Welp, looks déjà vu all over again: You humans — at least in Western Pennsylvania — have six more weeks of #winter to cope with. Take advantage of that #indoor time to #chuck some of that #stuff you don’t need like I would wood! I’m a minimalist — I often dig multiple chambers and only furnish and use one or two, but it keeps me and the forest above healthy. Try to limit the visible items in each room to the things you use there every day, and #store anything else out of sight. In the process, you can eliminate and #donate the things you don’t need or want to ClothingDonations.org. Many thanks to the Organizing Blog for letting me guest this week. Now it’s back to bed for another month or so — Punxsutawney Phil, signing off!
Tag: minimalist
Revisiting Hygge’s Warm Minimalism
Now that you’ve put away the #holiday decorations (#decluttering and #organizing along the way, of course), it’s time to settle in for the remainder of winter’s cold, dark nights. But to do so cheerfully in #minimalist comfort and style, you’ll want to revisit the concept of #hygge.
Hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”) is a Scandinavian concept that celebrates warm and welcoming indoor living — likely a compensating response to the region’s long winter nights. The term appears to derive from an Old Norse word meaning “protected from the outside world.”
While the outside world is less of a concern this year now that the spread of COVID is mostly controlled, hygge reflects values of equality, positivity and well-being. But it is an introverted practice that encourages “practitioners to shelter, cluster and enclose,” says Denmark.dk.
Being a hygge acolyte is easy: You just need to embrace things that signify warmth and comfort. A cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate; a roaring fire or some candles; and cozy slippers, blankets or sweaters are a few essentials.
What you won’t need is a lot of #clutter, because hygge is a practice that embraces simplicity. You’ll want to strip your space down to its simplest furnishings and neutral colors, and avoid the mental clutter brought on by too many screens and a cacophony of loud noises.
Hygge is more than hibernating — it’s making peace with the weather (something you can’t control) and embracing the simple joys of home, family and surroundings. And if you find that your surroundings are too chaotic to support such well-being, now’s the time to make a change.
Make a single hygge space — a nook, seating area or room where clutter and chaos won’t intrude. Strip it down to the bare essentials, getting rid of anything that doesn’t contribute directly to your feelings of warmth and well-being.
You can donate any lightly used items that don’t fit the new style to ClothingDonations.org by arranging a #donation #pickup. You can also find nice blankets, sweaters and other cozy hygge goods at the thrift stores supplied by your donations and help veterans in the process
Embrace the newfound calm and enjoy the winter from your cozy confines!
Pack Minimalist to Speed Your Airport Visit
#Minimalist travelers know that when you pack light, you can skip the check-in and baggage-claim lines and be ready to roll as soon as the jetway doors open. To get everything you’ll need into a single, regulation-size carry-on bag, pack clothing that you can mix and match for multiple wears and limit your shoes to the ones you have on, TravelHackit says. Use vacuum-seal compression bags to make the most of the space you have. And finally, don’t pack toiletries and other items that you’ll be able to buy at your final destination — or at least pack only one or two days’ supply. #SummerTravel
Help Mom Be More Minimalist
Moms — everyone has one. And this Sunday is the day many among us will celebrate them. You might do that by taking her out to brunch, giving her a day off, flowers, cards or a call.
There’s another option that can help you show you care, however, in combination with one or more of those classic options or separately throughout the year: Help Mom be more minimalist.
No two moms are alike, of course; some are packrats with closets full of clothes and big collections of tchotchkes and gewgaws; some are spartan neat-freaks. Wherever yours fits on that spectrum, she needs help managing and organizing her #stuff.
We at The Organizing Blog were fortunate to have moms who kept everything #neat and #tidy, never allowing unwanted or unused #junk to pile up. But there was nothing they liked more than a little help with their household tasks.
If your mom is getting older, it’s more urgent for you to help her #downsize. There may be many things that are easy to let go, says Aging Outreach Services, but handle sentimental items with care.
If a move to a smaller space is imminent, make an action plan to eliminate everything but the essentials, room by room. Recruit family members and friends to make a day out of a decluttering effort. And most importantly, be patient.
Repeat the process as often as as necessary to get Mom to a refreshed, #decluttered place. It might even be something you can bond over — especially if you have a #garage sale that helps fund a dinner out or a spa day.
Remember, you can schedule as many free #donation #pickups as you want at ClothingDonations.org to get any extra clothing or unused household goods out of Mom’s sight as quickly as possible.
Helping #Mom #declutter is a Mother’s Day gift that keeps on giving. Not only will she appreciate having a cleaner, more organized space, but both of you will cherish the time you spend together.