Living Simply October Challenge: Day 7 - decorating

     If you've gotten your space decluttered, and you're thinking you'd still like to decorate for the holidays, but don't want to clutter it all up again - I put out this challenge to you today - plan your decorating to reflect a more minimalist lifestyle. Here's a few examples:

1.  Bring in some holiday colors in things like pillows or small throw blankets over the sofa. You could bring in a piece of artwork or even a platter with holiday colors/themes to put over the mantle or on a wall. Perhaps a small vase or glass with a few carefully chosen flowers like poinsettias or white cotton balls still attached to their natural stems. They can be fake flowers too if they look good aesthetically.  And when it comes time to decorate something large like a tree, keep it simple. Maybe just lights and nothing else, or maybe just a few intentional ornaments leaving lots of green space between them.

      We do a themed Christmas every 2 years. This year our theme is "beach". Our simple ornaments will be clear plastic bulbs with sand we've collected during out travels over the last few years. We'll add only a handful of intentional, carefully chosen, beach-themed ornaments to add a splash of color, but as I said, only a few.
     We'll bring in the beige, white, light blue, and coral pink colors in simple things - pillows or candles or maybe just the wrapping paper we choose to go under the tree - but even then, we're not overdoing it on material gifts, either. Our focus will be on making a dinner that's casual and relaxing, beach-themed foods and beverages, and boardwalk type snacks. Nothing stuffy, fancy, expensive, or overdone. Clutter is the last thing we want in our space.

     If you don't need to do a large tree, or if you have no small children coming over, then there's no need to feel guilty about skipping that tradition this year. Forget everyone else's expectations and simplify your holidays. In the picture on the left, you can see a few oversize branches placed behind a sofa with a small wreath over head is simple, inexpensive, and looks very high-end. Bringing nature into the home during the winter is a great way to keep it simple but add that touch of warmth and interest this time of year. In this photo, you could choose festive intentional pieces to go on the tables, or change out the shade on the floor lamp. Maybe you could put a sprig of greenery around the top of the lampshade? The rug appears to be an area rug, so that could be changed out for warmer colors that would work from for 5 or 6 months.

     Maybe all you need to decorate is the fireplace (even if it's just a decorative one in a small apartment or condo). Bringing in simple decorations like the stars in the photo on the right, a simple word like "noel" on the mantle in natural wood, a few candles (even those battery operated ones), a simple string or two of either lights, greens, or decorated garland, and simple wood pieces and twigs in the fireplace...simple, inexpensive, easy. If you actually USE your fireplace, then obviously you'll need to keep the bottom cleared and don't hang anything across it that could catch fire. I'd stick with only what's on top of the mantle and maybe add a tall, skinny vase on either side with simple long twigs. If you live where you can just go outside and pick your own, that's even better! If not, there's lots of options in department and craft stores - even dollar stores have them sometimes.

     Homemade decorations can be simple, inexpensive, and yet fill your home with warmth. Here's a simple idea that has endless possibilities...pick a candle, real or battery operated, in the color of your choice, then put it in a simple glass vase that's just a bit larger, again, shape and color are up to you, then surround it with natural things that are the right seasonal colors - they could be cranberries, lentils in orange and green, black beans that are sold dry in bags, sea glass or colored stones found at any dollar store, twigs, candy corn, whatever comes to mind.

     I hope today's challenge gets you thinking about some easy, simple, minimalist ideas for your own living space. It doesn't have to be expensive, cluttered, or all over the place. Keep it simple. Enjoy the process. Have fun with this.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 6 - $ for the holidays

     

     So, if you're trying to live simply, and you've decided you aren't ready to shock your family with the no material gifts, you're going to need some money. Whatever you do, don't use credit cards and go into debt to make other people happy or meet their expectations. Instead lets talk about ways to boost your income before then. Today's challenge will be to get to work on one or two of these ideas this weekend so that you're in better shape as the hectic holiday season gets closer.

1.  Have a "stuff" sale - call it a yard sale, tag sale, garage sale, estate sale, whatever you want, but sell off your unwanted stuff. Pick a weekend (As soon as possible if you live where it's cold!), and schedule a sale. People will buy your stuff even if you think it's worthless, there's always people out there looking for things like it for cheap money. Here's some ideas:  kitchen appliances (George Foreman grills, doughnut pop makers, popcorn poppers, irons you never use, mixers or food processors you won't use, etc.), Bath or Body gift sets - you know, all those gift packages of soaps, lotions, bath salts, etc. that you've never opened. Most people never do, they just leave them packaged as a decoration in a bathroom or spare bedroom. Sell it! Old dishes & glasses, clothing, toys your kids have outgrown, board and card games and puzzles no one uses anymore, old music and computer cds, radios and those old boom boxes stored away, coats and boots, shoes, books, unused perfumes, lotions, makeup and colognes, old ties, knick knacks, statues, and basic decorations that aren't necessary - they just clutter your home.

2.  After you've sold off the smaller, cheaper things, consider selling your more expensive things on websites like www.letgo.com, or www.offerup.com. Those are great places to sell larger or pricier items like real jewelry, furniture, artwork, collections and collectibles, old cameras, larger appliances, etc. I have a friend who sold almost $1000 worth of unwanted pieces of furniture in one weekend, and another couple of hundreds worth of jewelry another weekend.

3. Craig's list or some other local website where you sell to people near you is great for stuff like tools, or things someone who works in your field can use. It's also great for selling off things you don't need like that spare car, bike, motorcycle, fishing boat, etc.

4.  Pick up a TEMPORARY part-time job. If your car is 5 years old or newer, you could become a driver for Uber, Lyft, or any of the other dozens of new driving services out there in your area. You know exactly who's picking you up with a photo ID before-hand, and it's built to protect both driver and passenger. The best part is that you get to set your own days and hours, and you can be as flexible as you want.

5.  Afraid of picking up strangers? Try UberEats. People order food, you drive to go get it, charge a fee for the service and they tip you. Never underestimate how many people will pay to have food delivered instead of going out to get it themselves.

6.  There are also sites out there that will pay you to take online services. Each survey is worth points, and when you get so many points (varies from company to company, even AARP has a program like this), you trade it in for gift cards and items that can be used to do your holiday shopping. It takes time, but it's flexible enough to work around other things. What if you scheduled one or two days/nights a week to work on just that? You'd have a fairly steady stream of additional income.

7.  Mystery Shopping. If you've got pretty good language and grammar skills, you can be a mystery shopper. You walk into businesses, view apartments, check out casinos, or make phone calls, then report back if they did everything right according to instructions given to you ahead of time. Usually it's easy things like ordering food and beverages, making sure they're all in uniform, time how long it took to receive your order, maybe take a photo of the food, and report if it looked and tasted right, was the establishment clean? easy things like that. A word of caution though, be careful you choose a reputable company, and they should NEVER ask YOU to pay for ANYTHING to join them. A few I've worked for are:  EPMS (epsomonline.com), Intellishop, Sentry Marketing, BestMark, MarketForce, and A Closer Look. Sometimes you get lucky and get a great shop that offers you a free night in a hotel in another city that you needed anyway during the holidays. You get reimbursed plus a small fee paid to you but it saved you from paying for one and not getting reimbursed.

     Be creative - there's lots of ideas how to make money before the holiday sets it. I challenge you to plan something to get started on today.

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 5 - Being in the Moment

     What does it mean to live in the moment? What comes to mind? Sipping a hot beverage by a mountain lake just after sunrise? Relaxing in the sun by the beach letting everything else go? Rowing a canoe down some rapids through a canyon? Taking a walk in the cool of the day? Really sitting and listening to someone who needs you without any other distractions? Enjoying looking over that new baby, spending time memorizing their little face, fingers, and toes, taking in that powdery "baby smell"? Now let me ask you another question...

What does it mean to live in the moment during the holiday season? 

     Have you ever thought about how to do that during the hustle, bustle, and busyness of the holidays? Or is it more like there's never enough time to really stop and just BE in the moment? Are you rushing from work to shopping to your kid's play? Are you working at a hectic pace over a meal for 2 days knowing it'll be eaten and over in 15 minutes? How can you stop and live in EACH important moment during this holiday season? Here's a few ideas, and I challenge you to start some of them TODAY:

1.  CHOOSE the most important moments you think you want to make happen. Will you choose to spend time with a particular relative or friend? Will you arrange a block of time for your family to enjoy one event together? By saying YES to that which is most important to you, you can feel free to say NO to the unimportant things without guilt or obligation. It's your time. You choose how to spend it.

2.  MAKE any projects you've got planned, but make it during a specific time you've set aside for it. People think making gifts is fun, and it can be, but not if it's shoved rapidly between dozens of other things, rushed and done poorly. Schedule blocks of time in your schedule now so that as the holidays approach, you've already got the time-consuming, important, creative things done.

3.  INVITE people to do things with you. Get them on your schedule now too. Plan time to see those people you know you won't see over the holidays. Maybe plan a girls/guys night out with your favorite coworkers or friends. Plan a lunch or dinner with a relative who won't be around or able to come to see you during the holiday special days/events.

4.  LIST the moments you want to capture in pictures. Are there things that you never remember to capture year after year? Maybe kids decorating the tree? Picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch? The Thanksgiving meal on the table with everyone around BEFORE everyone starts eating? The gifts under the lit tree the night before Christmas? The special passed down recipes with a photo of the finished product? Think about these things and list them somewhere you'll remember to capture them this year.

5.  TIME FOR YOU. This is especially important if you're an introvert. Plan some time to just be alone, or at home away from everything. Think of when you'll need a night off. Put it in your schedule so if people ask you to go to things you really don't want to attend, you can tell them you already have an appointment that night (with yourself). Take time to breathe. Time to maybe just sit home enjoying music, candles, a book, or a favorite movie with your favorite beverage. Don't feel guilty. Living simply means taking time to do less - and it's far more rewarding than you'd think.

Start today planning so that the holidays don't sneak up quickly and attack your world. Be at peace this holiday season.

     

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 4 - material gifts

     As much as people will say the holidays aren't about gift giving, we all know that's still the expectation around us. Maybe a percentage of us are coming to the realization that stuff won't make you happy, but the majority of people just aren't there yet - and may never be - so let's talk a bit more on gifts today. (We'll switch up the topics tomorrow.)

     I read a quote yesterday that was in the book Everything that Remains by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, aka The Minimalists. I don't know if I have it exactly right, forgive me if it's off a bit, but I believe it said,

"Everyone is selling what everyone can't buy."  

     Think about what commercials look like in the last few months of the year...What do they look like compared to the rest of the year? Have you ever though about it? During the holidays is when you see ads for the most ridiculous, wasteful, unnecessary gifts companies want you to buy. Remember back when the big seller for Christmas was a singing, wiggling, bass fish to mount on the living room wall? I think it was called Big Mouth Billy Bass. MILLIONS were sold. Do you think it would've sold if advertised around say, mid-February? or early August? No. It sold mostly around Christmas and Father's Day. What about the pet rock that sold for $3.95 in 1974? They sold 1.5 million in just 6 months! Then it suddenly just died out. Remember Billy Bob teeth? fake "redneck" teeth, big spaces, stained, fake teeth? They sold into the tens of millions of dollars and today can be found in 95% of countries across the globe according to articles online. Are these gifts worthy of the "meaning of the holidays" or do people just get caught up in spending, regardless of the poor quality, junk value of cheap fads? I think it's the latter.

     If you're going to give gifts this year, and you are working towards a more intentional, simple, minimalistic lifestyle, then put thought behind what you give, and don't be shy in telling others that you're NOT interested in frivolous, meaningless gifts like those mentioned above. Don't let others waste their money, and don't waste your own, on things that will quickly be thrown out, or stored in some dusty garage or attic never to be seen again until the owners pass away - leaving their children to wonder why the hell they kept junk like that all those years. 

     Be honest with people. Let them know the new path you're on. Let them know that in place of some "expected" gift, you'd rather have time with them (to grab a meal, or a movie, or a project or class together). If they insist they're buying you a gift (like a parent, spouse, kids, etc) then ask for experience or consumable gifts like mentioned in yesterday's blog post. Don't fall victim to the advertising gimmicks. Don't get caught up in the fake hype of holiday advertisers. Be smart with your money, and do others a favor helping them reign in their own finances a little bit. 

The stuff you buy will never make you happy, it's a never-ending cycle. People are seeking fulfillment but material junk will never fill that hole in your life. 

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 3 - Gift ideas

     Christmas doesn't need to be a time of excessive spending or accumulating piles of "stuff".  For those of you who aren't quite to attempt a 100% gift-free holiday season, here's a few ideas that can work your family in the right direction.

1.  For material gifts, why not give things you know your family & friends would buy for themselves or need? How about a new planner? a 2018 calendar? (Make one online using photos specific to them to personalize it.) a subscription to their favorite magazine? books?

2.  Homemade gifts (thousands of ideas on line, especially on websites like www.pinterest.com): artwork if you're creative, bath salts/scrubs, flavored cooking oils, homemade limoncello or other alcoholic drinks, "kits" - like cookie in a jar, s'mores, soup mix, chili mix, cake mix, cookies, fudge, etc. Again, google ideas like that, anything you knitted or crocheted,

3.  Gift Certificates or Cards:  restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, massages, spa visits, retail stores, amazon, movie theaters, google play, itunes, Xbox, phone plans, bowling, online sites like Shutterfly so they can print photo albums and other items, Wine & Painting class, educational classes, cooking classes, dance classes, etc.

4.  Tickets:  Movies, Plays, Concerts, Speaking Engagements, Sports Events, Airfare, Admission to a favorite attraction

5.  Consumables:  Gift baskets (purchased or homemade) - wine, pasta & sauce, produce, gourmet, snacks, chocolate, choose an ethnic theme (like Italian, Mexican, Southwestern, etc.), card games, candy, cookies, flavored popcorn, etc.

6.  Other ideas:  Memberships to local attractions, personalized ceramic mugs/platters (see online ideas or visit places like As You Wish), decorate a photo frame, blow up and frame a picture you take that you know they'll love to hang in their home,

     I hope these ideas help you get started, especially since we're getting a good head start. Good luck!

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 2 - Declutter early

   

   

     Many people stress over the holidays because they're too busy, they have people coming to their home to celebrate, and they don't have enough time to get (or keep) their homes looking good. There always seems to be too many last minute scrambles to hide piles, remove trash, clear the tables and counters, and get stuff out of the corners. What if you started by decluttering in baby steps now so that when the holidays are here, you've already minimized the mess? Here's a few baby steps you can put into practice over the next week or so to get you going. Just do a little each day and before the holidays are here, the house will already look better.

1.  Every morning when you get up, do 5 minutes of cleaning - putting clean dishes away, putting in a load of laundry, or transferring one to the dryer, or folding clothes. You could use it to sweep a floor, or take out the trash. Just find 5 minutes to do something in the morning before you leave/start your day.

2.  Keep a box by the door (or back door). It's for things you want to donate. Every day, put an item in the box and keep it up for a week. If you have a family, get them to do it too, but try to start with things in the "public eye" first - where guests would see it. We can talk about decluttering closets and drawers another time, but if you've got some useless knick knacks around the house, or old blankets, books no one will ever read, shoes that have been sitting by the door for six months without being worn, donate them. Maybe you could keep this habit going right up to the holidays. The average home in America has over 300,000 items! Imagine how much cleaner your home would look if you got rid of 30 items each in the first month. Things would seem less cluttered, more intentional, and you'd spend less time cleaning.

3.  Menu Plan. This may be easier to do in the morning for each night, or just do a few days ahead, but if you can sit down on the weekend and plan a week, even better. Don't waste money. See what you have on hand FIRST. THEN plan what you can make without needing to buy a bunch of new ingredients. Planning even just one day ahead saves so much time when you get home at the end of a tiring day. You can just start right in knowing what to do instead of taking 45 minutes thinking about it and discussing it - then ordering out something that takes another half hour and costs you money you didn't need to spend. All you need is a base (rice, salad, quinoa, pasta, etc), pick a protein (meat, poultry, fish, vegan options), and add some nutrition with vegetables or even fruit (salad, broccoli, carrots, beets, mixed veggies, sliced apple, diced pears, applesauce). Saves time and money.

4.  Make a point to get dishes done before you go to bed, whether it's after dinner or half an hour before you want to go to bed. I know no one enjoys dishes after a long day, but you'll be so happy in the morning not to walk into a messy kitchen with dirty dishes piled up in the sink.

5.  Remove things from the main living area that are unnecessary (at least for the next 90 days through the holidays). These aren't things you'll donate, just things to remove for now to declutter guest space. It can be things like extra toss pillows and blankets you've been having to straighten every day, or decor that doesn't need to be on display for a few months, or piles of things you want but haven't figured out where to put them yet. Take a quick look around your space and pretend you have someone offering you $50 for every item you're willing to remove - what do you not really need to look at every day? Again, it's only temporary and you aren't giving it away. You're just making things more simple for the next few months.

We'll discuss more baby steps as the month goes on, but for now, just these few things can make a huge difference at the end of 30 days. Are you up to the challenge?

Living Simply October Challenge: Day 1 - Preparing for the holidays

   

   
     Finally, I'm back on a normal schedule again. I'm ready for this next 30 day challenge starting today! Every year the holidays tend to creep up on us, then we find ourselves all stressed out. Time flies faster than expected, we didn't get as much done as we'd hoped, and everything seems to be keeping us overwhelmed with busyness, right up to the last minute. This year, let's start the fall season right. Let's take a day to figure out what we want for/from/out of the holidays. I would say I'm a minimalist and working at it every day, but I'm not quite ready to say people should just have zero fun, no decorations, no planned family events and parties, let the kids learn how to live without expectations of Christmas (or whatever other holidays you celebrate), etc. I am however, willing to adapt my holidays to fit a more simple lifestyle. One without an excess of the unnecessary. Are you willing to go there with me for the next 30 days? Here's today's challenge:

Think about what you want the holidays to look like this year - and figure out if it could use a little more simplicity. 

1. Gather your family (household/roommates/extended family/whatever you want) and discuss what are everyone's favorite things about or parts of the holidays that you definitely want to stick to. Make a list so they can be incorporated into the holiday plans.

2.  Then discuss what things in the past everyone does NOT like. Maybe there's a family tradition that the kids have outgrown and they wish you'd stop doing it, lol. Perhaps a destination or cruise event would be better? As our kids got older, we decided Thanksgiving wouldn't be a big, loud, family thing anymore. Instead, we opt for a quiet, plated, candlelight dinner before those last 4 weeks of craziness and crowded stores.

3.  Does anyone have any memories of the holidays at someone else's house and they did something your family could add or benefit from doing? Maybe something found on Pinterest or an article? Maybe a cookie swap or something new to try? Be creative. In our home, we do a Victorian tree every other year since I've spent a lifetime collecting Victorian ornaments, many that invoke memories for each of us. In the off years, we pick a theme - beach, Greek, Mexican, Scottish, Italian, Baseball, etc. We integrate the theme into our tree, menu, gift wrap colors, and decorations. Just don't go overboard buying a bunch of things you don't need - nothing that's just "stuff" or clutter. A few pieces that can be reused or remade into something else later on work just fine. Don't waste money.

4.  Have everyone come up with one food they'd like at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whatever you'll be celebrating. Then everyone can have their favorite food(s) there and no one's spending hours on something no one likes nor wants.

5.  Decide how you feel about gift-giving. I really want to try to give non-material gifts whenever possible this year. Experiences like tickets, lessons, etc. are going to be remembered and used long after the "shiny new thing" becomes just clutter around the house, or stuck in a closet/garage somewhere. If you need ideas for this, check out previous posts on gift ideas. I know I've posted at least a few times about them during Minimalism and Living Simply challenges in July and August.

Once you've gotten the plans down, just be done for the day and enjoy each other's company. Share a meal, a dessert, or a drink. Don't stress over the plans you've listed out - just let them sit so you have time to think about them, make necessary changes, and in the end, you'll have a less-stressed more simple holiday season. Good luck!