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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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The Ultimate Wedding Planning Timeline!
This week Jason and I celebrated our one year anniversary, which means we're now less than a year away from our wedding! While this makes me incredibly excited (I might have squealed for a second...) it also makes me more than a bit nervous. Only a year until our wedding?? How could we possibly get everything done? What needs to be tackled first? What do I do?? But luckily, being the organized bride-to-be that I am, I'd already compiled a list of tasks to get done before the wedding a couple of weeks after our engagement. Once I'd listed everything that came to mind I headed to Pinterest and searched for "wedding planning timeline". I then proceeded to repin every search result and add anything I'd missed to my list. By the end of a couple of hours I had a pretty comprehensive list, and I realized that other engaged couples may benefit from it! So here it is, the ultimate wedding planning timeline to keep you organized right up until your big day!
This week Jason and I celebrated our one year anniversary, which means we're now less than a year away from our wedding! While this makes me incredibly excited (I might have squealed for a second...) it also makes me more than a bit nervous. Only a year until our wedding?? How could we possibly get everything done? What needs to be tackled first? What do I do?? But luckily, being the organized bride-to-be that I am, I'd already compiled a list of tasks to get done before the wedding a couple of weeks after our engagement. Once I'd listed everything that came to mind I headed to Pinterest and searched for "wedding planning timeline". I then proceeded to repin every search result and add anything I'd missed to my list. By the end of a couple of hours I had a pretty comprehensive list, and I realized that other engaged couples may benefit from it! So here it is, the ultimate wedding planning timeline to keep you organized right up until your big day!
Without further ado, here's the ultimate wedding planning timeline! Pin it to your wedding board on Pinterest to refer to as you plan your big day!
Jason and I have almost completed the 12+ months before checklist. Not bad for two people as busy as we are! If you found this post helpful please share it with your friends and family who are planning their wedding. We've got to help each other out. This process is pretty daunting alone!
Until next time,
Follow me on Pinterest to see all of my wedding pins! I have FOUR dedicated wedding boards!
Head over to my profile to see the other two, Planning the Big Day and The DIY Wedding!
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How To Start Your Day Off On The Right Foot! Becoming a Morning Person
Everyone wants to start their day off on the right foot, right? You want to wake up refreshed and energetic, ready to go! Unfortunately I'm not a morning person, and often when I need to wake up earlier than 10 am my whole day can get a bit thrown off by grouchiness and brain fog. Most of the time I don't get high quality sleep and wake up often throughout the night, every night. But no more! I've gone on a rampage lately reading all of the articles on becoming a morning person and getting better sleep that I could possibly find and making lists of things that I've noticed help me to wake up feeling more rested and ready to start my day. I decided to compile these things into an article for myself and anyone else who may be struggling with the same issues as I have, with the hopes that it will help at least one other person. I hope not only to be able to wake up at 8am every single morning, but to want to! If that's you, too, read on!
Everyone wants to start their day off on the right foot, right? You want to wake up refreshed and energetic, ready to go! Unfortunately I'm not a morning person, and often when I need to wake up earlier than 10 am my whole day can get a bit thrown off by grouchiness and brain fog. Most of the time I don't get high quality sleep and wake up often throughout the night, every night. But no more! I've gone on a rampage lately reading all of the articles on becoming a morning person and getting better sleep that I could possibly find and making lists of things that I've noticed help me to wake up feeling more rested and ready to start my day. I decided to compile these things into an article for myself and anyone else who may be struggling with the same issues as I have, with the hopes that it will help at least one other person. I hope not only to be able to wake up at 8am every single morning, but to want to! If that's you, too, read on!
Prep the night before.
Set out your clothes and pack your lunch.
Whether you're working out first thing, heading into an office, or working from home, set out your clothes the night before so that you can quickly get dressed and start your day! Packing your lunch the night before, if you'll be away from home for the midday meal, will save time in the morning for more important tasks. I like to pack my lunch from leftovers from dinner. As soon as we finish eating, I'll split the leftovers into tupperware for myself and Jason. Quick and easy!
Do the dishes.
I know you don't want to, but do them. Not only will they be easier to clean right away, but when you wake up in the morning you'll have a clean kitchen to eat breakfast in! If that isn't a mood booster, I don't know what is.
Go to bed early.
This one is so hard for me, but makes the biggest difference. Go to bed early! It doesn't have to be before 10, but if you're regularly up past 1 am you're probably not going to be feeling energetic and awake by 7 or 8. Start incrementally adjusting your bed time earlier until you reach a time that works for you: not so early that you feel it's interrupting your life, but not so late that you can't comfortably wake up at the time you want to. What would you rather spend your time doing? Staying up late watching Netflix or waking up early and feeling focused enough to get things done? Give it a try. The results may surprise you!
Don't drink caffeinated beverages too late in the day.
Different people react differently to caffeine, but no matter what it acts as a stimulant. Drinking coffee or caffeinated tea too late in the day can really affect your sleep, making the next day a drowsy one. I've tried to avoid all caffeine past 2 pm after some sleepless nights, but for you the cut off time may be different. If you're having trouble getting to sleep or sleeping well try reducing caffeine and/or moving its consumption to earlier in the day and you may notice an improvement!
Stop eating 12-16 hours before you want to wake up.
Need to reset your biological clock? Try fasting for the 12-16 hours before you'd like to wake up! New research from Harvard Medical School has shown that this method is very effective in quickly adjusting a person's sleep-wake cycle. Read more about why this works here.
Set your alarm and mean it.
Set your alarm for the time you actually want to get up, not earlier to allow for snoozing. Doing this will help train you to get up when your alarm goes off, rather than struggling to get out of bed after hitting the snooze button 3 times and almost being late to work!
Put your alarm across the room.
Put your alarm across the room so that you have to get up to turn it off. Any time I've done this in the past I've found myself falling back asleep much less frequently! It's a great, simple, way to get yourself up and moving right away, with no snooze!
Stay off electronic devices an hour before bed.
I know I don't have to tell you, but I know that I can always use a reminder on this one. I can be pretty attached to my devices, and have fallen asleep with my phone in my hand more times than I'd like to count... But, I'm starting a new rule for myself: no phone, iPad, or laptop an hour before bed. I can set my alarm on my phone and put it across the room from my bed and just focus on spending quality time with my fiancé, with no distractions. Give it a try! The light from our devices is proven to reduce melatonin production and throw off sleep cycles. Try setting your phone to airplane mode to discourage you from using it. Following this rule just might make your mornings brighter!
Make your bedroom an ideal sleeping environment.
Keep it dark, and slightly cool for the best sleep possible. You'll also want to make sure that your mattress and pillows are supporting you properly while giving enough support. Try Loom & Leaf for incredible plant based memory foam mattresses!
Related Blog Post: 5 Steps for Setting Great Goals
In the morning...
Don't hit snooze.
First things first. Don't hit snooze! Once you get up to turn your alarm off (you did put your alarm across the room, right?) stay up. Don't let your warm, comfy bed call you back. You have things to do and a life to live! So get to it.
Smile.
When you smile, you get happier. Use this to your advantage! When you wake up early and need a kick to get going, get your smile on. It's guaranteed to make you feel a little bit peppier, and isn't that the only real difference between a morning person and a not-so-morning person?
Drink water.
If you're anything like me, you wake up dehydrated. I always fill a large glass of water and drink the whole thing before I even get out of bed! Many people are chronically dehydrated, causing them to feel weak, lightheaded, constipated, and to struggle with headaches. Try getting yourself a large glass or water bottle and tracking how many times you refill it in a day. Challenge yourself to drink more than you did yesterday! You'll quickly notice an improvement in your focus and energy when your water consumption reaches appropriate levels.
I have two of these 32oz Mason Jar Tumblers and LOVE them!
Keep your phone on airplane mode.
This is a REALLY hard one for me, but it can really change the course of your day. If you followed my advice for the night before, your phone SHOULD already be on airplane mode. This makes it easy! Just leave it like that until your finished with your morning routine. For me that means getting up, having a coffee, spending time with my fiancé, eating breakfast, working out, doing some yoga, and having a shower. I try to get all of these things done before checking emails, going on social media, or responding to texts. It's nice to have dedicated time each day to be in the present moment, with my man, without distraction. I find that when I succeed at this step I am a much happier person all day long!
Have a cup of coffee.
Opinions on coffee vary, but I find that a nice black cup of joe in the morning is a great pick me up with no noticeable ill effects. There is even evidence that coffee helps to burn fat and reduces muscle soreness when consumed before a workout! I like to add some cinnamon to my coffee for a bit of flavour and lots of positive health benefits, then hit the mat!
Workout.
We all know that physical activity is good for us. So why do so few of us do it? It can be so easy to fall out of a workout routine, but regular exercise keeps us fit, happy, healthy, and energetic! It also improves your sleep at night, which in turn improves your days, making you more likely to workout! (See how awesome this cycle is?) If you're out of shape or not a fan of exercise, try a morning walk with your significant other, kids, or pet. On days I'm not feeling up for a tough resistance workout or extended cardio I like to roll out my mat and escape into yoga. The great thing about practicing yoga is that it can be whatever you need it to be, and however strenuous you want! I love to buy nice workout gear for motivation. Give it a try!
Meditate.
Try meditation! It can reduce stress, improve brain functioning, increase happiness, improve metabolism, increase attention span, and so much more! Give it a try, even for only 5 minutes a day, and see if it impacts your life for the better!
Eat a great breakfast.
Make sure to fuel your body properly, right from the get-go. I like to fill up on lots of fresh fruit like bananas and apples for energy and a whole host of nutrients!
Play music you like.
Still not enjoying your earlier mornings? Try creating a happy, upbeat playlist of songs you love to put on as soon as you wake up, or even as your alarm! Music can really effect your mood, so use its power for good and get your morning vibes on!
I hope these tips help you on your journey to becoming a morning person. I'm on that path myself, and will be checking in to let you know how it's going and share more tips and tricks as I discover them!
Until next time,
Are you a morning person or a night owl? What's your favourite part of your morning routine? Let me know in the comments below and on social media! (@elizabethturn on instagram and twitter!)
Subscribe to the Plant Based Bride newsletter for updates and a free goal setting printable to go along with my 5 Steps for Setting Great Goals post!
Looking for something to read next? Check out my blog post archive!
How Much Wedding Can You Afford? Choosing The Big Number for Your Big Day
Weddings cost a lot. A whole lot. A put-away-every-extra-penny-for-your-entire-engagement-and-only-eat-rice-and-beans-and-don't-buy-anything-that-could-be-considered-a-want lot. When I read that the average wedding in Canada costs over $31,000 I got very close to giving up and eloping with Jason right then and there (we were in Costa Rica, after all. Not a bad locale if you ask me.) But I have always dreamed of a wedding including my closest and dearest, and so had he. We decided to stick it out and go with a traditional wedding. But at what cost?
Weddings cost a lot. A whole lot. A put-away-every-extra-penny-for-your-entire-engagement-and-only-eat-rice-and-beans-and-don't-buy-anything-that-could-be-considered-a-want lot. When I read that the average wedding in Canada costs over $31,000 I got very close to giving up and eloping with Jason right then and there (we were in Costa Rica, after all. Not a bad locale if you ask me.) But I have always dreamed of a wedding including my closest and dearest, and so had he. We decided to stick it out and go with a traditional wedding. But at what cost?
That is the exact topic I'd like to explore today. How much should you really be spending on your wedding? There are a whole host of factors, and every couple will be different, but I hope that these talking points that Jason and I spent time over will help you and your soon to be spouse figure out the big number for your special day.
Who's paying?
This is the first thing you want to figure out. Are you and your fiancé paying for everything yourselves or will you be getting help from family? Is your family paying for the entire shindig? You need to know who's contributing to footing the bill.
How much outside contribution can you count on?
You don't want to just assume that your parents will contribute as much as you need, you have to actually ask them. (You may think this is common sense, but common sense isn't really all that common.) Have a frank discussion, even if it makes you uncomfortable, and ask them how much (if any) they're willing and able to put towards your day. Don't go into it with any expectations, that way if they do agree to help you financially you'll be grateful no matter what the dollar amount is. Understand that they may not be capable of contributing at this point for various reasons and respect their decision. If they do want to help out, get a specific number from them so that you can plug it into your calculations. Things may change a little as the planning goes along, but you want to have the most accurate idea of what you'll be getting from outside sources right from the start.
How much do you have in savings?
Have an honest conversation with your fiancé and find out how much each of you has already saved and how much each of you is willing to contribute from those savings. You need to think about the amount you want to have remaining in your savings accounts AFTER the fact; you don't want to use your emergency fund to pay for your wedding! A wedding is wonderful, but it's just one day. Don't sacrifice your financial security for the foreseeable future for a party, no matter how special!
How much can each of you save leading up to the wedding?
Look at what each of you expect to make in the time leading up to your wedding, subtract your needs, and figure out how much each of you could save, under ideal circumstances. Don't include income that isn't guaranteed to come in. Any extra income can be a bonus booster to your wedding budget, if you need it! Make sure to leave a little wiggle room in your monthly living budget for wants - you don't want to deprive yourselves as you go through the (potentially stressful) wedding planning process. Keep enough fun money for a couple of date nights and treats here and there, you'll appreciate it later I promise!
Add up all contributions from family and friends, the amount you can allocate from your savings, and the amount that you can each reasonably put aside in the time left to your wedding to find your absolute max budget. You do not want to make this number your actual wedding budget! Look at the next series of questions to determine how much you actually want to spend, and keep any of the left over money as a buffer. Unexpected costs always come up and having money ready for that purpose reduces stress by approximately 500%.
Are you planning on a honeymoon?
Putting aside the funds for a honeymoon can be a big task. Ask yourselves if you need to go on a honeymoon right away, or even at all. If you do want to go right after the wedding look into options that fit within your means and shop around for the best deals.
How many guests do you REALLY need?
Make an initial guest list, then cut anyone you don't NEED at your wedding. This day is about you and your future spouse and your commitment to each other. Rather than thinking of the guest list through the lens of who you'd like to have there, think about who you'd be distraught to not see on the day. Who are those people who you and your spouse couldn't get married without? The number of guests has a huge impact on the final cost of your wedding, so think long and hard about how much you want your coworker's second cousin to witness your nuptials.
Do you need to get married near a major city?
On the whole, weddings near a city centre will be more costly than those further away. Do you need to be married in the heart of downtown Toronto, or will Barrie do just as nicely? Do your research on real costs in the area you're looking at to get a better idea of what you'll be parting with.
How much are you each comfortable spending?
Does the idea of spending tens of thousands of dollars on one weekend make you sweat? Or does a $50,000 budget sound just fine? You need to get a clear picture of what each of you is willing to spend so that you won't regret it in the years following your wedding. Keep in mind your other financial goals for the next 5 years. Make a list of where you'd like to be and make sure you aren't shooting the future you in the foot by overspending today.
Related Blog Post: 7 Ways Pinterest is the Best Wedding Planning Tool on the Internet!
Now that you've really thought about it, come up with a number that you both feel good about. Know that no matter how much you plan, your wedding day will likely pop up with unexpected costs. Don't beat yourself up if you end up a little off your goal! Remember, that's why you set your actual budget below your absolutely maximum budget, so that you had a bit of breathing room. Now get out there and start the fun part.
Until next time,
How did you and your spouse come up with a budget for your wedding? Let me know in the comments below! Share this post with your engaged friends to give them a leg up in the planning process and check out my wedding boards on Pinterest for a little wedding inspiration!
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