Childfree Minimalist

All moved

2011-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

I finished moving everything over to the new blog today, I got my blog rolls and stuff moved and changed the colors up a bit. Part of the reason I did this was b/c I have this blog linked to a non-Google account and its a pain to have to log in using two different Google account all the time to do things on my blog or check my e-mail. I couldn't figure out how to change my blog over to my other e-mail address so I just decided to move it and change the URL. Although I saw I could have done that without moving it. that might have confused some people. I'll leave this one up here for a while to make sure anyone who wants to come to the new blog can find it. Eventually I'll be deleting it. The new one is almost exactly the same as this. There were a few posts I didn't move over and some broken links and such.

http://childfreeminimalist.blogspot.com/

Moving

2011-07-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

I'm moving my blog. I'm still going to be on blogger but I'm changing my name to match what is on my header right now. I like it a lot better and it's more Me than the old one was. I think this will give me more motivation to write here more often. Being Childfree and Minimalist and two of the biggest things I feel define me right now. I'm sure it won't always be that way, but its sort of a big deal to me right now. I'm sure I will make other random blog post about whatever I feel like writing, but my ability to do the things I love are directly related to my childfree minimalist life.

I've got all the blog posts moved right now, I still need to move my blog rolls and change the design. here is the link http://childfreeminimalist.blogspot.com/

hopefully soon I will have the time to write about my Essure experience up till now, I've still got to go back for the HSG test so its not over yet.

2 Days

2011-06-28T16:01:00.001-07:00

In two days I will be getting my Essure procedure done. I am really excited and happy I found a doctor who didn't give me any crap about wanting it when I don't have any kids.

The Breathing Mobil Washer

2011-05-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

just got this in the mail today looking forward to trying it out.

I'm learning to speed read

2011-05-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

this should be fun

Standing Still

2011-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to write about recently. Things are kind of at a stand still right now. All I do is work and come home these days. Its to cold outside to do much else, I look around and there are things I need to do, things I want to do, but I'm mostly just hibernating for the winter. I read books, read the internet, and talk to people. Occasionally I see friends, but mostly I'm hibernating.

I do need to learn how to cook more for myself, right after my ex left I was eating out all the time. That got to be to expensive, so I started buying some cheap food for lunches and meals at home. But it doesn't taste all that great most of the time. I'm hoping once spring gets here I'll be able to motivate myself to do more.

I have been losing weight since November which I'm really happy about, I've lost maybe 20lbs so far, I love my Wii and I wish I could play DDR in my apartment, the weight would be coming off much faster if I could.

Clothes

2010-12-15T07:05:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about my clothes a lot lately. If I want to get rid of more of them and what to get rid of.

I have several pairs of jeans. a couple of them are to small, but one in particular I keep around for motivation to loose weight and also to gauge my weight loss since I don't own a scale and don't really want one. I just like to try them on once in a while when I think i'm loosing weight and see how close i am to them fitting. This is what I did before with a pair of work pants I bought that were a little to small and i fit into them eventually.

Recently I've noticed my regular jeans fitting better and actually being a little loose when they were getting a little to tight before. I have on pair in particular that I like better than the rest, and wear most of the time when I want to wear jeans, so I've been thinking about if I should just get rid of all the rest except for the pair that is for motivation because those will be the jeans I wear once they fit. They are the next size down from the ones I wear now so they will be to big once I fit into the smaller pair. Also they were super cheap on Clearance so I didn't pay much for them.

I have two pairs of skinny jeans I like wearing with my winter boots, but my boots actually look ok with the other pair so I'm not wearing them as much as I did last year, because I don't really like the way I look in skinny jeans. I also have a pair that has some sequin crap on the pockets, that I really like, but they are sorta big on me and I have to wear a belt. Also they are not low-rise and that makes them fit weird, and I always end up pulling them up when I wear them. they are also to long, which most of my pants are because it's hard for me to find petite sizes I like. I'm not short I'm average but I guess my legs are shorter and my torso is longer because regular jeans are to long and regular shirts are always to short. I hate shopping. I recently bought a men's henly type thermal shirt b/c I knew it would be long enough and the woman's ones wouldn't be. I didn't have any long sleeve shirts and its cold. did I mention how much I hate shopping for clothes?

I've also accumulated several pairs of draw string pants I like, but its to cold to wear them anywhere but inside. I really need to just go through everything in my closet and purge. I have a horrible time making decisions and I don't really have a lot of clothes(at least it doesn't seem like it to me). I tend to like plain clothes because I can mix and match and don't have to worry to much about what to wear, I can just grab something and throw it on.

The only problem I have with getting rid of things is that I will HAVE to do laundry more often and there is only one thing I hate more than clothes shopping and trying on clothes while shopping and that is laundry. If I had my own full size washer and dryer I wouldn't mind, but I have a small pressure washer and a drying rack which is ok for a few items. I hate going to the laundry mat and can't really afford to spend money on drop off laundry anymore(which I loved more than anything ever).

decisions decision, I hate making decisions.

I used to love shopping. I'm glad I don't anymore because I wasted so much money on things I didn't need and ended up getting rid of later. That's money I had to earn by working long hours at a job I didn't really even like all that much.

no more doom and gloom

2010-12-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

So things are getting better. i'm having fun dating and meeting new people, and me and my ex are going to be friends which i am happy about we are each others best friends and I am glad we are not loosing that.

I love love love all my empty space in my apartment. I keep wondering what else I can get rid of. I actually got rid of a bunch of decorative stuff right after he left, and I am going to change and fix a few things. I'm going to deep clean every room and then it will be super easy to maintain.

I will probably be eating a lot more fruits and veggies soon just because they are easy to prepare and I still don't like cooking all that much. I mostly like to experiment with cooking once in a while, but I don't really have the motivation to do it all the time.

I finale got my own internet hooked up, which is nice to have again. So I'm going to enjoy being single, childfree and minimalist!

Minimalist dating

2010-11-25T13:31:00.001-08:00

fuck relationships they suck

decisions

2010-11-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Well I decided not to move right away. When my ex left, he did leave me with a check for most of the rent for a month and we have talked and he's signing over the deposit so I won't have to pay that. so I am going to try and stay here on my own in this apartment. I already let my bosses know I need more hours. I am going to finish the semester and decide if I even want to continue with school or not, or with this major.

We talked about everything and staying apart was the best choice for both of us. He really wants kids, and I really don't want kids, its been the elephant in the room for a while. He lives close by so we are going to try and be friends and help each other out. I am grateful he didn't take everything and that he left me with some money and wanted to help me move if it came to that. Doesn't mean I'm not still a little angry and really hurt, but I am going to try and move on.

So I have this whole apartment to myself, which felt really small before but now it feels huge. I am going to spread out my stuff and decide what I want to keep. I already have a small pile of stuff that is going. some of it is stuff i was considering getting rid of before all this happened.

I was hoping my landlord would have a smaller cheaper apartment but none of those are available so i am staying where I am for now. My awesome neighbor is letting me use her internet though so that's a huge plus. I still have to go elsewhere for internet sometimes because hers isn't reliable enough for doing some of my school work, but it was still really nice of her to do that. I wrote her a note and offered to pay for it, but she said I didn't have to pay her. it's wireless so it already showed on my computers at home because she has a wireless network.

If I can't make it on my own with my job here, I will go back to my hometown and stay with my dad till I get back on my feet, which will be ok. I can leave some of this stuff here if that happens so moving won't be that bad. I already told my ex he could keep the mattress(he left me) if I still have bed back home or can afford to get a cheap futon mattress or something. I don't want to haul a mattress in a truck if I don't have to.

He took the box spring and frame and actually slept on the box spring for two days before he even got another mattress. He could have been a dick and take the mattress and there would have been nothing I could do about it, but he left it for me and slept on a box spring. He really isn't a bad guy, he just made a really bad choice. He found out later it wouldn't have been as bad as he thought to just talk to me and he felt really bad and admitted he shouldn't have just left like that.

Things are getting better though, we still talk and I think its going to be ok being friends for now. I know that might seem crazy to some after what happened, but it's making it easier to deal with it since we can talk about things and know why it happened and what was wrong with the relationship. Hopefully we won't repeat these mistakes in the future with other people. After three and half years, not being able to at least talk to him about it would have made it so much worse.

Well just wanted to let people who read me know what happened and that things are ok. I am actually looking forward to making some changed and figuring out what I want for myself. I can be as minimalist and extreme as I want now and it will only effect me.

I didn't proof read this so if there are types or whatever that's why, I don't usually proof blogs

It's good to be a minimalist when...

2010-11-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

when your boyfriend decides to wait till you are out of town to get a new apartment pack all his stuff and leave you with an apartment you can't afford to keep alone so you have to move back to your hometown in with your dad and go backing to living in a bedroom.

yup, so i'm single now and I have to move, its a good thing I don't have all the crap I had before I moved here, or even right after I moved here.

Food

2010-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

So apparently cooking from scratch is fun and isn't all that hard.

So far, I've made my own pizza and I just finished some chocolate chip cookies. I also made some crab and mushroom quesadillas but I don't really consider those from scratch because the tortilla shells were store bought and those are easy to make. I already had some I had bought though so I want to use those up before making more.

Minimal distractions

2010-08-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm having my boyfriend block some websites for me on our desktop PC so I can concentrate on my homework without being distracted by Facebook. If I had the will power to just no use it myself I wouldn't need him to block it for me, but I don't.

I was going to have it set up differently but he got his MS office working on the PC so I don't have to do all my work on my laptop which has a much smaller screen. I will be able to access various websites from my laptop, but I will have to go out of my way to do so. I think it will work out because my laptop is usually off on a shelf, unless I need it or am leaving town with it. I am going to be using the small desk I usually use it on for my books so I won't have a place to leave it open and on and tempting me to waste time on Facebook or anywhere else.

I would just shut the internet off, but I need it for school because both my classes are online this semester.

The room is done!

2010-08-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

So I got my "area" of the apartment under control. I spend most of my time here in what we call the "computer room" b/c that is where the main computer is. I use this and my laptop mostly. My Bf does have several other computers, but those are in the living room hooked up to his big ass TV and I almost never use those. also most of my "stuff" is in here so I've been working to get it clean and uncluttered for sometime.

I finale finished it a few days ago, Just didn't get around to posting about it. I moved all the furniture(its all small stuff) to the walls so I have all the space in the middle of the room empty. I have my new Chair, my small purple disk chair, and my computer chair in here. I have a pretty nice computer chair, b/c i bought it before I moved, before I even thought about moving or being minimalist.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't buy this chair or this computer, and would just use a laptop, but I don't live alone, and this is a shared computer and I only had to pay for half of it. plus its a really nice computer and I do like having a larger screen to look at.

I may move thing around a bit more eventually and get rid of some more thing or make space else where, but it won't happen in a hurry, I'm happy with the way things are at the moment so I am going to try and focus on school. I have too online classes and I am hoping I can finish them both early.

But I got rid of all the extra crap that was taking up space and my area is really nice now. I start school again tomorrow so I will be focusing on my school work for a while, and having an uncluttered area to work in is going to make that so much easier.

I'm trying to make my life less stressful in other area's too. I just grocery shopped for hopefully the next two weeks, and won't need to shop again till payday comes again. I'll actually be out of town when I get paid again, so I won't be shopping till I come back.

Still thinking about what to do with my Cd's. I sort of what to keep some of them, Some of the ones I really like in case anything happens to my hard drive, i will still have some music, but i am also missing two of the actual CD's and don't know what happened to them. I sort of want to replace them, but I feel like that's a waste of money. If I had a better backup plan for my music I would get rid of them, but right now all I have is one hard drive. My BF was going to back everything up on a couple other ones, but he never got around to it, or couldn't get it to work the way he wanted to for some reason.

I am going to be focusing on eating healthier now that I have my stuff under control better. It's made living in my small apartment so much better and easier. We used to talk about getting a bigger place all the time, now I don't feel like we need to, and my BF hasn't mentioned it in a long time. Right now the only perk for moving would be our own yard so he can have a garden without people stealing his food.

almost there

2010-08-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't do anything with my Cd's yet, they sort of went on the back burner for now. I did go through and cull my books though. I have three bags(two of them large) of books in the back seat of my car waiting for the next time i go to the library. its really important for me to get items out of my house ASAP when I decide to get rid of them or I start 2nd guessing myself and think about keeping it or holding onto it for someone who might want it. I just need them gone.

This freed up a lot of space on my bookshelf, I put some other things on there for now, some of my high school art projects till I can deal with them and some other things I took out of my closet to make space in there.

I finale dealt with all the lingering goodwill items in the corner of my computer room. the only thing still sitting on the floor is the stupid bread maker turned coffee roaster thing. I keep getting people asking about it from craig's list then no one follows through. my Bf is convinced someone will want it, so I am going to keep trying.

I have a couple books that need to be mailed I haven't taken out to my car yet. all the other stuff I am mailing is in the trunk. I used Boom mooch to get rid of some old text books, so was just waiting for pay day to mail them all. Still trying to unload my high school yearbook as well. I e-mailed someone at my school and asked if they could help me get in contact with someone who would know if they would want it for the library or something. If now then I might post it on in my hometown freecycle group or ask a friend to do it for me and see if I can find it a home.

I sorted through everything else and now I just have to rearrange my furniture to make things look nice and fit my new awesome chair in here comfortably which shouldn't be a problem. I'm so happy its so clean and uncluttered in here. I have only the stuff I need and use. some art supplies, and a plastic drawer unit with the rest of my art and officey stuff in it. our printer, scanner thing is on top of that. I have an extra computer monitor I use with my laptop sometime and my laptop.

I might take a picture when i'm done. Not sure I want pictures of my apartment up here yet.

I even cleaned off my bulletin board yesterday, which really really needed to be done. Shredded a bunch of paper, and i have a stack to scan and a stack to put away into my important papers binder.

my next project is taking pictures of all my high school artwork and then posting them to Facebook so I can give it away to family and friends that might want it. I know my mom wants some of it, and a friend might want some also. I told them I would frame anything they wanted to hang up, so when they get it they can hang it up right away, and it won't be sitting around like it is here.

I can't focus when my apartment is full of clutter. I think this is going to make the next semester of school sooo much easier b/c I won't have so much visual clutter around to distract me. I remember in the spring I kept thinking I needed to get up and clean and deal with my stuff, but I couldn't b/c I had homework and it was driving me nuts. I didn't take any summer classes so I could focus on getting the uncluttering done and it was great.

I was talking to a coworker today about having gotten rid of so much stuff and how my computer room is almost empty(its not really empty, but it feels emptier b/c it isn't full of stuff). She asked what I was hoping to accomplish with all this uncluttering. I didn't really have an answer. I suck at trying to explain this to people when I bring it up. It just feels good to have space, and be able to focus on what matters and not stuff I wasn't using. I spent so much time looking for stuff and rearranging stuff, and trying to organize it all. I was just wasting my time. I decided to just stick to a couple hobbies and got rid of everything I didn't need for those hobbies. It was hard to let some stuff go, but I'm really glad I did.

Ok, I'm gonna go see what I can do about rearranging my furniture!

Links

2010-08-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Wastefulness of Decluttering; or How to Make Less Count for More

How to Lose a Legacy

The Cult of Less

downsizing my media collection again

2010-08-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I went through and culled my pretty small CD collection. I was never really really into buying lots of music CDs because most of the time I would only like 1 or 2 songs on the whole CD and 13$ seemed a bit much for a couple of songs.

So Back when I was doing some major uncluttering(it kind of goes in waves) I decided to go through my CDs. I had gotten a hard metal case to hold them and I had way to many to fit inside of it. But my CD collection was still much smaller than some of the ones my friends have or had. so I gave away a bunch and then donated some to goodwill and got rid of all the cases and put them in the hard metal case.

now I'm contemplating getting rid of the rest of it, including the hard metal case. Before I was just trying to down size each collection of stuff I had so I wouldn't have so many, So I got rid of Some CDs, some books, some DVDs(twice) so that what I had left could reasonably fit into the space I had for it.

I keep reading all these blogs of all the minimalists who have gotten rid of ALL of their books, dvd's and cd's and didn't regret it at all and I keep thinking I can do that. I recently got rid of more books because I checked the library and they had a good chunk of the books I was holding onto, so I didn't see a reason to keep them anymore when I can check them out from the library anytime, they were book I hadn't even read yet. Most of which I got 2nd hand. I have bought some books new also. I keep kicking myself(mentally) for all the money I spend on something I could have gotten free and wouldn't have taken up space in my apartment because it would have gone back to the library.

I've also wasted a lot of money buying stuff to organize the stuff I already have, containers, hooks and all kinds of stuff. Now I think about that every time I think I need a new container or some kid of organizing thing, and I think, I don't need to organize it, I just have to much stuff still.

I still have a problem with impulse purchases. Thankfully I returned the last two and got my money back. I'm still working on it, and its hard to break old habits. I still remember the last CD I bought. My boyfriend thought it was odd I was buying something I could get much cheaper online in digital. He's not even minimalist!

so I am thinking of getting rid of all or most of my CDs. I might keep a few, not sure yet, I know there are more I can let go of though. I already got rid of the CD player I had, I gave it away on freecycle, along with my DVD player since I have a ps2 that can play dvd's and several computers that can as well.

Usually I just think about it for a while before actually doing it. I never use those Cd's. Once I have digital copies of all them, I won't really need them anymore, unless for some reason my hard drive crashes. I might wait till I get another one so I can have them all backed up. Right now I only have one. My Bf had or has a couple others and was supposed to back everything up on them but hasn't for some reason. I would use online back up, but I don't like the idea of recurring fees for that kind of thing.

While trying to decide about the CDs and thinking about it, I am going to get rid of some more books. I already have a nice stack going. This is after I already got rid of close to 30 by donating them to the libarry, most of which I never read. now I have almost 30 more that I am going to get rid of. a couple are getting given away, the rest will probably go to the library.

I should probably try and sell them since I paid for all of them, even if they were 2nd hand, but i am just to lazy to do that, i would rather just give them away and be done with it.

forgive the bad spelling and grammar I have, i don't really proof read.

lighter

2010-07-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

I feel lighter already today. Getting ready for my new chair has motivated me to get some things in order. i donated to bags of books today to the library, and another bag of stuff to Goodwill. I returned the other chair I had bought and a small soap dish thing, that I decided I didn't really need. I'm still working on getting some things out of here, but I made some good progress today.

When I get the chair I don't want things to be cramped in here so I need to figure out what else I want to get rid of.

I know I need to just get rid of my bowling ball and bag, I can't help but think as soon as I do, we will be able to start bowling again. I am going to compromise and keep the shoes, which I would have to pay for if we do find a place to bowl at, so keeping those will save me money. I need to put it up on freecycle and see if I can get someone to take it.

My Bf has this bread maker he rigged up to roast coffee beans, I posted that to freecycle and no one asked for it, so I don't know what to do with it. I think I might try Craig's list next, I don't want to just throw it in the trash, but if no one takes it, I might have to. It can't even be used to make bread b/c he broke off the plastic cover and lost it.

Then I just need to make some decisions on some smaller stuff and move some things around and I will be ready for the chair. yay! I can't wait.

the perfect chair

2010-07-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a new chair. I know buying new stuff isn't very minimalist, but we don't have a couch, and I want some where comfortable to read and watch movies. We had a couch but we asked the landlord to take it back, along with the coffee table because it sucked and took up a lot of space. Me and my boyfriend decided we would rather use some comfortable folding chairs to watch movies in, and maybe get a small folding table to set drinks and stuff on. We also have to small storage ottomans to put up or feed or put stuff inside of. There is a third one that does have storage but he already had that. He also already had a chair, he got it back when he first moved into this apartment, way before he met me. so I needed to find a chair.

I looked around and couldn't find anything. What I was looking for is usually only sold around back to school/college time. This was back in January/February so there wasn't much. I looked online to see what kind of chair I wanted. Decided I might want a round Papasan like chair because I used to have a real Papasan and loved it.

so my boyfriend bought me a small dish chair for my birthday. I was really happy because it was purple. But after I used it for a while, I didn't like it as much because its to small. There isn't any thing to support my head and neck and I can't lean back in it, while reading or watching movies or using my laptop. But I just sucked it up because he got that one out of town where he works and I couldn't find anything better.

Now we have Back to college season, and there are all kinds of fold up comfy chairs. I bought one at Bed, Bath and Beyond after sitting it in and trying it in the store. The base is made of metal but all the hinges are plastic. They had a chair similar to my small dish chair at Target but it was bigger, they call it a Sphere chair. The back of it is large enough to lean back on and it was really comfortable. But it was made the same way as the pink one I already got from bed bath and Beyond. So I left it at the store.

I came home and agonized over which chair I should get. There was a 3rd option, but it was really expensive. So far the two chairs I looked at including he one I already bought were 40$ each. The 3rd option was about 140 after shipping. Its a large Papasan type chair with a metal base called a Round About chair. I was really hesitant to spend that much on a chair for my apartment. One its going to be a lot larger, and this place is small, and two I felt like a purchase that large for a piece of furniture should wait till we have a larger place.

But then I decided to hell with it, I might as well have what I want. I talked to my boyfriend about it, he said "you get what you pay for" so a 40$ chair is only going to last as long as a 40$ chair will. I was worried that it would break, and actually read several reviews on Target.com about some of the sphere chairs breaking or tearing and at least one of the ones in the store was already defective. I want some thing I can trust not to break for a while that I can curl up in and read a book or even take a nap in if I feel like.

I remember napping in my papasan, and it was awesome.

so I am returning the pink chair I got at Bed, Bath and Beyond tomorrow, and I ordered this instead. and I got it cheaper than what Target was selling it for online.

I am hoping it is what I want it to be, which is just like a papasan chair. I e-mailed the person selling it and asked some questions and the seller told me that his/her son was 5'6'' and thinks the chair is great and loves it. I'm 5'5'' so It should be a good fit. And I couldn't find one bad review. There were only a couple reviews out there but they were all good. I think it will be worth the money and it looks sturdier than what I have/was looking at.

I've already started making room for it to. I decided on a whim to get rid of a whole bunch of books. I looked up a bunch of the ones I have to see if my library has them and I am going to donate all the ones the library has because I can check them out anytime and read them, no reason to hold onto something I don't need to. also most of the time when I finish a book, I donate it or give it away anyway, so I might as well get that out of the way first if I can. I kept a few that I couldn't find in the library catalog so I can still read them, and I will donate those later. also there are other books I want to read right now and they aren't books I own, I have to get them from the library. I feel like I should be reading books I already have because I have so many.

The idea of getting an awesome chair made getting rid of enough stuff to make it fit, a lot easier.

I like this

2010-07-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

The Best Goal is no goal

To have or have not? The baby question

2010-07-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

To have or have not? The baby question

Drools...

2010-06-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

I decided a while ago, that I don't ever want to buy another car again. I paid my car off and I plan on driving it till it dies and then I am done with cars. I am not ready to just get rid of my car any time soon, but I try not to drive a lot. I drive to and from work and try to run errands on the way home from work.

I have a mid size folding bike that I love and really should ride more. I thought about riding it to work but I have to be there at 4 am and its still dark, and I just don't feel safe riding that far that early in the morning. Its about 5 miles from my house. I would rather have a full size bike but I got the bike I have b/c of its size and weight, and its pretty durable. I live upstairs in a small apartment and I am not "supposed" to store a bike inside. I keep my inside anyway b/c I have a bag that it goes inside does it doesn't get anything dirty. I also don't feel save locking my 300$ bike up outside either. Also exposing a nice bike to the elements isn't that good for it unless its a really expensive bike and I would be paranoid someone would steel it. I've had bike stole before, even ones that were locked up. My brother had a bike stolen right out from underneath his friend who was riding it and I've lived in bad areas my whole life even if the one I am in now isn't as bad, I can't help being paranoid.

anyway so I keep my bike inside whenever I am not using it. I think when the day comes that my car finally craps out totally and its to expensive to fix or I decide I am done sinking money into it I will get this bike

its not cheap at all. Its one of the most expensive folding bikes I've seen. But its also the sexiest one I've seen.

its for sale here for 2239.00. I might be slighly paranoid on this bike to, but hopefully by then, it won't be as bad as it is now, unless I end up living back in a bad area, in which case I will probably buy a cheap one till I can move somewhere safer. If I am still in a small apartment I would like to be able to have a folding bike. I will probably still have the one I have now unless something happens to it. Either way I am going to keep drooling over this bike.

Saving money and other stuff

2010-06-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am really going to try and start saving more money. I'm not even sure what the hell I am spending it all on but it needs to stop.

I don't make much money to begin with. I work part time in retail and don't make much doing that. I am lucky because I don't have to pay rent, my boyfriend pays that with the understanding that I will help buy food for the house and do a good portion of the housework(which I hate). The money I had saved when I moved here is quickly dwindling to nothing and soon if I don't do something about it, I will be back to living paycheck to paycheck and I don't want to live like that.

Also I like taking time off work to visit friends and family and I can't do that for free. So I need to save money for that also. I was on a semi budget when I first moved here and then got lazy and stopped using it. Basically I just took about 100$ out of each paycheck(bi weekly) and used it to buy food and gas a stuff and saved the rest unless I ran out and really needed it for something. I was doing really good.

So I am going to start doing that again. I was also eating a lot healthier because I couldn't afford to eat fast food all the time on a budget. I've been doing pretty good recently staying away from the fast food, so hopefully that will continue. I seems to have lost my taste for it, for the most part anyway. I just need to un lazy myself and start making more healthy food at home.

I could start donating plasma again to get some extra cash, but I'm not sure its worth it. I've had problems several of the times I've been down there and almost passed out last time(which was months ago) and it scared the shit out of me, so much so that I haven't been back. The problem with donating plasma is you have to be really hydrated(which I suck at) and have to make sure you have eating enough before and after(which I also suck at). Mostly I think you need to make sure you are hydrated. You can't just drink a glass of water before you go down there, you have to stay hydrated before and after. I almost always only drink water, juice or whatever when I eat, and just forget the rest of the day. I haven't figured out how to remind myself to drink water on a regular basis.

I like spending cash though, it was a lot easier for me to realize how much money I was spending and not overspend, so hopefully this works out. I may even need to leave my debit card and check book at home.

Describes it perfectly

2010-06-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

"although I like kids in small doses, dealing with them 24/7/365 would be my own personal version of hell on earth. Which brings on the inevitable "But it's different when they're yours!" It's different, all right - when they're yours, you don't get to palm them off on their parents when you get sick of them. And if you have a baby and your feelings don't change, you can't exactly bring it to the hospital's customer service desk and tell them you'd like a refund, now, can you?"

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/367096/not_every_woman_want_kids_why_is_this.html?cat=7

Like

2010-06-20T10:51:00.001-07:00

http://minimalistwoman.com/2010/03/07/religion-and-clutter/

I Hate Cleaning

2010-06-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today me and my boyfriend cleaned the kitchen up some today. We went through and cleaned out the fridge, and took out all the trash. I asked him to help because I don't always know what is ok to throw away and what isn't unless I bought it myself. We threw out a lot, but it looks a lot better in there now. He took out all the trash, and I did about half the dishes. I don't dry my dishes so the other half won't get done till the others are dry and I feel like putting them away.

I didn't sweep or mop the floor yet, or all the other things that still need to be done. I don't mind gathering trash and cleaning out the fridge or even keeping the dishes done(most of the time) but I hate all the general cleaning like moping the floors and vacuuming that has to be done occasionally. Its not even so bad here since we don't have kids or pets, but I hate having to move a bunch of stuff to mop properly.

I really wish we could afford to have someone come in once a month mop and vacuum all the floors and do all the shit jobs I hate doing. Most of which fall to me since My boyfriend works more and pays the rent. I just buy food and pay for my own stuff, like car insurance and gas and what not.

Is it bad that I don't even have any kids or pets and I still want a maid?

Blog

2010-06-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

I changed my blog a little but more. not much, but i used the new template thingy for blogger and made some small changes with it. Also I unfollowed everyone I was following using the google friend connect thing. It was a waste of time since I just use my blog roll to see who has updated and link to blogs and read them from there. So if I unfollowed someone and they noticed, that doesn't mean I am not reading, If there is a link on my blog roll I am probably still reading. I did get rid of some of the blogs on my blog roll, I don't want to keep any that don't update at least once a month.

I think my page looks better with less links and stuff. I did add one more gadget that I can add links to pages too, its mostly there for myself, I wanted to save some links and then delete them from my bookmarks so I put them there.

just been doing a few things here and there lately. I went to a group cycling class at my gym which I really liked so I think I am going to keep going. I can't seem to motivate myself to exercise on my own so classes are a good way for me to stay motivated. I don't have anyone here that can be a workout buddy except my boyfriend and he works to late and hasn't been much help in keeping me motivated. my one close friend is taking to many classes and can't afford a gym membership. I can't motivate myself to exercise at home so I need the gym. Also I wanted to improve my endurance on a bike, b/c I used to ride all the time and now I can't go very far without being covered in sweat and tired as hell.

I started painting. Its crap but its fun so I don't care. I just recently got to see one of my younger brother graduate high school. I think that's all for now.

motivated.

2010-06-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Been feeling a lot more motivated lately, which I am happy about. I have been slowly working on a list of things I need to get done, I'm not to worried about getting them done in a certain amount of time, except for the things that have to be done by a specific date, like applying for Fasfa, which I did and buying train tickets for a trip I am taking next month which I will be doing soon(or driving).

Been doing some more cleaning and uncluttering. Have some old text books I have to unload somewhere. The library won't take them so I have to figure something else out. My boyfriend decided to clean his books out a bit when he saw I was getting rid of some. I don't want to throw them in the trash, I would at least like to recycle them. But If I can donate them somewhere that would be even better. Most places can't give away old text books though so not many people take them. And these are several years old, so i am pretty sure they are all out of date and are not being used by any college anymore.

Going on a trip tomorrow to see my little brother graduate high school, so i'm trying to pack as light as I can but so far I haven't been able to fit everything into one back pack yet, I'm going to keep trying though.

changing things up a bit

2010-05-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

Decided I needed to change my blog around and make it look a little cleaner.

Also I have a Red Bubble account it anyone is interested

My Red Bubble

2010-05-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

I have had zero motivation to do anything since I finished spring classes. Not sure how to get it back.

School

2010-04-08T20:46:00.001-07:00

Been super busy with school work here. hopefully I will have more time once school is done and I have the whole summer off.

Vegas Trip

2010-03-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Me and my boyfriend just got back from spending 3 days in Vegas. Spending 4 nights in a hotel really makes you see how little you really need to be happy. I only took one back pack with me and was able to use that as a carry on, on the plan. The only things I really missed were my computer and my kitchen. The only reason I missed the kitchen was b/c I don't like having to eat out all the time, not to mention its gets pretty expensive even if you stick to cheap places. I really didn't miss anything else. Made me want to do some cleaning today. Two more bags of stuff ready to go to Goodwill are sitting out in my trunk right now. I have a few more items that are going away also, a box I need to mail to a friend and some other stuff I might be mailing to another friend. Then I have some projects to work on. I think the Vegas trip helped put some things in prospective for me which is a good side effect of going.

My boyfriend loved it so much there he wants to move there possibly. If that happens(A big if) I won't be taking anymore than will fit in my car since we would have to both drive. I honestly doubt it would happen right away, but if it did that would be pretty cool b/c it would force us both to really look at what's important. I feel like he's keeping stuff he doesn't need just b/c we do have the space for it even though we'd be better of without it.

I am just going to focus on my own things for the time being though and try and simplify as much as I can.

Vegas photos coming soon.

Google maps

2010-03-10T19:16:00.001-08:00

I just saw that Google maps now has the option to get bicycle route on their directions. It says it will take me 30 minutes to bike from my house to where I work. I might have to try it sometime. Maybe I will start biking to work this summer.

Water

2010-02-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

top 4 priorites

2010-02-28T03:58:00.000-08:00

I just read this post Far Beyond the Stars and decided I really do need to write down my top 4 priorities. I've read about it before and thought about it, and I have a hard time narrowing it down to 4. so far I have:

photography
college
weightloss
reading
painting
traveling

I don't take many pictures during the winter because I don't really like being out in the cold. I am thinking these will probably rotate through out the year. I read more in the winter when I am inside more. I'd also like to paint more(I mean start painting).

I plan on doing more traveling really soon, like next month me and my boyfriend are going to Vegas because I've never been and he really really really really wants to go back. I am also visiting a friend in Kansas this summer and plan on visiting another friend in California as soon as I can.

Loosing weight is something that is always on my mind but I haven't really been able to focus on it enough to accomplish much.

These are the things I am hoping minimalism will help me accomplish. For now just taking it one day at a time.

Resisting Temptation to buy

2010-02-27T12:27:00.000-08:00

I work retail and that is the worse possible place for someone wanting to be minimalist to work. Most of the time I am fine, I tell myself I have plenty of clothes and I don't need any more. Actually I still feel like I have too many clothes so why would I even want to buy more because I have more than enough and everything I need for the different seasons. But then I see all the new summer stuff coming in and I look and think "well I could wear this with such and such that I already have". And that makes me want to stay after work and go shopping and try on clothes,

The only this week that has stopped me is I've been told I can stay longer past my regular 4 1/12 hours of work so by the time I get off work at 1pm I am way to tired to try on clothes after being on my feel for 8 hours walking around, bending, picking this up and putting things away.

But then I saw a sale add today for next week and I really want to go buy some of these tanks tops they are going to have on sale for 5$ that I love. Right now I have two in black that I wear around the house or as undershirts. I probably don't NEED anymore than that. But last time I got them they were on sale for 6$ and I know they won't go any lower than 5$ until they are clearanced out, and there is no way to know if they will have my size then. So I might go get some tomorrow. I don't think I will get any more than 3 but I am still torn.

I almost stopped and bought some more jeans today because those were on sale to and I thought having another pair of boot cut jeans like the ones I have no would be nice because then I would have an extra pair for when the others are dirty and I have to pair of skinny legs ones I wore a lot this winter because they tucked into my cute winter boots(which were a gift several years ago that I hardly wore till this year because they were to large to fit under jeans). I managed to talk myself out of buying the jeans and the other tank tops that were on sale this week(which I am glad about since I like the others better and they are going to be cheaper if do buy them). I don't really need a 2nd pair of jeans because I do have one pair with sparkly stuff on the pockets already and a bunch of skirts I like to wear in the summer along with a couple pairs of shorts so I really don't need another pair of jeans.

But I am still undecided on the tank tops.

I did buy some packaging tape(that I need) that was on clearance, and one mailing envelope to mail a book in. I am wrapping the rest of the books in some white card stock(that I've had forever and barely used) to mail them in and taping it up good so it doesn't come off. I figured that was good enough since that's how people package the DVDs and books they give away on Swap A DVD and paperback swap, should be good enough for book mooch book. I just had one really really large book I had no desire to try and wrap with 8 X 11 1/2 card stock, probably would have taken forever and needed to use like 6 pieces and still felt like it might open up in transit.

The good news is 16 books(possibly more if anymore get mooched) will be leaving my apartment this week!

I took a load to goodwill recently that had been sitting in my car and started another pile of clothes right after
I did laundry to take to Goodwill also. I like to use Freecycle sometimes, but It just feels like a huge hassle right now so Goodwill it is. Plus they are on my way home from work so its really convenient just to stop there and unload.

I've been trying really hard recently not to spend money though and have been doing a fairly decent job. Me and my boyfriend have started to plan meals and that went ok the first week. Didn't go perfectly as planned because I was sleeping a couple of those days, but It went ok. So I am going to make Monday after work my grocery shopping day when we need groceries and told him I am not shopping the rest of the week so we need something I will get it Monday or he will have to get it himself. Unless its like an emergency like medicine or something. He has a nut allergy and has to keep benydryl around just in case.

I just wonder if I will get to a point were it always easy not to want to buy things, especially if I continue to work in retail. It's fine when I am not at the store looking at all the stuff, Its when I am there that I want to buy stuff and look around and try on clothes.

I have at least become pickier about the clothes I do buy, they have to fit well and be comfortable.

If I can get my closet and spending urges under control when it comes to stuff then I should be able to do the same with junk food, so far that seems to be my biggest weakness right now and I feel like its all connected. There is no point in becoming minimalist to make my self happier and make it easier to accomplish the things I want if I hate myself because I am over weight and have no energy.

Books

2010-02-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

Have been getting rid of more books recently. Its been really nice, and I was able to empty one small bookshelf. No all of my books fit(no perfectly but they fit) onto one large bookshelf and I have a tote full under the bed, that I will deal with eventually. Now my boyfriend can use that small bookshelf for whatever he wants. Just waiting for people to mooch the books from me on Bookmooch.

Now I have to look around and see what else I can get rid of.

Read a blog post on speed reading a while ago, and I have a book about it to. I think I am going to try and learn so I can read through the books I own and want to get rid of a little faster.

http://thinksimplenow.com/productivity/7-keys-to-reading-faster/

Mom and the barbie collection

2010-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my mom this morning, I sent her a message via Facebook about selling off my barbie collection and she freaked out, couldn't figure out how to send a message back and then called me. She wants to keep my collection "in the family" so she offered to buy it herself, all I have to do is tell her how much I want for it, and then can have it back if I want sometime down the road.

The whole point was just to be rid of it, but I guess that will have to do. I just feel like I have this weight on my shoulders because I have all this stuff sitting in my brothers basement that will be there for years before I can even get to it. And if/when me and my boyfriend do have a house and I have space I doubt I will want to fill it with barbie stuff.

We were talking about all the stuff I've gotten rid of and I told her I was getting rid of more and I am going to keep getting rid of stuff, she said "your becoming quite the minimalist" and I said "yup".

I really didn't know how to explain to her why I wanted to get rid of all that stuff. I wish I was good at explaining this minimalism thing, but It just something I get but can't really explain. Plus she's a pack rat and I don't think she would understand even if I did know how to explain it.

uncluttering is catchy

2010-02-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend is catching my uncluttering habits, which I very much like. He recently sorted all his random computer junk and sorted out a whole tote to give away and emptied a 2nd tote that I also gave away. Someone from freecycle just picked up the full tote, and the stuff he kept is all in a smaller tote under the bed out of sight.

Also he's on board with sorting out the whole rack in the kitchen, which I am really happy about, everything is just piled up on there and there is no room for the stuff we actually use. We just have to find time to get it all done, maybe next weekend.

I've also been finishing small projects around my apartment so I have less stuff sitting around than I used to which is awesome.

I've also done really well not buying any new stuff, just trying to spend money on food only right now to save money.

Clutter and loosing things and cutting out hobbies

2010-02-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Just finished cleaning out my craft drawers. I recently decided to focus on a couple of thing and let the rest of the things I wanted to do go. So I did a small craft purge to clean out my space of the things I didn't need anymore. I like photography and bought a small light and some fabric hoping to get some decent indoor pictures since the lights inside suck, but I am just going to focus on photography outside since I don't need any equipment except my small point and shoot to do that.

One of the things I love about cleaning is finding stuff you thought was hopelessly lost. I just found a disk that goes to my all in one printer machine that I was looking for several days ago and had given up on. The worse part was I think I put it in there to keep it from getting lost because we had lost the one to the last all in one printer we had and I was a huge hassle.

My main to hobbies from now on are going to focus on painting and outdoor photography. I have some drawing stuff, but I only want to draw well enough so that I can paint better since I need to draw on the canvas or paper before I paint. I recently purged most of my drawing paper a while ago because I had way more than I needed, I think one nice pad of drawing paper and a few pencils and a nice eraser are all I really need. I do have some colored pencils and some other art supplies I am debating on getting rid of.

myspace and facebook

2010-01-30T15:15:00.000-08:00

i've had a Myspace account for a while now, and mainly used it to just keep in touch with a few people. i loved it when i first joined, and eventually thats how i met my current boyfriend. For the longest time I refused to join Facebook b/c i already had a Myspace account and didn't need two social network accounts. but I recently decided to join b/c i was having a hard time getting in touch with a friend who was on Facebook a lot. so i joined to get in contact with her and decided i like Facebook better. But i made a choice not to get involved with all the stupid games or add a bunch of random stuff to my page. i've blocked any that have shown up on my news feed and fully intend for me to only use facebook as a way to keep in contact with a few people.

it is a bit addictive though, which is another reason i won't play the games or join a bunch of random groups. i think things like Myspace and Facebook can be good and serve a purpose but we can't let them take over out lives. i've learned its all about balance and that balance is different for everyone.

Books

2010-01-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

I love books. its probably the one thing i have the most of. I've gotten rid of quit a few though since i moved, and even more before i moved here. one thing i've done to help me minimize my books is get rid of books that are part of a series. if i don't have the whole series, or the book isn't the first in the series i got rid of it. or if its just a series i am not interested in reading all of, i got rid of it.

i ended up missing quit a few books though that were part of series, that i didn't realize. so i've gotten rid of a few here and there b/c i was going to read it and saw it was like the third book in a series or something.

i use Shelfari to help me manage my books, i can get on there and see what i have or if i want to read a new book without bending over my bookshelf. i also like having an inventory of my books as well. they have a new feature where it will show you all the series on your shelf. so i went through it and it turned out i had more books that were part if a series that i didn't know about. so i got 9 more books i listed on Bookmooch to get rid of b/c i am not interested in reading the whole series. i've gotten most of my books 2nd hand so its not like i wasted a bunch of money on them anyway so i don't feel bad getting rid of them. plus there are other series i want to read that i don't even have, so i am happy b/c i won't feel a need to read even more b/c i have one book that belongs to a series or something.

so yay for getting rid of more books.

the only bad thing is i have a whole long tote full of books under my bed that are not even listed on my Shelfari account yet.

Hoarders

2010-01-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

I love watching Hoarders. Anyone can watch the current episode online on A&E's website. Whenever I watch it i get the urge to get up and get rid of stuff, and clean. Today while watching i started scanning some stuff i don't need to keep paper copies of. mostly some drawings from a long time ago i want to upload to Deviant art, and some instruction manuals. i did look online for some of the manuals so i didn't need to scan all of them.

I was so happy over the weekend b/c my boyfriend finale dealt with a bunch of his stuff. not sure if i mentioned it yet or not but he had several totes full of computer cords and crap and he sorted them all and was able to condense it to one totes, or semi organized stuff. he put rubber bands around all the cords so its easy to find things b/c everything isn't all tangled. he also went through i think the bulk of his paper, and got it organized to be scanned. all the stuff he wants scanned is double sided which is why he hasn't done it yet. we have a page fed scanner so scanning one sided stuff is easy. i just realized he could take a stack scan it all and then just flip the whole stack over and then do the other side, i don't think he really thought about it that way.

i have several more things to go to goodwill, some clothes, if this person from Freecyle doesn't get back to me, and some pillows we don't need. the empty tote a friend is taking, and a garbage can that he had when he lived in a dorm that is going somewhere sometime soon.

i have this need to make sure things find good homes, i should just haul it all to goodwill and let them deal with it, but i feel like i should find someone to take it that really wants it. i am trying to work on doing less of that.

tell you what though, i still am happy to be rid of the couch and table and the cell phone. i just saw the ipad video yesterday and drooled for a few seconds and wanted one. then realized i didn't need it and would be wasting my money on something like that and got over it pretty quickly.

Favorite Quote so far

2010-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

"Present Me is tired of holding onto Future Me’s crap. Future Me will just have to deal with it."

my Font

2010-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/

Password: character

Minimalist Desktop

2010-01-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

i decided to have a minimalist desktop, so far i really like it. no icons or anything except a pretty picture. the task bar disappears when its not being used and everything else i can get to from the start menu. i might go ahead and set up my own slide show so i can look at my own pictures.

i listed 3 more pieces of clothing on Free-cycle tonight, so i'm waiting to see if anyone wants those, i still have to sort all my tools and i will probably list those next. still got a bunch of stuff to scan, but that's ok i will get to it eventually. i started doing school work tonight, and i am really hoping to finish the semester early while hours are short at work.

Tools

2010-01-15T20:17:00.001-08:00

i just realized yesterday that i have a ton of tools i never use, i was going to go through them today and never got around to it. i know i had at one point at least three hammers(i loose one and buy a new one and then find the lost one), i have two measuring tapes, and a small drill with a case of drill bits. i don't need the drill and bits b/c my boyfriend has a much nicer heavy duty one that doesn't need batteries. i can get rid of one of the tape measures as well. i need to sort through the tool box i know there has to be a bunch of stuff in there i don't need. maybe i can whittle it down and use a smaller container to hold it all in, the tool box is taking up a lot of room on the bottom of a bookshelf.

i also got rid of a wooden bar stool today on freecycle, so we have one less piece of furniture we don't need. yay!

high fives and cucumbers

2010-01-12T12:57:00.001-08:00

so me and a coworkers randomly high fived people at work today and it was a lot of fun, we are hoping it catches on.

i just finished nashing on some cucumber, it was tasty

that is all.

KICK KNACKS

2010-01-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

gave away another bag of stuff today, a bunch of random nick knacks from a shelf in the living room. it still feels good to get rid of stuff. i have more stuff i am giving away on Freecycle and some i might be taking to goodwill. i have several boxes to mail out to friends. the next room i need to deal with is the kitchen. i have a whole bunch of stuff to scan as well. then i will feel a lot better about the apartment. my boyfriend is also selling some of his computer junk on Ebay so i'm waiting around for that stuff to disappear as well.

i just wish my boyfriend would organize the stuff he's keeping. instead he just leaves it in piles or crammed in totes all mixed together and tangled up.

Doll

2010-01-10T16:41:00.001-08:00

so i got rid of one more thing today, i had a nice doll my dad had given me before i moved to Springfield. i didn't really have a good place to keep it, so i gave it away on freecycle to this older lady who collects them and she was really really happy to get it. makes me feel good to give things to people and see how happy they are to get them. might have to list some more things on freecycle soon.

Gone

2010-01-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

So my boyfriend left a note for the land lord the other day, and finale heard back yesterday(i think, i was sleeping) and he said someone would come and get it sometimes soon. This morning i left to donate some plasma and i came back and the couch and coffee table was gone. we decided to get rid of both b/c we didn't think we would need a coffee table without a couch.

i have secretly wanted to be rid of that couch since i moved in, but didn't think my boyfriend would ever agree to it. now we have a ton of space in the living room, and i think i am going to play some Wii fit today.

couchless

2010-01-03T19:28:00.001-08:00

So i actually talked Lee (he sort of just agreed) into getting rid of the couch and the coffee table. i had mentioned a few days ago how i think i would be just fine if we both had comfy folding chairs to sit in. and then today when we were out eating after both going to do laundry, i brought it up again, and he was very agreeable about it. said he would talk to the landlord about getting rid of both. the couch isn't even comfortable and he said he isn't attached to either. i am going to look into getting another folding chair like one he already has and a small folding table. then when i or we wanna play Wii games we can just fold them up and put them to the side. Were gonna have so much space! and i hate that couch with a passion, and i am really glad i didn't buy a nice couch cover like i had planned to b/c its ugly and just draping fabric over it doesn't make it less ugly.

i don't know how soon it will happen though. and i did buy some decorative stuff to put on the table, but its just looked cluttered lately anyway. so i am going to move the Aero Garden and out that stuff on the small bookshelf in there. then i have to find another place for the Aero garden. i think i can make it fit in the kitchen when i put together this new little shelf i bought for in there. so its all just a matter of waiting to see when it will be able to be moved. its cold as fuck outside right now so i doubt it will be right away, probably on a warmish day,

Closet

2010-01-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

I did laundry today, and before i put it all away i decided i should sort through my close to see what else i could get rid of. i managed to minimize several shirts and cut down a small tote of cords and misc electronics stuff down to an even smaller shoe box sized plastic tote. then i put away all my laundry and got rid of another shirt that i had just washed. i would have gotten rid of it before but i don't like sorting through dirty clothes just to get rid of stuff, i don't even sort before doing laundry so i figured there was no point. so i need to make another trip to Goodwill soon. i keep building up a pile in the corner and then dropping it off at goodwill. i also have several boxes to mail to friends who want some of the stuff i am getting rid of. also i think i have one more pair of pants i can get rid of when they are done drying all the way(don't want them to smell moldy).

as soon as i get done going through an area or container, i immediately wonder "what else can i get rid of? so i am sure i will be going though everything again soon and get rid of even more.

still working on my 100 things list, mostly from memory, soon i will need to actually look in the closet as i write stuff down and start counting shirts and pants and stuff.

2010-01-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

i took a load to the Goodwill today, i'm really happy with all that I've gotten rid of. i think getting rid of stuff feels infinitely better than buying it ever did. i also have three boxes i am sending out to friends. i also like seeing stuff go to someone who wants it. i had this barbie i was going to try and sell, now i am sending it to a friend for who daughter who has been through a lot lately and i think she will really like it. as soon as i think i've gone through everything, i find more. its so easy to forget you even have something when its out of sight.

we are even throwing out a big stack of boxes from electronics and other things we've bought. not sure why we were even saving half that stuff. we had them stacked on top of the book shelves and it makes the whole room look better when stuff isn't stacked up there. i love clean surfaces.

i have another box to go through, i bought this pretty wooden box that is made to look like a large book. and its full of crap and has been sitting on top of the bookshelf collecting dust. i'm gonna clean it out and set it somewhere that it might actually be useful and look nice. then decide if i like it enough to keep it. i think i do, but am not totally sure.

off to see what else i can eliminate.

Why Minimalist

2009-12-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about why i want to be minimalist, and there are lots of reasons.

I often have a hard time finding things. my keys get lost frequently, along with other things, if i had less stuff, i wouldn't constantly be loosing the stuff i do have under piles of stuff.

i don't think minimalism is just about owning less. its also about have good habits, having a place for everything and keeping everything in its place. This requires good habits, and that is something i really need to work on. i have a tendency to be lazy when it comes to putting things back. i think it's because i look around and there is already so much laying around every where, that it doesn't bother me to have one more thing out of place. but if i keep things neat and in their place at all times that will be less of a problem. the easiest way to do that is to own less.

owning less also makes regular cleaning a lot easier. i told a friend a few years ago, that my goal was to own so little that it would be really really easy to clean my whole apartment. that is still the goal for me, it just haven't gotten there yet.

i also want to save money, by getting in the habit of not buying things just for the sake of buying things.

i have this image in my mind of what my ideal home would be and its got empty surfaces and open space. i would love to just have lots of open space. my apartment is pretty small right and i live with my boyfriend so i don't see it happening right away, but maybe some day.

i think about how i feel whenever i am in a hotel room. how relaxing it feels not to be surrounded by stuff. i want my apartment to feel like that. i don't plan on getting rid of everything, but i still feel like i have to much. i just need to keep editing till i feel like i have what is essential and nothing else.

i keep reading about the 100 things challenge and i think i might like to do it. live with only 100 things. but like others i wouldn't count books or items that are shared in my apartment, just my own personal stuff.

i feel like owning less has freed up my mind to focus on what i really want out of life. i don't feel as distracted by everything sitting around as i used to.

my boyfriend keeps saying our apartment is to small. i just keep telling him we have to much stuff.

Magazines!

2009-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

i thought it got rid of all these a long time ago, i didn't realize i still had some. i was sorting and getting rid of some other random stuff, and picked up a binder i had keep shoving underneath the media stand in the living room. when i realized it was full of magazine and i had another one just like it also full of magazine. one of them was random magazine, mostly science related and the other was nothing bot Fox Kids club "totally kids" magazines. i picked out two i want to keep from the science magazines. one of them isn't a science magazine though, its a PlayStation code book. I'm not even sure i am going to keep it since i don't have many PlayStation codes, but I'm not sure what to do with it yet.

so i listed all the other ones on BookMooch except two that were not really worth it, I'll leave those at work or the gym for people to flip through. and the fox kids club magazines i Googled and offered them to some guy who had written a blog post about them. maybe he/she will want them if they don't think i am some weird random weirdo b/c i Googled them and offered to mail them to the first person i cam across. i can't bring myself to throw them out though, i just can't. i hate being wasteful. i could recycle them if no one wants them, but I'd rather pass them on. i might offer them on the Rockford Freecyle if no one else wants them.

DVD player

2009-12-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

in the process of giving away a DVD player on Freecycle. i didn't think i would ever give it away, it was a gift from my father, a birthday gift i think, when i was 22, I'm 27 now almost 28 and i don't use it anymore and have not used it in the last year since i moved here. so i went ahead and posted it. i was going to try and give it to a family member or friend, but since most of them lives hours away i just decided it was easier to have someone come to my place and pick it up.

i love Freecycle

The Cookie Jar

2009-12-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

so i have this pink panther cookie jar. i used to just put misc stuff in it all the time, and stash money in there as well before i moved. i just cleaned it out and found some interesting stuff i didn't know was even in there. the only time I've looked in there in the past year was to take an wrist/thumb brace out of there and to maybe look for my cheap date cards. so this is what i found

spare key to my car
pockets knife given to my ex boyfriend that i kept
black gel pen
key to my old apartment
sample perfume
5 of those gems that are glued on to cheap vending machine rings
1 broken piece of amethyst
4 hair clips
10.52$ in change
4 foreign coins(one of them is a Canadian penny, one is Australian, and one of the others also has queen Elizabeth on it and the other i have no idea.)

also an old roll of scotch tape.

i think that's everything.

uncluttering has me finding this i had totally forgotten i had.

my father spent sometime in prison when i was a teenager and sent me a bunch of cards and letter, and i recently found all of those. i had forgotten i even had them. not sure if i should keep them and put them in my photo album/ memory book or just scan them all and get rid of them. I'm leaning towards scanning b/c right now i already have a lot to add to that album and don't know if it will all fit, and don't really want to have to get a 2nd album to put stuff in.

change of plans

2009-12-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

so all those DVDs i posted on Swap a DVD are not there anymore. there is still a few left but my boyfriend said anything that will sell on Amazon that is worth more than 20 cents is worth selling so i had to take them all off, recheck them on Amazon and then re-post the ones only worth a penny. so i have two stacks of DVDs i am waiting for my boyfriend to list and sell on Amazon. i thought about trying with my books but i think i will just stick to Book mooch for now.

Merry X-mas

2009-12-24T17:44:00.000-08:00

just saw this posted over at the Everyday Minimalist, and wanted to repost it.

Presented by Online Education

DVD's

2009-12-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

i just posted about half my DVD collection on Swap a DVD and i've got another small stack to post after i've watched them. now i have a lot less DVDs and just have the ones i see myself watching more than once.

1 year

2009-12-23T09:46:00.001-08:00

its been over a year since i moved to where i am currently living. and in my recent uncluttering i have realized there are quit a few things i have not used in the year i have been hear and have been getting rid of some of them. i am going to start a list of things i haven't needed or used, or only used once or twice in the last year so i can reevaluate if i even need to keep those items.

DVD player
CD player/radio
extra monitor
my whole collection of DVD's
most of my books
most of my art supplies
purple rope lights
telescope
binder that's on top of the bookshelf
purple expanidng file folder thing that's by the binder(full of stuff i need sort)

ok that's it for now, i will probably update this at some point. i already put the binder and expanding file in the goodwill box.

i am leaning towards getting rid of the DVD player and CD player/Radio/tape player. i hardly use it. plus we have computers that can pretty much do all that stuff except play tapes. i only have a few tapes that i have barley listened to.

already working on the books with Book mooch. i weeded out a ton already. i really want to read the ones i haven't given up yet before i give them away and i've already read some and posted them to bookmooch to give away. i have a stack of DVD's to watch and give away also. i need to resort the rest of them and reevaluate those as well. i think i will get rid of a few more.

did some uncluttering today

2009-12-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

i packed up about 3 small bags full of clothes, and a pair of shoes and put them all in my car so they are ready for goodwill tomorrow. along with a few other misc items. i also have purple bin, 4 ice cream serving dish things, and a pair of evening gloves i am giving to a friend. i am also giving that same friend a tall chair we don't need along with a scooter i don't use.

i've gotten a lot better with letting stuff go for some reason. i have been here in my new place with my boyfriend for over a year and am noticing i have quit a few things i have not used in that year and decided to just get rid of them. i put some purple rope lights in the goodwill bag also, they are for a car and i've never used them. had them a long long time and never used them so out they go. same with the scooter, i have barely used that and i have a nice folding bike so i see no reason to keep it. i have such a small apartment i don't need things taking up space we don't have to spare.

i just finished the semester too which is nice. i have about a month before the spring semester starts so i want to unclutter as much as i can. i was hesitant to donate some of the clothes. my boyfriend put two brand new shirt in there that cost over 40$ each, with the tags still attached. but then realized i have no use for them and don't really want to bother with free cycle or finding homes for it so i'm just taking it to goodwill tomorrow. giving the few items i already promised my friend and the rest to Goodwill.

Life without a cell phone

2009-12-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

i just turned off my cell phone today. i feel pretty free. it was weird at first but I'm fine now. i am actually really glad. i took my phone in yesterday for a software update and they fucked it up. they did warn me that something could cause my phone to get zapped and stop working during the update, but they said it hardly ever happens. so i went ahead and told them to update it. i decided last night i didn't want to buy another one, so i shut off the service today. my contract was up months ago anyway, and i was going to give it up then and changed my mind. so now its gone and i have one less monthly bill.

Autumn Love

2009-11-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

Since I've been to bust catching up on school work to do much blogging I am going to post some pictures so I my blog doesn't feel so empty.

Although I do have one thing. I've been relearning how to be frugal again after an emergency room visit that I have to pay the bill for, and renewing my car insurance and now a 620$ car bill i will have tomorrow because my car broke down while out of town visiting friends. I have to be a lot more careful about what I spend in the next couple of months with another semester of classes coming up to pay for.

OK recent pictures from where I live.

Tree full of Sunshine by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

He kept looking at me... by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

Looking up into the Yellow by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

Everything dies... by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

Freeze this moment by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

At times the truth is burry... by *charmed2482 on deviant ART

just an update

2009-09-13T16:12:00.001-07:00

i don't update this blog enough, i need to correct that.

the cleaning schedule hasn't really worked, its to much work right now. I'm about to start school again and don't think i will have time to keep up with everything. i am trying to think of ways to simplify my life and once i do that i think the cleaning will be a lot easier.

i been working on eating simpler. my boyfriend is supposed to teach me how to make my own bread soon. i feel guilty buying bread in a store that has been shipped from god knows where and wrapped in plastic when i can easily make my own.

i have also been working on my photo album/ scrap book. it doesn't look as nice as the scrapbooks do for people who really really get into it, but i don't want to buy a bunch of stickers and do complicated layout. i bought a pack of scrap paper in various colors and sizes a while ago so I'm just using those and a glue stick and some photo corners for right now. i have some acid free markers that i will use later on when i decide what to write on the pages. my photos are a mess and i would eventually like to have them all organized.

i have a box or two of things that are going to Goodwill. i like to keep an empty box handy for whenever i decide to get rid of something. I've also been reading more, which is always good. i get out of the habit and when i get back into it realize i forgot how much i enjoy it.

i just started using this website called Swap a DVD also to try and get rid of some of my old DVDs i don't watch. my boyfriend sold a bunch on amazon for me a while back, but there was a few he couldn't sell so i figured i might as well put them to good use and maybe get some DVDs i would like better, and i could just keep swapping and that's always better than buying DVDs(which i don't do anymore since i can watch so much on Hulu, and Scifi database).

i also use BookMooch to get and swap books. its a great site.

Cleaning Schedule

2009-08-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

To help me regain control over my messy apartment, I decided that I need a cleaning schedule. I just used Microsoft Excel to plan it out, went room by room and listed the things that need to be done in those rooms, and then marked everything for either everyday or for one day a week, making it so I focus on one room Monday through Friday while also doing things that need to be done every day like dishes, cleaning off the stove and wiping down the bathroom, etc. Then I decided to go ahead and start today since my internet is not working b/c of a storm we just had. As I cleaned I found I needed to add a few of the things to the list and I started a monthly cleaning list to for a few things that I will only do once a month, like wiping down the whole outside of the fridge (it doesn’t get that dirty, since there are just two people living here with no pets or kids). So far I like it. I know that once I am done with the kitchen, I am done for the day, and I am hoping by the end of the week things will be clean enough that my daily cleaning shouldn’t last longer than an hour and will be easy to maintain which will leave me more time for school work when the fall semester starts and for other things I enjoy doing. Also I won’t be stressing about my messy apartment and feeling like I have to spend all day cleaning it.

Here is part of the schedule; the whole thing is still in progress, I like that about Excel, I can just make changes as needed. I don’t plan on printing it since my computer is usually on, I can just pull it up and look at it as I clean. This is just the part for the kitchen; I also have a list of monthly tasks started that I am still adding to as well. I may add some seasonal tasks to the list as well. I want to include decluttering as a regular activity just not sure where to include it yet.

Sunday Bike ride

2009-07-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday i decided i was going to go for a bike ride. i had a destination in mind, and i used Google maps with street view to try and find a route that had mostly sidewalks to ride on. that took forever, but i found one. i don't ride my bike nearly as much as i should, but i am slowly trying to work my way back up to where i was when i was in high school and used to ride or walk everywhere.

i didn't even make it half way to my destination but i was glad i went. i took my camera and got some really cool pictures and i had fun alone the way

this is my bike, it folds, and only weights 25lbs, bought it a RideThisBike.com

working toward a simpler life

2009-07-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Tabatha. I'm not new to blogging or Blogger but i delete my other blog because i never used it, and recently decided to try again. i use another blog site, that i have been on for 8 or so years. i love it but at times it gets on my nerves. so i decided to post to Blogger and copy it over to the other site, unless its something to personal to post here. I like the Blogger layout and features better, and i like that i can upload pictures right to each blog entry instead of hot linking to them.

Some background info. i am 27 years old, just started college this past spring, going for a two year occupational degree that will hopefully allow me to get a decent job where i make enough to help support myself and my boyfriend whom i live with. So far i am enjoying college. I'm going to a small community college and i am paying with my own money that i saved after paying off all my debt.

i paid off three credit cards and my car and saved a good chunk of money so i could quit my job and move three hours from home to be with the man i love. i currently work part time to help support myself while i go to college. my boyfriend works full time to pay the rent and other expenses. life is pretty good right now but i know it can be better.

before moving and for the last two years i have been actively trying to simplify my life as much as possible. i have gotten rid of A LOT of stuff. way more than any one person should have to begin with. i was raised by a pack rat, and that was all i knew. once i started to think for myself i realized that was not what i wanted for my life. so i started getting rid of stuff. i went slow at first and even now over two years later, i still have trouble letting some things go. but eventually i will get their b/c wanting a simple life means more to me that having stuff.

i have bought a few things which do make my life simpler. i have a folding bike i bought after i moved and after selling my other bike b/c it was took big for my apartment and i was afraid it would get stolen outside. i love my folding bike, and i love riding my bike. i just wish i had the endurance i did as a teenager when i could ride for hours and hours and stay gone all day on my bike, and when i went practically everywhere on it. but i will get their, and hopefully lose a fair amount of weight along the way.

When i moved i only brought what would fit in mine and my boyfriends car. so i gave away or donated a lot of stuff. gave away almost all my furniture. all i bought was a computer chair, desk that could be taken apart, and a media tower which can be taken apart. and i had previously given my boyfriend two small shelves that he has one of which i am using for some of my books.

i love to read. i used to have three bookshelves full of books, and more packed in boxes. i slowly started getting rid of those, and am now down to one tall shelf, and one small shelf. and the tall shelf isn't packed with books there are a few other things on the shelf as well. i also have a container under the bed with books.

if you look to the side bar of my blog i have a Shelfari shelf there. those are only a few of my favorite books, mostly dealing with simplicity. but if you click on it, it will take you to my full Shelfari book case and you can see all the books on own, if you click the "own" link to the side. i am active on Book mooch as a way to get rid of books when i am done reading them.

i also used to have Five awesome cats, which i found new homes for so i could quit my job and move. i didn't think i could afford to keep them once i was working part time, and i knew it would be a lot of stress for a college student. so i figured they were better off if i found new homes. i did make sure they were all neutered before i gave them up, and up to date on their vaccines and i found them good homes. one of which was with my mom so i know he will be well cared for.

after i moved i continued to get rid of stuff b/c i am living in a much smaller apartment, and still had to much. i am at a pretty good place, but i want to get rid of more. the process has slowed down quit a bit though. my boyfriend is in the process of selling some electronics that should open up some space since we recently upgraded to a new computer.

i think that is probably enough for my first post.

i think i will include a picture of my bike that i took yesterday while out. and then my next post will be about my bike ride. (all the photos on my blog are taken by me unless otherwise noted).