Minimal Mom youtube and other minimalist musings

[ktgrok]

Ok, so I'm hooked on the Minimal Mom youtube channel. I am NOT willing or desiring to be AS minimal as her (her kids have only 5 shirts!) but mostly I think that is because she puts a lot of her stuff in storage in the basement so if she does need it later she has it. I don't have a basement, or much of an attic space, so for me if it goes, it goes permanently. So not going to get down to two pots, lol and one pan like her. And she doesn't have bookshelves...yeah. Not happening. 

But - I'm still very inspired. VERY. In fact, I went through the house with the kids after watching her videos and we packed my mini van FULL! Three trash bags of clothes, one giant box of clothes and stuff, and 3 rubbermaid bins full. I went through their clothes and mine. I will be getting rid of more of their stuff when the pajamas I ordered for them arrive (they grew...again, sigh). I went through the toys with them, and then my nightstand drawers. Was able to totally empty those and move my underwear/socks/etc over there, which leaves a drawer free in the dresser where I'm going to put our sheets to move them out of the linen closet. 

I want to keep going, and would love a thread of people sharing. 

I'm also looking to simplify Christmas a LITTLE.....but not sure what that will look like yet. Christmas is a HUGE deal for us and I'm not sick of it, at all, but I do get exhausted by it. So going to reexamine. 

Any one watch her or have thoughts?

[HomeAgain]

One thing I realized about Christmas was that it wasn't so much the stuff we do, it's what we don't do.  At the heart of Christmas is the desire to connect, feel loved, and make memories together.  And one thing that has crept into our daily lives has been our phones, which pull us from the connection and the memories in front of us.  This year we're instituting a phone ban in the evenings from Dec. 1-Dec 26.  That's going to be our designated family time.  I have simple things planned, but they're all focused on doing them together: making marshmallows, watching a movie, going to see the lights downtown..I don't have to prep hardly anything except making sure we have ingredients for baking.

Our house looks mostly like an Ikea showcase. 😄  We're minimalists at heart, or by necessity.  Not strict about it (my schoolroom is a testament of that!) but we got tired of buying stuff to have stuff a long while ago.  Now our first thought is "will it have a home?" before we bring anything in.  No home=no need for it.

[PrincessMommy]

I also like her channel and I also wouldn't go that minimal.  There aren't any pictures on the walls.  My son and his wife's house is like that, and no pictures on the walls just make it seem less homey.    And honestly, I watched the video about one of her kid's birthdays and it seemed a little sad.  Obviously, I'm not for having a ton of presents... but OTOH, when you're 6-7yrs old its kind of nice to get presents on your special day.  

So, obviously I'm not going minimal anytime soon, but I think she has a lot of inspirational information about letting go of stuff.   I also like Clutterbug's channel.  She's not a minimalist, but definitely about simplifying and de-cluttering our lives.    I learned about Clutterbug from a thread here. 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by PrincessMommy

[regentrude]

Storing stuff in the basement is not really minimalism, it's just being a good organizer and having storage space, LOL.

I am fairly minimalist. Did a major declutter last year when DS moved out, Konmarie'd my closet, etc. Bu not extreme. I still have pictures and knickknacks. One thing I helps is limit horizontal surfaces that don't serve a purpose, because they invite clutter.

For Christmas: I have gotten rid of a lot of decorations and only keep a few items that are meaningful to me. My kids were never big into crafts, so while I kept a lot of supplies on hand while they were little, I eventually gave it all away. We do minimal events; instead of cramming a Christmassy thing into each day (as I used to do when they were little), I select 2-3 events for the season that I enjoy: a Messiah concert, my friend's ugly sweater party, and perhaps one more thing if it comes up. I reserve the right to decline party invitations.

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I would also consider myself fairy minimalist, but necessity- 6 people, 1100sqft!  

Clothes are definitely minimalist.  Each child has 3 drawers MALM (Ikea) drawers, and the couple of spare drawers that leaves between all the kids are used for kid sized sheets and bedding.  

My only tip is that maintaining minimalism takes continuous work.  I wish it could be a set-it-and-forget-it system, but when 6 people are bringing "junk" into the house, the upkeep needs to be regular and ruthless.  We typically do a deep clean before Christmas decorations go up, and another in the spring.  This includes toys, games, clothes, and papers.  I regularly purger our shelves, but do have a SIGNIFICANT number of books out on display and I don't mind that because nicely shelved books don't look messy or busy to me like some other items of visual clutter.   Aside from these major family decluttering, we regularly deep clean the kids' bedrooms.  

I do very little storage of hand-me-downs, either from my own kids or friends' kids.  Only outerwear, shoes in excellent condition, and other pricy items that are not overly used.  

 

 

 

[umsami]

I signed up for an Overcoming Clutter course with Joshua Becker who wrote Becoming Minimalist. I highly recommend it. It's a 12 week class with online webinars, articles, a Facebook group, etc.    I am no where near a minimalist, but it has helped a lot. You can repeat it forever for no additional cost. Google for codes to save some $$$. 

 

https://my.becomingminimalist.com/

 

 

Edited November 18, 2019 by umsami

[wintermom]

When there are a lot of people in a house, and they need quite a lot of stuff, then it becomes a storage issue rather than an issue of "minimalism" in my opinion.   And when these people grow and need different sizes of stuff, there is a need for more stuff.

Is this mom on the youtube channel someone who leads a life-style very similar to your's?  Do you have realistic goals, or are you getting tired of clutter? 

Reality check: there will always be clutter in a home where people actually live. They even add clutter to make museums more realistic. 

You can have a minimalist life-style, but maybe not right now when you still have growing children living in your home. It may be a lot easier to do this when your children and husband are away most of the time. I could be so minimalist if I lived by myself. 😂

 

[prairiewindmomma]

We went through a major purge four years ago. We maintained and then did a second round two years ago when we could get rid of all of the baby/toddler gear. We have maintained since then and continue to, every few months, go through and do a mini-purge/deep tidy cycle. I live with naturally unorganized people and they need support—clearing off surfaces, cleaning out hidden storage (baskets,etc). 

The kids still talk about when we were in an apartment during the last relo—we had very few personal objects but it was so freeing. 

[prairiewindmomma]

A thought: one thing that helps me stay minimalistic is that I have a defined storage space. Like you, I have no attic or basement. So, I have space in my garage for two not-huge storage bins for holiday decorations. I see all kinds of cute stuff in the stores right now but I also know that I have no ability to store more unless I get rid of something so I just don’t buy stuff.

I have the same concept for everything else in my house..:everything has a place and if something new comes in, that generally means that something old has worn out and is gone.

[Catwoman]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

You can have a minimalist life-style, but maybe not right now when you still have growing children living in your home. It may be a lot easier to do this when your children and husband are away most of the time. I could be so minimalist if I lived by myself. 

 

 

When I read your post, the first thing that popped into my mind was that if I lived alone, I’d have a lot more room for all my stuff.

I am probably not destined to become a minimalist. 😉

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

OP, thanks for getting me hooked on a new youtube channel.  LOL

[Katy]

I love her channel too.  I cannot identify with her need to get rid of books though.  I mean maybe, if you're not interested in home school and aren't naturally inclined to read much.

I think she starts by moving stuff into storage for a trial period and then gets rid of it when no one wants it.  But they do live on a farm and there's a ton of outbuildings and storage and even if her kids don't have a ton of toy options inside (basically blocks, trucks, dolls, a handful of books and art supplies are it), they do have tons of options for play outside.  4 wheelers, barns, farm animals, I want to say a trampoline and tire swing too.  Granted they live in Minnesota so winters (and even this fall) are tough, but it still seems pretty idyllic compared to what my kids have to do outside, in this suburban(ish) HOA controlled neighborhood.

My kids like her husband's channel too.  Even DH will veg out watching it.

[OH_Homeschooler]

I've had to move a couple of times in the last few years, so I really learned my lesson. I spent so much time getting rid of stuff before each move. And it wasn't agonizing, most of it was simple to part with. That means the stuff really didn't mean much to me. And now, I want to be free of as much stuff as possible. (I bet military families would have a lot of great tips for you, since many have to move so often). 

One big change that should help this Christmas is I'm going to follow the 4 Gift Rule (plus stockings): Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. This will help with the budget as well. My kids are getting older and it's to find things they want. In the past I've killed myself shopping for gifts for them, but it was really for ME. I wanted to see the gifts under the tree. They didn't want half the stuff they got. It was a waste of money and space. I'm over it. 

 

[Carrie12345]

I go in spurts.  I’m not really in one right now, lol. Though I am trying to offload some school stuff and reduce what’s on our bookshelves this week.

I love that my older kids can now appreciate fewer presents under the tree, and I like for them to sometimes be experiences rather than things.

No matter how ruthless I try to get, I’m another person with 6-7 people in 1100sf (and no basement or attic), so things never look *minimal*.  On a good day, the main areas can appear minimal-adjacent.

I can get the boys’ room to seem reasonable for almost 24 hours at a time, but all their little toys seem to breed every time I do a purge!!!  I don’t enter the girls’ room for health and safety reasons.  My bedroom has its ups and downs.  Dh is... well, he’s no minimalist neat freak! And I’m not his mommy.

I have a loft that is primarily my zone. Though I do my little spurts in there, it’s definitely where most of my clutter (I’m an office supply addict) and a some of the family’s clutter “hides” while I’m distracted by more important things. It’s the second most cluttered space in the house.

[prairiewindmomma]

The four gifts rule is crazy in large households. That would be 24 new items in the house! 

Why does Christmas need to be hyperfocused on gift giving? 

I am asking sincerely.

I wish as a culture we could move away from the consumerism.

[Katy]

3 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The four gifts rule is crazy in large households. That would be 24 new items in the house! 

Why does Christmas need to be hyperfocused on gift giving? 

I am asking sincerely.

I wish as a culture we could move away from the consumerism.

 

When I was younger I used to love that TV show, 7th Heaven.  That (fictional) family had a rule that everyone in the family drew a name, and the gift you gave them had to be something you made, something you already owned that you knew they wanted, or an act of service done on their behalf.  I always liked that idea.

Before anyone googles the show, the actor who played the dad admitted to molesting a young teenage girl when he was younger.  But for the most part, as far as episodic moralistic family dramas go, the writing was pretty good.

[Carol in Cal.]

The gentle approach of 'Swedish Death Cleaning' resonates with me much better than the Kon Mari and other minimalist things that I have read.  FWIW.

[Jaz]

I thought we were minimalists, then I read Marie Kondo. She has some wacky ideas which we ignored, but putting everything that goes together in a pile then "putting back those that spark joy" (or those you really need) works so well. You then know where everything in your house belongs. For example, we had 3 different places where we stored batteries. I knew all the places, but now I can just look in the closet and immediately see if we need batteries. 

When people come to my house, they comment on how clean it is and that I don't have clutter.  It looks clean without much stuff around! Yet, I have pictures and art on the walls. I have things on tables, just curated to those pieces I like best. I even have things like my ds' dungeons and dragons miniature characters out on a small bookshelf. 

I asked my dd to go through her Christmas things the other day, as I knew she had items she hadn't displayed in several years. She questioned why she would need to do that if it all fit in the container. Good question! I've found it's much easier to find things, store things, and keep things in better condition with cupboards, drawers, boxes, etc. that aren't stuffed full. In a couple of minutes, she had a bag of donations and half a bag of garbage. She was happy she could easily see all her favorites in the box, which went back to the shed until we decorate for Christmas.

Just last night, I organized two cabinets over our washer and dryer. I realized our headlamps that we hadn't used in years had batteries in them. I bagged up the batteries and labeled them for the headlamps (so I would know they weren't new). Now, the headlamps won't be damaged by old batteries, and we'll have batteries when we want to use them again. We can easily see all our flashlights on one shelf.

I enjoyed the house tour video! We weren't as minimal when the kids were younger, and I think it would have been beneficial if we had been. Have fun playing with it, but don't let it steal your joy! Also remember, you have to balance each person in your family. I never would have asked my dd to look through her Christmas items for donations few years ago as they were cherished at that time.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Jaz

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The four gifts rule is crazy in large households. That would be 24 new items in the house! 

Why does Christmas need to be hyperfocused on gift giving? 

I am asking sincerely.

I wish as a culture we could move away from the consumerism.

Well, we don't look at the gift giving as consumerism. We know Jesus is the ultimate gift, but that just as we give birthday presents, anniversary gifts, etc we enjoy being generous and giving gifts at Christmas. We truly enjoy giving more than receiving. It's fun! 

But it can be a lot of stuff that later doesn't get much use. I think we are going to try to convince my sister to switch to family gifts rather than individual gifts, for example. So one gift for her family from ours, and one from her family to us. Not sure what changes we will make to the kids stuff. I did stop wrapping stocking presents last year! that was a HUGE change for me, lol. I think we may have the kids draw names, so they each get ONE sibling a gift rather than every sibling. (and we will guide the younger ones). 

Holiday decorations is an area I do need to downsize, for sure. 

[ktgrok]

I should add I LIKE decluttering and downsizing! So this isn't painful for me, more just a matter of figuring out what needs to stay and what doesn't. My husband....that's a different story. 

I do need to clear out old curriculum, that's my failing. 

[matrips]

13 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Each child has 3 drawers MALM (Ikea) drawers, and the couple of spare drawers that leaves between all the kids are used for kid sized sheets and bedding.  

I’m stealing this idea!!!  Having the kids keep their own spare set of sheets and pillowcases in their dressers. No more making a mess of the linen closet.

[Carrie12345]

11 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The four gifts rule is crazy in large households. That would be 24 new items in the house! 

Why does Christmas need to be hyperfocused on gift giving? 

I am asking sincerely.

I wish as a culture we could move away from the consumerism.

Our parents, siblings, and the rest of the extended family used to be insane with kid gifts.  Fortunately, that’s died down over the years, helped in big part by other family members finally having kids, lol.

For us, gifts at birthdays and Christmas is (to us) super special. We don’t usually buy the kids things through the year unless they’re truly needed.  When they receive some “wants” on special occasions, it’s not just a heap of more stuff they can get on a generic Tuesday.

We could certainly move to buying the kids toys, tickets, phones, bikes, or whatever through the year and do less or nothing on special occasions. Or we could quit giving them non-essentials all together.  But I like going beyond restocking socks and underwear. And I like them not expecting to get whatever they want whenever they want it.

Is it really so outrageous to think it’s okay for a child to get, as an example, maybe 6 or 7 special things over the course of a year?  Does it matter what those specific items are or how much they cost?  Does it actually make a difference if they’re spread over 2 days or 365?

Obviously that post triggered me a little, lol. 

[ktgrok]

23 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Our parents, siblings, and the rest of the extended family used to be insane with kid gifts.  Fortunately, that’s died down over the years, helped in big part by other family members finally having kids, lol.

For us, gifts at birthdays and Christmas is (to us) super special. We don’t usually buy the kids things through the year unless they’re truly needed.  When they receive some “wants” on special occasions, it’s not just a heap of more stuff they can get on a generic Tuesday.

We could certainly move to buying the kids toys, tickets, phones, bikes, or whatever through the year and do less or nothing on special occasions. Or we could quit giving them non-essentials all together.  But I like going beyond restocking socks and underwear. And I like them not expecting to get whatever they want whenever they want it.

Is it really so outrageous to think it’s okay for a child to get, as an example, maybe 6 or 7 special things over the course of a year?  Does it matter what those specific items are or how much they cost?  Does it actually make a difference if they’re spread over 2 days or 365?

Obviously that post triggered me a little, lol. 

Exactly. 

[ktgrok]

So i have an overflowing laundry basket of more stuff to take to Goodwill from yesterday's cleaning of the linen closet and living room!

And I cleared switched some things around. Currently the shoes were supposed to be in the bottom drawers of a sideboard/entertainment center thing we have in the entryway. Except no one eVER bothers to open the drawers and put shoes in it. So I emptied those and then took the tablecloths from the linen closet and put them in one of the drawers, and in the other I put my basket of sunscreen/bug spray and some seasonal tablecloths I'm not using now. So now the tablecloths are near the table (right by the entry), as is the bug spray so the kids can run in and grab it, and the shoes are in the bottom and one shelf of the linen closet which is just right in the hallway. We shall see how that works. That linen closet door tends to stay open anyway so easier to kick shoes off into there than to open and close drawers, I'm hoping. 

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Our parents, siblings, and the rest of the extended family used to be insane with kid gifts.  Fortunately, that’s died down over the years, helped in big part by other family members finally having kids, lol.

For us, gifts at birthdays and Christmas is (to us) super special. We don’t usually buy the kids things through the year unless they’re truly needed.  When they receive some “wants” on special occasions, it’s not just a heap of more stuff they can get on a generic Tuesday.

We could certainly move to buying the kids toys, tickets, phones, bikes, or whatever through the year and do less or nothing on special occasions. Or we could quit giving them non-essentials all together.  But I like going beyond restocking socks and underwear. And I like them not expecting to get whatever they want whenever they want it.

Is it really so outrageous to think it’s okay for a child to get, as an example, maybe 6 or 7 special things over the course of a year?  Does it matter what those specific items are or how much they cost?  Does it actually make a difference if they’re spread over 2 days or 365?

Obviously that post triggered me a little, lol. 

These gifts are probably not the greatest source of the "clutter," though. It's the accumulation of stuff over time that eventually causes clutter. Otherwise, it's simply stuff we use and like to have around us to enrich our lives. 

However, the more stuff you bring into the house, the more stuff is there. Right? So either get a bigger house, or somehow decrease the amount of stuff. 

OR reduce the amount of stuff brought into the house in the first place.

Gifts could be consumables, too. Eatable, activities, experiences, etc.

[OH_Homeschooler]

15 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The four gifts rule is crazy in large households. That would be 24 new items in the house! 

Why does Christmas need to be hyperfocused on gift giving? 

I am asking sincerely.

I wish as a culture we could move away from the consumerism.

 

I don't know, I grew up receiving gifts for Christmas and so that's what I do for my kids. It's just a part of my family's culture.

Stepping down to four gifts per child is actually progress for my family, a move away from consumerism.

But...if I wanted Christmas to be about consumerism, what right does anyone have to judge me for my beliefs? I actually celebrate Christmas from a secular perspective. I know some think that is an oxymoron, but it is possible for a single holiday to represent different things to different people.

 

 

 

 

 

[StaceyinLA]

My friends are always telling me I need to do a blog about organization and minimalism. I'm not truly a minimalist in the sense that I have a barren house and walls, but I definitely do NOT like clutter, and what I do have, has a place.

I actually started a "minimalist granny" instagram, but just haven't done anything with it yet. I am currently storing stuff for 2 of my daughters that are in transitions with moving, so I didn't feel like it was a good time for me to be showing anyone what my house is like. 😜

Christmas has been tough for me - I tend to overspend on the grandkids. However, I have a daughter who is fairly minimalist, and she has really encouraged me to keep the stuff to a minimum. I've gone from buying who knows how much to a 3 gift limit per child (and $100 max, including stocking stuffers). That's still not super minimal, but it's a step. I do make an effort to fill their "stockings" (I do little buckets because I want their only stockings to be at home) with items they'll use up, practical things like cute undies, or small items that go with or add to something they already own.

Overall though, my house is pretty minimal and non-cluttered. I have nice, big canvases of my grandkids on the walls, and a couple areas where I'll put decorative things (mostly my open kitchen shelving interspersed with dishes), but other than that, no real "trinket" decorations anywhere.

I keep a minimal amount of pots/pans in my kitchen. I keep only what I use - period. I have an 8-qt pot, a 5-qt deep skillet, a 2 qt saucepan, and a ceramic non-stick. I need to add a nice, 3 qt saucepan and ditch the 2 qt, and I'd really like a 5 qt dutch oven for most of my cooking. The 8 is just too big most of the time.  I don't buy a lot of gadgets. I have a very few knives, but I have good ones. I did research and picked the best rated of each type of knife I use (chef's knife, paring knife, bread knife), and we have steak knives.

With clothing, I just DO NOT KEEP IT unless I use it - same with shoes. I'm also pretty basic, so I never really have to worry about trendy stuff that's gonna go out of style. I buy classic shirts and sweaters - typically from Gap or somewhere like that, and I wear them until they have holes. I have boots I've owned for 10+ years, and I still wear and love them. I just don't buy things like that unless I can't imagine NOT having them. Dh and I have a small closet with 1 clothes rod each and a 3-dresser chest from Ikea under the hanging clothes. ALL our clothing is neatly in there, and we both have room left. I DO have us each 2 Ikea soft storage pieces on the top shelf for our bulky winter things since winters here are short, and I have some matching Ikea shoe storage containers up there for us to store our few pair of dress shoes (I think we each have 2 pair).

I could ramble on, but I really already have, and I don't know that I'm making a point - just rambling. 🙂

Edited November 19, 2019 by StaceyinLA

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

These gifts are probably not the greatest source of the "clutter," though. It's the accumulation of stuff over time that eventually causes clutter. Otherwise, it's simply stuff we use and like to have around us to enrich our lives. 

However, the more stuff you bring into the house, the more stuff is there. Right? So either get a bigger house, or somehow decrease the amount of stuff. 

OR reduce the amount of stuff brought into the house in the first place.

Gifts could be consumables, too. Eatable, activities, experiences, etc.

With kids stuff sometimes it is just a matter of they have outgrown certain things, so you purge those before buying or gifting new ones. We always purge before Christmas anyway. So out with the duplo mega blocks, but now there is room for new smaller lego sized blocks for older kids. Etc. 

[Carrie12345]

2 hours ago, wintermom said:

These gifts are probably not the greatest source of the "clutter," though. It's the accumulation of stuff over time that eventually causes clutter. Otherwise, it's simply stuff we use and like to have around us to enrich our lives. 

However, the more stuff you bring into the house, the more stuff is there. Right? So either get a bigger house, or somehow decrease the amount of stuff. 

OR reduce the amount of stuff brought into the house in the first place.

Gifts could be consumables, too. Eatable, activities, experiences, etc.

Well, sure, but I was responding to the specific questions I quoted.

[wintermom]

nm

Edited November 19, 2019 by wintermom

[prairiewindmomma]

3 hours ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

 

 

But...if I wanted Christmas to be about consumerism, what right does anyone have to judge me for my beliefs? I actually celebrate Christmas from a secular perspective. I know some think that is an oxymoron, but it is possible for a single holiday to represent different things to different people.

 

 

 

 

 

If that's your thing, go for it.

This was a minimalist thread, and sometimes minimalism and consumerism don't go well together..... Choosing to lean one way or the other tends to lean to differing purchasing decisions.

[prairiewindmomma]

2 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

With kids stuff sometimes it is just a matter of they have outgrown certain things, so you purge those before buying or gifting new ones. We always purge before Christmas anyway. So out with the duplo mega blocks, but now there is room for new smaller lego sized blocks for older kids. Etc. 

Yup. Youngest just ditched all of the Barbies with scary hair and LOL surprise dolls with missing heads. This is the first year where she really understood the process. She dumped out her personal toy bin, picked out what was broken or she didn't enjoy anymore. The broken stuff went into the trash. The stuff that she doesn't enjoy went into the donation bag. All of the remaining dollies had their hair brushed and styled. The toys all went back into the bin and were put away. It took 20 minutes. It used to take 2-3 hours. 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Coming back with more thoughts...  

Minimalism is also a spectrum.  Minimalist for a person with a hobby of photoshop is going to look different than minimalism for a person whose hobby is mixed media artwork.  Similarly, minimalism looks different in Southern CA than in Minnesota for clothing stocks, different for a farm family than city dwellers...    And even within any one category, minimalism can be a spectrum.  I used to think I wanted minimalism, but it isn't true.  I want uncluttered.  And there is a difference, but the two are cousins and can share tips and tricks, IYKWIM.  

[SamanthaCarter]

We are minimalists by a lot of people’s standards, but we are in no way uncluttered! 😂 We have yet to learn to put our things in their homes. Boo. 

[DesertBlossom]

I have no problem getting rid of stuff we don't use. But with 9 people, it's a lot of stuff no matter what. We actually have a lot of storage space so I would rather store things (preferably out of sight) than buy new again for each child. That feels a lot more wasteful to me, not to mention expensive. I do feel better with less stuff out and visible though. It feels cleaner and I hate dusting around knick knacks. My MIL is a hoarder but she is immaculate and neat. But her house still feels overwhelming to me.

Over the years I have purged a lot of toys. I kind of regret some of it now though. I wish I had packed it up so I could re-gift it to my littler kids. Doh. 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Coming back with more thoughts...  

Minimalism is also a spectrum.  Minimalist for a person with a hobby of photoshop is going to look different than minimalism for a person whose hobby is mixed media artwork.  Similarly, minimalism looks different in Southern CA than in Minnesota for clothing stocks, different for a farm family than city dwellers...    And even within any one category, minimalism can be a spectrum.  I used to think I wanted minimalism, but it isn't true.  I want uncluttered.  And there is a difference, but the two are cousins and can share tips and tricks, IYKWIM.  

Truth. 

And I am realizing I don't just want to declutter..I want to be more minimalist. At least, I think I do 🙂

DH...that's another issue. 

I'm tired of looking at things and feeling guilt or confusion over them, or just constantly putting them away. I want less stuff. I want less inventory to track and care for. 

[prairiewindmomma]

I only have so much mental bandwidth and I realized years ago that caring for all of the things was using up a lot of mental bandwidth. 

Do you have an area you want to really focus on first, Katie? What drives you crazy the most?

I am also realizing that keeping a home inventory of stuff may not be working for me right now. I am doing math to figure out how much I am saving by paper towels and toilet paper in bulk. I go through a bale each about every six weeks. I would love to just move it to my weekly grocery shop and free up some space in the laundry room if the $ aspect of things works out.

[Garga]

On 11/18/2019 at 8:40 AM, wintermom said:

I could be so minimalist if I lived by myself. 

 

My ds14 likes to look around at all the stuff DH and I have acquired in 27 years of marriage and say, “When I move out I’m going to have everything minimal.”  And I’m like, “Dude, when I move out at 20 years old and am a single guy living alone without any furniture, I’ll be minimalistic too.”  😄 So easily to be a minimalist when you are only 1 person who doesn’t have any household items vs an entire family.

8 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 I used to think I wanted minimalism, but it isn't true.  I want uncluttered.  And there is a difference, but the two are cousins and can share tips and tricks, IYKWIM.  

I bounce back and forth between which one I want: uncluttered vs minimalist.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Garga

[Carrie12345]

13 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

Coming back with more thoughts...  

Minimalism is also a spectrum.  Minimalist for a person with a hobby of photoshop is going to look different than minimalism for a person whose hobby is mixed media artwork.  Similarly, minimalism looks different in Southern CA than in Minnesota for clothing stocks, different for a farm family than city dwellers...    And even within any one category, minimalism can be a spectrum.  I used to think I wanted minimalism, but it isn't true.  I want uncluttered.  And there is a difference, but the two are cousins and can share tips and tricks, IYKWIM.  

So very true! I’m not drawn to minimalism for wanting to be minimalist, but for getting inspiration to continue decluttering. I do like my things to be “purposeful”, but I still have a lot of purposes I want... filled.  I just don’t like a lot of things out, and I don’t have much space, so there are hard choices to make.

[nevergiveup]

Not a minimalist here.

We are the people you minimalists come to when you need to borrow something.

[wintermom]

4 hours ago, nevergiveup said:

Not a minimalist here.

We are the people you minimalists come to when you need to borrow something.

So are we, except we can't find the stuff people would like to borrow (or we ourselves would like to use) amid all our non-minimalist, unorganized stuff. 😂

[wintermom]

I was just challenged by my hair dresser that I was a hoarder. I will take that label and raise it to "disorganized hoarder" who was raised by parents who lived through very hard times on farms in the Canadian prairies and kept all useful and non-useful stuff "just in case."  There is both nature and nurture in my hoarding tendencies.  Plus my dh never wants to move (or throw anything out). How do I work around these obstacles? 😉

I think the only reason our house can fit all of us people and stuff is that dh and I are "frugal" and too cheap (poor) to buy loads of stuff. Thank goodness for this or we'd have to buy another house for our collected stuff.

Edited November 20, 2019 by wintermom

[unsinkable]

On 11/18/2019 at 11:10 AM, Catwoman said:

 

When I read your post, the first thing that popped into my mind was that if I lived alone, I’d have a lot more room for all my stuff.

I am probably not destined to become a minimalist. 😉

We'd have so much more room for activities!

/Step Brothers

[ktgrok]

On 11/20/2019 at 9:50 AM, wintermom said:

I was just challenged by my hair dresser that I was a hoarder. I will take that label and raise it to "disorganized hoarder" who was raised by parents who lived through very hard times on farms in the Canadian prairies and kept all useful and non-useful stuff "just in case."  There is both nature and nurture in my hoarding tendencies.  Plus my dh never wants to move (or throw anything out). How do I work around these obstacles? 😉

I think the only reason our house can fit all of us people and stuff is that dh and I are "frugal" and too cheap (poor) to buy loads of stuff. Thank goodness for this or we'd have to buy another house for our collected stuff.

You might like her channel - she does address the growing up on a farm and wanting to be prepared issue in at least one video. Basically, she says that the idea of keeping things just in case is that it should make you feel safe and calm - that is why you keep it, to feel safe in case of emergency. But in actuality it doesn't make you feel that way, it makes you more stressed. so that kind of defeats the purpose. 

Also, when decluttering she asks you to consider that if you DID get rid of it, how hard is it to get again one day if you DID need it? If it is something you can get again easily for under $20, and you don't anticipate using it in the next year, and you haven't used it in the last year, just get rid of it and trust in God/universe that you will be okay. You can always borrow one of whatever it is, etc. 

She also encourages you to ask not just "can I use this for something" but "can I do without it". 

I've taken another van load to good will this week, and today I filled 7 garbage bags worth of trash and one laundry basket of stuff for goodwill. 

Weirdest stuff I found was a container of fish anesthetic from when I euthanized my son's sick fish - he was in 4th grade at the time I think. He's 20 now. In my defense it was at the back of a high shelf and I couldn't see it up there. 

Weirder still - a half a piece of bacon in a bathroom drawer!

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by Ktgrok

[PrincessMommy]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:39 PM, Garga said:

My ds14 likes to look around at all the stuff DH and I have acquired in 27 years of marriage and say, “When I move out I’m going to have everything minimal.”  And I’m like, “Dude, when I move out at 20 years old and am a single guy living alone without any furniture, I’ll be minimalistic too.”  😄 So easily to be a minimalist when you are only 1 person who doesn’t have any household items vs an entire family.

I bounce back and forth between which one I want: uncluttered vs minimalist.

A friend was musing that when we moved from college to his first apartment everything fit in his VW bug.   30 yrs later when he moved across country he needed a large truck.  He's never been married nor had kids.   Acquiring stuff comes with age too.. not just marriage and kids. 🙂 

[ktgrok]

DH just took another load to goodwill, including 27 pieces of glassware we have NEVER used that were crowding my shelves! He also moved some sentimental stuff he wasn't ready to get rid of that we will use once kids are older to the cabinet above the fridge that I can't reach or use anyway. So LOTS more cabinet room! No more playing tetris to put dishes away!

Also FOUND a Tiffany "refresher set" - pitcher and water goblets in the box that was a wedding gift 11 yrs ago. All the new space motivated me to put them actually in the cabinet - I may use the pitcher for water with lemon, or DH likes to make "pitcher drinks" for cocktails now and then but we didn't have a nice pitcher. Or rather, not one we remembered we had, lol. If in 6 months or so we still haven't used it I'll try to sell it, but I like the style and we have room now, and I do think it will get used. 

On the other hand, the Lenox vase we got for a wedding gift, also still in the box, is hideous and a quick search showed tons for sale on eBay but none have sold, so that went to Goodwill, as did the single Lenox candlestick...no idea what happened to the other one! The box says there were two, but there is only one in there now, lol. Oh, and sent the big heavy glass punchbowl  and glasses I've never used. I think I bought those cheap at a thrift store, but never used them. And really, they are not my style and since my surgery I can't really drink punch anyway - liquid sugar makes me ill. 

Sent the china teacups and saucers that were my mom's - I am seriously never going to use them. But kept the napkin rings my dad hand made from giant snail shells he collected (apple snails) when we lived in South Florida. Those I don't use either, but they give me happy memories of him making them, so they went in that high cabinet above the fridge. I figure if we get down to one small cabinet of "someday/sentimental) that is out of the way that's good. 

Kept the cake stand that doubles as a punch bowl so I have one if I need it. And found my cupcake holder!

The one thing I'm vacillating on is a tea set that my paternal grandfather gave me. It's pretty, put it takes up a whole shelf in the kitchen - although it is a display shelf. It also isn't really usable. And he was an SOB that was pretty abusive to my mom - so not keeping it out of sentimentality. Going to have to think on that one - maybe see if there is something I'd rather have in that spot. 

[Jaz]

You are on a roll!

We went through Christmas ornaments yesterday as family and paired down from one large container and a small to just keeping the small one (and all our favorite ornaments)!

[TABmom]

I started watching her and Joshua Becker after seeing this thread and I'm inspired too. I took a couple boxes of stuff to Goodwill today. I have a question for those of you who like nothing on your counters. where do you keep your fruit? Specifically apples, oranges, and bananas? I have always had them out on the counter. It's the way I grew up. But is there another choice? Do you put them in the pantry? It feels weird to me, but I guess I can get used to it... I really like the feeling of the counters being totally clean.

[ktgrok]

25 minutes ago, TABmom said:

I started watching her and Joshua Becker after seeing this thread and I'm inspired too. I took a couple boxes of stuff to Goodwill today. I have a question for those of you who like nothing on your counters. where do you keep your fruit? Specifically apples, oranges, and bananas? I have always had them out on the counter. It's the way I grew up. But is there another choice? Do you put them in the pantry? It feels weird to me, but I guess I can get used to it... I really like the feeling of the counters being totally clean.

I was wondering this as well. Right now I have only a few bananas, they are on top of a stack of decorative cutting boards my husband got me for Christmas last year. 

Having totally clear counters isn't going to happen for me - between the toaster, the electric kettle, the keurig, the nespresso, the stand mixer, and the instant pot - all of which are used daily other than the stand mixer and it is used at least a few times a week - I can't see getting those out of a cabinet daily or multiple times a a day even if I had room to store them. 

I did get all all the rest off other than one plaque I love and the butter dish...not sure what to do with that. 

I know that sounds like a lot on the counters, but I did put away the zillion vitamins, spices, drink mixes, etc etc. So getting there!

[Katy]

I have the fruit bowl as the centerpiece on the table if I don't have flowers.  I put it on the buffet if I do have flowers.