Postby Harmony » Sat Aug 27, 2022 4:26 pm
Blessed, M Mom speaks to me in a way no other person ever has. I've taken out books in the library on minimalism and seen things mostly on design shows about this, but she actually shows what it's like to live it. That's what I like. Her family seems so happy, don't they? In pictures, things look so stark and cold. Her house does not. It's very different. I love to watch her and her husband together, too, they seem very happy together. I watched the video today where she talks about him getting on board and what to do when your spouse doesn't want to do this. It took him 5 years to get on board. I found that one very helpful.
Some of her things, the way she is set up, would not work for us. I need a little wastebasket at every place things get dropped or pile up. I don't see any in her house. No kleenex boxes either, no hand soap at the sink. So like she says, "you do you"... and so I do. I have probably twice the space she does but for just the 2 of us to have all my spaces filled up is just nuts. I need more dishes because I sometimes load the dishwasher till it's full to run, and that takes several days at least. That wouldn't work with what she keeps. Evidently her kids wash their dishes and help put away. Here, it's just me doing it.
Anyway, I have many nuggets of wisdom I took away. I am watching and watching her stuff because I have years to catch up. It's just what I need right now to get unstuck.
This afternoon I went through the master closet; sorted wrapping paper and bubble wrap, paper, ribbons, padded envelopes...the kitchen tall garbage can is now full to the top and it was half way when I started. Other shelves with odds and ends are sorted, several more things to the donate box. Nothing I will ever miss. I've been at it for about 3 hours and now I'm bushed!
Editing: so I'm still watching her and watched last year's shows around Christmas. Didn't find that real helpful but I did see her beautiful full-size Christmas tree all decorated and lit. So cheery and pretty and homey. See, this is what I said about liking her house. It's still warm and inviting. I saw in a decorating book for minimalists where their Christmas decoration was an evergreen branch (a really small one) in a vase. No decorations, that was it! That version is ridiculous. Hers is doable.
Ok I'm back. Today I dropped off that big full bin of stuff. Since I reuse the bin I have to stand there while they sort everything into their big containers. Can't say how good it felt to let that all go. I have a few things in the wash today and I will donate those next time, they were a little dingy and they turned out bright again.