Tidy Thoughts
Articles, tips and inspiration all about attainable minimalism for moms and families.
![]() Getting rid of 80% of your possessions can total A LOT of stuff. So how do you minimize waste when possible and do your best to put less in the landfill? Sustainable living and simple living go hand-in-hand! Try one of these four ways to give something a second life… 🌟 SELL ONLINE: Facebook Marketplace, Local Sales Groups / Swaps, Poshmark, Mercari, Kidizen, eBay | IN-PERSON: Consignment stores, pop-up events (lots of great kids ones out there!), garage and yard sales, estate sales, flea markets, auctions 🌟 DONATE Goodwill, Salvation Army, local shops, churches, family organizations, returning to work (ex. Dress for Success), animal shelters (old sheets, towels, blankets) [see my stories for more info on this!] 🌟 GIFT Special occasions, hand-me-downs, ask family/friends if they need or are looking for something, use a local service like buynothingproject.org 🌟 REPURPOSE Paint decor, move it to a different room, refinish furniture, use something unused for something else (ex., an unused cute coffee mug as a pencil cup) After the chaos of the holidays and the kids entering new stages during the first few months 2022, I have 4-5 boxes to donate - but, getting rid of that clutter is one way to avoid that dreaded cycle of it creeping back! Have you given something a second life recently?
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11/22/2021 0 Comments Buy With Purpose![]() Thanksgiving week is (already) here. After the grateful gatherings of family and friends and displays of thanks and gratitude (and the food coma wears off ), the day after we honor what we’re thankful for, we “celebrate” consumerism at its finest. Isn’t it ironic? Don’t get me wrong - I do buy a few things on Black Friday. But, as I try to live a more intentional, efficient and minimalist lifestyle, I have made a conscious effort to adjust my spending habits and reevaluate my mindset as a consumer. I try my best to make deliberate purchase decisions, delay gratification and seriously consider the quality, purpose and benefit for my family of my purchases. When you shift your mindset, you bring less into your home, save time and save money. AND the items you DO buy are more…
How do you feel about Black Friday? Shopping in general? Any tips and thoughts? ![]() Your wardrobe should include only pieces that FIT, FLATTER and FEEL GOOD! I know how hard this can be - we talked about the emotional aspect of clothing this past week. I’ve been a huge range of sizes. My body shape has changed with kids. I have some extra “love” in places I wish I didn’t right now. BUT, start with what you have and what you decided to keep. Remember to keep what fits and what works for what season you're in - I do have a very small box of things I kept that aren't working for me right now, BUT, they aren't out and taking up space in my closet! A capsule wardrobe is your new daily “uniform”. Hone in on your style with a few simple questions: 🌟 What is your lifestyle like 75% of the time? 🌟 What’s the season you’re dressing for? Weather? 🌟 What do you own and LOVE? Why? 🌟 What do you own and never wear? Why? 🌟 What are your favorite colors to wear? Silhouettes? 🌟 Any special events this season? 🌟 Favorite brands right now? My answers look like this: 🌵 #stayathomemomlife 🌵 Fall in Phoenix (still 🔥) 🌵 V-neck tees, easy shorts, casual dresses with pockets (Soft, comfortable, utilitarian) 🌵 Crew-neck tees, chiffon “work” tops (Neckline ugly, too “grandma” and restrictive) 🌵 Black, olive green, denim, rosy pink; peplum tops, cinched-waist dresses, high-waisted bottoms 🌵 Not until winter 🌵 Old Navy Don’t be afraid of tailoring! If you love something and it can be adjusted to fit better, go for it. Did you answer these questions about your own wardrobe? 9/18/2021 0 Comments Creating a Capsule WardrobeAs you declutter your closet, let’s talk about a tool you can use to have a small but sleek, stylish, and purposeful wardrobe. Imagine you walk into your closet and ALWAYS have something to wear. No, it’s not crazy - it’s a “capsule wardrobe”!
The term first appeared in the 1940s and was later revived in the 1970s; it’s a collection of staple clothing and accessory pieces meant to easily complement each other and mesh well together. I’ve seen the term a lot over the past 5+ years, and as someone who spends an ample amount of time in the closet and comes out with “nothing to wear”, I thought this could really benefit me. A capsule focuses on a great collection of fundamentals and saves you time (you already have a closet full of complementary favorites) and money (shop seasonally for a few key pieces if you WANT to, but you don’t even have to do that!). So how can a capsule wardrobe help you? 👕 Save TIME looking for clothes 👕 Simplify + reduce quantity 👕 Highlight favorite styles, colors and silhouettes 👕 Spend less on clothing + only shop seasonally 👕 Waste + donate less A capsule DOESN’T have to be overly restrictive - you can limit the number of clothes or not, I chose not to limit because I decluttered so much, I wasn’t left with a lot in the first place! It also naturally incorporates sustainability. Key pieces are classics - they may even be investments - that can be well-taken care of and used year after year. Recycle favorites each season and put them away in-between. 9/8/2021 0 Comments The $15 / 15 Minute Approach![]() The Minimalists (Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus) came up with the 20/20 “rule”, which is an ideal way to approach whether or not you should keep as they note, the “just-in-case” items that we tend to keep around for that exact reason - just in case. The idea is, if you can replace the item for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes, it’s gone. If you need it, like REALLY need it, you can replace it down the road, BUT the majority of those items, you won’t even miss. I’ve adopted this rule, but changed it a bit to fit our family’s needs - the $15/15 minute approach. Consider the following - 🌟 How far away is the nearest store you could get essential items? (Ex. Grocery stores, Target and other stores are only about 5 minutes away) 🌟 How many unnecessary / “just-in-case” items do you really keep around your home? I have tried to declutter so ruthlessly that I have already gotten rid of a lot of these 🌟 Lots of tiny, many-piece kids toys and games are less than $15 - if you're trying to minimize the amount of small, cluttered toys around that your kids *might* play with, this is a great way to do it 🌟 If you’re planning on selling an item for less than $15, is it worth your time and energy to go thru all the steps? Over the past month I’ve sold a lot of items, but I have some remaining that I wouldn’t charge more than $15 for; I’ve decided these will be donated and my time is more valuable doing something else Do you have any “rules” you follow around your home? My mom and I used to joke that we followed the rules unless it was a stupid rule and if it was, we wouldn’t bother. If you know me (or my mom), you know that we weren’t really rule breakers anyway! ![]() I'm actively taking steps to have a more sustainable and multi-purpose home. I try to keep the countertop clutter to a minimum, and make whatever IS on our counters useful. You'd never know it from most angles, BUT hiding behind that decorative cutting board is a small wash bin and high chair cleaner that I use daily. I use microfiber cloths to wipe the kids off after meals, and throw them in this bin when they're dirty, along with dish towels and other rags. If it's wet, I drape it over the edge to dry before dumping it in the bin to avoid that gross mildew smell. Basically, a mini laundry basket for the kitchen! Why waste paper towels, baby wipes or napkins when it's super easy to throw in a load of reusable cloths - I use at least 3+ per day! 😅 ![]() Don't have space to do this? Check out this other idea - I store cleaning rags under the sink in this bin that hooks on the cabinet, but you could drape the rags over to dry and throw them in, completely saving any space on the counter. My kids are messy and I have the space, so hiding it on the counter works out for us. This is one of my favorite sustainable mom hacks! The cloths are easy to reuse and throw in the wash and I have a color-coded system to make it easy peasy (more on this later!). Do you have a favorite kitchen tip you can share with me? When you're on a journey to minimal living, you end up with A LOT of clutter to get rid of. While some of that clutter may end up in the trash or recycling bins, it's great to try to reuse and minimize waste when possible. Sustainable living and simple living go hand-in-hand!
🌟 SELL ONLINE: Facebook Marketplace, Local Sales Groups / Swaps, Poshmark, Mercari, Kidizen, eBay IN-PERSON: Consignment stores, pop-up events (Kids Closet Connection, Rhea Lana's, others), garage and yard sales 🌟 DONATE Goodwill, Salvation Army, local shops, churches, family organizations, returning to work (ex. Dress for Success), animal shelters (old sheets, towels, blankets) 🌟 GIFT Special occasions, hand-me-downs, ask family/friends if they need or are looking for something 🌟 REPURPOSE Paint decor, move it to a different room, refinish furniture, use something unused for something else (ex., an unused cute coffee mug as a pencil cup) As I donate more and more, I am relieved that I'm reducing clutter and giving something a second life! |
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September 2022
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