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!

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!
 

Minimalist Furniture

This article could not have come at a more opportune time.  We are in the midst of yet another move!  Yes, that's right.  We are moving across the country again!  Hopefully for the last time!  

Moving makes you really consider what you need and what to purge.  Fortunately, from all of our moves, the purge pile is actually pretty small.  We are on a constant search to simplify our lives of clutter, and moving has made that much easier.  We did a huge purge of furniture when we moved from CO to Nashville.  Now, as we look to move back, there really is not much furniture I feel we "need" to get rid of.  I still have in my mind, those lists of furniture pieces I would be fine with seeing gone, or those that we absolutely need.  It feels good, though, to know that we have just what we need.  It also feels good not to feel emotionally attached to furniture.  It is a very freeing feeling!  

While the writer of this article may be going a bit extreme, I think it's great to approach furniture like this.  It makes you really consider if you "need" it.  Here are some the pieces of furniture she said you don't "need" (my thoughts in italics):  

1. Dresser. Instead, try fabric shelves that hang from the closet bar. I use them myself for socks, undies, and folded clothes, and in my baby's room for everything from onesies and sleepers to bibs and washcloths.

I don't personally use a dresser.  I have plastic drawer bins and baskets that I use in my closet.  All of my clothes fit in my closet area.  However, if I had a dresser to use, I might use it, but I've been able to make do without.  

2. End tables. In my opinion, all those extra little tables that live in corners, and at the ends of couches, are just magnets for clutter.

Sometimes you need a place to set a drink.  We use our end tables, so I don't see these at clutter.

3. TV stand or entertainment center. I've eliminated the need for this monstrosity by ditching my television altogether. But if you're not ready to go that route, you can simply hang it on the wall.

In a rental, it's a lot of work to think about hanging a television, so we love our dining buffet-turned tv stand!  

4. Buffet or sideboard. Say sayonara to all the fancy table linens, and the heirloom (or wedding) china you never use, and skip this storage piece -- giving your wallet, and your dining area, a little more breathing room.

I keep my china stored in a secure bin and can pull it out whenever we serve a nice meal.  If I had a place to display them, I would, but it's not essential to me.  I also use my china teacups for things like holding baking soda around the house on shelves as air fresheners or to display a rose bud.  

5. Curio/display cabinet. Do away with the tchotchkes and knickknacks, and you can do away with this massive (and potentially expensive) furnishing. You'll also spend less time and money acquiring dust-collectors to fill it up.

Yea, no.  We don't like dust collectors, so I'm going to agree with this comment!  

6. Recliner. Sure, it's nice to put your feet up -- but not exactly a necessity.

We don't have one, but I some comforts in life are nice to have.  

7. Ottoman. See above.

8. File cabinet. Get a scanner and go digital for your non-essential paperwork. By minimizing the amount of paper that enters my life (and doing an annual paper purge), I'm able to get away with one box of "must keep" documents tucked away in a closet.

I scan all of our documents, but even still, our family is so complicated that we need to keep current papers organized, so my filing drawer is a must!  

9. Bookshelf. As a minimalist writer, I have a love/hate relationship with books; that is, I love the content, but hate the physical (heavy, unwieldy, difficult to move) format. Ebooks have been the answer to my prayers -- enabling me to forgo a bookshelf, and carry my entire collection with ease.

I agree with the love/hate relationship with books.  I haven't been able to jump on the digital book bandwagon.  I'm a purist when it comes to reading!  

10. Nightstand. If your bedside accoutrements are few, consider attaching a small shelf to the wall instead.

Need it!  Between alarm clocks, glasses, retainer, glass of water, lotion, and so much other stuff, I use my nightstand.  The floor is great to set stuff on, but when you have puppies, you want to make sure your stuff is up safe.  

Feeling inspired? Ambitious? Intrigued? Living without the next five items is a little more unconventional, but can save you a nice chunk of change (and some serious square footage):

11. Desk. If you use a laptop, you may not need a dedicated work surface -- you can surf, check email, and pay bills on your dining table, coffee table, sofa, lounge chair, or floor. In one of my apartments, I used adeep windowsill as a workspace.

I'd love to get rid of our desk, but until our desktop computer poops out, I feel like we need it.  I'd love to be back down to just laptops someday...

12. Desk chair. There's no need for a desk chair if you don't have a desk.

13. Sofa. It might sound crazy to go without a couch, but it's doable (and kind of fun!). The alternative: a lounge chair or two, or simply some cushions arranged on the floor.

We have to have a sofa!  It was the best investment we ever made.  Not only does it serve as comfort for us, but allows us to entertain, which is important to us.  And it serves as a really comfortable guest bed for the occasional guest who needs it.  Seriously, it's really comfortable.  

14. Dining table. Like a sofa, a dining table is typically considered a household essential -- but it doesn't have to be. If you don't mind sitting on the floor, a coffee table may suffice. In fact, in some cultures, a simple low table is the norm.

We need our table, but we only have one.  I like not having a dining table and a kitchen table.  Simplifies things!  

15. Dining chairs. If you don't have a dining table, you don't need chairs; if dining at a low table, a few cushions will do. Such an arrangement can have a serene, Zen-like feel, or if you're so inclined, a more bohemian, Arabian nights ambiance.

To see the full article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francine-jay/furniture-you-can-live-without_b_1724901.html

8 Ways I've Simplified My Kitchen

When you do your wedding registry, you put all sorts of things that you really don't need. That laser gun is just so fun! But now, a few years later, I have realized a few things about how I manage my kitchen that have made my life easier and more simple. Check 'em out:

1. I have realized that I hate metal pans. I should have just registered for glass bakeware, because all of my metal ones have gunked up from non-stick spray baking on them. I've heard good things about the silicone bakeware, but for some reason I'm still skeptical. I feel like "they" will come out in a few years saying that silicone is unsafe or something. So far, glass has worked out the best!

2. Along the same lines as #1, buying expensive cookie pans is a waste, but also are really cheap ones. I've accepted the fact that cookie pans won't last very long. Between cutting up homemade pizza, non-stick spray, and other fun adventures, I don't expect them to last very long.

3. I have realized that the crock pot we bought was way too big for just two of us. Someday when there's more in our family, it may work, but almost any recipe I've tried is just too dry. My hypothesis so far is that a smaller crockpot may help keep more moisture in the actual food. We'll see....haven't given up yet!

4. For a non coffee drinker, the cheap-o $10 coffee pot I bought from the grocery store works great. It's big enough to make a couple cups of coffee for when I have guests staying over, and it's small enough to not impose on the day to day.

5. I realized I never needed to register for china. First of all, the everyday china we registered for to try to consolidate our dinnerware, chipped almost right away. We returned it and got all white dishes. We love our white set! Second of all, I inherited my grandmother's gorgeous china, which means so much more than a set I would have registered for.

6. Cloth napkins work great! We haven't bought a single paper napkin in our house! This is partly for environmental reasons, party for fiscal reasons, and partly because it's just easier. We have enough fabric napkins to last us through while dirty ones are being washed.

7. I have realized that kitchen utensils (tons, wooden spoons, spatulas, etc) are not very expensive and can easily go in the dishwasher. I used to hand wash everything outside of dishes, glasses, and silverware. Now, I've started putting more of my utensils in the top rack of our dishwasher, and even some of our older pans.

8. I have learned to save glass jars from pasta sauce, jam, and more to pour in bacon grease. Oh! and splatter screens are a must for making bacon!

Sustainable Cycle of Life

It's that time of year to start thinking about sustainable living again...

It seems that I go in cycles of focusing on living responsibly. Unfortunately, Tennessee has been a harder place to live green. The town we live in doesn't even have curbside recycling as an option! Which means more work for us! Heaven forbid!

But seriously. In our busy lives, between jobs and family and meals and errands, finding the time to go drive over to the recycling center isn't always the most important priority. However, with the start of spring and all of the rebirth of plants and now a more settled pace of life personally, I feel like I can once again focus on living sustainably. I found myself thinking about how I could reuse some food containers as "tupperware" for lunches. I found myself thinking that I should use my "shreddings" as gift stuffing. I found myself using the back sides of paper at work for my scratch paper. I found myself really excited about the steal-of-a-deal jeans that I found at Goodwill.

What else can I be doing? What do I have that I don't need? How can I be living more simply. I amd finding myself beginning to get back in that mode. Especially with Earth Day coming up in a few weeks, I want to start thinking about what I want to do. I've never done anything specifically for this day, but have always wanted to. So, I figure, if I start to think about it now, maybe I'll physically do something this year!

Green Resolutions Met

It's that time of year where we start to think about resolutions for the new year - making fresh tracks if you will. Sometimes when we start thinking about looking forward, we forget to remember what we have done.

I've had a chance to think a lot recently about ways I can be more sustainable and responsible in my life, and as I explore this endeavor, I want to compile a list of what I'm already doing. Maybe some of these ideas can give you ideas.

1. Using a reusable water bottle for taking water to work each day. No disposable bottles for me!

2. Take my lunch to work regularly - less waste from fast food packaging.

3. Print household documents on the other side of paper.

4. Cut paper that's been printed on already on one side into quarters for notepad paper

5. Reuse tissue paper and decorative bags for wrapping gifts.

6. Leave curtains closed to block drafts in the winter time. Opening blinds when the sun is shining directly in for the light and the heat.

7. Cut up tshirts into rags, which we use to clean all sorts of surfaces.

8. Read books from the library! (keeps my house from cluttering up too!)

9. When I do buy books, buy them used

10. Use vinegar solutions to clean my windows and surfaces.

11. When I can, buy household items and clothes from the thrift store. (fulfills the thrill of the hunt too!)

12. We eat the venison from the many deer that the hubbs shoots each year. We hardly ever buy meat.

13. Combining trips with errands. Running errands annoys me, so when I can combine them it saves me time and gas.

14. I regularly wash our clothes in cold water; very rarely in warm water.

15. We don't use fabric softener, nor dryer sheets.

16. Of course, we use CFL's as much as possible

17. I've gotten in a good habit of using my reusable shopping bags (it took a while for me to remember them!)

18. As mentioned in an earlier post, I use grocery plastic bags that my parents have generously given me, for scooping up the poopies poop.

19. We reuse wine,whiskey, and coke bottles as taper candle holders.

20. All of my throw pillows have been recovered with old curtains, sweatshirts, or other extra fabrics.

Fresh Cleaning: Vinegar

I love the idea of switching over to natural cleaning techniques. It's hard to think about making your own cleaners when you work full time and are going in a gazillion different directions when you aren't working. While I'm not 100% converted to using only natural cleaning products yet, I have found white vinegar to be so helpful and easy (and cheap!).

It's this easy! I went to the dollar store and bought a couple spray bottles. Then, I filled them with 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water and labeled them with a piece of tape. I keep one bottle downstairs and one bottle upstairs. At first the smell reminded me or dying easter eggs, but now that I use it more often, it just makes me think of "clean"!

There are tons of sources on the web and in books at your local library to find ways to use vinegar and other natural cleaning products. I recently stumbled upon this site for uses for vinegar specifically. http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/

Hopefully this helps you start and continue your path toward safe cleaning in your home!