Even as a minimalist I can get tricked into buying things that I normally would not have.

On this episode of the simple wellbeing podcast I am talking about how my mind was being tricked into possibly buying things that I did not truly love and did not really want.

It was seemingly easy to justify buying several items that I was not really in love with. But then I took a step back and really evaluated the items and realized my mind was playing tricks on me, convincing it that those clothes were better than they really were.

Listen to the episode here:

Simplifying my kitchen is always a priority for me since I love to cook and having a decluttered kitchen makes cooking so much nicer. 

At one point not long ago,  one of the wooden spoons I keep for mixing broke. 

There are questions you can ask yourself to help simplify your life and figure out the most important things.

Here is one:

If I left your cell phone at home on a Friday night, what would I talk about at dinner?

Have you ever purposely left your cell phone at home? I have a few times. Once we drive away from the house I feel free. It is amazing how not having my phone makes me feel less anxious. It is as if it is weighing me down without me even realizing it.

Of course at first I feel a bit nervous about not taking it, but I have never regretted it when I have. I notice how many times I think to grab my phone - and I don't like it. I am working to change that habit and be more present and have more conversations.

There is definitely a mental shift you feel when you start simplifying.

I wrote a post not long ago about how you don't always realize you feel bad until you start to feel better.

You don't always have a better to compare it to.

The same can be said about the calm you feel after decluttering.

We were doing a DIY living room renovation. We took shelves down, sanded,  repaired, painted, rearranged etc. And the things that had a home on those shelves were temporarily all over the house.

I'm a pretty patient, go-with-the-flow kind of person, but I could feel the uncalmness (is that even a word) in our construction zone.

I didn't feel relaxed or peaceful. I felt like there are a million things to do and I just could not fit it all in. There are things I kept putting off to try to finish the living room and then I felt guilty.

But I also am amazed and so grateful of the simple living life we are creating. I can actually feel what a difference we now normally live in. Our lives are not as harried or chaotic. Our home is not a constant battle with cleaning organizing and purging.

We aren't completely there yet. Over the years we still find things that no longer serve us. But we are worlds ahead of where we used to be. And getting back to my calm living space where "most" things have a home and the need to organize is minimal has been so refreshing.

Living in a simplified home with less stuff creates space to breathe. When you walk into your house you don't feel like it's a to do list or non stop project needing to be taken care of.

But just like you don't realize your health is subpar until you experience improved wellness the same can be said about simplifying.

Do you ever feel overrun by paper. You recycle and shred and yet more keeps coming in.

Decreasing paper is a process. You cannot get it to all stop coming in but there are some things you can do to help you win the battle. 

Although this is an obvious and simple tip, the impact in can have is big.

Simplifying tip

Sign up for paperless statement for one account...right now. 

Stop reading this and go! 

Are you back? You may have done this with just about all your accounts. But is there that one that you keep meaning to do this for and haven't?

One statement isn't a big deal. But over the year that is 12. 
What if you had three companies sending you mail a month. 36/year - not horrible.
Ten companies? 120 pieces of unnecessary mail.

It's not that those pieces by themselves are unmanageable. It is that they are a part of all the information coming in. They are one piece among many pieces of junk mail, advertisements, credit card offers, coupons, etc. And that is just the physical mail to sort through, not to mention the email. 

So do your future self a favor right now, today. Stop a paper statement from coming in. 

Do you ever save an outfit or piece of clothing for a special occasion?

You know, like the super cute top that you are waiting for a nice date to wear it.

That pair of jeans that makes your butt look great but you don't want to stretch them out for a day of errands.

A nice sweater that you don't want to wear to the park in case you get dirt on it.

Do these things sit there in your closet collecting dust because those occasions do not come up often enough?

I argue for no more saving outfits! Everyday you deserve to wear things that you look great in and feel wonderful in. Why not run errands in clothes that make you feel energized, well put together and happy?

Too many times we save outfits for something instead of recognizing we might be that special occasion.

There are questions you can ask yourself to help simplify your life and figure out the most important things.

Here is one:

When it is sunny and 72 degrees outside what does my ideal day look like?

Ok, so those that live in SoCal or Florida, this might be the norm for you. But you still might not be able to take advantage of it. Work, appointments, meetings, housework, etc. can take over and that perfect day went by in a flash.

So stop to really think about what YOUR ideal day looks like?
Does it include decluttering, organizing, cleaning, straightening, looking for lost items.

Only you know the answer although I would be surprised if many people chose housework as their ideal activity on a beautiful day.

My photography is always improving.

I have been a blogger for about 8 years. I started before pinterest was around. And I thought I was pretty good.

Then pinterest came out and I started comparing.

It is said comparison is the thief of joy,  And I agree. There are times when comparison actually moves me backward instead of forward.

But with photography, comparing myself to others actually helped me to improve. I saw potential and inspiration. I was willing to try new things. I slowed down and took extra time to set up photos, notice the light, get better angles and learn about my camera.

It wasn't huge leaps. I took small, simple steps, every day, every month and over time it made a big difference.

This is a before and after photo of my Homemade Asian Dressing.

When decluttering and creating a simple home there is a very important distinction between could and would.


Last Xmas, our cousin gave us a new cutting board that has 7 mats that you can stash inside a bamboo holder. (affiliate link)


 At first I wondered if we would use it, but I decided to try it and I love it. If we end up having a party and several people are working in the kitchen, there are enough mats to go around. Yet they take up less space.

So I decided to get rid of an old extra cutting board. It was nice, but just something I had picked up at TJ Maxx years ago. As I take the old cutting board to the donate pile, I think to myself 

Love living in a more rural area.

Less people, less traffic, less stores, more greenery, more farmland, more space.

I cannot run to Target easily.

We do not have a close mall.

Have you tried bamboo toothbrushes yet?

My next step in my journey towards simplifying is living a more zero waste life. Getting rid of the clutter and the things that no longer serve our family has been step 1. Living in a simplified house with less clutter has been really great. 

But now I want to buy less, buy better, and the things I do buy I want to be more sustainable.

I am really trying to decrease plastic. So one thing I am doing is switching to bamboo toothbrushes.

They are biodegradable, made with sustainable materials, and are very easy to find.

Here are a few from Amazon (affiliate links)