Recovery

This year I learned that sometimes the morning after Christmas can be just as enjoyable as Christmas morning itself, especially when “Dada” is home and Nya and I get to enjoy three whole days with him.  Our living room was filled with the sound of wooden train tracks being assembled, new art supplies being opened, one bouncy little girl on her trampoline, Peppa Pig’s Christmas DVD on the television, and lots of laughter.  The Christmas tree lights remained on, and leftovers were combined into a tasty breakfast skillet alongside good, hot coffee.   

The flurry of Christmas is over, and it was a very merry day filled with family, good food, and a very happy little toddler as she celebrated her first holiday season.  I hope your holiday was all that you hoped and more.  For the next week, we will be reorganizing our home, making lots of donations of clothes and toys, and celebrating my husband’s 30th birthday with a day at his favorite coastal town- a yearly tradition.  Notice, I did not say we would be taking down our Christmas tree yet…some things are just too pleasant to take down before you're done enjoying them; that task will have to wait until next week.  Wishing you lots of peace and rest, clarity and recovery, and joy and fulfillment as we prepare to enter the new year.  Thanks for reading.    

 photo: stellaresque42.tubmlr.com

Christmas

Since this will be the last post before Christmas, I would just like to wish everyone a very happy holiday.  I hope you are able to celebrate with loved ones, be it friends or family.  During this time of year, our family likes to remember that Saint Nicholas was a real man born in 270 AD who believed in selling what you have to give money to the needy, the poor, and the sick.  He was also known for secret gift giving, which is where our modern idea of Santa Claus originated.  Somewhere along the way, Christmas has become a very commercialized holiday.  Although it can be very hard to escape this type of thinking, especially if you have children, my hope is that we can focus on those who are less fortunate than ourselves.  It is not hard to find a cause to support at this time of year- there are many different organizations that need help, and you can choose something you are passionate about.  But also don’t forget that there may be people right around you that won’t have a warm meal or a small gift for their children on Christmas Day.  I would challenge you to reach out to them as well, and getting to see the smile on their face(s) will bring you as much, if not more joy than watching your loved one’s faces as they unwrap a gift on Christmas morning that they have been wanting all year long.   

May we also remember that December 25th was a very important day in history, when a baby was born in a manger who would grow up and give us the greatest gift of all.  Wishing you warmth, joy, and gratitude on Christmas Day, and every day.  Thanks for reading!

   

Community

I would love to use this week’s post to talk about the community we live in.  So often, I think we forget about the awesome “freebies” that our neighborhoods have to offer, especially to children.  Recently, I was reminded of a few that I wanted to list here, and I would love some feedback if you know of any that I missed. 

Trader Joe’s has their “find the monkey” game always going for kiddos.  There is a stuffed monkey hidden somewhere in the store (different location each day) and if your kids see it, they can tell the cashier and they will get to choose a fun or healthy treat.  Also, the cashiers always have stickers on hand for the little ones.  I love TJ’s- I think they are a wonderful company and they take great care of their staff, suppliers, and customers…with a smile.

Whole Foods Market offers children one healthy treat as they are leaving the store.  I have seen oranges, apples, bananas, applesauce, and fruit juices, among other things.  I know that it doesn’t seem like much since their groceries can sometimes be expensive, but it’s all about appreciating the small generosities, right?  Plus, the staff is always so nice there too and I really value that!    

  

Bridgeport Village Outdoor Mall- when we took Nya there to get a picture with Santa, I didn’t even know how festive it was.  Retailers kept offering her candy canes (which she loved), and they have their huge Christmas tree all lit up. They also have these awesome star lights hanging up that twinkle overhead as you walk around and listen to the music that plays on their outdoor speakers.  Their fountain and fire are usually going, and they have an enclosed heated area around their outdoor seating so you can enjoy food from the kiosks without freezing.  They also have a great play area for kids.  Just walking around there was fun- Nya was having a little dance party out on the bricks under the twinkling star lights, and loving it!  The info center is also loaded with helium balloons that they tie to little rubber duckies for small children so they don't float away (the balloons, not the children), and a little train takes families around the grounds for $2 per person.  

Portland Children’s Museum offers free admission on the first Friday of every month starting at 4pm.  It gets a little busy, but that place is huge and awesome, and it was worth it to us to brave the crowds.  There is something for every age group to see, and there are plenty of quiet places to play and learn if you just look for them.  I highly recommend getting there a little before 4pm to get a parking spot and get in line.  

Tigard Library has lots of free programs and activities for children.  There are story times and crafts to take part in, and you can also check out cultural passes for free admission to local museums and gardens (so awesome).  Besides the obvious checking out books, music, and DVDs, it is also a great place to participate in donation drives and teach kids the importance of giving to those who are less fortunate.  Check out your local library too- you might be surprised by all it has to offer.

Home Depot offers free children’s workshops for all ages.  Kids can build little crafts with their parents’ help and they get a free certificate of completion and apron, plus the awesome learning experience.  Not to mention, there is probably an underlying confidence instilled in children when they are allowed to use “adult” tools to fix and create things.  

What are some things that you enjoy taking your children to?  How about fun and free local adult activities?  Thanks for reading!      

Drumroll...

It’s the third of December.  Can you believe that?  This year flew by!  At the beginning of the year, I embarked on a $100/month challenge for grocery spending throughout 2014.  Early in the year, we decided to join a CSA, which spent about half of that budget, and we also brought our daughter home in June, giving us another mouth to feed…and that girl can eat!  In case anyone is wondering how we fared, here’s the summary:

I spent $1065 on food from from the grocery store from January to December.  That puts me at $135 under my budget.

Our CSA cost us $580 for about 18 weeks of produce (we split the CSA with my sister’s family, otherwise that cost would have been double for double the produce). 

So the total per month ended up at $137.08, and you know what?  I will take that! 

To be completely transparent, I will mention the cost of my husband’s hunting expenses and the produce I bought for canning, which was about $800 total.  My husband brought home two deer, and will hopefully get an elk and salmon before the season is done.  I also got to go on a salmon fishing trip, which was a gift from my dad.  That trip provided us most of the salmon we will need for 2015.  So we have a stocked pantry of produce and enough meat and fish for the upcoming year included in that number.  I hesitate to add this to my 2014 total because about 90% of that food will be consumed in next year, but hey, we spent it so I should at least explain, and you can add it in where you see fit.  

Here’s what I learned after this challenge:

Our most expensive item turned out to be our organic non-dairy milk.  Since our daughter came home, (aaaaaand since I discovered hazelnut milk in my morning coffee ;)) that has taken about 30% of our spending. 

Our pantry is still stocked!!  We could probably do zero shopping for several months and be totally fine on food.  I just love fresh produce way too much to do that. 

I probably won’t do this budget again, and I don't think I will do once-a-month shopping every month either.  There are two reasons for this.  First, we want to eat as close to 100% organic and local as we can.  That means spending more on higher quality foods, which will raise the total cost.  I do mostly organic/local foods now, but not all of them, so I’d like to make that change.  Second, I actually really enjoy going to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and picking out my fresh produce every week or two.  It gives me inspiration and I don’t have to worry about the food going bad by the end of the month.  So while we are not members of a CSA, grocery shopping will probably occur a couple times a month, and that’s okay with me.  

Lastly, I have been reading some really amazing books lately about cooking, and I have learned that scratch cooking with simple ingredients packs so much more flavor and nutritional value if the ingredients are of higher quality.  So there may be a few things that we opt to spend more on, like olive oil, vinegars, spices, eggs, flours and sugars, coffee and tea, and fresh herbs to name a few.  So if paying higher prices means enjoying our food more, then that’s what we will do.

Now we are off to the beach for a birthday celebration with family for the rest of the week, where we will be blissfully unplugged until we return (hence, the early post today).  I hope you have a great week, and thank you for going on this food/budgeting journey with me!              

Capsule Wardrobe (or My First Novel)

“The more you leave out, the more you highlight what you leave in.” -Henry Green

Where to begin…

Different people define the capsule wardrobe in different ways, but essentially, it means a French-inspired seasonal small wardrobe that ranges from 10 items to 40 items (or whatever number you feel comfortable with) including clothes, coats, and shoes.  It does not include things like undergarments, socks/hosiery, lounge clothes, swimsuits, scarves, hats, jewelry, formal/special occasion clothing, or handbags.  Think of the items in a capsule wardrobe as the clothing that you would wear on a daily basis to a number of locations- church, the grocery store, dinner and a movie, or to visit friends or family.  But there is a little bit of a process behind how to come up with your personal capsule wardrobe: how to choose colors, choosing a “uniform,” how many of each item, how you define your personal style, quality of the clothing and shoes, and appropriate dressing for the weather.  Then you must blend all of these things together while staying in a budget and creating a final wardrobe that you wear daily, without any shopping until the following season arrives.  Ok, so it sounds like a lot of work, and it is…at first.  But the rewards of trimming down your wardrobe far outweigh the preparation that goes into figuring it out.  Hang in there and I will explain my steps, show you my final Fall capsule wardrobe, and point you toward a couple of fantastic blogs that helped me get my capsule wardrobe together.  I will discuss benefits of a capsule as I take you through the process, and I will also finish this post by listing some things I learned, including even more benefits.  Bear with me- this is a long post! 

Let’s start with colors.  Most people have an idea of the colors that they prefer to wear.  For me, it was light neutrals.  I could wear light neutrals like ivory, white, and heather grey every single day without complaint.  Throw in a little blush pink and sea foam green, and I’m set.  But I also have a toddler, and light neutrals and toddlers don't mix well.  So I had to branch out a bit.  I followed Anuschka’s advice from into-mind.com and came up with my personal color palette.  She breaks up color palettes into three categories: main colors (3), accent shades (4), and neutrals (2).  Main colors are the ones that you like to wear a lot, accent shades are what make your neutrals pop, and you will probably have the fewest items in your accent shades, and neutrals are the trusty colors that you will make up most of the “basics” in your wardrobe- pants, tees, tanks, cardigans, etc.  Here’s my color palette:

Main colors: Ivory, Grey, Navy/Denim

Accent shades: Blush Pink, sea foam Green, olive green, tan/light brown 

Neutrals: Black, White    

       

Having a color story is a great way of making sure that you don’t have too many accent colors that don’t pair well together or that you won’t wear very often, and it is a great way to help define your personal style.  Also, it might be wise to choose colors that all look well together, just to aid you in the process of choosing your outfits when you get dressed.  The more you can mix and match, the more outfits you end up with. 

The next step is to determine how many items you want in your wardrobe- what will your end number be?  For me, it was 40, but you can choose any number that you are comfortable with.  I have heard anywhere from 10 to 40, but most of the blogs I have read are somewhere in the 30s for women.  It is helpful during this stage to figure out your “uniform.”  This is your go-to outfit: the one outfit you reach for more than any others.  For me, this was a pair of dark skinny jeans, some type of sweater, and a pair of short boots.  Here’s an example:

Photo: anthropologie.com

The reason for determining your “uniform” is to see which clothing items you will probably want the most of in your wardrobe.  Because of my uniform, I chose to have two pairs of dark skinny pants (one denim, one black), two pairs of short boots, and four sweaters.  From here, you can determine you other favorite outfits and styles.  For example, I wear a lot of cardigans over short sleeve tanks or tees, so I added 3 cardigans in my neutral and main colors, and several layering tanks and tees.  My advice for filling in your wardrobe from this point is Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest.  Start yourself a seasonal capsule wardrobe board where you post pictures of outfits you like that will keep you warm and dry (depending on the climate where you live), styles or themes that you like, styles that you wish you could wear but that you aren’t sure if you could pull off, and even color palettes that you tend to like if you are having trouble finalizing yours.  Look at what you pin often and consider adding these “constants” into your wardrobe.  

After considering my Pinterest board themes and coming up with my 40-item number, my wardrobe breaks down as follows:

Clothing

Pants: 3

Dresses: 3

Skirts: 2

Layering tanks: 5

Other tanks: 1

Tees: 4

Long-sleeved shirts: 3

Long-sleeved blouses: 3

Sweaters: 4

Cardigan sweaters: 3

Coats: 2

Shoes

Flats: 3

Oxford pumps: 1

Short boots: 2

Tall boots: 1

Everyone’s breakdown will look different, but I will also show mine broken down in percentages: 

Tops: 23 pieces or 57.5%

Bottoms (including skirts and dresses): 8 pieces or 20%

Coats: 2 pieces or 5%

Shoes: 7 pieces or 17.5%

I found that this breakdown was a great percentage ratio, so if I decide to trim down my 40 items, I can use this chart to create a balanced mix for my style. 

The next step, after you determine your number, your colors, and your breakdown, and after you have an inspiration board on Pinterest or even on a bulletin board, is to see what you already have.  Take everything out of your closet and only put in the things back in that you are going to want to keep in your capsule.  This is also a good time to get a storage container out to separate “off-season” capsule items into.  That’s right, my friends: you get a “cheat.”  You don’t have to get rid of that awesome summer dress that you love so much, or those shorts that fit you just right, or even those new sandals that you got last season…you get to tuck them away until spring and summer come back around, and you'll be able to switch out your cold weather clothes for your warm weather clothes.  I would challenge you, however, to keep ONLY the items that you love and wear, and that are of good quality.  In six-ish months, when you open your storage container, you should already have a good start on your spring/summer capsule and only have a need to fill in the gaps.  The other cheat is that you get to have a “special occasion” wardrobe for things you don’t wear on a daily basis, like formal/semi-formal event clothing.  I have three special occasion dresses that also hang in my closet for weddings, showers, benefits, etc.  But I digress…back to the closet.  When you are considering each piece that you might want to add back into your capsule, I would encourage you to try everything on and consider colors.  Anything that you put in your closet is going to be worn a lot, so make sure you love it and aren’t on the fence.  Be ruthless!  Anything that doesn’t fit the bill gets sold, donated, or recycled (I have an awesome pillow that I made from a great old sweater).  And the best part is, if you didn’t love it enough to keep it in your capsule, you probably won’t miss is when it’s gone!  

Next, determine your budget if you need to buy new items.  If you are not at a spot to buy anything new or can’t afford much, that’s A-okay.  Consider thrifting or just save until you can get a few things.  But, by no means, does this mean you should go out and buy crumby, low quality clothes.  The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to have fewer, high-quality pieces that look smashing on you and that will LAST.  After all, if you buy five cheap shirts that will fall apart in a couple months and that you will need to replace, instead of one that will last years, it’s actually less frugal than starting off with quality clothing.  I am speaking form experience here- I used to fill my closet with as much cheap stuff as I could get for my money.  But I ended up with cheap clothes that I didn’t truly like, and therefore, didn’t wear.  Buying for your new capsule wardrobe also doesn’t mean going out and having a heyday, and buying a bunch of super expensive, designer quality stuff that’s all dry clean only.  Find your balance here, friends.  Know your budget, and be patient to find the right items.  Look for sales, too.  With the holiday season approaching, this is a good time to be starting out.  For me, I knew my budget and I knew exactly what I wanted to find.  

You also need to take a little time to determine your personal style: those styles that you like, respect, and favor.  And go ahead- throw in something a little daring if you so desire, like leather, heels, or something “stolen from the boys,” as they say.  I determined that my personal style is classic and feminine, with a hint of masculinity to give it a little edge- sounds like an oxymoron, right?  Have you ever researched Coco Chanel?  She is a huge inspiration in what I like…not even her brand, just her.  She was a pioneer in women’s fashion, adding a tie, a hat, or even suspenders to the stereotypically feminine clothing of her time.  She single-handedly changed women’s fashion at the turn of the twentieth century in France, and eventually all over the world because she determined what her signature style was, and she wasn’t afraid to see her ideas through, making her one of the most influential people in the history of fashion.  But I digress  yet again…      

Another tip that I learned from Caroline over at un-fancy.com (remember those blogs I mentioned recently that changed my life?  This is one- check it out) is that you don’t need bright colors or patterns to add interest to your wardrobe.  Personally, I tire quickly of bright colors and patterns.  Go for textures instead: different knits, lace, chiffon, leather, tweed, buttons, and/or sheen to add “pop” to your outfits.  Then, you can always accessorize with simple jewelry, a belt,  or a scarf/wrap to finish out your look.  The only pattern that I chose to incorporate into my wardrobe was stripes.  Four of my tops have stripes, the rest of my capsule items are solid colors, and for my personal style, this worked out beautifully.   

The next step is to research and make a plan for your shopping trip(s).  I did some online searching to find the exact styles I wanted at quality retailers, and at prices within my budget.  At some places, you can even reserve items online and the stores will have them there for you when you arrive.  Note: I did not do any online BUYING, just online LOOKING.  You will want to try on all of the items that you are buying.  Test the seams, feel the fabrics, check the fit, etc.  And that is impossible to do from your computer.  However, by the time I was ready to buy, I was a woman with a plan thanks to my online looking.  I knew where I was going, if the items were in stock, and what the current prices were.  Without this preparation, I would have been completely lost and wasted too much time and energy trying to find what I was looking for.  Think of your online looking as your bird’s eye view- you can see where you want to go, but you still need actually get there.  

And finally, the shopping part (if this is included in your plans or budget, that is).  Here is what I asked myself about each piece that I tried on to determine if it was going to be a purchase or a pass (again, thank you Caroline for these tips):

-Is the item good quality (seams, fabric, etc)?

-What are the care instructions (does it have to be dry cleaned?  If so, I passed)- can I wash it at home?

-Is the item flattering from all angles when tried on?

-Would I pay more than what’s on the price tag? If so, I must really like it.

-Would I reach for it tomorrow over my favorite item in my closet?

-Can I make several outfits with it?

-Can I wear it several places (church, store, dinner, etc)?

-Will I reach for it tomorrow when getting dressed (am I excited to wear it)?

-If I could only have one of this type of clothing (tee, cardigan, pant, etc), would this be the one?

If the answers to the above questions about an item were “yes,” then I made the purchase.  On a personal note, I only purchased 12 new items out of the 40 in my fall capsule.  Four of these items were layering tanks at $5 a piece from H&M.  I checked the quality, loved the fit, and made the cheaper purchase, and they have been awesome.  Two of the 12 new items were shoes, and one was a jacket.  One item was purchased from a thrift store, with the original ($100) price tags still attached, for under $20.  Almost everything I chose was on sale or clearance, and I also used gift cards that had been in my wallet for a while.  Lastly, I took all of the clothing that I was not keeping after cleaning out my closet to a local resale clothing store and made $150 cash to put toward new items.  Sadly, one item that I really wanted just didn’t make it into the budget, so it did not get into the Fall capsule this year…but there’s always next season, IF I still want it.  The moral is to be creative and be patient.  It is not about impulse buys, but rather, its about getting items in your capsule that you love and that will last.   

So those are the steps of building your capsule wardrobe, but I would also like to share some of the things I learned after my first season.  Hopefully you will find these notes encouraging or at least informative:

-Forty items was too high for me.  I am a stay-at-home mother, and although I appreciate fashion, I spend most of my days at home doing things like cooking, cleaning, laundry, and playing with my daughter, which are not conducive activities for wearing nice clothes.  Next season, I will probably drop down to 36-38 items.  I plan to keep lowering this number as I become more familiar with my capsule and style preferences until I have the most minimal, good quality seasonal wardrobe I can have. 

-I played it pretty safe in my style.  My “daring” was wearing black, which I typically don’t do.  I would like to add more textures and maybe even some leather accents into my winter capsule to more accurately reflect my style.  I’m turning 30 in a few days, and if I can’t wear these things now, I know I never will! 

-The first capsule that you do will probably teach you a lot about your likes and dislikes, and you can learn from it when you are planning your next season.  Even the expert bloggers that I have learned from will all tell you that creating a beautiful capsule wardrobe that you love is something that takes practice.  

-I might actually be a shoe person after all.  I was never a shoe person, but I have learned that shoes can actually add a lot of style to a simple look.  And having more shoes and fewer clothes might actually make my planning easier- I know what I like and what I can wear on my feet, and sometimes trying to figure that out for clothes is a little harder.  

-One purse goes with everything.  In the spirit of minimalism, I decided that I would own only one purse.  This works for me because it is a color that goes with everything (typically referred to as whiskey or cognac brown), and it can be worn either on my arm or as a cross-body bag, so it is multifunctional.  I used to be a purse person, so owning only one, no matter how beautiful I think it is, is brand new for me.  And I haven’t regretted it for a second.

-Getting dressed in the morning is super quick and easy.  I know that everything I have fits well, and I know I really like everything.  I chose things that can be worn in several ways (for example, tops that can be worn with pants, a skirt, or layered with other tops) so I have several outfits to choose from and I don’t feel limited.  And having fewer options to choose from is self explanatory.  

-Men can do a capsule wardrobe too.  We did one for my husband, and he really likes the what he has now.  Although we did not do a color palette for him…or spend nearly the same amount of time.  In fact, he didn’t even do any shopping because he had plenty already.  But hypothetically, it would be the same process for a man.  

-Some people might see this whole thing as materialistic and way too involved for something as simple as clothing.  But it interests me- fashion interests me.  If it doesn’t interest you, don’t do it.  But this is a way for me to integrate two things that I really enjoy- fashion and minimalism.

-You just may end up wanting to “capsule” other things too, like your pajamas and lounge clothes, gym clothes, and even jewelry and accessories.  I’ve done them all. 

-No shopping for months is awesome!!  I’m actually not a big fan of shopping, especially just for hobby.  I want to know exactly what I am going for and get in and out of a store (grocery, clothing, or any other store) quickly.  No shopping also means spending less money…win-win. 

-Laundry is a breeze.  I can literally wash all of my husband’s and my clothes in 2-3 loads, saving time, energy, and money. 

-Have fun!  You might make mistakes, and look back and wonder what you were thinking (although this is probably inevitable no matter who you are or what you wear- style trends just change over time…look at the style of the 1980s), and it’s okay to laugh at yourself. But you also might look back and realize you got it right.  You may not have complete success the first or second time you create a capsule wardrobe.  But I think you will learn some great lessons about yourself, like your preferences and how little you actually need in your home and closet.

Here's a quick photo of my Fall capsule (my tall boots did not make the picture):

Good luck, and let me know how you fare if you choose to do a capsule wardrobe.  Happy Thanksgiving, and as always, thank you for reading. 

       

  

Tiny Home, Minimal Living

In my recent post, I listed several things that we have been working on in our home over the past year or so.  The first one on the list was minimizing our belongings.  This act of trimming down our “stuff” started as a challenge, but has become a bit of an addiction.  There is not a corner in our home that has not been emptied and its contents carefully considered, twice over.  Not a week passes where we don’t end up filling a donation box or two of things we are letting go of.  But there is a reason behind our desire to get rid of as much as possible, and it has to do with where we see ourselves in the future: we want to live a simple life in a tiny home.  There is a “tiny home movement” sweeping the nation (and beyond) right now, and we are totally on board.   

 Photo: Saludariverclub.com

Where we have found our inspiration comes from several places.  For instance, there are a few quotes that I often think of when I am considering each of the items in our house:

“Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age, a great many of us are possessed by our possessions.” -Peace Pilgrim

“Everything in your home should reflect your vision for the life you want.” -Peter Walsh

“The world says that you will find contentment when your possessions rise to meet the level of your desires.  A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition as by way of subtraction…Contentment does not come by adding to what you have, but by subtracting from what you desire.” -Jeremiah Burroughs  (I LOVE this one!)

Each one of these quotes pops into my head as I am trimming down what we have in our home.  Let me just be clear on something before we go on, because I used to make a mistake in the way I thought about this.  Before we started downsizing, I could look around our home and not feel like we had a bunch of stuff- our home was never cluttered (can I just say that I despise clutter?!)  One friend even coined our house the “Mary Poppins’ Handbag” home because she never realized we had all that we did, or that we could fit it into such a small place.  So, yes, it is possible to have too much stuff and not even know it.  All of our drawers, cupboards, closets, and even our garage used to be pretty full.  And I wouldn’t even say that we had a lot of junk- we had some nice things.  But the point is that we had nice things that we weren’t using, so why not pass them along and maybe someone who actually needs them can have them? 

Most of our inspiration though comes from an amazing woman named Carmella who writes a blog called Assortment (assortmentblog.com).  This is one of those blogs that I mentioned in my previous post that has changed my life.  Sounds dramatic, but when something changes the way you think, it tends to change the way you live your life, yes?  Carmella and her husband live with their three sons and their dog in a 665 square foot home which they designed. Her tiny house has been featured recently in Country Living Magazine- check out her story on her blog.  She is so inspiring, and she has four new tiny home plans nearly completed, which my husband and I are super excited to see.  Who better to design a small home than someone who lives in one?  Remember that a home doesn’t have to be expansive to be beautiful and to meet your needs. 

Photo: http://micasaessucasa.tumblr.com

I can now say with certainty that we use everything in our home.  Everything has a purpose or fills a role inside our four walls.  Our drawers are no longer full, our closets are nearly bare, and our garage holds very little.  It. Is. Awesome.  I never knew the freedom that comes with letting go of “things!”  And when we move out of our current place, there will be things that go straight to our local donation center, like a few furniture pieces that have a purpose right now, but that we do not want in our next place.  And with four flights of stairs into our home, our move out will be a heck of a lot easier than our move in, even with an extra little person to move.  

One thing that we continually do is purge.  We go through the house nearly every day and keep pulling things out for donation.  We have even been getting rid of things that we DO use because we have alternatives.  For example, we got rid of our toaster because we can make toast in the oven.  And if we didn’t have a microwave built into our current rental, it would also be gone in lieu of the stove.  In addition to getting rid of small appliances, we can figure out what  we hope to have and not have in our home someday; we don’t see ourselves with a dishwasher in our future home, which means needing fewer dishes since everything would be washed, dried, and put away after every meal.  More cupboard space and fewer dishes?  Well that’s a win in my book!  And another key to continual downsizing is NOT REPLACING items.  Self-explanatory, but I think it would still be easy to fall into this trap.  To ensure we don’t do this, we get rid of two items for each single item that we bring into the home, and that single item must fill a need and be of good quality.  My husband and I are not big shoppers either, which cuts out temptation.    

Photo: underthecarolinamoon.tmblr.com

Because we only have a limited number of items in our home, we make sure everything is of good quality.  This does not mean that you have to spend a lot of money- check craigslist, garage sales, thrift stores, sales/coupons, and don't forget that you can add things to your birthday and Christmas lists if you come from a family of gift-givers.  Most of our nicer items have been gifts, like our KitchenAid mixer, Vitamix blender, many of my shoes and my only handbag, to name a few.  This idea of having fewer items of good quality is a topic that will be echoed in my upcoming post about my capsule wardrobe.

Downsizing to a more minimal state of living is a big undertaking.  But start somewhere- a drawer, a closet, a storage bin- and you will be surprised by your desire to keep going.  And if you need extra inspiration, put together a garage sale so you can earn some money for your work and your goods.  Don't forget that minimizing is not a competition- you have to do what is right for you and what you are comfortable with.  That will look different for everyone.  If you trim too much too fast, you might end up going out to replace things, and then we’ve backtracked, so think through your choices. Also, please check out my board on Pinterest called "Tiny Home/Minimal Living" for more of where we get our inspiration for our future home.  And don’t forget to check in- I would love to hear about your efforts to minimize.  Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!   

Photo: Refinery29

Scratch

As I write this, I am sitting at our dining table in the kitchen.  My daughter sits next to me snacking on her favorite breakfast foods- turkey bacon and dry cereal, of course.  It is a beautiful sunny day outside, but it is cold, cold, cold, and a relentless wind has been threatening to take away our warmth for nearly 24 hours.  I can hear the dryer running, full of clean clothes just about ready to be folded.  Our oven door sits open, as we use whatever warmth is has left after making the turkey bacon to aid our tired furnace in keeping our home a toasty 68 degrees.  

I love these days at home.  But what may be my favorite part about them are the fragrances that come from the stove as I prepare dinner for later tonight.  Homemade dough for Honey Oat Bread has just been kneaded and sits, rising on the stovetop next to a big pot of homemade chicken stock that has been simmering for an hour or so.  The pot contains the leftovers from last night’s whole roasted chicken, which has been stripped clean of any remaining meat for the chicken noodle soup that will come from some of the stock for our dinner.  Along with the chicken remains in the stock pot, there are several cloves of garlic, leeks, onion, celery root, celery stems, carrots, and parsley, all from our local CSA.  A generous pinch or two of salt, a few peppercorns, and of course a cup of white wine all soak in a bubbling bath of hot water. 

When the stock is done, skimmed, and separated, some fresh veggies and garlic will be added along with the salvaged chicken meat.  A short pasta will be tossed in with more salt and pepper, and probably more white wine.  It will all cook until the pasta is done while the bread bakes in the oven.  Easy meals from scratch, like this one, remind me of what life must have been like in a simpler time, and it brings some much needed coziness on this blustery day.  I’m anxious for our man of the house to walk in the front door so we can enjoy our dinner together…maybe even by candlelight.  Our home smells like Thanksgiving Day now, and since I am so thankful for so much, that seems just right.  Wishing you warmth and coziness as winter approaches, and thanks for reading!   

In The Silence

Photo: Betweennapsontheporch.net

It has been quite some time now since I’ve written.  I could say that I’ve been super busy, or blame the fact that we brought our daughter home in June and life has been more than a little hectic, both of which are true, but neither of which is really the reason that I haven’t written for the blog.  The truth is that I have lacked inspiration.  

Please don’t confuse this statement with lacking gratitude- I could write a book (volumes of books, actually) about all the gratitude that I feel these days.  And please don't confuse it with burning out on all that food and budget work that I was posting about before, because those things still energize, challenge, and reward our family daily.  But really, I realized that I am not a food or budget blogger.  That’s a huge part of my inspiration, true, but it’s only a part of my lifestyle, and I would rather this be a place where I can write about our lifestyle in its entirety.   Because a “home” is more than a place where you cook, eat, budget, etc.  It's a place where you live life and share joys (and frustrations) with the people you love most.  And those are the things I want to write about.  

On that note, here’s just a quick list of what we have been working on these past months:

-Minimal living: I’m talking about simplifying our belongings and our home. We have donated two thirds of our belongings this past year, and hope to cut it down another 30-50%…more to come about our reasoning behind this in the near future.  So excited!  

-Capsule wardrobes: Life-changing, my friends!  My husband and I now have 40 items of clothing each, including shoes and coats.  It may sound like a lot, but I challenge you to count the full hangers and pairs of shoes in your closet and let me know where you stand.  More explanation on this later as well.

-Parenting: Getting into a rhythm with our daughter and setting up a simple and engaging atmosphere where she can learn and explore.  I’m so grateful for my work at the Montessori school now, and also thankful for a resilient daughter as I try to determine her 16-month-old toddler preferences, if that’s even possible…

-Keeping within our $100/month on food budget: This has been though because we have decided in the past month to go as organic as possible, and -gasp!- I have started eating meat again, which is pricey.  Add in the extra mouth to feed, and -boom!- we are up to $150 a month.  I have also been working on getting our food preserved for the year, which I slacked on in the veggie department.  Oh, how we will miss those green beans and that corn this winter…lesson learned.

Reading: This is a personal one- I have forgotten how much I love reading.  I have found (and am excited to share) two new blogs that I read regularly that have changed my life.  More to come on these in the near future as well.

I am so looking forward to sharing and hearing from you.  Thank you for reading about this mindful home.

   

    

Bringing Nya Jane Home...

As I rocked Nya to sleep today for her nap, I was thinking about the past two and a half years and just needed to take a moment to recognize all those who we are grateful for.

When we started the adoption process so long ago, we had so many uncertainties: How will we afford it?  Where will we adopt from?  What kind of special needs will our child have?  What kind of emotional scars will our child be burdened with?  What are we getting ourselves into?  

What we did know was that adoption was Plan A for us…it was not the fall back option for us to have children.  We also knew that adoption stems from great loss and trauma…the many paths that children go through to become “adoptable” are littered with sadness.

But sitting here with our daughter in my lap, I am amazed at how the community of people around us have lifted up our family throughout our adoption.  And now that we are home, they continue to take such good care of us.  

To those beautiful people who have and will drop off meals, snacks, groceries, flowers, bottles of wine and coffee for us, and books and strawberries (her favorite food) for Nya- thank you.  To those who came out to the airport when we finally landed, just to get a glimpse of our new family member- thank you.  To those who tirelessly fundraised, and to those who donated (known and anonymous)- thank you.  To the friends (old and new) and family who furnished our daughter’s bedroom and provided all the things she needed at the baby showers- thank you.  To the friends and family who have filled our Facebook news feeds with encouragement, photos, love, prayers, and support- thank you.  To the Bethany Christian Services staff here and in Ghana who worked tirelessly to get our baby home- thank you.  To the foster mother who provided Nya with love and care for the first eleven months of her life until we could get there- thank you (you literally taught our daughter how to love and be loved).  To the strangers who smile at us and tell us our daughter is beautiful- thank you.  For the texts, phone calls, emails, and letters we have received- thank you.  To our family and friends who so patiently wait for Nya to be ready to socialize, but who remind us that if we need anything at all, they will be here at the drop of a hat- thank you.  To the other adoptive families who laughed, cried, prayed with, and encouraged us in Ghana and ever since- thank you.  To those families who went before us and beside us in adoption and paved the way so that our church would know how to love us through the crazy ride of adopting- thank you.  To those who prayed fervently for our family- thank you.  To my amazing husband who filled out forms, arranged paperwork, drove all over town to get everything in order, wrote for grants, and did everything in his power to get our daughter home- thank you and I love you…she would not be here with out her “Dada.”  And to a loving Holy Father who led us to adoption, tested our faith in Him, matched us with our daughter, and provided all the means to get her home- we are so grateful for this life and this family.      

To all of those mentioned above, we realize by your love for us that Nya will never, ever have to wonder where she belongs or if she is loved for who she is.  Thank you for embracing her and welcoming her home.  They say it takes a village to raise a child, and now I see why.  I am thankful for our village every, single day.

"Cheat" Opportunity for $100/Month-ers

It has been a long time since my last post- I hope you’re all doing well.  Our little home has been overwhelmingly busy with travel and baby preparation, and other adoption adventures.  We have been painting, cleaning out, building furniture, registering, childproofing, completing training hours, and much, much more to get ready, and our excitement grows to bring our little girl home.  With the help of a couple of great friends, we turned our second bedroom into something that actually resembles a nursery now, and our downstairs dining room is now a library/office with plenty of play space for our daughter.

Here's a preview of her room...there's still a lot to be done, but the new wall color (it was maroon below the chair rail when we moved in) is much lighter and brighter.

    

I have decided that one of my favorite things to do is clean out the house.  Our friends are well on their way in their adoption journey (PaulAndKirstenAdopt.blogspot.com), and they’ve been collecting items for a fundraiser garage sale.  This has been exactly the motivation I’ve needed to go through everything we own, and really decide what we “need” and what we don’t.  I am so happy to say that we literally got rid of almost half of our belongings, from clothes to furniture, to decorations and kitchen items.  And to be honest- I don’t miss any of the items we got rid of.  

It is so freeing to clean and simplify your home in this way.  I didn’t think we had a lot of belongings until I actually went through everything and saw that we had plenty of items that we were not using on a regular basis. So, as the Robertsons say- “they gone!”  The added benefit is that the next time we move will be so much easier than the last…and with four flights of stairs leading up to our little “tree house,” that is a very good thing.  I’d love to extend the challenge to you of cleaning our your home too, even if it is a room- heck, a drawer- at a time and donate it.  Trust me when I say that it is more therapeutic for you than for the recipient.  Check out Paul and Kirsten’s blog if you’d like to donate items to their garage sale, and they have other great giving opportunities as well.        

For those of you doing the $100/month challenge (or any set amount per month, for that matter), I have found a “cheating” opportunity that I wanted to share with you.  If you are a member at Costco, they are currently doing a promotion where if you spend $100 on any P&G products, you get a rebate offer of a $20 Costco cash card that you can spend as a gift card for whatever you want, including food.  P&G products include Charmin, Crest, Oral-B, Tide, Olay, Febreeze, Swiffer, Vicks, Gillette, Iams, and many more brands.  Many of these brands are also on sale now through 3/30/14.  So if you already buy these household items, you may want to stock up now on products you are going to purchase in the future anyway, and you could use the $20 cash card toward groceries in later months.  You’ll save money on sale P&G items that you already use, and you’ll get a little bonus for your grocery budget- it’s a win-win.  Be sure to read the fine print- only two cash cards per household, and they’re mailed out 6-8 weeks after the promotion ends.

I’d love to hear how you are doing with your grocery budgeting!  So far this year, after March, I have $47 in my “rollover” fund, which is good since I’m sure we will need to be buying more when our little one comes home.  Now go simplify your home and your life ;), and thank you for reading about this mindful home!

Two Tips and Two Announcements

Happy February!  Can you believe January is already over?  I hope, for those of you joining me in the challenge, that your first month went well and that your prep work for February is encouraging also.  First, I’d like to address an issue that many people feel strongly one way or the other about, and it’s this: organic versus non-organic food.  

I decided that this month I would buy only organic food to prove that you can do the $100-a-month budget and still have freedom to eat how you want.  To be fair, I already buy organic whenever I can afford it, which typically means our non-dairy milks, our leafy greens, our tomato products, our eggs, and our quinoa, among other things.  But this month I also added all of the other items on my list including carrots, peppers, onions, and various other veggies.  The results?  I spent nearly double on these typically non-organic items, but I still came in under my $100 budget at $89.  That leaves $11 to roll over into next month, plus the $15 from last month...which brings me to my next point of discussion.  

It may be wise for you to budget a small line of leftover cash each month toward “sale stock-up” items.  What I mean is that you can really cut down your yearly food spending when you buy sale items that you were going to buy at full price anyway.  If you save $5-$10 a month, you’d have a little extra money after a few months that you can use on those sale items that you may not have budgeted for, yet the price today will save you money in future months.  I saw one of our staple items on sale today for nearly 30% off the original price.  I purchased two of them, which saved me $8 (a lot when you’re spending only $100 a month), and I won’t have to buy this item again for nearly six months.  Saving cash for great sales will save you cash in the long run.

I am excited to make two announcements on the bog.  First, a few weeks ago, a sweet friend introduced my husband and me to Working Hands Farm.  It is a local farm and CSA (community supported agriculture) that considers itself “beyond organic.”  What this means it that they don’t use any pesticides, not even if they’re organic.  They use other methods, such as crop rotation, ground covers, and lots of hand care to grow some of the best looking produce I have seen.  After checking out their website (www.workinghandsfarm.com), I just knew I had to become a share holder.  First- I fully support what these two farmers are doing...like, fully.  Second, did you see their produce bins?!  Hello three foot kale, beautiful and colorful produce, and small batch canning!  It was love at first sight.  The difficult part was trying to figure out how I would work this CSA into my budget.  So I invited my sister and her family in on the share, and we are splitting all of the produce.  We will be rotating weeks to pick up the produce, but I have a strong feeling that my little family will be able to survive on very few groceries besides what we get in our bi-weekly bins.  I am thrilled to be a part of this little farm- it is clear that Brian and Jess work very hard and rely on the support of the people in their community, which I am proud to be a part of.  

The last announcement is one that my husband and I have been waiting two years this month to be able to share- we have officially accepted a referral for our adoption!  We have been matched with a little girl in Ghana, and we hope and pray that we will have her home by summer of this year.  We cannot share more details, as she is not yet in our legal custody, but we are overjoyed by the little blessing that she is.    

So some big news for our home- a new mouth to feed, and half of our yearly budget for food has been willingly pre-spent on a local CSA.  My little challenge just got extremely interesting!  I hope you’ll come along with me as we navigate these exciting new adventures.  Thanks for reading!  

Confession

When it comes to living a simple life and having a “mindful home,” I strongly believe that this means we need to get rid of our clutter and the things we don’t need or don’t use.  For me and my husband, this meant going through our entire house a few weeks ago, and getting rid of about half of the “stuff” we own (excluding furniture).  This whole process was made easier by the fact that we have some friends who are adopting, and they are asking for donations to a garage sale from which the proceeds will help bring their kiddos home.  Sweet- the motivation I needed to be a little more cut-throat with what we are keeping.  Thus, the idea for this next post was born... 

Confession: I have too many clothes.  I counted my hangers this past weekend, and including pants, tops, dresses, skirts, and jackets, I had nearly 250.  Seriously?  Granted, most of them were handed down to me, birthday or Christmas gifts, or purchased from my favorite thrift store in Portland.  So my wardrobe, although large, was quite inexpensive.  But I still had so many things that I couldn’t even assemble a single outfit in a reasonable amount of time.  Ever have that problem?  Do you ever have too many choices in the morning, so you just stand there in front of your billions of hangers and complain as you try on item after item until you run out the door (late!) in something that you regret wearing one hour later?  No?  Just me?  

Well having too many choices was definitely the problem for me.  I have several things that I don’t really like, and I only keep them because I think there’s a tiny chance that I MAY put on that five-year-old top one day and it will just look ravishing.  Um, yeah right Katy.

It was time to cut some of the clutter.  I decided on a method that I wanted to share with all of you...ahem...clothing hoarders like me, in hopes that it will work for you and simplify your home, life, and get you out the door on time in the morning.  Here are my three tips:

• Instead of weeding out the items that you could possibly part with, take out the opposite.  Only remove the items that you will NOT get rid of.  Take out your non-negotiables.  Move all of your negotiables to the back of your closet and keep them there for a good length of time.  For me, it will be a month or so.  Whichever items I don’t pull from the back of the closet to wear are getting the boot.  And you will probably be surprised by how many non-negotiables you have, which you may find is plenty of clothing for you.  

• Only keep the nice items: the timeless items, classic items, neutral-so-it-goes-with-everything items, fits-like-it-was-tailored-to-me items, and the items you can’t live without.  Move the stained, doesn’t-fit-right, has-holes-in-it, I-may-wear-it-someday, I’m-saving-it-for-a-specific-occasion items to the back.  Mind you, I didn’t say to only keep expensive items; if it was costly but you still never wear it, give it to someone who will wear it and enjoy it...clothes weren’t made to keep your hangers warm!

• If you have too many of one thing, say jackets for example, narrow it down.  I had several jackets for several types of seasons.  Instead of keeping all of them, I chose two: a waterproof shell and a down jacket.  They can be worn individually for any type of weather, or layered together for the perfect winter coat.  I chose the neutral colors so they go with anything, and I made sure they fit right and don’t make me look like a football player.  Get rid of duplicates if you can simplify.

From now on when I get something new that I want to keep, I am going to really challenge myself to get rid of something in exchange.  If you really want to, you could keep only enough hangers for what you have so you don’t have a choice in the matter.  I better really like it to keep it, and it better be good quality and versatile.  Now, my closet is a little more sparse, with only 120 hangers, and its amazing how freeing it is to get rid of so much.  

These steps work great in other areas of your home as well.  Is your kitchen full of plates, bowls, platters, and other "stuff" that you never use?  Do you have too many toiletries in your bathroom drawers?  And don't forget about the garage.  Get the whole family involved- it's a great thing to teach your kids too.  Try pulling out your non-negotiables and donating the rest.    

Please feel free to share your organizing and cleaning tips and tricks- I’d love to hear from you.  Thanks for reading about this mindful home!  

"31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero" Blog and an All Purpose Cleaner

I found a great blog today called “Living Well Spending Less” and the author lays out a one month challenge for her readers called “31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero.”  She offers great advice, daily blog posts, great perspective and reflection on what she is learning, and a lot of printables and cleaning/organizing goals along the way.  I think there is something for everyone to take from a challenge like this, wether you choose to participate or just read about it.  I am exited to take on the challenge one (at least!) month during 2014.  I hope you’ll check it out or take the challenge, and see what you can live without that you never thought you could.  

In the spirit of the "31 Days of Living Well Spending Zero" challenge and the cleaning that she includes in her challenge, I am adding a long overdue recipe to my “Beyond the Kitchen” series.  This time it’s for an all purpose surface cleaner that can be used to on countertops, sinks, toilets, showers, etc.  It is safe enough to use around your home and family, as all the ingredients are natural. It takes only a couple minutes to make and it costs pennies per bottle.  Here it is:  

Two parts distilled white vinegar

One part water

One teaspoon pure castile soap (lavender and tea tree work well)

10 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil (lemon, eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender all have cleansing properties)

Mix in a spray bottle and spray directly on dirty surfaces.  Wipe with clean, dry cloth.

Notes: The castile soap may leave the spray looking cloudy- that’s totally normal and won’t be an issue.  The vinegar smell may seem strong at first, but you’ll get used to it after using the spray for a couple weeks. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope all of you $100-A-Month challengers are having a great first month!