My Favorite Minimalism Resources

Whether you're attracted to the idea of minimalism, but aren't sure where to start, or if you're a committed minimalist in need of inspiration, or just enjoy learning about minimalism, these resources are for you! These are some of my favorite resources for inspiration and tips. Even if I'm currently at a good point in my minimalist lifestyle, I still enjoy seeing how other people do minimalism. I find it interesting and inspiring to see other perspectives.

Documentary

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things  - This documentary was put out by the Minimalists, who I think are the ones credited with starting the whole minimalist movement. I watched this documentary on Netflix (it's still available for streaming) right before I did my massive edit in January, and found it really inspiring. I liked seeing all the different lives they showed and how they made minimalism work for them. There were a lot of different stories, and it really does show that there is no one way to be a minimalist--minimalism is whatever you want it to be for you. What I didn't like was that personally, the message came across as a bit pretentious and over-dramatized. There was a little bit of eye-rolling from me. Those do sound like some pretty heavy criticisms, but I recommend it, especially if you're new to the concept of minimalism.

YouTube Channels

I came across a lot of really great YouTube channels when I was first starting to get on board with the idea of minimalism. Some of these are old favorites, others are more recent finds. All have a wealth of great videos to inspire you.

Lavendaire - I really enjoy Aileen's channel. For one thing, her lavender hair is mesmerizing. I also am inspired by her decluttering videos and her videos on the KonMari method. Again, it's just fun to see how others implement minimalism in their lives.

Light by Coco - Coco offers great advice for minimalism, or living light, as she calls it. She also has the most gorgeous speaking voice. Her channel has videos about decluttering and capsule wardrobes, and is what introduced me to the idea of a year round capsule wardrobe.

Jessica Avey - This isn't a minimalism-centered channel in any way, but Jess Avey is a mama and vlogger who decided to minimalize to get her house back under control, and she's sharing the process on her channel. It's been so fun to follow and I love that she's inspired so many others! I think her series is a great resource for anyone who is intrigued by the idea of minimalism but isn't sure where to start or how minimalism would work for them. Also, Jess is such a great person, and I'm so happy I found her channel.

Muchelle B - This is an awesome resource for minimalists. It's probably at the top of my list. I found it really great in January, as she was doing her Simplify Your Life challenge at the same time. I really enjoyed watching the videos and listening to her tips for all 30 days of the challenge. Also, just a really great way to guide you through an initial edit.

Samantha Lindsey - Samantha shares tips and encouragement for minimalism and a sustainable lifestyle. Her minimalism videos are helpful and practical, and I love her personality. She also inspired me to take further steps to living a more sustainable, waste-free life.

Books

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

If you're considering minimizing, this is the book to read. I read it within the past few months, over the span of just a couple hours, and her philosophy really resonated with me. It's definitely geared more toward a Japanese audience, and she does focus a lot on her own experience, but at the root of it all is the KonMari method. It's not a literary masterpiece, nor is it a manual on minimalism, but it is a very good place to start. And even if you don't want to go full-on minimalist, but just want to reduce clutter, it's a great handbook for decluttering.

Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker

If you don't have kids, Becker has other books that are great. His blog (becomingminimalist.com) is also a great read. But minimalism and children are two things that don't seem to go hand in hand, and for parents looking to minimalize, this book is great. You can have kids and be a minimalist. Speaking of which, this is a great article on the subject.



If minimalism is something that's interested you, what have been your favorite resources? I'd love to check them out!

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Additions

Happy Tuesday, friends! I feel like my blogging schedule has been all over the place these days, but I'm working on getting it whipped back into shape, and hopefully bringing you more regular posts!

Anyway, I wanted to share some additions I've made to my capsule wardrobe. I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted my capsule to be more fluid to allow for flexibility, and also for the potential to replace pieces. I've already cut a couple of pieces that just didn't work for me because of poor quality and fit, and I've added maybe four pieces. Three of them are included in this post.


First, I picked up this little black dress for $6 on my last Goodwill trip. It's in great condition, it's the perfect length, a great cut, and the fabric feels nice, which is always important for me. I've already worn it 3 or 4 times since bringing it home, and I know it's going to be my new wardrobe staple!

Next, I snagged this gray turtleneck from the Target clearance rack for $4. It's so soft and cozy and the perfect shade of gray. I used to hate wearing turtlenecks because they felt too constricting on my neck, but now I have 3 that I absolutely love and are my favorite layering pieces. This one also has been on constant repeat since I bought it.


Finally, these boots. I think they've actually been part of all of my outfit posts since I got them for Christmas. They're comfy, practical, and they go with just about everything. If I had to choose one pair of shoes in my closet to keep and discard the rest, it would be these (or my wedding shoes...but those are neither comfortable nor practical).

I'm planning on doing a full capsule update right before I share my spring capsule. Is anyone else really over winter weather? I mean, I love all my winter pieces, but I'm just really excited for warmer weather (or even just sun? There was an article shared recently that Seattle has had only 3 days of sun since October!), and my spring capsule pieces.

What are you most looking forward to about spring?

//Outfit Details:// Dress: Thrifted (similar) / Turtleneck: Target / Belt: Thrifted / Bag: Thrifted / Boots: American Eagle (similar) / Necklace: Josh//



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On Being a Stay at Home Mama

The decision for me to stay at home with Adelaide was not an entirely intentional one. I mean, I had always felt that when I had children, I would want to be able to stay home with them, but I planned on going back to work by the end of August, at least for a couple days a week. But it never happened, mostly because of my postpartum depression. Josh and I talked about it a lot and finally, we both realized that the little bit of monetary cushion I'd be able to provide by working in the evenings was not worth my sanity.

And so I've stayed home with Adelaide since the beginning, and despite its ups and downs, I really feel so grateful and blessed that it's worked out for me to do so. I get to spend my days with her, watch how she grows each day, catch all of her little milestones (the newest one is pulling herself up on all the furniture!), and pour the bulk of my energy into raising my babe. It's the hardest job I've ever done, and we have a lot of rough days, but it is also so rewarding.




It took a long time, but finally, we have our routine down. Adelaide sleeps till at least 7, when she usually wakes up for her first bottle of the day, then she goes back to sleep until around 9, and so does mama. Then we get up, get dressed, and Mama has breakfast and watches YouTube or The Mindy Project while Miss Baby plays. She goes down for her first nap at around 11, and I do housework, blog, or take on a transcription or tw0. The first nap varies--it may be anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours (I'm a fan of those 2-hour naps, personally), and then we go about the rest of the day. I like to have her "help" with the housework, usually crawling around while I fold laundry or tidy up. Then there's usually another nap before Josh comes home from work, and that's when I get dinner started. Depending on her nap situation, we like to have her sit with us at the table with her food, and we feed her anything off our plates that's ok for her to have (she's a huge fan of egg drop soup!). We put her to bed with a bottle at 8, after brushing her teeth, and then Josh and I have time to relax together before we head to bed.

That's a typical day for us. It's not hard to stay busy, especially now that Adelaide is so mobile! I do try to get us out of the house at least once a week for a walk, just to get some fresh air. We have a great coffee place a couple blocks away, which is an easy way to tempt me outside.




Things I don't like about staying at home? The fussy days, obviously. Those are the days that I count down the minutes till Josh gets home. Those days when it's hard to get motivated or I feel like I can't get anything done.The guilt that Josh has to be the breadwinner, while I stay at home and "hang out with baby" all day, and the sacrifices we have to make because of the monetary position it puts us in. I do make some money from home doing transcriptions, which helps a bit, and has been a real blessing to us. Oh and then there's that feeling like because I'm staying at home, I should be able to do  everything and the house should always be spotless and an amazing homecooked meal should be waiting for Josh when he gets home...and then beating myself up about that rarely being the case. I'm starting to get better about setting realistic expectations for myself. And lastly, the fact that I still don't have my driver's license, so if we want to go out, we have to walk or bus, and I hate the bus, especially since pot became legalized in Washington. Luckily, we live within walking distance of most things, even her pediatrician, and walks are good for both of us.

As a whole, though, I love staying home with her. There are those days, like when she's teething and super fussy, when I just feel so done with momming, and it can be so, so stressful, but for the most part, she is such a sweet girl, and that makes up for the hard days. My current favorite thing is how she follows me around the house as I'm doing work. So cute.



For all the stay at home mamas out there, what is your favorite thing about staying home with your little one? Least favorite thing?