Minimal Weekend

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Minimalism isn't all about sorting and removing items. Sometimes our schedules and hectic lives need weeding too. I happen to have a weekend to myself to reevaluate what I include in my life.

For me socialization is important. I'm a very social animal and I get kind of nutty if allowed to be on my own too long. As such plotting out my social engagements while including enough family time is the planned activity of the weekend.

We have cut out tv and that has freed up time for me to do more studying and socializing during the week. That allows weekends to be used for family outings, date nights, and relaxed hanging out at home.

What are some things you would like to make time for? What can you cut to free up that time?

The not so little things

My husband, saint that he is, gave me an amazing gift for the holidays. Are you holding on to your seat? We rented....a dumpster. Yes, you read that correctly a dumpster. Into this large receptacle we have removed all the broken, unwanted (even by charity shops), and non-recyclable items from our home. The dumpster is being picked up this morning and taken away. In its wake it leaves a basement I forgot we even processed, space for a second car in our garage, and a laundry room. It is astounding how much one little dumpster can hold! So, if like me, you are looking about your house and asking where all your space has gone-get a dumpster and let it show you all the clutter you have been storing in that precious space.

Repair and Care

The minimalist battle cry seems to be "When in doubt throw it out."  I agree with that statement for most things, but exceptions are bound to happen.  A recent example (as I happily discovered) is shoe repair.  You may have no idea that the bits of leather and rubber you have on your feet can be restitched or glued.  I didn't know until I found myself in the need.  I own a pair of expensive name brand shoes, they were prescribed to me by my doctor for feet problems, and they broke Saturday.  I was devastated.  I have only had them for a two years.  I expected them to last forever based on price and craftsmanship.  I knew if I could not fix them I'd have to throw them out and start again and I did not want to do that.  My husband informed me that their good quality meant I could have them repaired for a fraction of the cost of a new pair!  What luck!  I rushed them to the local shoe repair shop.  It turned out the little man behind the counter did not have all the materials he needed so I am currently on a hunt for the matching buttons.    Five dollar buttons and an hour or two of labor are far more agreeable than two hundred for a new pair of the same shoes.

Loss does not follow the rules of minimalism

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In the words of Nick Hornby (voiced by the glamorous Catherine Zeta-Jones) I'm in the middle of a "what does it all mean thing."  Perhaps it's the weather (cold and raining) or perhaps its the afterglow of Thanksgiving wearing off.  I think it is probably related to the death of one of our students.  She died of brain trauma, but the trauma was caused by open heart surgery to fix her split aorta.  This stopped me and caused me to spent quite a bit of time thinking.

A child dying stops pretty much anyone in their tracks.  She was eleven maybe twelve.  She was active and feisty.  But above all she was too young.  Then I started thinking about her family.  They had planned on her always being around.  Now those plans, and dreams and things will have to be reevaluated.

I worry about the hurt I'll leave behind when I go.  I am trying very hard to shed extras and leave behind only a few fine things.  I don't want my loved ones mired down in my belongings, but I wouldn't mind if they got mired down in good memories.  Our stuff can take a lifetime to accumulate.  I am hoping it will not take a life time to declutter as well.

Items to keep and Items to go

We have all been caught by a shiny new gadget or sleek new product that promises to fix our lives.  I am an Ikea sucker.  I am not claiming that as entirely a bad thing.  Ikea makes affordable products in attractive styles and easily assembled models.  I will never trade my Ikea bed for box spring and mattress again.  I know this will rile up the minimal means having next to nothing crowd.  I have nothing against those who can weed out all distractions in their lives down to the bare floors.  It has taken a long journey for me to admit I am too much of a princess to do that.

Likewise we have all looked at an item cluttering up our closet and said "why is this still here?  I hate this thing!"  For me I recently opened up the large container of winter gear and removed all but one winter hat.  I only have one head, right?  I can't possibly where more than one hat.  I realized as I dug through the box that most of them were gifts or matched coats/sweaters/outfits long gone.  I have a wonderful hat coming from my very good friend GR and I must make room in my wardrobe for it.  It deserves a spot because it has been lovingly hand made.  While it was not an earth moving event I'm taking baby steps in the right direction.

What items have you carried with you that need to go?  What is an item that will have to be pried from your lifeless hands?  Feel free to share.

Ambition made bite-sized

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So as you may know my ultimate goal is to rid my home of everything that is not needed.  This is a HUGE task.  And so with no surprise I failed at my first attempt.  A quick revision of the current goal helped.  I am now sending to goodwill things that are not WANTED.  That simple distinction made the impossible possible.  Anything I can't imaging every wanting again is gone or in a pile which is soon to be going to charity.  If you are in the area look at Freecycle for the large items we are moving out :)

Apologies

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I would like to apologies to those of you who were kind enough to read my  blog.  I fell off the world and left this unfinished.  I'm sorry.  I'm back to give it another go.

My first fore into minimalism was not what one could call a rousing success.  However with a new strategy and smaller goals I am beginning my journey once again.