Simplicity and Your Home
This first step to simplification involves clearing out your own personal stuff, home, car, job front and odds and ends. Odds and ends can be anywhere from where and how to shop all the way to how you choose to spend your quality time.
You may even include decisions about family vacations and whether or not to participate at holiday time. This last bit of simplification may take some getting used to for family and friends. They will soon learn to understand, appreciate, as well as, respect your decisions.
Start out by clearing out your entire home of UNWANTED possessions. Divide your stuff into three separate piles: THROW OUT, DONATE and KEEP. Be cautious with that KEEP pile; if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it.
CLOSETS:
Go through your own closet and clear out clothes you haven’t worn in a long time. This also includes shoes, handbags, hats etc -do the same with your kids or other family members. Have your kids share in this responsibility. Hopefully you’ll be able to donate all items to those in need.
I do this clearing out twice a year. Once right before school starts and once at the beginning of summer. I have a clear rule that applies to all: With something new, something old must go. Don’t forget your drawers as well.
MEDICINE CABINETS:
Clear and update your medicine cabinet at least once a year. This is especially important if you have children. Try to keep only very basic medications. I keep aspirin and honey with some baking soda for the adults and fever reducer for the kids.
I always try to treat with healthy homemade recipes first. Always keep your medications and vitamins out of the reach of little ones. Even an overdose of an iron vitamin can be fatal to very young ones.
KITCHEN DRAWERS AND PANTRY:
Keep in the kitchen only what you and your family need. You can donate a lot of your kitchen gadgets as well.
Try to keep items that are multipurpose. Keeping plates, cups and utensils to a minimum will in turn prompt you to keep your sink free and clear of dishes.
Scale down on your spice rack. Try purchasing spices that are all purpose as well.
The same goes for cleaning supplies and dish liquid. Automatic dish liquid contains phosphates; which is not only extremely unhealthy to your nasal passages, but is really harmful to the environment. And yes, your electric bill can go up to as much as $60.00 by using your dishwasher.
I use an all purpose non-toxic spray cleaner for the whole house.
Your pantry should contain basic starters such as for soups, canned foods for emergencies and maybe even water, grains, canned or dried milk, etc for foods that will stay fresh and dry. Purchasing these in bulk will save you money and time in the long run.
Once you’ve cleared out cabinet and drawer space, you will most likely have more counter space to really be able to enjoy your kitchen. And don’t forget, if you have children, arranging foods and drinks safely and with easy access will give the children a sense of independence and free you up for important things.
The kitchen has always been my favorite room in the house. Oh, and don’t forget to clean out your refrigerator and ice- box as well! Over filling your ice- box can cause your energy bill to rise as well.
You get the idea…do this clearing out in every room and hidden space in your home including garage, attic, basement, washroom and even your storage unit if you have one. This is so important as many people pay monthly to keep stuff they never use in storage. Get rid of your storage unit and sell the stuff. Keep only what’s absolutely necessary and store it in neat containers in your own home for free…I did.
Not only did we close down our $80.00 a month storage space; we ended up making hundreds of dollars on items other people wanted. The stuff we did decide to keep is now stored in neat plastic containers which I’ve covered with a pretty cotton blanket and use it under my bedroom window as a table.
All of this home simplification will with no doubt lead you to releasing yourself from unnecessary items that take your money and time. For example: once you clear out your bathroom cabinets you may want to reduce your beauty and hygiene rituals to a bare minimum. Use a simple bath soap and shampoo. Avoid tons of hair products, face products and those for body. It used to take me an hour to get ready.
Now, I shower and maybe apply some all in one face and body lotion and move on, some underarm deodorant if I feel in the mood and I’m done- ready to get going with what’s really important in my life. One big step for women is getting rid or at least toning down the make-up. I feel so free and beautiful now. I don’t need make-up all the time for my sense of freedom and happiness shine through!
After you have cleared out your own personal home stuff as well as household stuff, it is now time to go outside those boundaries and clear out your car. After this you may want to clean out the area where you work or your office if you work outside your home.
You will see how much more productive you will be and happier doing it.
The last bit is odds and ends. This is really different for everyone. You may want to start by getting rid of unnecessary rituals such as birthdays or anniversaries. Maybe you might want to do such gatherings every other year.
Choose how you want to spend your quality time with your family rather than feeling you have to do the same thing year in year out. Maybe you could go away for a specific holiday and enjoy doing what you really want to do rather than what you feel you have to do. Your family and friends will deserve an explanation of your choices to change and I’m sure if they really love you they will understand.
There is a sense of liberation in not keeping up with what everyone else does on certain days of the year. Who says I can’t go on a Bahamian retreat at Christmas time?!
UNNECESSARY POSSESSIONS ARE UNNECESSARY BURDENS. MANY LIVES ARE CLUTTERED NOT ONLYWITH UNNECESSARY POSSESSIONS BUT ALSO WITH MEANINGLESS ACTIVITIES. CLUTTERED LIVES ARE OUT-OF-HARMONY LIVES AND REQUIRE SIMPLIFICATION. WANTS AND NEEDS CAN BECOME THE SAME IN A HUMAN LIFE AND, WHEN THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED, THERE WILL BE A SENSE OF HARMONY BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER WELL-BEING. SUCH HARMONY IS NEEDFUL NOT ONLY IN THE INDIVIDUAL LIFE BUT IN THE COLLECTIVE LIFE TOO.
From: STEPS TOWARD INNER PEACE
By: Peace Pilgrim 1908-1981 **The authors of this site are neither licensed physicians nor scientists; we simply provide a space where hard to find information is free for the gathering. Use common sense when implementing any of our suggestions or those of your fellow reader. **
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**The authors of this site are neither licensed physicians nor scientists; we simply provide a space where hard to find information is free for the gathering. Use common sense when implementing any of our suggestions or those of your fellow reader. **