the blog.
How To Minimize Your Belongings Using the KonMari Method!
I am very new to the concept of a capsule wardrobe, but am absolutely loving the experience of living with one over the last thirteen days. Just in case this is your first time hearing of it, let me explain. The idea is to reduce your wardrobe to a small, well thought out collection of pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many outfits. I first learned of this idea from the Un-Fancy blog, so I am loosely following her instructions in my capsule attempt. (By the way, If you've never been to Caroline's blog, Un-Fancy, go now. I'll wait.)
I am very new to the concept of a capsule wardrobe, but am absolutely loving the experience of living with one over the last thirteen days. Just in case this is your first time hearing of it, let me explain. The idea is to reduce your wardrobe to a small, well thought out collection of pieces that can be mixed and matched to create many outfits. I first learned of this idea from the Un-Fancy blog, so I am loosely following her instructions in my capsule attempt. (By the way, If you've never been to Caroline's blog, Un-Fancy, go now. I'll wait.)
Back? Great! Let's continue...
Before choosing any items for my capsule wardrobe I wanted to go through all of my clothing and discard about 50%, minimum. I was inspired by reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
If you haven't read this yet, you should. It's allowed me to finally get rid of things I've been carting around for years. If you're interested, read my review of the book here!
Using the method described in Kondo's book, I met my goal and allocated approximately 50% of my belongings to be donated, sold, or thrown out. With a newly halved closet, it was time to try my hand at capsuling (probably not a word, but I'm using it anyway.) I tried to look at my remaining clothing objectively, as if I were looking at items in a store and not my clothes with their multitudes of associations and sentimental connections. I wanted to create a minimal wardrobe of clothing that was comfortable, fashionable, versatile, and suited my body. Interested in the result? Go check out my Fall Capsule Wardrobe!
But how exactly did I minimize my clothing 50%? And what about all of the other crap that always seems to gather in my house?
Here is a recap of the KonMari method summary I wrote for my post: Living With Less: A Review of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up & How To Declutter the KonMari Way! in a super pretty and pin-able graphic! (You're welcome.)
Just like Marie suggested, I began with clothing and continued from there. I came across this book at the perfect time, just before I moved into a new house and got all of my things out of a storage container! As I unpacked I sorted into categories, and then I went through one category at a time. It was glorious: I sorted and discarded before I ever put one item away in my new home! I realize that not all of you will be lucky enough to have a move coincide with your desire to declutter, and that you may even see that as undesirable (since you need to transport all of the items you'll just be discarding when you get to your destination), so I suggest choosing the room with the most open floor area and making that your sorting room for the next couple of days. Let your family know what you're doing, and assure them the mess won't last long!
Putting Your Belongings Away
Once you've discarded, how do you organize? Marie has a whole host of awesome tips and tricks in her book, but the following are my favourites!
And there you have it, the simple ways you can minimize and organize your belongings for good. Are you going to pick up Marie's book and give it a read? It just might change your life!
Until next time,
ave you used the KonMari method? Tell me about it in the comments!
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Living With Less: A Review of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up & How To Declutter the KonMari Way!
Hello and welcome to instalment number one of my Living With Less series! Today I’m tackling the first step in anyone’s minimalism journey, decluttering, with the help of the KonMari method. This method was developed by Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and an absolute genius. I’m going to give you a summary and review of the book and outline the simple steps you can take to rid your life of clutter for good!
Hello and welcome to instalment number one of my Living With Less series! Today I’m tackling the first step in anyone’s minimalism journey, decluttering, with the help of the KonMari method. This method was developed by Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (and an absolute genius.) I’m going to give you a summary and review of the book and outline the simple steps you can take to rid your life of clutter for good!
(This post contains affiliate links.)
Marie Kondo is an organizing consultant and author from Japan. She has a wonderful no-nonsense approach that really appeals to me, and is extremely likeable. Marie explains why most people are suffering under the weight of their belongings and how to free yourself from clutter. The book is easy to read and understand, and incredibly engaging. I read it from cover to cover in a couple of days and was immediately itching to declutter! This book is such an inspiring read; I’m not surprised that it’s amassed such a large following!
The book begins by shedding light on the common problems with organizing and decluttering that the majority of us share. She then goes on to explain her method of organization and why it works. Next comes an in depth guide to decluttering your home from top to bottom and storing those precious items you decide to keep.
Marie's method is a breath of fresh air which focuses on the joy special possessions can bring rather than the need for acquisition or holding on to useless items "just in case". She demands perfection, which is kind of wonderful in a world full of unnecessary moderation, yet understands that her clients and her readers are only human, and that some things just mean so much to us on a sentimental level that they belong in our lives. She also believes that tidying should happen only once, not everyday. This is wonderful news for all of us busy people who want to do it all at once and be done for good!
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to absolutely anyone. Click on the book cover to buy it on amazon and get started on your minimalism journey with me! (Friendly Disclaimer: This is an affiliate link. There is no extra cost for you, but the small commission I receive if you purchase through my link helps me keep this site up and running!)
Read on to learn how to declutter using the the KonMari method!
How To Declutter Your Life, the KonMari Way!
ONE Dress up for the event. One of Marie's main beliefs is that tidying should be a special event, not a daily chore. And don't we usually dress up for special events? Don't do all of your tidying in sweatpants; through on a smart blazer or a pretty dress and give tidying the respect it deserves!
TWO Tidy all at once. I'll say it again, just because it's such a revolutionary thought! Marie asserts that tidying should be a one time event not a daily chore! Clear your schedule so that you can do it once and do it right.
THREE Discard by category, not location. Don't tidy your kitchen, then the bedroom, and so on. Marie has learned the optimal method of decluttering from trial and error and her extensive experience. Go category by category, and in the order she outlines in the book:
- Clothing;
- Books;
- Papers;
- Miscellaneous items, and;
- Sentimental items.
FOUR Put everything on the floor. One category at a time, go around the house and grab every item then put it in one big pile on the floor. Not only does this ensure that you don't forget or miss anything, but it shows you just how much you actually own; a pretty sobering realization!
FIVE Hold each and every item. Pick up each belonging, one at a time, and ask yourself "Does this spark joy?" If yes, keep it. If not, put it in the donate or sell pile!
SIX Focus. Don't play music or watch TV while you sort. This is an important task that deserves 100% of your focus!
SEVEN Discard all, then organize. Resist the urge to put things away as you go. Marie says it's important to go through each category and discard before organizing what you've decided to keep.
EIGHT Thank your belongings for their service. This one can seem a bit bizarre, but is quite nice when you think about it. Marie suggests that you take a moment to thank the items you are discarding for their service. Even if you are only thanking them for teaching you what you don't like, she says you should find a reason to be thankful for the time they spent in your possession.
This is just a summary of Marie's advice. Go read the book to get the full benefit of her method and to hear all of the principles right from the horse's mouth!
I hope I've inspired at least one of you to explore the KonMari method and bring it into your life. It has only been a month and a bit since I applied these principles in my own home, and while I'm still a bit of a work in progress, I'm noticing incredible benefits! Remember that I will be posting a new Living with Less post each and every Tuesday for the foreseeable future. Don't forget to check in on the blog every week or subscribe to the Plant Based Bride newsletter (you'll find the form at the bottom of this page) for updates right to your inbox!
Until next time,
Have you read Marie's book? I'd love to hear your review in the comments below!
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Living With Less: The Series! Beginning My Minimalism Journey
This past year has been an incredible one. I met Jason, worked on a cruise ship for 6 months doing what I love, got engaged, visited 6 new countries and countless new cities, and did quite a bit of learning and growing on a personal level. 180+ nights at sea in a row really give you time to soul-search and contemplate your life's direction. It also requires you to pack your whole life up into two large, very overstuffed, suitcases. As you might have gathered, my minimalism journey began a bit against my will. But something incredible happened when I was packing up my cabin to return home: I realized I could have lived with even less than two suitcases worth for those 6 months. That I could have lived on FAR less. Maybe for some of you that doesn't seem like anything earth-shattering, but for me? That was a big deal! I've always had trouble letting go of things as I'm very sentimental yet practical (meaning I love the memories attached to material goods as much as their possible utility later on), so this realization surprised me. I lived out of two suitcases, a backpack, and a tiny guitar case for 6 months? And I could have done without almost half of what I brought? Me??
This past year has been an incredible one. I met Jason, worked on a cruise ship for 6 months doing what I love, got engaged, visited 6 new countries and countless new cities, and did quite a bit of learning and growing on a personal level. 180+ nights at sea in a row really give you time to soul-search and contemplate your life's direction. It also requires you to pack your whole life up into two large, very overstuffed, suitcases. As you might have gathered, my minimalism journey began a bit against my will. But something incredible happened when I was packing up my cabin to return home: I realized I could have lived with even less than two suitcases worth for those 6 months. That I could have lived on FAR less. Maybe for some of you that doesn't seem like anything earth-shattering, but for me? That was a big deal! I've always had trouble letting go of things as I'm very sentimental yet practical (meaning I love the memories attached to material goods as much as their possible utility later on), so this realization surprised me. I lived out of two suitcases, a backpack, and a tiny guitar case for 6 months? And I could have done without almost half of what I brought? Me??
Shortly after I had arrived home to Toronto (and gotten engaged!!) it was time to pack again, this time for a month-long trip to Costa Rica with my new fiancé! This time, packing was much easier. We packed everything each of use needed in one of my two suitcases from the cruise, a small carry-on size bag, two backpacks, and two guitar case. And guess what? When we were packing to come home after our glorious vacation I had a familiar realization. I could have easily lived on less during that month. Easily. you'd think at this point I wouldn't be surprised, but I was shocked all over again. Maybe minimalism as a lifestyle wasn't as crazy as I'd once thought?
Jason has been a great support through all of these revelations, and a bit amused. He gave away and sold most of his belongings a couple years ago until everything he owned fit into 2 rubbermaid tubs, a backpack, and ten guitar cases (there are just a couple more guitar cases now...). His reasonable minimalism, which he talks about in terms of ridding himself of "life anchors", planted the seed when we first met. But I always thought that while living without life anchors was all well and good for him, I could NEVER just get rid of all my stuff. I was so, so wrong!
This shift in my thinking, and the actions it lead me to take, has inspired me to create a brand new series on the blog: Living With Less! This will be made up of weekly posts on the topic of minimalism every Tuesday on the blog for the next couple of months. I am so excited to share what I've learned with you and hopefully inspire you to give minimalism a try!
Are you interested in Jason's take on minimalism and life anchors? Let me know in the comments below! Maybe he'll be kind enough to write a guest post for the series! :)
Keep reading to get a preview of what's to come for the reminder of 2015!
Decluttering.
This new way of thinking was a big step for me, but still just in my head. That's where Marie Kondo comes in.
I don't know when I first heard about this book, or how I was reminded at just the right time, but I purchased a copy and read it cover to cover in a day and a half.
The day after I finished reading I got started, and I haven't looked back since!
Look forward to my upcoming post on decluttering, the Marie Kondo way (and a book review)!
Organizing.
The next step after decluttering all of my things was organizing what was left. I wanted to find a place for every belonging so that I wouldn't have to spend any more of my precious time looking for misplaced things. At one point I was losing items daily and the amount of stress it was causing was astronomical! Once my physical belongings were starting to shape up, I moved on to my digital life. Documents, pictures, music, email; I sorted it all. I also devised a backup system so that I would never have to worry about lost data again, with valuable help from Jason! Look forward to a post on organizing your physical things and a post on organizing you digital life explaining all of the techniques I used to sort out my life!
Capsule wardrobe.
This one is probably the aspect of the minimalism lifestyle that excites me the most. I have always been the one with a humongous closet and nothing to wear. I spent quite a few years as a shopaholic, but still struggled with getting dressed every single morning. I first heard about capsule wardrobes a few years ago, when project 333 became popular. I thought about doing it, but didn't believe I was capable of reducing my wardrobe so drastically. Then, a couple of months ago, I found Un-Fancy, and it changed everything! Caroline made starting a capsule wardrobe sound so easy, and so awesome, that I immediately wanted to do it. I made a quasi-capsule wardrobe for summer as a bit of a trial and really enjoyed the simplicity it was bringing to my life. Now that a new season is around the corner, I am SO excited to be going full bore into creating a fall capsule wardrobe to wear from October to December! I'm going to be writing a post on how to create a capsule wardrobe and a post showing you what I chose for my very first capsule collection for the beginning of October so that you can give it a try in fall along with me, if you like!
In the meantime, check out my Capsule Wardrobe inspiration board on Pinterest!
Buying less and more consciously.
The final step for me at the beginning of this minimalism journey has to be buying less things and being more intentional about the things that I do purchase. I have been working on this for years, but am now really taking the time to focus on strategies to help me reduce the number of things I bring into my home and being hyper aware of what those things are (how they're made, by whom, and with what). Look out for a post on how to buy less and, one I'm VERY excited about, a shopping guide for the conscious vegan!
I hope you are as excited about my Living With Less series as I am and will come back for each instalment! If you have any suggestions on topics I should cover, or questions, or personal experiences, please share them with me in the comments or on social media! I love hearing from my readers and want to provide content that you enjoy and find valuable.
Until next time,
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