How to Convince a Packrat to Become a Minimalist

I'm a packrat turned minimalist. How did it happen? Well, we've lived in eight different houses or apartments in the past five and a half years we've been married. I'd like to say that it was all my husband's plan to move us around a lot so he could get me to get rid of my junk, but it wasn't.

Luckily,  I've found the secrets to being minimalistic during these past years - so I don't have to keep moving around to stay this way,  and you don't have to start moving around to become this way.  Yes,  even if you are a packrat!

An interesting (or maybe not so interesting) pattern started happening when we would move. As I was packing and unpacking things around over and over again, there have always been things that:
• don't have a set place in my home (so they would end up on the bookshelf,  nightstand,  floor,  or in a box to "put away later")
• would always end up "in storage" (in a closet or the basement)
• I didn't miss at all during the process of moving (because I didn't use whatever it was, it was broken, I had something else that was similar, or I was keeping it out of guilt)

And these three things are exactly the jump-start you need to start becoming a minimalist!

Now, you might be saying,  I'm reading this post to figure out how to convince my packrat spouse get rid of some stuff,  not how to do it myself! Well, knowing from personal experience...it's not easy to let go of things.  And my goodness it didn't happen overnight. 

What convinced me was not someone telling me to get rid of my stuff. What convinced me was the feeling I got when I realized I didn't miss the things we got rid of.

I had to get rid of a few things FIRST and THEN I started desiring a more minimal lifestyle. 

So,  if you are a packrat- just get rid of a few things.  See if you miss them. Then get rid of a few more.  Some things you probably won't miss are your broken wire whisk or 5 of your 8 spatulas. Other things you will only miss one time a year. Don't let that moment cause you to go out and get another one. You can power through it,  and then you won't miss it any more.

Now,  if you're married to a packrat, some upfront communication is highly encouraged. Talk about how each of you view the organization and clutter level of your home,  and where each of you would like it to be. As long as you both agree that you'd like it at least a little more organized or a little less cluttered, you're in business. Start immediately, before your wonderful packrat changes his/her mind. Fill one bag (either a grocery sack or bigger trash bag) with trash,  and another with stuff to donate. (Unless you're going to do a major purge all at once,  I don't recommend holding things for a yard sale day. Not very good for our personalities. If you're gonna do that,  go for gold and do it in 1 or 2 days.)

Once you start, keep going. Once a week,  once a month.  Continue getting rid of excess. 

And that's how you convince a packrat to become a minimalist. More to come on how to actually be one on a day to day basis.

Finding My Crazy

So I made up this phrase (at least I think I did) "I found my crazy." And ya know,  it's not the kind of crazy that means a crazy weekend. It's actually a phrase I made up so I wouldn't have to use the phrase, "I lost my ..." ya know.
And let's be honest here,  we all find our crazy sometimes.  Last week I found it at the same time I found a snake in our bathroom.  When my husband thanked me for not using the shotgun to kill it in the house, I simply told him that was the next weapon I was going for if I couldn't get it killed with the shovel or floor scraper.
So, next time you find your crazy, remember you're not alone. Then put it away and grab some chocolate. One of my favorite ways to eat lots and lots of chocolate during the day is chocolate covered dried cranberries.  What's your favorite?

Vision for the Chicken

So back when my husband and I were in college one apartment we had was on the second floor, and the hall was covered but still outside. One day the couple that lived diagonal from us across the hall had some friends over.
So, they pulled out their little grill into the hallway. Our windows are open because it's summertime, and all of a sudden in this loud, slow, 'trying to sound cool voice' (come on we all have one even if we don't pull it out very often) we hear.  "Hey babe what's your vision for this chicken?" And then we hear this screech of a response, "Just put it on the grill!"

It was so funny that we couldn't help it,  we just burst out laughing and had to close our window. And that started being our phrase, "Hey babe what's your vision for this chicken?" It doesn't matter if we're talking about food or not. We could be taking about a table, craft, project, window or anything else under the sun; if one of us doesn't know what the other one has planned we ask, "Hey babe what's your vision for this chicken?"

And a disclaimer for the poor woman who sounded like a shrieking eel, we later found out she was pregnant. And as any pregnant woman and her husband know, that stuff is full of craziness.  (Shrieking eel is a Princess Bride reference.  For those of you who haven't seen it- Amazon Prime it and have a movie night in a couple of days :) )

2 Years

Well,  it's been 2 years since I last posted!!! Hard to believe, but not really since I actually forgot that I even own this blog lol. What can I blame that on? School sucking all my brain cells? Yeah I'll go with that. 

So in the past two years I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree,  my husband graduated with his, and we had our third kid! (First boy!)

Right now I'm brainstorming ideas of how to start farming now that we bought a place out in the country *cue hallelujah chorus*. We want to be able to make farming our full time gig,  without selling our souls or getting in a bunch more debt. So,  if any of you have ideas,  throw them at me! I know organic can be highly profitable,  but truth be told I'm a huge fan of sustainable,  and I don't think organic farming is truly sustainable. (Rant for another day.) Also, starting at farmers markets really isn't that feasible of an option with 3 little kids. (Maybe now you see my problem?)

Well, I guess my brainstorming session is over,  our baby boy just woke up. Have a good however long til I post again!