 Seven months ago, my family and I moved. In many ways, when compared to our last move in July 2013, this recent move was uneventful and insignificant. I mean, we barely moved 2 miles. Nothing really changed except our four walls...same schools, same friends, same grocery store. And this time around I was wiser. After all, I’d used the Konmari Method in my entire home. I was prepared and organized like never before. Right? Well, maybe not so much:-) If you’ve ever moved, you know that regardless of the distance...moving is an enormous endeavor! It’s truly like a fairy-tale giant lifts up your house and dumps the entire contents out inside your new digs. It’s not pretty. It’s not easy, but sometimes, it’s necessary.  We currently rent and our lease was up. The right house appeared at just the right time and we were excited for it to become our next home. So, we began packing. And purging. And packing some more. In the end, the packing was way easier than with our move across the country. We had much less stuff this time around. The things being packed were items we truly loved and used. At least most of them:-) Since we moved, I've received many requests to do a House Tour video. I kept putting it off for various reasons...we weren't settled, we were so busy, it wasn't properly decorated, everything wasn't super clean...the list goes on and on. For months, I've been working on something I'm really excited about. I'll share more info next week... but in order to work on the project, I needed more space on my phone. As I deleted photos and videos, I came across the moving clips and decided it's finally time to share them and a house video, too. Thanks for your patience. As I walked though our home with my camera, I felt relieved that I own less stuff than I have in the past. I also became inspired to make some changes based on what I've learned over the past 7 months. Here’s where I am today... I still keep too much. I can now see the areas where I continue to save things “for later” or “just in case”. There is such clarity in hindsight. When I watch the moving video below, I’m reminded how far I’ve come. And I also know I’m not finished yet. My journey towards simplification and a more minimal lifestyle has been evolving for years. It’s only in looking back that I realize I’ve actually made great strides in paring down and eliminating. Most importantly, I realize that I am truly happier when I have less stuff. My life feels richer and more full when I have less clutter, less mess and less stuff. I couldn’t find peace in the midst of all the junk! Now my mind is more relaxed and I am finally able to feel real joy. All of this sounds trite and cliche even as I type it...but it is the absolute truth. Note: I think these videos feel kind of long with no talking. Apologies. My top video guy wasn't available;-( and I was left to my own editing abilities...which are poor:-) Hoping you find some inspiration from them! The light bulb is on! I finally understand what all of the minimalism and simplicity pioneers were so excited about! There is an indescribable delight and a true peace that comes from intentionally surrounding yourself with fewer belongings. Keeping up with your neighbors isn't easy... and it certainly isn't healthy or necessary! I’m aware that it's early in my journey. I have lots to learn about living with less, but I am so ready. I plan to explore the beauty of living with less right here. I really hope you’ll join me. If you don’t already receive weekly updates...now’s the time! Don’t miss what’s next… Sign up here! The season is officially about to change. Autumn is just around the corner. Is your wardrobe ready? I have a plan….stay tuned. I’m going to be sharing some big news in a few days. I’d love to hear how you create a simple life. I believe we can all learn from each other. Please share below… Xo Kristen
9 Comments
Kristin S
9/9/2016 05:20:43 am
I love seeing your new house! Congratulations... it looks beautiful! Hope you make many happy memories there. xo
Gina Simpson
9/9/2016 06:38:22 am
Looks great!
Denise Marie
9/9/2016 07:16:35 am
To simply our lives, we're down to six pets --- cats. We used to foster them, which was fun, but we always ended up keeping one! The most recent fella came to us; he was a stray kitten wandering in our yard. We know now that we are done with looking for more pets. Unless a stray dog happenstance in our yard, we are on hold for more fur in our home because they are lots of work and lots of money. It's all about knowing our limits! :D
Kandace Steadman
9/9/2016 08:44:10 am
Thanks for sharing. Your home is lovely.
Kandace Steadman
9/9/2016 04:52:53 pm
I think one of the reasons that I get caught between the "spark joy" of Marie Kondo and minimalism is that a lot of the things I want to get rid of have monetary value. I've sold some at yard sales and consignment stores but am still stuck with stuff that I just can't seem to throw away or take to a thrift store. However, I am realizing that there I people I know who would like the stuff that's nice. I've given a pair of silver and white turquoise earrings to a friend, a great pantsuit to my sister, vintage magazines to an artist who does collage work, donated two boxes of art books to a local art school, gave a painting done by my aunt back to one of her kids, and I'm ready to give an heirloom bed frame to my niece. It takes longer to declutter this way, but knowing that items have gone to a welcome home does bring me joy.
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