then I dusted the candle holders and then dusted around them. It was too much! Migraines In the midst of organizing, migraines entered the picture which meant even less enjoyment from candles. …
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9 Easy Ways to More Organized Spices
Recently, I went through our spices. By this I mean, I removed them from the cabinet and asked the following questions about each one: What recipe calls for this spice? Approximately when did I purchase this spice? How much of this spice is measured for a typical recipe? Surprisingly, most of my spices support my everyday cooking. And I had very few containers older than 12 months. But when I considered the question about quantity, I found several mistakes as a result of bulk buying. I own large containers of cayenne, parsley, cumin, and minced onion. Although they are used in our cooking, the volume was excessive for the typical amount needed in a recipe. But my neighbor was delighted when I refilled a few of her spice containers. Pictured below are the rest of my spices and some easy ways to organize yours. 9 Easy Ways to Organize Remove from the cabinets. Designate one cabinet for spices. (We prefer near the stove.) Review each container and ask the …