Mexican Ceviche with Texturized Soya

If you have stumbled upon this recipe you have no choice, you have to make it. If you've ever had fish ceviche you would eat it the same way, on top of big nachos with hot sauce and mayo.
This recipe if from my Mexican neighbor Julia (hoo-lia).

Boil soya texturizada for 30 min. Let cool. Sprinkle lime and salt. Stir. Leave for 10-15 min. Stir in chopped tomato, onion, avacado, cucumber. Add clamato juice and chicken bouillon to taste.

Texturized Soya gets huge when it's cooked so dont use too much. I think I normally use 1-2 cups.

Enjoy!

Pepper Lime Chicken

Chicken breast
1 tsp lime zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp thyme/basil
s and p

Bake chicken 20 min. Prepare glaze. Brush over chicken. Turn and do other side. Bake until chicken is done.

This chicken has an awesome lime taste!

Ceasar Fish

This is the easiest fish recipe and it's so tasty! It's hubby's fav!

Fish Fillets (salmon, basa, polluck etc)
Ceasar dressing (also works well with ranch, or try your favorite)
Crushed croutons or soda crackers
s and p
olive oil

Place fillets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350. Pile dressing, then s and p and then croutons on the fish. Drizzle with olive oil. Cook according to fish instructions. Usually about 15 min.

Mock Potato Soup

Hubby didn't even know there wasn't potatoes in this!

1 med cauliflower, cut into small chunks
1 small onion diced
3 c chicken broth
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 c cream
4 oz shredded cheese
3 pieces bacon, crumbled
2 green onions chopped
s and p

Bring cauliflower, onion and broth to a boil. Cover and simmer until tender (20-25 min)
With immersion blender puree until smooth. Add butter and cream. Serve with cheese, onion and bacon.. Yum!

Monster Cookies *Low Sugar*

From Sherrie Reimer

1/2 c margarine
1 1/2 c peanut butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1c brown sugar
4 1/2 c oatmeal
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c smarties*
1/2 c choc chips*

*optional amounts

Combine and Bake at 350 for 11 min.

Pizza Dough

*From Sommerset Sitko

2c flour (I use half white and half whole wheat)
1 Tbsp yeast
2tsp sugar
3/4 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp oregano
1 c. water

Mix and let rise for 1 hour. Spread on parchment paper lined pans, oiled and sprinkled with cormeal.
Press dough out with oiled hands.
Bake at 400 to cook before adding toppings.

-makes one large pizza
-make a triple or quadruple batch to freeze

To Freeze

Don't let rise, place in ziploc or other storage making sure there is as little air as possible. Note the date.
When you want to use it take it out the night before and put in the fridge. Just before you're ready uncover/take it out of the ziploc and place in covered oiled bowl to rise.
Press out and bake, it may take longer to bake due to extra moisture.

Topping Ideas

Onion Cilantro Pineapple with tomato sauce
Chicken Mushrooms Peppers with pesto sauce or ranch sauce

Closing The Circle

{Source}

Whether you're just beginning your journey to a simpler life or somewhere in between I am sure this one little perspective will help. I'm not sure where I first heard of it and I'm sure there are many ways to describe it, but the easiest way to remember is: Close the Circle.

And it's very simple. Whatever you do, finish it.

If you make breakfast, clean it up.
If you take something out, put it away.

If you do this your home really has no reason to be messy, right?
However it does take discipline :) And it's a lot easier if you have less to put away!

A circle represents harmony, and I believe simplicity itself.

Can you picture having a complete circle in your life? One where everything is tied in, no loose ends. Obviously we will always have things to do, otherwise life would be pretty boring! But compare this to a life where every end is left loose and frayed.

Which will you choose?

Asparagus with Ceasar Dressing

This is frickin amazing asparagus!

First, steam your asparagus.

Mix together 2 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp Dijon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp grated parm

pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with cheese, s and p and toasted sesame seeds (0ptional)

Daily Confessions - Childbirth God's Way

1. We have a perfect, healthy, normal baby
2. I have a perfect pregnancy
3. I have a perfect, short, easy, painless delivery with no complications
4. The baby is positioned properly and will come out properly – head first, face down, and will rotate as it should.
5. I cover my placenta, uterus, and umbilical cord with the blood of Jesus
6. Nothing from my body can filter into my baby unless Jesus says it can.
7. The blood of Jesus purifies everything that goes into the baby to keep it perfect
8. I claim Psalms 91 for the protection of the baby
   He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
   If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
   
9. The cord is the perfect length and is positioned right where the Lord wants it
   
10. The baby is going to come precisely when the Lord has foreordained
    
11. We have a good baby that is easy to take care of
    
12. We have a happy, smiling, pleasant-natured baby
    
13. I am not going to tear at all or have any other adverse effects from the labor or delivery
    
14. I am not going to get any stretch marks, varicose veins, broken blood vessels, dry, peeling skin, puffy, or swollen legs or ankles, or any other negative symptoms of pregnancy
    
15. I am going to have a perfect figure after the baby is born
    
16. I have perfect, healthy blood and perfect circulation
    
17. We are scriptural parents, and we know how to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
    
18. I am not going to gain more than 35 pounds during pregnancy
    
19. As soon as the Devil brings fear to my mind, I immediately cast it out and replace it with the Word
    
20. I put all my trust in Jesus – not in flesh
    
21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, therefore we speak life to our baby with our tongues. We command it to live
    
22. The baby and I get the proper amount of rest each day

*Taken from Childbirth Gods Way by Brenday Willis - some additions made by me

What Minimalism Won't Do

Minimizing your home will not...

...dust your surfaces
....vacuum the floors
...do the dishes
...do the laundry
...feed the dogs
...feed the kids
...clean up after the kids
...make your supper

In other words, it will not transform your home into the perfect looking magazine home. 

What it will do is make your life a little simpler by...
...having to little knick knacks to dust
...having clear floors to vacuum, not needing to move around a ton of things
...having less dishes to wash
...having less laundry to do, and put away!
...having less things to put away at night

So don't be frustrated if it seems like you've put in so much effort to get rid of things and simplify but you've hit a plateau where cleaning up and life just don't seem any easier.
Just keep plugging away when you're not feeling too tired.
I know there's a lot you want to do, and a lot you want to change. 
Keep streamlining and making things simpler. Keep aiming smaller with everything - birthday parties, Christmas, household binder, recipe binder until you are only doing what you need to be doing.
The extra little things we pressure ourselves to do don't matter unless you truly enjoy doing them. Think about it, do you really enjoy it? Or does something inside you just feel like you HAVE TO? You don't.
Your kids don't want Super Mom...they want you.

Tip #1 Freedom

A spotless house is a sign of a life unlived, an uncluttered house is a choice of freedom. - Olivia

Scriptures for Pregnancy and Childbirth

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 

 

 

Isaiah 49:1 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth He has made mention of my name.

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 

-Jesus formed my baby, therefore it has to be positioned properly inside of me

Psalm 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him.

Ezekiel 18:4 For every living soul belongs to Me, the father as well as the son — both alike belong to Me.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.

-God gave us 9 months to prepare on purpose, Rats birth in one month and dogs in only half a year. We have the longest preparation time, so use it. You need to prepare for the fruit of your womb by taking care of the seed within you.
Water it with the Word and by praying and praising. Take precautions against anything harming your seed. Do not let doubt, fear, hatred, or any other evil tool of Satan's come in. Nourish and fertilize your seed with Gods words and your words of life.

-The Lord has some things he'd like to show you while you are pregnant, ask him about it!

Psalm 139

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Psalm 127:3-5 Behold children are a heritage from the LORD. The fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

John 16:21 A woman, when she is in labor, is emotional because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the pressure or the pushing, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Exodus 23 25 Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

Rev 4 11"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

-God created your baby for His pleasure, do not dwell on the thought that you might have a miscarriage, once the thought is implanted in your mind it can become a stronghold for the Devil to use. Immediately cast out those thoughts so that the Lord can do what he says he will. the thief has come to steal kill and destroy, but God comes to bring life abundant (John 10:10)

Genesis 25:24 And when her (Rebekah;s) days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

-God's timing is always perfect, your due date is mans prediction of when you will give birth, God already had a date set before you conceived.

Psalm 22:9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

-God delivers your baby, not the doctor

Psalm 71:6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.

Isaiah 66:9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God.

Isaiah 46:3-4 "Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.

4 Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

-You do not need to tear, no matter what size your baby is, Jesus carries us from the womb. My baby is the perfect size for my body.

Isaiah 40:11 He gently leads those that are with young.

- Every woman in the Bible who became pregnant also gave birth.
Genesis 49:25 because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb.

-no sore, dry, or cracked nipples and no engorgement

Deuteronomy 7:13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 28:4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.


Isaiah 44:24 "This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself

Isaiah 54:13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.

Galatians 1:15 God set me apart from birth and called me by his grace

1 Timothy 2:15 But women will be restored through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Keeping Up With Clutter

Is your clutter overwhelming you? It seems like it gets out of hand overnight but in reality takes months, even years to get to the state your house was/is in. Before you just go throwing everything out take a look inside and figure out how/why you got into this mess in the first place. You need to deal with the root cause to make sure you don't end up with a full house again!

Honesty:
Why do you hoard?
Do you buy things to keep up with the Jones's?
Do you shop for recreation or stress-relief?
Are you a bargain hunter who loves to bring home every treasure?

Why:
Why did you let yourself begin these bad habits in the first place?
What triggered it?

Most of us learn to handle our money and finances from our parents, whether we liked their method or not.
Hoarding tendencies date back in my family. My grandma, my mom, me.

Why?

A poverty mindset. I need to keep this just in case I need it, and I need to buy this just in case I can't afford it when I need it. 
I've been thrift store shopping for enough years to know that doesn't work. In the long run you spend more money on what you don't need used than you would on purchasing something you do need new. 
I remember as a child getting kits of beads and loving them so much that I couldn't use them because I was afraid if I used them we wouldn't be able to buy more. Sometimes I would use the ones that I liked, but never the ones I really loved and valued.
Shopping with my mom, we would buy lots of little things we liked, spending hundreds of dollars at value village. But we would never save up for something we really wanted.

Once you recognize why your house is/was as bad as it is you can finally deal with the issues, and recognize them for what they are.

For example to myself I can say, logically, the amount of money I've wasted on buying all those little knick knacks, decorations, clothes, kitchen supplies over the years really adds up and I would've rather spent that money on a few things I LOVE instead of a house full of things I LIKE.

I've narrowed down my decorations to only my absolute favorites. Heirlooms and ones that bring me joy and inspiration. Everything else is just clutter! You will most likely be surprised at the decorations you don't care about even if you think they look pretty.
Parting with items you LIKE may be difficult but the sense of freedom and release you feel when they are gone is second to none. And knowing that you are on your way to a calm, clutter free house? Amazing :)

Please read: Outsmarting your Inner Hoarder at Minimum for some great inspiration to let go!

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

Filling

2 c blueberries
1 c rhubarb
(thawed and drained if using frozen)


Topping

1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 c flour
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 drops stevia

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix filling and dump in 9 x 9 pan.
Mix topping and sprinkle over top.
I also threw some blueberry juice in the topping to wet it a bit more.

Bake 30 min.


Note: When you double the topping it turns out smoother

Searching for Simplicity

Everyone is searching for simplicity.
In this age where everything moves so fast: cars, minds, time. There is no way to slow it down.
The only thing we can slow is ourselves.
We can decide to take a deep breath, look around and capture moments.
We can decide to stop washing the dishes when our toddler is pulling on our leg and sit down to read stories or play games.
For that is what life truly is.
Moments. Memories. Captured bits of time.
What will you remember? What will you choose?
Don't be in such a rush that you miss out on what truly matters to you.

You Can't Buy Experiences

                               {Source}

I was driving the other day and passed by an old elementary school friend's house. It struck me just how small that house was, maybe 650 sq ft, one floor. I vaguely remember a tiny eat in kitchen and little living room.
It wasn't a judgemental thought. It was the reality of it. You see, I had just assumed as a child that she was so lucky and her parents must have had so much money because they went to Florida every year or two and she got to do all these really fun things that I didn't.
But I'm assuming they didn't have all that much money. Who does?
They just knew where to put it. They chose to go on fun vacations instead of building that addition. They chose to spend time with her, and build that relationship with her, and to give her experiences instead of things.
After all children are only children for so long. Will they remember living in that tiny house? Or will they remember the time you spent with them and the experiences you gave them? What are your favorite memories as a child?
{One of my favorites is being wrapped up in a massive bath towel after my bath and being carried to my room with lots of cuddles and laughter.}
The things that are so big and important to us don't really matter to children it seems.

Corn Bread

My favorite corn bread recipe which is by Betty Crocker, substituted with stevia instead of sugar.

1c milk
1/4 c marg
1 egg
1 1/4 c cornmeal
1c flour
1/3 tsp Stevia
1 Tbsp baking powder

Heat oven to 400. Grease 8x8" pan. Beat wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and add to wet. Stir just until moistened. Pour into pan. Bake 20-25 min.

Kids and Minimalism - 10 Things You Can Do

Realistically, you have kids. They have toys.  You can purge all you want but you still want them to have toys right? So what else can you do?

1. Having toys out of visual eyesight in 'grown up' spaces for example in the living room we keep an armoire with Little Man's toys in boxes/containers which makes it easy to keep picked up if he only takes out one box at a time.

2. Have a space in each child's bedroom designated for toys. They can keep as much as will fit in that space. Examples could be a closet, cubby organizer, bookshelf, toy box etc.

3. Have communal toys for all your children except for one small box they keep under their bed which can be personally theirs.

4. Play outside A LOT

5. Keep bathtub toys hidden/put away.

6. Have a week and a half's worth of clothes for each child (summer and winter)

7. Keep only special artwork corralled in your yearly folder in a keepsakes tab

8. Do at least 1 thing with your children every day that they enjoy.

9. Do more activities that don't need toys or tv.
-Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, Baking, Hiking, Park, Visit Grandma and Grandpa

10. Involve them in the process. Ask them which toys they would like to keep and then donate the rest or have them sell their items online and save for something they'd really like. 

Tip: Keep Phonics Fridge Magnets in a ziploc bag and pull out to play with on a cookie sheet. 


Fact. Kids come with stuff. But that doesn't mean we need to let it take over our lives and homes. How many toys do they really need? To really let that question hit home check out this infographic by Frugal Dad.


                                                                     {Source}

Just Do It #1

                                           {Source}

*Today, choose to spend 30 min playing a game of your kids choice. *

5 Steps to Making Goals...and keeping them!

1. Don't have too many. 

There's only so many things you can focus on at one time. Choose the top 10 things that are most important to you in life. Ex. Relationships, Time, Money, Housework, Children, Meals, Organizing, Minimizing, etc.

2. Write your goals in an active form. Don't write "I want to, I should" etc but instead write "I do," or "I am. 

3. Ask God or trusted friends and family what you should be focusing on. All to often we overlook the most important aspects of our life and what we need to change. An outside perspective will most definitely keep you in line. 

4. Tell someone what your goals are, and let them keep you accountable.

5. Write them down somewhere you will see them. As people we tend to drift easily, we need constant reminding of what our focus and vision is. So put this list wherever you have to to keep yourself motivated... whether that's taped to the front of your homemaking binder, on the inside of your kitchen cupboard door, on your bathroom mirror.

See my Goals for Simplicity here.

50 Creative Reuse Ideas

If you love to reuse then you have to check out this site, it's full of really fun ideas!

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/creative-reuse/50-creative-reuse-ideas-to-keep-you-busy-this-weekend-122566

Here is one of my favs....

 

Also see this post by Generation Cedar where she shares some of her salvaged/homemade furniture!

God is in the business of up cycling. Beauty for Ashes.

Moist Applesauce Muffins

1/4 c. marg
1/3 tsp Stevia
1 large egg
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c walnuts and raisins (optional)

Add wet to dry. Bake at 350 for 15 min.
This is a trial size, makes 6 large muffins. Next time I will triple the recipe at least and try freezing them.

Note: raisins raise the sugar content

What Minimalism Means to Me:

                               Photo Source

Having clean and clear surfaces that we can use

Having less stuff – furniture, décor

More room to move around and less to clean

Not having more than we need

Being able to clean the house in 15 min a day

Less time cleaning = more time on important things

Feeling less stressed and cluttered

Enjoying my home/being proud my home

Spending less money on stuff

Living within our budget

My Minimalism Journey

                                           {Lightbulb}

Before I begin, let me exclaim..."loightboulb!"  ...despicable me anyone? This is kind of the beginning of my journey, and yet kind of not since our ideas and journeys are always changing. This was the beginning of where I discovered minimalism and began to put it into practice.

Here you'll find what I decluttered and the emotions and ideas I was discovering at the time. This is the nitty gritty.

You'll also notice I did a few areas several times ex the kitchen I probably went through like 5 times and just didn't write down every time! Once you start getting rid of stuff it's so easy to keep getting rid of more!!!


July 1^st

purged baby girl clothes, closet, kitchen, linens

July 2^nd

decluttered bedroom

sold a floor rug

July 3^rd

Bookcase cleaned out and taken downstairs to organize fabric instead of bins

Declutter living room

Basement boxes – décor, bathroom

July 4^th

Decluttered Books (down to 42!), Fabric, Yarn.

Looking forward to yardsale. After realizing how much I've taken down to the basement to declutter upstairs it'll be nice to declutter downstairs too.

Enjoying new perspective on minimalism, simplicity and anti-consumerism.

July 9^th

Reorganized everything at back entrance got rid of décor table and all decorations on it. Amazing how many decorations I have that I really don't care about. I kept a nice pitcher I had painted.

Declutter: necklaces (only kept a few organized by season and thin pretty ones)

July 10^th Love Revolution – Joyce Meyer

God, how can you stand to see all that goes on in the world and do nothing.

“I work through people, I am waiting for my people to rise up and do something.”

Why don't I do more? Selfishness, Self-Focus, Self – Centered. To Do Lists.

Begin to think of what you can do.

Have people over more.

Who? Make a list.

Real love is costly: Investment of time, money, effort or possessions.

You can bring joy to the world by having a consistently Godly attitude.

I am going to go out into the world today and spice things up :)

What have I done today to make someone elses life better?

Be focused and clear in your endeavour to lift the lives of others.

Worship the Lord with your whole life.

July 13^th

Sold 29 Records

July 14^th

I'm finding decluttering/minimalism very addicting and having empty drawers intriguing.

I thought finding one thing a day to get rid of would be difficult but I'm currently at 10 + things a day. Seriously considering cancelling tv and internet.

July 15^th 2012

Still finding tons to get rid of – decluttering what I've already been through!

My yard sale pile is nearly insane. I've thrown out so much too!

I feel like we have so much more room and it's easier to breathe.

I'm apalled at how much JUNK I was keeping, cleaning and organizing.

July 18^th

I used to equate financial freedom with the power to buy anything I wanted, I now see it's the freedom to not buy anything where you find true happiness.

July 19^th

Sold Barbies, kept 3 from my childhood. I have one boy and one on the way so definitely won't be needing all those Barbies any time soon. 

Shoes and clothes again

Kitchen Cupboards again, got rid of unsures.

I keep finding TONS to get rid of.

Worried I'll find a lot more after the yardsale.

Still want to go through baby items and PURGE!

I have 2 boxes of 3-6 month boys clothes :P

Made $35 already – purse and barbies

Down to 19 pairs of shoes

July 20^th

Went through ALL baby clothes and cut down to about 10 short sleeve shirts, 5 long sleeve shirts, 2 dressy long sleeve, 2 dressy short sleeve, 10 pair pants including jeans, and a few sweaters. (0-3 months and 3-6 months I left a little more for accidents!) So got rid of over half of what I had.

Also went through all my regular size clothes (I'm pregnant right now) and got rid of 2 garbage bags full.

My system: I pulled out all the clothes of a size and put them in the different categories (ex long sleeve shirts) and then went through each category and pulled out my favorites. This always ended up being the perfect number to keep!

July 21^st

FAMILY YARD SALE DAY! Made $350

plus made $85 this week selling online

Donated all leftovers to Value Village (I shop at our local second hand store and didn't want to see my items calling to me again!)

Brought home 6 items from yard sale that weren't mine, they all had places to go and I got rid of more than that when I got home.

I'm very grateful that my sister in law and cousin were doing cash so I didn't know how cheap they were selling my stuff for! That's the most painful part, seeing things go one at a time for cheap :(

July 22^nd

Brought home some items that didn't sell at yard sale to sell online. If not gone in 2 weeks will post them for free to save a trip to second hand store :)

July 23^rd

Still feeling exhausted after the yard sale. Finding lots more to get rid of but not going to do any major purging in awhile. Time for a break!

I'm glad I'm not feeling very guilty about getting rid of stuff as I am a very frugal shopper so most of the things I bought I could sell for more or at least not lose money on. Thrift stores are my downfall. But I'm not eager to bring in more stuff after all the work I've gone through to get rid of it.

July 25th
I know that things will change, ideas, schedules, likes, but one thing I know for sure...I will  never again have this much stuff in my house!!  I am done with it. And finding it strange that I don't miss anything I got rid of.

July 26th
Selling a few more of my items online. Made $522 to date from clutter! So Exciting! I was able to buy some items we needed for baby.
Still finding more to get rid of. Completely reorganized the kitchen cupboards to make sense (food was everywhere)
Cancelled the upcoming craft fair since it's too close to my due date.
Finding it uncomfortable to not have to keep crocheting endlessly. Started cross stitch for new baby's birth record.
Need to learn how to slow down. And enjoy life.

July 27th
Psalm 86
Hear oh Lord and answer me for I am poor and needy. Guard my life for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts you. 

I'm loving seeing the 'empty' basement and not taking hours to clean up the house.
Household management seems...manageable.
Got a usb stick to hold all my pics and docs...too small. Need to buy a big hard drive to keep all music, movies and pics and docs. Will be so nice to get rid of all our dvds and just have everything available to watch and listen to on the xbox.

July 28th
Birthday party for the Little Man. Decluttered gift bags. Organized 2T clothes. Started organizing digital photos.

July 29th
Sold desk!

July 30th
Learn to Single Task! Stop, refocus and pick 1 thing to do instead of trying to do everything at once. Specifically at meal times. When the Little Man is in his highchair eating quietly I like to throw in the laundry, sweep the floor and tidy up but then I miss eating with him :( I would rather focus on sitting and eating and not getting out of my chair. So much harder than it sounds.
Organized scrapbooking and keepsakes. Bought small bookcase for office supplies and printer. 

July 31st
Feel like I'm getting too disciplined to organize and need to slow down and enjoy life since that is the major reason to do all of this in the first place.
Most of the work is taking pictures and listing everything online. This takes a lot of effort to do/organize. It would be so much easier to throw everything in a donate bin and be done with it but we could really use the extra money and it would seem like such a waste. But it is like having a part time job.
Wow! Just added the total from decluttering and surprised that we're at $590 already! That's crazy. It kind of seems like we're moving the house is so clean and so easy to clean.
I'm really sick of the decluttering 'clutter' lying around though. Everything I've decluttered is in the laundry room on my sewing desk which makes it look like such chaos in there! I'm not sure if/when I'll stop selling things. I think I'll give everything 1 week to sell and then donate it. And maybe pick a dollar amount to sell, under to donate. $10? I think that would be good. Small clutter takes up so much room and hardly seems worth the effort.
Although I've only decided to more drastically minimize lately, the goals I made in January are still perfectly in line with my mission today. It's like I just couldn't picture the end result like I can now. 
Cleaned the oven. Organized Pet Supplies. Craft Stuff. Inside oven drawer.

The Minimalism Plan

                                       {Walking the Walk}


As a family and an individual I am not aiming for extreme minimalism and I know many would not even call it minimalism. I do not want to count, unless for fun or to realize how many possessions I have or need!
 
I want to use it as a tool to accomplish more in my day and to spend more times on things/people that matter to me. I have made a list of friends that I want to become closer too and plan to actively spend time pursuing those relationships, I also have all of the other goals written down on the front of my household binder so that I can keep a clear focus and vision of where I want to go and what I really want to accomplish. 
 
I do not want our home to be barren, but rather simple and beautiful. Only keeping the things that I truly love, things that bring joy to my life and don't weigh me down. I know that will mean different things to different people and to me at different times of life. 
 
My plan is to do a major purge every 3 months, and until we get down to an amount I am happy and comfortable with I plan to purge bits here and there on a daily basis, at least 1 thing a day. 
 
1 thing in, 1 thing out.

Why Minimalism?

The purpose of all this purging torment/exhilaration? To Simplify, but just to a more extreme measure. 

To put it simply I am sick of being suffocated by clutter and disgusted by consumerism and trying to one up each other. 
 
We lived in Mexico for a year and I remember being so happy with the little we had, and most of our neighbors had far less. Far less meaning “houses” made of cardboard, sticks and tarps. Not joking. 
 
I loved living there, I loved the simplicity of it all and how relationship based the culture was. Teenage boys would rub my nephews hair lovingly as we walked by. I have never seen a north american teenager do that!

Life is too short to waste organizing, cleaning and maintaining your clutter. 
 
For example I have always done a seasonal wardrobe. So every season, spring, summer, fall and winter I would take out all of the clothes from my closet that wouldn't work for the upcoming season and switch them for what did.  
I never remembered what clothes/accessories I had, it was very confusing for switching with maternity and I had tons of stuff that actually didn't match anything!
(My goal now is to have one bin of every size - maternity, after baby, regular. )

Everyone's journey and goal to simplicity or minimalism will look different in every aspect including the end result, but the important thing is what you get out of it.

A life that's free from the weight of things gives you freedom to enjoy what you do have. 
 

It's a life that's not wasteful, only buying what you need. 

 

It's simple. 

I'm not there yet, but everyday progress is being made! 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

From Sherrie Reimer

2/3 c oil
1/2 c honey (melted)
20 drops stevia
6 bananas mashed
2 c flour
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
choc chips

Mix everything together, I like to use my handheld blender to really blend the bananas.
Grease your muffin tins and preheat the oven to 350. Bake 15 min for mini or regular.

Where Minimalism Begin for Me

It finally happened, I changed. My entire mindset and view of THINGS and STUFF and CLUTTER, which I would lovingly clean, organize and maintain is now turned upside down. And this is my story.
 
I started nannying for a family in August 2011 and thought that they were so crazy to have a perfectly spotless house at all times with 1 and 3 year old boys! They didn't seem to have much stuff although I wouldn't call them minimalist. I thought maybe they had just moved in and not unpacked all their stuff, so was very surprised to learn they had lived there for a few years already! Where was all their stuff?? Me being so competetive tried very hard to organize and clean my way to this level but it seemed like I wasn't making much progress. Unless you count dusting all your clutter every week progress! But the seeds had been planted.
 
January 2012, I began to research Simplifying as I knew our house was just too chaotic and wanted to focus on the things that really mattered to me. I created my goals to simplify.
 
In April we planned on moving, so I started with packing/purging everything that was of no use to us for the next 3 months so we could show our 1, 050 sq ft, 1 floor house and it would look more “open” as said all the websites I researched. So everything was packed and in our unfinished basement, the upstairs was perfect, clean and ready for an open house. We kept it that way for just over a month and then realized we couldn't get financing for the house we wanted! (Very Frustrating!) But the upstairs was in a pretty good situation and I could at least keep the house clean. :)

Now July, my cousin in law was going through her stuff. They had moved almost a year before (only 2 weeks after having a baby) so friends had packed up her house for her. Needless to say she had tons of boxes they hadn't gone through so I suggested a yardsale thinking I would have maybe 2 garbage bags of things to put in as I had already done that big clean.
 
In my researching of simplifying I stumbled upon minimalism. Zen Habits to be more specific. I read through the archives and kept researching and searching. There are some really fantastic blogs out there! MinimalistMommi has house tour videos on her blog which really inspired me. I had never seen a house so empty! It's like candy! It was also very intriguing to see how much (or little) other people actually lived with.

July 1^st I actually started my purge. The date was accidental, I just bought a journal and started making point form notes in it daily starting July 1^st. Some days I did write in more detail which I will share with you in later posts about how it felt to declutter and free myself from the burden of stuff. We scheduled the yard sale for July 21^st and I spent most of those nights up late going through boxes of baby clothes, bedding etc. I got rid of over half of our items. Nearly filling a concrete trailer! 1 month was not nearly enough time to go through and sort everything though so I still have a ways to go in my journey! 

I hope you will join me as I share my process and how I go about choosing to live my life intentionally. Being aware of my purchases in a minimal, frugal and environmentally-conscious way. I want to live with less.

My Simplicity Goals for 2012

I do only the important things...keeping my house guest ready,

Take excellent care of A – playing outside, reading him books, doing crafts

Maintaining friendships

I use my time well and wisely

My workflow is easy, efficient and effective

I engage in activities that are fun, fulfilling and in line with my goals and dreams

The things in my life are useful, in great shape and aesthetically pleasing

I please the Lord in all my actions, words, and thoughts

I cook healthy and delicious meals for myself and bless my family

Written January 2012