6.21.2018

minimal living 101

I've shared about minimalism over the past few years of blogging and how it's brought our family so much freedom and peace of mind. Since getting married in 2012 and then having Olivia in 2013, we have been pursuing minimalism as a couple and family and have been able to get rid of about 75% of our belongings over the last 5 years. I had the chance to speak on this topic to my MOPS group this past Spring and it sparked so many amazing conversations and got so many Moms thinking about it and wanting it for themselves, and because it's been so life changing for us, I thought it would be fun to do a post that offers a good overview of minimalism if you think it might benefit you & your family too! 


I am going to bulletpoint what I think is most important that you know about minimalism and then give you some steps to get started! I also have all my favorite articles linked under my minimal living page to serve as resources. 

what minimalism is:
simplified living
being thoughtful about what we bring in to our home
removing distractions that keep us from knowling & fulfilling God's purpose for our lives
an appreciation of space
prioritization of the things that really matter
getting rid of what isn't necessary
less stress
a means to allow you to accomplish what you were created & called to do
finding satisfaction in what you do have and treasuring it all the more
practicing self-control and teaching it to your children
putting people above possessions
knowing exactly what you own and where everything is in your home
only having things in your home that bring you joy
a lifestyle
a mindset

what minimalism is not:
owning nothing and living without furniture in a home with bare walls
the same as organization (you can organize all you want and still have a house filled with stuff)
about never buying anything
about feeling deprived
getting rid of everything once and then letting it reaccumulate

what minimalism means for us:
a clean & clutter-free home (even with 3 kids)
financial freedom
living debt-free
raising our daughters to value people more than things
kids that don't mind cleaning up because it takes only a few minutes
seeing creativity, imagination & sharing amongst our daughters
open space to play
room to breathe
joy, freedom & peace of mind
more time to spend as a family
less time spent cleaning, organizing, maintaining, working for and paying for stuff

how to get started
first off, download the YouVersion bible app on your iphone (its free) and complete the 14-day devotional "the more of less: a guide to less stuff and more joy" -- this is a great introduction to what minimalism is and asks thought-provoking questions to help you understand why you want to pursue it and gives practical steps to take, all with a biblical foundation. You can even do it with friends -- or your husband! -- and there is a "talk it over" portion after each reading where you can share your thoughts. If I have a friend who asks me to help them minimize, this is the first "homework" I give them, and I do it with them so I can get an idea of why they want to start and what they most hope to get out of it. 

secondly, pick a place to start. I suggest mentally categorizing things in your home and picking one of them to begin with (for example, KIDS, CLOTHES, KITCHEN, GARAGE, BATHROOM etc). If you pick KIDS, break it in to easy to tackle sections: BOOKS, TOYS, CLOTHES, SHOES or by space: PLAYROOM, CLOSET, BASEMENT etc. This will make decluttering easier to accomplish and give you an area of focus instead of just feeling overwhelmed and like you need to get rid of everything you own all at once ;) 

Let's say you choose KIDS >> BOOKS. Go through all the children's books in your home, wherever they may be. Which books do your kids never reach for? Which books do you not actually enjoy reading to your kids? Which books are falling apart so much that you can barely read them? Depending on how many you own, try to get rid of at least 1/3-1/2 of your collection. Pass them along to friends whose kids might enjoy them, bring them to "Little Free Libraries" around your city or donate them. If you're still left with a good size collection, categorize them and put them in clear plastic bins with labels (for example, by season or by theme...winter books, nature books, summer books, animal books). Store all the labeled bins in an empty closet and pull one bin out per month, rotating through the bins one at a time. Include your kids in picking which bin to pull out and have them help you put the books on the shelves. You will be amazed at how much more your kids enjoy reading the "new" books and you will have bookshelves that are clutter-free and bookcases that aren't overfilled. Chances are, your kids won't even notice you got rid of half your collection and you'll love how much quicker they can be picked up and the new spark your kids will get from them. Reading will become more fun for both you and your children. 

Let's say you choose KITCHEN >> DISHES. Most everyone has cluttered kitchen cabinets with little to no space for anything, even to put clean dishes away. Because of minimalism, we are able to live with so much empty and open space in our cabinets and always know where each specific kind of dish is. This makes mealtime and emptying the dishwasher stress-free. Chances are, you have at least a dozen sippy cups, half of which are missing lids or straws or spill everytime you use them or are ones your kids don't even like, etc. Keep 1-2 sippy cups (per child) that are used daily and get rid of the rest. Same is true with kids plates and bowls. How many do your kids use in a full day? Keep only that many and then run the dishwasher at night and you'll have them for the next day. Go through your own dish sets -- do you have a mix of dishes from your wedding registry, random dishes you've picked up during Target clearance sales and then dishes that don't match anything else in your kitchen or dishes with chips or that are cracked and broken? Pick one style set for your family and get rid of everything else -- ask a friend if they could use them or contact ministries or organizations in your area. Our church works closely with several that are always needing extra dishes. Do the same with silverware. Does your kid actually need 12 plastic forks?? Probably not ;) You get what I'm saying. It sounds so funny but this is actually the reality of it: people own so much more than they even know and often, it is stuff that has accumulated over years and years without even realizing it. 

These are just two examples, but I think the biggest mistake people make when starting to pursue minimalism is feeling like they need to purge their entire home in one day and they get so overwhelmed they don't even know where to start and then they don't start at all. Start small, with small spaces and small categories that you can tackle in an afternoon. Try to take on one of these every day, even if for only an hour while your kids nap or in the evening, put a movie on for them and ask your husband to watch it with them while you do some decluttering. Dustin continually says one of the things he appreciates most about me is my passion for minimalism -- it has impacted both him and myself, our marriage, our home and our family is such incredible ways. If your family understands the benefits it brings, chances are they are going to be supportive and willing to help you as you spend some time working through your home to minimize. 

third (and lastly), put a "one in, three out" rule in to place. This means, for every ONE thing you bring in to your home (with the exception of necessities like food, toilet paper, diapers, etc), take three things out of it. Did your child get a new toy? Have them select three toys they no longer play with (or if they're too little, pick them yourself) and pass them along to kids who will play with them. Buy new shoes for yourself? Go through your closet and pick out 3 pairs you haven't worn in years or that no longer fit you. Keeping this rule in place will help ensure that all the hard work you've done to minimize won't be erased in a few months. Being mindful of what you bring in your home -- and continuing to get rid of what you don't use/need regularly helps you to always be in a forward motion instead of minimizing for a month and then accumulating it all back the next. 

This post ended up being so much longer than I anticipated but I hope it gives you some practical ideas and a look in to the lifestyle we love so much. I'm so thankful God has given us the desire to pursue minimalism as a family and that even my girls are on board with it -- we all see and experience the benefits every day and I can't imagine living any other way! My dream is to write a book on the topic of minimalism for motherhood because of how life-changing it has been for me. As always, thanks for reading and following along. You'll be the first to know when it's released ;) 

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