“More Stuff.  More Space.  Less Life.” How true is this quote?  As we move into the holiday season, I am once again contemplating the meaning of all the stuff around our lives.

I met a lady yesterday, who was inquiring about a membership to the YMCA.  Her kids had asked her to come up with some “clutter free” gift ideas.  As a family, they had decided that more stuff was utterly unnecessary.

After our conversation, I was left pondering the values in our consumptive culture.  How do our things serve us?  How do they detract or add to our livelihood?  What do they do to our relationships?  How does stuff find its way into our precious homes?

When people visit, I often hear comments such as “Your place is so neat.  How do you do it?”  I often equate it to my hyper-perfectionist personality and the fact that we don’t have little people running around yet.  However, I also now see a deeper root cause.  Jeremy and I don’t live with a lot of stuff.  Consciously or unconsciously, we have been very intentional about what we bring into our home.  Throughout our marriage, we have continued to purge and let go of the things that no longer add value to our lives.  Through this process, we’ve found both healing and freedom.  The things in our home mean something and often shine on special memories.  They reflect who we are and what we believe in.  They support and nourish our souls, as we retreat from a harried, hectic day.  The stuff in our lives is separate from us.  At any time, moths or thieves, floods or fires, could take it all away.  Upon this reflection, we are centered in knowing that our eyes need to be fixed on something greater.  Something more real.  Something more lasting.

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”

~William Morris

So, when we go to the stores today, we walk around, immersed in the glamour and sparkling of advertisements.  Our eyes grow wide and our mouths well with thirst over all the yummy, delicious stuff within reach of our fingertips.  We dream about bigger, better, and more.  For a tiny moment, we get lost in the world of illusion; thinking all our problems will be solved if we stuffed our home with all that neat, shiny stuff.

Sale items are my poisonous apple.  While I often don’t need it, I can find every reason and excuse to bring it home.  I mean, it’s a great deal!  It was meant for me to find it!  Shoes and purses are definitely my weakness.  But, bygone, I’ll make room in my closet because it’s worth it!

New Table. Old, Spooky Decoration.

During a recent trip to Target, I came across an aisle full of clearance furniture.  Modern, sleek, new; just calling my name.  I quickly snatched up one of the tables, feeling a tiny twisting in my stomach.  Did I need it?  Heck no, but I proceeded to walk around with it in the cart.  Tiny voices, from both shoulders began speaking.  After bouncing between need and want, I headed toward the checkout line…..with the table.  I had talked myself into deciding it was worth it.  Plus, it really was something I had my eye on for a while, but knew it would only find its way into our home if it drastically came down in price.

When I got home and put the tiny table in the place my mind had picked out, I began to contemplate the price of many things filling the average home today.  This little table cost me two hours of work.  Yet, I began to think beyond that.  Time cleaning, moving (near and far), and decorating also needed consideration.  Over the course of a lifetime, this tiny table may end up taking more of my life than I originally understood.  Not to mention the real estate (space) it now required in our overall square footage.

While this illustration may seem small and worthless, I do have to wonder how this illuminates a greater story.  If our eye is fixed on this stuff, if it only adds to our meaning of success, then what have we lost?  How have we volunteered our time to this stuff, while replacing our capacity for authentic love and real relationship?  In what ways might our stuff neglect or cover feelings/situations that need to be indebted to time?

“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants.  Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.”

~Donald Horban

How will you keep space to love those around you?  What will your buying criteria, in response to more life, be this holiday season?

Simply Stunning.

Over the past several months, my heart has been breaking.  As I was driving along the beautiful roads of Oregon, I witnessed a massive evergreen tree falling from the sky.  As it crashed to the ground, its pristine, thick needles crumbled into pieces.  Something that was so bold and breath-taking; gone in a matter of seconds.  As I studied the scene, I realized that a massive chain saw had been brutally hacking at its thick trunk.  When the tree and dust cleared, what was left behind made my stomach turn in circles.  A gaudy, over-sized sign:

“STORAGE – COMING SOON!  Reserve your space today!”

Your space.  Who’s space?  Truthfully, it made me sick.  Was this necessary?  Another storage unit?  Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed these things going up faster than we blink our eyes.

As much as I’ve tried to forget the scene, the image of the tree falling has stayed with me.  As I reflect a bit on this happening, I start to wonder why.  Who are we to do this to nature?  What kind of “stuff” qualifies for this type of destruction?  Is it a valuable use of space or just another way for us to mark our territory?

Now, I understand that some storage units are necessary.  Moving, living overseas, family crisis, and death of a loved one all constitute use of extra space.  Yet, in our current situation of economic decline, why are storage units rising faster than the sun?  My best guess is that people are stuck.  And when they are stuck, unable to move to larger living, the reality sinks in.  Where do we put all this stuff?  How can we survive with so little space?  I wonder if the inventor of storage units ever rented one of his own?

So, take a moment to think about this.  In no way do I mean to offend or judge.  Yet, doesn’t it seem silly?  The majority of people that I worked with in organizing openly admitted that they had no idea what was in their storage unit.  And yet, they continued to pay the inflated price each and every month without question.  Really?

Reconnect to Nature.

The thing is, when we rent a storage unit, we endorse it.  And when we pay the monthly bill for someone else to store our stuff, we vote with our money, recognizing them for offering a “worthy” service.  These places would not be in business if it weren’t for our over consumptive society.  Most of the time, the stuff that is stored is just that.  Stuff.  It sits, collecting dust.  Slowly purged, but mostly, added to.  Forgotten with time.  Sometimes, the stuff even gets moved to a larger unit because the smaller one started to burst at the seams!

As I continue to study simplicity, I realize that consciousness is part of the process.  Noticing, seeing, and communicating the things that just don’t feel right inside.  For me, this is one of them.  If this has hit a sore point for you or ruffled some feathers, maybe it’s time to reconsider how you look at the things around your life.  Re-evaluate the layers behind the reasoning.  Why is it important that you keep the stuff?  How will you stop bringing the stuff into your life and home?  If extra space is truly necessary at this point in your life, can you work something out with a friend or family member?  Might they have room for you to store your things, temporary?  Personally, I would much rather give my money to a loved one than encourage a business I don’t support.  Taking time to shed this from your life will bring freedom, as well as money saved.

How will you let go of the excess in your life?  If you currently rent a storage unit, how and when can you hand back the keys?

Paper, paper, paper!  How many of you feel buried or overwhelmed by the task of keeping up with the piles of paper?  As we approach the holiday season, I’d like to offer some organizing tips and a bit of Paper 101.  With a little know how, the stress involved with understanding and conquering household paper can decrease dramatically.

So, where do you begin?  First, you need to recognize your habits.  Do you pick up the mail, walk in the house, carry it to the counter, and set it down on the pile from yesterday?  I know that some families have stacks and stacks of unopened mail, cluttering their eating and kitchen areas.  It’s a common place for paper to fall when decisions are not made on a regular basis.  And, while mail is a large contributor to the clutter that lands in our home, paper can come from a variety of other places.  Become aware of these places and consciously make an effort to minimize the amount you allow into the home.

Types of Paper.

Beside recycling or trash, there are four different types of paper:  Action, Project, Memorabilia, and Reference.  If you make it a habit to sort through the mail as soon as you pick it up, you will dramatically cut down on your paper clutter.  About 70% of the mail coming into the home needs to fall straight into the recycling bin, trash, or shredder.  If you don’t own a shredder, I highly recommend investing in one for identity theft purposes.  I would also encourage you to set up a paper sorting system (inbox, recycling bin, shredder, and trash can) close to the area you initially tackle incoming paper.  Personally, I have an attractive basket that holds the paper I have decided to keep.  Each Sunday night, I carry the basket into our home office and sort each piece of paper into one of the four types.

Taming the papers on the kitchen counter!

TYPE ONE.  Most of the incoming papers require a quick ACTION.  To Pay, To Call, To Review, To Discuss, To Enter, To Reconcile, and To File are a few options.  Over the course of a few weeks, determine the actions you use most and then create a system to capture and house this type of paper.  Personally, I have an Action Center with four drawers labeled:  To Do, To Enter, To Review, To File.  They are positioned by priority, so the “To Do” items are to be handled earlier in the week, working down to the “To File” papers at the end of the week.  The discipline needed to maintain this system is heavy, so if you tend to view items as “out of sight out of mind”, an open drawer product will work best for you.  TIP:  Recognize that your paper can go through a journey.  The first action may be to call someone for advice.  Once you have an answer, the next step may be to enter this information into your computer.  After this is complete, that piece of paper may either be filed or thrown away.  By breaking it down into manageable steps, the daunting task of making decisions about what to do with your paper is much easier.

TYPE TWO. The second type of paper is called PROJECT paper.  This can be items that you are collecting over a longer period (months) and require large amounts of energy, research, and time.  Examples might be a room remodel, hobby, upcoming trips, events, etc.  Project papers can be organized into desktop files, wall bins, boxes, or binders.

TYPE THREE. Another type of paper is something called MEMORABILIA.  This is anything that sparks a memory or invites emotion into your home.  It might be a favorite art piece from one of your children, a special handmade card, concert ticket, quote, or certificate marking an important day or landmark.  This type of paper can be displayed openly, in a container, or a frame.  Personally, I have something that I call a WHY box.  It holds cards and handwritten notes from people that I love and meet.  On a rainy or dark day, my spirit is lifted when I pull these pieces out and remember all the people God has placed around my life.

TYPE FOUR. Type four papers, called REFERENCE can be divided into two categories:  Above and Below Ground.  Above ground papers are those that your refer to often.  Restaurant menus, contact information, sport schedules, school papers by child, calendars, appointments, etc.  These items are best stored in a binder.  The second category of reference paper is called Below Ground.  This is the material that should live “out of sight” in your filing cabinet.  Major categories might include Household, Medical, Financial, Professional, and Personal.  Underground reference paper is rarely touched, but it is important to have a system set up that allows you to retrieve information quickly and efficiently.  A filing cabinet or boxes work best.

By breaking paper down into smaller pieces and truly understanding what needs to happen, you minimize the piles of unknown paper in your home.  Don’t be afraid to make decisions!  If you have some catching up to do, start small.  Maybe one or two piles a day.  Retrain your mind and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to taming what some call, the paper tiger.  Good luck!

“I write down everything I want to remember.  That way, instead of spending a lot of time trying to remember what it is I wrote down, I spend the time looking for the paper I wrote it down on.”

~Beryl Pfizer

How have you tackled and controlled the paper in your home?  What works best for you?  I’d love to hear any tips or ideas not mentioned!

I love Recipes.com!  It’s a community of people, sharing fabulous ideas and tips for the modern kitchen.  It is also a great space to organize and keep track of your own favorite meals, drinks, and desserts! 

In keeping with the fall theme from last week, I wanted to share the best recipe I have found yet for Apple Crisp.  It is the epitome of “Yummy!”.  So, gather your family and friends and take a trip to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard! 

Apple Crisp II (by Diane Kester)

• Prep Time:  30 Minutes
• Cook Time:  45 Minutes
• Ready In:  1 Hour 20 Minutes
• Yields:  4 servings  (Allrecipes.com allows you to change this according to your need)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons water
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9×13 inch pan.  Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples.  Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soad and melted butter togehter.  Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Couple the warm crisp with a few scoops of ice cream and you have yourself the perfect treat to welcome and celebrate the season with those you love!  Enjoy!

What recipes or special treats fill your home with savory smells and rich memories? 

Have you noticed how our lives are structured around time?  It’s like we are always chasing it, but never fully catching up.  Do you ever just feel like throwing out the clock, along with the responsibilities of everyday life?  Between laundries, ironing, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, polishing, mowing, repairing, running errands, buying groceries, paying the bills, preparing dinner, cleaning up after dinner, feeding the pets, walking the dog, and taking out the trash, our lives are filled with things to do.  And, that’s only a fraction of the responsibilities in the average American household.  Unless you are blessed to have the resources to hire a personal housekeeper, how in the world do we fit it all in?

Lately, I’ve been more aware and in sync with the systems we’ve created in our home.  For example, I recently placed the key cleaning tools and bottles into one, easy to carry basket.  So simple and so time saving!  I am always trying to make the chores more efficient and less reactive.  In other words, I am trying to place boundaries on the “to do’s” that can often overtake and overwhelm anyone trying to accomplish it all.

“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn’t multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be.  No one else cares.  Why should you?”

-Erma Bombeck

One of the ways we can lessen the stress of the responsibilities in life, is to break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces.  It doesn’t need to be done all at one time!  Nor does it have to be accomplished every single week.  Each family and household is different, and it is imperative that communication be clear when discerning the comfort level of cleanliness.  Jeremy and I do not yet have children; however I know that the sharing of household duties will be something we instill and encourage early on. 

Here’s how the average week currently looks in our home:

• Mondays:  Paperwork & “To Do” list review
• Tuesdays:  Bathrooms 
• Wednesdays:  Dusting & Vacuuming
• Thursdays:  Laundry
• Fridays:  Meal planning, groceries, and errands
• Saturdays:  Garbage

By assigning these core chores to a specific day, I find that we are less reactive and more intentional, which allows us freedom in other areas of our lives.  Jeremy and I both know that we need to have all clothes that need washing into the laundry room by Thursday morning.  After talking with some friends this past week, I realize that many of you do laundry daily, especially if you have small children.  If this is the case, I would suggest that the kids be actively involved in the process.  Even at an early age, they can be taught how to sort the darks and lights.  Give them their own basket and hold them accountable for bringing their dirty clothes to the laundry room on “laundry days”.  It’s also extremely helpful and efficient to wash only when you have enough clothes to make a full load.  Creating a team is the best way to successfully run and maintain any household.

While some people despise household chores, I find them extremely therapeutic.  I often get some of my best and most creative ideas as I vacuum.  Or, I find that dusting and polishing visually wipe the dirt from my worries and fears.  Simplicity invites imagination into the home and turns the mundane parts of life into extraordinary events.

“I enjoy mowing the lawn, it relaxes me.  It gets me outdoors, it’s good exercise, the freshly cut grass smells great, and the engine is loud enough that I’m sure no one else can hear my thoughts – or intrude upon them.”

~Astrid Alauda

What “systems” have worked successfully for your household?  How have you intentionally set boundaries around the amount of responsibilities in your life?

How many of you love spending time in the kitchen?  What pulls you to this space?  What pushes you away?

Growing up, I can truthfully say that I despised cooking.  My mom would always try to make it fun and interesting, but it seemed more like a chore.  I didn’t appreciate or feel grateful that we had food to prepare either.  It was just one of those things that had to be done.

Lately, I’ve been having lots of conversations about the importance of good nutrition in our lives.  Over the past several years, I have started to gain a new appreciation for the art of food and for its value to my body and energy levels.  If I don’t nourish myself with good things, then how can I expect to have enough stamina to make it through each day?  It seems like a fairly simple concept.

All too often, I hear that people are overwhelmed and much too busy to prepare healthy meals.  We look in our cupboards and refrigerator for convenience foods and a quick fix.  Or, even worse, we speed on over to the fast food venues or nearest restaurants for a meal to go.  If we want to feel better, this simply cannot be the answer.

As a wife (and hopefully mother someday!), I want to learn how to cook well for my family.  I want to plan dinners that spark my creativity and passion for learning new things.  At times, the thought seems overwhelming, but then I remember just how rudimentary and necessary the task of eating is to our lives.  If we want to thrive in others areas, we have to create order to the kitchen.

Here are some of the ways that I’ve recently simplified our kitchen:

*Pulled all cookbooks, magazines, and recipe cards from various places in the house and created ONE central location.  I made this area of our kitchen more inviting and pretty, hoping it helps to inspire my cooking goals.

*Created a beautiful binder that carries all recipe cards (divided by category), healthy eating resources and brochures, meal planning sheets, and blank grocery lists.

*Use bins in the refrigerator to group like items together.  We created a salad basket and condiment area, which helps to lessen our searching time.  It works!

*Created a family list of all our favorite (and simple) family meals.  Choose 6-8 recipes and rotate them throughout the month.  And, enjoy the leftovers!

*Cut down cookbooks by tabbing recipes I use most often.  Over the course of several months, if I had not tabbed a particular book, it went into the Goodwill pile without feelings of failure.

Jeremy and I eat fairly well throughout the week.  In the past four years of our marriage, we’ve discovered that we are salad enthusiasts.  It’s organic, simple, and incredibly satisfying.  I have truly learned to love the process of cutting up various vegetables and studying their design.  I mean, God did an amazing job in his creation of natural food!  Have you ever noticed how perfectly aligned the strawberry seeds are or how the inside of a carrot looks vastly similar to the human eye?  I also carry a sense of gratitude now, for the fact that we have food to fill our plates.  By seeing the kitchen in a different light, I find more and more appreciation for the importance and role it plays in our home.

My greatest piece of advice for those of you that feel too busy or overwhelmed: start small!  Learn one healthy meal each month.  Visit a local farmers market with the family to support your community.  From the comfort of your home, create time for meal planning during the month and shop with an intentional list.  I find this not only saves us money, but helps to lessen the “what should we have for dinner” tonight syndrome.

Being aware of the food we put in our bodies will help stimulate your desire to learn new and better ways.  For those of you that currently eat a hurried breakfast (the most important meal of the day!) or just don’t have time to sit down, here’s a delious basic smoothie recipe from New Seasons Market that I absolutely love and recommend:

• 8-12 ounces water, unsweetened soy, rice, nut, grain, hemp, goat or cow’s milk (avoid fruit juices since they are loaded with natural sugar)
• 1-2 scoops of protein powder (I prefer whey)  (15-25 grams of protein recommended per smoothie)
• 1-3 tsps flax oil
• 1-3 tsps of flax meal, oat bran, hemp seed, or fiber blend
• 1/2-1 cup fresh or frozen fruit

*Blend and serve. It’s literally that simple and provides energy to start your day!  I’m a huge fan. 

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”

~Voltaire

What inspires you to create meals and spend time in the kitchen?  What are some of your favorite, simple recipes (please share…I’d really love to know!)?

Why do we collect so much stuff?  I mean, how much is really necessary?  I recently went through each closet, cabinet, and corner of our home clearing the clutter.  I love to purge! 

Whew! It's feels so good to let this all go!

I was talking with my parents the other day and they couldn’t believe that I had anything to get rid of.  They made a comment about our place always looking so neat and tidy.  And yes, I will gladly admit that I love to organize and create a place for everything.  But even I, someone who used to organize as a profession, can feel crushed by the weight of unwanted and unused items.  Over time, it just stacks up and decisions need to be made. 

Did you know that the average house size in America has doubled since the 1950’s?  Today, it’s completely ridiculous to think that an entire family could be comfortable with only one bathroom!  With more square footage comes more stuff.  And at some point, for many, the stuff begins to own the space, resulting in emotional and mental choas.  If we could drop an average American neighborhood into a cartoon scene, I would imagine that many of the homes (at least garages) would be bursting at the seams!  Can you just picture it? 

Our home should be an oasis from the outside world.  It should be warm and inviting.  Cozy and inspiring.  Our home should be a reflection of who we are and what’s most important to us.  It should be a space that we love coming back to and that rejuvenates us at the end of each day.  After all, home truly is one of the most important places in the world! 

So, when was the last time you walked through your space and evaluated each item?  Have you created a home that ignites and envelops your soul?  For me, living more simply has solidified the fact that our space matters and deeply reflects how we feel inside. 

Here are some important questions I ask while sorting through my stuff:

• Do I love it?
• Do I use it?  Is it functional?
• Does it make me happy?
• Can I replace it if I had to?
• If lost in a fire, would I know?  Would I remember it?

For some, a lot of stuff has sentimental value.  Maybe it was a gift or an item that holds special and emotional memories.  These are often the hardest things to make decisions on and let go of.  Then, there is the “what if” stuff.  What if I miss it?  What if I could use it next month, next year or you know, someday?  What if it cost me a lot money?  Any of this sound familiar?  If so, here’s some thoughts to consider:

• Start small, with a big plan.  Create a vision map for your home.  What does each room look like?  Feel like?  What is its purpose?  Once this is decided, only items that support this vision should live in that particular space.  I don’t care if you start with a drawer and work ten minutes.  Just start somewhere.
• If an item holds sentimental value, ask yourself if it is the item or the person/event.  Can you take pictures and create a memory photo album or scrapbook page?  Or, if you are just not sure about letting the item go, can you pack it in a box to be opened at a later date?  Often, once an item is out of sight, it falls out of mind.  If this is the case, you should have an easier time letting it go. 
• When you condider your space and the things that fill it, create a scenario in your mind.  Pretend you are moving out next month.  Or, if you’d like to get really serious, picture a fire encompassing your home.  Which possessions would you miss the most?  This exercise will help you decide which items truly add value to your life and space. 
• Stop buying more stuff!  Only bring items into your home that are needed and fulfill the purpose of your precious personal environment.

If you’re like me, you have stuff in your life that has fallen into the clutter category.  It’s the stuff that just doesn’t add value to you or your home.  Release it!  Really, it’s okay.

Letting go of stuff is never easy.  It takes time, discipline, and a lot of energy!  But, through small steps and persistence, I am confident that any one can make a house, a home.  And remember, less is always more.  It’s the perfect ingredient for a life desiring more simplicity. 

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” 

~Hans Hofmann 

How have you cleared the clutter in your life this summer?