What is a Minimalist?

If you've heard about the wonderful world of minimalism, but aren't sure what that entails, it's essentially what it sounds like.

A minimalist is someone who wants minimal aspects in all the things they own and do. This could be things in their closet, their kitchen, the amount of mugs in their cupboard, or how many jobs they have. This could even be fewer social media apps.

As minimalist expert, Joshua Becker, says in his book, Things that Matter: Overcoming Distractions to Pursue a More Meaningful Life, "I define minimalism as the 'intentional promotion of the things we most value by removing anything that distracts us from them.'"

Anyone can minimize their lives, but it takes special determination and wisdom to keep this lifestyle, long after the newness of owning less has passed. 

Minimalism encompasses the goal of living with less so you can love what you have.

To be a minimalist, the biggest shift for most people is understanding that we have too many things. We have so many choices from food, clothing, books, shoes, and even the bread aisle at the grocery store. Because of our options, we're inundated with the desire for more as if this is how we're supposed to be.

But, are we? Is acquiring and wanting and needing more the way we're supposed to live?

From social media to television ads, print ads, books, blogs, newspapers, and on, we're literally told we need to buy. It's assumed that we consumers are just supposed to keep on consuming for the rest of our lives.

But, why? Since when was it wrong to love what we already had?

I became a minimalist when I realized I had way too much of everything and didn't like what I had. It was depressing to turn around and see what I had accumulated, only to see that I wanted more! (I didn't appreciate what I already owned either.) 

I had on my fast-fashion, fast-living, I want-it-now attitude and was miserable.

I was also in a big contradiction. Back in 2015, in the earlier days of Instagram, I was promoting fast fashion on my social media ... but I loved vintage fashion (wearing and selling it). This began to grate on me. I already despised fast fashion, I hated the cheap clothing created at all the Targets and Wal-Marts, Sheins, and Forever 21s of the world. But I was promoting it because of money and popularity.

It was easy to buy something and then a season later, throw it away, because it wasn't trendy. But, this made me sick to my stomach. The tenets of slow fashion - which I loved- are the polar opposite of this. That was what I wanted.

I had to get out of that hole of desperation thinking I needed to be like everyone else to succeed. It obviously wasn't working, because I was not happy. It felt fake, forced, and lowly. 

I got rid of that social media account a couple years later and became honest. I loved real true vintage clothing and planned to wear, keep, and sell it for as long as possible. So, I chose that way of living and haven't looked back.

Minimalism is a way to bring back order and peace to enjoy what we have in our lives. Minimalism is about slowing down; about getting rid of excess and the superfluous stuff that we think we have to have.

Our society tells us we need to consume, buy, update, and be on trend. Instead, all this does is create stress, put us further in debt, and lie to us. There is no permanent satisfaction in consumption. There will always be the desire for more. Just one more this, just an extra that, just this thing...

In a way, these lies form our identity. We are so tied to what we consume, that we don't know how to live without it. Our things begin to own us, control us, and take over every part of our lives. Last time I checked, being the large-brained mammals that we are, we're supposed to own our stuff, not the other way around.

Two other minimalism experts, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, talk about this in their book Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists. Millburn says about everything he owned, "... they were a part of my identity. A part of me. And once something's a part of your identity - once it becomes a part of you - it's hard to shed."

Your stuff becomes you. And it is hard to shed what you think is a part of you. It's asking a part of yourself to die. But that death is what's going to bring new life. Like pruning a tree, taking off the dead wood, this trimming - or hacking, in my case - allows for new growth.

To bring control back to our lives, we have to let go of what owns us. Minimalism, at its root, is about order, reason, and peace. And becoming a minimalist is a way to regain control and focus on what really matters.

For me, minimalism is about paring down to love. What I love to have, love to be around, and love to have front and center in my life.

Here are examples of how minimalism affected each area of my life:

My closet: I had upwards of 150 items of clothing. I wasn't even wearing close to half of it. I got rid of what I didn't wear or didn't love,  and today I have a solid 85 items. I wear each item and love each item. It's simple, all of it is wearable, and I own nothing that doesn't serve me.

My kitchen: I got rid of all excess plates and dishes (I love vintage dinnerware and have been collecting for decades, so this was hard to let go, but I wasn't using most of it- I only saved what I loved the most) and lots of kitchen gadgets. I didn't use that air fryer after all, the plastic containers to hold food were out of control, and I only needed one spatula, not five.

My books: A lot of folks balk at giving up books. But unless they're your favorite books of all time, and you're rereading them semi-regularly, books are only for display. I downsized my library by hundreds of books and only kept what I loved the most. I love my library more than ever.

My social media: I went through and got rid of accounts I didn't use, and apps I didn't like, I even got off Instagram for two months to see what that was like. Less is so much more! I felt free; free to get off my phone and focus on what was important to me. Instead of scrolling, I was reading. Instead of shopping on an app, I was decluttering some drawers. Instead of wanting more, I was wanting less.

Becoming a minimalist is like waking up and realizing you've been living in a fake world. It's like Neo in the movie The Matrix. We aren't living, we just think we're living. 

The real living is when we give up the desire for more and appreciate what we already have.

Being a minimalist allows me to really live and truly love. And I don't think there's any higher calling than that.

A Collector and a Minimalist │Living with Less but Enjoying Every Bit of It

Being fully immersed in the vintage world, and as a forever collector, I know what it's like to collect, cultivate, and want to own "things" that spark our interest. 

I am also a minimalist. 

But guess what? The two can co-exist, intermingle, and thrive in a place where what is valued is also used.

I like to call myself a utilitarian collector. What I collect gets used. This means, to me anyway, that I'm not hoarding, I'm not collecting something that no one else can appreciate, but it's a collection I love that others can see (and use) and it's also something I use every day. 

These are utilitarian collections. And I think everyone should have at least one utilitarian collection.

Today, my collections are my vintage mug and vintage Pyrex collections. I also collect vintage belts (I own about 30 belts, and rotate through them every month), as well as a dozen vintage dresses. These are special dresses and don't get worn every day, but they do get worn. This is definitely part and parcel of owning an online vintage clothing store. I buy to sell but inevitably, certain items stay in my closet for good. Oops.

It's easy to assume that I can't possibly use them all. And you'd be right. I can't use them all at the same time. I can't wear every belt every day, or every dress every week. 

But I sure can use various pieces, from belts to Pyrex, throughout the month and year. And that's exactly what I do.

I've collected so many things over the last 40 years, that it's hard to pinpoint when it first began. But, I believe it was the Disney deer, Bambi, that I loved as a young girl. I love deer and so I collected deer, but especially Bambi. I had several dozen Bambis and I loved getting another one to add to my collection for Christmas or my birthday. 

But, because I wasn't utilizing this collection, I've since sold it off.

Do I miss it? A little. But, it also collected dust. I sold it off to people who wanted to collect it and now have space for something else or nothing at all. 

In my case, nothing replaced the deer collection. And it's perfect. I enjoyed the collection when I had it.

Over the years, I've collected many other things from books, Disneyana, Star Wars collectibles, vintage Fire-King dinnerware, depression glass, vintage Fiesta ware... it goes on and on. And most of the time, they were things I collected because I loved them. That's a fine reason to collect.

But, I also didn't use them. 

And that's a fine reason not to collect.

For the last thirty years or so, I've had a vintage Fire-King collection. Fire-King is a vintage dish company (via Anchor Hocking) that started in the 1940s. I loved the turquoise blue color. And had hauled this collection from home to home over the decades adding a piece every year, and enjoying looking at the growing pile.

The problem, as I rearranged my cabinets for the millionth time last year, was that I didn't use them. I mean, I used maybe one bowl, and the mugs, but that was it. All the plates, the bread and butter plates, and the salad plates - not to mention the salad bowls, berry bowls, cereal bowls, etc - just sat there and stared at me as I opened the cupboards passing over them for the pieces I used instead.

I wanted to use them. I loved them with all my heart, but loving them didn't mean I used them. 

And I didn't use them. 

So, I did what I should've done before my last move and a couple months ago began selling off the unused Fire-King items in my Etsy shop. I kept the mugs, and the mixing bowls, but everything else went.

Do I miss something I treasured and hunted for? Absolutely. I miss owning the collection. But I don't miss the actual collection. I never used it!

For me, so much of the thrill of a collection is the hunting, the treasure hunting. This is why my work of selling vintage is rewarding: I get to treasure hunt and sell off the items for a profit. It's a win/win situation for a collector and minimalist at heart.

Now, hopefully, the vintage Fire-King is going to homes for people who can use it. 

Today, I'm living with less, but using every bit of what I own. 

My collections are used, loved, used some more, and enjoyed. They're not collecting dust, they're not just "for that special occasion," but they're front and center of my kitchen being used and enjoyed every single day. 

Each morning, I use a different vintage mug. And every evening when I cook dinner, I try to use a different set of bowls in my Pyrex collection.

As I usually tell myself, being a minimalist is a constant work in progress. It takes time and willpower to continually go through things, not to collect (as the avid collector that I am), not to hold on to things I won't need or use. 

But, as I've learned over the years, by paring down to things I love and use, I can simultaneously be a minimalist and a collector and not feel an ounce of guilt about it.

Are you the same way? Is there a collection you know you should get rid of but you haven't because of the time you've put into treasure hunting it? 

Be easy on yourself. It's okay to collect. It's okay to love things. But if you're like me and want to live the simple life of minimalism, learning how to let go of collections is part of the deal. I've found a way to cope with my collector's heart by keeping only what I love and use and letting the rest go.

Of course, I miss some "things" but I find I don't think very much about them anymore. Why? Because I never used them in the first place. Just owned them, or more accurately, they owned me.

It's okay to collect. And it's okay to minimize. There's a healthy balance between collecting, using what you collect, and being a minimalist and keeping a minimalist home.

But, learning to keep only what I use has been a life-changing way to free myself from collecting too much. Now, the things I collect I love even more, and being able to use what I love is the cherry on the cake to my collector's (and minimalist) heart.

Why Project 333 is Not For Me │How to Have a Minimal Wardrobe that Works for You

Have you read the book Project 333? The book is interesting and inspiring and the gist of it is this: wear only 33 pieces of clothing for three months. 

Here's the problem: I can't do only 33 pieces of clothing in my wardrobe.

This is my closet (there are another
15 pairs of shoes not shown 
here.) There are seven dresses
on the left.

Nope. Can't. 

It's not that I can't physically do it. I am a minimalist, I know what a minimalist wardrobe is all about, and when I read Courtney Carver's book, Project 333, I thought, "Wow, that sure takes some serious minimalistic dedication."

That's coming from me. A minimalist. Someone who's been paring down, minimizing, and choosing slow living for the last seven years.

So, what gives? Why is this such a problem for me? And how can anyone who is looking to pare down their wardrobe be a minimalist if even the minimalist of minimalist (that's me) can't do it?

I'll tell you why. And it's simple: I don't want to do it.

And there's the rub.

I love clothes. I really do. And not only do I love clothing, but I sell vintage clothing. I look at vintage materials with a longing that even my coffee doesn't get. I love vintage fabrics, from quality tweeds, thick cotton, linen that hangs just right, and silk and denim that oozes with depth and patina. Clothing is a part of me.

I realize that this isn't a valid argument for holding onto clothes. We all love lots of things but that doesn't mean we need to keep them. But, for me, this is one area separate from most of my minimalistic lifestyle. It's a minimalism that is average, not extreme.

I love collecting, and I love vintage mugs and jewelry. I love jeans and jackets and I love collecting vintage Pyrex. But most of those things didn't cause me to stand up and say "Hold on now. Let's rethink this whole minimalism thing." I got rid of stuff in all of those categories easily and swiftly.

I'll gladly pair down things that don't belong in my life (even Pyrex one day, I swear... it's thrifting the stuff that I enjoy so much).

But get rid of my denim? Wait a second. Get rid of all of my vintage cardigans? Hold on now.

So here's where I'm going with this: Minimalism is wonderful. It has transformed my life. I've simplified everything, my stress load has diminished, and I feel like I can think and breathe and truly live in my home in peace. I've never felt better. Never.

But minimalism doesn't look the same on everyone. We don't all have to be the same type of minimalist. Courtney Carver was able to do 33 items every three months. That's a wonderful thing! But that idea is almost insurmountable to me.

Here's why I can't (and won't) do Project 333.

1. I need more variety:  I only have about 85 pieces of clothing in my entire wardrobe, including the shorts and t-shirt drawer. This is coming from someone who used to own upwards of 150 in her closet. I've minimized it drastically. But, sometimes, I need a few more sweaters than, say, two for winter. I need seven sweaters because I wear all seven sweaters and I'm happy with that. 

Is that excessive? Not if I'm wearing them. I don't feel bad about it. I love my vintage Aran sweater, and I love my vintage Norwegian sweater and it's sitting right up against my Cowichan cardigan sweater in my closet. They are all different and all beautiful. Variety is the spice of life, after all. 

Now, do I need 15 sweaters? No. I know this because I've pared down to seven from those 15. I find the perfect number of each item of clothing to be, not so coincidentally, about seven (future post coming about that). But I need the variety it gives me. I need to be creative with my wardrobe choices. And 33 items total won't cut it.

2. I love seeing all my options: Hiding away fall, winter, and spring clothing during the summer doesn't work for me either. I need options. I need to be able to take a long sleeve and pair it with shorts. Here in northern California, our day's temperature ranges can dramatically shift. Like over 40 degrees some days.

 It can be 32 degrees in the morning to then hit a high of 78 degrees later. Or it can be a low of 62 and reach a high of 102 later. 

We have to dress in layers. So hiding away my spring and fall clothing when I need them -- even in summer -- is counterintuitive. And this goes for every season. Our winters can be extremely mild, so hiding my short sleeves - the very ones I need to wear underneath my sweaters so I can peel off the sweater later - only aggravates me. I need all of my clothes in front of me. I need to visually see it all.

 Maybe it's a touch of OCD, but I don't care. This is what works for me. 

3. My minimalism isn't as minimalistic as her minimalism: And that's okay! It really is. I could do 33 items in three months, but if I did, it would be like watching a part of myself die. Sounds dramatic when I write it out that way. But as someone who is directly involved in fashion, from the love of fabric, the desire for quality vintage designs and creations, for craftsmanship and quality, to have a closet that hides what I love is like smashing my heart and putting it back into my body. It's just not going to work right.

What makes my mind come alive is having enough choices to create outfits that work for me, but not so many items that my wardrobe is stuffed (and with unworn pieces littered throughout it).

So, at the end of the day, it's about balance. And I need more clothing for my minimalistic wardrobe. If you can do 33 items in three months, more power to you. That is awesome. And maybe for one season (probably summer, since it requires fewer items to wear in general), I'll give it a go. I'd like to try it and see if I'm missing out on something important.

My shoes

But for me, my minimalism journey looks like 85 items, 365 days a year — and that's not including shoes (28 pairs), jackets (10), or my underthings or yoga clothing drawer or accessories.

If you're interested in minimizing your wardrobe, I would recommend Carver's book. 100%. It's a fascinating read, she's a great author, and her concept hits home in all the right minimalism areas. But, if you're a little bit more like me, someone who showcases their creativity in what they wear, then 33 items for three months is too restrictive. 

Read the book, and find what works for you. If you need to hammer down that gavel in your wardrobe courtroom, then by all means, be ruthless. Pare down to bare bones. But if you need a little more creativity, then don't feel pressured to be so severe. I didn't and I'm happy. This is what works for me.

As always, less is more... but not if you're miserable. Be a happy minimalist. You don't have to be an extremist to be successful (unless that is what you want.)

Remember, minimalists come in all shapes and sizes. And mine looks like Project 85/365.

-Heather

• For further reading: Project 333, Courtney Carver

Carnivore Lifestyle with the Minimalist Lifestyle

How Going on the Carnivore Diet Blended Seamlessly with My Minimalism Lifestyle and Healed My Autoimmune Disease

 

Today, I want to discuss how my health has helped me keep minimalism going full throttle.

It's not something I usually talk about. I'll make a passing mention of my "autoimmune disease" in other blog posts or articles. But this disease - and what I did to combat it - has all played into my minimal lifestyle.

 

About five years ago, I was diagnosed (first by me hoping it wasn't true, and then by a doctor, officially) with Vitiligo. 

Vitiligo is a skin condition where the body essentially attacks the melanin in the skin, causing depigmentation. There are many ideas behind why this happens but no specific cause. Some say stress triggers it and other auto-immune diseases (which is very likely, and probably what happened to me) but also it can simply be a part of someone's genetic makeup just waiting to flare up.

Because there's no real "cure" for Vitiligo, I did a lot of armchair research. Like all autoimmune diseases, the best way to fight this disease (from what I've discovered) is with diet. And that diet is an anti-inflammatory one - the least inflammatory diet possible - which is called the carnivore diet.

This means no wheat (a biggie!), no other grains, no fruits, no vegetables, and no sugars of any kind. Nothing but meat (or meat-based foods, i.e. dairy, eggs.)

There are many routes to non-inflammation. Some folks say vegetarianism or veganism is the way to go. Some say the keto diet is good (Which, it is. I started first on keto and transitioned into carnivore.) 

This post isn't to say my choice of the carnivore diet is a cure-all for every autoimmune disease. It's also not a diet for everyone regardless of if you have an auto-immune disease. I'm not a doctor, but a patient who has tried to quell the deleterious effects of this disease.

As one who has struggled with Vitiligo, I've found an option that has helped me tremendously. And that help - to stop the disease in its tracks - was to go full carnivore. 

Many of you won't agree with this diet and many of you will. One of my friends thought I was joking when I said I was going "carnivore." I can assure you, it's a real thing and there are many people on this wonderful diet.

After reading about and researching the carnivore diet - and then actually attempting it - after almost two years on it, I can attest that I feel better than ever and the disease has stopped spreading!

Again, this may not be the answer for others with Vitiligo. I'm just telling you what worked for me. 

Warning: This diet comes with a very minimalistic way of eating. 

Having come from eating whatever I wanted for the previous forty-some-odd years - to essentially eating only a couple dozen food items today- it has taken time, patience, and willpower to change. It's not easy. Some days, I want the whole loaf of bread, you know? I want the variety.

But at the end of the day, when I feel great and I know my disease is in remission, it is all worth it. And honestly, I can't imagine eating any other way now. It's incredible how adaptable we human beings are.

So, what is the carnivore diet? The most succinct answer I can give is this: meat and water. 

That's it.

Now, I've added eggs, some dairy in small amounts - like cheese, butter, or full-fat yogurt occasionally, and heavy whipping cream. But I eat beef primarily, with seafood, chicken, and pork as alternatives. I also like bison but have a hard time with goat or lamb.  I'm sure it's fantastic, but I have a difficult time with the texture.

Also, full disclosure here: I cheat occasionally. I'm about 95% carnivore, not a full 100%. And here's what that is:

I have a cup or two of coffee every morning, still have an occasional glass of red wine, I have a single piece of dark chocolate after dinner too (come on, I have to live a little) and I also eat a vegetable about once a week. That vegetable only being avocado.

But the rest of my diet is all carnivore for the rest of the time. 

Being a minimalist helped facilitate my transition into carnivore. I knew how to let go of things I didn't need and shouldn't have because of the practice I'd put into minimizing my whole home. The best part of this diet, other than the most amazing fact of feeling and looking good, is it makes eating and shopping for food simple.

Is the diet easy to do? No. There is nothing easy about giving up ice cream, bagels, and fruit smoothies. Nothing. At first. 

But when I could visibly see the havoc wreaked on my body, knowing that what I put into my body was causing it pain, it wasn't an impossibility to let it go. In fact, it was the only thing I could do to try to control the disease.

I had no choice.

Once I began to slowly shift away from the standard American diet (I still miss bread a lot. Especially flour tortillas - Mexican food is my favorite) I began to change everything else around me, meaning: all the products I use on my body changed too.

I wrote about that for No Sidebar; how I minimized my health and beauty products. I did this because I was a minimalist and I did it for my health. Can I tell you how difficult it is to find pure products? Something without chemicals? Almost impossible.

One of the biggest issues was finding something for my face. I needed a moisturizer that works for morning and night and after looking into tallow (fat-rendered suet from cows), I found one.

Now, hear me out. Tallow? I can hear you say. Yes. Tallow. It's been filtered to the extreme, so it has no "cow" or "beef fat" smell. It's a fantastic thick moisturizer, and with natural essential oils added, I'm a true believer.

I looked into many companies that sold tallow moisturizers and when I finally found Pure Good, I had to share.

Here are three reasons why I chose this one over any other:

• It's American-made (Win!)
• It's from a small business (Double win!)
• This product is double the size of most other companies' Tallow products. (Triple win, for sure!)

If you're looking for a natural moisturizer, something without chemicals, fake colors, or synthetics, I'd give this a try. I've only been using it for a month, and I still have a lot left. One jar lasts about two months. For $28, it's worth every penny. 

I had to tell you about it because I wished I'd been using this for the last few decades instead of all the garbage moisturizers full of phthalates, parabens, and chemicals. Pure Good's products are fantastic. This moisturizer is now my favorite.

So here's the rundown: You don't have to be a minimalist to be a carnivore. You don't have to be a carnivore to be a minimalist. And you don't have to have a disease to go carnivore. I wish I'd started this way of eating, oh, about thirty years ago.

But if you're like me, and you need to clean up what you put into your body and what you bring into your home, the carnivore diet may be what you're looking for. 

It's been a long, strange, arduous journey that has led me to the healthiest I've ever been, but I'm finally there. And having a minimal diet has made my minimalist lifestyle all that much easier.

The best part of this whole scenario is that I feel better than I've ever felt. It's kind of hard to believe. We think we're supposed to feel run down and lethargic. To feel aches and pains. I'm telling you, this diet - and the deletion of sugars and grains especially - has changed my life. Filling my body instead with good fat and lots of protein has made all the difference.

If you don't put junk into your body, you tend to not have junk coming out of your body. For me, that meant the stop of the spread of Vitiligo.

Vitiligo will probably always be with me. Some of my depigmentation may never get re-pigmented. But the fact that I was able to stop the spread all because of my diet blows my mind. And being a minimalist made that transition into the carnivore diet all that much easier.

The carnivore diet may not be for you, but I had to share about it all the same. Try it for a week or two, see if you don't feel better. Maybe you only need to do some carnivore. Maybe try swapping a meal of carbs for one just with meat, and see if you start to notice subtle changes. 

Create the diet that works best for you, just like minimalism. I can't do Project 333. I can be a minimalist with my wardrobe, but not to that extreme. In the same vein, I can't do 100% carnivore. Sometimes, when the need for Mexican food is at an all-time high, I'll "cheat" with corn tortillas, and wow ... that sure is nice.

Create the diet - like minimalism - that works best for you.

It changed my life. And quite possibly, it could change yours too.

Book Pairing: The Carnivore Diet, by Shawn Baker

YouTube: Visit Dr. Anthony Chafee's channel for some of the most in-depth and educated material about the carnivore diet out there. 

The Power of Ten for Your Minimal Wardrobe

How the Number Ten is my Go To Number for the Clothes in my Closet

In a previous post, I talked about the minimalist wardrobe strategy created by Courtney Carver called Project 333. She has a stellar book, of the same name, to go with it. I loved the book and it helped me focus on keeping what I wore (and eliminating what I wasn't) and getting rid of the excess.

Project 333 is an incredible concept that allows (maybe forces) us to get to the root of what we love and hone in on just that: eradicating the excess to live a simple and joyful life.

Having a minimalist closet is enjoyable, beautiful, and effortlessly simple but mostly, it's a way to take stress off our shoulders that was never intended to be there. 

The truth is, we don't need as many choices as we think we do.

But this Herculean effort at a Spartan closet isn't for me. While I am a minimalist,  I can't do Project 333 because I need more than what it offers as a limit.

33 items for every three months sounds like torture. This isn't to say the concept isn't beautiful. I understand the creation and why it has tremendous appeal. Downsizing to bare bones is overwhelmingly freeing.

But, for me as a clothes lover, 33 items sounds horrendous.

And minimalism isn't intended to be torturous. It's supposed to be helpful! 

Since we all do minimalism at varying degrees, which is how it should be - we're all different -  I've found that to have a minimal but happy closet I need a little bit more. And it turns out that "a little bit more" comes in tens.

My closet is separated into sections of tens. Meaning, I have ten pairs of jeans, ten heavy long-sleeve tops, ten lightweight long-sleeve tops, ten short sleeves, ten dresses, ten jackets, etc.

Here's why ten works for me and why it may be just what you need for your closet too.

Ten Gives Me Freedom

Sometimes, I only wear one pair of jeans (out of the ten) once a week. And I wear the rest way more often. But being able to keep that lesser-worn pair allows me to feel like I'm not giving up something I love. I don't have to sacrifice those jeans because they get worn the least. Clothing is necessary, but it should also make us feel amazing. I love and wear all ten pairs of my jeans even if some get a little more worn than others. 

Ten Gives Me Options

While I could easily only wear seven short sleeves this summer - one for every day of the week - what if I could have a few more? What if I could add a few more options ("toptions," if you will) to add to my repertoire? That's what ten short-sleeved tops are for. I have an extra one for more formal days, and I have a couple more for variety. Variety is the spice of life, after all. Why not have fun with your options? Ten allows me to keep things pared down but also have a little fun.

Ten Gives Me Flexibility 

While the goal of minimalism is to get rid of the things that never get worn, sometimes, I feel like owning an item or two allows me the flexibility that a spartan closet doesn't offer. I have a few sweaters that are for winter and I have a few sweaters that are lighter weight and great for spring and fall. Even though I tend to not wear the latter as often as the former, I like the flexibility I have with its availability. 

If it's cold in the morning, but I know it will warm up later, I don't want to bring the heavy-duty wool sweater that I'd only wear in winter. I'd rather bring the lightweight cardigan I can shed when it gets warm, and then put it back on when the cold returns. That's the flexibility I wouldn't have available if I'd gotten rid of them because I don't wear them much.

While I tout ten items for each category of clothing, there are a few outliers to this plan. I only have five skirts. I don't need ten, and probably won't, so it's going to stay at five.

I have five pairs of (non-denim) pants or trousers. It will probably stay in that range, as well. Denim is my daily wear, so that's where the bulk of my pants lie.

My shoes are in the sky-high 25-27 range. I love shoes like I love coffee and I can tell you with certainty that I will always own that many. I used to have over 60 pairs of shoes (yeah, I love shoes), so paring down to 25 has been a challenge, but a great challenge.

No, the 25 pairs don't fit into the Power of 10 section, but I don't care. This is what works for me, I've minimized my shoes, and I'm calling it good. As for accessories, keep what you love and wear, and donate the rest. I love belts and most of them are vintage. I own about 20 belts, but I wear them all, so I don't feel bad holding onto them. Plus, I love wearing them. 

So the main theme of my closet is the Power of Ten, but outliers happen.

Maybe your closet is the power of seven? I actually thought that's where I was headed. The number seven is a perfect number after all. But, as I pared down to what I love over the years, I'm finding ten is my magic number and one that gives me flexibility, freedom, and options.

It also keeps my love for clothing both attainable and in check. 

Minimalism is an individual endeavor. What works for one, may not work for another. And it's alright! The goal is to minimize what you don't use or wear, get rid of the excess, and only keep what you love.

For my closet, ten items per clothing category is a perfect ten.

A Proverbial Simple Life

Reading through the book of Proverbs isn’t for the faint of heart. I did this very activity the other day, and read a verse that stopped me in my tracks. “A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life” (Proverbs 13:7, MSG).

Woah… wait a minute. Is the smartest king who ever lived actually endorsing a simple life?

If you’ve never read Proverbs, they’re quite intense. Within 31 chapters oozing with advice, there are instructions for how to live, how to act, how to think, and how to treat others. The lists go on and on. And while it can seem like a flood of unwarranted correction - at least it feels that way for me while reading through it with what is usually a chagrined look on my face - I always go back to the truth behind it all.

Most of this book was written by a man who was - and is - still considered one of the wisest men who lived on the earth.

Sometimes, to be honest, I question his wisdom. A man with about 1000 wives seems rather… out of touch with reality. Who in their right mind would want 1000 spouses? Having one is hard enough. I can’t imagine him having to deal with 1000! 

But, I digress. 

If King Solomon was indeed one of the smartest - and wealthiest-  men who ever lived, it would behoove me to pay attention to his words. (Maybe those 1000 wives are what got him to go deep into self-examination in the first place.)

Solomon says that chasing money is like chasing after the wind (Proverbs 8:10, MSG), or the act of accumulating money is a waste of time (this is from another book he wrote, Ecclesiastes 5:10, MSG). It would seem Mr. Solomon understood that living a good life wasn’t about wealth, securing things, and obtaining riches – because he had it all, more than anyone ever had, and it wasn’t enough, nor did it satisfy him.

After reading through the book of Proverbs it looks like King Solomon was - in the end - an advocate of minimalism and simple living. That less is more. 

So, am I saying the wisest man who ever lived, should’ve been a minimalist? Maybe, maybe not. But, he surely would’ve agreed with its tenets had he lived in modern times. He figured out, probably through experience, that knowledge and wisdom were greater than money and things. Stuff was less important than people and wisdom was more important than riches.

Here are a few examples where he mentions how living a life with less (particularly money) leads to a better way of living.

“A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.” (Proverbs 15: 16, MSG) 

So Solomon is saying the opposite of what is promoted in our culture. Riches do not bring peace but instead with it comes headaches. This is coming from a wealthy man who it would seem could vouch for the concept that riches ease pain and suffering. Apparently, it can soothe difficulties, but in the end, causes more strife than peace. 

I can barely handle what I already have in my life. Of course, more money can temporarily ease certain problems, but I’d rather have less money than have to take care of, invest, guard, fight over, and protect those riches with a headache the size of Texas.

“Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money; choose insight over income every time” (Proverbs 16:16).

Solomon is directly telling us that money isn’t as valuable as wisdom. Money doesn’t inherently make us wise, either. Wisdom comes with the right choices, and money tends to take us to places (and people) that don’t have our best intentions at heart. To me, it sounds like he’s saying money tends to corrupt the person whereas wisdom enhances our character. This makes plain the obvious choices for a happy life: a stuff-filled life purchased with money is less great than wisdom. Okay. You don’t have to tell me twice. 

“A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank” (Proverbs 22:1. MSG).

This is an interesting statement. He’s saying that money doesn’t automatically make you a good person. This is obvious, it would seem. But it sounds like he’s had plenty of experience with people who have money yet have a horrible spirit. Did the money make them that way? Maybe for some. But it’s clear he’s saying a giving person, no matter how small the gift is, is greater than any large amount of money in the bank. That a good reputation far outweighs riches. All I have to do is think about our celebrity culture to know this is 100% true. 

Solomon and his proverbs are very easy to understand: life isn’t about stuff; it isn’t about money; it isn’t about collecting, hoarding, holding onto, and obtaining things. (Again, he should know -1000 wives sounds like a miserable retirement plan).

Instead, it’s about living with less, having a noble and integrity-filled reputation, giving away our time and love, and accumulating friends and family. All of this is greater than money and stuff. To live a disciplined life that radiates peace and simplicity instead of one vapid and devoid of anything real, and squandered on things that don’t matter, is what Solomon says we need to pay attention to.

While this is an extremely unpopular way to live (we’re inundated with scores of media telling us to have more, buy more, and be more) it sounds like a life that is rich and fulfilling in all the ways that money can’t duplicate. Search out and seek the simple life and you will be rewarded with peace and tranquility.

And as a minimalist, with simple living at the forefront of my mind, it sounds like the perfect life for me.

Minimalism in Travel │ How to Travel as a Minimalist

You'd think by now, being a minimalist for about seven years, I'd figure out how to travel concisely.

But, you'd be wrong. This is mostly because I have a fear of not having what I need. Which is ridiculously unwarranted and also a very common sentiment amongst those who travel.

Not once have I traveled and wished I'd brought more. I've always wished I'd brought less. 

In fact, the push - the impetus, if you will - that got me into minimalism was a trip to Italy with one of my best friends. We each had one small suitcase for about 10 days because we had to travel that way.

Let me tell you, that was the best trip of my life for many reasons. I was with a best friend, I was in Italy - one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I was living more freely than I had ever lived. We flitted about the country with a small bag and it was a burden off my shoulders I never realized I had placed on them.

As I said, this trip literally transformed my thinking about stuff. From my closet to all of my personal belongings in my home.

Having just gotten back from a trip to the Carolinas last week, a wonderful trip, (if you haven't been to Charleston, holy moly ... that place is magical... go!) I still overpacked. We stayed with my gracious sister-in-law. Her place is beautiful, as is the greater Charlotte area.

The weather was cold and warm so we had to pack for both seasons, yet, I still brought shirts pants, and jackets I didn't wear.

Here are a few things I muttered to myself (while  shaking my head in disappointment that I couldn't learn from my past) as I was repacking my bags to leave the Carolinas and head home:

1. One jacket is enough: I packed four. I can hear you right now. "You a minimalist, packed four jackets?" In my defense, one was a cardigan. A cardigan I might add that I've had for 27 years, that I had purchased as I was about to embark on my first trip to Europe as a young girl. It was officially a vintage cardigan. And I lost it. Why? Because I had too many jackets to keep track of! It's replaceable, but dang it. I was hoping to keep it for another 27 years. 

Anyway, one medium-weight jacket, instead of a lightweight one, a cardigan, a jean jacket, and another jacket would have sufficed. I was out of control. If you get cold, layer up on the shirts you brought, not the jackets. Plus, they take way less room. Don't do what I did. One jacket and be done.

2. I wore three pairs of jeans instead of five: I'm a jeans person. But, thinking I want to vary my wardrobe while on vacation is such a common mistake. Why am I varying things on vacation? Of all times, I should be bringing less and mixing and matching to vary things that way instead. I should be focusing on what I'm seeing out and about on my trip rather than on my wardrobe. 

For eight days of travel, three pairs of pants are plenty. My wonderful sister-in-law also gave us access to her laundry, so if I had partaken of a fiasco, saying spilling coffee all over me, then I could've easily thrown them in the wash, and voila. All is well. I still only needed three pairs of pants.

3. Too many toiletries: There is something about toiletries for a traveling woman that makes us want to tear our hair out. We have all of our normal toiletries, and then we have the makeup bag. There is so much to look after. And shuffle through. And complain about. 

I did all of that. And I still forgot to bring enough shampoo. My issue, as mentioned above, is that I have too many choices of one thing. Like three chapsticks, a lip gloss, and then a lipstick. It drives me mad because I think I'll want all of them, and then I only use one. Ladies, put one in the purse, and one in the travel bag, and be done with it! We don't need so many choices when we travel. We need to focus on what's around us, what we're sightseeing, rather than the personal effects in our bags.

And if we really need choices, then hop into a drugstore and get what we need. Which is what I did with the shampoo mishap.

I've pared down greatly in my toiletries at home, but there is something about traveling that makes me say, "Maybe I need this, and this, and this one..." Nope. Nope. Nope. One lotion, one lipgloss, one razor... one and done. 

While I'm always a work in progress to traveling minimally, I will say that I've gotten better. And there's always room for improvement. There's a huge learning curve with travel and what to pack for me, but I'm trending up on the curve! By golly, I think I'm learning what I really need when I travel and what I don't. (Even if most of the time, it's the stuff I don't need that I bring!) 

Hope this helps on your next travel. Remember, less is more. Even when you think you'll need more, you almost always (seriously) won't. And you can make do with what you have. Which is the whole concept behind minimalism.

Challenge yourself to pack as minimalist as possible on your next trip. I bet you'll love it and feel freer than ever. Let me know how it goes.

-Heather 

Save or Give Away? │ Three Tips on Minimalism Living

Learning to Save What Needs Saving and Giving Away What Doesn't

When my youngest son graduated high school just a few weeks ago, I knew it was time to find the graduation decor I had specifically set aside knowing this occasion would arrive again.

My oldest son graduated college a couple years ago. 

When I set out to buy the exorbitant-costing supplies and decor for the party, as a penny-pinching individual, I knew I would save some of it for my next son's party. Not all of it, of course. Some of it got destroyed and used, as it should have. 

But for the pieces that I salvaged, and pieces I knew could also act perennially for my next son, why would I rebuy what I already had?

One of the tenets of homesteading is to hold onto things you may need in the future. While I'm not an advocate of holding on to everything (because I'm a minimalist and because I don't live in a remote area - everything I could ever need for myself or any of the people in my house is within a five-minute drive) I understand the value of a dollar and holding onto things you may need in the future. Also, you can be a homesteader and a minimalist at the same time. (A great book by Bea Johnson called Zero Waste Home covers this idea of combining the homesteading experience alongside minimalism.)

A dollar more I spend on gradation decor means one fewer dollar to pay off the mortgage early. One dollar spent on things I will eventually throw away means I should keep this decor and remain a good steward of my finances.

A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

But, as a minimalist, I had very carefully thought through the ramifications of holding onto the decor. It would take up space; I would not use it at all for the next two years, and ultimately, it sat living a useless life doing nothing. 

However, it was a good amount of money I didn't have to spend again for my son's high school graduation (win.) They were being reused and enjoyed (another win). And this time, I could throw away the items because they were sufficiently used (or give them to someone else who can use them - which I did!)

So, how do you know what to save and what not to save? For me, it all comes down to a few things.

Substantial Money Savings: The term "substantial" is subjective. A hundred dollars to one person may seem like pennies to another. For me, spending another 100 dollars on gradation decorations is substantial. I decided that holding onto those items - for two years - was worth it. And in the end, it absolutely was.

I knew what decor I had, it was easy to reassemble, and everything looked fantastic. The savings outweighed the desire to buy the items again so that's what I did. And no one noticed I was using the same decor. If saving an item means substantial savings, it's worth holding onto.

Replaceable Versus Irreplaceable: Could I have bought new graduation items? Sure. But I didn't want to because of the cost. I also originally purchased graduation decor that could be reused. Meaning, I didn't buy decor with the graduation year on it, but instead purchased items more along the lines of "Congratulations graduate." 

I saved what wasn't as easily replaceable. I made sure to find what could be reused and did just that. The graduate decor was irreplaceable to me because I couldn't guarantee I'd find what I wanted in two years. So, that helped my decision to keep the items. If it's going to be hard to find and you know you will need it again in the future, that's a reason to save the item in question.

Love Over Like: I'm of the mindset now, as I've progressed through my minimalism journey, that liking something isn't enough to keep it in my life (I would dare to venture this concept even with friends as I get older, but that's a different post to contend with). If I keep something, I have to love it with every part of me and if I do, it's worth keeping. Like isn't enough anymore. I loved the graduation decor and valued what I paid for it, so I kept it for another day.

I can apply this to my closet, my collections, the accessories in my home... everywhere. It's a waste of my time and life if I keep clothes I only like, but don't love. What's the fun in that? Outfits should be special, unique, and fun. If it's all blah or the whole "Well, I paid for this and I sorta liked it at the time," that is no reason to keep the article of clothing. 

A day not wearing something I love is a waste of an outfit. Truly. As a vintage clothing wearer and seller, I firmly believe this. If I miss one day to really love what I look like, and instead wear something I only kind of like, that's one less day to live passionately about what I love.

Our days are numbered. People should know what we love. They should see it in our life, around us, and hanging from our heads like a crown. From your activities to clothing, your job, to how you love people, it should be so obvious that you live the life you love, not out of convenience, or laziness, but because you truly love it.

When you're going through a closet, cleaning out a drawer, or wondering if you should keep the party decor, think about these three things: does it save you money, is it irreplaceable, and is something you love.

It's quite simple.

And that's what it's all about.

Subconscious Minimalism

Maintaining a minimalistic lifestyle even when you're not paying attention.

There's a misnomer that to be a minimalist, you have to constantly be giving things away or minimalizing your life. That this - owning as little as possible - is all you think about.

Come on. There comes a point when you've downsized every part of your life to perfection. And when that happens, all you have to do is maintain it.

I can hear you say, "But what if that consumeristic lifestyle creeps back in? What if I start buying and not purging? What if I stop becoming a minimalist?"

Okay, for that to happen - especially if you've strategically and knowingly changed your habits at work and home - you'd have to become someone else. As in, your old self. 

And in case you haven't noticed, we're constantly evolving. We humans adapt and change, but we also know what's important and remember what we like, or want to keep in our lives. 

We may fall victim to a shopping whim occasionally, but when we've discovered it's as pleasurable not to buy as it is to buy, it's going to be very tough falling back into old routines.

If minimalism is important to you, you can still love to shop. But buying everything you want isn't a part of the shopping plan anymore. Instead, you pick and choose - and you choose with great care - an item, whether it's clothing or a dish, that you're bringing back into your home.

If you're like me and have slowly transformed your life to one of minimalistic joy, where things have become less important than the people around you, it's going to be difficult to fall off the consumeristic wagon.

Once you see how much happier and freer you are as a minimalist, going out to buy an outfit, or a pair of shoes (or in my case, one more mug to my vintage mug collection) isn't going to revert me back to my old ways of consumerism.

I'm not suddenly going to forget about how much I love having less in my home! No way. It just won't happen.

So put your mind to rest.

Here's how you can maintain minimalism - and not stress about reverting back to consumerism - even when you're not paying attention.

One-in-One-Out Rule: By far and away, this is the best rule I've picked up through my minimalism journey. If I have something that wears out, like a pair of shoes, then there's zero guilt in replacing it. I've not increased the number of items in my closet but merely replaced it. And that way my love for shoes (because yes, I do have a serious love for shoes) stays at a level that is manageable for me. 

Here's another example. I have a huge love for vintage mugs as well, so when I find them (thrifting is how I find all of them or at a lucky garage sale) I make sure that if I buy a mug, it needs to replace one I have, or it's replacing one that broke (which happens). 

Rarely, I will add one to my collection without giving one away. It's unusual though. I don't have any more room to add to my collection, and I know I can't possibly use all the mugs I already have. I want to use all the mugs, but realistically, it's not possible. So, that keeps me in line as well. If I use the one-in-one-out rule, there's really no way to go back to my old ways of living.

Less is More Aesthetic: Once I've become accustomed to owning less and loving the way it looks, I get a huge boost of serotonin when I see what I've created. I am so happy to walk into my closet and see everything tidy, lined up, and all used on the regular. None of my clothing isn't worn. None of my shoes aren't worn. Every belt, every sweater, and every tank top in my closet is loved and appreciated.

The bonus of owning less is a clean and neat home. When my home is clean, I'm happy. When I'm happy, my family is happy. Owning less, once I know what I truly love and want to be around, is a pleasurable experience. Why would I walk away from that?

Now that I live in calm, beautiful, and intentional spaces, I don't want to go back to any other way of living. (There may be moments of temporary chaos, things may pile up, and stress and circumstances may change, but it's not hard to get back to the routine of a clean aesthetic when the stress is gone, and my circumstances are back to normal.) 

I've come to love the minimalistic aesthetic and that's the only way I want it.

Read about Minimalism: One way to keep minimalism in my life, even now that I'm done getting rid of everything in my home that doesn't belong there, is to read about it. (And in my case, write about it.) There are many websites devoted to minimalism. All you have to do is a quick Google search and see that there is far more data out there than we can possibly read on the subject.

I read books, signed up for a couple newsletters, read other articles and blog posts, and make it a part of my daily reading. Reading about what I want - by seeing and studying what other people do - helps me in my daily quest to maintain minimalism.

It's not boring, or taxing, either. It's like drinking eight glasses of water or exercising. I've made it a part of my life because I know it's good for me and because of that, my life is simple, gratifying, and at the level of minimalism that works for me.

I just read Joshua Becker's short Kindle book called Simplify. I've read all of his books and I highly recommend them, but this one is short and sweet, and a great one to have on hand if you struggle to stay on track.

When you make minimalism a part of your everyday life, and you do this for months and eventually years, even if you have to make purchases - even if you want to make purchases - this won't upend your work of living with less.

You can get right back in the saddle, dig your minimalism spurs in, and keep moving forward.

Maintaining a Minimalist Wardrobe │Live Your Life like Your Future Self is Watching

I went to an estate sale about ten houses down from me last week. I didn’t know the lady who had lived there, but I recall seeing her getting her mail, and sweeping off the driveway as I drove by her house over the years.

She may have passed away but more than likely, she moved to an assisted living facility where she didn’t need most of what she owned.

Her home was maybe 2000 square feet. It was only she who lived there and I knew this because of her closet. The entire thing was hers. And it was overflowing with clothing.

I sell vintage clothing, so this is always a plus - finding old clothing at decent prices. Being that it was right down the street from me was a bonus.

But, as I went through her sweaters, an entire rack of slacks and jeans, and another whole row of long-sleeved and short-sleeved blouses - rack after rack of clothing - my biggest thought was: Did she actually wear ALL of this stuff? 

I’ve read that the average person owns about 148 pieces of clothing. There’s a great website that talks about the capsule wardrobe and includes a survey on what and how many items people own in their closets. It’s enlightening and also thought-provoking.

The capsule wardrobe is just a touch too restrictive for me. I have a minimalist wardrobe for sure, and I’ve got it pared down to exactly what I love and wear, but it accommodates as much as I like and want. Which is how people should have their wardrobes.

So, a few years ago when I battened down the hatches and began to seriously dissect my closet and get rid of what I didn’t wear - and won’t wear - I found that in my early days of minimalism, I had about 150 items of clothing.  I was close to average but it felt on the high side. 

Since then, I’ve pared my closet down to 85 items. This doesn’t include shoes, belts, accessories, jackets or undergarments. The capsule wardrobe is so selective that all of those particulars I just mentioned are in the total.  I’m not ready for that yet.

But, I decided to do a little experiment and see if this 148 average was right. I had my two sisters and mom assess their wardrobes. One had 200 items, one had 180, and another had 160. So, apparently, my family is above average (which I heartily agree).

There is no right or wrong number here. But from my point of view, 148 may be a low statistic.

Here’s the thing: I wear and love every single piece in my wardrobe. But I wear and love every single piece since moving down to 85 items. When I was at 150 items, I knew I wasn’t wearing everything. And I certainly didn’t love everything.

My sisters and mom all have said that they don’t wear everything; some things they’re waiting to wear, and other things they hope to be a different size to fit.

Here are three simple statement steps you can implement to make your wardrobe minimal but perfectly suited to you. These three steps are what I used to pare down my wardrobe.

Keep What You Love: This is the first rule (if you want to call them rules) that every minimalist will tell you. As master minimalist Marie Kondo says, “Keep only what sparks joy.” For me, joy and love are the same here. I have to feel the best in it, or it goes. I have to love the piece and wear it with joy. If it fits both of those parameters, it stays in my closet.

Keep What Fits Right Now: None of this “I used to be this size” or “I’m keeping it for when I lose weight” or “One day I’ll wear this when…” If it doesn’t get worn now, it’s time to let someone else wear it. Don’t feel guilty about it either. If it still has tags on it, oh well. The odds are good you’re still not going to wear it even though you’ve seen the tags!

Keep What You’ve Worn The Last Year: That’s it. If you wore it two or three years ago, it’s not a “go-to” piece. If you wore it once, hold onto it. And if you don’t wear it the entire coming year, let it go - give it away to someone who can wear it, or donate it.

There’s a little test you can do to assess what you’ve worn and what you haven’t worn. On the first of the month, turn all your clothes around backward so the hangers face the other way. As you wear clothing throughout the year, face the hanger forward the correct way. At the end of a year, you’ll see what you have and haven’t worn. Easy enough. 

I’m quite certain the lady whose home I was barging through during the estate sale didn’t wear all the clothes she had in her closet. I know she didn’t or the closet would’ve had nothing in it, or very little.

Would she have liked to know that everyone was perusing through her things? Did she know I was quietly assessing her items? And maybe assessing her?

When we go through estate sales, we silently assess - and maybe criticize - the items in the closet or house or wherever we’re looking. Maybe she wouldn’t have cared that we traipsed through her belongings like gorillas over a banana pile. 

I do know that I don’t want people going through my things one day and I know I don’t want to be a burden. My closet is simple and sparse, but exactly as I love it. My family can donate the few items I have when that time comes.

I’m looking at myself in the future and it looks like my closet is where I want it. That’s a relief to me, a relief to my family (they just don’t know it yet), and most importantly, I love living with a simple, carefree, and stress-free closet.

Fantastic Minimalism Books:

The More of Less, by Joshua Becker

Minimalism: Live A Meaningful Life, by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify by Francine Jay