10 Things Challenge Week 3

Happy Monday!! I am already onto week three of my challenge. This week is a jumble of things so lets dig in. I decided it was just easier to donate everything to the salvation army. I know I could go and make money off of some of these things. To me however that's not the point of why I am doing it so I am choosing not to do it that way.

1. Quilt Set- I have owned this since I was living in my getto apartment in Bellingham and have decided that in reality the purple is not the right color for me so out it goes with its sheets and all!
2. Towel- I can't figure out where I even got it from but its not soft and I enjoy the extra big towels.
3. Clothes- I cleaned out my closet yesterday and came through some of these clothes that I wont ever wear again
4. Mariners Stuff- I use to be a huge Mariners fan when I was young but I do not think I have watched baseball since I was in High School and I know someone is gonna come along and get excited about seeing it.
5. Winter Wear- There is a scarf from the 2010 Winter Olympics that I have never worn and I am not a red color person and a pair of gloves that I like but once again don't think I have ever worn
6. Books- Came across about four books that just don't look like they are worth reading with all the other things I want to read.
7. Photo Albums- I found two photo albums that were brand new but they are not my style
8. Scrapbooking Albums- Once again they were brand new but just not my style anymore. I must have bought them back in high school
9. Senior Fun Album- I bought it when I graduated high school but never put anything in it. Its a classic black and the year isn't on it so it will work great for anyone that finds it and that makes me happy
10. Tinkerbell Journal- I bought it when I went to Disneyland and I do think its cute but I don't need another journal.

So that't it for this week. I am learning a few things about myself as I am going through this process. The first is that I don't really need to buy journals anymore. I hardly use them and I am becoming so inclined to write on my blog then on paper that I think its going to be a new rule. The second is that I find it easier to get rid of things when I think of how happy it will make someone else when they find it.

How To Become a Minimalist

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breath more,talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours." --Swedish Proverb

I am breaking down Leo Babauta's book The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life into a post per chapter. This weeks post is on chapter three and its about how to become a minimalist. In Leo's book he gave us four main points for us:

1. Start by realizing you already have enough
2. Start cutting back on the clutter and possessions
3. Start simplifying your schedule
   
4. Slowly edit everything you do

To me how I am becoming a minimalist is slightly different but I do find that it is also very similar. I started realizing that I wanted to become a minimalist in late December 11 while I was at work one day. I still can't figure out where the inspiration came from but I just decided I owned way too much stuff. And so this is how I am becoming a minimalist

1. I realized that I already had enough (1 for 1 with Leo)
2. I am starting to cut back on my clutter and possessions (I am doing this in a few different ways which I will explain in a moment)
3. I am also trying to simplify my finances
4. Then I shall try simplifying my schedule
5. And I am sure eventually I will be able to keep editing (But I am a long way off from being close to done with my decluttering at the first stage)

Now going back to cutting back on my clutter I am doing this in a few different ways

1. I have for the most part already done my first round of decluttering for my clothing and scrapbooking items. The next step for my clothing is going to be looking at every piece and making it work as an outfit and if I can't it has to go. As for my scrapbooking I think I will do another round of decluttering to see what I am left with.
2. I am in the middle of doing a 10 Things Challenge on this blog where I get rid of 10 things for 10 weeks. This is helping me declutter the things I know I can get rid of now without thinking in all the different category's I hold within my "Stuff"
3. I will also of course be following Leo's guidelines once we get further into the chapters.

So that's it. I wanted to keep this one focused on only what The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life said this chapter because I think there is a lot of great advice out there that kind of all ends up equaling the same thing when you are cutting down the basics.

Simplify Your Life

It's Monday so its time for my weekly blog review (I just decided last night that I was gonna do my reviews on Mondays) I take a little time every week to look at other minimalist blogs to see if I find them useful or inspiring to my own journey. This is very much a personal review for myself and I believe that everyone who writes a blog is very inspiring in just getting their thoughts out there.

This weeks blog I really enjoyed looking over and it is going to become one of the blogs I think I will follow most often. Its called Simplify Your Life (http://simplifyyourlife.tumblr.com/). Its written by a guy named Danny who is in his thirties. He has been on his simple living journey for two years now and I really enjoy the way he has set up his blog. Here is what I like

• His info is right there on there in front of you so its known right away who is writting the blog which gives you that personal connection that I seem to crave when I read blogs
• He is a very up to date blog writer. He seems to post daily
• He gives you great ideas of further info for you to look up or other blogs to look into
• Its a clean and simple blog
• There are only four options on his side bar and its gives you everything you want in a blog

So all in all I really enjoy this blog and it is going onto my blog roll as soon as this post is published!

10 Things Challenge Week 2

Shoes Shoes Shoes! That was my main focus this week when I picked my 10 things to donate. Everything is going to the salvation army this week so I wont add that more then right here... The saddest part of all is that picking these ten pairs to get rid of wasn't even hard... LOL!

1. Green Old Navy Sandals- They cause blisters and I have a navy pair that I wear way more then these ones.
2. Champion Running Shoes- I wore them when I worked at the job I had before my current one and they are just not comfy anymore to me because of the bad memories that are attached to them.
3. Purple Flats- They are super cute and I do love them but I never wear them and they are not worn in enough to be comfy
4. White Crocks- I love the idea of owning crocks but I just never wear them
5. White Flats- They give me blisters and I never wear them
6. Black Flats- Too small for me
7. Blue Flats- Once again super cute but I never wear them and once again they give me blisters
8. Grey Flats- I like these shoes except they are clicky when you walk and I don't actually like flats that have a slight heel to them.
9. Roxy Brown Boots- They are cute but pointless for me to own with all the other boots I own and love to wear
10. Brow Slippers-Once again super cute and I have had them for a couple years but I don't hardly ever wear slippers and when I do I use my other grey flat slippers

So out with the old and absolutely NO in with the new... I do not think that I will be needing to buy a new pair of shoes for a long while because I still own plenty... I have learned from doing this though that I tend to be way more of a boot girl then a flat girl. So we will see if this changes as summer comes closer but if not I will know not to buy any more flats for myself!

The Minimalist List

I have decided to spend every evening this week going through one new blog that is based obviously on simple living. So I really love the concept of the blog I looked at tonight. Its called The Minimal List (http://www.theminimallist.com/) and its the coolest thing. Every post title is a single word and then the post goes into detail on why that word was chosen... Here is what else I like about it

• The format is super simple and you can either look up her posts by the month or by the category you are wanting to look into
• The posts are not super long but still long enough to make you feel like you understand where she is coming from
• There is not a lot of searching that needs to be done and I am realizing that to me that's a major plus in me wanting to follow a blog or not...

So yeah all in all tonights blog find was fun and I think it will be added to my blog roll. On a side note, I wasn't able to do a review every night this week so instead I think I am just gonna make it a once a week thing until I run out of bogs to look up...

Minimalist Principles

I am breaking down Leo Babauta's book The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life into a post per chapter. The second chapter is called Overall Minimalist Principles and here are the principles I am choosing to live by from now on:

• Say Goodbye to Needless Stuff
• Keep Only the Essentials
• Make it Worthy of Keeping
• Keep it Going

These principles will be put into more use and explanation as I continue through this book and journey. I also found a great statement in The Simple Living Guide

"The bottom line is if you can become self sufficient in the basics of life, which are shelter, nutritious food and clothing... If you have these things covered then all you have to do with the rest of your time is make yourself a peaceful person rather than spending that same time buying things you don't need"!

I feel like these are very good foundational principles and have seen them repeated in multiple blogs about simple living so why mess with a good thing!

Everyday Simplocity

I have decided to spend every evening this week going through one new blog that is based obviously on simple living. The blog I am reviewing tonight is by Reba Kennedy and is called Everyday Simplicity ( http://everydaysimplicity.blogspot.com/ ). I have decided that I am a fan of this blog and there are multipule reasons why this is the case

1. Her bio is right on the side bar to read the second you click onto her blog site. This makes me feel a connection to her right away because it is there for all to read. No searching necessary
2. She has an index of her blog posts so you can find whatever topic you are looking for easily
3. She has broken up the blogs she follows into categories so once again easy to find what you want.

Reba has been writing this blog since 2006 and you can tell that it means a lot to her in the time and effort she puts into her blog. I am very impressed with the layout with Reba's design in her blog and that alone makes me want to follow her. The other good thing is that she also has great information on her blog as well!

What is a Minimalist Life?

I am breaking down Leo Babauta's book The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life into a post per chapter. The first chapter is called what is a minimalist life? Here is what I came up with:

First off I want to make it clear that for the most part using either the words simple or minimalist are interchangeable for me. This may not be the case for everyone and once I get more into my simple, minimalist living I might decided that they are not interchangeable for me any longer as well. But for now this is how i feel.

From the information I have looked up I have decided that state that for me a minimalist life is one that is "Simple". Meaning I do not need tons of things to make me happy. Two or three pairs of jeans are going to be sufficient enough for me instead of the I need a pair for every occasion. I wont need to have the most updated phone because the one I have now is good enough.

In Leo's book for his first chapter there were two statements that I thought fit well with me;

"A minimalist embraces the beauty of less,

the aesthetic of spareness,

a life of contentedness in what we need and what makes us truly happy"

"A minimalist values quality, not quantity, in all forms"

I also have been reading Janet Luhrs "The Simple Living Guide" and found a great statement in this book that I thought helped answered the question of a minimalist life well.

"Simplicity means stopping for a moment and asking what the heck we are doing with our lives"

So all in all a minimalist life is one where you value quality over quantity and you do not feel the need to have the latest and greatest. You value family and friends more then your stuff and your life feels clutter free! Its just like the saying Less is More!

10 Things Challenge Week 1

1. Lighthouse Rug- I have had this silly thing since I was in high school and never opened it: Donating to salvation army

2. Winter Hats- Two hats that I never wear: Donating to Salvation Army

3. Candles- I do not like the color of them nor the smell of them: Donating to Salvation Army

4. Dolphin wind-chime- Bought it in Mexico back in 05. I don't have anything undersea themed in my home: Donating to Salvation Army

5. Old Phones- Out dated and just collecting dust: Recycling to the Best Buy Old Electronics Bin

6. Old (MP3) Player- Hasn't worked in years and is now very outdated: Recycling to Best Buy Old Electronics Bin

7. OLD OLD Digital Camera- Once again very outdated though it does still work: Recycling to Best Buy Old Electronics Bin

8. Car Chargers- Im sure they work but I do not need them for any of the electronics I am currently using: Recycling to the Best Buy Old Electronics Bin

9. Car Converter- Old tape that lets you play your IPod. I now have a vehicle that lets me play my IPOD without it and I don't even have a tape player in my jeep: Donating to the Best Buy Old Electronics Bin

10. Winter Scarves- Two scarves that I do not use because I have others that I enjoy more: Donating to Salvation Army

So that's it! My first week was easy to find things and I am planning next week to go through my shoes! I officially have ten less things of unwanted/unused items out of my home!

Elegant Simplicity & Success

I have decided to spend every evening this week going through one new blog that is based obviously on simple living. The Elegant Simplicity & Success blog http://www.simplicityandsuccess.com This blog has a few neat articles links to follow through on but honestly I am afraid other then that this is just not for me. I am finding that I tend to like blogs that I feel like I can learn about the person. I assume this blog is written by a women but there is no bio so to be honest I am not 100% sure.

I do however find the photos she has on her posts to bring fourth calming feelings and I can always appreciate that... I do not find searching over other peoples blogs to be a waste of time. I think that because everyone is so different that not every blog is going to attract the attention of every person. So with that said I still am glad to have stumbled across this blog and will look back on it once to make sure I found all the article links I wanted to read about. Evening Well Spent!

Becoming Minimalist

I have decided to spend every evening this week going through one new blog that is based obviously on simple living. This blog is about Joshua Becker and I think it tends to be a pretty popular blog for most simple living alumni. It has a very simple look to it which I think tends to be very appealing. He has also written two books which you can find on his blog as well. You can view it at http://www.becomingminimalist.com. There are plus and minuses to this blog for me.

• His profile has links to his most popular posts which I find helpful (Plus)
• The blog itself is a little hard to jump from place to place when you first come across it (Minus)
• He does have an easy to find archive section so you can find what you want to look up (Plus)
• You have to do a lot of clicking from one page to get to another to get to where you want to go (Minus)

All in all I think I will keep this blog as a resource to read through but once I get the info I want from it I do not believe I will be a follower.

10 Things Challenge

So inspired by the first website I visited last night, Simple.Organized.Life, I have decided to do my own 10 Things Challenge. The goal is to get rid of 10 things every week for 10 weeks. I personally chose 10 weeks but you could do as many weeks as you wanted. I already have chosen my 10 things for this week because when I came across the idea I got inspired to start right away. Each week I will do a post which will include

• A picture of all the things I chose for that week
• Complete list of what the 10 things are and where they will be going
• Paragraph or two about what made me hold onto these things in the first place and what I feel about letting them go!

Chances are I will do this post on Thursday because its my day off and tomorrow is a 12 hr day at work. I just don't see myself having the energy to do it at anytime tomorrow.

Simple.Organized.Life

I have decided to spend every evening this week going through one new blog that is based obviously on simple living. Tonight I am scanning through Simple. Organized. Life. (http://simpleorganizedlife.com/) So far all I can come up with about the person who writes this blog is that his name is David. But here are the things I love about his blog

1. He has book recommendations that all have no gone onto my amazon wish list
2. He started a challenge for himself called 10 Things. David lets go of ten things a week and then does a simple post about them. I will be borrowing this idea for my own simple living journey and starting my own 10 Things Challenge starting tomorrow!
3. The blogs he follows himself are so worth checking out
4. His blog is easy to read

David seems to have been writing this blog since 2009 and he seems like he does a few posts a month. So if you are looking for someone to follow every week this might not be the right blog for you. But he is very inspiring blog to me with great ideas on how you may want to do your own blog.

Starting Now

I have been intrigued with trying to become a minimalist since the start of this year. I do not know how it happened. All I know is that one day I thought to myself it's time to simplify. So that is exactly what I plan to do.

So far I have gone through my closet once and did a quick scan and got rid of a ton of clothing and now I have all my hangers facing backwards so I know what I have worn and what I have not. By June if I have any hangers still facing backwards those articles of clothing will be donated as well.

I have also done a gone through my bathroom and gotten rid of anything that I knew I did not need. Then i proceeded with finding a home for everything that belongs in my bathroom. I think I pretty much have that room down pat and am very happy to walk into it and smile at how everything has a place now.

So it seems like I am on a great start; and I am but there is oh so much more I want to find out about simple living and oh so so much more I want sort through.

I have officially given three bags and three boxes of stuff away since January 1st. This may seem like a ton of stuff to some but here's the thing. I own A LOT of CRAP!!! I have so much stuff that I am not even sure where half of my belongings actually are.

So for this reason I have started this blog to place all my simple living/Minimalist ideas and processes in one place!