Category Archives: minimalism

Tidying up

Posted in decluttering, home stuff, minimalism, Uncategorized by

There are 3 things that have really been game-changers for me when it comes to tidying.

The first is cleaning up the kitchen immediately( for the most part) after cooking or prepping food. Washing the dishes in the sink then air-drying them in the rack and then putting them away soon after. Since the dishwasher still isn’t working we’ve had to do all the dishes by hand. Actually, it’s kinda nice to make it a zen moment of being in the now of hand washing the dishes. So, if there are dishes in the sink, DO THEM!!

The second is whenever I leave a room I look around to see what needs to be brought back to where it lives. For example, we fold our laundry on the bed. So after it’s done there are often piles (like dishcloths) that need to be put away. If I’m putting towels away I might not get back to the other items right away. So when I go back in the room I pick up what’s there and take it out to it’s home. I do this in all the rooms actually. I think I started doing this when I had my foot fracture so I was limiting how much I walked around and so I started carrying anything in that room that didn’t belong there out.  I think it’s a good practice and it makes sure things go back to their proper places.

Also, and thirdly, I am adamant about everything has a place to live. That’s where it goes and needs to be put back after use. In the really great book”Decluttering at the Speed of Life” by Dana  White,

she talks about decluttering in a very humorous way. But one thing that stuck with me is to ask yourself WHERE YOU WOULD GO LOOK for an item. And then to put such item in that spot. For instance, we have a drawer where ALL the batteries go. Not some here and there, but all of them. So whenever anyone needs one, they know to go to the top drawer of that dresser( it’s the one in my office area).

These are at least 3 ways that I keep( and hopefully others) the house tidy and clean.

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a considered life…

Posted in decluttering, Flylady, home stuff, minimalism, Uncategorized by

All in all, we choose what our lives look like.

Sometimes, that is hard to see because perhaps it doesn’t really reflect who we are. To start, we need to ask ourselves, “what do I want my life to be/look like?”

I’ve been thru many different phases of my life. Young wife, mother, older mother, older wife. You get the idea. I also went thru lots of phases with decor from shabby chic, to lots of old furniture, and our more esthetic period when all I wanted was a Japanese farmhouse. ( well, I still would love that). But, really everyone’s life has phases and we are all at different points in the journey.

 I started my minimalistic journey with Flylady.  I was really in need of a system to help organize my house, housekeeping, cooking, etc.  I also was on Revlimid( a chemo pill for myeloma) and a very intense steroid( Dexamethasone). So I either had limited energy or the Dex was making me hyper and a bit crazy. So that’s when I started Flylady as her 15-minute rule worked perfectly for me. Basically, get a timer and set for 15 minutes and do the zone cleaning or decluttering.  Sometimes that was all I could do.

Since I decluttered thousands of things, each zone really only takes me 15 minutes max except the kitchen which takes generally an hour.  I don’t spend hours a week cleaning or tidying because the bulk of it is done in the zone cleaning. I do vacuum multiple times a week though and dust with a Swiffer.

There are some areas that I would still like to change such as moving some of the Heywood furniture in the living area but for now, that’s where they live.

One of the biggest game-changer for me was to finally be okay with our small house. It’s old, takes a lot of upkeep overall, it’s got a weird layout. ( There’s no real entryway). But it’s what we have and we do not want to move. Of course, circumstances do change if it became necessary we would move.

So I am grateful for this ‘considered life’ that we have created for ourselves.

A certain feeling…

Posted in decluttering, home stuff, minimalism, simplicity, social security, Uncategorized by

I’ve been working on letting go of even more things that are just not essential.

When I was in Sacramento for those 2 1/2 almost 3 weeks, I had only what was most important and essential. There was the Mr. Coffee I bought for the RV, 2 cups, a sharp knife from Ikea, and a few other things.

I’m a sensory/visual person which is why I’m so attracted to minimalism. I get anxiety if there is too much stuff around me or on shelves. So down at the RV, visually it was very simple and undecorated.

And I had a FEELING about it. It was something I could tell was a subtle elusive thing. When I got home, with everything going on, it took a few weeks to get back to routines. Then I had that elusive feeling pop up. It was very fleeting and then I stopped and really examined what I was feeling.

It was to have around you only those things you love or use.

Trying new things

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I like routines and doing things on a schedule. Maybe it’s a security need to know I’m getting things done. For me, there is LBC(life before cancer) and LAC( life after cancer). Before my diagnosis, I certainly got things done and was homeschooling my son using a Waldorf program. I had lesson plans, monthly blocks of learning, etc. So I was disciplined as such.

But it wasn’t til LAC. when I relapsed in 2010 and even later, that I started Fly lady and began my decluttering in earnest.  I don’t remember minimalism as a catchphrase so much back then but I’m sure it was.  Over at Minimally-less stuff,  Trisha has a great blog on the ongoing process of decluttering. It sometimes, like for me, is a life-altering event to start the decluttering journey or just a phase of life and discovering what works.

But back to trying new things. I like to implement new cooking techniques( the IP, that now I’m not too crazy about), and also new minimalist ideas that I read about. My son jokes with me, though, that I don’t really go out of my comfort zone a lot, and that is true. I guess I feel I did that so much as a young person and it was a bit reckless at times. ( The one year we moved like 6 times, like in a school bus, to a trailer, and so on). Yeah, not to steady. It really wasn’t till our daughter was born that we settled into a routine.

Anyway, this coming week I will be doing something new and that’s staying in the RV alone. It’ll be interesting, to say the least. And it will definitely be out of my comfort zone.

The week ahead…

Posted in Bone marrow transplant, camping, decluttering, Flylady, home improvement, home stuff, minimalism, Uncategorized, White space by

We had a quiet Memorial Day.

My brother died in Viet Nam in 1968 so I thought about him. He was a talented artist. What a waste. He also couldn’t get a deferment even though he had a heart problem and at that time was working full time to support my mother. I guess Donald Trump got the deferment for his bone spurs. I guess he had enough millions to pay off a judge. Well, I guess that tells you something about my brother being killed in Viet Nam and  Donald Trump whining about a bone spur.

It was cloudy to start but then eventually the sun came out. We BBQ some burgers and I made some coleslaw. My daughter made us some strawberry shortcakes for dessert later.  We generally don’t eat dessert so this was a nice treat.

I didn’t drive to Sacramento and missed seeing B. But I’m going down today and all the rest of the week except Friday. I think my daughter will go on Friday unless her new job starts. Her library interview is next week and this job she is doing is only temporary thru June.

Everything is lining up for us to have the RV. I just ordered some camp chairs as I don’t want to use the owner’s ones for risk of them being stolen or damaged. We needed new ones anyway.

Flylady zone this week was the living room. That’s an easy one for me as it is almost where I want it with functionality and minimalized. I try and do one thing in each zone that’s new or improved. So this time I moved the Ikea cart out and put it in my office area. It holds our wine bottles( which have been reduced to one Chianti, that we don’t drink very often) and we kept our silverware in Ball jars there too. So, I’m going to try it and see if we NEED it back or can the space just be open( white space). I guess we shall see. Right now in my office space, it has a plant on top and that’s it so, that probably isn’t very efficient either.

I’m planning on going to Sac Co-op this morning for veggies and olives from their olive bar. But it kinda depends on my mood as I get closer. Nothing is critical that I need so we’ll see. (How’s that for being indecisive??)

Dinner is chicken enchiladas!

Some things Minimalism has taught me

Posted in Flylady, minimalism, simplicity, Uncategorized, White space by

A little departure from Fugal/Five things Friday. Although I may do a separate post on that.

But I was making the bed when it struck me how by becoming more minimalist what it has taught me about myself.

  • I know that lots of visual busyness makes me anxious and I need mostly monotones.
  • I know I need white space around me to function better. Since our house is very small there aren’t a lot of open places, but there are a few where I just have a plant.
  • From even in my 30’s I knew not to ever over schedule or I felt out of control. Even when my children were in school I didn’t over schedule play dates, activities, etc.
  • As I’ve decluttered, my house works well for us even though it is quite small.
  • For the most part, I know where everything is or where to find it although on occasion I can’t quite remember where I put something. ( I’m looking at you brown envelopes I can’t find)….oops, just found them right where they should be…Ha ha…
  • I need a decluttered space with clear surfaces
  • I do need a structure(like Flylady) to focus on what the daily chores need to be.
  • I function way better without decision fatigue which is why I have a very specific wardrobe and a very limited one. I don’t want to worry about what to wear. I don’t own a dress, skirt or anything dressy.
  • Over the years, since discovering less is more, I feel more joy and contentment. Plus since I ‘ve never like to shop it made it easier.

well, as you can see, minimalism really helps to define or really refine who you are.

Simple Sunday or is it??

Posted in Blood test, cancer, cooking, Flylady, home stuff, MDS, minimalism, Uncategorized by

Well, it is going to be a lovely sunny day so I’m going to enjoy that. Our yard is looking so pretty with daffodilsUNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_367.jpg, and the lawns turning bright green. Here’s the flowering cherry which is the prettiest bloom I’ve seen in a few years. Last year these trees were hit with a late frost and all the blooms died.

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In the far background you can see some of the hoarders stuff across the fence! More daffodils.

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Today is a gym day and B has platelets. I’m going to drop him off and then go over to the gym.

Sunday is sheet day so I’m doing those and since it’s so nice out, I thought I’d do our comforter as well.

There’s not a lot on the agenda for today so I guess that does make it a simple day.

I’m reading a new release in ‘home organizing’ called’The Home Edit’. 91xVeNilguL._AC_UL436_.jpg It’s nicely presented with lovely pictures. So far I’ve gleaned a few ideas about organizing stuff. Nice book, if you’re needing some help putting things together. I’m going to pull everything out of the refrigerator today and give it a good clean.

This week we are in the Entryway, dining room(which we don’t really have) and porches. I’m planning to wash windows sometime this week as well.

Update:

 

We went to town. I went to the gym and then was going to pick B up but he had a reaction(second time) to the platelets. So he had to stay and then they sent him to the ER.

He’s home now and all seems ok.

Dinner is roast chicken.

 

Solitude

Posted in minimalism, simplicity, travel, Uncategorized by

I’m taking this idea from over at the blog ‘a smaller and simpler life’   

written by Sue from Wales. She is a wonderful writer and is truly living what she aspires to be.

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I’ve always been an introvert but in my earlier years just ignored what I needed. I don’t do that anymore. I don’t like crowds, parties, concerts etc. It’s just not what I’m interested in.

I am truly in a place where I like being alone/or with B who’s generally outside doing something so I have time to do what I want. When he was traveling for work I had many days where I was alone all day till either my daughter or son came home later in the evening. I was perfectly happy doing my own thing whatever that may have been.

I am embracing this as I get older and don’t feel the need at all to ‘fit’ in.

Having embraced minimalism and loving the simplicity of things, I don’t need to overextend or keep busy. I do my daily routines and enjoy the day. I may work on a project or plan something that might need to be done.

Now that we’re in ‘treatment’ mode, there’s no traveling about and as a matter of fact, I just canceled our spring trip to New Brighton beach because another round of chemo will start.  That’s okay because I believe you must live the season you’re in and not fight it.  We’ll go traveling again when this is over and it will be delightful.

 

Midweek musings

Posted in cooking, minimalism, Uncategorized by

Sunny again today and about 55 degrees. So not too warm but not too cold. I didn’t walk this morning so I may go out to walk @ 10.

Today, I’m concentrating on figuring out theMedicare part B. Mostly the drug coverage part. I’m planning on calling a few of the insurance companies to figure out the coverage better. Then I downloaded the form for part B and I guess that requires taking it into SS office.

Chores today include a quick swish and swipe of the bathroom, vacuuming, and just tidying up. I’ve been using my timer on my phone to see how long things take to do. It is a good technique if you’re starting out on your decluttering journey to set a time. I do 15-minute increments. Yesterday I ended up doing 2 sessions to get what I wanted to be done.

B has 2 injections at 3pm but he will drive himself as it is just a shot and no Benedryl is required otherwise I’d take him.

Last night I made a low carb chicken enchilada dinner it was pretty good even without the corn tortillas. Plus I made B a Mexican bean burger and it too was very yummy.

Tonight is leftovers, bean burgers, chicken enchiladas, and maybe some salad stuff.

 

Simple Sunday

Posted in decluttering, Flylady, minimalism, Uncategorized by

It is rainy, rainy and rainy.  The temperature is dropping too. My daughter is planning to work on Tuesday but I think the freeway will be closed and travel to Truckee unlikely.  I guess we’ll see.

Today B has platelets and I’m going to go to the gym.  This infusion goes relatively quickly.

We got quite a few applications from the Social worker to fill out for assistance such as PGE’s medical rate, handicap placard for when he’s going to the hospital and afterward and an American Cancer one that might have some assistance.  We’ll see how any or all of that goes. I’m still planning to do a GoFundme but just haven’t gotten around to it. Based on what the social worker said the month housing will be around $2000. Plus we will have to cover the expenses of the bone marrow retrieval( plane flight, hotels, etc). That’s if there’s a match.

Lots to consider and think about. But one day at a time and one foot in front of the other or just keep walking:)

This week is the kitchen zone and I may start that when I get home from town or I’ll start tomorrow.  One thing about simplifying and decluttering, cleaning goes much faster when you have less. I’m still loving the open shelves and love the bright white. Even if and when we do a remodel I would keep open shelving. It makes things more organized since you can see what’s there. The things in the metal bins are organized such as tea, coffee, spices, so I know which one is which.  I think it’s working out great and I’d encourage you to try if you’re looking for a change up in your kitchen. Initially, I did freak out and it took 3 coats to paint the shelves but it was worth it.

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We don’t have cable so I’m not sure if we’ll find the super bowl to stream but honestly, I don’t even have a clue about the 2 teams. But the ads are always great and quite clever.

Well, off to town in the rain:(  I really hate driving in the rain.