happy weekend

Great news. The Winter Sea has a sequel! It's called The Firebird, and it continues the story of Anna, Sophia's daughter. I'm about a third of the way into it and I am really liking it so far. The bad news is that all I want to do is sit under a warm blanket and read that book. My to-do list is really suffering.

On that note: Dear 2015, give me my motivation back! Please! I had some grand plans this new year to take another stab at minimalism, but I haven't seemed able to follow through yet. I know the urge will come, and with it the energy to get it done. Until then, I am biding my time. Sometimes it can be forced, but sometimes it's better to wait until it happens naturally. Also, what do minimalists do with teenaged daughters who really really love clothes? I don't know, but I'll tell you what this minimalist-wannabe is doing about it -- letting it go. I need to stop holding my daughter to the standard I've set for myself and let her have a million t-shirts, if that's what she wants. What's the big deal, anyway?

One resolution I have managed to keep so far is journaling while I read my scriptures. I'd never done it before, but I am loving what it adds to my study. I just write one line that stood out to me, or a thought that I had while reading. It only takes a minute, but it's made such a difference! What I am reading all of a sudden applies directly to my life, every single time. It's amazing.

In other news, Mike is neck deep in his marathon training, and for the most part, I've been training right along beside him. It feels good to stretch myself and run farther than I am used to. But I've drawn the line at 14 miles. After 14 miles, he's on his own.

This week, I found this pretty blog, wore these comfortable jeans (in petite -- life changing!), and drank this chocolate smoothie for breakfast.

Have a good weekend!

refresh

After testing many, many colors and having paint swatches painted on the walls for months, I finally got around to painting my living room this week. Basically, it looks exactly the same as before, just lighter and brighter. I love it. (It's Canvas Luggage by Behr. You can see the old, darker color here.)

My house is not a gray wall house or a white wall house. There is not a lot of natural light built in to these desert houses (it keeps them cooler), so having a color that moves the light around the room is important. I found this post by Emily Henderson very helpful.

While I was painting, I filled all of the nail holes, and I can't bring myself to rehang any of the old pictures. I also removed some furniture and paired down our book collection. This room is where we spend most of our time, and I want it to feel clean and spare. I dream of replacing those wobbly Ikea bookcases with built-ins someday.

I always get the urge to freshen our house in the fall. It's so much easier to be motivated when it's cool outside! We've had the top of our dutch door open all week. The fresh air is totally worth the mosquitos that come pouring in.

life without a smartphone, an update

I'm still chugging along without my smartphone over here. Actually, I wouldn't describe it that way. Thriving without my smartphone is a better way to put it. I kind of feel like I've discovered the secret to living a more fulfilling life. Are you ready for it? Be less connected to social media! At least that's what is working for me. I've always been a homebody and I am really good at living in my own little bubble, but this is taking it to another level. I feel like I'm even less accessible to the world now and I love it. Another plus is that I have more time on my hands. I still check Instagram on our mini iPad, but I check it much less often. I've become more deliberate with how I spend my time online, and that has made such a difference. No more mindlessly scrolling. I am more content, more involved in what is happening in my home, and less hurried. Honestly, I haven't come across one negative since I made the switch.

Something that I really love is that our life is now being documented with high-resolution digital photos instead of blurry, low-def cell snaps. Like this one of me and Elliot in our matching navies before church on Sunday. If I'd had a smartphone, I probably would have posted this photo on Instagram (and then checked it a million times to see who liked it). But you know what? No one cares if Elliot and I were matching on Sunday except me! So, posting it to a social media account felt pretty silly once I thought about it.

If you are tempted to give up your smartphone, even the tiniest bit, I say go for it. You can always switch back if you need to. I don't think you'll regret giving it a try.

My friend, Danyelle, sent me this great article: Why your teenager might be happier without a smartphone. It's worth a read, and the title could very easily be changed to "Why YOU might be happier without a smartphone".

What do you think?

self-help book report 1

I'm not usually drawn to the self-help variety of book, but I've read three books this summer that sort of fall into that category and I thought a book report was in order.

First up, majorly popular The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. There were lots of things I really liked about this book, and some things that I didn't. Instead of leaving me feeling motivated, I finished the book and felt completely overwhelmed. And it took me a long time to shake that feeling. In the book's defense, I read it right before I had a lot of things going on in my life (like the pioneer trek and girl's camp and a long vacation) and no time to implement its practices. The method the author promotes is very specific, and that kind of turned me off. So I guess I would suggest reading it only if you can set aside plenty of time to purge your house.

But there were lots of things that resonated with me. Like, only keeping and buying things that "spark joy". I love that idea! I don't need to limit my belongings to a particular number or amount, I just need to limit them to what brings me joy. It feels really good to look in my closet or into a kitchen cupboard and only see things that I love. Granted, some things might not spark joy but are necessary to my household. I like to think that their necessity sparks a sort of joy.

Something else I liked was how the author describes thanking your belongings for their service. It sounds totally crazy, but thanking a dress for it's service before getting rid of it makes getting rid of it a lot less painful. Same goes for gifts. If someone gives me a gift that I don't need or use or like, I can thank the item for the joy it brought me when I received it and then I can feel ok about getting rid of it. And Ms. Kondo gives us the go-ahead to throw all of our papers away! It's really liberating to think that I don't need to keep every paper that comes home from school, or all of those old bank statements or credit card bills.

I fold our clothes differently now, and the kids' drawers are no longer overflowing. And that feels good. But I still roll our socks together, because that's just what makes the most sense for us.

Have you read it? I'd love to hear what you thought about it. Did it make you feel energized or overwhelmed?

2015: the year I got rid of the throw pillows

I had this silly realization earlier this month: Just because I have collected lots of throw pillows doesn't mean that I need to use them all. Dumb, right? But I can't tell you how good it felt to put half of them in a closet and close the door. Our whole house feels lighter and cleaner without them.

It made me wonder where else I could simplify. And just like that a resolution was born! This year I want to get down to my bare bones - in my thoughts, in my deeds, and in my things. I want to find out what I really like and stick to it. I mean, could I go for a significant amount of time just wearing my favorite gray tops and jeans? Or could I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday? How about cutting down my obligations to the things that benefit my family the most, and skipping the rest? I think what appeals to me about this idea is that it could possibly free up my mind and my time for things that are more important (so long as I don't become consumed by the process).

According to Mike, vague desires can't actually be called goals until they are measurable, so I have some work yet to do, but I like the way this is shaping up.

Also, it sounds like I might be ready for another go at minimalism.

for my super hero loving boy

I have been holding on to these square frames for years. For so long that I didn't even remember what was inside them (old records, apparently). I don't think they've seen the light of day since we lived in our little condo in Provo before Mabel was born.

This is when minimalism gets tricky. Theoretically these frames, which were languishing in the dark recesses of the closet under our stairs, should have been tossed when we did our major clean out. But sometimes I am really glad that I've hung on to things. Like everything else, it's a balance, I suppose.

our minimal toy closet

Our toy closet (located in the boys' room) has changed quite a bit over the past 8 years that we've lived in this house. As my children have grown, and their interests have changed, so have the contents of the closet.

Right now, we are down to these basics: legos, dolls and army guys, trains, cars, animal figurines, potato heads, little people, lincoln logs, wood blocks, and weapons. Each toy type is contained in a bin or basket. We also have a trunk full of stuffed animals (unfortunately). In our first minimalism sweep, I donated or trashed anything that was broken, or that they hadn't played with during the past year (like the box of baby toys I didn't think I could part with), and anything that prevented the lid of the bin from closing. Next time, I think I will try to reduce the amount in each bin by half. I'm pretty sure we don't really need a million plastic animal figurines, even if they all fit in the box.

To help keep our toy situation under control, we only purchase toys for Christmas and birthdays. We don't even step foot in the toy department at Target. Actually, since we've started on this minimalism kick, and for the past year or so, I've rarely stepped foot in Target at all. And you know what? I don't miss it. The whole idea behind this is to be content with the things you have, and then to be really deliberate about the things you buy. I don't think I've ever made a deliberate purchase at Target in my life.

I need to be better at this, but I've found that when I take the time to set up a toy (like the train set or the little people town), then my kids will happily play with that one toy for a day or two. Then we'll put it away and get something else out.

my minimal sewing room

I realize that the idea of having a whole room just for sewing is slightly ridiculous in the world of minimalism, but I am grateful to have mine. The truth is, our family would be perfectly happy in a smaller house, but I refuse to move, so we might as well use one of our spare rooms for sewing, right? I like to keep the space as simple and tidy as I can. My creativity is stalled when I'm surrounded by clutter.

I recently tackled the closet, and more specifically, my fabric stash. I used to think that I had to keep all of my scraps, no matter how small they were. Then I got smart and realized that most of what I had kept was completely useless. I am much better at throwing the leftover pieces away when I complete a project now (unless they are a reasonable size).

Something that helps me keep my fabric under control: I only buy fabric for a specific project. I don't buy fabric because I think I might need it someday, or just because it is pretty. It has to have a purpose, otherwise it doesn't come home with me.

I keep all of my thread and pins and scissors in that cute little sewing box. I like that it is portable and small. It fits the essentials, and that's really all I need.

Something I really love about minimalism is that it forces me to use things that I have been saving for a rainy day. If I am not currently using it, then I can't rationalize keeping it anymore. So if it is something I love, I better figure out a way to incorporate it into my life. For example: I had a little bit of wallpaper left over from the girls' room. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so I tacked it up in the closet instead. It made such a difference!


Oh, and p.s., my nice hangers are from Ikea. And you can find my wallpaper here.

my minimal kitchen

Ha! Ok, so this one is sort of a joke. When we were going room by room, cleaning things out, Mike asked me if we really needed 15 white cake plates and a million teeny pitchers. And my answer was yes! Yes, we do, actually. Because my goal with this minimalism isn't to live in a sterile, blank space. It is to be content with the things we have, and to lose the things we don't need. I love looking at my white dishes. I think they are beautiful. They make my kitchen feel cozy. So I will keep them, and continue to collect them. But you see, the space I have to display them is quite limited. That will help keep my collection in check.

The kitchen seems to be the place where all of the household papers pile up (mail, school papers, Mike's work stuff, etc.). It makes me crazy. To keep it clean, I try to toss or file the papers as soon as I get them. There is almost always still a pile somewhere, but I know it will eventually get taken care of, so I try not to let it bother me too much.

One of my favorite parts of our big clean out was going through my kitchen drawers. It felt so great to get rid of utensils and dishes and small appliances that we never used. I mean, why did we have two waffle makers for goodness sake? Ridiculous. We are down to the basics, things we use almost daily, and it feels really wonderful.

my minimal closet

I've realized that I work best when my choices are limited. This is especially true when it comes to my wardrobe. It has taken me years and years to figure out what I like to wear. And the key, I've decided, is only having a few things that I really love to chose from.

Here is the thing. I am a stay-at-home mom who doesn't even leave the house some days. So this is what I need: a few outfits each season that I feel really good in.

This is what I don't need: anything else.

I live in an easy climate, wardrobe-wise. We have two seasons here in Arizona, summer, and not summer. So I've divided my wardrobe in two. The not summer stuff is out right now, and the summer stuff is tucked away in a box on the top shelf. When our days get a bit warmer (probably sooner rather than later), I'll switch things around. Having half of my clothes in storage will make them seem extra exciting and brand new once I make the switch, I think.

I want to invest in good quality clothes. I want them to last from year to year. I want to be deliberate about what I buy. I want to feel really great in everything I own.

And to get me from where I was to where I want to be, I decided to give myself a number limit. I chose 10. So . . . 10 pairs of shoes, 10 workout pieces, 10 sweaters, 10 bottoms for each of our two seasons (some of these overlap), 10 tops for the two seasons (again, some overlap, so there aren't quite 20 total) and 10 church outfits for each season (there is some overlap here as well). That's it. I kept my 10 favorites and donated the rest. I also tossed all of the socks that slip down my heel when I wear them and drive me crazy, and the tank tops that have seen better days, etc. If there was something I was unsure about or having a hard time letting go, I put it in the box with my out of season clothes. I will revisit it in a few months to see if I missed it.

One of the things I like about this idea is that if I am shopping, and I see something that I want to buy, I better love it more than something I already have in my closet, because if I bring something new in, something old has to go out.

I find that the more rules I give myself (like, I only wear certain colors, I only buy tops that don't require layering for modesty, etc.) the easier it is to stick with my limit.

How do you manage your wardrobe? I'd love to hear your ideas.

all you need is less, or our foray into minimalism

via

Mike and I have never been big spenders or big consumers. We are frugal people. Mike works hard to provide for our family, and we work hard to stretch his income as far as it will go. But somehow we found ourselves surrounded by stuff anyway. Stuff that we thought we might need someday. Or stuff that we'd had forever and couldn't imagine living without. Or just stuff for the sake of stuff. You know how it goes.

One day we decided to get rid of some of that stuff. If we didn't need it, we donated it. If we didn't use it, we sold it. If it was broken or run down, we trashed it. We went room by room, touching everything, deciding it's fate. Now, cleaning out drawers and closets is a pretty regular part of my home keeping routine. But this time was different because the new minimalist Mike was with me (not the old, sentimental, always-prepared eagle scout Mike), so we were merciless. The goal was to get our belongings as close to the bare minimum as we could. We wanted empty drawers and bare closet shelves! We didn't quite get there, but we gave it a really good effort. The thing with minimalism, I've decided, is that it comes in waves. Sometimes we feel the urge to purge, and so we'll work hard for a while. But other times, we are content with our progress and so we'll stop thinking about it for a bit. I feel like we are in a good place right now. We are more deliberate about what we bring in to our home, and more discerning about what we need to keep.

One thing that really spurred me on was the idea that organization and hoarding are two sides of the same coin. I've always thought myself to be an organized person, but when I realized how much time and energy I spent on organizing all of this stuff that I had accumulated and probably didn't really need, I was disappointed. I decided that I'd rather go without those things than spend the time to maintain them. So I did.

For a while, Mike was really into reading minimalist blogs (like this one), but I feel like they are mostly written by single men in their 20s. It's easy to live that lifestyle when it is just one person in a small apartment. But what about our family of 6? Kids come with so much stuff. It's a constant process to keep their rooms in check. We started with a major clean out, sometimes with their help, sometimes without. I've found that the fewer options they have in the toy closet, the better they play, so I was happy to donate a lot of their toys. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Mike had them each choose one thing from their room every night to give or throw away. It was hard for them in the beginning, but it got easier as the month went on. I think they came to see that they have so much more than they really need, so they were more willing to give some of it up.

I was really surprised one day when I went through Stella's closet with her. She was ruthless. If anything was the slightest bit uncomfortable, or if she didn't absolutely love to wear it, she was happy to let it go. I learned a lot from her that day! I had to stop myself from talking her into keeping a few things. 

Our home is not large, and our children's rooms are especially small. For instance, our girls share one tiny dresser, and their closet is the smallest in the house. But I don't think I'd have it any other way. The truth is, kids need very little, especially when it comes to clothes. And the closeness our children share because of their tight quarters is more important to their happiness than any amount of stuff anyway.

Have you ever tried something like this? What has worked for you? Like I said, we still have a ways to go, but this shift has made such a difference to the feeling in our home. Instead of working to accumulate more, we are working to increase our happiness, or to spend more time as a family, or to have more experiences. And to be happy and content with less feels really, really great.