The Case of the Disappearing Footwear

This past year I have been working very hard to practice what I have learned when it comes to my new minimalist lifestyle. I really embrace the theory of minimalism. I truly believe that it isn’t what you have, but how you live that creates a peaceful, happy life. I now agree that more stuff means more chaos. I follow one decluttering guru that has said that your house is more functional when it’s clutter free and organized. I really like coming around the corner into my kitchen and seeing a bare countertop. I used to be that person who would do last night's dishes while I was cooking tonight's dinner. Last week’s clean (wrinkled) laundry got folded as I was washing this week's loads. A different YouTube decluttering mentor said “Always see a job to the end.” So I’m really trying to do that. And it’s worked for the most part. I feel like things are tidier and more organized. The only failure I’d say is that I went a little overboard when it came to getting rid of stuff. Last Christmas I was all ready to make mini loaves of pumpkin bread for my coworkers and went to grab my handy-dandy Pampered Chef 4 loaf mini-baker. It was nowhere to be found and I was frantic. My husband suggested that it fell victim to the Minimalist Challenge, 2019. I was so bummed because it was already seasoned and is pretty pricey to replace. More recently, a friend and I were discussing the need for less shoes. Yes, I said “less shoes.” I came to the conclusion that having fewer shoes that I really like, wear, and are comfortable is more important than sheer quantity of shoes. Unfortunately, my last donation trip to GoodWill included the dress shoes I wore once to my son’s wedding. I kept moving these high heel shoes back and forth between the attic and closet for 2 years and finally convinced myself that I would never wear them again. This also applied to a pair of boots that made it to the donate bin around the same time. After those left my world, I inherited a skirt that would have worked perfectly with the former pair of boots. To make matters worse, a week ago, I was invited to attend a gala event next fall which would require, you guessed it, those wedding heels. So my system isn’t exactly foolproof. I found myself wandering the aisles of Goodwill trying to buy back my donated footwear, to no avail. I didn’t feel peaceful or happy when I left the store empty handed, but I’m still a believer in minimalism and decluttering. I just need to iron out the kinks.

On Accepting the Minimalist Challenge

The new buzzword these days seems to be “minimalism,” which is basically the concept of living with less. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about becoming a “minimalist.”  But then my husband and I watched a documentary about minimalism and were totally captivated. We were in the midst of trying to decide whether or not to sell our house and started thinking about all of the stuff we have accumulated while living here for the past 15 years and wondered how we would fit it all in a much smaller house.  Shortly after that, I saw something on Instagram called the “Minimalist Challenge.” So for the month of October, we both decided to take on the challenge to see if we could make a dent in this vast accumulation of stuff that we can’t seem to live without. The challenge is that for each day of the month, you throw away, recycle, sell, or donate that number of things. For example, on October 15, we would each throw away, recycle, sell or donate 15 things. It was a little bit difficult on those first days.

October 1^st: One item from the junk drawer

October 2^nd: Two things from the junk drawer

October 5^th: Five things from the junk drawer

But as the dates got higher, it got easier.

October 9^th: 9 different unused kitchen gadgets

October 15^th: 15 canning jars of various sizes and shapes

October 26^th: Way more than 26 interlocking floor tiles from the basement family room.

Obviously, we couldn’t exactly follow the challenge because some days we got very carried away, throwing, selling, recycling, or donating hundreds of things, like the day Tom got rid of a 5 gallon bucket of assorted screws & nails.  And on the day I cleaned out my closet, 3 large bags full of clothes went to either the dumpster, Threadup, or Good Will. Far more than the 12 things that should have gone on October 12^th. There was also the day I cleaned out the plastic storage container drawer. There isn’t a date that coincides with the number of random lid-less containers, and container-less lids I was able to recycle. And on the day I cleaned out my craft/sewing area I said goodbye to my scrapbooking hobby, my jewelry-making hobby, and my “yarn I’m never going to crochet into anything” collection.

At the end of the month, we could both say that the challenge was a success and we felt much lighter because of it. Unfortunately, I went a little crazy on closet clean-out day because I wound up replacing some key items of clothing that I really shouldn’t have parted with. I’m not sure if we would call ourselves minimalists now, but I think there is value in learning to appreciate a life with less. I’m thinking twice before pushing that yellow “Place Your Order” button these days, and it feels good.