It has been a little while since my last blog post, so today I’m updating you on how my minimalist/simplicity journey is going these days.
- We moved into a new apartment in October last year, and around January we finally got it looking the way we wanted. It is not spartan by any means, but has just the right amount of furniture (for us). We recently ordered a few things for the sunroom, so hopefully that will be ready in just a few weeks. It will be really nice to finally have the outside space ready, and I can’t wait to snuggle up with a glass of red wine and watch the sunset.
- We have become a lot better at not buying food items that we don’t actually use, mostly because of our lack of cupboard space. No more weird sauces and condiments that we use three times and then re-discover two years later.
- The Boyfriend and I will never agree on how much kitchen stuff is enough. He cooks because he loves to cook, I cook because I like to eat. We compromise and I try to be understanding, since this is a relationship and not a dictatorship. Plus I get delicious food, so I really can’t complain.
- I still have a way to go when it comes to clothes and shoes. However, I do use all of them. I will cull them when they fall out of favor or wear out.
- I got rid of nearly half my makeup collection since my last makeup post. I gave a lot away to friends, and was left with a small-ish bag of “maybes”. I offered the contents to my mom and sister when they came to visit a while back, thinking it would make the process easier if they wanted an item or two each. They took all of it, and I am so happy they did. It has been a slow and steady makeup declutter, but I feel like I’m getting closer to an amount that I can be comfortable with.
They took all of it!
- Do you know the term impostor syndrome? I feel like that a lot in terms of my simplicity journey. I try to remind myself of how far I’ve come and of how much redundant stuff I owned just a few years ago. It’s a process.
- Have started using Google Calendar to block out how I want to spend my time each day, in order to give myself a realistic view of what I can actually achieve. I also stopped making endless to-do lists, and am instead focusing on just a few important tasks each day.
- Last year I kept a list over everything I bought clothing-, makeup-, gadget- and thingamabob-wise, and I’m doing the same for 2017. I’m not happy with the amount I ended up with last year, so I’m trying to do better this year. So far so good.
- I deleted my Twitter and Pinterest accounts. My Twitter-feed was full of negativity and drama, and I hadn’t really used Pinterest for the last year-and-a-half or so. I don’t miss them.
- I started saving up for my biennial Big Dumb Purchase: An Acne Velocite leather jacket. I’ve wanted one ever since they hit the market 5-6 years ago, and now that we have bought an apartment I feel like I can save up for one with a clear conscience. Do I need it? No, but I have wanted it for literally half a decade, so guuurl, I’m getting one as soon as they hit stores again this fall.
Always happy to see you post again! Sometimes I contemplate heading back to the blog myself, but it just seems so loaded now, like I would have to commit to regularly posting fascinating content and that just sounds exhausting. Anyway, loved this. I’m following your lead and just (2 minutes ago) started a list of purchases for the year, such a good idea! And the jacket… YASSS.
Thanks, Defne! I know exactly what you mean by feeling like you have to commit. My reasoning is this: regular posting is only necessary if you want to “grow your blog”, right? Get a following? Become an influencer? Well, I kind of don’t want to do that. I already do social media as my full-time job, so this dinky little blog and my non-curated Instagram account? Those are just for funsies :)
I follow you on Insta so I’ve had snippets of your journey, always nice to get an update!
I too have given up on overflowing to-do lists, I just list two or three things that really *must* get done in the next couple of days. It’s less overwhelming and I still get the satisfaction of checking things off.
I told myself in the beginning of the year that I would only make 12 clothing/shoe purchases, sounded pretty reasonable. Not even halfway through the year and I’m already at 10! When you write everything down, even if it’s just a t-shirt, it’s really shocking how quickly it all adds up, lol. So I’m cutting down on my online browsing for a bit, going to stop checking all of those ‘new arrivals’ bookmarks every day.
I’m glad designers have kind of a permanent collection now where they re-issue popular items, gives us a chance to save up for them!
What was shocking to me is how many items I repurchase over and over and over again without giving it much thought. Like even if I stop the dumb unnecessary purchases, there’s still body butter and toner and micellar water and top coat for my nail polishes, you know? I think that will have to be a future project: take a long hard look at my “necessities” and see if they’re all as necessary as I make them out to be. I’m at 4 garments so far this year: a long grey wool cardigan, a vintage Ralph Lauren Blazer, a black second hand cashmere sweater – and a silver sequin t-shirt (also second hand) that I bought because I needed something ~GLAM~ to wear for a Eurovision Song Contest watching party next week. It’s glam AF.
And YES to designers having permanent collections. If Acne decided to discontinue the Velocite before I got my hands on one I would literally cry!
It was so satisfying to read this post! Thank you for writing it. Good luck with all the home improvements!
I am just cleaning up quite a few things in my makeup closet. Also, as a part of spring cleaning, I boxed up all the clothes that don’t fit me anymore but I cannot get ready to part with. Only in 2017 am I starting to ‘streamline’ my closet. The kitchen is something I might be tackling in the next few months. The condiments, the curry powders and everything in between is overwhelming!
Haha, I hear you on the curry powders! I can’t really interfere with that drawer too much though, since I’m not the hobby chef of the household :)
It will be interesting to start dressing for warmer weather again, as I find it a lot easier to declutter clothes for the season I’m actually in. Wearing the garments is the only way to really know what works, right? I just can’t bring myself to go through and “pretend wear” my summer clothes when it’s freezing outside!
I love the idea of blocking out time in my calendar to focus on the big tasks, rather than having my attention torn between all the 5-minute tasks on my to do list. Totally stealing that one!
It has been so effective for me – give it ago! Another plus is that you get a record of what you actually spend your time on on a day-to-day basis :)
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