Friday, June 28, 2013

Simpler Times

We are in prep for our new lifestyle.  We are moving in a few weeks, but we are already starting to transition to some new patterns.  Our new house doesn't have a dishwasher, so we have stopped using our dishwasher even though we have one available for a while longer.  The transition has been easy so far, because the dishwasher in the townhouse we're renting is HORRIBLE!

Today I bought a dish drying rack and a dishwand where you can put soap in the handle.  Having the right tools has already made doing dishes very easy.  The best part:  our sink has been clean every night!  My kitchen feels so much more organized and clean!

Hopefully we'll still feel this optimistic a few months into our season in the white cottage in the woods!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Searching For Simplicity

Over the years, I have followed blogs and read books that encourage the simpler life.  Each time we've moved, I have pared down our belongings and made attempts to simplify our life in some way.  Ironically, moving in and of itself is not necessarily making our lives simpler in that season!

Recently, the hubbs and I have made some professional moves that have solidified our hometown situation.  No longer are we contemplating cross-country moves or big, dramatic life- changes in careers.  All of our moves have been helpful in the sense that they have helped us understand what we value and what works best for our personalities and lifestyles.  And so, we have made moves to relocate to the country.  We just signed a lease in a small, country town Southeast of Denver, just far enough to have some breathing room, and just close enough to commute to work and play.

Can I tell you how excited we are about this!

Here's the catch:  the house we're moving into is about 500 sf less than what we're living in now.  It is a smaller house, built originally in the 1940's.  It has so much charm and character, but our actual living space is shrinking.  Our overall storage space (it has a sweet garage) is expanding, though!  We're going to have to downsize even more with our furniture.  We're also going to have to get more smart about our storage (hello, IKEA!).

We know there will be adjustments to this kind of living, but we are excited about the fact that this smaller house will force us to have available only the things we need and love.  It will allow us to enjoy the peacefulness of nature and not be surrounded by consumerism as soon as we drive out of our neighborhood.

Expected Challenges:
*  Less Closet Space:  Let's face it - we both have a lot of clothes.  Even though I try to keep the 1-in-1-out rule, I still have a lot of clothes myself.
*  Less Counter Space:  Food Prep will have to be smarter.  I will have to be a less-messy cook!
*  No Dishwasher!  This actually might keep our sink cleaner because we will have to get into the habit of cleaning dishes after we use them, and not rely on a machine to do it later.
*  No where to hide!  There won't be as many places to place clutter and let it pile up.  We'll have to stay more diligent about putting things away!

Even with these challenges, we are excited for this shift toward simplicity.  We'll let you know how it goes!