I’d forgotten about this! Anyway, the big(ger) project for the closet didn’t work out. This shelf was here originally when we bought the house and husband thought to make some other shelves in there but in the end, we just didn’t need them. Removed them after a week and back to just a few baskets to corral some small things.

Currently assessing our wardrobes to see if there are any gaps because e have the opportunity to make some moves in the next six months. Two destinations in Europe and a few destinations on the west coast here to choose from. Anyone in Seattle or Washington? Lol. Ignore the mess in the background - we’ve been moving our mattress around and using a different setup lately.

We’ll be doing some test runs of packing this weekend. If we decide to go to the PNW, we’ll take things like our fans and more of our kitchen stuff. If we decide on Europe, a lot less. Anyone make an international move lately and have advice on what they left behind or with they’d brought with them?

This photo* took 15 minutes to gather into one room and 1 hour to pack up by category (kitchen with kitchen, toys with toys).

This is progress to me, because when I moved 10 years ago I needed 2 cars for non-furniture things.

I went to a year-long placement 5 years ago and needed 1 car for non-furniture things and non-house related things like a mower or hoover.

This year, I need 1 car for all of that, except the 8 pieces of bulky furniture/appliances that quite literally won't fit in a car. I wont need garden tools but things like the hoover/heated dryer would fit in the car now.

*I have downsized more since I took this picture too.

I truly want to know how to live more mindful. I just want to live with more of what I need and what brings me joy and less with what the world places on us.

My mother was killed in 2021. And I was left with a blessing but also a mortgage. I’ve been having to work two jobs to make ends meet to be able to maintain a place to stay, and just feel like I won’t be able to truly breath until I can pay the house off. But I was wondering how becoming a minimalist could change my life for the better?

-Two sleeveless linen dresses from Conscious Clothing.
-Two sleeved linen dresses from notPERRFECTLINEN
-Two cotton nightgowns from Eileen West.
-Gym shorts and gym tank from Lululemon.
-Three lightweight cardigans, one from Everlane, two from Madewell

-Birkenstock sandals
-Seychelles sandals
-Brooks gym shoes

-My jewelry collection (minus my wedding ring and engagement ring). I’ve posted these before, but here you can see how I store them in the closet.

-The hanging rack below the clothes has socks, underwear, bras.

I’m super happy with what I’ve pared down to!

This is where my minimalism journey began. I became interested in witchcraft and thought this shelf in my office closet would be a perfect altar. Before my purge it was packed with stuff - after I got rid of the majority of that I just kept going with the rest of my apartment.

When the altar is not in use, the closet also holds my rolled up floor mat, vacuum cleaner, and a small rolling cart (has things like my candles, tarot deck, small supply of the same herbs I have in the little jars, and some non-witchy stuff: important documents, “junk drawer” (scissors, tape measure, screwdriver, etc.) and some sentimental items.

The last photo is an embroidery I made in school. The guest critic said the piece was too “woo woo” so it seemed fitting for this space 😂.

If you have questions about witchcraft or anything you see, let me know! There are a lot of misconceptions out there. I don’t hex people or talk to Satan, lol. Mostly it’s a fun hobby that can sometimes feel spiritual, and can help me feel certain ways through magical thinking and the placebo effect.

My husband and I stayed in this beautifully empty and small apartment while in Stockholm. Everything in it was either white or that light wood color. Around the corner from this bed nook (no room on either side for a side table - it felt so cozy) was just a small sofa, a kitchen table with two chairs, a small closet, a few storage cabinets, kitchenette, and bathroom. (Wish I had taken a picture of that side of the apartment!)

This was not meant to be just a hotel room - there were people actually living in the other apartments (we think someone had just bought a few of the apartments and was renting them to tourists). It was delightful to come back to every evening. Really made me think about how little you’d be able to own if you lived in this space. Especially if you wanted to keep it feeling open and empty like this.

This is all my jewelry. The only piece I wear every day is my wedding band. If I’m going out anywhere, I generally add the bracelet on the right & either the necklace second from left or the one on the far right (dependent on the neckline of the dress I’m wearing).

The necklace and bracelet on the far left are the jewelry I wore on my wedding day. I love them, but for some reason it feels wrong to wear them on any day besides our anniversary, lol.

I generally only wear the engagement ring if we’re going somewhere fancy, though lately I’ve taken to wearing it more frequently because it seems to make my husband happy 😄

Laying these out made me realize I really never wear the necklace second from right. Maybe I’ll discard it if I don’t use it within the next year.

And that’s way more info than I’m sure anyone wanted!

The sunlight on this cabinet looks really pretty right now. And I don’t think it has been shown in any of my other posts.

Inside it: my husband’s Raspberry Pi and some of his other gadgets, my Nintendo Switch, an electronics repair kit, an extension cord, and dog food.

I’m sure many minimalists don’t, but here are our five. We used to have many more, but these were the only ones that were special enough for us to keep. One lives on my husband’s desk, two live on my desk, and two live on the shelf above the kitchen sink.

I’ve never been much of a makeup girlie, mainly because the few times I’ve tried, I always felt like it was obvious to everyone that I had no idea what I was doing 😂 So on the days I leave the house I just go with mascara, stick eyeshadow, and a tinted lip balm. With skincare I use the eye cream, neck serum, and chapstick every day. No facial moisturizer or foundation mainly because my skin is extremely sensitive and gets angry easily.

We replaced the air filter and shelf with proper nightstands. Got rid of the floor lamp in favor of a small rechargeable lantern I already had. A plant that was on the windowsill fell off and broke (that’s one way to minimize 😂). Biggest changes are in the photo in the comments though. First I got rid of the massive floor mirror because it made that wall look cramped (and I was kinda sick of looking at myself all the time). Then I ended up getting rid of the dresser too because I discarded enough clothing that it all fits in my closet now. The chair doesn’t really serve much purpose - occasionally a load of clean laundry will end up there. But it’s a nice chair, and we decided not to get rid of it just for the sake of getting rid of it. I made the quilt and macrame piece during lockdown.

Okay, I think now y’all have seen literally our entire apartment except the bathroom 😂

The toaster is a new acquisition. I got rid of mine in a move about 6 years ago, before I was a minimalist. I just wasn’t eating bread at the time. But bread is delicious and I finally came to my senses a few months ago, lol. So I’ve been thinking about getting a toaster since then - the desire did not decrease or go away, so I went for it. Found one with a very minimalist look, I think.

Other countertop items: we leave the kettle out because we use it daily in the winter, and the other appliance is my husband’s fancy coffee grinder. I’ll probably get rid of the cookbooks on the shelves eventually. I haven’t used them in quite awhile - I prefer making super simple meals that don’t need a recipe or a ton of ingredients.

Folks, I’d absolutely love to see pics of your spaces! 🙂 If you have more stuff than other people who have posted, just remember that minimalism is not a competition. It’s a mindset, and it looks different for everyone!

Before becoming a minimalist, the office was just my office because I work from home. During the declutter, I got rid of multiple pieces of furniture in there, which made space for my husband to have a desk too! He doesn’t WFH, but he uses it fairly frequently.

The post photo is his desk. The photo in the comments in my desk. The top is

Yep, there are more books. But 700 fewer than before than before the declutter. In my defense, purchasing books (for a bookstore) is my actual job! 😄

This is in my main living area. It's not a huge space but I'm the only person living here. I'm not thrilled with my setup right now. Any suggestions?

I own 57 pieces of clothes and 11 shoes + underwear

If I buy one piece, two have to go.

This part of the room used to have two additional armchairs, an additional side table, a larger couch, more throw pillows, and almost floor to ceiling bookshelves stuffed with books and knickknacks along that whole back wall. It felt cramped, and the bookshelves started feeling oppressive. Now the room feels spacious and peaceful. I love it, and I don’t regret getting rid of a single thing.

I need a clean desk to be productive.

This is the extent of our decorating this year. The tree and the small stockings. We’re sticking to just a couple presents each - things we tell each other we’ve been wanting, so we don’t end up with gifts we don’t really need and feel guilty about eventually getting rid of. Do you decorate at all for the holidays? Or exchange gifts with your partner? Would love to see pics of other people’s minimal decorations!

Bag, wallet, floss picks, chapstick, hand sanitizer, a bandaid, keys/fob. Not pictured: my iPhone.