De-cluttering Sources and Inspiration

The journey that we've been on this year to de-clutter our home has taken me to some really unexpected places. I feel much calmer, more centered, and alive. I feel like I'm able to truly relish everyday moments in my life, and identify what my real desires are. Having less stuff hasn't left me feeling empty, or like I don't have enough. Quite the opposite. Having less stuff has lead me to really love, and take of the things already in my life. I'm now looking at things I buy as an investment, not a throw away item to have now and dispose of in a year when I get tired of it, or the trend fades.

Today I wanted to share some of the resources I've used for de-cluttering over the last few months. Some of these sites address tips for de-cluttering, others address organization tricks and methods, and still others address the emotional impact of clutter on our lives. I think each of these aspects are important when addressing the clutter in your home. Here are my resources:

Zen Habits- Leo Babauta is pretty new to me, but apparently he's not new to millions of readers who visit his website each day. His posts have really spoken to me throughout this process and helped me identify areas I didn't even know I needed help in. His about page states, "Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives." I really think it does just that. Leo also writes the blog mnmlist, all about minimalism, and equally good read.

Apartment Therapy- Oh how I love this site, and all its wonderful resources. I read Apartment Therapy everyday, and have gleaned so many useful tips and tricks from its virtual pages. From decorating, to organizing, to craft they have it all!

Jess Lively- I love reading Jess Lively's blog and if you're looking to get organized, de-clutter, and motivate yourself to succeed her blog is a great place to start. I think I read through her entire archive in my pursuit to downsize. A great read indeed.

Design Sponge- When it comes to home decor Design Sponge is where it's at. Their home tours, and DIYs blow me away time and time again. Design Sponge is my ultimate resource for redecorating our home. For inspiration it can't be beat.

Though we had to speed up our initial goal of downsizing by half due to a move, I don't think we're done with this goal, or change of mindset. It's a goal that you have to consistently work on, and have patience with as you inch forward. I still have a lot of clothes I'd like to throw out the window, and decor pieces I'd like to upgrade, but monetarily we're not there yet. Right now our focus is buying quality or quantity, taking our time in deciding on purchases, and using up things we already own but don't love. Growing and changing is a beautiful thing, but don't rush it (says the girl who moved house 3 states away in less than a month *wink*) big kiss, bekuh

FOLLOW ALONG:

Getting Settled

First and foremost let me just say that you guys are seriously the best readers ever! Your comments on my last post made me feel so supported, loved, and just better able to handle the challenges ahead. Thank you so much for your continued support. Second, we're really starting to get settled around here. The picture you see above is from last weekend, and boy oh boy does our place look different now. Things are getting situated nicely and in no time I'll be sharing peeks into our new home. Maybe this week (eep).

Today I'm giving myself a little break from all the unpacking, and enjoying the internet just installed in our new place. Feels good to be connected again. Love you all. big kiss, bekuh

Nellie and the Move

I haven't done a Nellie update in awhile, and as we're preparing to completely uproot everything she's ever known it feels fitting to spend a little time on our girl right now. We thought long and hard about our sweet girl when talking about relocating, and her comfort is of upmost importance to us. We're really lucky that I was offered a position in Philadelphia for so many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it's a super dog friendly place! We had no issue finding apartments that allow pets, and there are parks a plenty to let her run around in. The building we finally settled on is run by a super pet friendly firm, and that set me at ease immediately knowing they were animal people too.

It's a funny thing just how much our pup has changed the way we live. It really is like having a child. I think things like, "Will she like this area?" "Will the other dogs in building like her?" "Is there a park near by, for her to play in?" So many things to think about. Of course there will be an adjustment period, and we're preparing ourselves for a little bit of rebellion. 

We've been working hard on some of her bad habits; like jumping, and pulling while out on walks. She now has a nifty harness that pulls up her front legs if she pulls too hard on her leash, and we bought a shorter leash (2ft) for walking on busy city streets. The shorter leash also makes it easier to pull her back down if she jumps (she'll of course have the long leash when we go on more leisurely walks). We even caved and bought one of those little doggy bag dispensers, shaped like a bone, for potty time. Silly perhaps, but we're making an effort to get her as prepared as possible for city living.

I know she'll be fine, and adjust just like we do, but the mommy in me is on high alert. I hope Nellie knows just how much she is loved. big kiss, bekuh

The Secret's Out

Well now that I've officially accepted the position, I guess it's time to share the big news with you guys. In a little over a month Ryan and I will be living, and working in Philadelphia! Last week I had my final interview for a Community Coordinator position (read social media) at BHLDN, and on Monday they made an offer. It still feels really surreal typing all of this right now. I've wanted to work for URBN pretty much my entire life, and on March 4th my dreams are coming true. A special thanks to Maddie for her sweet recommendation of me for this position.

We're still working out all the details; like where we'll live, whether we'll be selling my car, if Ryan and Nellie will move up immediately or shortly after I do, how we're going to move everything, et al. It's a lot to take in, but in the end it will be so worth it. We've been thinking about making the move to a major city for sometime, and now we're actually doing it. Our lives are going to look so different this time next year, in the best possible way.

We're pulling an all-nighter to drive up and look at apartments tomorrow, so keep us in your thoughts. This will also be Ryan's first visit to Philadelphia so I'm hoping he likes it. I know he will, but it's still a big deal. My biggest concerns right now are finding an apartment, and selling off most of our furniture before the move. 4 weeks will fly by!

You might be seeing a little less of me in these parts for a couple of weeks, unless I get super motivated to schedule a ton of posts. Don't hate me. Downsizing by Half just got for real, for real. Ha! big kiss, bekuh

Downsizing By Half

I mentioned a couple of days ago that Ryan and I are going to attempt to get rid of about half our apartment in the coming year, and today I want to talk a little more about that. I'm sure some of you are probably flabbergasted by that statement, or think that we're some kind of loonies, or think we're doing this because it's the new year (and that's what people do). There may be some truth to all of those thoughts, but this decision goes much deeper. There is a very practical end goal for me, and a very personal one.

First, we are a small family of 3 (Ryan, myself, and Nellie), but we currently live in a three bedroom apartment. Not just any three bedroom apartment though, a large three bedroom apartment that is bigger than a lot of our friends' homes. I'm not bragging, I'm embarrassed by this. There is no reason for us to rent so much space, 2 people and a dog should require much less.

Currently both Ryan and I have our own rooms for art and music, and though that has been a wonderful perk of our living situation, it's a little unnecessary. Both of our rooms are so full that we don't even have a guest bed. On top of the art and music room we have an eat in kitchen, a separate dining room, two walk in closets, several other storage spaces, and again they are all full. We're certainly not hoarders, but we've accumulated a lot of fluff and excess furnishings that need to be shed. By getting rid of half the stuff we could potentially move into a nicer 1 bedroom apartment, and potential save money by doing so.

My second reason for downsizing is the emotional toll that having an excess of stuff can have on a person. Holding onto knickknacks or things with no purpose in our life binds us to them and creates an unhealthy attachment. We can't take anything with us when we die, so why fight and grasp for it while we're here? In addition to being attached to objects in an unhealthy way, I also think it attaches us to negative memories, and parts of our past that can hold us back from realizing our full potential.

For example, I was looking through my "memory" box and noticed a giant manilla folder that my mom had filled with old report cards, and classroom assignments. In the midst of all the glowing teacher reviews, and colored pages were a few handwriting samples that I'd received poor marks on. I instantly thought about my handwriting, and how much I dislike. In my head I started imagining ways to improve, wondering if my handwriting was holding me back. When really at this point my handwriting is my handwriting sloppy or not. Seeing those old grades sent me down a negative spiral of self doubt, and over analysis. Why let two bad grades from 2nd grade bring me down now? By cleaning out those folders, and only keeping one or two things I'm releasing myself from some negative feelings/memories. Sometimes the negative things in our past have no place in our current situation. They need to be tossed, and forgotten.

Outside of the space issues, and the emotional issues there's also this key fact: Ryan and I didn't pick out our current apartment together. I had lived in the apartment for a year before we were married. As silly as it may seem I've always felt like our apartment has been divided between his things, and my things. So, it's my hope that at the end of this downsizing we can find a place where both of us feel contented and happy as a couple. I no longer want there to be "Ryan things" and "Bekuh things," just "Our things." It's going to be challenging, painful, and at times maddening, but in the end its going to be totally worth it. I hope you'll join us as we downsize in 2013. big kiss, bekuh