If you're a minimalist, what does this look like in your life?

[Hannah]

For the last few months I've started getting rid of all the stuff we do not use regularly or which do not add beauty to our lives. I want to take this a step further and explore minimalism.

 

If you're a minimalist, what have you done to simplify your life. Have you achieved a point where you're satisfied that you've reached your goals, or is it an ongoing process? How do you deal with conflicting requirements of your spouse and children?

 

What advise would you give someone setting out on a minimalist journey?

[Ann.without.an.e]

We try to be minimalist. Having 4 kids, life is complicated no matter how hard we try. We do not hesitate to get rid of...ever. DH and I are both blessed to be anti-packrats. We just see stuff as something that takes work/money/time to obtain and then takes more work/time/money to maintain. We always try to really think it through before adding any complication to our lives and then we sit on anything new before we decide. I am interested in minimalism, but know that we are not there yet. I would love new ideas ;)

[MomOfOneFunOne]

For the last few months I've started getting rid of all the stuff we do not use regularly or which do not add beauty to our lives. I want to take this a step further and explore minimalism.

 

If you're a minimalist, what have you done to simplify your life. Have you achieved a point where you're satisfied that you've reached your goals, or is it an ongoing process? How do you deal with conflicting requirements of your spouse and children?

 

What advise would you give someone setting out on a minimalist journey?

 

I'm not a minimalist but I have friends that I would describe that way. I would say that in their case, they have definately arrived at minimalism and way past the wannabe stage. I would also say that there isnt' much conflict. Mom and Dad are definately on the same page and the girls wouldn't know any different.

 

How is their life simple? Hmmmm, they live WAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY below what their income would allow. In fact, they like to use their spare money buying property. They own rural landscapes all over this state, and two others. If you went to their house, though, you'd never, ever, guess. They wear clothes either made by mom or from thrift shops, they eat and live in a very local/green way.

 

All their furniture came from second hand -- but it looks nice.

 

The dad works from home, mom goes to school, the girls unschool. I think his work clothes look pricey so that must be an exception. On days he's not in the office, though, he looks clean and nice but not expensive.

 

Their house is small. They only use heat and air if it's unbearable and I've been over when I would have considered it unbearable but they didn't.

 

They have tons of books and some technology but no nickknacks that I can think of. They do have a stack of games and a lot of handicraft stuff.

 

They are kind and considerate and lovely people. I would love to be able to do that.

[Desert Strawberry]

I'm getting there. My dh is a self-confessed packrat. He is trying to get on board with a simpler existence.

 

We live in a 1200 sq ft, 3 bed/1bath house. IMO it is quite spacious. We have the master bedroom-a converted sunporch-the children's room (all 4 in a less than 10x10 room) is attached to ours, the third room is our home office and my workroom. We do have 2 outbuildings used for storage, but one is being decluttered to transform into usable guest space. The other is outdoor storage-lawn mower, summer toys in winter, etc.

 

My goal is to only have those things which are useful. Just enough clothes, no/very few disposable items (just TP and freezer bags), no extra clutter.

 

I would like to replace our living room furniture with smaller, more versatile futon and hammock. Dh is planning to build a dining nook and quadruple bunk. Both will be very simple in style, and maximize the utility of our space.

 

When I look around our house, it doesn't look minimal at all. It looks very full to me. I think we have soooo much. But everyone who has been here comments on the simplicity of our home and life. The little cottage itself certainly is a humble dwelling, but I still feel like there are so many more things that could GO. We have so much extra.

 

Little by little.

[Momto5]

Great thread! I have enjoyed reading the responses.

 

We live a pretty simple life. The key for me has been (1) don't go shopping as recreation or entertainment, (2) don't look at home decorating/parenting magazines, and (3) don't watch commercial TV.

 

Y'all may be stronger than I am but the above things give me the "wants." I look at the decorating/home magazines and all of a sudden I want to redecorate or decorate for the holidays with ________. Same for TV. If I don't know about it, I don't want it.

 

Oh, the final thing is I try to never buy something because I "might need it later." This stuff sits in a box in the basement, I never use it or forget its there and then give it away!

[eaglei]

bumping :bigear:

[Desert Strawberry]

Great thread! I have enjoyed reading the responses.

 

We live a pretty simple life. The key for me has been (1) don't go shopping as recreation or entertainment, (2) don't look at home decorating/parenting magazines, and (3) don't watch commercial TV.

 

Y'all may be stronger than I am but the above things give me the "wants." I look at the decorating/home magazines and all of a sudden I want to redecorate or decorate for the holidays with ________. Same for TV. If I don't know about it, I don't want it.

 

Oh, the final thing is I try to never buy something because I "might need it later." This stuff sits in a box in the basement, I never use it or forget its there and then give it away!

 

 

I agree with all of this. Shopping is a chore. I agonize over purchases, and do confess to online browsing, but I have a rule that if I find something I *think* I want, I leave it. If I decide later that I really do want it, I'll come back. If I forget about it, then I don't need it.

After following this rule for almost 10 years, I no longer feel tempted to make impulse buys. I have a mental list of wants. If it's not on my list, I don't feel the urge to buy it.

[Peela]

I am a wanna be minimalist. A few months back I went through a massive decluttering and it really was great. The only thing I remember missing is...I know I used to have more knitting needles and supplies and a cable stitch holder, but not any more. I must have been ruthless! Oh well, it only cost me a few $ to get what I needed.

 

I love minimalist blogs like zenhabits.net. They help remind and redirect me when I lose the minimalist urge. They seem to give me a kick, a bust of energy.

 

I have had some conflict with my packrat dh and kids, for sure. They are not on board at all. I even wonder if dh has a bit of a psychological issue, really. But...I have plenty of stuff that is "mine" to declutter, and I consider the kitchen "mostly mine" so I am happy to zen that out too, altohugh there are certain things (I learned!) that dh considers his and very important to have in the kitchen. So there is defintiely compromise.

 

We have always been 2nd hand people- all our furniture and household stuff is 2nd hand, even our many computers. The thing is, we love a bargain and we love to shop 2nd hand...you never know what you will find!- so that results in bringing home more stuff. DH doesnt seem to understand you just cant keep adding nice bargain pieces of furniture to a house, no matter how big it is, without at some stage letting some of it go as well.

 

We sort of have zones now. Some zones are mine, and I get to have them the way I want them- clear and uncluttered. Some zones are his and i dont touch them...at all...any more. (I learned!) Ds15 sometimes lets me declutter for him- mainly clothes he has outgrown, but dd16 does her own decluttering at times. It does rub off on them.

 

It is an endless task, really, because I too havent stopped going to garage sales and markets- its an activity dh and i love to do together, and we always have. I have stopped picking up stuff off the edge of the road, but dh hasnt! This year I let go of 75% of my wardrobe- it felt great! But it didnt take long to collect more clothes- however, they are more suited to the up to date me than the outdated me.

 

They notice. I have my own bedroom ANd my own study (very lucky me)- they are clear and uncluttered although my study is my processing space for clutter and I do have some piles of books in here at the moment, ready to be sold. I used to have my desk in the schoolroom- but I took it out and now that is the teenagers living area and not a "schoolroom".

 

Its funny because when dh and I first got together and for several years, he was the neat and tidy one, the born organised one and I really didnt have a clue- I was very messy. Now I am the organised and tidy one.

 

I would say..enjoy the process, enjoy the results- have fun with it. CLear your own stuff and stuff you know wont upset others particularly. If your kids are young, zen their stuff or pack it into boxes and rotate them. I find there is always so much more to do, I dont need to even worry about their stuff yet- and i have spent weeks and weeks decluttering. The linen cupboard is bursting at the seams again.

 

I suspect one day dh will get on board. But its not happening yet, so its just my thing, and that's ok. I will probably get to the point when my own personal possessions are quite minimal- maybe in the next month or so - but the household stuff is another matter altogether.

[....]

I think we are inadvertently minimalists. There are 6 of us living in a 1000 square foot house. We have sold, donated or thrown away probably 80 percent of everything we owned in the last 2 years (it's a long-winded story, but to make it simple...it involved a job loss, relocation, me and 4 kids living in an RV, etc...). I think friends and relatives are a little shocked by how little we have. :glare:

 

You know, I wouldn't go back to the way we lived if I wanted to. I like the clutter-free environment that we have going. It doesn't take long to clean and the little kids have lots of room to get their toys out.

 

I don't realize how little we actually own until I visit other people's houses. Then, it's :w00t:. You guys have got a lot of stuff!! Our whole house could fit into your living room! :tongue_smilie:

 

We are thinking about moving into a larger place this year, but not to put more junk into a new house. I plan to keep it pretty minimal like it is now. I just think my older kids need their own space. I told my friend the other day that my kids were used to living in submarine conditions. :lol:

[Negin]

I try, but I really need to work on this. I keep procrastinating ... think I read these on Flylady or something like that.

 

Before tossing out stuff, ask yourself:

• Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it? Trust the feelings in your body. Does it make me feel good?

• Do I absolutely love it? Does it really inspire me or is it just ‘nice”? Does it also have sad associations in my life?

• Is it genuinely useful? If so, when did I actually last use it? When, realistically, am I going to use it again?

• Will I have found a use for this within the next 10 years? The answer is nearly always no.

• Look at each thing and ask:

Do I love you?

Do you make me smile?

Do I have a place for you?

If the answer is no – out you go!

[zusjames]

I need to be a minimalist. We've reached that point with tv, electronics, gaming, but not with the **stuff** in the house. Can you be a home school teacher and be a minimalist?

[laughing lioness]

We had a house fire last year and threw away around 90% of our possessions. We've been very careful about what we've re-accumulated. We invested in out of county library cards ($60 for 9 mths) so we are not buying books at all, unless we know they are ones we'll share with each other and re-read.

We are still not living in our bedrooms and our bed is in the living room. Extra "stuff" makes things junkie. The remodeled kitchen has a lot of couter space but not room for knick-knacks. I'm not really a knick knack person anyway but I am constantly sorting through kids stuff. Having less stuff makes thing so much easier to clean up!!

We were given tons of clothes after the fire and I've been a little compulisve in sorting and hanging up.putting away or getting rid of extras. no more storing for next year or 3 yrs from now. same with school items. I lost 20 years of homeschool curriculum- and I'd honed it down to what we really use but it was several $1000 of dollars of stuff. I know how we homeschool and what we need to do that. If it doesn't fit in to that grid, no matter how cool, I'm not keeping it.

We have a couple of toy "sets"- playmobile, legos. My 7 yo has polly pockets. But they are all stored in bins and put away when done. Very easy.

[Heather in Neverland]

Moving a lot lately has helped! I have sold or given away so much stuff! And I still have much to go. But my one rule is this: if we have not used it in the last 6 months it is GONE. No exceptions.

[Soror]

I strive to be a minimalist, compared to some I am great and others, not so good. I generally don't have much attachment to stuff. We had a house fire as well 3.5 yrs ago and there was only 1 thing I really missed and we lost most everything. It seems though some places in the house had accumulated some things though and I am working on clearing some areas. There is a line, which is different for everyone, of things being too bare and too much clutter. I had felt that some areas where too bare and not homey enough so was trying to bring that feeling. I added some things in that I didn't absolutely love, so this year I am on the search of doing the great room and making it homey, but simple and getting rid of everything unless it is love or needed.

 

I love clearing things out. I love that we can keep things clean in relatively little time, the back of the house stays together very easily, the front is still a work in progress. We went to a friend's house and the kids playing it took over an hr to get the toys picked up and still it wasn't done just right. The kids were all over at the house a bit before and it took like 15 minutes.

 

I need to work on my clothes again. I was just saying that I need to decide how much of each piece I want and then get rid of all else. Then also see what pieces I need. The problem I have is with knowing I will have more children is that I have various sizes to move me through pregnancy and back out.

 

What does simple living look like to me? When we get anything "new" we get rid of at least 1 thing in it's place. I try to take on what I can do well. I try to keep our obligations minimal and a few things we enjoy. Meals are basic but nourishing. I have pared down the pantry to *mostly* basic ingredients that I can make into various things and try not to get lured into the next superfood. I do stock up on things though as it saves me money and time though.

 

Dh is naturally fairly simple, he don't care about stuff too much. He never, ever buys clothes. He don't care much about the house or what is in it but prefers new stuff to discount stuff I find here and there. I am starting to replace some of our junky pieces with what I can find used at Flea markets.

[elegantlion]

I try, but I really need to work on this. I keep procrastinating ... think I read these on Flylady or something like that.

 

Before tossing out stuff, ask yourself:

• Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it? Trust the feelings in your body. Does it make me feel good?

• Do I absolutely love it? Does it really inspire me or is it just ‘nice� Does it also have sad associations in my life?

• Is it genuinely useful? If so, when did I actually last use it? When, realistically, am I going to use it again?

• Will I have found a use for this within the next 10 years? The answer is nearly always no.

• Look at each thing and ask:

Do I love you?

Do you make me smile?

Do I have a place for you?

If the answer is no – out you go!

 

Wonderful advice.

 

I'm not sure I'm a minimalist as much as everything must have a place. We moved to a 1100 sf from 2000 sf. Most of our stuff is still in storage and honestly it's too much for this house. Thankfully we have a basement now so we can sort and purge from there once we get our belongings.

 

My dh is already a use it or throw it out type of person. My ds is of a similar mindset.

 

I'm a big fan of using what you already own so much of our stuff serves multiple purposes.

 

Clothing is one area that I need to purge. Right now I have about 10 things hanging in my closet. That's too little, but I have several boxes of clothes in storage. My goal is to create outfits and purge mercilessly.

[CarrieF]

I try, but I really need to work on this. I keep procrastinating ... think I read these on Flylady or something like that.

 

Before tossing out stuff, ask yourself:

• Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it? Trust the feelings in your body. Does it make me feel good?

• Do I absolutely love it? Does it really inspire me or is it just ‘nice� Does it also have sad associations in my life?

• Is it genuinely useful? If so, when did I actually last use it? When, realistically, am I going to use it again?

• Will I have found a use for this within the next 10 years? The answer is nearly always no.

• Look at each thing and ask:

Do I love you?

Do you make me smile?

Do I have a place for you?

If the answer is no – out you go!

What a great way to approach all the stuff that sits around . . . inspiration to DECLUTTER! Whoo-hooo! :001_smile:

[In the Rain]

I'm not a minimalist, but I'd love to have a more simple, streamlined existence. Thanks for all the info posted. I'm off to check out zenhabits. :auto:

[Halcyon]

We're working towards this, and have come a long way. For us, it's a mindset. I'm reading Your Money or Your Life which really helps clarify things. We have gotten rid of a lot of toys and belongings that we don't need, donating to Good Will or friends. We bake our own bread, make much of our food, and tend not to spend money on tons of things. That said, we do like to travel and make a spot in our budget for that.

 

I too read Zen Habits. We are still on our journey towards a simpler life, but we're getting there.

[2squared]

There is a line, which is different for everyone, of things being too bare and too much clutter. I had felt that some areas where too bare and not homey enough so was trying to bring that feeling.

 

This is where I am. I love not owning things, but our home is too bare. We have zero things on our walls and four nicknacks displayed. I know I need to add things, but it is HARD for me to do that. :glare:

[2squared]

I don't realize how little we actually own until I visit other people's houses. Then, it's :w00t:. You guys have got a lot of stuff!!

 

This is me too. Whenever we visit the in-laws (any of them), I come home tired and crabby from looking at all the stuff in their houses. My brain just doesn't handle it well. I feel at peacewhen I look at empty spaces. Maybe because I can't find peace any other way with 5 dc around 24/7. :lol:

[Heather in Neverland]

This is me too. Whenever we visit the in-laws (any of them), I come home tired and crabby from looking at all the stuff in their houses. My brain just doesn't handle it well. I feel at peacewhen I look at empty spaces. Maybe because I can't find peace any other way with 5 dc around 24/7. :lol:

 

I just decluttered ds (12yo) room again and that night at bedtime he said "Thanks Mom. I feel so much more peaceful in my room now."

[mykdsmomy]

I'm bumping this in case anyone wants to add to it :) I'm striving to be more minimalist but I tend to binge and purge. I'll clear out my house then slowly things creep back in.

Not only that, but I tend to buy more consumable products than we really need. I think it's more of a shopping compulsion than anything.

 

I tend to keep things cleaner when there's less clutter so I'm working on that :)

[In the Rain]

I tend to keep things cleaner when there's less clutter so I'm working on that :)

 

:iagree: I think it is because once I pick up all of the "stuff" I am too tired or irritated to clean. It is super easy to run a vacuum through the kids' rooms. OTOH, if the room is trashed, it can take over an hour to find the floor. :lol: By then my urge to vacuum is long gone. :tongue_smilie:

[BlsdMama]

I'm not a minimalist but I have friends that I would describe that way. I would say that in their case, they have definately arrived at minimalism and way past the wannabe stage.

 

I thought I was doing good with eight kids. Then I met a family like what you talk about.... And found out I am NOTHING but a wannabe. The family I know doesn't even own beds - but hammocks. Truly, truly, truly, she is blessed.... In not having to take huge amounts of time to take care of STUFF within her house she has poured her energy into her kids, cooking, and gardening. Her garden is amazing. She doesn't bustle around her children cleaning... Instead she makes papercrafts with them, gardens with them, etc.

 

I live in awe and now am pretty discouraged about how far I have to go. :(

[mykdsmomy]

:iagree: I think it is because once I pick up all of the "stuff" I am too tired or irritated to clean. It is super easy to run a vacuum through the kids' rooms. OTOH, if the room is trashed, it can take over an hour to find the floor. :lol: By then my urge to vacuum is long gone. :tongue_smilie:

 

YES!!! I hate having to clean their room before I can clean their room :laugh:

 

I thought I was doing good with eight kids. Then I met a family like what you talk about.... And found out I am NOTHING but a wannabe. The family I know doesn't even own beds - but hammocks. Truly, truly, truly, she is blessed.... In not having to take huge amounts of time to take care of STUFF within her house she has poured her energy into her kids, cooking, and gardening. Her garden is amazing. She doesn't bustle around her children cleaning... Instead she makes papercrafts with them, gardens with them, etc.

 

I live in awe and now am pretty discouraged about how far I have to go. :(

 

Wow.....does this family have a blog? My goal is to be more like the family you described. I don't have time for gardening and cooking because I'm spending way too much time staring at the overwhelming mess of my house :glare: Then I wind up not knowing where to start so I pick up a few things and that's it. I need to figure out HOW and what to simplify.

[Guest momk2000]

I would love, love, love to strip everything down to the bare minimum. We have worked on this little by little over the past year starting with the garage. We have either tossed or donated sooooo much stuff that we just keep taking with us every time we move.

I have worked hard on the inside of the house too. The house was so cluttered with toys, most of which were just collecting dust. The kids decided what they don't play with anymore and we donated a whole bunch of stuff. Everyone seems so much happier and I am able to keep the house a whole lot cleaner.

I have cleaned and organized the kids rooms, and last week I went through my kitchen. I got rid of pans, dishes, vases...anything I don't use. I feel so free and so much happier.

We don't have nearly as much as some of the neighbors do, but the kids are happy and never beg for things or act as if they have to have everything.

We have decluttered quite a lot and compared to most people don't have much, but I still have things I just want to heave. It feels so good.

You can tell I'm not a pack rat, clutter just drives me nuts. :001_huh:

[mykdsmomy]

Where do you all keep your dc's toys? I find when they are in their room, they wind up under their bed, behind their dressers, etc. Our living space in our living room is very small but I almost prefer them out here so at least I can keep track of everything and keep things picked up.

 

I've often been tempted to get rid of their dressers in their rooms because they take up so much space and their rooms are soooo small. I should take a picture and show you all :D

 

Maybe later....off to stare at my clutter and stress about how to change it all... :rofl:

[MrsMe]

Where do you all keep your dc's toys? I find when they are in their room, they wind up under their bed, behind their dressers, etc. Our living space in our living room is very small but I almost prefer them out here so at least I can keep track of everything and keep things picked up.

 

I've often been tempted to get rid of their dressers in their rooms because they take up so much space and their rooms are soooo small. I should take a picture and show you all :D

 

Maybe later....off to stare at my clutter and stress about how to change it all... :rofl:

 

Depending on how old your kids are, I always kept them in LR. That way they didn't end up anywhere else and we could all be together. But I have to say I only had one kid, so it's a big difference than having more. Otherwise, a playroom. That was probably what worked best. It wasn't any cleaner, but it did tend to stay there. Now they're all in dd's room....and let me say in the LR and in the FR and in the kitchen... and it's driving me completely and insanely batty. Not not is just her room a dump, but so is my house. I spend hours telling her to pick up her junk and put it away and then there's the bedroom rant. I can't even go there. :svengo: But when the toys in are the LR and kept there, as a parent it was easier to stay on top of it all the time because it was in my space.

 

Ditto to going off now and staring at the clutter....although with garbage bag in hand.

[MrsMe]

I would love as well to see a good and reasonable living minimally blog. Not one where we're "camping" and reusing our garbage. Something I can relate to as a normal person with children. :tongue_smilie: Basic simplifying and doing away with excess; keeping what you love. Let's face it, I'm gonna eat off a paper plate and I'm not going to keep every jar. Nor am I gonna spend all my money on a water bill rinsing recycables. I want to see a nice clean, simple home without the junk.

Edited January 7, 2011 by alilac

[Guest momk2000]

We keep most of the toys in the LR, so we can keep them more organized and hoping the kids will play with them more. We have donated quite a lot of stuff though. The kids have their favorites and nothing else gets touched. If I had it to do over, we would not buy nearly as many toys as we have accumulated over the years. I get ill thinking of the $$$ we could have saved. We are pretty conservative compared to many others we know in the amount of "stuff" we purchase for the kids, but still have managed to accumulate a lot of what I call "junk". My oldest dd hates this, she always says, "It's not junk Mom." :D

[mrbmom77]

I've often been tempted to get rid of their dressers in their rooms because they take up so much space and their rooms are soooo small. I should take a picture and show you all :D

 

Maybe later....off to stare at my clutter and stress about how to change it all... :rofl:

 

I did this in my kids' rooms. I put plastic drawers in the bottom of their closets for underwear, socks, and pjs. All they did with dressers was pile junk on top of them. I got rid of mine, too, and hung lingerie bags on hooks in the closet instead. Works great.

 

I decluttered a few years ago but it has taken over again. My goal for this year is to downsize. Great thread!

[BarbecueMom]

We're headed down this path too, but have run into a couple snags. There's a significant amount of "large trash" - old pieces of cabinets, broken furniture, broken chairs, etc. - that was mostly left by the previous owners. We've priced a dumpster, but I'm not willing to spend $500 to get rid of it all at once. Our other option is to take a saw to everything, put as much as we can in our extra trash bin, and have it hauled off week-by-week. That's a lot of work though, and DH doesn't seem thrilled about chopping everything up. I would list some of the stuff on Craigslist, but I don't have a way of transporting it to meet someone, and I really don't want strangers scoping out my house when I'm home with the kids all day.

 

The other trash problem is stuff like paint and cleaners. Our county's view on chemical waste disposal is to "find a place in your garage for it". I guess I can put kitty litter in the paint cans to dry them, but I'm not sure what to do with old paint thinners, insecticides, and weed killer (also left by the previous owner). I don't want that old leaky stuff sitting in my garage, and it needs to be gone before we insulate and drywall out there.

 

For those of you who have successfully went minimalistic, what do you do with all the "white space"? Our boys' rooms are fairly minimal right now, but after we get rid of the changing table and rocking chair, there will be NOTHING in there but a bed and a dresser! Their closets are empty, save for one Rubbermaid tub each of hand-me-downs to grow into. I'm decoratively challenged, but I'd like the house to look nice, even if it's simple and barebones on the stuff.

[MrsMe]

We're headed down this path too, but have run into a couple snags. There's a significant amount of "large trash" - old pieces of cabinets, broken furniture, broken chairs, etc. - that was mostly left by the previous owners. We've priced a dumpster, but I'm not willing to spend $500 to get rid of it all at once. Our other option is to take a saw to everything, put as much as we can in our extra trash bin, and have it hauled off week-by-week. That's a lot of work though, and DH doesn't seem thrilled about chopping everything up. I would list some of the stuff on Craigslist, but I don't have a way of transporting it to meet someone, and I really don't want strangers scoping out my house when I'm home with the kids all day.

 

The other trash problem is stuff like paint and cleaners. Our county's view on chemical waste disposal is to "find a place in your garage for it". I guess I can put kitty litter in the paint cans to dry them, but I'm not sure what to do with old paint thinners, insecticides, and weed killer (also left by the previous owner). I don't want that old leaky stuff sitting in my garage, and it needs to be gone before we insulate and drywall out there.

 

For those of you who have successfully went minimalistic, what do you do with all the "white space"? Our boys' rooms are fairly minimal right now, but after we get rid of the changing table and rocking chair, there will be NOTHING in there but a bed and a dresser! Their closets are empty, save for one Rubbermaid tub each of hand-me-downs to grow into. I'm decoratively challenged, but I'd like the house to look nice, even if it's simple and barebones on the stuff.

 

I can answer your question on the first paragraph. Have you heard of Freecycle? It's really a recycling thing...you advertise it like on Craiglist but it's free. You could essentially put it on Craigslist as well and say free too. But I "freecycled" tons of stuff. There should be one in your area if you check on line.

 

If you have a local dump, they'll take the paint and such, you usually have to put it in a separate area.

 

As far as a dumpster, have you checked all local dumpster rentals? Some are priced by size of the dumpster and the time you have it. You could also ask a neighbor and see if they'd split it with you.

 

As far as the white space. Can't answer that. :bigear:

[abrightmom]

I would love as well to see a good and reasonable living minimally blog. Not one where we're "camping" and reusing our garbage. Something I can relate to as a normal person with children. :tongue_smilie: Basic simplifying and doing away with excess; keeping what you love. Let's face it, I'm gonna eat off a paper plate and I'm not going to keep every jar. Nor am I gonna spend all my money on a water bill rinsing recycables. I want to see a nice clean, simple home without the junk.

 

:iagree: Realistic. :D I love this thread. I'm investigating how to make a smallish townhome with no yard and a tiny kitchen work for a growing homeschooling family. It's utterly overwhelming. Did I mention that I love this thread? :001_smile:

 

I have lots of garbage bags and my Goodwill pile is growing this week. I have been throwing stuff out as well and it's so freeing. I have a long long way to go.

 

I'm VERY intrigued by the hammock idea!! What in the world? I've never heard of such a thing and wonder if it would cause back problems in kids.

[Melenie]

I have never been a big "stuff" person. I prefer less around me and I think my kids tend to be like that as well. DH did not start out that way, but he is coming around.

 

10 years ago Dh and I moved across the world to the US with only 2 suitcases each. That was a great way to start over and I vowed not to fill my life with unnecessary things.

 

We started with only a bed and took our time buying any new furniture. Now 10 years later I have my first new sofa and TV and the house is almost completely decorated. The house has very few things in it that are not used on a daily basis. Books are my downfall though, I am always buying used books for school, but mostly classics that I am reading now and DC will read in later years.

 

We buy very few toys for birthdays and Christmas and we spend little on our clothes every year. For food we tend to stick to the basics for the most part as well.

 

My oldest is in 1st so this may change, but I tend to keep curriculum to a minimum as well and use books and common sense where possible. Like I say this is likely to change in years to come.

 

Twice a year we go through drawers, closets and toys and toss things out. Fortunately we do not acquire that much, but it still feels good to toss what we have not used for a while.

 

I LOVE tossing things out! I have learned that I can do without so many things in my life and I prefer less to more.

[BlsdMama]

YES!!! I hate having to clean their room before I can clean their room :laugh:

 

 

 

Wow.....does this family have a blog?

 

Nope. Last I knew they had purged their PC for a netbook to use at the public library - so no 'net, no phone, and no tv. I told you, I live in awe. (Whisper: She has time to read WHOLE books at a time!) I haven't seen them in five weeks and am feeling a little deprived. ;) She drops me a postcard to let me know when they'll be visiting and I make sure to clear my schedule. I'm telling you, I look around my house on a regular basis and now all I can see is how much I COULD REALLY simplify. But you almost HAVE to see it in real life to be able to picture such simplicity.

 

And I have to go further in that her house is NOT bare or naked or minimalist feeling.

 

Her kitchen is decorated with dried and braided garlic and onions and drying herbs. Her living room area has a tree painted on the wall and they have folded paper birds and whatnot hanging. I'm telling you... I just might leave my house and it's stuff and go live in hers. :)

[BlsdMama]

 

 

For those of you who have successfully went minimalistic, what do you do with all the "white space"? Our boys' rooms are fairly minimal right now, but after we get rid of the changing table and rocking chair, there will be NOTHING in there but a bed and a dresser! Their closets are empty, save for one Rubbermaid tub each of hand-me-downs to grow into. I'm decoratively challenged, but I'd like the house to look nice, even if it's simple and barebones on the stuff.

 

Our boys have a bed, a dresser, and a trunk. It looks CLEAN. :D It's spotless every morning by 8AM and takes them five minutes to clean.

 

Our girls have it better. They have no dresser. Elizabeth, Abigail, and Rebecca share a room. They have a twin over a double bunk and a twin bed. They also have one night table for their alarm clock. Elizabeth is old enough to care for "things" so she is allowed one plastic container (slightly bigger than a shoebox) to store & maintain her "stuff." Again, it looks CLEAN.

 

Our daughter Ana has more "stuff" though. She has a private book collection and keeps it neat. She has an sewing box on her night stand with her alarm clock. Her room, to me, looks cluttered even when it's clean. But she keeps it neat. It's just your eye doesn't have a quiet place to rest.

 

We decorated the girls' room with personalized acrylics for the walls instead of clutter. They each have their name and flowers and dots on the walls. It really doesn't look naked at all. Just very neat and orderly.

 

But, honestly I have had people walk into my house and stop and say, "Uh, where is your stuff?" And we OWN a tv, a couch, a dining room table, toys, etc!!!! :)

[abrightmom]

Our boys have a bed, a dresser, and a trunk. It looks CLEAN. :D It's spotless every morning by 8AM and takes them five minutes to clean.

 

Our girls have it better. They have no dresser. Elizabeth, Abigail, and Rebecca share a room. They have a twin over a double bunk and a twin bed. They also have one night table for their alarm clock. Elizabeth is old enough to care for "things" so she is allowed one plastic container (slightly bigger than a shoebox) to store & maintain her "stuff." Again, it looks CLEAN.

 

Our daughter Ana has more "stuff" though. She has a private book collection and keeps it neat. She has an sewing box on her night stand with her alarm clock. Her room, to me, looks cluttered even when it's clean. But she keeps it neat. It's just your eye doesn't have a quiet place to rest.

 

We decorated the girls' room with personalized acrylics for the walls instead of clutter. They each have their name and flowers and dots on the walls. It really doesn't look naked at all. Just very neat and orderly.

 

But, honestly I have had people walk into my house and stop and say, "Uh, where is your stuff?" And we OWN a tv, a couch, a dining room table, toys, etc!!!! :)

 

Where do the girls keep their clothes? :001_smile: What do the boys keep in their trunks? :001_smile: How do the toys work out? Is there a shared toy collection? Girls/boys toys separated out? Stored in their room or in a common area?

 

I love the "personalized acrylics" idea. Where are they from? It sounds wonderful!!

 

How do you figure out where to put the next little one that comes along? Our home is pretty small with a very limited bedroom configuration. I only have four kids at this point and I'm starting to wonder where in the world I could stash another bed/crib/body!!! :lol: Maybe these questions belong on a Small Home/Homeschooling/Growing Family/Where do I stash the Baby thread!

 

Your blog is fantastic!! Way to go Mama!:D

[annandatje]

Old cars. Bare walls. No what-nots on surfaces. Two sets of linens per bed. About three towels per person. Much less clothing than others typically have. Generally far fewer possessions than other families at our income level.

 

We have an abundance of electronics. Still need to streamline books and kitchenware.

[BlsdMama]

Where do the girls keep their clothes? :001_smile: What do the boys keep in their trunks? :001_smile: How do the toys work out? Is there a shared toy collection? Girls/boys toys separated out? Stored in their room or in a common area?

 

I love the "personalized acrylics" idea. Where are they from? It sounds wonderful!!

 

How do you figure out where to put the next little one that comes along? Our home is pretty small with a very limited bedroom configuration. I only have four kids at this point and I'm starting to wonder where in the world I could stash another bed/crib/body!!! :lol: Maybe these questions belong on a Small Home/Homeschooling/Growing Family/Where do I stash the Baby thread!

 

 

 

No crib. :) Yes, it's true. With this many kids, baby sleeps with me (because I'm lazy and refuse to wake up to nurse) until weaned and then we pop 'em in with a sibling. :) Everyone loves a sweet smelling baby. There were arguments over Ella but ultimately Elizabeth won her. They DO share a birthday after all. :P

 

We have a shelf in their closet. All pants get folded and placed up above. No one can reach them. This is on purpose - no one can change clothes without me knowing and it saves on laundry, lol. No one can dig everything out of drawers either. The girls' shirts are on color coded hangers in the closet. PJs go under pillows. Socks & unders in a laundry basket at the bottom of the closet. I hate dressers. I think clothes silently and secretly breed when the light is off.

 

Acrylics are Leen the Graphic Queen on Etsy.

 

Toys NEVER in rooms. NEVER. It begs for the kids to play out of sight, which then begs for toothpaste to be painted on walls or other misc. nightmares. Toys are in common area ONLY. They all fit in THREE milk crates. Christmas came, Grandma sent way too much, Mommy came, the garbage/donation bag came out. We still only have three milk crates of toys. Somebody the other day said about toy rotation: "Either they're worth having or they're not." I agree. We've almost killed the existence of the plastic toy in this house. It's my goal in life.

 

Christian's trunk is for his Boy Scout things, his survival gear, his things he takes camping, his books, first aid kit... Things that an 11 year old who takes care of his things & deserves to not have his five year old brother get into would put into a locked box. :) The said five year old is not allowed things in his room. He isn't old enough to care for them without being told.

 

At the end of the day, when you look around and say, "Wow. I really need to buy stuff to organize my stuff...." Stop yourself. Say, "Wow. That's crazy talk." Then get rid of the stuff instead of buying more to try to organize having too much.... KWIM?

[Hannah]

We still only have three milk crates of toys. Somebody the other day said about toy rotation: "Either they're worth having or they're not." I agree. We've almost killed the existence of the plastic toy in this house. It's my goal in life.

 

Does this include Lego's? And Playmobil? Although I've eyed them to throw out my younger dd (and her friends) play with these a lot.

[2squared]

Old cars. Bare walls. No what-nots on surfaces. Two sets of linens per bed. About three towels per person. Much less clothing than others typically have. Generally far fewer possessions than other families at our income level.

 

We have an abundance of electronics. Still need to streamline books and kitchenware.

 

:D We have less than one set of linens per bed. Dh & I and our oldest have a full set. The three middlers have a mattress pad, blanket, and pillowcase. They don't get sheets until they are consistently dry through the night. The crib has three sheets and a mattress pad.

 

We have one bath towel per person and five swimming towels.

 

Our walls are bare. Completely bare. Uncomfortably bare.

[2squared]

I've often been tempted to get rid of their dressers in their rooms because they take up so much space

 

:iagree:

 

We have three kid bedrooms. One is 8x8 and another is 8x9. The other room is 9x14 and houses three dc, so not much room in any of them. My plan is to replace their dressers with closet organizers as funds allow. The closets are tiny, but their clothes will easily fit if the closet is setup well.

[2squared]

We decorated the girls' room with personalized acrylics for the walls instead of clutter. They each have their name and flowers and dots on the walls.

 

This is my plan as well. If only money grew on trees.....

 

My Anna likes stuff. She has her own room, and I really, really struggle with balancing her obvious need for more things, my need for fewer things, and MIL's need to give Anna stuff.

[mryann]

Peter Walsh's book http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Too-Much-Living/dp/0743292650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294491961&sr=8-3

It's all too Much was inspiring for me. He has a schedule for decluttering monthly:

Jan - Christmas decorations

Feb - File cabinets / Rolodex

Mar - Spring Cleaning

Apr - Basement Storage

May - Outdoor items

Jun - Bedrooms

Jul - Kitchen / Living Room / Dining Room / Bath

Aug - Back to School supplies

Sep - Season Switch - closets

Oct - Winter Preg / Garage

Nov - Holidays / Plan / Party

Dec - Relax

 

Here's another declutter calendar that gives you something to clean out every day http://www.mysimplerlife.com/

[Soror]

Love to see the see the new input. I really agree with the rotating toys, I never understood that idea either. I am not going to spend my time and space trying to keep all these toys.

 

I do have dressers for the kids room as I wanted it where they could be completely independent with putting away clothes and getting dressed.

 

I just actually bought 2 more hand towels as we only had the 2 with 2 bathrooms I had to rotate them to wash, which was a pain. I have 2 linens for my bed and 1 each for the kids.

 

I prefer the toys in their room as well, but they do keep up their own stuff for the most part. They both take pride in that as well.

 

 

I guess the question I keep asking right now is what is the right amount of stuff so that it works for you instead of against you.

 

We are getting ready to have company at the house and I am very mindful of how the house looks. I want it to be cozy and comfy, inviting.

[MrsMe]

Peter Walsh's book http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Too-Much-Living/dp/0743292650/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294491961&sr=8-3

It's all too Much was inspiring for me. He has a schedule for decluttering monthly:

Jan - Christmas decorations

Feb - File cabinets / Rolodex

Mar - Spring Cleaning

Apr - Basement Storage

May - Outdoor items

Jun - Bedrooms

Jul - Kitchen / Living Room / Dining Room / Bath

Aug - Back to School supplies

Sep - Season Switch - closets

Oct - Winter Preg / Garage

Nov - Holidays / Plan / Party

Dec - Relax

 

Here's another declutter calendar that gives you something to clean out every day http://www.mysimplerlife.com/

 

I have this book and this calendar. This book is great. Even as one who has oodles of these types of books, I love this book moreso than Don Aslett.

 

On another note I love to hear ideas, such as actually one of Asletts, is to have one sheet and one comforter and makes a bed easier to make without all the hoopla. That has worked well with dd. Also painting on walls as opposed to pictures....less to dust.

[Amy Jo]

This is my goal for this year. To simplify and get down to what I/we love and use. I've already done the kitchen :D. Toys, clothes (again - I think they breed) and books are next.

 

Toys NEVER in rooms. NEVER. It begs for the kids to play out of sight, which then begs for toothpaste to be painted on walls or other misc. nightmares. Toys are in common area ONLY. They all fit in THREE milk crates. Christmas came, Grandma sent way too much, Mommy came, the garbage/donation bag came out. We still only have three milk crates of toys. Somebody the other day said about toy rotation: "Either they're worth having or they're not." I agree. We've almost killed the existence of the plastic toy in this house. It's my goal in life.

 

I'd like to be a fly at your house. Please expand on the crates? We have things like legos, building blocks, lincoln logs, wooden trains, matchbox cars. I've tossed / donated a lot. I've removed 1/2+ temporarily. There is still to much.

 

Part of the issue is usually the boys all play with the same thing at the same time. And they seem to think bigger is better. Especially with Legos.

 

I'm wondering if I need to retrain my children a bit? Anyway, I'm all :bigear:s for your response.

 

(And it's nice to see I'm not the only one not allowing toys in their room.)

 

Amy

[BlsdMama]

Does this include Lego's? And Playmobil? Although I've eyed them to throw out my younger dd (and her friends) play with these a lot.

 

We owned Playmobil. And now we don't.

We owned Lego. And now we don't.

 

Do you want specifics?

 

We own one set of Playstands my DH made. (They are WOWSA expensive if you buy them.) This becomes the childrens' market, their store, their library, their kitchen, their fort, their..... You name it.

 

We own playsilks. These are dress up clothes, baby blankets, walls and roof for said fort, market, kitchen, etc. They can be wanderer bags tied to sticks, leashes for pet store, and tied for baby carriers.

 

We own some wool food. We own wood blocks. The blocks are one milk crate. Each girl has ONE doll. The dolls do have paraphernalia appropriate to our beliefs - no bottles, cloth diapers, wool covers. Nope, I'm not kidding. I also don't own play food that we don't encourage in real life. Yes, they do have two cupcakes. :D In my defense they are knitted and really knitted cupcakes are CUTE.

 

Do I think my 11yo would enjoy legos? Yes. But I also think he enjoys his bow & arrow, his hatchet, his books, Boy Scouts, and all sorts of other things he can do INSTEAD. At 10 and above we're raising young men to be daddies and husbands. Not men to waste their time with lots of toys & video games. We own no play systems. Does he ever play? OF COURSE! He plays outside a lot. He's taught the dog to catch a soccer ball in mid air with his mouth. :D Everything encourages something. Everything. Every book, every show, every game, every toy.

 

At the end of the day are you encouraging what you actually WANT to be encouraging?

 

That's a hard one. I don't think we've conquered it yet. I'll never (EVER) say we've arrived. And for every step forward, some days we take eight back.

 

Pictures of the milk crates - I did make covers because we have some (gasp) plastic animals that I am trying to work up the courage to toss, but they fit through milk crate holes.

 

http://truevineherbs.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/im-back-and-weve-been-busy/

 

And YES, they stack for easy putting away. But they're so cute, we leave them out.

 

(I need to add we also have a wood box filled to the brim with wood Lincoln Logs. And period dress up clothes we made. So not EVERYTHING fits in three. All "toys" do. But the Lincoln logs and dress up clothes do not.) I suspect, as the milk crates are not full, technically I could fit all the Lincoln Logs in there. :P

[2squared]

On another note I love to hear ideas, such as actually one of Asletts, is to have one sheet and one comforter and makes a bed easier to make without all the hoopla. That has worked well with dd. Also painting on walls as opposed to pictures....less to dust.

 

:iagree: I would love to chat about these ideas as well. I figured out that top sheets need to be eliminated on my own, but that was a fluke. The paint idea is another obvious, yet not-so-obvious idea.

 

I am almost to the point where I will be buying a new set of dishes, and I will be buying exactly how many pieces we need - four mugs, 10 plates, 7 bowls, etc. It seems a little odd to not buy complete sets, but we don't use all the pieces at the same rate and we don't have complete sets now. Why should I store 10 mugs when I know we only need four in our rotation?