spring

31 Days of Easy Minimalism

Easy minimalism chart — Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

A new month is on the horizon, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to start a new activity. This 31 Days of Minimalism Chart (made by yours truly) is for myself and others who want to remain consistent in practicing mindfulness in our daily lives.

You can download the free chart here: 31 Days of Easy Minimalism.

This activity was meant to be not too rigorous, so if you’re just now getting into minimalism or if you’ve done a bunch of decluttering and downsizing already, this may come to your advantage. This chart serves as a gentle reminder that minimalism is a constant work in progress. We can easily continue practicing minimalism in our daily lives by adjusting our mindsets to live more consciously by surrounding ourselves with thoughts, feelings, and actions that bring us purpose and peace.

So as each day passes this coming month, try one of the activities in each square and cross them out as you go along. Remember: on this chart, you don’t have to complete everything in consecutive order. Also, don’t feel bad if you can’t complete everything in one month. Just try your best and keep your intentions in mind while going through each task.

As always, I love hearing from you. So please let me know if you try this challenge either in the comments or on your social media networks with the hashtag #31daysofeasyminimalism.

Easy Tasks and Subtle Ways to Make Your Home Feel New(ish)

Furniture restoration project (by me, Fall 2020)

The spring season is upon us, and it is a wonderful opportunity to start anew. For those of you who want to make a big impact on the home on a modest budget, here are some ideas on how to make your home feel brand new(ish).

Wipe down and repaint your walls. I personally believe this is one of the first spring cleaning tasks to complete after decluttering if you want to add that feeling of newness to a room. Wiping down walls before touching them up with paint helps minimize the chance of having a streaky or uneven finish.

Mop your floors and/or deep clean your carpets. These tasks can brighten up a room immediately. I try to get my carpet professionally cleaned once every six months. I also have a reliable carpet cleaner for accidents and high-traffic areas that I use at least once a month.

Wash your sheets, pillow shams, and comforter. This is a relatively small chore for most people, but this task goes a long way if you want to ease into spring cleaning.

Update/restore a treasured piece of furniture. This for those of you who just can’t let a favorite statement piece go. You can start a restoration project with the help of a professional, or you can do it yourself if you are able. Personally, restoring furniture is one of my favorite pastimes when I’m stressed out. (You can see a before-and-after photo of the vintage dresser that I restored last fall at the beginning of this post.)

Clean your windows, mirrors, and glass furniture. This is another one of those little tasks that go a long way if you want to add that feeling of cleanliness and clarity to a room or space.

Deodorize your home. An open container of baking soda, kept in a discreet place (such as on top of your kitchen cupboards or in a closet), can help absorb smells and clear the air. Two other excellent, all-natural products that can help with this are FreshWave or DampRid, which absorb smells and trap excess moisture in the air.

Replace old and builder’s grade light fixtures and hardware. This is a relatively inexpensive way to transform a room or space entirely. Out with the old, in with the new.

Add light to a dark or dim room. This can be done by either adding more light fixtures or by removing interior blinds or screens from windows.

Update old outlets and light switch panels. Find cracked and yellowed light plates and switches as well as outlet covers.

Get rid of old, unwanted, or unnecessary furniture and decor. When all else fails, declutter.

As always, please feel free to share some of your restoration and renewal ideas or feedback in the comments or on my social networks. Best of luck to you on your future projects.

How To Know If You Have Too Many Of The Same Things

For some of us, it seems as if no matter how much we clean and organize our homes, there’s always that one type of frustrating thing that constantly shows up in multiples as excess clutter. For some of us, this can be papers, clothes, shoes, children’s toys, dishes, electronic parts, or just anything we tend to collect without really thinking about it. So when you decide to declutter, be mindful of those multiples you have around the home and consider the following:

At what point does too much of a good thing become too much?

-When it gets everywhere no matter how much you try to organize it.

-When it’s hard to let go of because of guilt, memories, or “fear of missing out” (or as some would call “FOMO”).

-When takes up an unnecessary amount of space.

-When you can easily live without it if you get rid of at least half of your collection.

-When you have items with the tags still on them, in their original packaging, or have rarely been used, if ever.

-When it’s an expensive habit.

If you’ve answered “yes” to two or more of the items listed above, consider purging those repeated items.

For me, my biggest vice is collecting purses. I had 21 purses as of last week. I ended up donating 7 purses to Goodwill, and I’m selling some of my gently used Coach purses and wristlets online. (Links to each item will be listed at the end of this blog post if you want to get an idea on how to sell an item online, or if you or someone you know may be interested in buying a gently used purse or wristlet.)

For me personally, getting rid of those repeated items felt liberating, but please remember to carefully consider your own personal values and where you are in life right as of now before purging several items at once. This should be done in moderation and not out of impulsivity. You can always revisit what is leftover and purge it at a later time, if necessary.

That being said, I still have 10 purses left. (Baby steps, ok?)

Items for sale on Ebay

Black Leather Coach Wristlet with Gold Chain (brand new!)

Brown Leather Coach Town Tote Classic Shoulder Shopper (gently used)

Burgandy Leather Coach Town Tote Classic Shoulder Stopper with Matching Corner Zip Wristlet (gently used)