Treasures from Trash
August 29th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I’ve spent a good portion of the last few weeks on Fake-Cation. I use my own variant, fake-cation, instead of more recently mainstream, accepted and twee staycation (or its dozens of spawns), because while I was mostly local, I ended u
p working and pitching, thereby making it more faux time off than fabulous escape. That burst of activity coupled with earthquakes and hurricanes and a rumored tornado (oh my) made my time off more eventful than restful.
And yet here I am refreshed and ready for big things this autumn. I should clarify, big good things this autumn. I could do without additional drama.
But on to the real thought of the day. Sometimes when you’re clearing things out you may discover a treasured object or something lost long ago. It doesn’t have to be buried treasure- sometimes a misplaced earring or bottle of shampoo makes you rethink your purchasing habits of the last few months. Instead of regret, per se, you might be filled with a memory of a purchasing things that worked for you instead of the ones most heavily advertised or highly priced. In these instances, it can encourage you to also start buying based not only on need or price- but based on quality, consistency and reliability.
So much more fun to have one that you love instead of eleven that fill you with post buyer’s remorse shame.
Clearing Out The Junk….Food
July 8th, 2011 § 1 Comment
At a recent visit to the doctor I discovered that I had perfect blood pressure – fairly shocking after the year I’ve been through. A friend asked me to what I attribute this fact, since we’d both shared woes of the specter of a fine family tradition of high blood pressure. “Well”, I said proudly, “Do you remember a few years back when I stopped eating junk food? Since then, I eat healthily, avoid salt or cooking with salt, walk as much as I can…” and then I stopped. Because that wasn’t entirely true.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Though I avoid meat, cook without or avoid salt when I can, avoid food with preservatives when I can and really do try to walk everywhere, I’ve found that junk food has found a sneaky way of sneaking back into my life. I did a quick mental tally of the last few weeks – from the rushed sandwich while on the go, to upheaval that could only be solved with a lot of teeth grinding and Pringles, I’ve become increasingly reliant on food better classified as junk.
Well that’s gonna stop too.
As I clear out the clutter from my life, I’m once again going to become more mindful of the junk I randomly ingest. As I treat my living space better and empty out the things that are distracting or no longer welcome, I’ll apply the same principle to my ultimate living, breathing space and vow to treat it a lot better. To that end, I’m going to be even more vigilant about what I eat and how much of it.
Here are some guidelines that have worked for me in the past:
1. I will try to prepare or cook the majority of the food that I eat
2. I will try to eat fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables when possible
3. I will avoid overly processed, salted or mass market produced foods.
4. I will not add salt to food when cooking, and try to avoid adding salt when eating it
5. Junk food is not my friend. It probably isn’t yours either. So while fries are an infrequent treat, I’m going to try to avoid them and their kin altogether. Pringles- consider yourself warned.
6. Whole Foods prepared foods, etc. are better options, but not the best option.
(And I’m going to update The Conflicted Minimalist Manifesto right now!)
Garbage In, Garbage Out
July 6th, 2011 § 4 Comments
Way back in my geeky web 1.o days, when I worked on Silicon Alley and did things like programming one of the world’s first online radio networks*, an acronym frequently bandied about was GIGO or Garbage In Garbage Out. Loosely translated it touched on a computer’s ability to spew out massive amounts of nonsensical information based on the quality of data it was fed. Well, something like that.
Image via Wikipedia
In striving for a more minimalist existence, I find myself by turns challenging or embracing the notion of GIGO.
I marvel at some of the objects I’ve accumulated over the years and find myself wondering if it was garbage to begin with, did it become less meaningful over time, or as my aesthetic changed, could my perceptions have changed as well?
Then again, I’m likely over thinking the matter. If it doesn’t feel significant to me now, it’s probably best labeled as garbage and then quickly removed from my apartment before I have declutterer’s remorse.
Oh, and if you have time to daydream today, be sure to visit Upstater for a swoony view of Upstate NY real estate.
*Would I lie to you?
Declare Your Independence
July 1st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
This weekend we celebrate the signing of one of the greatest documents in history- The Declaration of Independence which severed the American colonies’ ties with Great Britain. Fast forward 200+ years and and we’re displaying all the hallmarks of a modern relationship. Not only are we best friends with our ex, but celebrating the nuptials of its crowned progeny and eagerly awaiting his visit to our Canadian cousins.
Image via Wikipedia
Real life tends to be messier, and on the most basic level, break-ups, be it with a former friend or significant other, can seem like the ultimate in gut wrenching decluttering. Clearing out a person from your life who doesn’t suit you body and soul (or perhaps only body but not quite soul), or a subversive not supportive friend and declaring yourself independent comes with a lot of potential pitfalls, but also the potential for inner peace.
Bad friendships and relationships can drag you down much in the way that a too cluttered space can prevent you from thinking or acting in the way that you wish. Hard as it may be, there are times when you have to clear through your roster of friends or significant others and decide who’s got to go.
While frenemies have become something of a societal norm, I choose to let them go. I understand the notion of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, but I can’t think of a single reason why I’d want to keep someone like that around.
A vampire friend who sucks the life out of you? Gone.
The childhood friend who seems to appear only in times of need? She’s out of here too.
The wishy-washy boyfriend who seems only concerned with his own needs? A no brainer- time to break up.
Sometimes the most freeing thing you can do is clear out your phonebook.
Clearing Out the Mental Clutter
June 27th, 2011 § 4 Comments
A year ago today was one of the worst days of my life, following the worst week of my life. As a nod to not tempting or encouraging fate though, I’ll expand to include it in the top five worst days of my life.
Image by spengy via Flickr
To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I did a whole lot of relaxing over the weekend and planned on spending today indulgently, engaged in pampering activities and a spot of retail therapy (which according to a spate of recent articles actually is therapeutic- go figure).
Instead I woke this morning with a jolt and an undefined pit in my stomach at the uncivilized hour of 4:08 a.m. I couldn’t swear to it, but if I were a betting woman I’d say that was the exact time that I awoke with a similar sense of dread exactly 365 days ago.
I won’t expand on the drama, though I might fill you in on the details at some point. After tossing and turning followed by a moment of perfect clarity and melancholy memories, I wondered when that feeling would fade. While I’m sure this day will always be meaningful, I doubt that I’ll be as emotional next year at this time. What I’d like to do without most though, is the punch in the gut via memory.
Which leads me to my next thought.
A lot of the physical clutter that I struggle with started insinuating itself into my life last year at this time, when I was too distracted and physically unable to clear it away. It became a vicious cycle and ongoing annoyance and as the physical aspects became overwhelming, the mental clutter became more burdensome.
My point being, when life throws too much in your direction throw some of it out. It will give you a sense of control even during a time when you feel as though you’ve lost all control.
My other point being, memories serve a purpose, reminding us of both good or horrendous, but when bad memories take over the present, it’s high time to clear them away and make room for new, good memories to form. I remember reading a study which suggested that for major occasions a positive life experience anything from a concert to a vacation, was a better investment than the physical – say a new necklace. The premise being, that you could enjoy the experience more in your memories as they changed and you recounted or remembered fun elements of that particular experience.
I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready to clear out the bad memories and bring on the fun!
The Minimalist Blogger+ A Sharpie
June 23rd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
It’s shiny. It’s new. It’s a blog about paring down my possessions and yet I have to fight the urge to populate it with too many posts discussing my too many things. So I shall resist.
Image via Wikipedia
The internet and blogosphere is overly crowded with too many incomplete thoughts, ideas and subcultures. While we all want to have our say, too many of us tend to express this in a disorganized if not completely chaotic or incoherent manner. For that reason, I’m going to try to post twice weekly only, or when I have a breakthrough or setback that’s interesting enough to warrant a post. Then again, I tend to get swamped with last minute projects, so you might find me disappearing for weeks or months at a time as well.
Which leads me to my next thought on a pared down life- balance. Neither too crowded in, nor too exposed, but a healthy mix of memories, inspiration and beauty.
Last night’s efforts included sifting through old paperwork. Tip for the day- if there is only a minimal amount of crucial information, consider blacking out the sensitive bits with a Sharpie before recycling. You’ll save time and energy on shredding.
The First Setback
June 22nd, 2011 § 2 Comments
My sister likes to use an old Yiddish saying that means something to the effect of- the first fight is the best fight. In other words, you show the other person what you’re made of- if it means that you don’t back down or are willing to compromise, it’s that first real fight that sets the stage for future discord. Only it’s a lot harder to fight your own nature or inclinations.
Image via Wikipedia
After a public announcement of the need to divest myself of all of the extras, I realize that it isn’t a one time clean up I’m after, but rather a chipping away of a lifetime’s worth of bad habits. Whether brought on by a love of beauty or the American shopping ideal, I’ve become slightly overwhelmed by the things that surround me on a daily basis. And now that I want to pare it all down, I have to decide where to begin. Is is the kitchen, the room I’ve affectionately nicknamed ‘the prize closet?’ or is it the half of my bedroom that doubles as a somewhat dusty gym (complete with a six foot tall Bowflex)? Do I rework my space to suit my aesthetic, or strip it all down and start from scratch? Your guess is as good as mine.
If I had my druthers, I’d magically migrate to a pristine Eichler house with enough space so that my thoughts don’t crowd in on me. Realistically though, until I’m ready to follow that dream, I need to tailor my living space as well as my head space.
So round one Rachel-0 Bad Habits-1
(and here’s what I dream about)
Clutter Free, Me?
June 19th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
If you know me, you know that Modernism and all that it represents is my ideal. Sleek wide open spaces with lots of room to breathe and not too many tchotchkes.
Image by dreaming_of_rivers via Flickr
If you really know me, you’d know that I collect paintings, knickknacks and other charming collectables and ephemera from my work and travels. Also makeup. Also shoes. Also earrings. And the list goes on. I also live in New York, where space doesn’t mean much and location is everything. Only it’s getting harder for me to locate everything in all of the clutter. Okay, not really, but my Zen ideal has me feeling like I’m a hoarder lite.
So here’s the plan. I want to de-clutter both my space and my mind. I want to divest myself of at least 50% of my belongings and not regret any of it. I want not to worry about old bills, old love letters or old jackets that may or may not ever come back in style. I want to own things that I love and not feel like my belongings own me.
Or at least that’s the plan.
