Monday Minimalist: Habits & Clutter

I have been, okay I still am, very much a "flat surface" kind of person. You know, the kind of person who sets things on every flat surface until you come home with something and can't find anywhere to set it because all of the flat surfaces are full!

I still do this. I tend to stack mail next to my keyboard or on the end of the kitchen counter to get to later. This is a habit I really, really still need to improve! I feel as though I have tackled reducing our belongings as well as saying no to new/unnecessary purchases, but I am still only in the middle of my journey. I still have more junk to clear and habits to change. I don't feel like I've reached a standstill, but I do feel I've slowed down a lot.

I am pleased with our smaller living space, but still bothered by how much stuff fills it. The #1 culprit: baby toys... everywhere. I had 2 kitchen garbage bags full of stuffed toys packed away during our 2½ month lice battle. I did donate some items from those bags, but I also gave a lot of it back to our daughter. The toys are really nagging at me, more and more. You have to step over baby toys and books everywhere in our tiny apartment.

My biggest achievements this week were taking 1½ bags of donations to the Goodwill so they weren't just sitting here waiting for more stuff. It isn't far out of my way and the bags tend to sit on my daughter's bed. It was our weekend to have her, so I needed them out of the way. I also moved the 4 pair of my shoes and 3 pair of Sasha's shoes from a large-ish box to a smaller box. (I've gotten rid of a lot of shoes.) I keep 2-3 pair by the front door and a few in the box. I do get them out of the box to wear, I just don't have a better place chosen for storage at this point. There are 2 pairs of shoes I'm considering losing, too.

Photo Credit

Your donation of used goods can make a difference for people in your community, and help make a healthier planet as well. The Donate Movement, powered by Goodwill®, challenges all of us to donate conscientiously and responsibly.

This week the Goodwill received stuffed animals, plastic bowls with lids, sippy cups, and a few t-shirts. It always feels good to get more stuff out of our home. Perhaps if I list each week what I got out, I'll be more motivated to get stuff out so I can brag here!

Here are a couple links to help motivate:

• The Domino Effect of Simple Living - Just as an object in motion tends to stay in motion, so does change lead to more change. I see this as a good thing!
  
  
• Try Brainwashing, It Works. - I'm a firm believer of rewiring our own brains to think about things the way we WANT to think about them.