Simple Holiday Decorating

I like to keep colors steam-lined and to a minimum when decorating because too many details takes away from the items, and it appears tacky or kitschy. I am a creature of habit, and generally decorate in blue and silver with a few splashes of red, or with just red and silver, or green and silver with a few splashes of red. I reuse the decorations usually, but in different arrangement as they would allow. My apartment is too small to have a Christmas tree, so I just decorate my living room windows as you see in the picture and add an arrangement of poinsettias or burgundy or dark red roses to the kitchen table. My kitchen appliances are either red or black, so they add the red color for the season also. :)

I made the bows from fabric gift ribbons, and arranged small Christmas tree ornaments to jazz up the silver bells. I also added small Christmas tree ornaments to a plain wreath to add some color to it. They were all strategically taped to the wall as my landlord says I will loose my security if I make holes on the wall.

My husband thinks I'm funny because I decorate for Christmas, though we are not Christian, but I enjoy decorating, & also like the spirit of the season because people generally seem a bit kinder & more considerate. Plus, I am accepting of religions & beliefs as long as people are not trying to convert me or condemn me because I am not of their faith.

I originally had the decoration below, but my husband said it looks like a smiley face. lol. So, I took it down, and replaced with the first image. I actually ended up liking the even simpler look above because it looks more elegant and minimalist.

Simple Living Arrangements

Simple Living Arrangements

One of the most peaceful and inspiring things for me to look at is a minimalist home interior. It can be modern or in the Japanese style. It really makes you appreciate the architecture of the place, and the space. It's funny how we try to fill all the empty spaces in our homes. I used to do that a lot because I do love art and aesthetic things, and find beauty even in mundane things. However, when we have so much in our home, it takes attention away from the things. There is too much, and I find it overwhelming to look at. Additionally, no matter how organized we are, with so many items, we are bound to misplace things or loose track of them. I am far from having one of the homes like in the picture below, but I have made a conscious effort to discard things that are broken or cannot be fixed. I used to hold on to knick knacks for creative projects, such as extra buttons because I felt badly to throw them out, and there are not many places to donate them to. However, I found myself with hundreds of buttons, zippers and ribbons. lol. So, I had to make a decision to toss it. I didn't see much impact in my environment from getting rid of these things that didn't take much space, but it got me used to letting go of things that I don't use just, that I kept because I didn't have somewhere to to donate them to. Coincidentally, that is a problem a lot of hoarders have. I am not saying that I am a hoarder, but I do notice that my mom and my dear aunt who raised me tended to be collectors. Perhaps I learned this collecting as well, and some even say that it may be genetic. Grandma on my mom's side loves knick knacks and collecting things too, and mom always talks about not throwing away or wasting things because you may need them and can use them for something else. In any case, since I have this natural habit of keeping little things of late since I started having my own apartment (I didn't do so as a teen or in college), I make a conscious effort to give knick knacks away right away or toss. It is the collecting of a few buttons here or there, a book here or there, etc. that leads to clutter and takes us away from a simpler home. I keep looking at minimalist and zen like home for inspiration to reduce even more.

I gear alot to the philosophy of eastern traditions because it tends to advocate a simple life. I was watching a clip of a monk named Ching Mai, and she spoke about living a simple life. She said that she could ask her followers to build her a house, but she preferred to live in a tent because it is so easy to move around, there is little cleaning needed -which I love , and I want to add, it deters you from accumulating alot of stuff. While the idea sounds intriguing and appealing, I am not about to start living in a tent in the middle of NYC at the moment. However, I would like to be in that mindset, that my home is part of nature, that nature owns it, and I am just a tenant in it, rather than I own it; ultimately, that I am just passing through.

There is an attachment that comes with claiming ownership of things. When we buy things  or pay for things, we do feel that sense of ownership, and since I pay a pretty penny for renting my apartment due to crazy NY rent prices, I have been rationalizing that I just feel more grounded in the apartment. Inside, I always feel like I am just passing through, no matter where I have lived. When I was younger, I thought it was bad to feel like such a nomad because it just wasn’t the norm I see around me, with everyone buying houses beyond their means, and filling their homes with fancy gadgets. It is human to want to preserve certain things that we enjoy, but we sometimes become misguided on what we really need. Swami Sivananda said to have plain living and high thinking. He said to “reduce your wants. If you have four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy, contented life. Think of those who do not possess even one-tenth of what you have. “

I think that seeing our home as something that we enjoy, but doesn’t fully belong to us, but the universe is a good way of keeping in perspective what is really imporatant to us. It does make you feel a little uncomfortable at first because as humans, we seek a sense of security. In our industrialised society, we seek that sense of security in the objects we own, but can also lead to our demise because we can loose touch of what is really important.  I have been thinking of those who have less than I have as Swami Sivananda suggests, not only of those in third world countries, but also of the unfortunate victims of natural disasters, such as Katrina, China, etc. and even those of house fires. Should a situation occur where you were to loose most of your possessions, what few items would you really want to preserve that is invaluable to you? What things will you need to survive for a year?


Thinking about this, I realize that I wouldn’t need half of my clothing. I don’t need most of the scraps of clothing that I hold onto to mend items or alter clothing. As much as I love my library and am am attached to it more than anything I own, there were probably 50 books out of the 125 that I had that I really would want to preserve, so now I have about 50 books, and I still want to reduce it more. I am in the process of trying to obtain digital versions, but some are not available, and some are too costly.

I know it is extreme to just keep the things you would want preserved if there is a fire because we do want to feel comfortable in our homes, but I think just a few items beyond those we want to preserve are needed for comfort.

Also, for those who are renting, remember unless you have renter's insurance, which can be pricey and which I do not have, if something occurs to your building, the landlord is insured for his home, but you are not. Therefore, why store up your home with too much things that you can easily loose. The tragedy in Haiti, and Japan as well as the earthquake in China and Tsunami in Asia and Hurricane Katrina makes me reflect on this even more deeply. I think it is better to share what you have with charities rather than let it sit and collect dust, or serve as a hollow trophy of the accomplishments of your life or image that you want to present to the world. Your thoughts? 

Downshifting: Enjoy Life on a Budget

I found this great article on downshifting that really struck a chord with me. I really answered questions I wondered about downshifiting, such as whether it is selfish to want to live like this, etc. (BTW, the answer to the above question is no because when you are living in alignment with your values, you are happy and will be an example of joy to other.)
I would also like to add that a great way to start downshifiting is:

1. Only spend money on necessities, such as food and the bills. Clothes do not count because I am sure that you have enough clothes to last you. Really, I have seen co-workers with 7 shirts that they wear over and over, and I think nothing of it, and others won’t either unless they are superficial. If they are, their opinions are hollow, and you do not want to care about them anyway. Also, there are people in many poor countries that have 3-4 outfits to their name, and they exist happily and productively. While you do not have to go to such an extreme, I know that I am definitely paring down ruthlessly. Avoid stores or areas where you are prone to shop, at least until you get a hang of resisting them.

2. Eliminate all items that have no value to your present and future endeavors or life goals. For me, I have already put my fashion jewelry, office supplies (pens, staplers, hole punchers, pins, stationary), a few books, ALL synthetic clothing (having only natural fabrics remind me of my desire to live a green lifestyle) and clothing I have not worn in a year, shoes, in a donation bag. In the garbage – all makeup (except 3 eyeliners, 1 mascara, 1 concealer, 2 lipglosses, 1 lipstick), all magazine clippings except for a few articles and a few recipes.

3. Buy small loads of grocery and consume everything that you buy in a week or two week span. Buying less means less is wasted and you have less to carry home or store. You will also make healthier choices if you limit yourself to a few grocery items weekly except for staples such as rice or pasta. For instance, I buy a pound of pork, a pound of chicken, 2 veggies, 2 snacks (Hubby eats meat. I eat mostly vegetarian, but eat seafood 2-3 times a week as recommended by my doctor). I keep pasta or rice as a staple in the house because they go with everything.

4. Cook at home. Eat out no more that once every two weeks or once a week. Cooking at home can be time consuming, so I cook a large pot once every other day. For instance, I do a pot or curry and rice, or pasta, or an Asian pork dish (for hubby) and veggies. I don’t know a whole lot of dishes, but the ones I do are excellent. If you are not a cook, start with a few dishes and keep trying until you perfect them. Easy dishes to start with are pasta or omelettes. When I am really hungry, and don’t want to spend alot on food, I will also eat cereal or oatmeal. Beware of this though because it will get boring if you eat it too much, and your tastebuds will scream for more flavor.

5. Limit contact with friends with expensive habits. An old friend of mine always likes to go to very expensive restaurants. She is very image conscious, so I think sometimes it is to say she has eaten there. She also knows some good food places though. I limit eating with her to once a month because of course, we go to a cafe afterwards, which is pricey also. I have told her that I am unemployed and on a budget, but when she was not making alot of money, she spent alot and incurred debt, so I don’t think she understands being thrifty. I think from now on, I will eat before I see her, and just join her for desert. She also likes to shop, so to not be tempted, I limit our meetings now to 2 hours so there is not time for her to pull me into tagging along to shop.

6. Save on bills (and help the environment) by turning off lights and electronic during the day. Unplug appliances when not in use. I usually only keep my computer plugged in during the day, and turn it off at night when I am not using it or when I go out.

7. Look for cheap or free community events. You can google it. I have found a few symphonies and movies in the park in NY. They can get crowded, and that is not always my thing, so I also go to museums that have a small suggested donation or cheaper plays and readings.

Step 1 to A Simpler Life - Simplify Your Interests & Thoughts

No, I don't mean don't think deep thoughts, but rather be selective about what you give your attention to as well as the necessity of having a clear vision of what a simple life means to you.

Decluttering my magazine collection has given me a very important realization. It is that to live a minimalist life externally, we need to live a minimalist life internally as well.

Being an ardent bibliophile, who hates to throw away anything with words, save for superficial magazines, it was quite a feat to sort through about 70 magazines. I have canceled many of my magazine publications that I am not really interested in, but I was still left with the problem of a large, accumulated pile. Since there are so many magazines that have accumulated, that also used so many trees and because I like to read, I felt compelled to read all the articles. Yet this is quite impossible, and not useful as I have tons of books that I would also like to read that would actually add value to my life. So, I made a decision to not start reading any articles that did not jive with my interests.

This was difficult for me because I feel that we always need to keep our interests wide to have a well rounded life. I have realized that many interests may not be always a good thing though because there is such a thing as too many interests. I liken it to learning a language – if we try to learn too many languages at once, we will never get good at any of them. So I had to really think about the things that inspire me or push me forward, that I am totally engrossed in, and these are my passions and true interests. For me, I realize that my interests are: minimalist/green living, literature, biographies on writers and sages, spirituality, natural food (though I do eat seafood), archeology, psychology, and of course, improving myself internally and in my job.

Compiling my interest list made me realize that as much as I have geared over to a simpler life, I failed to streamline my internal life (thoughts, interests), which is absolutely essential to live a minimalist life because it becomes your locus of control. As I look back, I realize that having this locus of control keeps me from accumulating unnecessary things, such as clothing, since although I like to look nice, trends are not in my core interest. Isolating your core interests can help you to live a minimalist/simple because when you declutter and minimize your possessions, you can make the decisions to keep things that only pertain to your interests and that add value to your life.

Determine what Fullfills you for a Simple / Minimalist Life

I hope it is not too forward of me to say that everyone is looking for happiness as their goal in life. We try to find it through different avenues, but I have found that the more avenues I seek at once, the more complicated and elusive happiness becomes. I look back at my happiest times in life, save for my childhood, and realize that my happiest times was when I lived my life simply. It seems ironic because consumerism tells us that we need more and more things daily. Yet, during that time, my attention was focused on a few things that brought me great joy and peace. Namely, they were, waking up early in the morning to do yoga exercises and light meditation, writing a little daily, reading a little daily (on-line or books) and cooking wholesome, healthy food (vegetarian and seafood based). Of course, I also spend a little time with friends and loved ones, but we must first look for happiness within. Those are my particular affinities. Yours might be different. Yet, self discovery is the key.

Reflecting to Simpler Times in The Past
Look back and note times when you were truly happy. Try to not to associate these times with people at first, even though there are many who are happiest giving to others or spending time with others. It is important to look within first.

Find the Things that Drive You in Life
If this becomes difficult, try to make a list in your life of an arbitrary number personal things that you can’t live without that are not necessities. Make sure it is not too large of a number. An easy way to choose could be your birthday or simply keep it under 50 to make it easier. Additional items can be listed under a category called “optional”. Imagine that you are on a deserted Island, or that you are going on a trip for 3 months and are only allowed to carry a tiny knapsack for these items. The items should not be simple necessities, such as food and clothing, although those with excessive clothing like I used to have will need to pare down their clothes on another list (I will follow with an article on that subject soon). The items should be things that you need to thrive on and feel alive, and that you don’t have to second guess for a moment. For instance, my computer and poetry book were automatic in my list.

Streamline to Your Essential Joys
After you have made the list, look at the 5 or 10 items, and try to figure out why those items are must haves for you. This may be an easy process or some may be more elusive. For instance, and easy one would be someone who would bring musical instrument. Obviously, creating and playing music is very important to this person, and makes them happy. If someone brings cds, this might be a little harder. It may be that certain music energizes the person, or relaxes them. In this case, having energy or relaxing may be important to that person. Therefore, the object will not be as important as the effect produced. If you need assistance figuring out the meaning behind different things, I would gladly help you elicit them if you ask me.

Use Lists to Stay Focused on your Simpler Path

When you come to this analysis, write it down and keep it on your refrigerator or mirror, or anywhere that it is visible daily. The reason for this is to remind yourself daily or periodically what is important to you and makes you happy. It can also serve to not engage in behavior that you regret later. For instance, if you compulsively shop or go drinking, bring the list with you in your wallet. Look at it when the compulsive thought or urge occurs. Then take a deep breath and count to 10, then count backwards from 10, clearing your thoughts. Do something else afterwards that you enjoy, such get a glass of water or other healthy beverage that you like. Don’t wrestle with the thought too much, but let it go as if it is a bee passing by. If you stay still and not pay attention to it, it will not bite. This is a common method used in meditation and yoga that is quite effective in clearing thoughts, and is just as effective in clearing desires. It will be take a little practice, but you can do it.

SHED your way to a simpler life

I stumbled across the acronym SHED on this Time’s article. SHED is a great motto to start and keep in your decluttering process and in becoming a minimalist and remaining one. It means: “separate the treasures, heave the trash, embrace your identity from within and drive yourself forward.”

Simple Wardrobe Shopping Rules

The Story of Stuff is a short video that really drives home the impact that our spur of the moment decisions and desires may make on the world. The truth is that we often shop for the thrill of the moment, and don't think of the origin or end life of the products that we purchase.

As advised in the video, I decided that I would not purchase a lot of new stuff, namely clothing and shoes, so I will use the money and time spend on those items on things more pertinent to my to my life goals, like books that I plan on reading and rereading. This also reduces the carbon footprint and energy and emissions caused to produce new items, and adds to items going to the landfill later. Even with books, on topics that I am just curious about, I am just going to borrow from the library because let’s face it, I live in New York in a studio and can’t store all those books here.   


SHOPPING RULES FOR THOSE DESIRING A SIMPLER, SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE

1. Don’t buy things just because they are on sale. Buy them because you need them. You do not need them if you have 3 of the same items already in your closet.

2. Only buy items that fit correctly and are you size. The time or money that you spend to mend these items could be spent doing more productive things. I have bought a lot of clothing that was a size larger because I can sew and alter them. Recently, though, my sewing machine broke, and I have had to mend them by hand. I realized that half of my clothing do not fit me, and now I have to mend them. I would not have bought so many articles of clothing that were not my size if I did not have a sewing machine. By buying only clothes that fit, I will end up buying less.

3. Do not follow trends, and buy clothes based on what’s new in fashion or in the stores. Only buy clothes that look well on you. Make sure you try each article of clothing (save for underwear – wash first) to make sure it fits and flatters your body type. By doing this, you will not have to worry about what you are
going to wear and what looks good on you in the morning, because you will like every item in your closet. This will also eliminate the amount of clothing that you take into your home.

4. Group or list your current clothing into categories so that you can exactly what you need and what you have enough of. The 4 major categories are work, casual, home/lounge and formal. You will need more work clothes than casual, more causual than formal and more formal than lounge. Restrict to three or even two categories if you can. Some items can serve more than one category. For instance, I sometimes wear my work shirts with jeans or a causal mini skirt. I also wear my sweaters for work and casual in the winter.

5. Limit the items in each category according to your need and use. Keeping track on your items on a written list or photo list (take pictures and print out or store in your computer) helps ensure that you keep it to that amount. I try not to go over my limits. When I do, I find something that I do not love or use, and donate it.


6. For every item that you bring into your home, donate one of the same category that you have in your closet.
es If you do not have any clothes of a certain category, such as if you are a student that needs to get work clothes for their first job, think about throwing an item out for a category that you may not use much anymore, such as that old hoodie that you wore to class (lounge category). 

7. Don’t buy or keep items that you think will fit you someday – i.e. if you loose or gain weight. If you loose weight, and can alter your own items without taking too much time or know somewhere you can alter them cheaply, do so. If you gain weight and keep it on for over 1 year, and have spent some time trying to loose it, you may need to be a little realistic and realize that you will not fit into the clothing anytime soon. What is the use of it storing up in your closet and making you feel bad when you see it, when you can donate it. The same goes for those who have tried to gain weight for over a year. It maybe time to donate the clothes and buy clothes that fit in a thrift store if you are on a budget or in an outlet.

8. Don’t feel compelled to shop just because your friends are shopping. We are social beings and are affected by the actions and activities around us. If you feel that you will be tempted to shop, or will become influence by consumerism, make sure you prepare yourself mentally before you go out with these friends by thinking about simplicity, sustainability and your  path.

Living Out of A Backpack

My amazing friend just came back from traveling to South East Asia for almost 3 months. She lived out of a backpack, and carried less than 20 items, a few of which she discarded along the way, such as her hiking boots.

It made me think about a post I read at another site. I have been downshifting my life and trying to eliminate having too many material possessions in my life because I feel that it takes me away from what is really important to me. It has not been easy deciding what to donate or throw out, especially because I regretted throwing away a few things. These things I threw away because of the categories I made for them. Richard Kuo’s challenge in his blogpost “If you only had a backpack’s worth of stuff to take with you…or a trunk, or a car’s worth…what would you take?” really got me thinking, and has given me a clearer idea in how to decide what else to throw out.

In any case, my friend said, she probably would not live out of a backpack now that she is back home. However, I told her I was amazed at her journey, and told her that the important thing is that she knows that it's nice to have things, but freeing to know you don't need much to survive and experience life.

On that note, thinking of living out of a backpack gave me some more insight in deciding why I keep things. For instance, in terms of clothing, perhaps thinking about weight, "wrinkle-ability", clothing that can be hand-washed and dry easily, warmth or coolness, clothing that match each other easily, that are flexible as casual wear as well as more formal wear are more important than colors, styles, etc. If you think about it, this is how our human ancestors thought about clothing, except for those for ritual and celebrations. This idea of clothes as being trendy is a fairly new, and misleading concept of the functionality and true purpose and advent of clothing.