The Green Minimalist: Decluttering

Showing posts with label Decluttering. Show all posts

Over 50 Things we stopped buying and never missed. Oh the beautiful savings!

I keep hearing that becoming a Minimalist is only for rich people and it is expensive to become a Minimalist!

Honestly, I have never heard a good or solid argument for this comment. But here is an example of how Minimalism can save you money.

Lots of money actually!

Bellow,is a list of things we had stopped buying years ago and never missed them.

Television cable. ------------> Netflix and Amazon prime
Gas for my car. ---------------> Plug-in Electric
Oil change for my car.---------------------> Plug-in Electric car
Paper towels.-------------> Stack of 20 kitchen washable towels for drying hands and dishes
Disposable wipes--------> Micro fibers.
Garbage bags--------------> Barely create garbage. Directly in to recycle bin, compost bin and garbage bin. I have three small buckets, one for each in my kitchen and once they are full, I dump everything in the big garbage bins. (But have some bio bags in hand just in case.)
Any kind of ziplock bags.-----------> Reusable fabric pencil bags with zipper. Also Pyrex dishes.
Aluminum foils -----------> Not needed. Either use Pyrex dishes or cover plates with clean napkins.
Tupperware. -------------------> see this post
Plastic wraps.------------------> Not needed Pyrex dishes. Flour cloth. Napkins
Sponges ------------------------> hand made crochet from recycled yarn. lasts many years and I just wash them with our laundry.
Dish washing liquid-----------> Eco Friendly Multi purpose cleaner
Surface cleaner-----------------> Diluted multi purpose cleaner or vinegar. ( Used for bathtub, kitchen.......)
Coffee filter -------------------> French press
Bottled water ------------------> Tap water in reusable containers.
Hand lotion in kitchen--------> Gentle dish detergent. Olive oil if needed
Jet dry dish washer rinse-----> White Vinegar.
Disposable plates, cups, utensils ...------> Small jars for party drinks. Plates and utenciles reusable.
Disposable napkins------------> Fabric home made napkins. Only have one pack handy for picky guests.
Disposable aluminum containers------> Big Pyrex dishes
Salad dressings.----------------> Olive oil and rice vinegar purchased from bulk store in my own jars.
Yoghurt. ------------------------> Home made
Tissues --------------------------> Only have a home made handkerchief made out of old Tshirts for my kid with allergies. Rest of us don't need it. Don't even remember what would we be using it for!
Books -----------------> Library and on line blogs.
CD, DVD -------------> Pandora and Netflix.
Toys -------------------> Once a year for Christmas. One Big toy only. The Birthday party is our gift by itself.
Clothes ---------------> once a year or so. Only if we truly need something. (Consumerism and buying cheap clothing and fast fashion is horrible for the environment.)
Fabric softener-------> Not needed. Haven't used for many years and no one noticed.
Drier sheets-----------> Not needed
Face wipes, make up removers, eye make up removers wipe..... ------ > wash with soap and wash cloth. Olive oil. Or coconut oil to remove make up. Don't wear too much make up any ways.
Cotton rounds--------> Home made and reusable.
Shower gel------------> Soap
Exfoliator and scrubs for body.-----------------> Natural Loofah or a wash cloth
Hair masks and treatments-----------------------> Olive oil and conditioner
Face scrubs ----------------------------------------> Baking Soda
Tooth Paste-----------------------------------------> Home made
Mouth wash.----------------------------------------> No need
Different lotions for different parts of body. Foot lotion, hand lotion, cellulitis, dark spots, skin brighter.ETC, ETC....!!! --------> Home made lotion. Coconut butter+Shea butter+ bees wax+ water+ jojoba oil. Or just put some oil on right after shower and you are done.
Different make ups ---------------> See this post
Colognes and perfumes ----------> Only have one perfume and only use it on special occasions. Lasts two years. It is in my Christmas list every other year.
Face mask, cleanser, toner, tanner, black head remover. Etc......... ----------> Soap. Lemon juice. coconut and olive oil. Peroxide for acne. Baking soda.
Hand sanitizers --------------------> Not needed.
Candles. Still have from old days. ------> But not really needed. Used once awhile.
Bath foams, salts, fizzer........ -------------> Not needed. Preferring quick showers due to Drought.
Seosonal decorations ----------------> see this post.
Air freshener --------------------------> natural or not needed.
Office supplies.------------------------> We are paperless.
Printer ink -----------------------------> refill.
Extra Shoes ---------------------------> maybe once per year for each family member only as needed. (Fast fashion is damaging to environment)
Latest gadgets and electronics.--------------> still working on my husband on that. But he is doing much better :)

I am sure there is more. But honestly, many more items I see in other people's houses that I don't buy, need nor have.

It is kind of hard to know what you don't buy if you never bought them. For example different laundry detergents for dark and light and white and wool .........

Laundry perfumes!!!!! ....... I never even knew they do exist!!! (What a waste of money!)

Did, NOT buying these items changed our quality of life? You bet it did!

-A LOT Less clutter (Visually, Mentally and Emotionally).
-Less wasting time window shopping and browzing.
-Less stress due to things finishing and being low on something. (" I need to run! We need fabric softness and I can't do laundry!" A friend once said ).
-Less spending.
-Less time at stores ( We are usually In and Out).
-Less junk to organize and deal with.

Yes. All these Less'es deeply changed the quality of our lives.

Think about it.

What are YOU not buying and not missing?
Paris.

Addendum:

I noticed that my computer hadn't saved my proof reading and this post was packed with mistakes. Please accept my apology.

While I am correcting the problem, I may as well add few more items.

Hee hee hee.

Here there are.

51. Vacuum cleaner bags ------------------------>Roomba and a hand held vacuum. Just emptying the canister directly in the garbage bin does it.
51. Any specialty tools, like various peeler, Apple cutter, Garlic crusher, Olive oil mister...........
52. Most school supplies. Pens and other items-------------------------------> We have enough from old days to last us years to come. (Don't even know where all these pencils and pens are coming from)
53. Extra clothing -----------------------------> We buy about once a year or so and only what we need.
54. Microwave. Haven't had one for years.
55. Individually packaged snacks.
56. House decorations.----------> We have only two paintings which we have had for over 15 years.
57. Unwanted gifts for friends -------------------> Beer, Wine, Food, eatables, Flowers, Gift card (Everybody has more than enough stuff in their houses. More incoming items for them are not the best gifts)
58. Jewelry (Custom or real)---------------------> I have had few favorites that I love for years. Nothing new coming in
59. Nail polish ------------------> Have had a couple for years now.
60. Last but not least!!!!! Anything other than strict necessary. Includes Extra Glasses, Extra Sun Glasses, Multiple different drinking and coffee cups and glasses, Serving dishes, Fancy looking anything, Duplicate of anything and anything that needs to be advertised to be sold.

Can't even imagine how hectic my life would have been if I had been buying those stuff.

Thank you everybody for reading. Please think about your own shopping habits.
Paris

Get rid of your closet clutter fast.

Here you see ALL my pants. Including shorts.

Once people hear that we live a minimalistic life, after the surprised look and curious talks, the first thing they start talking and complaining about, is their closet.
(almost every single time).

Our closets have become one of our biggest sources of stress. No matter how much we buy, or how many times we organize, or how many visits we pay to the organizational stores and buy bins and boxes to organize our closets, we manage to get overwhelmed by it in no time. Closet organizing , have become one of those giant tasks that we tend to procrastinate and postpone. Sometimes, they even manage to become as big of a headache as doing taxes ! But the difference is, we can postpone doing the taxes and not look at it at all. But with our closets, we see it Every Single Day. It stresses us out every day and is one of those chores that will bother us every single time we need to decide and choose something to wear. Oh, and at the end, almost all of us, have nothing to wear. Don't we?

To declutter your closet, the rules Here will help you tremendously. But if you don't have much time to dedicate and are feeling overwhelmed by the clutter, keep reading.

Here are some simple tips to get rid of your closet clutter very fast and very easy.

1. Imagine you are going out of town and need to pack for the next three weeks. Start the job with this mind set and get to work.

2. Bring some big boxes or suitcases.

3. Categorize! Categorize! Categorize! I can not emphasize enough in the importance of categorization in doing ANY task. A big task, could easily become manageable and doable with categorization. In the case of your closet, I suggest you to focus on only one category each time you get the chance to spend even only few minutes. For example, focus on pants and only pants first. Nothing else. Gather all your pants from everywhere (don't forget the ones in laundry basket) and place them all on your bed. Now, fast, separate the work pants, jeans, shorts... . At the end, work on jeans only. Then get to the work pants and finally to the shorts and so on and so fort.

4. Separate the clothes you would need for your next three weeks. For that, use the following rules. Do you love them? Do they fit? Do they match the rest of your wardrobe? Are they comfortable to wear? Are they warm enough or cool enough for the season?

5. Do that for each category. Jeans, Shirts, Sweaters, Blouses... Place your next three weeks choices on the bed and the rest in a big bag, box or suitcase.

6. Once your closet is empty and everything is separated and categorized, start hanging and placing the next three weeks clothes you chose, back in to your closet nicely and organized, based on their categories.

7. Remove the storage boxes or suitcases out of site. You can always get to those later, one at a time.

8. Ideally, place the extra clothes in the boxes based on categories as well. This way, for example, you can get to the pant first and decide what you want to keep and what you want to let go without opening any more boxes. This, by itself, is breaking down your future decluttering task. (You can even remove those boxes and bring them straight to the consignment store and never look back if you are ready for this)

9. Congratulations!!! You took the first and the biggest step to building a minimalistic closet.

10. Focus on keeping your closet clutter free by using these very important rules.

Hope this helps.
Paris

Tagged as: Green living. De-cluttering. Clutter busting. Minimalism. Eco friendly. Minimalistic closet. Minimalist. Organized closet. Organize.

See my new page "Related Movies"

I love to watch documentaries. They are so many wonderful and eye opening documentaries out there and most of them are free. On my new page, i created a list of many movies and documentaries for you that have been life changing for me and my family.

So Please look on the right side of my blog for the newly added page called " Related movies".

I will constantly update it and add more links and names. I will deeply appreciate it if you wonderful readers add to my list by making a comment to this post.

Here is a link to my new page.

Thank you and enjoy.
Paris

The green minimalist.

I have been trying hard to categorize and separate my writings to create some sort of order. The problem is, it is all interconnected.

Green mostly includes minimalism.
Minimalism mostly make you live a more natural and green life.

When I started to live greener and care more about the nature, becoming detached from the consumerism trap I was in became essential in my journey. To live green, you will need to buy less and Reuse your resources, thus become more minimalistic.

Sometimes people confuse green living with hoarding though. They keep absolutely everything with the fear that someday, they might need it. But a true green lifestyle means stopping to buy unnecessary stuff. Another reason you wold automatically become greener by becoming a minimalist is that you will want to stay away from plastic. Living a plastic free life requires a lot of reduction in the things you own since way too many stuff are made of plastic.

Minimalism brings calmness and freedom to your life. The lack of unnecessary stuff is associated with a feeling of a heavy weight being lifted. I always note that getting rid of things makes me a lot happier than buying things. Give it a try and see the difference. Every bag of stuff that goes out of your home, will make you happier that a bag full of stuff coming in.

When you think like a green minimalism, you think functionality. Here are some questions a minimalist asks her/him self when tempted to buy something.

. Do I need this or I just want this?
. Can I live without it?
. Will I feel happier when I acquire this thing?
. Will I suffer without it?
. Will I like having the money instead of the stuff I am buying?
. Will I have to make room for it?
. What will the impact of me buying this item be on the environment?
. Will it end up in the landfill?
. How long will I use it before I need to discard it?
. 10 years from now, will having this item make a positive impact on my life?
. What will happen if I don't buy it?
. Do I need to spend time and money to maintain this thing?
. Will it simplify my life or make it more complicated?
. Do I love it and will I truly enjoy it?
. Am I buying it, because it is on sale?
. Am I borrowing money on my credit card to buy this item?
. Is it worth borrowing money for?
. Can I afford it?

Just think about the above questions before you buy anything.

Are you a Green Minimalist? Think about it.

Paris

Minimise Heirlooms, gifts and memories!!!

Minimise heirlooms, gifts and memories!!!

The best gift!!!

Can i be frank with you? I mean very very frank with you? Heirlooms, gifts and memories are mostly a pain. A big pain. You might be wondering why such an extreme and insensitive feeling about those precious important stuff. But to me, they have almost always been nothing but a pain.

Don't take me wrong, i value a beautiful unique piece that i loved and were given from someone special. But Those are very rare and very unique. Other than those very unique occasions, rest of the heirlooms i have received were a pain. No matter what the heirloom is, it could truly become a pain. I am not a jewelery person and being a minimalist in my heart, i am not a big fan of stuff either. But i still know how to value a true heirloom.

We live in a time of abundance and digital memories. Everybody has hundreds maybe thousands of photos. Our houses are packed with stuff and mostly junk. The last thing we need is more stuff. In my opinion, as far as memories go, a photo will do it.

For me, they are two kinds of heirlooms though.

Special heirlooms.

The kind that is very special to the person who is giving them and wants to give that gift to someone he, or she loves. Those are valuable unique loving heirlooms that need to be cherished and valued. Those are the gifts that the person will never, ever ask about and once they are given, they are yours to do whatever you want with them. You can sell them during difficulties, you can keep them forever and think about the loving person who gave them to you and you can pass them farther as a gift to your own loved one. They are given only once. The person is not going around buying stuff and giving them to you and calling them heirlooms.

This would be the gift i received from my lovely Mother In Law. She gave me her own precious necklace. Her own very valuable, unique, beautiful Platinum and Brilliant necklace. The necklace she loved, used and cherished for many years. The necklace she wished for and hoped for and longed for over the years and have been very dear to her. But once she gave it to me, she has never ever asked about it. She said "You are young and it is your turn to enjoy it. Do what ever you want with it. It is yours". This is something i kept lovingly in the Bank and hope to wear it on very special occasions. I thought about modifying it and use the beautiful unique Brilliant (Diamond with a special cut) to make a very nice ring for myself. A contemporary ring that will match my taste and will be just the way i like it. A ring i will actually use. But still hadn't decided yet. For now, it is loved and cherished just the way it is and is valued, because someone that i love, loved me so much that she was willing to let her precious necklace go and wanted me to have it.

The pain Heirloom.

A pain would be a gift that is not given to you because you are loved. It is given to you either because it is the tradition, or it is an obligation, or the purpose is for the giver to make sure you remember him or her and it is all about the giver, not the receiver. Lets call them Pain Heirlooms, shall we? Those kinds of pain heirlooms could be from a friend or relative or even close family. Something that they just give you to remember them. But it is nothing about you and it is all about them. It could be a vase, clothes, even some jewelery. They are usually not special to the person and have no emotional value. Sometimes they do have emotional values and the giver regrets giving them to you and is constantly monitoring them. The monitored gifts are a leash. A pain. The giver keeps asking about them and wants to make sure you Never, Ever forget that THEY gave them to you. Do you see what i mean? They are not for you. It is not about the gift, or about you. It is all about the giver.

This kind would be many gifts i have received through out the years and have been a pain. One example of these kinds of gifts is some jewelery that i have received on a special occasion from someone pretty close to me, but the giver keeps asking about them. She even got upset once because she never saw me wearing them and said to my daughter "You know what? your mom is not worthy of MY jewelery. From now on, they are yours." My poor daughter was confused about what is happening. As you can see, this had nothing to do with making me happy. It was all about that person trying and hoping to show off her kindness. Would i ever dare to think to do something with those jewelery? Only if i am planning to have a very bitter relationship with that person. If i ever thought about modifying them, she would never ever forgive me touching HER jewelery. This type of gift makes you feel like you are just the temporary safe keeper and not the new owner.

Another similar gift was a vase i have received many years ago. I was told it is hundred years old and is very valuable. I received it in a different country and i had to carry it in my arms during a very long flight and Plane change. I had to even carry it to the bathroom with me to make sure it is not going to break. I had this guilt that it was valued by the giver and i really have to take care of it. it was not my style at all and in my opinion, it was very ugly too. But i kept it mainly for the guilt, love and the respect i had for the giver. During these years, we moved many times and this one gift has always been a big source of stress for me. The last time we moved (Two weeks ago. More on that later :)), i could not find anywhere safe for it. We downsized drastically and moving to a 1000 sq from a 3800 sq is not an easy task. So I finally decided to sell it in an antique shop and use the money to buy something small. Something unique to keep and always think about that person when i see that small heirloom. I decided to create my own smaller and more manageable heirloom from her gift. So with a painful and guilty heart thinking how special this piece have been to that person, i looked for an antique shop. I thought someone else can take care of it better than i do. I felt like i owed it to the giver and it was my duty to take care of her valuable vase. It took me a while to find one. I made an appointment and went in there to see the owner. Here is how it went.

"Who gave this to you?"Asked the owner, looking at it with her magnifying glass.

" So and so... gave it to me. She said it is very old and very very valuable. I have been carrying it around in the airplane. I also held it in my arms every time we moved. But i am so scared to break it and not be able to take care of it too good" I said feeling ashamed of myself for trying to sell it..

She lifted her eyes and looked at me kindly and smiled. Then she said. "Do you see it says Oven Safe? Do you see these corners? Do you see the bottom of it?"

I nodded my head each time looking carefully at the vase trying to see what she sees.

"Well. This piece is NOT old nor valuable. It is a very inexpensive and cheaply made piece. It has been bought within last several years. My advise to you would be, either gift it, or there is a goodwill close by if you want to donate it." She said.

First thing i felt was relief. Relief from this guilt i carried with me along with this vase all this time. I was happy. I could finally get rid of that ugly vase not feeling guilty that it was something super special to the giver. The burden of the responsibility i felt all this time was lifted. But then remembering how hard it was to carry it in my arms all this time worrying about the special value and meaning it had to that person made me upset. Now it does not matter if it was valuable or not. But the bottom line is, it has become a pain to me and it didn't add to the value of my life emotionally. It made me so upset that first thing i did was placing it in the goodwill bag to go out and then turning on my computer to write this post.

Now you know how some heirlooms are meaningless and just are a pain? I am not going to do that to my kids. I am not going to give them stuff and make them feel guilty for not loving it. I am going to set them free. I am going to set myself free as well and am going to keep only the heirlooms that feel very special to me. Not the ones that are given to me just because. I am going to let myself free and let everything go. I am going to live for myself and not for others.

Do you have a heirloom or pain gift that you are keeping it only due to guilt?

Paris

The secret of Minimalist traveling.

Today i want to share with you how we travel simply and minimalistic.

All the suitcases we need!!!

We used to have at least 8 suitcases with various sizes and colors. We had a nice set we bought from Costco. It had four different pieces and we used it quite a lot. We also had many other pieces that we bought due to the immediate need at different places. My husband had some he liked and bought and our kids had Hello Kitty ones and other characters and styles. Our garage was packed with all kinds of suitcases and we also had lots and lots of toiletries bags. some came with the suitcases, some were free gifts with purchases and some were purchased because they were good deals or nice or cute or bigger or smaller...

I found out that this was not the case only in our home. I met many people that had that many suitcases. (if not more ) Garages and closets and storages filled with them in every house. I also remember seeing people buying extra suitcases when they are ready to come back home from a trip. This last one is due to excessive shopping while on a trip or a vacation.That is a HUGE source of frustration when the travelers are getting ready to pack and come back home.

My big wake up call about my luggage happened when we were spending three weeks in Spain last year. I was a Minimalist and tried hard to bring the least amount of stuff with us. I thought i was doing good till it was time to return. My husband returned earlier due to his work schedule and took one of our suitcases with him. But when i was getting ready to come back, packing became a nightmare. I still don't know how we ended up with so much stuff on our way back. We bought some stuff. But for some reason, it was extremely hard to fit everything. I had the option to buy another inexpensive bag. But i refused to do it and insisted that i am not going to be defeated by stuff.

After a trip with heavy suitcases coming with all sizes and shapes, changing plains over and over again, i promised myself that i am going to do a big overhaul. Our traveling style was in the need of a desperate make over and it wasn't working for us.

So,

After many research and considerations, for Christmas, we bought four small, light, simple, matched Cary-on suitcases. One per person and no more than that. It took a little bit of work to bring my husband and kids on the same page with me. But the result was wonderful.

We tested our new style on our trip to Iran this summer. We each got one suitcase and the gifts we took to Iran were evenly distributed between the suitcases. I packed the gifts first. This would let my kids and I know how much room we had left to pack our own stuff. We packed for less than one week and just simply did laundry there. On our way back, our luggage were lighter due to the gifts being gone. We easily had room for the souvenirs and yummy local delicatessens we were given and bought to bring for our friends and family here in US with some more room to spare.

While traveling, we ran in to some complications and problems due to delays of the airplane and very frustrating un-cooperativeness of Turkish Airlines staff. We ended up having to get our luggage, carry them around the airport during our transition in Turkey and check them back in again. Then due to all the changes and not having an active cell phone that worked in Turkey, once arrived in Iran, we had to take the Taxi to my dad's house since he didn't know what time we would arrive. All these, with only three carry-ons were a piece of cake. My kids each carried their own luggage and moving around was not a problem at all. This trip, going around the world, even though long ( 35 hours door to door) was a lot easier than our vacation to Spain. We also traveled to two different cities in Iran by Bus and Airplane. Those were also very easy to manage and the low number of our luggage surprised everybody. The allowed weight for the airplane trips are 50 pounds per person. We had 48 ponds for all three of us. ( My husband didn't come with us due to his yearly humanitarian trip to Equators. He also took his new suitcase and loved it)

Now that our new system passed it's test, we will NEVER ever go back to the old system of multiple bags and styles and colors. This simple solution also helped us to locate our suitcases very easily on the carousels in the airports since they all look the same.

Another problem it solved was, the small disagreements we sometimes had over who gets the bigger suitcase and who gets the smaller one. We also sometimes didn't have room in the smaller suitcases and had to share the big one. This would cause a big mess in our destination and our clothes got mixed up. Now, each person is responsible for their own clothes and luggage and nothing gets mixed up.

As far as storage goes, each person is storing one in their room. The empty suitcase could be either placed under the bed, or in the closet. They are very easy to store.

How many suitcases do you have?

Paris

My moving nightmare. So thankful to be a minimalist.

Last night, I had a horrible nightmare. It was so stressful that when I woke up, I was clinching my

My winter bottom wardrobe. 8 pants. 3skirts. Too many pants.

teeth and already had a headache. It was the second time I had this terrible dream.

In my nightmare, my husband and I were moving from a small place in the other country and had to catch A plane. In the mean time, the landlord sent someone to inspect the place before we were gone.

The apartment had two rooms and looked very nice and clean. We started packing. Our suitcases got full right away. Just when we thought we were done, we opened another closet's door and we found bunch of stuff we have forgotten about. We started going through those and the more we digged , the more stuff came out. The stress was building up. We finally emptied the closet and separatied every thing we really needed and wanted to keep and not knowing what to do with the rest, just made two piles of donate and trash.

Then we opened another door. The same thing happened. Another one, the same thing. We felt like we were drowning in stuff. Most things were new in the piles. Lots of clothes and sweaters. Tons of dresses. Piles and piles of kids toys. There was no way the stuff we wanted to keep would fit in our suitcase.

I felt the stress of missing our plane and the thought of all the money we spend for all these stuff that we coudn't take with us was very overwhelming. In my dream, I felt very poor. I felt that if we miss this plain, we can not afford to take another one. Also there were tons of good stuff in front of our eyes that we couldn't take with us.

The pressure was building. We finally realized that we had to miss our plane if we wanted to clean this place. The person the landlords sent was a nice lady that told us, the land lord wants to rent this place tomorrow and it has to be clean and empty. Otherwise, you will need to pay for another month.

We just kept going. Stuff started to change. They became more and older. Old books, old DVDs , classic valuable old dishes and decorations. Everything looked so expensive. We were not sure what to do and the time was going by fast. We gave tons of stuff to that lady and couldn't find a trash bag to place things in.

We looked at the time knowing that we missed our plane, our kids were waiting for us and in my dream, I wasn't sure what will happen to them if we didn't make it on time to pick them up. The apartment looked full and everywhere were stuff. We didn't have any money and the stuff were our responsibilities. We were going crazy.

Thankfully, that is the time I woke up. Ahhhhhhh. What a nasty nasty dream. My heart was beating fast and my hands were shaking. I looked around and seeing my simple and minimalistic bedroom has never made me happier.

During the day, every drawer I opened, I started to get stressed worring about all the stuff in it. I kept thinking about my nightmare and looking at all the stuff in my drawers that I could get rid of made me happy. I was happy to be able to reduce even more.

Today will be the day I am going to reduce a lot more and look for things that my family and I can live without.

The stress in my nightmare was a perfect reminder of how much stuff we do not need and how their only real effect in our life is the pressure they put on us to take responsibility for them and take care of them. Every little thing in my dream was a huge responsibility for us and the decision of what to be done with them was overwhelming.

Have you decluttered lately?

6 Ideas on how to De-clutter your home.

1. Don't overwhelm your self.

Organized Kitchen drawer

Make sure you don't tackle everything in the same time. Clutter by itself is overwhelming and sometimes even thinking about it can be a massive energy draining task before we even start the actual de-cluttering. Before you start, you need to calm down and take it easy.

2. Categorize.

Try not to focus on too many things at the same time. The best way is to categorize the clutter based on the item. For example gather all the books in one spot, all the toys in another , etc...

3. Tackle one category at a time.

Focus only on the category you are working on and nothing else. Go through the items. Discard, donate, repair and organize before you move to the next category. For example go through all of the clothing items, belonging to one of your children. Then go to the second child, then go through the toys of each kid only one person and one category at a time.

4. Reduce and Minimize.

One of the most important parts of de-cluttering is reducing. Before you go out and buy all kinds of containers and organization tools, reduce the amount of your stuff first. The chances are that you never even needed that extra storage to start with. All you needed to do was letting go of some stuff that you never use.

5. Dedicate spaces.

Make sure you dedicate an area to each category. For example Instead of having a book case in each room, have one central location for all the books in your home, regardless of whom they belong to. This will make the de-cluttering a lot easier.

6. Have fun and enjoy.

The De-cluttering process has to be fun . Focus on the final result and try to enjoy it. don't let it overwhelm and stress you. If you do one category at a time, you can enjoy the fruit of your labor a lot faster. Every category you finish, the reward will be noticeable and enjoyed.

Have you started de-cluttering yet?

Simple Christmas Ornaments..

A simple paperclip could be a great Ornament hanger.

Here are some tips for Simple, Natural, Clutter free and Plastic free Christmas decorations.

1. Separate and Remove all the plastic Ornaments that you are not in love with and are made of plastic.

2. Donate them and let someone else use them instead of buying new.

3. Bring the nature in your home by making natural ornaments.

4. Some good old paper clips make great ornament hangers.

A natural stone and a simple elastic band. Create an ornament.

5. Try to get a smaller tree this year. They use a lot less resources to grow and do the job perfectly.

6. Stay away from plastic trees. Plastic is not healthy and they are really bad for the environment.

7. A natural tree has been planted in farms for this occasion and is not going to harm the nature.

Found at the Christmas tree store(free). A perfect ornament.

8. Reduce and minimize the amount of decorations. You will love it when you need to take them down and store them at the end.

9. Saves lots of money by not spending any more on ornaments.

10. Our tree has never been so beautifully simple.

Did you reduce your ornaments yet?

21 "More" benefits of decluttering.

Clutter has been one of the biggest causes of stress in our lives. When we clutter our lives physically and mentally, it drains our energy. We got in to the habit of organizing and reorganizing over and over again. If we truly want to have an organized life, we need to de-clutter first. Clutter is very stubborn. It sneaks right back to our lives very easily.

Here you can see the 20 "Less" benefits of de-cluttering.

Now i will post the 21 "More " benefits of de-cluttering.

1. More time for yourself.

One of the most important benefits of decluttering, is gaining more time for ourselves. The time we would have spent organizing and maintaining all our unnecessary stuff, will be free to be used for something else. Something we love and prefer doing. Imagine a life with less to clean and organize!!!

2. More money.

Many of the items that are cluttering our house, can be valuable to someone else. An item seating in the garage for many years, taking room and cluttering our mind and house, could be sold on E-bay or Craigslist. Some times a good sum of money can be made. Let those stuff go and try to sell them. This way, you make money and someone else that could use this item, will have a chance to enjoy it. It is a win, win situation. Some people have one garage sale per year and get stuff out of their house along with making some money. Not to mention the money you will not spend buying more stuff. Once you declutter, you will enjoy your space too much to clutter it again with bringing stuff in again.

3. More pleasant visual view.

One of the biggerst stressors in our life, is visual clutter. When things look nice, clean and organize, the view is calming and pleasant. But when your home looks crowded with clutter, the stress of unfinished things needing to be done, sneaks in your subconscious mind and can cause a very uncomfortable and stressful feeling. The more neat and organize your view is, the more calm and happy you will become.

4. More discipline.

When we have de-cluttered homes, we can focus more on things needing to be done. We don't feel overwhelmed any more and can have a lot more discipline in our daily schedule. With decluttering, the distractions and visual over simulations go away and we can focus on organizing our days and do more. It is a lot easier to have a nice and organized system when you have less to worry about.

5. More time.

This one is one of the best perks of decluttering. Imagine to have a lot less to clean. Less to store. Less to buy. Less to sell or get rid of. If you have less stuff and less to do, you will automatically gain more time. Time the the most valuable possessions we all have. Don't replace it with stuff. Don't waste it. Life is short.

6. More space.

Many times we feel like we don't have enough room. It just feels too crowded in our homes. We feel like we need to move to a bigger house, so we can fit in all our stuff. But here is a simpler solution. Have less stuff. Reduce your belongings and you will see how much more space you end up with. Go through your drawers and cabinets and get rid of things you have not used for the past year. Let them go and enjoy the empty spaces.

7. More mental room for progress.

Clutter and stuff, clutters our minds. When we have to deal with a lot of stuff, we have busy minds. With a lot of stuff to think and worry about, we don't dare to start a new project or new idea. The clutter drains our mental energy. When we de-clutter, our minds become more free and we have more time and mental energy to think and plan about future progresses.

8. More control over your life.

De-cluttering makes our tasks a lot more manageable and easier to deal with. The less stuff we have, the easier to control every thing in our life. Clutter makes our mind loose control. An organize and clutter free home gives us a lot more control over the situations and decisions in our life.

9. More responsible kids.

In our own home, this has been proven. Our kids have changed a lot since we became minimalists. Less stuff gives you more time to spend with your children. They also get use to valuing money and our belongings. They are getting used to not buying something they don't need. It is a lot easier for them to clean as well. So you can give them more responsibilities to help around the house.

10. More energy.

In Chinese Feng Shui, the flow of the energy is an important matter. The believe is that the more space the energy has, to flow, the healthier a home will be. But also in our lives, with less stuff, we don't have to spend our energy and time taking care of stuff. We have a lot more energy for doing what we love which reminds me, i don't think i know anybody that loves taking care of and dealing with stuff.

11. More sense of accomplishment.

Have you ever had those nights when you go to bed after finishing a big task and you just feel good and accomplished? Did you sleep better that night? When we have less stuff to deal with, we can accomplish more. This wonderful heavenly sense of accomplishment will become a part of our lives with less stuff to worry about.

12. More helping others.

The stuff we accumulate and feel bad getting rid of, could look like junk in our garages and attics. But they could also be treasures for people that need them. Just donate those items and set them free. Let others that truly need them, use them. If feels so good to donate and help others.

13. More socialization.

Years ago, many times, when my kids wanted to have someone over, the situation in our home was hopeless and it was unimaginable to have someone in this clutter. Cluttered homes can become unmanageable and it is hard to invite company in a home that is full of stuff. Reduce your stuff and make more room and time for good friends.

14. More productive.

With less stuff and clutter, we can have a better focus on what we do. Minimalism can help you achieve a laser sharp focus on the matter on hand without any distractions. Your productivity will raise with higher energy and more focus. The final sense of accomplishment is priceless.

15. More Romance.

Imagine a romantic candle light dinner with bunch of stuff all around you. It is hard to imagine it. isn't it? Now imagine a very clean and decluttered dining or bedroom. No toys, no unnecessary stuff, no papers and books and clothes everywhere. A nice and neat room is making the candle light quality time, a lot more romantic.

16. Finding long lost memories. More valuable stuff in your life.

Many times you will be surprised about what you find under neat that clutter. The usual things you hear during decluttering is" Oh. I didn't know this is here! Wow. I thought i'd lost it....". With decluttering and minimising, you make room for only what you truly value and love. When something is very valuable to you, the last place you want it to be is under piles of stuff.

17. More freedom.

Without many stuff to worry about, you can have the freedom to move easily, to travel easily and have the financial freedom as well. Stuff bound us to our environment. To have the freedom to reduce your work hours( if you choose to)is the best freedom one can have. Minimalist can help you achieve that.

18. More organized

There is a whole industry around organization. There are personal organizers and there are stores dedicated to storage and organizations. Our houses are packed with plastic bins and closet organizers. The truth is, before we buy more stuff to put our stuff in them, we need to reduce our stuff at the first place. It is so much easier to organize 10 items than 60 items. I know someone that had over 100 shoes and decided to organize them by buying 100 plastic individual shoe storage. Isn't it easier to reduce your shoes, to lets say, 20 and you won't even need those plastic shoe organizers? Not to mention the savings.

19. Safer home

One of the problems always mentioned in the show hoarders is a safety issue. When we have de-cluttered houses, we have a lot less to clean and thus we will have less dust, less barriers and dangerous stuff on the floor that someone could trip and fall. De cluttering reduces the dust collection and it is so much easier to reach all those hidden areas to clean when there are not too many stuff around the house.

20. More appreciation for belongings.

Owning less stuff makes us appreciate and value what you have. When you have one, of something, you take care of it a lot more than when you have many of the same item. Decluttering makes you take care of your belongings.

21. A clearer and calmer mind

It is so much easier to feel calm and serene when our homes are clean and organize. De-cluttering could really change our lives. With the wonderful feeling of freedom and accomplishment with the appreciation for our belongings and our money, our minds will be calmer and clearer.

Have you started decluttering yet?

20 "Less" Benefits of decluttering

Decluttering is reducing. When we declutter, we don't realize that we reduce a lot more than just stuff. Here are 20 things that we will have less of, when we declutter.

1. Less debt.

When we declutter, we automatically get in to the habit of spending less. Since we just spent lots of time getting rid of stuff, it is less likely for us to go out and buy again. A big part of our debts are related to the stuff we buy. The less we buy, the more we save. So when we stop buying, we stop adding to our debt. With decluttering, we could actually make money. By selling the unwanted stuff of e-bay, Garage sale or Craigslist the extra money can help us to pay of some debt.

2. Less vulnerable to the changes in economy.

Decluttering has a mental effect of not needing the material possession to get happy. A person that lives a declutter life, finds out that, happiness does not come with owning stuff. When the economy had a down turn, people that looked for their happiness in materials, had the hardest time emotionally. With a down economy, the first thing that had to change, was our spending habit. When you don't depend on stuff for your happiness, this problem becomes secondary and it will not effect your overall life.

3. Less spending.

With a decluttered house and garage, there is a lower chance you will fill it up again with stuff. Just remembering all the hard work that was put in to decluttering, makes us think twice before we bring more stuff home. Thus we spend less on stuff.

4. Less effect on environment.

When we live a decluttred life, we create less garbage and use less resources to maintain and clean our stuff. We also buy less that will reduce our dependency on natural resources. The added benefit is that buying less, reduces our carbon footprint.

5. Less house needed.

The empty spaces we create with decluttering, cause our house to look bigger. I remember, hearing many times, people saying" i need more room for my stuff" . Well, when you have less stuff, you will need less room. A smaller house with less maintenance will be enough and satisfying for you.

6. Less to organize.

The less stuff you have, the less time you will spend organizing. It is so much easier to organize fewer items than a house full of stuff. We all spend a big part of our lives organizing our stuff. There are even businesses and specialists that help us get organize. With owning less, the organization process can be a lot faster, simpler and more pleasant.

7. Less to clean.

Imagine a house with only necessary items. Imagine a closet with less than 20 items. Imagine a kitchen with only what you need. Now imagine cleaning it. Nice, isn't it? The less you have, the easier it is to clean. Cleaning a room full of stuff, even if they are organized, is a lot harder chore than cleaning a semi empty room. When you reduce, you reduce your work too.

8. Less to pack and move.

Talk to somebody, any body, about moving and just look at the expression on their face. Is it fear? Is it being overwhelmed? Is the look in their eyes saying "It is just impossible"? Packing and moving has been voted to be one of the most stressful things in life for us American people. Now imagine if you owned 1/2 of the stuff you have now. Wouldn't be easier to move? How about 1/4?. Decluttering can change the packing and moving process from being one of the most dreaded acts to something very easy, doable and fast.

9. Less taxes due to donations.

Donations can give you a very nice Tax break. Decluttering and donating, is not only rewarding, but also is financially helpful. You might not think about it now, but at the end of the year, when you are doing your taxes, the little donation receipt will make you very happy.

10. Less duplicate buying.

Not too long ago, i was talking to somebody. When i told her that i live a minimalistic life, she said if i go to their home, i will get a heart attack. We laughed about it. But then she said something interesting. She said that they keep buying stuff, then they forget about it and leave it in garage. A few months later, it happens that they see the same item in store and remember that they wanted it, but then, since they don't remember where it is, they just buy another one. She said her husband has around 5 tool boxes. Because when he needs something and can't find it, he just goes out and buys a whole new tool box, because he usually find a very good deal. If we just spend some time and declutter our homes, we can find stuff so much easier and we save a lot, not buying the duplicate item. I remember in our old home, we found many many extension cords that we didn't even know we owned. Every time we needed one, we just bought one without thinking that we might already have one.

11. Less unfinished tasks.

The burden of unfinished tasks can be very stressful. All those half way done projects that are cluttering your home, the ones that you just can not get yourself to finish, can be a huge weight on your shoulders. Some times, you just have to let them go. Either get help to finish them, or donate the unfinished items and let someone else finishes them. You make someone happy and reduce the load of stuff you need to do.

12. Less mental clutter.

The cluttered home is not only feeling like a thorn in the eyes, but also it could be a huge mental stressor. When you have a cluttered space, there is no room for your mind to feel free. The visual clutter occupies a big part of your mind. Have you ever been in a situation that you are having a very big test the next day, But can not focus untill you clean your space first? This is a perfect example of correlation between visual and mental clutter.

13. Less stress.

This one is related to all of the above, yet it is a big one. The clutter is a huge source of stress. When you declutter, the burden of all that unfinished work, untidy space, long unfinished and overwhelming to do lists, the debt, expense and the cleaning process will be reduces. Thus the stress associated with them will be reduced too.

14. Less diseases.

Decluttering causes less stress, less dust and less time cleaning. The combination of all these causes a stronger immune system and less disease and illness. There have been studies that showed a direct relationship between having more stuff and being overweight. Decluttering makes room in your home and your life for you to move around more and take care of yourself. You can clean faster and more efficient. A clean, decluttered, organized and dust free home is a pleasure to have. It makes us feel good.

15. Less financial mess.

Having a decluttered desk, help you to keep track of your bills and paperwork. when your space is cluttered, there is a higher chance for paperwork and important statements to get lost. A financial mess can case a lot of problems. A nice and neat system in a clutter free office, makes it a lot easier for us to take care of our paperwork.

16. Less work for the money.

Many people succeeded to reduce their hours, or even become one income family due to decluttering. Decluttering reduces the expenses and reduces the debts. When you have less of everything, you have less maintenance expense. You don't need to work as hard to keep up with your life and your debts. You can choose to spend less time working and more time living.

17. Less overstimulation of mind.

Clutter can overstimulate our brains. Specially on kids, it can create lack of focus and attention due to having too many items in our space. I remember when i signed my daughter up in a reading class. At the end of the class, i asked her how did it go? she said" I didn't learned much. All the stuff on the walls and around me didn't let me listen to the teacher" Cute, but sad. Every where we go, i see this overstimulaiton. The houses , the stores, the schools and our kids lives are packed with stuff. The less clutter, the more room for thinking and creating.

18. Less dust.

Clutter attract dust. Cleaning a house or a room full of stuff is a lot harder than cleaning a half empty space. Dust is very bad for our health. It seats in our longs and can cause astma and allergies. When we de-clutter, it is so much easier to vaccum and dust. De-cluttering help us having a cleaner house with less effort.

19. Less time looking for something.

This one is also a big one. Looking for something in the middle of a room full of clutter and stuff, could drive one creazy. When decluttering, make sure you have a place for everything in your home and place everything back to where it blongs. Hopefully you will never again have to look for something in a cluttered room. Looking for something in a room full of stuff, feels like finding a needle in a heystack. It is not fun.

20. Less procrestinating.

The overwheming feeling that comes with clutter, causes us to procrestinate. Just thinking, about doing something is tireing in a clutteres place. When you declutter, it is so much easier to do our tasks and get things done. It is very helpful to know where everything is and not have to fight a mental and visual clutter , so we can focus on the task in hand.

Have you decluttered yet?

Minimalistic fall decoration.

Fall is here. Well, sort of. Here in California we had to turn the Air conditioner on today. It was just too hot.

But the excitement of fall is here. Halloween decorations and pumpkins are everywhere. My kids were very excited for us to decorate. But guess what, i didn't even noticed that I gave away ALL our Halloween decorations when we moved. I thought i kept some. But it is all gone.

So what i did. Went shopping. In a pumpkin farm. Not a party store. and also went for a walk in the neighborhood. That took care of all our decorations.

Here are some tips.

- Buy some inexpensive pumpkins to carve and make Jack-o lanterns.
- Buy some truly, unusual looking gourds.
- Make a center piece with the gourds.
- Hang the gourds at the door. It actually looks spooky.
- Have you kids color the smaller pumpkins.
- Pick some leaves and walnuts, or any other natural greens you can find. Use them to make a wreath.
- Make leave shaped cookies with your kids. They will have fun.
- Decorate the cookies with Candy corns.
- Make apple Caramels.
- Make a wreath with apples.
- Boil some Cinnamon sticks in the water to create natural aroma.

- Use fall yellow flowers for decorations.

Perks.

- Easy to clean.
- No storage needed.
- Gentle on the nature and environment.
- Biodegradable.
- No plastic.
- Supports local farmers.
- Inexpensive.
- No clutter.
- Fun to make, not a chore.

- Edible decoration.
- Stimulates your creativity.
- Valuable and enjoyable due to the investment of time and effort.
- No Packaging to create trash

Have you decorated your home naturally for the season yet?

Minimalize and declutter your books

I LOVE reading. I just love books. reading is making me happy.

It was a time, not too long ago, That I was sure I am becoming addicted to reading. I used to have tons and tons of books. Along with the books i liked and bought, i also had many books regarding my profession.

That is all we are left with.Need to downsize more.

When i decided to minimize our family's lifestyle, i had to do something about all those books.

Believe it or not, books that are needing to be read and are seating in your library staring at you, could cause a lot of stress. It is just another chore, or work needing to be done. Letting go of those books gives you a sense of freedom. Don't hoard books in your home. Let someone else enjoy them. If you have to have them, you can always access them later. With wonderful libraries and Amazon and other on-line stores, You can almost always find the books you want later. For now, just set them free.

If you are truly attached to any book, keep them. After all, your happy emotions and good feelings are one of the reasons for decluttering.

My advise is, make a list of the titles you want and then let them go. As i already said, you can always borrow them from library or order an inexpensive used one from Amazon later, IF you really have to read any of those books.

Here are tips on how i did it and how you can do it.

As always, the first step is, STOP BUYING more books.

Gather and collect all the books in your home in one place.

Categorize them based on your own system. I categorized them based on written languages, School and study books, Novels and stories,( Classics and Biographies were in this category) Reading materials.

Go through each category. separate your most valuable books and keep them somewhere safe. If you have time, empty a part of your bookshelf and dust it. Then dust your valuable books and place them there, nice and organize, based on categories.

Set a fix number. If your valuable books are becoming too many, don't worry about them yet. You can always go back and reevaluate them. One way to keep this pile in control is to set a fix number.

Then remove every book that you don't like and you know you will never read, or in a humid place, have mildew.

Remove all the books that you already read and you know you will never read them again.

Remove all the books that you bought just with the hope of some day reading them. Make a list from those titles and enter it in your computer. Let them go.

Box all those books.

Party. You can have a small book party with some appetizers and wine and let your Friends pic their favorites first. This is a good excuse to have some fun in the mean time.

Donate or sell.Then you can bring them to the library for donation or consignment to have them sold. The sooner you get them out, the better. You can try to sell them individually on Amazon or Craigslist. But i recommend this only if the book is valuable. Otherwise, will not be worthed to spend all that time for just very little money.

Move fast and act before you change your mind or feel bad for letting them go.

Set a date. If there are books that you are not sure about and you will think you might read them, make a list first, then place them in a box and date them. Give yourself a time frame. Lets say few months, or a year. At the end of the time frame, donate the box. If you read any books in there, you can let it go and if you didn't have time or couldn't make time to read, it is time to let go and reduce the stress and guilt of unfinished work needing to be done.

Leave the rest alone for couple of weeks.

Check back on them and go through them again . you will be amazed how many books you are ready to let go of, the second time.

Keep repeating it again and again till you truly feel content.

Digitalize. Once you found your favorite bunch, look for digital copies of your favorite ones that you are probably not reading again, but just want to have it. Download a digital copy and let the physical copy go.

Keep. Only keep books that you are enjoying and reading over and over again. After all, the digital copy does not have that wonderful book smell.

Sign up. with your local library and start using them for free.

Borrow books from friends and family .When returning the books, thank them with some home made cookies. It is a win, win situation.

Keep repeating the steps above. You will see that books, that looked valuable in the past , are ready to go now.

I gave a way many many books. The amazing thing is that i do NOT miss them at all. I have been reading a lot more, because i use our local library.

Perks of decluttering? We read more. Other people can use our old books. My kids enjoy going to library. Less clutter to worry and organize. less dust ( books collect dust). Every body wins.

I remember as a kid, my father had a very big and very nice library. It consisted of thousands and thousands wonderful books he collected over the years. When we moved and downsized, they all ended up in the basement, Many years later, he decided to declutter and sell them. so he brought them up. Dusted them all lovingly. Separated his favourites. Packed rest of them gently with love and care. Then he contacted many book stores and finally found someone that was willing to buy them. The book dealer came and bought the whole thing based on their weight!!!! He paid so little that we were shocked. My dad just wanted to let them go, so he sadly accepted his offer. He had many valuable old books in there too. Back then in Iran, there was not an Amazon or Craigslist. We had to count on local stores for any transaction.

This incident deeply affected me. I learned a lot from it

I saw how our valuables could become nothings for other people.
I learned that books loose value so fast and the knowledge in them is important, not the physical papers.
I learned that books are not a good financial investments, but are wonderful companion and great knowledge investment.
I learned to not get attached to physical stuff, even books.
I also learned that if there is any book i cherish and love, i must keep it and enjoy it.

Did you decluttered your books yet?

All the things i didn't need.

A while ago, a friend told me about a big store that is closing. It is going out of business and is having a huge clearance sale. One day, when i had 30 extra minutes between two appointment, i stopped by to see what is going on there. I was amazed by all the stuff and all the discounts and clearances. So many things. So many Stuff.

Guess what? While i was there, i looked at all the stuff and kept thinking " Do i need another purse? Do i need another shirt? Do my kids need another plastic toy? Should i buy things, just because they are on sale, even though we don't need them?

Leaving the store empty handed, looking at others paying lots of money for stuff, I was thinking to myself, do those people really need all those stuff? Does that gentleman buying a whole shopping cart of stuff, really needs them or he is buying them, just because they are on sale and he couldn't pass on a good deal. I guess i will never know.

I remember myself filling carts and taking them home all happy( temporarily) about the wonderful sale. I also remember how frustrating it was to have debts, cluttered home, tons and tons of STUFF overwhelming our lives.

But i definitely know that i am happy now. Happy that i passed on all the good deals i saw there. It made me feel good about all the stuff i didn't buy. All the stuff i didn't need. All the money i didn't spend, all the space i didn't clutter, all the stuff i didn't add to our home, all the stuff i didn't need to care for, to clean, to use just because i paid for it, to store, to organize, to go through, to sell, to donate.

Have you ever thought about how much stuff you didn't need?

Minimalist Cosmetics

A few years ago, I used to have a huge amount of cosmetics. The problem was that i was buying even more and more.

The problem is that we believe if we buy more, we will look better, or will be happier. We even believe a new set of makeup will change our life. The truth is that we all have too much. way too much.

Three years ago, i finally decided that enough is enough. So I started to reduce and declutter.
Now three years later, i believe i finally found my happy place with my cosmetics.

Do you have too much cosmetics:

Follow these tips:

Check the expiration dates. Make ups don't change their texture or smell much due to tons of chemical preservatives in them. This makes us hard to pay attention to the expiration dates. The best is to replace after 2 years. No make up should really be good after two years.

Buy only 1. All you need is one of every thing you use. stop buying a kit that has all the eye Shadow, mascara, eye liner and you still have more eye liners, mascaras and other cosmetics.

Stop buying. In order to organize and minimize, you need to stop buying. Make sure you use what you have first before you buy anything more. I bet you have plenty make up to last you years. You can save a lot of money by Not buying.

Let go. Every thing you haven't used for the past year, just toss or give to someone. The chances are that you will never use that again.

Stop occasion buying. Many people buy make ups for a specific occasion, like Prom, Wedding, Birth day party... The problem is that once the occasion is finished, all the charm is gone and all those expensive make up will end up at the bottom of your drawer and add to your clutter.

Know what you have. Make sure you have all you make up and other cosmetics in one place. Put all the same items together in the same place. Lets say if you have multiple eye shadows, you want to make sure they are all in one place. This will help you locate whatever you need a lot faster and there will be a low chance for you to buy an item just because you didn't find it.

Organize. If you keep all your items in their right place, there will be less likely for you to feel like you don't have enough. Only when you organize them, you will notice how many you got. Organizing also help you to have a clam, nice, accessible area.

Donate and share. If there is anything that you know you are not going to use and is in pretty good shape, give it to a friend. They will probably put it to good use instead of it seating in your drawer or cabinet.

Dont' buy sale. When we buy items on sale, we have the tendency to buy unnecessary items just because they are on sale. You have to be strong and tell yourself that you don't have to own everything that comes with a good deal. The best deal is you not buying it at all. Trust me. Your savings will be a lot higher if your just don't buy that unnecessary item.

Buy only when needing it. Make sure you stop shopping just because. Only buy the items that you know you will and only if you know you truly need it. Otherwise it is just adding to your clutter.

Buy natural. Try to buy only natural makeups. After all, the make up along with all the chemicals in it, will staying on your skin for a long time and will absorb in your body. The more natural a make up is, the less chemical will have, thus the shorter shelf life will be. So it is good to only buy what you exactly need, because they will not last, years after years in your drawer. This will make you buy only necessities.

My simplification worked and I am content with the amount of my make up.

All i need now is:

My minimalistic cosmetics.

1. A good face Foundation. ( I have troubled skin)
2. A wonderful face powder + Application brush
3. A waterproof eyeliner.
4. A waterproof mascara.
5. One multi use shade for eyeshadow
6. 4 different colors of long lasting lipsticks
                Natural plum ( Cold)
                Dark red
                Bronze
                Natural Orange( Warm)
I mix and match these 4 colors depending of what i wear. I always get asked about my lip colors and never have a good answer. Because it is always a mixture of many shades.
7. All in a cotton cosmetic bag.

Do i have other cosmetics, yes. The ones that i bought long time ago and are pretty similar to these. I keep them to replace one of these, once one item finishes. After that, i will always buy only what i need. And only when one item is almost finished. We are lucky enough to not have to worry, about not finding something later again. Here in US, there is never a lack of STUFF. You can always find everything in stores. So, no need to stock up.

At nights I just wash my face with warm water and soap ( I have acne prone skin). The stubborn make up can be cleaned easily with Jojoba oil.

How did you simplified your cosmetics?

Paris

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