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2018, closet organization, closets, closet organization, kids rooms, DIY, getting organized, organize, organizing, organizing tips, simplify, simplifying life

The Benefits of Living with Less…and why you should purge your house right now!

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

RIGHT Now. Drop everything and PURGE YOUR HOME NOW! No, I’m kidding. Sort of.

I know you read a lot about purging your home on my blog. Some of you are probably fans of living with less already, while others of you are scratching your heads and wondering how much more stuff I can get rid of and blog about it. #istillhavetoomuchstuff

I am currently in the midst of a whole house purge, but we will talk more about that later.

The truth is, living with less has a lot of benefits. Some are health benefits, some are financial benefits, and some are so good they don’t fit into any category. I’d like to share a few of those with you today, as well as some great advice for purging your home that I’ve collected over the years.

1. Living with less can be beneficial to your mental and physical health

Living with too much causes your house to feel cluttered. A cluttered house feels chaotic, and makes it hard for you to relax and destress. Continued stress affects your mental state, as well as your physical health. An organized and clean home evokes a peaceful feeling, and who doesn’t want to feel at peace in their own home?
This one is especially true if you have kids. More stuff=fewer places to put things away. Stuff that is left out in the floor becomes a trip hazard. Show of hands: who else has fallen over items left in the floor, or stepped on some hard plastic toy with your bare feet? (Lego moms, can I get an “amen?” )

2. Living with less makes your home feel and appear cleaner

Living with too much makes it harder to find places to put things away. Having nowhere to put things causes your home to look and feel cluttered (see above).
A cluttered house also seems dirty even if it really isn’t. Having less stuff and less clutter makes your house look and feel cleaner.

3. Living with less saves time

How does living with less save time? It means that you spend less time looking for things. It’s been said that the average person spends four years of their life looking for things that they are missing. Not being able to find your missing items makes you stressed. Having less stuff means that you don’t have to sort through so much when you need something.

5. Living with less saves you money

How is this? Well, when you make a conscious effort to live with less, you are much more intentional with your spending. Additionally, who here has ever bought something, only to realize you already had that same item at home? Living with less makes it easier to distinguish what you need- therefore keeping you from spending money on something you already have.

There are many benefits to having an organized and simplified home, with less stuff. Start with one room at a time and keep only what you need- donate, recycle or throw away the rest. I know many people who wish their home was less cluttered, but I don’t know anyone who wishes their home was MORE cluttered. Start today and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Coming soon: Characteristics of an organized home

2019, grocery shopping, Instacart, simplify, simplify saturdays, simplifying life, time management

Grocery shopping with Instacart: A Simplified Experience

August 10, 2019August 6, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely hate grocery shopping. I make a list, I go to the store, and somehow I come home an hour later and find out that I managed to forget some of my most important purchases.

Grrrrr.

And how many of you have tried to grocery shop with your toddler or preschooler, only to have them get restless/fuss about wanting things/make the trip take twice as long? Shopping with little children can be super stressful, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Don’t let the sweet face fool you- she has a black belt in temper-tantrum throwing.

There’s this fantastic app called Instacart and it makes shopping with kids super easy. In fact it makes shopping easy in general.

All you have to do is this:

just log onto the Instacart site or download the app.
choose your local participating store,
shop for your groceries,
and submit your order.

That’s seriously it! I promise!

You may choose to have your groceries delivered, or you may pick them up. The store will even bring them out and load them up for you!

You don’t even have to leave the vehicle…or unbuckle your little one from their carseat. It’s amazing.

Now, everyone please pop on over to the Instacart site and check it out! It’s a game changer!

2018, cooking, cooking tips, kitchen tips, life pro tips, simplify, simplify saturdays, simplifying life

Simplify Saturday: Meal Planning Made Easier

June 8, 2019June 3, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

As a busy mother of two with a full time job and a part-time business on the side, I know a thing or two about how difficult it is to cook. I also know that when you’re not prepared, it’s a lot easier to justify running to the drive through, where you end up spending money and making choices that aren’t the healthiest.

Once during the school year, we went over our monthly bank statement to discover we’d spent $400 that month on eating out. We were shocked…and vowed to do better. We are now doing an experiment in our house- we write on the calendar each time we eat out, and write down each time we cook at home. This is helping us keep track of how much we are spending, but also on how often we are eating at home.

I’d also like to share some other things you can do to ensure that meal times run more smoothly in your home.

1. Keep staple ingredients in your pantry at all times.

Who else here has started following a recipe, only to find that you were missing one or two ingredients you needed? Isn’t it frustrating? Think about your family’s favorite things to eat at home, and isolate the ingredients that are common in those recipes. Then, make sure you keep a stockpile of those ingredients in your pantry and fridge.

2. Plan ahead as often as possible

Planning ahead means that you already have a good idea of what you are going to cook for that week. I have tried to plan two weeks of meals at a time, but sometimes life happens and we don’t stick to it entirely. I’ve now started planning for one week at a time, and planning based on what I have in the pantry, fridge and freezer that week. This way, I am taking our weekly activities into account as well. Gymnastics on Tuesdays? Use the crock pot so it isn’t as time consuming and there is little clean up. Church on Wednesday night?How about salads for dinner? You get the idea.

3. Clean as you go

Do you ever find that there is a giant mess in your kitchen after you cook, and you often do not get to it until hours later? I have had to wake up early before to clean the kitchen from the night before. One way that I handle this are to fill the sink with soapy water and wash/rinse utensils as I’m cooking. I can also soak bowls and pans before popping them into the dishwasher. The second thing I do is to reuse a bowl from meal prepping to put food scraps or trash in. Having a trash bowl saves me trips to the compost bin or trash can. I use a dish that I’ve already used so I’m cutting down on dirty dishes. It doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but it really helps.

4. Pre-prepare as much as possible

close up of salad in plate — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I’ve reached a point in my life where I’ve realized I need to spend a little more money at the grocery store to get pre-chopped vegetables once in awhile. I initially felt silly about this, but then I realized it truly does save me a lot of time and prep work in the kitchen.

What have you done to simplify your cooking at home? Please comment below and share your tips with me 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend.

2018, Faith, family, self care, simplify, simplify saturdays, simplifying life

Simplify Saturdays: Self-care and taking time for you

June 1, 2019May 28, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVan2 Comments

Most of us are guilty of working too much, and sacrificing all of our time for everyone else. There is nothing wrong with working hard or giving time to others; in fact, those things are great. But sometimes you do need to take a little time for yourself.

Finding time for you can be difficult amidst all your other demands, but there are a few ways you can sneak in a little “you-time.”

1. Wake up a little earlier

Waking up about 15 or 20 minutes earlier can allow you a little time for yourself. Read a book, go for a walk, or enjoy a cup of coffee on your porch.

2. Evaluate how you spend your time

Is there anything you do each day that wastes your time? I waste a lot of time on my Smartphone each day. By eliminating some of that, I have been able to spend more time on things that make me happy.

3. Delegate those chores

You can’t do everything. I’m the worst for trying to do it all. Delegate some of those chores to your kids. Kids can help with laundry or loading the dishes. Kids can help pick up toys and straighten up the house. Trying to do everything will only stress you out and steal all your time.

5. Learn to say no

Overextending yourself by taking on too much results in stress and no free time. Free up some time by saying no.

When you carve out a bit of time for yourself, think about the things that bring you joy. Whatever makes you feel renewed and happy, do it. Don’t feel guilty about taking time for you. Take time for yourself and be more relaxed.

Have a wonderful weekend.

2019, farmhouse, farmhouse decor, farmhouse style, home style, simplify, simplifying life

Revamping our farmhouse foyer: a plan for redecorating our entry way

January 8, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

Our entry way has improved significantly over the years, but it is still pretty boring. Before he passed away, my dad graciously helped us build this built in coat rack into the wall behind the door. It added a space for us to hang our coats and bookbags, and we have used it so much. I subscribe to the belief that organization should be both functional and attractive. While our entry way is now functional for our family, it certainly isn’t pretty.

I’d like to change the following things about our entry. I’d like to paint the back of the door black to give it some personality.

Courtesy of Interior Barn Doors

I love how the black door makes the room look different. It’s amazing what you can do with just a can of paint.

Another thing I’d like to do is change out the builder grade light fixture for a schoolhouse light fixture.

Schoolhouse flush mount light fixture, The Lamp Goods for $95

I’d also like to add some sort of striped rug. I love this Dash and Albert rug, but I’d like to have it in black and white.

And lastly, I’d like to add some sort of boot tray to contain muddy shoes.

Boot tray from Crate and Barrel

As with everything, our entry way is a process. We are working to make it look nicer and neater all the time. I can’t wait to show you the progress as we finish it.

Have a wonderful week. We will return on Thursday to talk about command centers.

Category: simplifying life

The Benefits of Living with Less…and why you should purge your house right now!

1. Living with less can be beneficial to your mental and physical health

2. Living with less makes your home feel and appear cleaner

3. Living with less saves time

5. Living with less saves you money

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