Drugstore Brands & Animal Testing

I am not an extreme animal rights activist or environmentalist, but I try to be mindful in my everyday choices, as I do believe those choices add up. One of those choices has been using less makeup and using toiletries and makeup that is not tested on animals and that is organic.

Sometimes, like the differing varieties voluntary simplicity and minimalism, your particular lifestyle may not allow you to be as animal or environmentally friendly as you would like to be. However, often times. we are so used to our routines that we are not aware of the implications of our actions. It is a very human behavior, but one that can be changed.

One are in which we can change is how much we are willing to sacrifice for the outward appearance, such as clothing and beauty. While you may not be able to afford organic produce all the time (buying seasonal organic comes of cheaper, by the way) or not use a medication because animal testing is required so that humans don't suffer (a lesser of two evils in our world), you can be mindful of your clothing, hygiene and beauty products.

I have already posted on organic and paraben free toiletries brands, which all do not test on animals. However, they can be quite pricey. Many high end department store make ups may not test on animals, but I certainly cannot afford it at the moment.

So, if you do not have access to the organic brands in my previous post, or if you need to get an item in a hurry, choose one of these drugstore brands that do not test on animals and refuse to ever purchase from those that still do. Please do not support the testing of makeup on animals for the price of vanity. Their suffering and captivity is not worth it. As a consumer, your choices influence companies actions. If you want to be even more direct, you can contact those brands and ask if they would consider stopping this behavior.

To find out other companies not listed, please click this PETA link and it will take you directly to a search page. The search also provides you with an address in case you want to write to the company. The site alspo provides a PDF list of companies who test and those who don't below courtesy of PETA.


Here is a quick list of drugstore companies that do not test.

Revlon

Almay
It is subsidiary company of Revlon

Wet N Wild
Their Megalast nail polish is my favorite because it really does last, and does not contain toluene or formaldehyde.Their lipsticks are not moisturizing enough, but their tinted balms are good. Their powders are very limited in tones, though the ones they have are spot on - they break me out, even the mineral powder and foundations. Their eyeshadows, liners and mascara are great quality for the price.

Milani:
The polishes are in great colors, though they do have chemicals that are not good for your skin and the environment. Their shadows and liners are also very nice in color.

Their makeup line breaks me out terribly. I have tried the foundation, concealer and powder, but no luck. I do have sensitive skin that gets blackhead and white heads easily, but the breakouts were beyond just a little clogging - I got painful cystic pimples.

I got cystic I have always loved this brand for its colorful nail polish and eye shadows. I tried a lip gloss by the brand at age 14 and fell in love. I am happy to learn that they don't test on animals.

E.L.F.:
I find their nail polishes, blushes and eyeshadows are very nice colors, but they don't stay on very long, so make sure you use a higher quality makeup and eyeshadow primer. Their eyeshadow primer burned my eyelids, but very sensitive skin here again. Their clarifying powder was terrible because it has talc and clogged my pores. The polishes don't contain harsh chemicals, but they don't last very long, so use a good topcoat.

Jane Cosmetics
I have only tried their eye liners, which are pretty long lasting. 

Say Yes to Carrots Brand:
Organic brand listed in my previous post. A little pricey.

Freeman Cosmetics:

Tresemme:

They have a low sulfate line now that is good, especially if you dye your hair, which I don't recommend unless you are going grey because dyes have harmful chemicals.

Burts Bees:
Organic brand in my previous post. A little pricey.

V05
White Rain:
Oldie, but goodie, but does contain sulfates.

Organix
 This shampoo and conditioner line works wonders for your hair and do not contain any sulfates. However, avoid the Brazilian therapy treatment because it has formadehyde and other harmful chemicals. Surprising, coming from a mainly organic brand, but if you research on Amazon you will see the full spectrum of harmful ingredients.

These very popular brands still test on animals:
Cover Girl
L'Oreal
Maybelline
Max Factor
Neutrogena (This really disappointed me because their foundation and powder are the only one that don not break me out.)
Rimmel 


I will add to this list as I come across other brands and do my research.

Be kind and compassionate, to yourself, to others and to the natural world.

Take care.

Minimize & Donate Clothing & Help the Poor in your nation & globally

Most charities that you donate to resell the clothes for profit to aid in their cause, their organization or people in need. However, make sure that you are donating to a reputable charity. I always make it a habit of checking charity Navigator or the Better Business Beaureau, but smaller charities may not be listed there. In that case, I do a google search of the charity and take a look at their website and activities. I also check their WHO IS information, to see who registered the website, although that is not always a clear indicator because a volunteer may have purchased the domain for the site. Reputable charities usually have a .ORG domain. I like to check the charity because even though it is clothing I may not be in need of, I have seen people selling used clothing on stands, such as in Canal Street in NY for personal profit. A charity sells back clothing, but at least some of the money from the sales go to fund research for illness or to help the homeless, etc.

I wish there was a way that the clothing would go directly to the poor, such as how the New York Coat Drive gives coats directly to the homeless. I am sure that many really needy and poor people cannot afford the clothing. However, most reputable charities do use the money to help others, such as Goodwill or Housing Works, which uses it's proceeds to help the homeless and people with HIV.

In many third world nations, things are so dire that I have seen many documentaries of India and Africa where the children are not wearing clothes not due to cultural customs, but because the family can barely get 2 meals a day, much less buy clothes.

Whatever clothes cannot be sold in some charity shops, like Salvation Army, Oxfam or Kinderkriegshilfe,  are sold by the shops to wholesalers, who pay a small amount for them. Then these clothing are exported to third world countries, where they become rags or are sold in the second hand clothing market. So, people in third world countries still have to pay for the clothing, but it is less than buying a new item.

So, donating your used clothing does not help poor people 100% as they have to purchase it, but it help organizations with their mission as well as provide cheaper options to those less fortunate. Additionally, you clear out your house and also help the environment.

If you would like to help the less fortunate directly, perhaps holding a garage sale, ebay sale or yard sale is a good way to make money and then donate money directly to charity organizations to help the poor in your country or other countries. There are lots of people in need everywhere, and most of us really don't need all that we have.

A few great charities for those in the U.S. in addition to those mentioned above are:

Planet Aid

Vietnam Veterans of America

Goodwill


Housingworks

Salvation Army

Oxfam

Kinderkriegshilfe

Please feel free to add any more charities that you know of, and I will add more to this post as I come across them as well.

Most of all, forgive yourself for having over consumed in the past, but make a decision to not do so in the future. You can then use your funds directly to further your life as well as help others, rather than purchasing things and storing them up unused in your home.
  

Living with a Partner who is Not So Minimalist

Due to a comment from one of the readers of my blog, I started thinking about how one may embark on and sustain a simple or minimalist lifestyle if your partner or house mate is not on board.

It is not an easy task, but it can be done, especially if you have similar life values. If is of course difficult if you are a stark minimalist, and are living with a partner who is very into consumerism and material things.

My husband is very low maintenance and minimalist in his needs, but he is adverse to me discard his things without his permission or unless he is ready. He also has his favorite items, which I have understood, even if they are old, he has to discard on his own time.

Here are some tips for living with someone who does not desire a simpler or minimalist lifestyle.

1) Commit to your choice to embark in this lifestyle, and become aware of your reasons for it.

2) Explain your reasons for it, such as more freedom to travel or to focus on things you enjoy. Explaining your reasons, especially if you both have similar life goals, can encourage and inspire your partner to reduce as well. If it does not inspire them, they will at least respect your decision, and not pressure you to have more items. If you are passionate about your reasons, telling someone also holds you accountable, and will inspire you to keep with it as well.

3) Realize and accept that even if you have achieve the optimal minimalism you want, your partner may never want to embark on this lifestyle. That being said, try to have a spirit of acceptance of their decision to choose their own path. Mutual respect is the first step in making compromise. Don't throw away their items without their permission. For an extreme example, hoarders and pack-rats just accumulate more stuff when organizers, clean-up crews or family members throw away their stuff. They have to be active in the decision making, and see value in getting rid of stuff. You can bring up items to their attention in a gentle way once in a while if they have excessive of some items or items that are in bad condition, and ask them if they need it although it is so old or need so much.

4) If space allows, delineate a space for your stuff and a space for theirs. Keep your area as simple or minimalist as you would like, and allow them to do as they please with theirs as long as they don't encroach on your space. You may need to discuss this to have a compromise and understanding. Seeing your simple or minimalist area may even inspire them. I am always more inspired to minimize when I look at minimalist homes.

5) As you get more on your path, share with them your feelings and realizations regarding the instrinsic values that you have attained and experienced as you have let go of your stuff. Do not do it in a condescending way or to persuade them, but in a way that you are just expressing yourself to them. They may be inspired by the joy and freedom you experienced, and want to minimize as well.

6) If your partner's or house-mate's habits become excessive pack-rat or hoarder behavior, you may need to talk to them gently about whether they have a deeper psychological issue that they need to deal with. At that point, you should talk it through with them, but if the behavior is not healthy for them, you may want to suggest professional help or ask a friend or family member to speak to them alone or with you as a matter of intervention.

Above all, don't let the actions of others sway you from your goal of undertaking a simpler lifestyle. Respect their choices as well as long as it is not excessive. I hope that these tips help, and I welcome any others.

Declutter Your Bookshelf & Papers

 My De-cluttered bookshelf ( (grouped by subject)

My De-cluttered Bookshelf (grouped by subject)

Today I am attacked my most dreaded foe - paper clutter. I periodically weed paper out, but there are some articles, notes and recipes that I have held on to for years. It is a pile that is about 6 inches thick, which may not seem like a lot, but when you consider that most are loose pages on various topics, it is quite a task. I managed to discard about 3 inches worth today, and will sort and de-clutter the rest tomorrow. I intend to keep only 1/2" worth of only extremely important documents.

As for the notes that I have taken on books that I already donated or recycled, I am typing them up to share and inspire others. I realized that I wasted a lot of time in college and after taking down notes on how to study, than actually studying! I also took down a lot of notes from textbooks, which is quite silly because I am a visual learner. However, I was a bit of an information hoarder, and dreaded forgetting things. Lengthy notes is not the solution, however. I think that mind maps or simple lists are a much more effective way of studying for visual learners like myself.

Here are some tips that I have learned as I de-clutter paper today:
1. If you can obtain it from the internet or an ebook, discard the actual physical article, book, recipe, etc.

2. For old class notes, discard if the subject has nothing to do with your life goals and career. If it is pertaining to a hobby, you can always obtain information online or through an ebook in the future if you are really interested in a topic.

3. If the notes are in relation to your career field, and you keep it to brush up on your knowledge, type of a list of keywords, and save on a document on your computer. You can always look up the topics online as the need arises or if you want to refresh your memory. Knowledge is in your mind, not in pieces of paper containing your college notes. Active knowledge that can be remembered and applied is real knowledge. Now I understand why many of the lawyers I worked with as a paralegal remembered citations so they can easily look things up, rather than keeping books upon books in their office.

4. Simplify the genres in your bookshelf. I used to have a lot more books, but I still more than I would like to have

I have replaced many of my old books with ebook versions since I have a Kindle now. However, I realized that replacing books with ebook versions is not the solution to the problem of too many books. I have books on different genres because I thought to be a well rounded person, one should read about topics in many fields. However, I realize that being a jack of all trades and a master of none has not brought me the results that I have wanted in my life. One of my desires is to be an expert in my field, yet not close minded to other subjects that interest me. Yet, having too many interests wares one thinly in their time, energy and motivation. I think it is best to have no more than three main interests in your life. This does not mean that you close yourself off to learning and other experiences. However, your time, energy and possessions should reflect mainly those interests and passions. The best case scenario is when all these things merge or overlap at some point, but it does not always work out so.

For myself, I have had to reduce my interests even further, and that starts today with the remaining books on my bookshelf. I have not de-cluttered my bookshelf in over 6 months, so it is time. I have accumulated more than I thought from Strands bookstore $1-$3 sales and from friends. Any new books read will be reading strictly Ebooks from now unless it is for school.

    

Inventory of Books: 67 ......... 26 Discarded today, 41 Kept
I expect to discard another 12 in next the 3 months as I have made a deadline to read them by then or discard them. I would like to keep only 30 books at a time in my bookshelf.

1. Languages ( Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Japanese) - 20 Books; Discard 11 & Keep 9: I am not going to learn German, Japanese or Chinese for my future career as I have not even completed my schooling for it in English. I have learned Spanish already in school, so I will keep a few books for when I travel. I have tried before and Mandarin is too difficult for me to learn to speak through a book, and I don't have time to dedicate to learning the script. I will just keep a very small phrasebook for traveling. I am keeping a French dictionary, a phonetic French phrasebook for traveling and 2 French readers that have both French and English as they are hard to find. I have wanted to learn French and Hindi for the longest amount of time compared to the rest, so I will learn French from an ebook I have. I will stick to picking up Hindi from Bollywood movies for now, and will learn it after I have mastered French. I am keeping the Hindi books - one of which is sentimental because a relative gave to me after visiting India, and the other of which is difficult to obtain.
2. 2 Books on Writing Short Stories - Discard all/2: I have had these for 3 years and have only written 2 short stories. Writing short stories is not natural to me as non-fiction or poetry.  I wanted to learn because I felt short stories are more likely to get published. Wrong reason.
3. Poetry: 5 -  Discard all/5: I have never read a book on the craft of poetry, although I have been writing since I was 10. However, I have had these 4 books for over a year, and have not picked them up once. I also have an ebook on writing poetry, so I will read that instead if I have time. English Romantic poetry and contemporary poems of the two authors, Haroldo de Campos and John Carroll can be found online. Although, I may not find as many as in the book, I don't have time to read all of them at the moment anyway.
4. Simple Living: 3- Keep 3:  I do go back and page through these books at times for inspiration, but the next few times I do so, I will type out ideas that appeal to me and post on this blog, so others can benefit, and toss the physical books. I am happy to see that a lot of new simple living books are being published in ebook format.
5. Art: 4 - Dicard all/4:  I can't afford to go to the museums a lot, so I kept these because they give in depth on the paintings and authors. I am not about to become an art critic, so I think the information provided on the authors and paintings on the museum sites will be sufficient. If I want to know more in depth about them, there is the internet.
6. Self Help/Psychology:  6 Books - Keep all/6 for 3 months only - After I read them in the next 3 months, I will discard
7. Minimalist Decor & Design Books: 5 - Keep all/5:  Guests repeatedly seem to like to look through, and I also find visual inspiration for de-cluttering and minimizing from them as they are minimalist style decor and architecture.
8. 6 Misc Books to Keep - 1 Sewing, 3 Barron's grad school exam study books, 1 vocabulary builder, Chicago Manual of Style, Bedford grammar handbook, pocket Thesaurus, 1 book on rhetoric
9. Law - 7: Keep all - Since this was my major in college, what I have experience in and plan on continuing my career in, I am keeping these books. However, I will only buy ebooks on law in the future as I do have 7 books on various topics of law currently.
10. Eastern Philosophy: 4 Books - Discard 1/ Keep3 for 3 months only: These are out of print, so I am going to read them, then discard them.
11. Cookbooks: 2 - Discard all/2: Recipes can be found online or in Ebooks
12. Textbooks: 3 - Discard all/3: They are science, history and general literature, which are not in my field, and which I can easily obtain information regarding online if I ever fancy.

Although I still have more books than I would like, many of them are quite small (no more than 1  width x 7 height), so a lot of space on my bookshelf. After 3 months, if I have not reached the deadline of reading the others, I will discard some more as well.

Please share your thoughts and your own experiences in paper and book decluttering.

Tips to Manifest Your Dreams - The Luck Factor

The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman

-- At anytime, you can take action to change your luck.

-- Winners ascribe succes to hard work (cause - effect)

-- Successful people are thoughtful about words and actions.

The Law of Averages - Do enough work and try equals greater success

The Law of Attraction - You will attract what you think about the most. (Think and talk only about what you want.) Any thought emotionalized goes to the subconscious. which is the seat of attraction.

The Law of Belief - What you believes becomes reality.

The Law of Expectation - What you tell yourself manifests. What you think about determines the future direction of your life.

Action Steps
1. Clarify your mind and your goals

2. Put your values into action. Values are your actions, especially under pressure.

3. Make a vision statement for life. Make it achievable and measurable. Read constantly and take actions regularly toward those life goals.


I will post more lessons from this book as I read along. Please comment if they are helpful, and I will post more book reviews/summaries.

What would you Do in Your Last Days?

I have been thinking a lot lately about how minimalism is not just about owning less, but also doing less. After all, the problem with owning many objects is that each object has energy and zap your energy because of the time it takes to maintain and care for those items. The same applies for when you involve yourself with too many activities. I am definitely for living a full life in which enjoys themselves and/or helps the world, and not just lull around the house. However, I think many of us, including myself, involve ourselves daily in activities that do not contribute to our overall life goals.

I know that after a long work week, we all need some activities to unwind, that do not occupy all of our mental faculties, but there must be limits also. Watching an interesting movie every now and then, or watching a program with your partner once or twice a week is fine. However, think of all the time wasted watching mindless television to kill time, time wasted window shopping, time wasted reading gossip or the like on the internet or in magazines, even time wasted talking repeatedly about topics that you are not particularly interested in or giving the same advice to someone over and over who does not really care.

Everyone has different interests, and that makes the world very interesting as well. However, I find that many of us, including myself, spend a lot of time on things that don’t really call to us and what we want to leave behind in life. I was thinking about my friend who passed away this year, and he valued people in his life, and always gave his time to bring friends together and spend time with them. Everyone who knew him remembers him as a kind person who always brought people together and would give his last dollar if a friend needed it. He also enjoyed activities like spending time with friends (dining, billiards, watching movies), cleaning and collecting kung fu figurines and movies. Before he got sick, he was into high end name brands of clothing and shoes. After he got sick, he still enjoyed the activities I mentioned above, but stopped buying name brand clothing and caring about image.

It makes me think, if we had just a year to live, what would we change in our lives? What would we buy? What would we eat? What would we get rid of in our life? What would we do that we always wanted to? What would we do daily to make our life enjoyable each day?

I know I would not waste money or energy buying clothing, shoes, or even certain books. I would not want to waste my time cleaning and organizing those things in my home. I would watch and read meaningful or substantive movies, plays and books. I would only wear clothes that were simple and easy to pull on in the morning without having to think about fashion or matching pieces. I would volunteer in the community or with children more. I would learn things daily that bring me closer to obtain a career that is more socially active. I would only keep things in my home that I could easily transport if I decide I want to pick up and move somewhere in short notice.

I am trying to think along these lines and do some of these things daily as I was in a rut for a few weeks deciding what to do next after being unemployed since the end of August. It’s a bit morbid to think about what we would do in our last days, but it is very poignant way to live to remember that each day is a gift. A gift that many who are in their last days wish they had. On our death bed, we will not miss or think about objects or useless activities nor regret not doing those things, but we will miss and remember the people in our lives and the activities that we found interesting and are passionate about.

Zenhabits has a great post those who have difficulty minimizing activities. Good luck and enjoy the day!

Simple / Minimal Living is a Path

I often say that I am on the path to a minimalist lifestyle. I have not achieved the degree of minimalism as I would like, but nonetheless, I am still persuing this path. There are some people who have only 100 items total or 20 items in their wardrobe. For this reason, some extreme minimalist will say I am a fry cry from being a minimalist, so now I prefer to say that I am trying to live a more simple, minimal lifestyle because no matter how much I minimize, I don't believe my lifestyle would allow 20 items of clothing unless I move to a location where there are not extreme temperatures ranging from 100 to 0 degrees as in New York and unless I work from home. 

That being said, I believe that a simpler life or a minimalist path is not the same for everyone. We all have different reasons to embark on this path, and different life needs and backgrounds. We need to be more compassionate with people and see how their lives may necessitate different things than ours. Minimalism is not a competition, or a one size fits all lifestyle, but a path. The career path that I am in (law) requires strictly business wardrobe, not even business casual clothing. I meet clients often, and am judged on my image as a result, so I can’t wear 5 outfits every single week. I have pared down my choice in colors to red, nude pink, ivory, black and grey (pants) so that makes mixing and matching easier, but people notice if you’re wearing the same 5 things all the time. I am also quite busy, and do not have a laundromat in or close to my building, so I cannot do laundry a few times a week, so thereby need more clothing than some because things get dirty and smelly in New York. :)


I have reduced my items even more since I last posted the clothing items I own this post and I am indeed still trying to pare things down because it is an ongoing process as we bring things in and as things change in our lives. That being said, please consider my lifestyle:

With all that being said, I’m sure many people in my position do not dare to become minimalist even a bit. In fact, I know none, though will be glad to meet any so we can share tips. I know I will never be as minimalist as some people are with just 50 items or  who work from home, have more laid back jobs or live where the seasons are not so dramatic from one another.  However, I am trying to only keep what I use consistently, and not purchase superfluous things that I don’t use or need. I also try to purchase things from an ecological standpoint if I can afford them, but sometimes I can’t. I don’t eat animal flesh 80% of the time (20% flexible when I visit the homes of others or there are no nutritional options like tofu or eggs in restaurants as I am allergic to wheat flour products, such as seitan. In these cases, I will consume only seafood.)

As they say in yoga practice, a little sustained effort is better than extreme, but scanty effort, so that is what I’m trying to do – to be a little more minimalist as my life permits each day.

Please share your path and suggestions. I encourage those who are trying to lessen their load as well.

Reasons for a Simple / Minimalist lifestyle

People embark on a life of simplicity or a minimalist lifestyle for various reasons.

1) To be closer to nature, and live a more natural life.

2) To care for the environment and live a more sustainable life.

3) To get out of debt and live more frugally.

4) To remove all distractions in life, so you can focus on the important things in your life, such as family, friends or life goals.

5) To live a freer, more mobile life.

There is no right or wrong reasons, and even if your reason is not all of the above, they all overlap and are great consequences of each other.

I started leading a simpler life because I realized that all the things, activities, and even people in my life gave me little time to focus on my important goals, ironically, even when I became unemployed.  I was feeling very overwhelmed, unfulfilled and no closer to my internal life goal of personal growth nor to my career goals. I also care about the environment, and realized that the simple, daily decisions that we make collectively can make a difference. I also want to live a freer, more mobile life, but I am not as minimalist as I would like to be due to my circumstances and the climate where I live, and because while I have little compared to some, I still have to challenge myself to do without as much as I have not.

The benefits of my journey this far has been great. I spend less time thinking about what to wear because 90% of my clothing is black, grey, red or dusty/nude pink, so they all match. I wear minimal makeup, use natura/paraben free toiletrees, make my own shampoo and cleaning products, and eat simple vegetarian food (although I still eat mollusks and shellfish as I am anemic). All of the above things have led to my being healthier and having more energy. I still spend a bit of time cleaning, but by the end of this month, I am doing another purge of household items and books. I have also simplified my social life, and only hang out with a few very close friends, rather than lots of acquaintances. I only go to events and places that I am genuinely interested in, rather than to please others or to kill time. This has allowed me to free up my schedule recently to begin studying for grad school. I know as I continue on minimizing and simplifying the benefits will increase manifold.

This article by Bruce Elkin greatest reignited my fire to simplify even further, as I have been a tad lax in the last year due to personal issues and a family tradegy that got me very down.

The main goal for my path of a life of simplicity has gradually changed over the years, from having less stress and finding myself to now become a more fulfilled and productive person.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks for reading.

The Balance of Structure and Individuality

Loosing Structure 

For the last few years, I believed that I disliked structure very much. However, I also noticed that without structure, such as a schedule or to do list or a plan for my days, months and years, I have drifted from job to job and not moved closer to my personal and life goals. I didn’t quite understand my aversion to structure in those last few years as when I was a paralegal, I took a great sense of pride in accomplishing things in a measured time. Even before that, from my youth to my early 20s, I was always an achiever, who planned my goals, and took steps to achieve them.

Thinking about thesee things in the last week as I feel more driven to accomplish my goal of getting into a top grad school, I realized that I need stucture to be successful. I also realized that the reason I have had an aversion to structure in the past few years is because I began to associate structure with people trying to control me. This is due to my previous relationship, where the person was as such, and caused me great anxiety due to his infidelities. Additionaly, it is due to my having a two jobs where I was micromanaged, and structured in by my bosses in almost everything I did. I also began to associate structure with people I saw who are successful and very structured, but who are also verymainstream in their views and behaviors, while I am somewhat unconventional.

Structure does not mean conformity

I  began to associate structure with the lack of freedom to be myself, and an invisible hand of society to conform me to the thoughts and behaviors of most people. Subconsciously, I rebelled, not in the way I rebelled as a teen, where I went goth, with black clothing, high platform boots, streaks in my hair or safety pins and staples in my clothing. How I rebelled was in abandoning the desire and need for structure in my life, and instead doing what spurred me in the moment, not planning my days in detail, and trying to be more hippiesh, and procrastinating. However, I still could not help planning myself in some ways, such as planning where I will meet my friends, checking out the directions first, deciding what I would do if I arrived early, etc. Yet to not stick to the structure and rigidity of being punctual, which I associated with my structered jobs, I would decide to do the dishes or clean the apartment before I leave, and therefore, end up leaving later than I estimated and knew I should. I rebelled by impulsively shopping, yet ironically, I would plan that I would impulsively shop, such as which store, which isle I would start with, etc. While at the store, I still sorted through my options before I make my decision. The inpulse was in purchasing things that I didn’t need more of. My need for structure then led me to continously organize, categorize and de-clutter my items.

Success requires vision and a plan

 Looking back over the last few years, I realize that I have always been successful when I have a vision, a plan, and take small action steps daily to achieve that plan. My rebellion against the structure I need has led me to seek structure in other ways, such as my environment, yet since my internal views were not congruent, even that has not stayed structured as I would like, leading to a lot of stress and wasted time organizing. I have come to understand myself that I like structure and getting things done. I don’t feel accomplished just thinking about things, and drifting aimslessly in knowledge. I like my thoughts and ideas to translate into something tangiable, into something that can be achieved, and I need closure and accomplishment. What I don’t need is structure and control under someone else’s terms. I am highly independent, resourceful and I need a balance of a path/structure to follow in a job, but also enough freedom to exercise my ideas, and demonstrate and build my skills.

Starting the De-Cluttering Process

So, the apartment is full of clutter, and you feel drained and lethargic. I believe wholly that clutter and objects have energy about them. For the last few months, I have given away alot of items to Goodwill, and have done a good job clearing away paper and other miscellaneous. When every I am stressed, my apartment ironically follows suit and there is alot of clutter. I realize now that it is true that the external state is a reflection of one's internal state. Yet, when I believe it is also possible to influence the internal state by changing the external state. For this reason, I have to start decluttering again. The endless cycle of cluttering and decluttering can make one feel a little dejected. However, what I have learned from this endless cycle is that the key to keeping a clean, organized house, especially in times of stress is maitainance, and continuous evaluation and downsizing of possessions.

Getting started is definitely the hardest part when things are cluttered. Here are some tips to start that often help me.

1. Start with the kitchen sink. Cleaning the dishes somehow makes you get into the spirit of cleaning and want to see the other parts of the house just as clean. Gather all the dishes and cups lying about before you start washing. After you are done with the sink, clean out the refrigerator, take out the trash. After that, I also clean the bathroom sink and the toilet.

2. The third area that I do is the apartment floors. Pick up everything from the floor and put it on a shelf or closet. If there are clothes or books on the floor, put them in a chair.

3. Hang or fold all clothing that are lying about. Put all dirty clothing in a laundry basket or bag. Hang or fold the clean clothing. If you do not have enough hangers or drawer space, only hang the ones you wear often and put the remaining in a shopping bag or plastic bin. Fold your comforter or make your bed while you are at it because it will give a neater look.
4. Next clean your desk. Throw away all small pieces of paper, like old receipts, and put others that you may need, such as business cards in a box. The desk is usually important to a person's productivity as this is where they do alot of work, and by it being clean, you will not only feel more productive, but more energetic and inspired to do the rest of the apartment.
5. Sweep or vaccuum the floor. If you have time, you can mop the floor and enjoy a nice coffee, book or video to relish your completion as you let it dry.
6. Throw away old magazines. I sometimes sort through them and tear out articles or cut out pictures, but I find that this creates more clutter. So, only keep an article or picture if you love it, and limit yourself to only having 25 articles and 25 pictures saved total in your entire article stash.

7. Create a donation bag and leave near the door for the next time you go out. Evaluate the clothing that could not fit in your closet to see whether you really use or need each one of these items. If you don't have time or energy, another day, you can make a list or count all of your clothing, and then go through this pile and decide whether you need these items or already have enough of these. I also suggest doing this for shoes and household items.

This whole process does not have to occur in one day, but I suggest finishing each task that you start so you are not disgruntled and feel motivated to continue on the list the next time you declutter.

Socializing & Consumerism

I hung out with two friends who like to shop, and although I have been getting a handle on shopping by keeping mindful of this new minimalist/voluntary simplicity lifestyle I have had since the beginning of this year, I got drawn in a little. I did not shop with my friends, but after hanging with them, I felt that I needed certain items. I held out on getting anything, but I have been interviewing for jobs, and stressed about getting a job, and I let my resolve to not shop go, and shopped. I have realized that when I hang with certain people who like to shop, or who care a lot about image, I feel compelled to shop as well. It is not their fault that they are who they are, and I am totally responsible for my actions, but I see now why people try to hang with others in their lifestyle because as social beings, we tend to do things that those close to us are engaged in. I am unaffected by strangers, but I realize that I do get influenced by friends. Some people have even taken the extra mile and made simplicity circles to hang with people who will help them on the path. I either need to be reading and thinking about simplicity daily or start hanging with people who are less focused on consumerism.

Minimal Living - The 100 thing challenge

I used to have so many objects in my house that I lost track of what I have and where to find them. I was not necessarily messy, and swept and cleaned alot, but in closets and pretty boxes were stuffed all types of knick knacks, clothing, books, magazines, etc. that I saved for a rainy day that I may need them. Then I moved into a studio in New York City. I threw away alot of books and items, but also moved in a whole lot more, because they were expensive or because I thought I might need them later.

Yet, I have been feeling very uninspired because I realize that these things are not in tune with who I am and what I want to do in my life, and I cleaning up was so annoying. Furthermore, it seemed so wasteful and seemed to hold me down. I came upon a blog post called the 100 Thing Challenge that I was intrigued by.

I attempted do inventory of 100 things I would like to keep, to not much avail, because I probably had close to 500. I had not thought that I had a lot of stuff because I have periodically donated clothes, shoes and coats to the Salvation Army, donated and thrown away lots of makeup, knick knack and housewares. Yet after getting frustrated that I did not have time to count all the items I owned, I began to really examine what I really needed and used often.

I started by realizing that even though I only use lipgloss daily, mascara once in a while, and add eyeliner or shadow only on special occasions, I had a crazy amount of makeup products

10 eyeliners, 10 eyeshadows, 5 mascaras, 5 lip glosses, 10 lipsticks and 6 nail polishes that I have never worn

My clothes were an even more interesting discovery because I have donated numerous bags in the last year, but had the following clothing:
22 work shirts (button down for spring + summer)
10 party shirts (I party only 3x a year)
23 sweaters (though I probably wear only 7)
4 Spring jackets (only wear 2)
4 Winter jackets (only wear 2)
1 Formal jacket
9 skirts
15 slacks
7 jeans
7 weekend pants
3 formal dresses
6 informal dresses
6 flats
6 knee high winter/spring boots
3 ankle boots

I started looking into myself, and wondering why I have so many things, when I am not very high maintenance as a person. I realized that I felt the need to have such diversity of items because I had a few friends that cared a great deal about image, and I did not want them to see me with the same items lest they think I don’t have alot of cash and because they would make comments about other people not looking or dressing classy. The truth is that I just finished school, and am currently job hunting, so technically, I don’t have alot of cash. Furthermore, I was not really being myself because although everyone has a right to what image they want to emulate, whether it is one of an upper or middle class, I personally did not care for such things. I care more about the intelligence and hearts of those around me. Furthermore, my lifestyle is very low maintenance, and did not require all these items.

As I look back, every year, I throw away or donate so many things. I have wasted thousands of dollars because of compulsive shopping, and the thrill of the buy always went away soon after the item was purchased. I realize now that these objects have added very little value to my life. I now plan on only bringing things into my home that add value to my life, and embarking to remove those that don’t

Use difficult / extra time to inspire you to minimize

I am not giving specific advice in this post, but I hope that my story of seeing the opportunity in difficult or stressful times will inspire you to do the same.

Difficulty Arose

Einstein said that in difficulty lies opportunity. I am trying to keep that in mind because my corporate job did not work out. I am not too bummed about the job itself because it is not my cup of tea. My apartment reflected my sense of loss of self because I was so mentally exhausted from work that I accumulated clutter that I had worked so hard to rid myself of. I am bummed, however, at not having a job to pay the bills, and we have a month to get a new apartment, which means moving costs, furniture costs and money for rent and security.

Find the Positive about the Situation -> Rather than stress, I will minimize further.

While I feel a sense of loss of control at not having a job now, it has given me some extra time now. Extra time that I did not want in this way, but extra time none the less. So, since the job market is slow at this time (as mentioned by my headhunters), I am trying to keep perspective of this free time that has come into my hands. I can either stress myself out about getting a job, get into a comfortable rut or be peacefully proactive and try to accomplish some personal goals, such as finishing my magazine de-clutter, and my ultimate goal, which is to be able to fit all my possessions (including books) into two suitcases or three duffel bags. I am not that far behind because my clothes will fit into three duffel bags now, but my books will take an extra two. I do love my books, but they are heavy for a petite person like myself and take up a lot of room. I am thinking that I should stop buying books and start borrowing from the library, at least until I am able to buy a home in the future or not buy any more so I can be able to live a mobile lifestyle at anytime.

So now, I have time to read those articles that I pulled out of the magazines and toss the ones that I don’t love. I now also have the time to assess if I will keep all my books, or donate some, though I donated over 20 in the past year already. I can also go through clothing that I have left from my last de-cluttering and see if I want to keep them all, or streamline again.

The good news is that the extra time will help me save some money on the moving costs and time. I read that the heavier the auto is the more gas it burns. Less books and clothes equal less gas to buy and less carbon emissions for the environment. It also means more peace of mind and less worry about having so many possessions.

It is quite interesting how minimizing helps to calm stress. Perhaps this is a type of moving meditation. Or perhaps having less possessions makes me feel more free mentally.

Minimal Living - Lessons from Living Out of a Box or Two

Reflections from my last move in August 2008:

Save for a two week gig in a financial firm, I have not worked in four and a half months. It has made me want to tear my hair out at times because we are socialized to always be working, and to not feel useful when we are not at a structured work environment. Yet, I have not sat at home doing nothing. I have job hunted, researched, maintained house and cleaned, helped friends and family with various things, etc. Being unemployed has helped me to have time to organize our move to Brooklyn. Boyfriend and friends moved the boxes, but I did the packing and organizing.

In about two weeks after the move is fully settled, I plan on seriously job hunting again, though I check the job listings daily to see if there is anything I can do. I have gone to several temp agencies for paralegal jobs, but they think that I do not have enough foreign trademark experience. It is just as well because everything works out for a reason.

Living out of bags and boxes this past week have given me a very important realization: I do not require much at all to live. I just need shelter, food, my books, internet, shampoo + conditioner, hairdryer, brush, concealer and lip gloss, cell phone + charger (I am considering a pre-paid plan but one of my close friends is in grad school in CO, so I may need the minutes to chat with her. I don’t think I can cancel without incurring early termination fees anyway), and a few items of clothing. I am seriously thinking about downshifting and getting a part time job to pay the bills, while I persue some intellectual interests that I have been putting off for many years now.

To engage this, I believe that external arrangement always helps the flow of the internal. So I am ready for the next step of living a minimalist lifestyle – drastic minimalism, i.e. eliminating ALL unnecessary things. That includes my remaining magazines (after I skim through them – body and soul will be done today, harpers and the new yorker tomorrow); all office supplies/knick knacks; all makeup except for 3 eyeliners, 1 concealer and 2 lip glosses. I am also going to pare down my clothes even further, and donate books that are not going to really assist me in the future or that I do not love (yes, even the ones I have not read yet). My goal is to be able to fit all my books into 2 suitcases and my clothes, etc into 1 large suitcase. This 3 suitcase limit was inspired by my friend, Jack.

Job Hunting Reflections & Simplicity

In 2008, I took on a part time job as a paralegal (3 days a week), and was thrilled about it for several reasons. While, it does not pay as much as some other jobs, and has no benefits, such as health and life insurance, it frees up time for me, which is invaluable. The job was less stress than a working in a financial firm, and more stable of course, with the recent economic crisis, and the people are a lot nicer as it is a smaller law firm than the one I worked for before. So at the end of the day, I took home less, but I am not living based on the amount I make a day, but rather by the satisfaction that I get that I actually enjoy working with the people I work with. There was a little stress because I was learning new things like we do at any new job, but the people are nice, so it is not too intense.

Making less went with the simpler lifestyle because I received less money, so I had to be very careful about what I spend that money on, so that I have enough for necessities and bills. The rewards were worth it because on my free days, I could actually do things that I enjoy that bring me more joy than money, such as reading a book or attending a lecture.I know many people have full time jobs, and am not saying they are bad as I was looking for a full time job myself. However, you have to see the beauty in every situation, so this is my take on my current situation. I have learned that the worse thing that you can do is to take a job that compromises who you are. I could have gotten certain full time jobs in finance that pay more and have alot of benefits, but I was not  willing to do something that I disliked, and felt no personal growth in as math and finance are not my forte.

I read once that you see someone’s character and who they are not by what they say or think, but by what they do. As such, I am trying to make the things I do align with who I am as a person, my values, interests and long term goals. Should you be at a crossroads with a job or any other situation in your life, remember the better decision is always the one that allows you to be true to yourself. In trying to be true to yourself, think of the times career wise (or relationship wise if that is your crossroad) that you experienced joy and what you were doing. What made you feel happy in those moments. Was it because you were helping someone? Was it because you mastered something intellectually or solved a problem at work? Was it that your interest peaked in the subject that you were working with? Don’t let your ego enter into this thinking process. While all of us want to be accepted and approved by others on some level, we have to leave that out for a short time when trying to get to know ourselves. So, if you think something will win you approval from another person, it is an indication that you need to recenter yourself again. Above all, be patient with yourself and be mindful of what you are thinking and feeling. Also, follow the old adage to sleep on it. Wise decisions should not be rushed.

I am currently unemployed, and studying for grad school, while also job hunting. Reflecting on that earlier time when I had a part-time job reminds me not to give up my freedom for any job that comes by because freedom is truly worth more than money to me.

More Stuff in US homes now, but less joy + Thoughts on gift giving.

Besides my general needs of food and shelter, and saving to go to grad school, there is little else that I need. A friend of mine told me that a supervisor of his, who makes $20,000 more annually than him is living from paycheck to paycheck, even though she does not have children or own home, while he manages to save a few hundred a month on his moderate pay. I have seen it with friends also who make double what they did a few years ago, now $100,000, and are still working paycheck to paycheck and are no less happy than they were before. Some are even more unhappy.

More possessions in U.S. Homes today, but Less Happiness
Statistics show that we have more stuff now than we did 20 years ago, but we are not any happier.  Many times, people covet and want to earn more money so they can buy more items, be they furniture, larger homes, clothes, cars, knick knacks, etc. Therefore, we all need to examine why we want more money. For people who want to earn more because they are not making ends meet with their families, it is a different story, but even they need to examine how they spend their money because there are many things that we can all cut back on.

Ideas for Gift Giving
I also want to add that we need to examine gift giving. Many times we want to give people exactly what they want, even if we cannot afford it to please them. There is at the heart of every human the desire to feel accepted and approved. However, the spirit of giving should be done with what you are able to give, and if someone truly cares about you, they will understand. Holidays have become quite commercialized, and if people insist on giving me items, I ask them not to get me clothing or items that I don’t need. I try to give and receive items that are truly necessary and which can truly help the person, and the world. Another name brand sweater is not helping anyone. My birthday present that I request this year will be a solar garden, so I can save money on herbs, use to cook for my boyfriend and I as well as friends and family when they come over, and even help the environment by growing locally and improving the air in my apartment.  I have been known to give my mom coffee makers, vacuums and other items that she would actually use and that helps make her busy life easier, than a sweater or the like. The only non functional things that I do get loved ones are things that encourage their hobbies and causes, such as an Om pendant and necklace for a friend of mine who is trying to find balance in her life by meditating because it will be a reminder to her in stressful times. If you can make something nice for a friend if you cannot afford a gift, I think that is a great idea also, where you use your creativity and give your time in making the gift, which makes the gift personal and special.
In terms of wants, sometimes we covet things, and dwell on things that we desire, but it is really important to not desire things and think about them, even things that we may really need. There is no benefit that comes out of thinking about things that we want, only wasted time on those thoughts, and less contentment as you are not thinking about what you have, but what you want.

Giving to the less fortunate brings even more wealth to the giver.
If you have a lot of stuff in your home that you are having trouble letting go of, but is excess of what you need to keep your life abundant, think about if there is someone out there who would benefit more from it and actually use it. This is especially significant for items you have not used in a year or more as it is just wasting space and could actually be used by others. In the spirit of giving, think about donating these items to charity or good will stores. Some like to sell it, but I prefer giving away items that cost me less than $100 because I feel that I earn more in the feeling of helping others in need or people who just need to stay employed such as at Goodwill than the fraction of money that I may get for the item. It also saves time to just donate it, rather than have to wait for a buyer and such. Also, you may not feel the necessary loss of the item as much when you sell it because you get money for it. I feel that at times we need to feel a loss for items by just donating them because it makes us realize how many unnecessary items we buy. So if you are able to donate, I encourage you to do so.

Beginning a Simpler Life or a Minimalist Lifestyle

The Dacoit of Consumption
I am a little ashamed to admit it, but I have to admit how I realized that the simple lifestyle was for me.  It was when I realized that I had spent close to $10,000 on clothing, books and other possessions in the span of 3 years, of which I retained 50% and discarded the rest because I did not have the space to store them. When I realized that I had done a complete 180 against my values and who I was by obtaining these possessions, but rather succumbed to criticism and confirmed to gain approval. I was so trouble and disgusted with myself that I had wasted so much time and money on things - things that essentially had little significance to me, but that bound me.

For most of my life, I had never been a materialist or a consuming person nor I did not care about fitting into the image of society. I actually dressed a bit eccentrically in junior high, high school and college, but the criticism about the quality and brands of my clothing from my friend and her husband got to me after my divorce because my self esteem was at an all time low. So, my consumption started after my divorce at age 23. I became very unsure of the future, seeing that I had wasted 5 years with someone who I had no future with, and with whom being with actually delayed my education. I also felt very alone and for the first time in my life, wanted the approval of others of my choice in career and even when it came to how I looked. I started buying things partially because I wanted my friends approval because she was doing well in her career, and I was trying to build my own after my divorce. I also started buying things because I was not happy in the career field I was in, and placated my unhappiness by purchasing things, rather than getting out of that field. I suppose there was even a false sense of security I having objects around me because I was so afraid to make a move to what I really wanted in life.

The Beginning of Simplicity
 Yet, as I accumulated more things, it lead me further from myself, and every time I looked at the pile of clothing, shoes, handbags and books, I felt confused and depressed at the same time. I just could not take the stress of having so much stuff, and constantly having to organize, store and clean them. I started thinking back to when I last really felt like myself, and realized that throughout my childhood, teenage years, and college, I never had more than had 5 pairs of jeans, 5 dress pants and 10 tops and sweaters, but I was happy as I spent my time doing things I really enjoyed, rather than shopping or taking care of material possessions. I had very few clothing, handbags or shoes, but still took pride in looking well and treasuring the few unique items that I had. This was very different to the state in which I was in with 3 closets full of clothing, much of which I wore just because I felt guilty for having them. I had hundreds of clothing items, almost 100 shoes and 30 handbags. It was insane!

I realized that I needed to let go of the fears, the false sense of security and the blame on myself or others. It was nota about him, my friend , my mother or society. It was about recapturing who I am and what I want for my life. I knew that what I wanted was not to own an insurmountable library or wardrobe, but to really life again and do the things I really enjoy and start the goals I wanted to accomplish. To do so, I knew I had to just plunge myself into a new lifestyle, or I would continue drowning as I had been for the last few years.
The one difficult measure for me when I started a simpler lifestyle a year and a half ago was making the decision to donate and throw away 50% of my clothing, which I knew I did not really care for. I was wreaked with guilt at having spent so much money on them, when I could have used it to further my education or for charity. I also realized that I held on to a lot  of items that were not in well enough shape to be donated because I didn’t want to contribute to the terrible landfill problem in the U.S. Yet, I knew I had to do it. The costs of buying the items were sunk costs, and it continued to cost me in time to take care of them, and it cost my peace of mind to look at them with feelings of frustration.

Letting go emotionally and mentally
So if you are starting out on a simpler path, look at what you own with reflection, so you will not make the same mistakes of buying things again, but do not dwell on the past. Face the past. You made many mistakes by buying these items, but you can start anew. Let go of the guilt of having wasted money, of having to throw away items that cannot be donated, and of the guilt of not having used many of the items that you donate or throw away. Use the awareness of your mistake to make a solemn vow that you will never buy things that you do not need in the present. Realize by present, I mean things that are absolutely important today, and not for a phantom need in the near future. It is better to make do with a few items, than have excessive items that you may never use.

Make a plan
To begin to reduce when you have loads of items in front of you can be a bit daunting, but it is easier if you make some rules for yourself. For one thing, you can make categories for your activities such as those I expound on in my previous post about Wardrobe Shopping Rules, and pare down items to fit into those categories.  If you have so many items that you have difficulty even paring them into categories, make some rules for yourself on what kind of items you are going to keep, such as only in flattering colors or fabrics.
Only keep books that you are actually interested in reading in the present. Textbooks and training materials for your current profession are exceptions.

Shut your brain off as you would do when meditating when you start arguing with yourself about the necessity of items. If you take more than a few minutes in deciding if you need an item, put the items in a bag in the back of your closet. At the end of the season, or at the end of 6 months, if you have not used the items, donate or discard them.

Odds are that you really would never need these items anyway, and you can always get it in the future if you are in dire need of it.  If you are thinking, “It will cost a lot more in the future than what I got it for”, remember that you can buy the item in a thrift shop for a moderate price in the future, while also helping charity and not contributing to the landfills. Also, contrary to what the media and fashion magazines tell you, there is no such thing as the perfect bag, shoe, shirt, etc. No material possession is perfect as it does not satisfy the need of the soul.

Create Further Rules as Needed
A simpler lifestyle occurs in steps and requires constant vigilance and reflection. All desires start in the mind, so you have to be mindful of the influence of the things around you. I began to take scenic routes away from stores because they not only allowed me to appreciate nature, but also to not be tempted by the items I saw in stores. I stopped going into stores to browse, and went created lists before entering so I would buy the items I need and leave right away. I never bought items on sale unless I needed it in the present.
I had no trouble paring down my books, and got electronic versions of many classics to put on my book reader that my boyfriend purchased for my birthday.

I initially only kept clothing in natural fibers (cotton, silk, cashmere, merino wool) and in colors that I liked and that were flattering on my skin. However, a few months into my path, I realized that I still had too many clothing and would like even more stringent rules if I wanted to pare my items down more. So I decided to keep my tops to only a 3 color scheme (one shade of blue, french/nude pink, black and white patterns, two leopard print tops for fun), and my bottoms to only 3 colors – tan, grey and black. My handbags and shoes are also neutral colors – tan, brown and black. So now, all my tops match my bottoms and my accessories. It is so freeing not to worry about if I have clothing to match. I don’t have to waste time wondering what to buy to match clothing when I do shop, and do not waste money or effort buying things that will not match my wardrobe.

Create and Remember Your Goal
When I started pursuing a simpler lifestyle, my goal was to pare down my clothing and books to 3 large suitcases. It took me some time to get to that goal because although I pared down my books and everyday clothing, I still had many shoes and formal wear occasion items.  I only have 2 quality formal dresses now.
I still don’t think all of my books and possessions will fit into 3 suitcases at this time. I think realistically they will fit into 4 suitcases (except for coats since they are bulky for NY weather).  However, keeping my goal to 3 suitcases keeps me motivated to not bring any more items in, and periodically reassess what I currently have. I have chosen 3 suitcases as my ultimate goal because if I had to relocate, I think that will make it an easy move. I like the sense of not being bound by my possession to any physical abode.

This gives me the impetus to read some of the books I still have or donate them as they take up one suitcase. I think there are a few more pairs of shoes I can donate also. It’s time for another inventory to see what more I can pare down.

Freedom from Attachment
I think the most important thing I can say about a simpler lifestyle for me is that is has been a spiritual journey for me. It has put me in touch of what I really need in this world to be happy. Vigilance of the mind has kept me going, as well as the knowledge and feeling of peace and freedom that comes with letting go. As you let go of possessions, you open up space not only in your home, but also in your life for things that really matter.

Pros and Precautions of Thrift Store Shopping and Donating

Personally, I do not buy clothing from thrift stores as I did when I was younger because there has been a bed bug epidemic in New York for a few years now. For instance, the movie theater that I frequent was infested, as well as my husband's job as he deals with the public daily. As much as I am for reusing things, I don't think the money saved or the environmental impact is worth the cost and annoyance of dealing with a bed bug infestation. That said, I still purchase household items from thrift shops, as they have many unique items.

I do not completely deter others from buying clothing from thrift shops because there are many advantages. Just be very cautious. Furthermore, don't overbuy as if you do get an infestation, you will have to wash and dry all your clothing.

There are many advantages of shopping in thrift stores:

• It is good for the environment as clothing does not end up in landfills. Of course the down side of this is that most thrift store end up throwing away 50% of their donations because the donations are not in good enough condition or because they don't have the space.
• You can find good quality items at a very affordable price. The downside to this is of course that others have worn the clothes, and you can get rashes if you have sensitive skin like me. You can also get bed buys as noted in this article. You can combat this by washing items as soon as you get home in hot water or sealing items in bags until you are able to wash them. Hot water will disinfect clothing so you will not get rashes and also kill bugs.  In most cases, thrift stores wash their clothing before selling, which will eliminate these problems, so I would not worry about it too much unless furniture and bedding are sold in the same floor as the clothing.   I never try on clothing in the store and I seal, then wash clothing if I buy from stores that sell matresses, bedding or fabric funiture. All in all, thrift store shopping is mostly safe, good for the enviornment, good for your budget and helps causes, but just take these small precautions. In fact, I have never gotten rashes or bed bugs from my years of buying thrift store clothing because I take these precautions. I actually got a bed bug (which gave me very painful bites) once from a new, decorative pillow at National Warehouse Liquidators.

So, the lessons here are:

1. Even with cheaper clothing, do not go crazy and fall into the consumption trap. Buy only items you need.
2. For those who donate to thrift stores, realize that just like you, customers at thrift stores want good quality items.  So, donate items that are in good condition so that the stores can actually sell them.
3. Don't over shop at anytime (whether at thrift stores or not) and make the excuse that you will just donate it if you do not use it because thrift stores don't always have the space. It is better to make conscious choice and buy the things you actually need, and take care of them so that when you donate them thrift stores can actually sell them.
4. Remember the minimalist rule, if you bring one item in, send or donate one item out, unless of course.

Extending the Definition of Simple Living

I have been thinking a lot lately about how a simple life is not just about owning less, but also doing less. After all, the problem with owning many objects is that each object has energy and zap your energy because of the time it takes to maintain and care for those items. The same applies for when you involve yourself with too many activities. I am definitely for living a full life in which enjoys themselves and/or helps the world, and not just lull around the house. However, I think many of us, including myself, involve ourselves daily in activities that do not contribute to our overall life goals. I know that after a long work week, we all need some activities to unwind, that do not occupy all of our mental faculties, but there must be limits also. Watching an interesting movie every now and then, or watching a program with your partner once or twice a week is fine. However, think of all the time wasted watching mindless television to kill time, time wasted window shopping, time wasted reading gossip or the like on the internet or in magazines, even time wasted talking repeatedly about topics that you are not particularly interested in or giving the same advice to someone over and over who does not really care.

Everyone has different interests, and that makes the world very interesting as well. However, I find that many of us, including myself, spend a lot of time on things that don’t really call to us and what we want to leave behind in life. I was thinking about my friend who passed away this year, and he valued people in his life, and always gave his time to bring friends together and spend time with them. Everyone who knew him remembers him as a kind person who always brought people together and would give his last dollar if a friend needed it. He also enjoyed activities like spending time with friends (dining, billiards, watching movies), cleaning and collecting kung fu figurines and movies. Before he got sick, he was into high end name brands of clothing and shoes. After he got sick, he still enjoyed the activities I mentioned above, but stopped buying name brand clothing and caring about image. It makes me think, if we had just a year to live, what would we change in our lives? What would we buy? What would we eat? What would we get rid of in our life? What would we do that we always wanted to? What would we do daily to make our life enjoyable each day? I know I would not waste money or energy buying clothing, shoes, or even certain books. I would not want to waste my time cleaning and organizing those things in my home. I would watch and read meaningful or substantive movies, plays and books. I would only wear clothes that were simple and easy to pull on in the morning without having to think about fashion or matching pieces. I would volunteer in the community or with children more. I would learn things daily that bring me closer to obtain a career that is more socially active. I would only keep things in my home that I could easily transport if I decide I want to pick up and move somewhere in short notice. I am trying to think along these lines and do some of these things daily as I was in a rut for a few weeks deciding what to do next after being unemployed since the end of August.

It’s a bit morbid to think about what we would do in our last days, but it is very poignant way to live to remember that each day is a gift. A gift that many who are in their last days wish they had. On our death bed, we will not miss or think about objects or useless activities nor regret not doing those things, but we will miss and remember the people in our lives and the activities that we found interesting and are passionate about.