Proof you don't need a bunch of furniture.
You need plants. You need Nature. We need EARTH contact.
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via dezeen
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-1.jpeg "pretty green flowers plants garden urban home minimalist asian") |
| via ryue nishizawa |
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| via einfachland |
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5 Things To Do for the Home Office
The office
1. Reduce the number of bookcases in the study (home office) from 6 to 5. If I see my books in my partner's bookcases, I will cull out my books to produce separate spaces. When I have all of my books together, I will redistribute books to 'pack' bookcases. From there, I can target the bookcase with the smallest number of books.
2. Reduce the number of books I own by 25. Keep mostly expensive and hard-to-replace scholarship, and dispense with easily accessible fiction. Donate books to library.
3. Get rid of black filing cabinet. This goal is challenging, but it will be liberating. When I have finished this chapter of my dissertation, I will take half a day to sort and organize vast quantities of paper. I will arrange to borrow a paper shredder (and keep the shredded paper as packing material). Ideally, I will only possess official certificates that can be placed in one binder. On this day, I will also take time to opt-out of ALL paper-based bills.
4. Get rid of DVDs of television series. I have box sets of Twin Peaks, Mad Men and Wonder Woman. Get rid of them all.
5. Sell on ebay all academic Journals, the old laptop, the Pullip dolls, the DVDs, etc. When I am finished with the filing cabinet, I will take a half day to put objects on ebay. This will be great!
1. Reduce the number of bookcases in the study (home office) from 6 to 5. If I see my books in my partner's bookcases, I will cull out my books to produce separate spaces. When I have all of my books together, I will redistribute books to 'pack' bookcases. From there, I can target the bookcase with the smallest number of books.
2. Reduce the number of books I own by 25. Keep mostly expensive and hard-to-replace scholarship, and dispense with easily accessible fiction. Donate books to library.
3. Get rid of black filing cabinet. This goal is challenging, but it will be liberating. When I have finished this chapter of my dissertation, I will take half a day to sort and organize vast quantities of paper. I will arrange to borrow a paper shredder (and keep the shredded paper as packing material). Ideally, I will only possess official certificates that can be placed in one binder. On this day, I will also take time to opt-out of ALL paper-based bills.
4. Get rid of DVDs of television series. I have box sets of Twin Peaks, Mad Men and Wonder Woman. Get rid of them all.
5. Sell on ebay all academic Journals, the old laptop, the Pullip dolls, the DVDs, etc. When I am finished with the filing cabinet, I will take a half day to put objects on ebay. This will be great!
the world of a capitalist consumer culture
"...the world of a capitalist consumer culture... however spectacular, glamorous, and beguiling, perpetually plays with desires without ever conferring satisfactions beyond the limited identity of the shopping mall and the anxieties of status by way of good looks (in the case of women) or of material possessions. ‘I shop therefore I am’ and possessive individualism together construct a world of pseudo-satisfactions that is superficially exciting but hollow at its core."
--David Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, p. 170
2013 January Kitchen Tour
Our kitchen's a work-in-progress.
We're questioning everything we own and realigning our lifestyles to meet our values. We're not buying disposable crap meant for the landfill.
We're eating outside the horrific food system that not only maltreats animals, but dehumanizes us humans with frankenfoods and slaughterhouse-complicity. We're supporting our local farmers instead.
Though we're vulnerable to marketers who assault us with their dumbass mind-control to buy crap made through secretive means that destroys our earth and our fellow human beings, we refuse to accept their denial. We want to be free of the lies of the bullshit global economy that maintains the hegemony of the .0001%, the 100 people worth $ 1.9 trillion (on a planet with 7 billion people).
Our "must-be" virtues of 21st century success:
- We are going vegan as best as we can (the adults, not the kids), eating quality foods that we cook for our selves and our family. The kids are eating meat that meets our ethical standards.
- We are shopping at farmer's markets instead of Trader Joe's--love the food but their packaging is giving us too much landfill-guilt.
- We are working toward starting our compost again.
- We are working on getting rid of the trash can.
- We are going to grow food, especially: potato, tomato, green onion.
Welcome to the kitchen (January 2013)
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| The right-hand side: dining area for two adults and two kids. |
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I found the branch.
I made these crepe paper flowers using paper from Castle in the Air in Berkeley.
My kids love them!
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Built-in shelf. The top shelf holds everyday and special occasion dishes. The mid-shelf holds kids stuff; I ask the children each time to please help set the table. The bottom shelf keeps aspirational cookbooks--could declutter.
The counter holds a rice cooker, a dish drainer, a water purifier, coffee maker and a toaster oven. We're of Korean descent: we need our daily rice. We're also Angelenos: we need our daily toast and coffee! This area used to hold a microwave.
Hand soap and dishwasher soaps are refilled. I use a Method hand soap pouch and a big dish-washing jug from Costco Kirkland brand. We would love to make these products. We use vinegar and water in spray bottles with microfiber cloths for everything. Those sponges are from a Costco pack bought like 3 years ago.
The opposite side to the previous picture: shelves and the hanger rod from ikea. This area also used to hold a kitchen-butcher-block-island, yikes!
We keep our fruit on the top shelf. Farmer's market produce disappears quickly.
The second shelf holds rags and cloth napkins.
A tangential review of Ikea's Docksta dining table:
Docksta table, close-up, after two years of use. The table became marred with chips within the first few months. We should have listened to the reviews. We loved the table's lines, but now, it acts as a cautionary tale. Not worth it.
We set the timer for four minutes and clean up after ourselves. 8- 12 minutes gets everything pretty.
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We continue to dextox from crap. We thank our kitchen, which functions beautifully. It is minimalist enough for us.
To Try in 2013
After reading some of the books mentioned in my earlier post on year-long challenges, and with the new year here, I have been hovering over, and settling into, some ideals I would like to take on.
update: Jan. 27, 2014.
update: Jan. 27, 2014.
- My motto this year: "Let's Be Idealistic!" (taken from Colin Beavan) Kinda: took a gardening class; that counts as idealism.
- Go vegan in a flexible, ad hoc manner. Why? To reduce my carbon footprint first, and be a better role model for my children and my community. Going veg is an everyday way to be the change I seek. And why ad hoc? People give me food all the time. I will eat it. It's free. I fuckin hate vegans' self-righteousness, especially those with a lot of race, gender, class privilege. not really--this must redo.
- Be less co-dependent. I'm sick of doing things for other people on their passive behalf. Rescue your own damn self. yeah--kinda; ongoing.
- Learn Scrivener (the writing program). No and not needed.
- Finish the f----!!!n dissertation. Almost done. Love it but also sick of it. Yes! I did it!!!! :)
- Remove 365 Books from my possession by selling books on Amazon, donating books to the library and selling books on craigslist. removed 100; sold 45 and donated 55 to public library.
- Be friendlier. Reach out. not really. oh well.
- Take other people's psychic crap less personally. (aka, be less codependent). As in, so-called humiliations such as rejection letters, sarcasm, and other slights are less about me and more about them. Do my thing and keep doing, regardless of the potential for embarrassment, ideological pressure to conform, and name-calling by the outside, many of whom are corrupt morons. In short, invert the concepts of failure and success by focusing on interiority over exteriority. kinda; not really getting this one year later...
- Liberate myself from 'shoulds' involving toxic family members and filial obligations. yeah; don't expect moi at thanksgiving or whatever.
- Wear all of my pretty clothes for everyday casual jaunts. Even if I am in the car and not 'seen' by anyone else. not really; back to sweats--fu({!
- Add my name to petitions, make calls and take other stupid-easy steps to politicize everyday life. yeah--more or less; definitely could improve.
- Compost, compost, compost. Yup!! This has been great; need to do follow up post.
- Choose the Farmer's market every time. Trader Joe's packaging makes up 80% of my trash. Gotta break this addiction. kinda; still going to TJs twice a month; not as often though.
- Make my bio-cv blog. Put it out there, just to archive my own history of cultural production for myself. forget it; just not into it right now. Into my kids.
- Hold potlucks more. With cute and friendly people, not annoying corporate types who give the children a lot of plastic crap and complain about their horrible lives/jobs/lack of time. kinda; tried this a few times. sadly, no new friends invited us to their place--wtf!
How to start a minimalist, zero-waste, sustainable lifestyle
When you're afraid you can't commit to lifestyle redesign, challenge yourself to just try, tiny step-by-tiny step. You're so tired after another stressful day you just want to dive into bed, but, I tell you, you have the strength to turn off all of the lights, and unplug your tv and other devices and take a few deep breaths. You do have the strength to wash your dishes--your morning will thank you!
We can challenge ourselves to regularly...
* wait one more day/week/month before we make that so-called life-changing purchase
* clean for four minutes (using a timer). Especially when feeling "don't feel like it." Do it now.
* exercise for 2 to 5 minutes climbing the stairs or walking in place
* go another hour/day/week without screen distraction (tv, laptop, ipad, phone, etc.)
* do something we thought we wouldn't be able to do. Not for outcome per se, but just as a show of idealism and optimism
* think in terms of "we" instead of "I" -consciousness
Starting a minimalist, zero-waste and sustainable lifestyle
I challenge you (and myself) to draw from y/our reserves of psychological strength, spiritual optimism and fighting spirit. For earth, and the future of humanity, stop hoarding shit!
Get rid of, say hell no to
We can challenge ourselves to regularly...
* wait one more day/week/month before we make that so-called life-changing purchase
* clean for four minutes (using a timer). Especially when feeling "don't feel like it." Do it now.
* exercise for 2 to 5 minutes climbing the stairs or walking in place
* go another hour/day/week without screen distraction (tv, laptop, ipad, phone, etc.)
* do something we thought we wouldn't be able to do. Not for outcome per se, but just as a show of idealism and optimism
* think in terms of "we" instead of "I" -consciousness
Starting a minimalist, zero-waste and sustainable lifestyle
I challenge you (and myself) to draw from y/our reserves of psychological strength, spiritual optimism and fighting spirit. For earth, and the future of humanity, stop hoarding shit!
- use public transportation once a week (I live in L.A. I own a car. I got kids.)
- go out less. Stay home more.
- eat vegan more (going vegan can reduce a person's carbon footprint by 25%). Menu planning will save you money and help you reduce food waste.
- eat local food. Ride the bus/subway/bike to your local farmer's market with some reusable bags.
- unplug your television (This has been truly life changing for me, a huge tv addict).
- reduce your physical possessions and psychic attachment to crapitalist materialism. Be vigilant. Don't judge others. Look at your own crap first. If you have the patience, sell. If not, donate.
- wash your dishes as you go.
Get rid of, say hell no to
- the microwave, it's bad for you and really bad for kids. Look it up.
- duplicate cups, wine glasses and other knick-knacky bourgeois crap.
- all plastic containers. Replace it with a few simple glass and stainless steel basics.
- all paper-based products. Poor trees. Poor forests. Replace paper towels with microfiber ones, and use reusable cloth napkins.
- all but two vases.
- anything with a corporate logo.
- anything wannabe. anything 'celebrity' is déclassé.
- toys.
- cookbooks designed around sugar, wheat, beef. Non-foods that you know are no good.
- recyclables for one day cooking and sharing. Jars, bye bye.
- the trashcan itself. Start composting, stop shopping, and get your time and money back!
2013: New Year Stunts, Challenges and Resolutions
Want a challenge? Break up, little-by-little, with consumerism. In December, the ritual of creating "new year's resolutions" can propel us to redesign what's not working in our lives.
Myself--Well, I love something ascetic and kooky. I love reading other peoples's meditations. I'm sick of self-help guides by materialists pretending to be spiritual gurus, if you know what I mean.
Here's a list of one year-long experiments in book form:
The Year of Dreaming Dangerously by Slavoj Zizek
Web Groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/
Myself--Well, I love something ascetic and kooky. I love reading other peoples's meditations. I'm sick of self-help guides by materialists pretending to be spiritual gurus, if you know what I mean.
Here's a list of one year-long experiments in book form:
- Not Buying It by Judith Levine
- No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process by Colin Beavan
- Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk by Robyn Okrant
- The Year I Saved My (downsized) Soul by Carol Orsborn
- A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy by Sara Bongiorni
- The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
The Year of Dreaming Dangerously by Slavoj Zizek
Web Groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/
Method on Sugar reduction and Self love
After my history of sugar addiction, it feels delightful to be free of sugar. At first, after my last post when I threw out the sugary crap in my house, sugar was hyperalert on the brain and I was on the hunt. The opposite of my intention took over, and I was obsessed. For three days, around 4pm, I would rummage through closets, pockets and bags for chocolate! I would eat handfulls!!! After the third day, there was no more candy to be found. The jar of choco-dream was finished.
I started to buy twice as much fruit as compared to before. I ate pears, apples, tangerines, strawberries, melons and bananas. I longed for sugar, but it got easier with each day. I felt freer--I forgave myself for my chocolate binge and accepted it as something I needed to do to let go of this loss--after all, sugar had been my companion for a long time.
What really helped curb my sugar cravings was twofold: starting the day with protein and taking omega 3 supplements. I had a bottle of Carlson's fish oil and I started to take two tablespoons. The bottle itself had been in the fridge for months untouched. It worked great. I also took a little bit (1 teaspoon) of sea buckthorn oil.
Since starting my protein and oil habit, I've been eating a lot less fruit. And miraculously, I can say no to my husband's pancakes, instead of getting mad at him for making them and blaming him for my sugar addiction. My sugar addiction is my pattern--not someone else's.
Some positive outcomes of removing sugar and adding fish oil: 1) my sleepless leg syndrome has diminished!!! 2) my face looks less puffy!!! 3) I feel less cranky and angry!
Give this little method a try!
Remember that sugar is as addictive as heroin. The problem of sugar addiction hides and distracts from other covert discomfort. Sugar addiction is physical and psychological. It's a historical addiction going back to childhood. Modern life is flooded with sugar. Unfortunately, you have to be on guard because crapitalism is pushing you to become addicted to its chemical, nonfood crap. Protect yourself from commercial culture--love yourself! Sugar feeds inflammation, cancer, bad health. Love yourself--it's hard at first. It will pass, and get easier.
I started to buy twice as much fruit as compared to before. I ate pears, apples, tangerines, strawberries, melons and bananas. I longed for sugar, but it got easier with each day. I felt freer--I forgave myself for my chocolate binge and accepted it as something I needed to do to let go of this loss--after all, sugar had been my companion for a long time.
What really helped curb my sugar cravings was twofold: starting the day with protein and taking omega 3 supplements. I had a bottle of Carlson's fish oil and I started to take two tablespoons. The bottle itself had been in the fridge for months untouched. It worked great. I also took a little bit (1 teaspoon) of sea buckthorn oil.
Since starting my protein and oil habit, I've been eating a lot less fruit. And miraculously, I can say no to my husband's pancakes, instead of getting mad at him for making them and blaming him for my sugar addiction. My sugar addiction is my pattern--not someone else's.
Some positive outcomes of removing sugar and adding fish oil: 1) my sleepless leg syndrome has diminished!!! 2) my face looks less puffy!!! 3) I feel less cranky and angry!
Give this little method a try!
- Ruthlessly remove all the sugary crap in your home.
- Expect and accept that you will be in withdrawal for a few days. Forgive yourself and be kind if you start craving sugar. If you find sugary crap, it's okay to eat it. Allow yourself to feel a sense of loss of your old pattern.
- Bring twice as much fruit as usual into your home. Dont' buy anything sugary. Eat the fruit without worrying about the glycemic index of bananas or whatever. Fruit from the farmer's market tastes a lot better!
- Start the day with protein and omega three supplements.
Remember that sugar is as addictive as heroin. The problem of sugar addiction hides and distracts from other covert discomfort. Sugar addiction is physical and psychological. It's a historical addiction going back to childhood. Modern life is flooded with sugar. Unfortunately, you have to be on guard because crapitalism is pushing you to become addicted to its chemical, nonfood crap. Protect yourself from commercial culture--love yourself! Sugar feeds inflammation, cancer, bad health. Love yourself--it's hard at first. It will pass, and get easier.
Have you seen the youtube lecture "Sugar, the Bitter Truth?" with Robert Lustig?
Or the TV show 60 Minutes' coverage on toxic sugar?
Here's the sugary poisons I got rid of... (with a heavy addict's heart)
Or the TV show 60 Minutes' coverage on toxic sugar?
Here's the sugary poisons I got rid of... (with a heavy addict's heart)
- Almost full jars of: Strawberry jam, Cherry jam, 2 kinds of Lemon curd & TJ's speculoos cookie butter
- Holiday candy from Easter, Valentine's & Halloween. Threw out a chocolate bunny. These were all 'gifts.'!
- New Bags of Chips for baking: white and dark chocolate and "sugar melts"
- Dates
- Tea mixes with sugar (the Korean teas I like are filled with sugar, and have wasteful packaging)
What I need to get rid of...
- Actual sugars!: white, brown, cane
- white flour
- go through all processed foods (bread loaf, jars, cans, boxes)
We never buy juice, thank goodness! That $hit is basically $oda. And even though I always, always want to buy ramen type packages, I don't. That's poison.
I can believe that like the average American, I eat half a pound of sugar a day. That's 150 pounds of sugar a year!!! F_#@K!
I need to be honest with myself. Stop eating sugar. That's deadly poison -- not feeding my kids or my self love, but hate--death--pain--suffering by feeding self/family sugary crap!
What the hell is my problem? Born into sugar-capitalist system. Most mystifying food in the world.
What the hell is my problem? Born into sugar-capitalist system. Most mystifying food in the world.
Recap of how I got more space in a few days
I'm hauling out. With every post-shopping haul out, I feel freer, less attached to crap. I can walk around without cringing while passing the hall closet. I feel proud.
I made space by letting go of...
4 Kids DVDs, 1 cd, 2 box sets of tv shows DVDs
a black metal magazine holder and matching card holder from anthropologie
An old umbrella that has no hole for hanging and is too enormous
organizers from ikea, target and the container store
big blue swiss ball, dh was relieved
comfort u pillow, blankets
clothes from j crew, Jeremy's, and anthropologie. Pricier things I'd been hoarding that I finally let go.
3 porcelain vases
1 branch
Kitchen crap: Ikea spice organizer, cake pans for 'tier' cakes
1 crate and barrel two tiered fruit basket that was way too big
cook books to pastry chef friend: lauduree, momofuku milk bar (I'm not a pastry chef)
40 books to the Los Angeles Public Library, including Martha Stewart's craft encyclopedia
Kids stuff: 1 walker toy, 1 kids carseat organizer, 1 rocking horse
1 radio Sony
1 clock white crate and barrel
stash of foam for felt crafting
2 dolls ayumi uyama styled vintage made in Japan, kids didn't want it either
I didn't sell these things. I just let them go to be resold elsewhere. The money earned is not worth my time. I'm making value by saving time and future effort from handling these things.
Update on the compact:
I haven't bought anything for myself. Haven't felt the need to. But I will re-sign up for "pop physique" monthly unlimited classes as soon as my jury duty next week is over. And there are a few digital books on minimalism I want to get. I really enjoy reading other people's perspectives on losing their crap.
For my daughter's birthday, I bought dresses from second-hand consignment stores in Los Angeles: Blue Bird, The Green Bean and Grow Kid Grow. I found high end designer clothes made not in china but the u.s., france and denmark for the same price I'd pay for new clothes from Target made in who knows where sweatshop. I didn't buy her a toy, but my husband got her a small mirror that she wanted.
I made space by letting go of...
4 Kids DVDs, 1 cd, 2 box sets of tv shows DVDs
a black metal magazine holder and matching card holder from anthropologie
An old umbrella that has no hole for hanging and is too enormous
organizers from ikea, target and the container store
big blue swiss ball, dh was relieved
comfort u pillow, blankets
clothes from j crew, Jeremy's, and anthropologie. Pricier things I'd been hoarding that I finally let go.
3 porcelain vases
1 branch
Kitchen crap: Ikea spice organizer, cake pans for 'tier' cakes
1 crate and barrel two tiered fruit basket that was way too big
cook books to pastry chef friend: lauduree, momofuku milk bar (I'm not a pastry chef)
40 books to the Los Angeles Public Library, including Martha Stewart's craft encyclopedia
Kids stuff: 1 walker toy, 1 kids carseat organizer, 1 rocking horse
1 radio Sony
1 clock white crate and barrel
stash of foam for felt crafting
2 dolls ayumi uyama styled vintage made in Japan, kids didn't want it either
I didn't sell these things. I just let them go to be resold elsewhere. The money earned is not worth my time. I'm making value by saving time and future effort from handling these things.
Update on the compact:
I haven't bought anything for myself. Haven't felt the need to. But I will re-sign up for "pop physique" monthly unlimited classes as soon as my jury duty next week is over. And there are a few digital books on minimalism I want to get. I really enjoy reading other people's perspectives on losing their crap.
For my daughter's birthday, I bought dresses from second-hand consignment stores in Los Angeles: Blue Bird, The Green Bean and Grow Kid Grow. I found high end designer clothes made not in china but the u.s., france and denmark for the same price I'd pay for new clothes from Target made in who knows where sweatshop. I didn't buy her a toy, but my husband got her a small mirror that she wanted.
shopping is a burden
I've been letting go of a ton of stuff thanks to this blog! Blogging galvanizes my decluttering, materializing my dream of minimalism.
Shopping is a burden.
Shopping can get addictive as an escape mechanism. But escape is temporary and home awaits.
Decluttering will not change the problem if the underlying behavior is not challenged.
The supposition of the American crapitalist system is that shopping is recreation and relaxation. But that is wrong. Shopping is a burden. It causes a financial deficit by definition. It creates debt. It creates shame.
If you buy "it!" and you bring it home, you might:
Or you might not. When you watch Hoarders, you see piles of unidentifiable shopping bags with unidentifiable stuff. And new things in boxes. It is too burdensome to open the object. The piles are preferable.
The hunting and gathering done, the shopped for object has lost its value. It sits useless as clutter at home.
Many hoarders try so hard to save everything. Yet they are so wasteful. Shopping is not saving. Shopping is wasting.
Shopping is a burden.
Shopping can get addictive as an escape mechanism. But escape is temporary and home awaits.
Decluttering will not change the problem if the underlying behavior is not challenged.
The supposition of the American crapitalist system is that shopping is recreation and relaxation. But that is wrong. Shopping is a burden. It causes a financial deficit by definition. It creates debt. It creates shame.
If you buy "it!" and you bring it home, you might:
- remove it from its shopping bag.
- throw away or recycle your shopping bag, raising eco guilt.
- remove it's packaging.
- throw away or recycle it's packaging, raising eco guilt.
- wash it if it's a textile or kitchen item
- give it a place, otherwise it is clutter.
- contain it. it may require a larger container--a piece of furniture.
- use it or use it up
- get rid of it eventually
Or you might not. When you watch Hoarders, you see piles of unidentifiable shopping bags with unidentifiable stuff. And new things in boxes. It is too burdensome to open the object. The piles are preferable.
The hunting and gathering done, the shopped for object has lost its value. It sits useless as clutter at home.
Many hoarders try so hard to save everything. Yet they are so wasteful. Shopping is not saving. Shopping is wasting.
Letting go of containers
Since I've been vigilant and diligent about removing crap, I have much less need to contain my world. In the past few days, I've let go of a hundred containers--various vessels from vases and trays to acrylic cosmetic cases, plastic ikea boxes and aluminum tin trays. I can't even remember what I got rid of--and it was only hours ago I let them go! I took the time to wash each item in hot sudsy water. Now that I'm exclusively buying used items, I want the items from my home to recirculate in the world in their best condition for all those other like-minded people who are buying used.
Containers are not the solution. Containers contribute to the problem by giving a false solution that mystifies the real problem. The real problem is you have too much and you need to remove that stuff from your house! Containers enable middle-class approved hoarding--all those neat boxes with labels, just like Martha! But the dread of having too much crap remains, enervating you of hope for a truly clean home.
Containers can multiply with their sly appearance of usefulness, cluttering up pantries, closets and garages waiting to be used 'someday.' But this is precisely their menacing power. They beckon us to fill them with crap, to buy duplicates, and to store unloved things that might help someone else if we'd only free up the contained.
Containers waste your time. You sort your crap into different containers, label them, put them away. But then, you have more crap that you want to hide in the back closet, so you open, close and shift your containers, re-shifting them here to there to another there in a perpetual search for more space.
You can have more space. Get rid of the things you're hiding. If whatever's in the container is for 'someday,' that is a clue it needs to be removed immediately. If it's for some concrete date in the calendar system (the turkey roaster for thanksgiving, for instance), then it has dignity and reason to take up room in your home. Chances are, you can replace what you are storing/hiding easily when 'someday' actually materializes.
By removing the someday clutter, you are learning to redeem yourself of your crapitalist shopping habits. We have been taught to experience shopping as a leisure activity, as if browsing in stores was a fulfilling mode of being. No--browsing is for ghosts, alienated people disconnected from nature and community who embalm their loneliness with lifeless things, while pretending buying something equals an accomplishment. It does not. Sorry. I was there. I purchased many a stupid things and wasted thousands of dollars. Removing these poor judgment purchases is what finally revealed to me I have been a thoughtless and wretched accumulator of crap in the service of corporate global crapitalism. I was suckered by false desires.
I'm by no means perfect now. But I feel so much lighter and happier without the stuff it's like a miracle!
I no longer feel compelled to house and protect things useless to me now.
There's no little voice demanding: clean, organize, clean, organize. Without the crap, the chatter has dissipated. This is such an empowering feeling--I would like everyone to feel it.
Containers are not the solution. Containers contribute to the problem by giving a false solution that mystifies the real problem. The real problem is you have too much and you need to remove that stuff from your house! Containers enable middle-class approved hoarding--all those neat boxes with labels, just like Martha! But the dread of having too much crap remains, enervating you of hope for a truly clean home.
Containers can multiply with their sly appearance of usefulness, cluttering up pantries, closets and garages waiting to be used 'someday.' But this is precisely their menacing power. They beckon us to fill them with crap, to buy duplicates, and to store unloved things that might help someone else if we'd only free up the contained.
Containers waste your time. You sort your crap into different containers, label them, put them away. But then, you have more crap that you want to hide in the back closet, so you open, close and shift your containers, re-shifting them here to there to another there in a perpetual search for more space.
You can have more space. Get rid of the things you're hiding. If whatever's in the container is for 'someday,' that is a clue it needs to be removed immediately. If it's for some concrete date in the calendar system (the turkey roaster for thanksgiving, for instance), then it has dignity and reason to take up room in your home. Chances are, you can replace what you are storing/hiding easily when 'someday' actually materializes.
By removing the someday clutter, you are learning to redeem yourself of your crapitalist shopping habits. We have been taught to experience shopping as a leisure activity, as if browsing in stores was a fulfilling mode of being. No--browsing is for ghosts, alienated people disconnected from nature and community who embalm their loneliness with lifeless things, while pretending buying something equals an accomplishment. It does not. Sorry. I was there. I purchased many a stupid things and wasted thousands of dollars. Removing these poor judgment purchases is what finally revealed to me I have been a thoughtless and wretched accumulator of crap in the service of corporate global crapitalism. I was suckered by false desires.
I'm by no means perfect now. But I feel so much lighter and happier without the stuff it's like a miracle!
I no longer feel compelled to house and protect things useless to me now.
There's no little voice demanding: clean, organize, clean, organize. Without the crap, the chatter has dissipated. This is such an empowering feeling--I would like everyone to feel it.
Hoarders
Watching shows on Hoarders is educational. I learn a lot about fear. Hoarders, as a group, seem scared: of people, of intimacy, of decisions, of emotions.
As a group, they seem to have experienced trauma, a horrible loss that upsets their sense of temporality. They seem unaware of how time works.
Likewise, their sense of physical mobility seems compromised. They seem like shut-ins. They seem to prefer immobility. They are stuck to their stuff.
The stuff is not their real problem. Their real problem is ? feeling threatened. Fight or Flight or Relax? How can they breathe and experience meditation / the relaxation technique if the air is stinky? Their reaction is flight. They are sensitive human beings who choose to cocoon in their homes with stuff to protect themselves from the cruelties, humiliations, loneliness and feelings of failure associated with not feeling safe and good enough in late capitalist modernity.
I have used the word "they" but in reality, we are all hoarders. We who have been born into the capitalist system have been taught to buy things absentmindedly and accumulate a ton of stuff, much of it disposable, plastic and landfill-destined. If you cannot do an inventory of your home, then you are a hoarder. It's harsh, but beneath the facade of middle-class perfection, the truth is excessive closets and garages, wasteful grocery habits and delusional shopaholism. This is not sustainable.
If you are trying to organize your house all the time, the problem is you shop too much. You have too much crap. Whether or not you want to admit it, you have things in common with hoarders on tv. When hoarders on tv say things like "I might need it some day," correlate it to your own excuse patterns. This insight will lead to freedom. Aren't you sick of cleaning and organizing your home? Get rid of the stuff you don't use. Share it with others who might need it. Private property is a delusion. Private property is temporary. Stuff is tentative. When you let it go, you get that space back. Space and time are the most important luxuries for a free soul.
As a group, they seem to have experienced trauma, a horrible loss that upsets their sense of temporality. They seem unaware of how time works.
Likewise, their sense of physical mobility seems compromised. They seem like shut-ins. They seem to prefer immobility. They are stuck to their stuff.
The stuff is not their real problem. Their real problem is ? feeling threatened. Fight or Flight or Relax? How can they breathe and experience meditation / the relaxation technique if the air is stinky? Their reaction is flight. They are sensitive human beings who choose to cocoon in their homes with stuff to protect themselves from the cruelties, humiliations, loneliness and feelings of failure associated with not feeling safe and good enough in late capitalist modernity.
I have used the word "they" but in reality, we are all hoarders. We who have been born into the capitalist system have been taught to buy things absentmindedly and accumulate a ton of stuff, much of it disposable, plastic and landfill-destined. If you cannot do an inventory of your home, then you are a hoarder. It's harsh, but beneath the facade of middle-class perfection, the truth is excessive closets and garages, wasteful grocery habits and delusional shopaholism. This is not sustainable.
If you are trying to organize your house all the time, the problem is you shop too much. You have too much crap. Whether or not you want to admit it, you have things in common with hoarders on tv. When hoarders on tv say things like "I might need it some day," correlate it to your own excuse patterns. This insight will lead to freedom. Aren't you sick of cleaning and organizing your home? Get rid of the stuff you don't use. Share it with others who might need it. Private property is a delusion. Private property is temporary. Stuff is tentative. When you let it go, you get that space back. Space and time are the most important luxuries for a free soul.
A parsing error was encountered
My new blog has encountered a feed problem. New posts aren't being updated because "A parsing error was encountered."
I am already thinking about disposing this less-than-30-days blogsite and starting a new one.
I am already thinking about disposing this less-than-30-days blogsite and starting a new one.
Minimalist Dream: Bare and Pretty Living Room
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| source: Shoot Factory via mnmize |
I spy...
- Bare walls. Feasible. Reduce or remove wall "accessories" like picture frames and mirrors.
- No storage units--there are no things to store. Unfeasible as we have toys, jackets, a dog leash, bags (grocery and 1 purse).
- Bare windows. Maybe. "Frost" french windows and remove white curtains? Nah, curtains are enough.
- White... Unfeasible because sofa is blue velvet, carpet has colorful stripes and floor is wood-toned. Would need to replace major furniture which is wasteful.
- Furniture... Unfeasible because backless seating/bed looks uncomfortable. For looks, not living.
- Ceiling rose and chandelier, love it! But not worth buying and breaking the compact.
- Cushions, throw pillows and blankets. Maybe one. We've had throw pillows before. They ended up on the floor. Who had to pick them up? Mama, not the pups.
In all, I love this bare and pretty room! It's peaceful and meditative. The room lost most of its crap.
Scrutinize Inventory: Living Room
Clockwise from door, the larger pieces
(By the way, if I don't know where something was made, I
assume it was made in China. Many of those items were purchased at
"Ikea," something I am re-evaluating.)
- 1 storage bench, used daily (holds coats, shopping bags, kids backpacks) (extra seating during parties), made in china
- 1 media stand holding 1 tv and 1 dvd player, used daily, made in china
- 1 dog bed, made in china
- 1 computer desk w/ 1 chair, used daily (dh's work space), made in usa
- 1 bookcase next to desk, used daily (dh's stuff, 40% full), made in china
- 1 kids wooden castle, used daily, made in indonesia
- on wall above castle: tree made of used mylar (back of food packaging) made by dh
- 1 kids play kitchen, used daily, made in china
- 1 Large sofa, used daily with 1 throw pillow, made in usa (doubles as guest bed)
- 1 floor lamp, used daily, made in china
- 1 kids sofa, used daily, made in usa
- 1 kids' table with two chairs, used daily, made in china
- 2 armchairs, used weekly, made in usa
- 1 side table-stool, used weekly (extra seating during parties), made in philippines
- on floor: 1 wool rug, made in china
- on floor: 1 kids cushion playmat, made in korea
Clockwise from door, the smaller pieces
- 1 wall mirror, made in usa
- 1 key holder, used daily, made by me
- on mantel: 1 vase with a branch and crepe paper flowers made by me
- on mantel: three felt dolls representing family made by me
- on mantel: 1 wifi base and mac airport base, made in china
- on mantel: 2 remote controls, made in china
- above mante on wall: 1 mirror, made in usa
- above mantel on wall: paper mache animal head made by dh for my bday
- on mantel: swag of branches and crepe paper made by me
- hanging on ceiling: metallic paper lantern made in china
- 1 box on media stand holding 2 dumbbells, 1 book, 1 dvd wallet, 1 binder, made in china
- basket next to castle holding dolls and accessories (including felt beds made by me)
- on play kitchen, toy foods and serving ware (including felt sushi, donuts, cupcakes, veg and fruit made by me)
- above play kitchen: 2 string of butterflies made in china
- near play kitchen: puzzles, instruments, duplo made in china, usa and germany
- under sofa: violin and kids violin, fold-up table, kids pop-up tent, made in germany, korea and china
- on wall behind sofa: 6 picture frames, made in china
- near kids table, 1 box with paper, crayons and coloring books, made in china
- above armchairs, 1 chandelier, made in vietnam
1 XL craft/sewing table (ikea, china)
3 tall storage units with craft supplies (ikea, china)
1 shoe storage unit (kmart, china but was over twenty years
old so maybe not)
1 coat tree (vintage, usa)
1 tall bookcase with books, magazines, picture albums, dvds (ikea
bookcase)
2 small bookcases with kids books (unknown brand bookcases
from china)
Francine Jay's Joy of Less helped me release my craft-hobby
furniture. The kids' books are in the bedroom. My craft supplies are in closets
(another post to come). Without a coffee table, the kids have room to roam.
Since making this inventory, I have almost cleared the 60" mantel (only the wifi remains), removing the felt dolls, the paper lantern, and the flowers in the tall vase. I removed the six frames with family pictures above the sofa, and replaced it with my branch with flowers. My picture shows the damage I did for my 'pictorial essay hoard' before (a Martha Stewart crapitalist conspired project).
Minimalism must reflect and advocate 'lived life,' not illusory perfectionism. As a mother with children, I see the living room as our playroom--it is as much the children's domain as it is the adult's. The dogma and perfectionism of minimalism (especially from browsing pictures of high-end homes with two pieces of furniture in white rooms) is a mystification to sell "status" and other 'high brow' crap (usually real estate or five-digit priced furniture). I could get rid of the tv, media stand, armchairs, stool/table and kids sofa to create a 'minimal' space. Then I could eliminate the sofa, the kids toys and dh's desk. However, as these are vigorously used and beloved objects, eliminating them for the sake of minimalism is absurd and wasteful. (However, for a college graduate starting with zero furniture, pictures of spare homes can keep-in-check artificial desire to hoard crap instead of developing relationships or dealing with uncomfortable and immaterial feelings.)
I've obsessed over white floors as seen in Scandinavian blogs, but that would require time, money and permission to fix my rental. I've lusted after white-white walls, but who will clear out the walls and rooms, buy the supplies, research the eco paint, paint the damn walls and safely dispose of the paint and supplies? We live in a servant-less society. That's modern living. I don't want to make myself into a servant for the sake of my consumer desires.
Although we got rid of cable, we watch movies on our tv and surf the internet on our computers (but I am open to experiments of going without tv, dryer, internet, etc.). Our life is modern, not Amish (with some regret). We are detraditionalized. Modernity is... to be in the matrix of crapitalism (car system, mcdonaldization of food outlets, home ownership system, the international advertising-making-selling-buying crap system, etc), for better and worse. So we partake in modernity, but we are buckling down and constantly re-evaluating our false mystified desires versus our actual needs. I'm a hard-ass, but I'm gonna forgive myself for partaking in crapitalist activities and support my transition to a less wasteful, more simple life, with simple defined not by archaic tradition, but my own creative intelligence. (I've basically written all this to keep in check my perfectionism.)
If it doesn't pass the test of true life--lived day-to-day reality--it's a ruse: an illusion, a distraction, and a disappointment.
Have you tried making an inventory of your living room? Tip: do it while watching Hoarders to get your decluttering on!
Swank Picnic at Home? Yes, please!
I love to host! I love having people over, even though it can overwhelm. Shopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, serving, washing dishes (guests help) and post-clean up does suck. But I love a chill, de-commodified, festive party! My kids adore it too! Here are pictures of simple pleasures at home from Milk (French kids rag I used to buy; great picture spreads but too many ads).
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| all pictures from Scout Holiday |
As my truest desire is a minimalist, zero-waste life, I refuse to value swank in dollars. True swank is imagination, ingenuity, and integrity, aka, sustainability. No matter how great a party, if I see disposables, my land-fill guilt goes up. I want to befriend individuals who 'live beneath their means.' ... but not through food from a box or big box retailer--that's poverty mentality. No--cook from scratch as best you can. That's swank!
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| I spy berry lemonade (?), flowers, fancy mini cakes, tacos, strawberries, and macarons... Those stripey straws are cute, but I prefer my stainless steel ones. |
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| Is this a paint-splattered bed spread? No matter--any thing in the home will do! Those bottles have reusable tops! |
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Daughter's Birthday- Zero Waste chance?
My darling daughter is turning 5 next week. To celebrate, but how? We could have a party at her preschool as we did the past two years (yes, she attends preschool full-time with her sister). We could have a separate birthday party for 'home' as we did the past four years. Each year, the preparation has been a pain, but the parties have been fun.
This year, I am nixing the 'grand' birthday party at school. I despise goodie bags. I have made 'bags' featuring paints and watercolor paper, but they were 'too nice' and age inappropriate. I hate spending $100-$200 for food from Costco or the caterer's, disposable balloons, disposable drink cartons, etc. Instead, the girls will have a mom & dad play-day with stops at Peekaboo (an indoor playground in Eagle Rock), Chuck e. Cheese (fyi, $2 in tokens is excess for toddlers) and pony riding at Griffith Park. I offered Disneyland like last year, but daughter preferred this as her trifecta.
Last week, we went to a birthday party for a darling little girl. There was a jumper, catered food from two places for adults and kids, a two-tiered cake, an amazing dessert buffet of cupcakes, petits fours, chocolate candies, scones, cookies, hand-made marshmallows and ice-cream. The theme was 'fairy princess.' The mother did an outstanding job of creating 'play-stations': fairy drawing, face painting and dressing-up as fairies with wings, tiaras and tutus. The boys played in the jumper and a train table. Her yard was decorated with enormous tissue paper flowers, butterflies and handmade signs. (I would include a picture but I don't want to give away my identity!) It was gorgeous, but I am freeing myself from recreating this for my daughter.
My rule is to not compare myself to others. My passion is to hone my intelligence and creative powers to impart a less waste and memorable birthday.
Today is Friday. My daughter's birthday is on Wednesday. Maybe...
Saturday: Dim sum at Elite in Monterey Park and a kid's movie with one other family. Remember to bring cloth napkins and to go containers from home! Sorry, no popcorn.
Sunday: Brunch at our place for whoever can show up (as the invites go out today), followed by a visit to LACMA or Franklin canyon duck pond. Take out Xmas lights for decoration? Eat in the backyard with a 'picnic' setup like in my earlier post? Request BOOKS or a 'coupon' promising to spend time with daughter.
Tuesday: A little something at school... After the kids' nap, near 3:30pm. Happy Birthday song played by dad in person on his violin and cake bites like these by mom. And maybe a toy/fruit run for the kids: a blanket topped with our kids' excess new art/craft supplies (a decluttering moment!) and peelable fruit like tangerines and bananas. Make an invisible starting line and say Go! The kids can take whatever they want. I'm nixing bags since they have backpacks. I'm not wrapping the craft toys since I want the kids to be selective of their loot.
Wednesday: The big day. No school. Eat breakfast at home. Go to Peekaboo. Hang out for an hour or two. Then have lunch, probably at Oinksters, although since they use disposable (but 'green') plates, I may seek elsewhere. Then go to Chuck E. Cheese. And then sleep in the car. Option to go pony riding if the girls want it.
This year, I am nixing the 'grand' birthday party at school. I despise goodie bags. I have made 'bags' featuring paints and watercolor paper, but they were 'too nice' and age inappropriate. I hate spending $100-$200 for food from Costco or the caterer's, disposable balloons, disposable drink cartons, etc. Instead, the girls will have a mom & dad play-day with stops at Peekaboo (an indoor playground in Eagle Rock), Chuck e. Cheese (fyi, $2 in tokens is excess for toddlers) and pony riding at Griffith Park. I offered Disneyland like last year, but daughter preferred this as her trifecta.
Last week, we went to a birthday party for a darling little girl. There was a jumper, catered food from two places for adults and kids, a two-tiered cake, an amazing dessert buffet of cupcakes, petits fours, chocolate candies, scones, cookies, hand-made marshmallows and ice-cream. The theme was 'fairy princess.' The mother did an outstanding job of creating 'play-stations': fairy drawing, face painting and dressing-up as fairies with wings, tiaras and tutus. The boys played in the jumper and a train table. Her yard was decorated with enormous tissue paper flowers, butterflies and handmade signs. (I would include a picture but I don't want to give away my identity!) It was gorgeous, but I am freeing myself from recreating this for my daughter.
My rule is to not compare myself to others. My passion is to hone my intelligence and creative powers to impart a less waste and memorable birthday.
Today is Friday. My daughter's birthday is on Wednesday. Maybe...
Saturday: Dim sum at Elite in Monterey Park and a kid's movie with one other family. Remember to bring cloth napkins and to go containers from home! Sorry, no popcorn.
Sunday: Brunch at our place for whoever can show up (as the invites go out today), followed by a visit to LACMA or Franklin canyon duck pond. Take out Xmas lights for decoration? Eat in the backyard with a 'picnic' setup like in my earlier post? Request BOOKS or a 'coupon' promising to spend time with daughter.
Tuesday: A little something at school... After the kids' nap, near 3:30pm. Happy Birthday song played by dad in person on his violin and cake bites like these by mom. And maybe a toy/fruit run for the kids: a blanket topped with our kids' excess new art/craft supplies (a decluttering moment!) and peelable fruit like tangerines and bananas. Make an invisible starting line and say Go! The kids can take whatever they want. I'm nixing bags since they have backpacks. I'm not wrapping the craft toys since I want the kids to be selective of their loot.
Wednesday: The big day. No school. Eat breakfast at home. Go to Peekaboo. Hang out for an hour or two. Then have lunch, probably at Oinksters, although since they use disposable (but 'green') plates, I may seek elsewhere. Then go to Chuck E. Cheese. And then sleep in the car. Option to go pony riding if the girls want it.
The Compact to Curb Consumerism
I joined a yahoo group called "the compact" to curb my consumerism. I made a promise to avoid buying anything new for a year. Of course, you can buy new food, health and safety items. You borrow, barter or buy used everything else. The compact is individualize-able so you can tailor exceptions. The bigger picture is to transform one's consumption habits--which starts in the head.
Last fall, I went a month without buying anything. Then Xmas hit. Ay caramba. I bought crap "for" my kids. Why? Because I could. Because I wanted to see their faces light up when I gave them princess crap. Did anyone pressure me? Yup--my internalized beliefs (aka crapitalist ideology). Although my daughter did request a 'castle,' I wasted much time hunting for the right one--from diy cardboard & paper mache structures to used plastic barbie palaces. I found the wooden one pictured for over $200 from a shi shi online store and bought it. At the time, there were no used wooden castles listed on craigslist. The girls have been playing with it almost everyday. And they do adore it. When kids come over, they head straight to the castle. So it's not totally crap, I guess.
However, however... a rambunctious boy broke the castle's music box at my last dinner party, less than two months after xmas! And... And... I found the same castle on craigslist for $40 a few weeks ago (why was I cruising craigslist for castles?--help!).
There's a light though... since joining the compact, I've lost (or lessened) my 'desire to desire' (gaining pleasure from browsing without a purchase in mind and then buying like a you-got-marketed dolt). I'm not cruising craigslist or amazon. I'm not joining gilt or groupon just to find something I might like.
The Compact is a gift to myself--a get-out-of buying crap "for" my kids, my home, and other people. I am retraining the self to show love through immaterial joy-scapes, not crap.
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| Parts of this Le Toy Van castle broke and splintered after two months! Not worth it new! |
However, however... a rambunctious boy broke the castle's music box at my last dinner party, less than two months after xmas! And... And... I found the same castle on craigslist for $40 a few weeks ago (why was I cruising craigslist for castles?--help!).
There's a light though... since joining the compact, I've lost (or lessened) my 'desire to desire' (gaining pleasure from browsing without a purchase in mind and then buying like a you-got-marketed dolt). I'm not cruising craigslist or amazon. I'm not joining gilt or groupon just to find something I might like.
The Compact is a gift to myself--a get-out-of buying crap "for" my kids, my home, and other people. I am retraining the self to show love through immaterial joy-scapes, not crap.
Get Rid of...
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I want a "pay as you go phone." How many phones can one household justify? How many phones can one person go through? I'm on my third phone. I took the first two to an electronic waste collection center in Glendale. How many phones does a person living in the crapitalist system dispose of?
I understand the value of the IPhone as the Swiss-army-knife of modern gadgetry. It is a powerful minimalist tool. My friends have them and wink-nod that I should get one. But in my mind, I respond, Hell No! I don't want to worry about losing it. I don't want to worry about funding it. It's another hassle.
Also, I like being inaccessible and reducing other's expectations. I let people know I don't have a smart phone so they know I won't be responding to them ASAP. It's not an emergency. It's not urgent. I'm a slow-poke. I am okay with 'missing out'!
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