Getting Creative about Functioning with LESS

Categories

Less =
< In my Wardrobe
< Household Products
< Processed Food
< Boxes & Stuff
< Getting More Organized

Welcome!

I am making an effort to have less clutter, less material possessions, and just less 'stuff' in general.  Although, I am grateful for the blessings and abundance that surrounds me, my goal is to make better choices about what I bring into my home and life.  My hope is that by having LESS, I  can cherish what I have and have my day-to-day routine be a bit simpler.

Last year I began the process of being aware of what I was purchasing. I would judge my emotional response to an item, and I only let myself buy or collect clothing and things that "I love", based on the advice of Tim Gunn, (someone of whom I admire and share a birthday). Tim encourages people to judge a purchase on whether it 'stirs the soul'. I decided that things had to be either functional or something I could rank high enough to fall under the category of 'soul stirring'. Over time, I had only the things around me that really meant something to me.

Now, I am taking it a step further, and I am trying to be aware and recognize the excesses all around me. I reached a point and said 'enough is enough'. I am currently trying to pare down the extraneous 'stuff' and make living with LESS attainable.

To me, living with less means:

Fewer clothes in my closet
Fewer household products
Fewer processed food in my pantry
Fewer boxes in my basement

This is a challenge to me. Especially since the clothes and things around me have all passed the rank of 'soul stirring'. But if I look at objects objectively, I can admit there are things I could deem unnecessary. It is true I may 'love' it, but do I 'need' it'? I decided I needed to change how I think about it.

Jennifer L Scott, the author of Lessons from Madame Chic - 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris, explains it well when she described her 'tipping point' (More on how her words inspire and support my goal in a later post). I reached my tipping point, and am doing something about it! Thank you, Jennifer.

It may be difficult, and I may backslide, but it is a journey. I am determined to make progress. If you feel so inspired, join me in the process to make LESS work!

Hi, I'm Ann

I am on a journey to live with less. 

Hopefully my goal will inspire my whole household to make conscious decisions about our home environment and what we REALLY need to own. 

My personal goal is to eliminate clutter, and make our surroundings creatively functional and beautiful.

We'll see where this journey takes me!