Over the years, I have started and stopped, several times, a journey to simplify. It started in 2010 when we moved into this house. It was the perfect time to purge and give away things we never used and no longer needed prior to moving. Like most families, we had more than a few duplicates in kitchen items, linens and the like. It felt good to know these things we weren’t using could bless someone else.
Five years passed, and while there were some areas of my home, homeschool, and life that were beautifully clutter-free and organized when 2015 started, there were more than a few that weren’t. And so for the past two months, I’ve been addressing those areas with a renewed enthusiasm for minimalism.
Minimalism is not doing without. It’s not barren, cold rooms void of personality. It’s not sacrifice or self-denial. Minimalism is not about having less, it’s about having better. In clearing away the unwanted, unneeded, and undesired, it becomes about having more.
More of what you want:
clean counters
organized closets
saved money
beautiful interiors
addressed priorities
enjoyed leisure pursuits
more space
more time
more peace
Doesn’t that sound amazing? I thought it did too. I will be honest, I became increasingly enthusiastic about living a more minimalist lifestyle as I became increasingly overwhelmed again with five children’s things. I was tired of cleaning around items that never got used. I was tired of moving the same clothes my four year old NEVER wears to make room to put away the clothes of hers that seem to be in the laundry every single week. I felt like I was becoming the organizer of stuff, all the time. And then the epiphany moment: What if there was less stuff to organize?
For me there were two big draws to finally treating minimalism like a commitment and not a fling…the first being the time that could be saved because selfishly I really want more time to read and knit, and the second one was the example it would set for my girls. We’ve always been a family more about experiences than about stuff, but applying minimalism to all areas in my life (appointments, schedule, social media, etc); that could be life changing.
I was right.
It has been life changing. And I am excited to share with you some steps to help you have this same peace in your own home and heart. Now, I’m not a true minimalist, I have more than 33 items of clothing, I still own way too many books (and probably always will), and I am still weeding through the treasure trove that is my craft room. However, what has been achieved and the peacefulness that has been reestablished in my home, in myself, can’t be undersold. I’m excited to bring to the blog, a series on simplifying and I would love to have you join me.
If this sounds like something you are interested in then be sure to sign up for email delivery or Bloglovin. The best place to find me going forward will be on the blog, not social media, which is another area of my life I have been simplifying with great satisfaction. You can find places to sign up for both email delivery and bloglovin in the sidebar.
Wishing you a simply beautiful day.
I am re reading this article again probably will many more times. I strive to simplify but for me it will be a long process.
I too have been trying to simplify. For the past few months I ‘ve been giving myself different tasks to tackle and holding myself to accountable for FINISHING them! I’m great at starting projects but rarely truly finish them. I loved reading this, makes me feel more confident that I can do it!
Blog gave us useful information to work. You have done an amazing job.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I hope it can serve as a good resource!