Simple on Purpose: Myths About Simple Living

One of the things that scared me about simple living and minimalism at first was that it would mean huge sacrifice and feeling like I was lacking.  In case you have those same fears let me dispel some of the myths surrounding this lifestyle change for you.

Myth #1 You won't have what You need when You need it. 

The Truth:

First you need to discover the difference between needs and wants.  I get it!  We are creatures of comfort.  Sometimes a want feels like a serious need.  Do I want to have the perfect wool coat to wear with my little black dress to the once a year Christmas party I attend?  Absolutely!  But reality is I have a perfectly fine ski jacket and really my outer wear will only be seen briefly when I arrive and when I leave so I can be perfectly content with it and I only need one warm coat.

Second surely you won't purge anything you use on a regular basis.  If you are a smoothie nut... keep your blender and that specific long handled spoon that reaches all the way to the bottom of your blender to scrape out the delicious drips that linger down there. 

Third anything you don't have that you absolutely genuinely can't make do without can probably be picked up in a thrift store fairly easily.  In fact Tsh Oxenreider has a mind blowing post about using a thrift store as a storage unit it's quite brilliant.

Myth #2 You'll feel like you're lacking

The Truth:

I used to have an enormous wardrobe.  I mean spilling out of drawers, covering the floor, couldn't find a thing I wanted to wear because I couldn't find a thing anyway.  And every single item I owned was cheap.  I bought it because it was on clearance, or a screaming thrift store deal, or because someone else was eyeing it up at a garage sale so I had to have it!  It didn't matter that the shirt was high visibility yellow... it only cost $2!

Since I've moved on to a capsule wardrobe of 33 items or less I get to be much more intentional about my purchases and choose quality items that are better made and have a better fit.  I still buy the things I want on sale sometimes, but it's because I have waited for it to be on sale, not because I walked in to the store and it just happened to spot it on the clearance rack.  I'll write more about capsule wardrobes in another post.

Now that I love everything I wear I do not miss any of my old cheap outfits.  

Myth #3 You won't fit in with your friends anymore.

Thrift store shopping and yard sales are 2 of my favorite ways to spend time with friends, but what's the fun in that if you don't need to buy anything and you won't want to bring home a bunch of stuff to re-clutter your house?  Here are 2 ways I tackled this fear:

1. I still shop.  I love to wander around looking at other people's junk.  The difference is I have a purpose in mind.  For instance, at the moment I am on the hunt for a teapot.  I have recently started to enjoy drinking tea with my family and it would be a whole lot easier if I could just make 1 pot rather than brewing each individual cup.  So when I go out treasure hunting I have a specific treasure in mind.
2. We find other things to do... There are pubs and coffee shops to chat in.  I've taken in more than a few concerts and plays since I've started this minimalism gig.  And if you're really stuck for something to do there's always (gasp) physical exercise.  Go for a hike, take up kayaking, or join a class together. 

If you're worried that you won't be keeping up with trends in your group of pals... don't worry about it... good friends just won't care what you wear.  Well unless you break out the booty shorts and crop tops.  I say purge those.

What am I missing?  What fears are you holding you back from taking the plunge?  What questions do you have? 

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Simple on Purpose: My Story

I  had a messy bedroom my entire youth.  Oh sure every once in a while I would be inspired to clean up all of my crap... cramming it into drawers and my closet, only to see it all toss itself on the floor and pile itself up on every flat surface it could find within a couple of days.

Then I became an adult and I soon had an entire house to fill up with "treasures"  and junk.  I would buy clothes that I loved... for a little while.  If it was cheap and on sale, the chances that it would end up belonging to me increased at least 75%... if it was free it was definitely coming home with me.  I loved yard sales and thrift stores and would spend weekends on "thrift" shopping sprees.  Adding to the heaps of stuff I already owned.

Side note: I still love yard sales and thrift stores, but I approach them with much more intention than I used to.

Unfortunately all of these prize possessions started to create more havoc than pleasure.  My cluttered house was a heavy burden.  My attitude was crumby.  I was stressed out.  My stuff was making me a basket case.

Thrift Store Treasures...

It took me stepping back and realizing that nothing I had ever purchased was helping me be a better mom, a more loving wife or a kinder person.  Not a single knickknack, piece of clothing or gadget made me a better human being.  In fact my serial consumerism was even making me a worse citizen to the earth.  My consumption of  cheap goods meant that I was exploiting people who worked in abhorrent situations. Think sweatshops and slavery.  And my habits were also causing more landfill waste.

I needed to change.  And that's what I did.  Do I still have to stuff?  Yes.  Do I still love clothes and unique decor? You bet! Do I still have toys for my kids to play with?  Of course!  We are just more selective about the things we actually love, use and bring home. 

I want you to know that simplicity and minimalist living isn't something that I'm naturally good at.  It takes intentional choice and a considerable amount of forethought. My ideas of living simple on purpose is going to look different than your ideas, my hope is that we will inspire each other.

Dear friend if you are surrounded by heaps of stuff, if your house seems to be closing in on you, I want you to know that you are not alone. If you are feeling shameful of your current house situation, take a deep breath, if you want to change that you can. If you are overwhelmed by all of the activities and events on your calendar, you can create more white space and freedom.

Stick around and we will journey into a less complicated lifestyle  that is much more in line with our individual purposes, together.

photo credit: New at Rikki's Refuge Re-Tail 1/10/15 via photopin (license)

Introducing Simple on Purpose

Over the past few months I have been searching. Searching for ways to sculpt my life into something meaningful.  I want to say yes to the opportunities that line up with my life's purpose. Say no, with out regret, to the things that don't, and create deep relationships and fantastic memories along the way.

A big part of being able to live with more intention is to simplify.

Which is why I am super excited to be teaming up with the totally funny and completely fabulous Shawna over at Dovetail Blog to share some (or maybe all) of the ways we are living Simple on Purpose.

Now don't think we're being bossy and telling you how to run your life... That's not what we're about. We're about sharing stories and experiences and some tidbits that have worked for us. (If you're lucky we'll include some failures just so you don't start to think we're doing this simple living thing perfectly).

I'll be posting over here about books that have inspired my journey, practices we've adopted for keeping clutter at bay, ways I keep white space in my schedule, sharing my life mission statement and more...

So join Shawna and I on our journey to clear away the chaos (well you know not all of the the chaos,  we'll hold on to the chaos we gave birth to and named), breath deep and invite freedom in to our day to day intentional lives.  Keeping things simple on purpose.

Ramblings of a Travelling Minimalist

I glanced around the one bedroom hotel suite that all five of us were using as home base for two nights in Vancouver late last week.  
"How many square feet is this hotel room?" I asked Craig.  
"Oh I don't know maybe 400? 350?" He guessed
I wondered if we could all live in a small space like this?  Could we ever get to a point that we have so little that we could live in a wee cottage of a house?  I don't even know if that's something I want to turn into a goal.  Tiny houses both fascinate and horrify me.  

Anyway here's what I learned about our family's minimalist tendencies on our mini vacation:

Our kids understand the 1 in 1 out policy

Hudson actually made a deal with us one evening, "If I get rid of 7 toys could I buy 1 new toy with my own money?"  How could we pass up such an amazing bargain.  So before we left both Hudson and Meadow dutifully purged their toys.

Cutest mama lemur stuffy you ever did see!

The kids market on Granville Island is crazy overwhelming!

With Christmas money still burning a hole in their pockets we took our kiddos to the Kids Market... there are like a bajillion stores with tiny toys and stuffies and puppets and books and dolls and magic tricks and candy and dress up costumes and... my head was spinning.  Hudson managed to chose a magic trick and some crazy cool silly putty type stuff, Delaney was tickled pink with the purchase of a stuffed Pinky Pie, My Little Pony. Meadow left disappointed that the Elsa dolls and costumes were not in her budget, but I was proud of her for not settling and just buying what she could afford so she would have something new.

Sidenote: I did manage to tear myself away from the Harry Potter paraphernalia with out a snitch or a sorting hat!

It's OK to see something on sale and buy it without an intentional search for that item.

After Granville Island we spent a ton of time at Science World.  We intentionally chose to spend money on going to the Omnimax theater and enjoying that clutterless experience.  We also intentionally chose to exit Science World through the gift shop.  "What in the world were you thinking!" you may be exclaiming at your computer screen right now... but I assure you it was all rational thought.  Our children still had some money and we were there to guide them away from glow in the dark stars toward more educational products. Although we did let Delaney squander her funds on 2 stuffed Lemurs... she's 3 and it's open ended imaginative play right?

Isn't it lovely! Decompose a banana in 10 days!

Right there in the discount bin is where I first laid eyes on my semi impulse purchase. A compost observation kit.  Oh yes!  Every homeschool mom's dream and it was 50% off!  And if you want to borrow it when we're done with it I'm totally cool with that (as long as you are local).

We did really well!

Did we come home with more than we left with? Yes!  Were we prepared for that? Yes! Did our purchases overwhelm us? No! Was this trip a success in terms of maintaining minimalism?  I think so!

How do you handle travel spending and souvenirs?  

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Cleaning Out The Closet... Before and After

Sooo this week I kind of flaked in the taking pictures of my outfits department. I do have 1 to share with you though...  (I did get dressed more that once this week I promise) and then a before and after closet reveal.

Outfit 1:

 Target (RIP) cardigan, grey tank, American Eagle skinny jeans, purple scarf from the fudge shop on the way to Vanderhoof.

I wore this on Tuesday to my kid's gymnastics class and then to the dentist.

I'm actually looking to replace this pair of jeans, so I went shopping, and of course fell in love with $98 Silver skinny jeans.  Perhaps this Cost Per Wear post will help me part with that kind of cash for a pair of pants.  In the mean time I'm still thinking on that purchase.

 On to the bedroom closets. 

Here they are before:

(Note that I couldn't even open the closet door all the way to take a picture of the shelves.)

With the amount of purging we have done recently it was decided that Craig and I really didn't need separate closets.  What we really needed was a place to keep the vacuum, broom, mop, linens, and adult board games. One garbage bag of stuff removed and a whole bunch on hangers tossed...
Tada!


What have your minimizing projects looked like this week?

Capsule Kitchens

There's a new idea circulating social media.  In the minimalist circles at least... it's called a capsule kitchen.  It's similar to a capsule wardrobe. 

With a capsule wardrobe you only have a certain amount of clothing items and you can generally mix and match those items to create various outfits. Case in point my 33 items of clothing for 3 months commitment.

When it comes to a capsule kitchen replace clothing items with food.  So for 3 months you only shop for and eat 33 food items which you can of course eat on their own or use in recipes with some of the other items on your list.

This fascinates me.  I mean really how great would it be to have your shopping list streamlined for 3 months.  Eat more in season produce and get your creative juices flowing to try new recipes.  Exciting right?

It also terrifies me.  I mean how much zucchini and squash can a person eat?  And what about cravings?  What if I really want Kraft Dinner?  But it's not on my list of 33 foods... so I don't even have it in the house... and then I just stand there staring at my sadly bare cupboard... totally uninspired because there is no mac and cheese!  Do you feel the anxiety?

I promise to let you know if I decide to take this on.

What do you think?  Does the idea of a capsule kitchen appeal to you?  What would be on your list?

33 Clothing Items for 3 Months... What I Wore Week 2

Week 2 of the challenge... Here's what happened:

1. 3 year old had the flu... so I didn't actually get dressed every day this week.
2. I am discovering that I feel quite vulnerable posting pictures of myself taken by my 9 year old...

On with the (fashion) show:

Day 1:

 I was headed to a surprise party to celebrate my
mother-in-law becoming a Canadian citizen... So my outfit is black and white leggings, chambray button up, grey tank top  (borrowed flag headband and red scarf from my kids dress-up)

Day 2:

Play date and dinner at my mom's were the agenda... Outfit: Grey American Eagle cardigan, Silver jeans, Sevenly Love shirt, carriage necklace and navy tank top.

Day 3:

An afternoon at my grandma's inspired this slightly wild but super comfy combo: Patterned leggings, grey tank top, Sevenly education is freedom shirt, black Target (RIP) cardigan and the necklace my dad made for me.

So there you have it... What did you wear?  Are you purging your closet?  How's that going for ya?

I'm Taking the Plunge! 33 clothing Items for 3 months.

Is it pathetic or perfect that I am struggling to actually find 33 wearable items in my current wardrobe?  The shopaholic, impress the world, person in me says "Wahoo lets shop!"  but the simplifying minimalist wanna be says "I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for... check under the bed."

So for the next 3 months I will be getting dressed by choosing from 33 items (or less) in my closet and following the rules Courtney Carver of Project 333 has laid out.

Here is my list thus far:
2 sweater dresses
3 pairs of leggings
2 pairs of jeans
2 belts
2 necklaces
3 scarves
3 cardigans
4 tank tops
2 pairs of boots
2 little black dresses
2 t-shirts (I may need to do some purchasing in this area but I will see how it goes.)

And that's it!  That's all I have, but having fewer than 33 items gives me a little bit of space to possibly add a few quality pieces to my capsule wardrobe if things aren't working.

"Remember that this is not a project in suffering." Project 333

I will also from time to time be posting pictures of my favorite outfits on Instagram so feel free to follow me there.

Are you doing anything to simplify your wardrobe? Tell me about it!  Maybe we can encourage each other.

Minimalist Inspiration...

Over the last little while our family had sort of fallen off the "Minimalist Wagon".  We're not drowning in stuff over here... but there are definitely things around here that are just excess and not serving a purpose.  



To slay this clutter dragon (again... ahem).  I'm making a list of inspirational minimalist blogs to give me motivation.

This 30-day minimalist challenge from Into Mind  looks like it will be very encouraging to participate in. It doesn't just deal with cleaning out closets and dealing with your physical junk... the daily suggestions are mostly about doing things that are good for your peace of mind and I could totally use a little sanity here.

Clutter Free With Kids by Joshua Becker is the book that really motivated me to consider living with less ( and it's less than $6 for the Kindle edition).  I suppose it's only natural that I would continue to me motivated by his Becker's blog Becoming Minimalist.  He has some super practical tips for helping you keep your resolution to declutter.

Oh my word!  Make Room for Greatness has the mother load list of articles about exploring minimalism.  I haven't read all of them... but I plan to dive in once my kiddos are in bed tonight.

What are you doing to regain control of your stuff?  Where are you gleaning your minimalist inspiration?

Because This... 19th Edition

It's the weekend... but what does that really mean for stay at home mothers?  Perhaps we will strive for adventure of some sort tomorrow... Outdoors?  In the mean time... here are a spattering of my favorites from this week:

Some of my other favorite photos can be found over at Fruitful Abundance

Could you go a year without buying anything new?  Holy smokes!  What a challenge!  I am pretty sure I would want to create a few capsule wardrobes before embarking on anything so lofty.  Still a good experiment to see how little we actually NEED.

Ok I seriously want to be friends with Shannon... I feel like we are knit from the same variegated yarn... You are always welcome in my home... Come In... Here, we hold hands with the mess of life...

And here at Goats Milk Lattes... You all were so supportive and loving when I posted about our first miscarriage... it is extremely vulnerable to share such a story and I am ever so greatful for your love and kindness.

How about you?  What inspired or interested you this week?  What are your adventurous weekend plans?

3 Habits I Want to Establish in 21 Days

Alright... since I just wrote 4 Ways to Remember Your Monthly Goals... I thought I better actually set a few goals and try out my methods.  So here are 3 habits I want to establish this month:

1. No Phone During School Time:

This pretty much looks just like it says... I will not be "playing" on my phone during school time.  Instead I will play with Delaney, be readily available to help the bigger kids and leave my phone on my bedside table during that time.  Yes I will put the no phone sign on the schoolroom door.

2. Write For a Minimum 10 Minutes 6 Days a Week:

It's one of the rules of writing don't you know?  Show up and write.  My plan?  Set a phone alarm (or maybe 2  just in case I am in the middle of a very important something or another when the first one sounds).  Then I will ignore any child who is not critically injured or having an explosive bodily function and write.

3. Spend at Least 15 Minutes Outside Everyday:

Again a phone alarm reminder will probably work well for this.  A walk with the kiddos after breakfast sounds... well slightly stressful... but with the right attitude it will be fun.  Ok ok so this might be an experimental ever evolving goal... 

Leave me a comment and tell me what habits you want to work on... What strategies do you have for keeping your goals front and center?

</ photo credit: Digo_Souza via photopin cc

Ethical Shopping... Where?

I realize you might be sick of hearing about Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne... and really that's ok.  You don't have to stick around and read this for my sake... but if you think you can deal with a little more... click on the photo above and read just this page.

A few years ago we stopped buying chocolate that was not fair trade... It was a small step... but a candy bar was no longer a treat knowing that someone had suffered to get it into my hands.

Recently more information has become available to me about ethical shopping... mostly about clothes.  I really love clothes... (which is not so great for my blossoming devotion to a more minimalist life.)  So I have been Googling ethical clothing choices in Canada... since I'm not aware of where to purchase a lot of these brands in my area (still searching)... and honestly I just don't have the clothing budget for many of the items that are branded ethical... for our family thrift stores and hand me downs will probably be the decision we make for a majority of our clothing purchases.  (Plus I love a good treasure hunt!!)

The Art of Simple has the best list for ethical shopping that I have found online... It's mostly U.S. shopping, but there are a few companies that have Canadian branches.

Fill me in... where do you know of that sells ethically manufactured clothing?

Because This... 14th Edition

Welcome to my favorite photos and links of the week... 

I am weirdly intrigued by this 31 days of no spending challenge... but I think it would make me very grumpy What do you think?  Would you do it? 

101 Physical Things That Can Be Reduced in Your Home ... I am scouting our shelves and bins for more to get rid of... this is a good list to start with.

A very interesting point of view on compassion and loving your neighbour. Jennifer Lawrence may be a victim, but not of the devil.

Slowly Slowly Slowly...

When Hudson was wee... about 3 or 4... his favourite bedtime story was “Slowly, slowly, slowly,” said the sloth. In the book a menagerie of exotic animal characters poke fun at the sloth labelling him things like “lazy” and “boring”.

I discovered this week, that I am that collection of animals...

I just finished reading Notes From aBlue Bike by Tsh Oxenreider. She has oodles of great tips for living a simpler, more intentional life. From slow food, to being careful what you say “yes” to, to experiencing other cultures with your family... Tsh's book is thought provoking, attitude changing, and inspiring... You guys I am actually having fantasies about international travel with my children... granted my fantasies also include taking along a full time nanny... baby steps right?

Anyway back to me being a jungle bully... slowing down is HARD!!! We are currently vacationing on a rather remote (you have to take 3 ferries to get to it from Vancouver) island... it's full of beaches and nature trails... there are businesses here that are literally only open for 2 hours a week! (Yes you read that right folks).

There are hours that stretch before me for doing nothing but reading... or napping... but I'm planning... “What are we doing tomorrow folks?” “Stop making rainbow loom bracelets and let's doooo something...” I may be getting a little whiny. I'm glad I notices this little... shall we say glitch?... in my programming before we head home...

So for the last few days of vacation I will sneak in a few more pages of my book while the children are hunting for their flip flops... I will embrace late dinners as an extension of my afternoon... and I will try really hard to be OK with doing things Slowly slowly slowly...

5 Intentional Choices That Make Me a Better Mom...

Please note that the title of this post is not Intentional Choices That Make Me a Better Mom... Than You.  These are quite simply things that I have chosen for my family that make me a better mom than I would be without them.

We live rural...This means that my kiddos have plenty of places to explore.
We have no shortage of pets to care for... teaching gentleness, compassion and serving others.
I don't feel the need to be a helicopter parent... my kids abundance of freedom creates confidence.

We homeschool... (refer to top paragraph where I stated that these are my choices that make ME a better mom).
This gives me the opportunity to be part of my kiddos every day...
 I often learn right alongside them...
I am part of their struggles and their victories.

I hire a house cleaner... Why beat myself over the head with something that I kind of suck at?  I have a great house cleaner... she knows the drill... my house is always much less chaotic when she is done... and less stress means happier mama.

We limit toys... If it doesn't fit in the red box in the livingroom or serve a specific purpose (ex: game, puzzle, hobby...) then it doesn't usually stick around.  This somewhat stops my house from being over run with ahem dare I say...crap.

I surround myself with other moms... Especially ones who think I am a good mom and have a fondness for my children... I have enough self doubt without having someone else add to it... plus I need a village... I need women in my life who are supportive and encouraging... and I believe that I have a monkey sphere who will lift me up (or at least help me escape) when the going gets rough.

What do you do that makes you a better mom?  How do you handle the rough spots of parenting?

Because This... 10th Edition

So in this 10th edition of Because This... I decided to tweak the format of the post a little bit and include my favorite links of the week... I think this will partner well with my favorite photo(s) of the week...

Favorite Photos:

Favorite Links:

• Give Me Gratitude or Give Me Debt Glennon over at Momastery totally changed my perspective on my house woes.
• 18 Non-Toy Gifts for Children My girl's birthdays are both in September... these are some great gift ideas... ahem... just sayin'
• The Depressed Christian: Why the dark night is no measure of your soul Of all the blog post I have read this week on depression this one by far spoke to me the most... Bravo Megan.

Five Ways to Win My Heart...

You know just in case you are looking to rock my world or float my boat... or just make me feel special... Here's a quick list how.

1. Take me shopping a pick my clothes... seriously I love clothes... but I'm not super confident when it comes to picking them... and you will probably pick something that I never would have tried on in 1000 years... 
2. Let's go on a trip where we make too many stops... you now like "Hey there's a thrift store... stop at that fruit stand... follow the arrows to that garage sale... wanna find out what that plaque says at the stop of interest? Cause I do."
3. Send me fun mail... you know like cute note cards... pretty bookmarks... there is a lot of love in the written word.
4. Coffee... Chocolate... Wine... Sushi... Cheesecake
5. Help me with something that overwhelms me... fresh eyes and an extra pair of hands are often the remedy for a big mess to be cleaned up...

What about you?  What are some things that boost your spirits and soothe your soul?
photo credit: - Dom - via photopin cc

Five Minute Friday- Exhale

I'm joining Lisa-Jo Baker and a bunch of other brilliant bloggers for Five Minute Friday... 

Go:
Exhale... Is that the same thing as let it go?  Not the popular Disney song that is stuck in everyone's head... but actually releasing the stuff that really doesn't matter?

I want to recognize when I what I am stressing out about just isn't important... Like really... is my life going to change drastically if my floors are spotlessly clean?  Who cares if there is stuff on my living room table?

On the other hand doesn't minimizing give me room to breath?  To really relax and let out the air I have been holding in all day?  Perhaps I can create calm with routine... or just without the crap that piles up... go away... give me space... I need to exhale.
Stop.

The Screen Sabbath Experiment...

I have been inspired... and I want the same thing that inspired me to inspire you... last night... in the too late hours... when I should have been sleeping... I was reading over at The Art Of Simple where Tsh posted about taking a screen sabbath.

On our recent trip to Vancouver I shut off my phone until my kiddos were in bed... the urge to reach out to check Facebook or check my emails was pretty tough to ignore ... but I did it... and it was totally worth it.

24 whole hours with no screens... no lap tops, smart phones, television, iPad... sounds like painful torture doesn't it?

I wanna do it... but I need a plan...

Date: Sunday March 23 2014

Screen free activities:

• Head to a park in town (with snacks or a picnic lunch)
• Work on a puzzle 
• Read stories
• Make up our own stories
• Create art master pieces

I think really the key here is snacks... snacks make people happy :)

I hope to make screen sabbaths a Scott family tradition... but baby steps my friends... baby steps.

Wanna join me? Heck if your local and the weather holds out maybe we could head to a park together... or come on over and our kiddos can get into some fun (and probably messy) art projects.

What ideas do you have for going screen free?