Strip Tease

My family spent yesterday evening absorbed in the oh-so-exciting activity of organizing DVDs. My step-daughter went through every single one of her movies and put them in their cases. My husband and I did the same. Then we went through all of them with the keep, donate, trash method. About half of our DVDs went in the donate pile which automatically freed up about a gazillion cubic feet of space in our living room. Then we decided to get rid of all of those DVD cases for the DVDs we're keeping. Yep. That's right. Our DVDs were naked. Exposed. Shivering in nudity. Well, we couldn't leave them in quite that sad of a state, so we put them in those nifty CD storage cases in an organized fashion.

We also cleaned out our Xbox games and traded in all of the games we no longer play for credit at the used game store. (Magical how that place works!)

Now that our games and movies have been cleaned out and organized, the whole entertainment portion of our living room is much simpler to use and clutter-free. :D

Two Birds

With the time to return to work for the new school year fast approaching, I've been pondering the further simplification of my wardrobe. I've read in several places that life becomes easier if you have a sort of "uniform" for yourself, and I think this is the route I'm going to take. I've recently learned to sew (a very useful thing, that), so I'm planning to pick up some fabrics I like and make several versions of a skirt that I'm fond of. I already have a nice supply of shirts that are work-appropriate - mostly plain black, cotton shirts that make me happy. I've also already reduced my wardrobe to black, white, and grey - this way everything always matches and I don't feel the need for lots of shoes and purses. Voila! A work uniform has been created. Throw in some tights and a coat, and I'm good through the winter months, too! No more stressing about what to wear to work.

So, how is this killing two birds with one stone (or feeding two birds with one seed for you non-violent types)? By making my own skirts, I don't have to go through the icky drudgery of shopping for things that fit. :)

Let's Talk About Underpants, Shall We?

Yep, today's simplicity project was a panty raid of sorts. I tackled the underwear drawer with thoughts of what I actually use and need in there. Turns out that "not much" is the response to that. Since I have vowed to be honest in this telling of simplicity, I will admit that I got rid of fourteen bras. Fourteen! Who needs that??? Never fear, I kept some. ;) Needless to say, I got rid of an equally insane amount of underpants. Apparently I need to join Lingerie Buyers Anonymous or something. Geez.

I've also decided to make the bold move of getting rid of any clothes that require "special" undergarments. No more Spanx or adhesive bras for me! Another admission: I did keep the strapless bra because of two dresses I'm not ready to part with. I'll get there, I'll get there.

In other simplification news, we made huge progress in my step-daughter's bedroom today. You can see the entire floor in there! Tomorrow's mission? Clean up the bedside shelves and closet. We have an agreement....if she keeps the room sane through Thanksgiving, she gets new furniture from Ikea. :D

Simple Ain't Easy

A person would think that living a more simplified life would be easy. That may be the case once life actually gets simplified - I don't know yet. But the process of becoming a simple life kind of gal is not an easy one. The vast amount of work involved in going through all of life's clutter is immense. Then you have to actually do something with the insane amount of gadgets, gizmos, knick-knacks, and nonsense.

Well, I am not what you would call a "motivated" person, so sometimes it's difficult to give myself that kick in the rear end that's required to get this job done. It is much easier to let chaos pile up around me while I sit in my comfy chair with some nice knitting and a yummy iced coffee - which is exactly what I did today rather than go through my kitchen as promised.

Honestly, I was beating myself up about this until I read the newest zenhabits post about change, inertia, and failure. I will fail, and that's okey dokey. I failed to clean out the kitchen, but that failure is not permanent. I need to focus on what I'm trying to do here (and why I'm trying to do it) and have a go at it again tomorrow. Some added motivation? I've made a solemn vow of no iced coffee until I've "earned" it by taking a load of stuff to Goodwill. :)

The Kitchen Sink

My next move in the quest for simplicity is going to be getting rid of all of the nonsense in the kitchen. My husband and I got a good start the other day when we cleared out all of the excess cups and dishes, but we want to keep on clearing out. We started with just looking at our kitchen counters and noting the things that never, ever get used. Does it make any sense to have two coffee makers and a bean grinder when all we use anymore is instant coffee from Starbucks? Why, no, no it doesn't. (Side note: Starbucks makes some mighty slurptastic instant coffee.) A waffle iron??? Who are we kidding? We have a wine rack that's had the same six bottles of wine in it for approximately 4.5 billion years. We don't even drink wine. It's just there for company. Well, we've finally decided that these imaginary wine-drinking guests are going to have to do without. Then we looked to the cabinets and drawers where we saw the list of unused items goes on. And on. And on. So, our plan for tomorrow? To make one heck of a trip to Goodwill. We are saying goodbye to the silicon pumpkin-shaped muffin pan, the fancy silver serving tray, the never-used fondue pot, etc. When next we cook dinner, it will be in a kitchen that has what we need and love, not a bunch of hoarded frou-frou stuff that serves no purpose in our lives. And, yes, we're keeping the sink. ;)

Un-shopping

My step-daughter and I have a new favorite hobby: un-shopping. To un-shop, all you have to do is grab a bag that's bound for the trash or donation, wander around your house filling the bag with things you don't need, and take the bag (or several) to Goodwill (or your local donation-taking organization). To complete the un-shopping experience, it is imperative to discuss how much nicer things will be when you get back home due to the extra space and smaller amount of things to tend to and clean. Just today we gathered a fabulous array of toys, books, and clothes to donate to Goodwill and the local library. And, for our efforts, we rewarded ourselves with Starbucks. Yum. :) It's a great way to simplify life and teach my step-daughter the value of being content with just enough.

Join Me, Won't You?

At some point in the past year, I decided that my life was just too complicated. Too many things going on, too many things to do, too many things to buy...things, things, things. Shortly after that point, I decided to do something about it...to simplify my life and focus on contentment. I don't mean a "let's hide in a cabin in the woods and wrestle grizzly bears" kind of simplicity - a simplicity that can be achieved without removing myself from society totally. After making the choice to simplify, I began to research my options. I read books and blogs about simple living and found that some of the information was very useful, but most, in one way or another, just didn't apply to my life. And this brought me to this decision: take some advice from those with experience, add some common sense concepts that work for me, and share it all with you. My step-daughter and I have a phrase for this sort of idea (yes, it happens often enough for us that we need a phrase) - a fabulous disaster. Fabulous disasters are sketchy, hair-brained ideas that we just know are going to turn out perfectly, but if they fail the perfection mark, at least fun was had by all. :) So, join me, won't you, while I make a fantastic mess of my life?