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Floradise

A lifestyle blog by Marette Flora

Practicing Minimalism as a Parent

Minimalism is different for everyone. My practice of minimalism is not going be the same as anyone else’s. To me, minimalism means finding the right amount of stuff for me, an amount that doesn’t feel overwhelming. It doesn’t have to mean having a certain number of items. It’s having what you need and what you enjoy but not an excessive amount — not having more than you need and use. I aim for that but that doesn’t mean I practice it at all times. Do I make impulse purchases sometimes? Sure. Do I hold onto some sentimental items? Yes. But my goal is always to minimize consumption and teach my kids that life is not about posessions.

What I have learned about practicing minimalism as a parent:

  • Value experiences over possessions. I have no problem spending money to go to attractions in the city or to travel rather than go to a store to pick out a new toy to entertain my girls. 
  • Teach the joy of giving to others. Our goal is to show our girls that other kids do not always have what they have and that it feels good to give toys or clothes they no longer want or need to someone in need.
  • Regularly analyze your belongings. I am always asking myself if I (or we) need items, and if the answer is no, it goes. This sets an example for my children that I hope they will want to emulate.
  • Try to find a home for everything. This can be tricky for certain belongings, such as baseball memorabilia, but we plan to create a home for those things when we finish our basement. Everything should have a home; it makes it easy to find what you need and helps disorganization, which can be overwhelming. Teach kids where things go and help them return things there after playtime.
  • Possessions will creep into your home in the form of gifts. The gifts are always appreciated, of course, but rarely do people consult with parents about whether a child needs a certain item. Our girls have enough stuffed animals, for instance. I try to manage the best I can and find a home for the gifts. Just like all other toys, though, if they stop being played with, are duplicates or fall into disrepair, they will be decluttered.  
  • It’s a practice. I am figuring it out as I go. I don’t have all the answers to have a perfectly minimalistic and tidy home at all times. I am just sharing what seems to be working for me.

The point is not to have nothing. It’s not to have too much. What constitutes too much varies from home to home. I measure my success by how overwhelmed I am with my belongings. I would rather spend my free time doing what I love than picking up unnecessary things.

 

Do you practice minimalism? If so, what does it mean to you?

Related posts:

Thoughts on “The Joy of Less”
End of Summer Cleaning and Decluttering List

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How I Keep My Home Tidy

I like to keep a tidy home, though that doesn’t mean it’s always perfectly clean. (There’s obviously a difference between clean and tidy!) I am someone who becomes anxious in a messy home, so I’ve always worked hard to keep our house mostly clutter-free and organized. With kids it’s become more a challenge and our home does get messy sometimes, but for the most part it’s a quick process to get it back in good shape.

Ways I keep my home (mostly) tidy:

  • Declutter regularly. I’ve done several rounds of decluttering starting several years ago. I was most inspired by “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” when I read it in 2016. I am now watching Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix and it’s brought on another urge to declutter, even though I just got rid of bags of stuff before the holidays. This time my husband seems to be onboard as well, which is exciting!
  • Store things in baskets in closets.  I 100 percent agree with Kondo’s method of storing things in baskets and boxes.
  • Show my daughters how to put things away when they are done with them. When I play with my daughters, or watch them play, I always help them put toys away when we move on to another activity, or I suggest to V that she put her toys away.
  • Find a home for everything you keep. This is true in our home except in the basement, which we need to tackle this year. I like for everything to be put back in its home as soon as possible after use.
  • Don’t shop for things we don’t need. We don’t buy too many toys, for instance. For us that means buying toys on birthdays or Christmas and rarely in between. We buy clothes only when a new season is approaching or when there is a specific need. Another example: We buy shoes for the girls as they grow out of old shoes or for us when the need arises.
  • Don’t go to bed with a messy kitchen or home. I do a quick sweep every night before going to bed and make sure things are at least in the room they belong in, if not fully put away. I try to do all the dishes so we don’t wake up to a mess. I don’t always clean surfaces, but they will at least be clear of stuff. (I put things on the stairs that need to go upstairs and bring them up next time I go. A basket could be useful for this.)
  • Keep only certain toys in the living room. Toys mostly stay in the bedroom. If toys are brought downstairs they must be being played with. If not, back to the toy chest they go! Sometimes they stay in the living room all day and we don’t mind, but for the most part we put them away when the girls move on to something else (or V puts her own toys away).
  • I don’t display things on shelves unless I really love them. We actually don’t even have many shelves in the new house currently, so no need to fill them! We decorate our home with things that have meaning to use or that are useful. 

That’s pretty much how I keep our home mostly tidy. Yes, we have our bad days when our house is what I would call a disaster. Again, my house is not always clean, but it’s often clutter-free. I think if it’s challenging to keep a clean house, especially with kids or dogs, one can perhaps keep it tidy in between cleanings. I am looking forward to our next round of decluttering to see how much more calming our environment can become.

Do you have any tips for keeping a home tidy? Share them in the comments!

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Related posts:

Review of “Life-Changing Magic”
Decluttering before the holidays

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Why the Holidays Are a Perfect Time for Decluttering

I recently decluttered yet again, but this time I did it differently. In previous declutters I would take everything out and sort through items one by one, KonMari style. I don’t have that kind of time to devote to decluttering in my current phase of life, so this time I tackled my simplifying in a different way: I decluttered as I went. What this means is that when I would open a drawer to grab something I needed, I also quickly glanced around to see if there was anything in there that could go. Anytime I opened a closet, drawer, basket, etc., I would assess the contents and decide if I wanted to part with anything. This helped me accumulate several large bags of items to donate or recycle/repurpose in just over a month.

Examples of my current decluttering method:

When I reached for tops or bottoms for the baby and found anything that no longer fit, I tossed it in the bag.

When a toy broke or I noticed it wasn’t played with, I asked V if she still wanted it. I also asked her to let me know if there were toys she no longer was interested in because she would likely be getting some gifts for Christmas. She was sweet enough to put together a small pile of toys that she said she wanted to go to kids who don’t have many toys.

When I put clothes or shoes on V and they were too tight, I put them in the donation pile.

As I unpacked boxes or organized in our new house, I noticed if there were items I had forgotten about that I could do without.

When I did my makeup, I assessed how often I wore certain lip colors and took note of when makeup was set to expire.

When I put socks on, I threw those without matching partners or those with holes into the textile recycling bag. (Our city offers recycling for shoes and clothing.)

When I took out the holiday decorations, I donated or tossed anything that was broken or too worn out.

This decluttering method isn’t groundbreaking, but it does work for those who claim to have no time to devote to empty an entire room and then sort through items. Keeping a bag or box in a certain location that you can easily add to takes little to no effort. Then simply drop it off at your favorite charity or have it picked up. The key is getting those donations out of the house as soon as possible, though. No driving around with them in the trunk of your car for months. Pencil it into your planner immediately.

I wanted to declutter before the holidays because Christmas is always a time when people tend to shop more and accumulate more belongings, whether you want them or not. I pick up decorations, buy wrapping supplies and have a bunch left over, and receive gifts, like many people do. The tendency for many is to make a new year’s resolution to simplify and declutter, but really starting before the holidays gives you a headstart.

 

Related posts:

Inspiration From “Year of Less”
Decluttering and a Family Tradition
Thoughts on “Joy of Less”

 

Inspiration From “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders

**This post contains affiliate links. I am compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Floradise!

My most recent Audible listen was “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders, who apparently also has a popular personal finance blog I was not familiar with. This book was in my Audible recommendations after listening to “Girl, Wash Your Face,” which was also written by a blogger, Rachel Hollis. If you’re new around here, I am really into self-development books. I was intrigued by the idea of learning how a yearlong spending ban changed the author’s life. And while I wasn’t exactly moved by the stories of her life, nor did I follow the chronology of her story, I am now inspired by “The Year of Less” to try a spending ban again.

What I learned from “The Year of Less”

I can relate to feeling good about having some freedom to spend money lately after I restricted myself before our baby was born and during maternity leave. I knew I wouldn’t be bringing in my editing paychecks for three months and that my only income would be from blogging, so I cut back on spending unless it was necessary for the baby or Victoria. But now I want to be more mindful of how I am spending money again, because we have home-related expenses I want to save for, and I also want to save more in general. While it sounds so simple and obvious, I have been forgetting to save first and then spend, with the exception of my 401(k), HSA and childcare savings accounts. I want to stash more away in a separate savings for travel, and I want to save more for our children’s future.

While I haven’t set my specific rules for a new spending ban, I will be putting that together soon. I also want to declutter yet again. Cait’s advice for embarking on your own spending ban is to declutter first. She also took an inventory of all her belongings, but I don’t think I’ll go that in depth. I am always looking for items to declutter, but moving this summer opened my eyes to how much I didn’t know we had in storage because it was out of sight. While I can’t get rid of all of it because some of it belongs to Graham, I will be looking for what is mine and assessing whether I truly want to hang onto it.

One thing I realized I have been doing with my wardrobe for so long is buying items for the person I want to be vs. the person I am. This is a habit “The Year of Less” reminded me I was doing. When I look at the clothes in my closet, I don’t have much, but I don’t have much to wear on a daily basis because I own dresses and then lounging clothes, but nothing in between. I realized I need casual everyday clothes that I will actually wear during the week while working from home and running errands. Lately I have been wearing the same three pairs of shorts and same four tanks and tees, but when the weather changes I will be left with nothing to wear other than leggings. I will be purchasing some pants and attempting to create a sort of capsule wardrobe for the fall of items that I actually wear and will hopefully make excellent purchases that last. Wish me luck!

Have you read “The Year of Less”? Have you ever done a spending ban? What did you learn from either?

Read “The Year of Less”**

Consider donating it when you’re done!

"The Year of Less"

Related posts:

Thoughts on “Girl, Wash Your Face”
Thoughts on “Joy of Less”

 

 

Spending Ban Update and Lessons

** This post was originally published in April but has since been updated.

In March I shared my goal of doing a pre-baby spending ban on certain categories. I wanted to stop unnecessary spending, especially it comes to dining out, before our baby is born so I can focus on financial goals. Now I want to provide a spending ban update and lessons I learned in hopes of inspiring those who want to also try to do a ban. Perhaps you can learn from my mistakes! Before I get into what I learned from trying to do a spending ban for a month, here are my fails.

Spending Ban Violations:

Total: $221.15

Most of my violations were food-related, as I expected. Believe it or not this is actually an improvement from February, when I spent maybe twice as much on Starbucks alone, all because I failed to have breakfast items stocked at home.

Despite all those fails, I did have lots of success thanks to decluttering. My pre-baby nesting included a lot of reorganizing and minimizing. I have donated bags and boxes of stuff, but I also sold quite a few things I no longer wanted or used, including a camera, books and a watch.

Decluttering Income/Gifts/Refunds:

I made some money to counteract the spending I did in March. Most of it was from decluttering and selling items online. I also received a refund from an order that never arrived in February, and I was given three gift cards.

  • Poshmark: $9.13
  • Preserve refund: $14.99
  • Target gift card: $10
  • Visa gift card: $100
  • Ulta gift card: $20
  • eBay: $298.49

Lessons from my Spending Ban Attempt:

  • Stress is a trigger to spend money for me. We had a rough start to March, which led to poor communication and a lack of energy. I found myself simply not having the motivation to cook my own food on some of the worst days. I discovered I am an emotional spender. When pregnancy or life in general was getting me down, the last thing I wanted to do was “deprive” myself or summon the energy to actually cook after a long day, which led to unnecessary spending.
  • You’re going to have a difficult time with a spending ban if you don’t prep food in advance or grocery shop in advance. I could have tried to use up more items we already had rather than spend on takeout.
  • You don’t need to spend money for self-care, but you also don’t need to feel guilty when you have a terrible day and a long soak with a bath bomb makes you feel like a human again. I tend to reward myself, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except when you’re trying to do a spending ban! I’m working on taking care of myself in ways that don’t involve money.
  • If you’re going to violate your own spending ban rules, at least look for ways to bring in extra cash as well. Decluttering worked wonders for me in March because I was able to bring in more than I spent simply by ridding myself of items I don’t need, want or use.
  • I need to be more mindful of the waste I cause when ordering food and buying food and drinks on the go. If you don’t have a reusable bottle or your own silverware you are creating more waste.
  • I have been using chilly Chicago weather as an excuse to spend. Same went for my pregnancy. I really just did not feel like driving to a grocery store, picking up what we need, bringing it home and carrying it by myself (or with V) from whatever street parking I can find to our apartment, especially when I’m so cold and uncomfortable. Maybe late pregnancy was not the best time to do a spending ban?
  • Know your why. What is it that you hope to accomplish with a spending ban? Are you saving for a trip? Paying off a student loan or credit card? Being able to remind yourself of the reason may stop you from spending.

My Spending Ban Goal:

The reason I wanted to do a spending ban was to focus on saving as much as I could for my maternity leave. I am proud of the amount I was able to save throughout my pregnancy, even if this month of not spending wasn’t as successful as I had hoped. While I still want to be mindful of where my money goes, I am happy that I should be fine for the remainder of my maternity leave.

Have you ever done a spending ban? Was it a success?

Related post:

Pre-Baby Spending Ban

Everything I Own: Nail Polish, Perfume and Makeup

** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Floradise!

I’ve recently been hooked on minimalism vlogs and blogs. One YouTube channel in particular, Femme Life, inspired me to share what I have in an Everything I Own series. Taking a good luck at what’s in my home has helped me declutter even further, rediscover items I want to use more and make future purchasing decisions. It’s also helped me avoid the temptation to shop for unnecessary items.

I’m starting with items in my bathroom because that’s the easiest. I keep my makeup in a three-drawer storage container. Everything fits except my Carli Bybel palette, which sits on top. Everything listed is cruelty-free except one perfume at the bottom of the post.

Eyes and Brows:

  • NYX Tinted Brow Mascara: I just bought this and I am not sure how I feel about it yet. I previously used a Milani brow gel I wasn’t crazy about. I don’t currently have a brow pencil because I just used up my ABH Brow Wiz.
  • Ciaté London Wonderwand Intensely Volumizing Mascara: I received this for free from Influenster. I haven’t made up my mind about it yet. 
  • Wet N Wild Mega Volume mascara: I don’t like this. It’s too wet. At this point I’m just using it up.
  • Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara: I love it!
  • Ciaté London Fierce Flicks eyeliner: I have been loving this as well. It’s been my go-to lately. It was also sent to me from Influenster for free.
  • NYX Matte Liquid Liner: I only used this a few times before I received the Ciaté liner, so I need to use this more to know how I feel about it.
  • Essence Gel Eye Pencil: I think this is too thick and not smudge proof, which it claims to be. I just want to use this up if I can.

Eyeshadows:

  • BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe Edition 21 Color Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette: This also contains highlighters. I use it for everyday looks. I haven’t used the purples in the palette as much as I thought I would.
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette: My most used shades are Burnt Orange, Raw Sienna, Primavera, Golden Ochre, Antique Bronze and Cyprus Umber. I have not touched Realgar, which is an orange color. I also have only used Venetian Red a couple of times but I find this purchase to be worth it for all the other shades I listed.
  • Makeup Geek single eyeshadows: I use these the most for everyday makeup. I own Burlesque, Cocoa Bear, Peach Smoothie, Cosmopolitan, Creme Brulee, Shimma Shimma and Glamorous. The biggest dents are in Peach Smoothie and Creme Brulee.
Foundation/Concealer:

Blushes and Highlighters:

Lip Products:

  • Random lipstick from my grandma. I’m not even sure what brand it is, but it’s a nice nude.
  • Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in November and Alyssa: I don’t need both of these, but November is almost out. They are so similar.
  • Wet N Wild lipsticks in Dark Wine and Bare It All: One is great for fall and the other for everyday wear. I had Spotlight Red but my toddler somehow got her hands on it and destroyed it. I liked that one for the holidays.
  • e.l.f. Matte Lip Color in Wine: I never use this but I need to this fall. This was sent to me last year by Influenster.
Powders:
  • Wet N Wild MegaGlo Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche: I like the contour more than the highlight, but it’s decent for the price. This was actually free with a Wet N Wild purchase this year.
  • Milani Even Touch Powder Foundation: I don’t need this. I bought it because I needed foundation during vacation and I couldn’t find the Milani liquid foundation anywhere. I’m just trying to use this up. There’s nothing wrong with it; I just don’t prefer powders.
Primer/Setting Spray:


Nail Polish:
Snickerdoodle, Miss Honey, Olive, Prince Cornelius, Das Esspensive XXV and Gumption

I store my nail polish and perfume in the packaging that the Tory Burch perfume came in. It was an easy way to reuse the box without creating more waste. I also keep my nail clippers in there.
  • KL Polish in Snickerdoodle, Miss Honey, Olive, Prince Cornelius, Das Esspensive XXV and Gumption. I love all of these colors. I haven’t worn Prince Cornelius yet. It’s a new addition along with Olive. I like her polishes because they last longer on me than other polishes.
  • Wet N Wild 1 Step Wonder Gel in It’s Sher-bert Day.
  • L.A. Colors Color Craze Nail Polish, Shade 207. I found this at a dollar store. I rarely wear it but I want to use it up. 
Perfume:

  • Flora by Gucci in Generous Violet: I wore this on my wedding day. I still have some left and I want it to last as long as possible.
  • Tory Burch rollerball perfume: I got this as a Valentine’s Day gift from Graham. I am not sure if this perfume is cruelty-free, though, or if that is something to consider with perfume. They came in a trio but I’m giving one that hasn’t been used to my mom.
What does your collection look like? Do you have a bronzer or brow product you recommend? Let me know in the comments!

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Decluttering Process/Update & Items I Regret Buying

**This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links. Thanks for supporting Floradise!
I recently had the urge to reexamine my entire wardrobe as part of my end-of-summer cleaning and decluttering list, which I shared in July.  I began with about 50 items hanging in my closet, not counting my winter jackets and exercise clothes. While that number is not astronomical, I still felt like I was holding onto items that were no longer working for me. I wanted to see if I cut that down even more.
Steps I took to declutter my closet:
  • I first looked at the clothing my closet and took note of the items I am definitely not decluttering. These are the clothes I absolutely love.
  • I grabbed everything I was on the fence about or haven’t worn this season or year (since January) and put them on my bed.
  • I tried on every single piece I was unsure about. I examined how I looked and felt (aka the spark Joy method) but mostly checked that it fit and flattered my body.
  • If I decided I wanted to keep the item, I asked myself what other items I would pair it with for a complete outfit. I found that this gave me ideas for outfits for the fall and winter, which made me excited to wear the items again.
  • I threw the items I felt frumpy in or that no longer fit in the donation pile or listed them online. I had kept some clothes in hopes of fitting into them again at some point after gaining weight in the past year. But I realized that holding onto them was weighing me down and making me feel disappointed in myself when I saw them. They were daily reminders that I am not at my ideal stage. I’m instead choosing to accept where I am and not pressure myself to look a certain way.
  • Purses: I held them and asked myself how often I use them. I didn’t have many to start with, just four. But I realized I could get rid of at least one. I also realized I need a black small to midsize crossbody bag because it would go with most of my outfits and sometimes I don’t want to carry a large purse.
  • I don’t have much space in our closet, so I hang my scarves on a hanger. I went through and touched each one. I asked myself how many outfits each scarf matched and how many times I wore it last winter. If none, I donated it. I moved my scarves next to my long-sleeve tees so that I will see them when I grab a top this fall and so I will hopefully be inspired to wear one.
  • I went through my race shirts and workout tops and asked myself what I wear most often and why. I typically wear the same tops: tanks or comfortable, soft tees. I had been hanging onto tees from my training groups because I felt like I had to, but I decided to let them go because I simply don’t like them and never wear them. No one seems to mind that I don’t run in our training shirts when I do group training anyway. I arranged my shirts by color so I can easily find them. (The purple fabric in the corner is the packaging for sheets I bought a long time ago. I use it to store my extra hair ties, running gels, reflective vest, headlamp and lip balm.)
  • I don’t own many shoes, but I took a look at them anyway. I decided I didn’t need an extra pair of running shoes. I am donating these because they are still in good shape.

 

  • I can fit my makeup collection into a three-drawer storage organizer**, but I still went through it. I decided to give a few items to family who I know would use them, and my goal is to only have one of each makeup item, except blushes, eyeshadow palettes and lip products. I also set a goal to use up some products this fall, including one I was particularly disappointed with. (More on that below.)
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Three-drawer organizer**

The outcome:

My winter and fall jackets, a couple pairs of shorts, a work blazer, my nightgowns/lingerie (which I hang) and a vest are not pictured. I kept the perfect amount for me: A casual winter jacket, a peacoat, a lighter coat for fall special occasions (weddings), a casual rain jacket, a more formal rain jacket, and a poncho that I pretty much live in during the summer. Also not shown is an army green jacket and a mustard top I recently purchased for the fall. On my shopping list: One or two long-sleeve tops.

Products I wish I didn’t buy:

As I’ve gone through my decluttering list, I’ve come items I have changed my mind about and wish I didn’t buy in the first place. I will admit that at times I’ve been influenced to purchase items because of hype on blogs and YouTube. I now realize that I need to get back to being more mindful about my purchases and only buying items I really need. Not all of these items have been disappointing; one was simply something I did not need and don’t use.

  • Jaclyn Hill/Becca Face Palette: This was one of the first purchases I made when I wanted to get into highlighters. I was influenced to buy this palette by all the hype around it. I had heard so much about Champagne Pop, and Prosecco Pop swatches looked beautiful online. I also liked that the palette came with three blushes, so I figured I would get a lot of use out of it. So what happened? I featured this in my favorites when I first purchased it, but soon after that it broke. I was able to repress Prosecco Pop, but Champagne Pop was mixed with one of the blush colors. After owning this for more than a year, I can say that I only really reach for this for the Amaretto blush color. I use the little bit of Prosecco Pop that didn’t shatter, but I was not able to really use Champagne Pop. I don’t really think the other two blush colors look good on me, so this palette overall has not been worth the money I paid. My goal is to use the rest of the blush and highlighter this fall.
  • Nikki Blackketter x Gymshark top and leggings: This purchase was another instance of hype getting the best of me. I love Nikki’s YouTube channel and I credit it for motivating me when I had lost interest in fitness this year. When she posted about her collection, I loved everything. At least, everything looked great on her. It did not look so great on me, however. I had not purchased much from Gymshark so I was unfamiliar with its sizing. I ended up ordering the wrong size in leggings. I sold them on eBay to get my money back, but I kept the top. I featured it in my favorites a couple of months ago, too. But then I washed it and the logos came off. Call me crazy, but a $60 top workout top should not lose its labeling/logo that quickly. I still plan to wear it, but I was disappointed about that.
  • Milani Even Touch Powder Foundation: I am not saying this is a bad product; I just don’t ever use powder foundation, so I am not sure what I was thinking when I purchased this. To be fair, I was on vacation and ran out of foundation. I could not find the Milani liquid foundation at any drugstore I went to, so I gave this a shot in a pinch. The shade matched me perfectly, but I just never use this. I have loved most other Milani products I’ve tried, though.
Checking in on my cleaning and decluttering list:
I’ve crossed off many of the to-dos on the list I shared this summer, but I still have some pending. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever accomplish a couple of these, especially the one about decluttering DVDs.
  • Dust above cabinets and shelves.
  • Donate DVDs.
  • Get rid of old stroller and other baby items.
  • Store air-conditioning units (when weather eventually changes) and clean off heaters.
  • Donate extra umbrellas.
I have donated about two bags of items, including clothes and toys.
Is there a category that you find difficult to declutter? Share it with me in the comments! 
 
 

Air Plant Birdhouse | Clutter Into Art

**This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!
DIY Air Plant Birdhouse

Graham recently brought home a birdhouse that our neighbors didn’t want anymore. Great, I thought, more stuff! You know how I feel about excess stuff in my home. (In case you don’t: I hate it!) But last week we came up with an idea for what to do with it. He wanted to make it look like the moss little house we bought at the Glenwood Arts Festival last year and I immediately got up, grabbed the reindeer moss we had left from my vertical air plant garden, and started glueing.

Now that I think about it, he was probably trying to trick me into decorating it for him, but that’s OK. I actually enjoyed doing it, and it didn’t take long at all. You can find a birdhouse to decorate at a crafts store. This triple birdhouse is affordable.

I started by using the purple moss we had left. I found ours at Gethsemane Garden Center in Chicago, aka heaven, but you can also find it online or at a crafts store.

I had some orange left over as well, so I alternated between orange and purple. I used the same glue for air plants as I did for my air plant garden. (E6000 craft glue works, too.) If you have unused plastic flatware from when you order takeout, you can use it to smooth the glue evenly over the surface. (Or use whatever tool you have to do this.) Note: I recommend wearing gloves when working with colored moss because it dyes your fingers. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. It comes off, of course, but still.

Getting the moss in the inner parts of the roof was tricky. I used a plastic knife to smooth glue over it evenly and then pushed pieces of moss on little by little.

When I ran out of moss, we headed back to Gethsemane because it occurred to me that I should get some air plants to put inside all the little doors and windows, plus two on the sides. I used the smallest air plants I could find for the windows, slightly larger ones for the doors and two larger plants on the sides. Play with the placement of the air plants before glueing.

I glued the air plants on first and then found some green moss to put around the bottom of the house, but in hindsight I would have glued that moss on first.

Not counting the time it took us to drive to the garden center, the entire project took me about 25 minutes, if that long. I turned something I viewed as clutter into a part of our little indoor garden, and now I wouldn’t dare get rid of it. 



That’s something I’ve been discovering lately about things to declutter. I notice some things I don’t really care about and donate or toss, while others just need a little bit of love to be useful and/or beautiful again.

Have you done any crafts or gardening lately? Tell me about it in the comments!

Related posts:

Shop birdhouses:

 

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End of Summer Cleaning and Decluttering To-Do List

We still have some time in left in summer, but I’m already thinking ahead to the beginning of fall and the decluttering and cleaning I want to do to usher in the new season. A new round of minimizing and cleaning has been on my radar for weeks now, but the busy summer has so far kept me from making much progress. I have started on some of my to-do tasks, though, like sorting through old paperwork and donating clothes that my toddler no longer fits into and toys she never plays with.

I’m sharing my list in hopes of giving you ideas on what to clean and items to consider decluttering.

  • Clean baseboards.
  • Dust windowsills.
  • Dust above cabinets and shelves.
  • Sort through clothes, sell and donate.
  • Go through toys and donate or discard.
  • Go through old race shirts and decide what to do with them.
  • Donate DVDs and books.
  • Sort through sports memorabilia and donate, sell or store.
  • Declutter souvenir cups and freebies.
  • Donate old coffee maker/appliances.
  • Declutter unwanted or unused accessories.
  • Sort through clutter tray/drawer.
  • Declutter/sort old paperwork and bills.
  • Discard or donate old cords and electronics.
  • Discard or donate unused canned or boxed foods.
  • Check contents of refrigerator for expired items.
  • Clean inside of refrigerator.
  • Declutter old dog toys and other items.
  • Get rid of old stroller and other baby items.
  • Sell unused furniture. (For us it’s a rocking chair.)
  • Store air-conditioning units (when weather eventually changes) and clean off heaters.
  • Check for kitchenware that needs to be replaced.
  • Donate extra umbrellas.
  • Give away or donate unworn hats.
  • Declutter/donate/give away extra toiletries.
  • Take any plastic bags to store for recycling.

I also want to do some financial/blog decluttering:

  • Analyze my expenses and cut out unnecessary shopping/spending.
  • Organize my blogging business receipts.
  • Delete “bad” photos on my memory cards and computer.
  • Sort through bookmarks and delete unnecessary ones.
  • Delete apps and photos on my personal phone that are taking up space.
  • Free up space on my Google accounts.

 


I hope that seeing my list has given you ideas and inspired you to analyze which areas of your life could use some simplification. Is there anything you’d like to declutter?

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

-William Morris

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Life Update & Favorites

** This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission on purchases made through these links. 



Today I’m sharing a compilation of thoughts that wouldn’t really compose an entire post on their own. We’ve had a ton going on lately, and sometimes I struggle to keep up. Planning has helped immensely, as has simply writing things down in a journal or blog to let these thoughts out. I’m trying to release the worry and remind myself everything will be OK. I just know it.

Here’s what’s on my mind:

It’s been raining in Chicago for a million years. The storms wake Victoria up and she thinks the thunder is a monster. Also, this is messing with the lighting I need for blog photos, which frustrates me because I like to bring my A game and I feel like it’s preventing that. #bloggerproblems

I am considering doing another round of decluttering. In 2015 I did a 30-day decluttering challenge because I was preparing for a move and Victoria’s arrival. Adopting a child has meant bringing in tons of stuff into our home (via gifts, hand-me-downs and our own shopping for her) and I have reached the point where I need to declutter again. Would you be interested in reading about the process?

We are checking out a preschool tomorrow. The whole idea of finding a school, day care/preschool for Victoria overwhelms me. The system here in Chicago seems so complicated and often involves a wait list.

Paletas are my favorite, specifically the lemon flavor. They are my favorite thing to eat in the summer, ever. Last weekend Victoria and I walked to the park specifically to look for a vendor who sells them.

I bought a Super Suit to protect our GoPro Hero 5 and I love it. The GoPro is supposed to be waterproof, but we don’t want to take any chances. If you’ve been here before you might know that we lost our GoPro in Costa Rica and it was found a year and a half later by someone who was snorkeling. The SD card still worked! To prevent losing another GoPro we bought a Floating Handle Grip and the Super Suit. We also have a floating case. Yes, these accessories are a little pricey, but so is losing a GoPro!

We recently had a leak in our condo in Phoenix that damaged the entire kitchen flooring. My mom has been living in it without flooring for a month. It’s been a challenge finding a contractor to fix it from afar, plus my mom’s English is limited. We finally hired someone, but we decided to replace the flooring we had with tile to match the rest of the downstairs. Unfortunately, that tile is sold out in Arizona — we checked every Lowe’s in Phoenix — and it apparently isn’t an option to have it shipped from another store (we asked!), so we are doing something insane and having it shipped via freight, which involves talk of pallets, lift gates and docking facilities. Also money. Oh, joy! (We have insurance but we still had to pay the deductible plus this shipping cost.)

We have tomatoes and strawberries growing! If you follow me on Instagram you may see that I constantly post garden updates. I am excited to finally be able to grow tomatoes, even if I only really like them in salsa.

I fully believe in manifesting and I feel like I’m being rewarded for my gratitude and trust. This hasn’t always been the case. Earlier this year I kept questioning why certain things kept happening to us, specifically after Taylor died and we had some unexpected expenses and setbacks. Lately I’ve been trying to change my mindset to believing we are going to accomplish what we want as long as we make moves and trust, and it’s paying off with new opportunities. I just kept thinking “It will happen.” and things immediately started to come my way. This in turn makes me more motivated to take action. Do you practice manifesting?

I have some fun brand collaborations coming up next week. I pursued them because they made sense for what’s going on in my life and hope you enjoy them. Thanks for understanding that collaborating with brands is one way I make my travel dreams come true. Also know that I try to accept sponsored posts that I think would be helpful in some way, whether by letting you enter a promotion or giveaway, learn about a great product, try something new, etc.

My plans for the weekend: Take care of business (tile shipping, sponsored posts), plan upcoming road trips, eat some delicious food, and film a yoga video!

Quote for your week: “What you think you become. What you feel you attract. What you imagine you create.” -Buddha

Hope you have a fantastic weekend! Please share with me what you’ve been up to or thinking in the comments below!

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GoPro Favorites**:

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