Happy Minimalist Monday, everyone!

Thank you for all the great comments on Thursday’s post. I am grateful that many of you found comfort and companionship in me sharing my experiences with you.

Also, I  wanted to let you know that in addition to my Minimalist Monday series of posts, I am going to start a regular series of posts on living life happily single. I hope to start this coming Thursday, although depending on time, it may be a day or two later. So if you are single, know someone who is single in a world of couples, or are just interested in what my experiences have been, check  for my post later this week.

It is February 3rd, so as promised, here is the before and updated pictures of my garage. I am hoping by the end of April the garage will be totally transformed. The clear space in the middle of the floor used to hold 4 carloads of stuff taken to a nearby charity and some things that needed to be discarded. It is possible I may be able to make 4 more trips to the charity this month and still not have to tackle any hard decisions. Another month of reprieve and yet I have lightened my load by about 100 items,  amazing. 🙂

With Valentines Day right around the corner I would like to talk about the connections between what we love and living a more simplistic, Minimalist lifestyle. Our homes are reflections of ourselves and therefore a reflection of who we love and what we are passionate about in our lives.

We need some objects in our home to live safely and comfortably. I am grateful for every convenience of modern life. These objects really don’t take much space and yet can prove to be invaluable. However, For the  majority of objects in our home, it is what they represent that gives them value. When we put objects that represent what we truly love in prominent places in our homes we are better able to enjoy them on a daily basis. In addition, by taking notice of what we do not display it is becomes easier to decide what items are extra baggage and clutter for us. Most people who embrace a Minimalist lifestyle do not adhere to strict numbers of items that a person should own. If you love 1940’s Jazz music and listen to all 100 of your vintage vinyl recordings throughout the year, then 100 albums is not too many for you to own. In fact, it would be cool if your albums were a focal point in your front room or family room for everyone to enjoy! However, if you have 10 CD’s that you have not listened to since 1998, then it is possible you have 10 CD’s too many. Get the idea? 🙂

Challenge for  the week: Evaluate one room.

• Pick one room in your home and really look at it to see if it reflects who and what you love.
• Write down every object in the room.

• Put a star next to everything in the room that  represents what you truly love from photos of your family to the candy dish that belonged to your great-grandmother.
• Next put a check next to every item to which you have no real attachments but you feel is necessary in the room for function, such as a couch  or chair.
• Is there a way you can transform the objects you marked with a check into objects that reflect what you love? For example making simple pillows for the sofa with your children or refinishing the coffee table with your spouse.
•  Take a look at what is left on your list. These are items that you need to make a decision about if you would like to free up space and time for what you value and truly love in life. Do you items that belong somewhere else in the home and need to be put away? Are they items that you can take to a charity without a second thought? Some items may need to be packed in a box for 6 months in order to make a final decision later. Many of us display items  in our homes that we once loved, but over the years we grow and change, and the item no longer holds the same meaning. Even so, it may seem harsh to just donate the item on a whim, which is why the 6 months out of sight out of mind technique is  good practice before making the final decision to donate an item.
• Do you notice anything lacking in your space that you should bring into it? For example is your  beloved collection of autographed 1st edition mystery books hiding in a forgotten corner of the basement instead of in a cozy nook next to your fireplace? If something represents who you are and what you are passionate about display it for yourself and others to enjoy. It is only when you are not enjoying and using what you own that it becomes clutter.

So my Minimalist plan for February is to display what I love, look for ways to transform what I need, and donate the rest to charity. How about you? Do you have any thoughts on love and  Minimalism? I would love to hear from you.

Until next time,

Laura