Right after I had my second child I was thrown into the swirling, fantastic, insanity-ridden vortex that is having two children. Not only was I figuring out how to nurse again, figuring out how to potty train, and figuring out how to show each precious boy my undying love for them – I was doing it all in a sea of Boppys, baby swings, newborn diapers, with wave upon wave of “YOU’RE A BIG BROTHER!!!” toys.
All a huge blessing. All left me reeling. And it all pushed me to read, with a nursing baby boy on me at all times, the best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Let me preface by saying this was not a smart decision on my part; when you’re overwhelmed and physically incapable of tidying up? You may not want to read a best-selling book on the subject. Just a thought. But post-birth hormones are a jerk and can make you feel like you have control when your life is just plain wild.
So I bought the book, poured through it and read it in about a day, and then wept about my inability to follow all the rules (minus the whole talking-to-your-stuff thing). I put it behind me, with the exception of reading a few articles here and there explaining how to fold stuff, until this past week I had a breakdown and figured it’s about dang time I put some of the steps to good use.
When Nate and I got married his uncle gave us a tiny framed quote from Henry David Thoreau, a reminder that things are not the key to life and that things require life when you have them. I’d forgotten about that until this past weekend, and in a search to find a way to stop the madness in my life I realized that we still are living in a sea of toys and stuff that are sucking the life out. I won’t call us minimalists, but the older I get the less stuff I want to have holding us back. The mental space that’s taken up trying to maintain the stuff is exhausting, and I can’t help but think about how much more life could be lived without the junk. Removing the stuff that doesn’t really spark joy means that I would be living in a home filled only with necessary items and things that create truly happy feelings. Sounds good to me!
I’m saying all of this for one reason: it’s going to be a journey. Being a working mom is a hard balance, but my goal is to take 30 minutes a day to rid our home of the things we don’t need. I think I’ll probably have to go through and do this multiple times. We will have to say no to new things. But the trade off? Man, I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like for everything have a home, to have a clutter-free home, to have the mental space to pursue more and create new things.
I can’t wait for y’all to join me! I’ll be sure to update as I can, probably sharing more on social media. Maybe with a hashtag? Any ideas for a good one? Let’s go!
Nathan & I started this about a month ago and we are already feeling a difference. Sure it makes a mess to pull everything out and go through it, but being able to let go and give the items a new lease on life (being regifted, donated, or recycled) gives such a feeling of lightness. I know I’ll never be a minimalist and have more sentimental belongings and books than Marie would but the idea of having a house filled with the things we most love is really compelling. It’s helping me part with things I’ve kept for far too long.
This is so timely! I just started reading this book a week ago motivated partly by an impending garage sale, partly by the need to baby proof everything, and partly because I’m feeling way to claustrophobic in our plenty-big-for-us-house. There’s no way I can commit to doing it quickly, but I’ve done about a half hour a day as well. So far I’ve gone through cookbooks, underwear/pjs, and skirts. I’ve already got a trash bag, a suitcase, and a large box full of stuff that’s got to go, so I’d call it a success. I already feel lighter. All that said, I’d love to start a hashtag and cheer each other on. Maybe #LightenUp #SparkJoy #GetRidofALLTHETHINGS <<<HAHAHA.
HA! I love the hashtags! Maybe #freemefrommystuffprison? No? A little too intense?!
Oh lady, I hear you! Except we’re in this awkward stage of getting our house ready to sell (read: heavy minimalizing & decluttering) and getting out all the baby boy clothes and swings and boppys again. I totally agree though – all of it takes up mental space I’d rather be using elsewhere! Excited to follow along! (This is what got us going on minimalism in the first place: a slightly more balanced look at getting rid of stuff: https://theartofsimple.net/67/)
I listened to that podcast too – so great! I don’t envy the house-selling thing – I’m hoping that by the time we try to sell our house in the future it’ll just be second nature to be minimalists!