Live With Less

Rhys and I were raking leaves the other day when a woman stopped her car and jokingly implied that our efforts were futile because we were “just gonna have to do it again.”

While our neighbor was correct (inevitably, plenty more leaves have accumulated since then!), I find the activity to be meditative and calming. Noticing beautiful color variations and hearing the swooshing of brittle leaves is a great way to practice mindfulness and being present. Plus, for me, working in bits and pieces feels more manageable and less daunting.

How do you handle the deluge of leaves in the fall? Better to stay on top of it or wait until the trees are bare before tackling this annual undertaking?

It's fall, y'all! Feeling good about the state of your home? How about the state of your closet?



Now's the time to swap those warm-weather tank tops for comfy, cozy sweaters. While you're at it, it's a good time to assess which items of clothing you actually wore this season and which items stayed hidden away in your closet or drawer. And, as you review, stay curious and have fun.



Here are some questions to ask yourself:
• How did I feel when I wore this?
• Why did or didn't I wear it?
• How often did I wear it?
• Will I wear it again?
• Do I have space for it?
• Is this flattering on me?
• Do I need this?
• Is this enhancing my life or enhancing my lifestyle?
• How long have I had this and how is it holding up?

Reviewing your clothing seasonally is a great way to stay on top of your wardrobe. After all, when you know exactly what you have and edit your wardrobe to those things you wear and love, it's much easier to get ready every morning.



From a sustainability perspective, owning fewer items of clothing and ensuring they're higher-quality, classic pieces that you can wear for years is much kinder to the environment and easier on you. Fast-fashion clothing tends to be lower quality and doesn't last long, and ultimately, clothing should be seen as durable, not disposable.



The next time you're shopping for clothing, ask yourself if 1) you need it and 2) can see yourself wearing it at least 30 times before purchasing it. Sadly, on average, clothes are worn only seven times before being discarded, which contributes to the ridiculous amounts of textile waste in landfills.

P.S. Please recycle fabrics whenever possible - (CHaRM) Live Thrive - Center for Hard to Recycle Materials is a great place for folks in Atlanta.

From what we wear to what we eat, which route we drive to which show we binge-watch, the average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions a day. (35,000. This is not a typo.) It's no wonder we're exhausted!

Paring down your belongings means less stuff and less stuff means fewer decisions you'll face each day. The more pairs of pants (or shoes) you own, the longer it takes to decide what to wear, whereas a pared-down wardrobe with fewer items means fewer choices and less time deciding what apparel to don.

It's all about simplicity, folks. Remember, I'm here to help!

Who's ready to feel lighter?

Join me in January for Live Light in Your Home, a virtual decluttering class designed to help you understand how paring down the items in your home can create a calmer, more organized sanctuary while also decreasing your stress levels.

Let's ditch the clutter and feel lighter in 2022. Sign up here https://www.livewithlessllc.com/enroll.

Congrats! You've decided to tackle a decluttering project during the holidays, and you’re ready to pare down things that you no longer need or use. What if you start by asking yourself why you feel the need to declutter this particular area?

"Why" questions can be incredibly helpful decluttering tools since they reveal "purpose" (the reason something exists or is done the way it's done), create awareness, build understanding, and provide valuable insights into your behaviors.
-Why do I need/have this?
-Why did I buy this in the first place?
-Why am I keeping this?
-Why is this here?
-Why do I do things this way?
-Why does this bother me?
-Why am I struggling with this decision?

When you consider why you do what you do, you're better equipped to face challenging projects, push through resistance, and discover how to move forward.

If you need some help with the process, I'm equipped with more why questions than you can shake a stick at, and I'd be honored to help. Happy decluttering, y'all!

Does your home feel overstuffed? 🏠

Having too much stuff in your home can feel similar to eating too much. In the moment, your favorite foods taste delicious, but when you overindulge, you likely feel overstuffed, uncomfortable, and regretful afterward.

Similarly, acquiring new items may feel satisfying at the time, but if you don't have space for the items at home (and you end up cramming them into containers, cabinets, drawers, and closets until they are beyond full), you'll likely feel some discomfort and regret.

Try hitting pause on your purchasing, paring down the items in your home, and leaving space throughout your home for breathing room and expansion to see if you and your home feel better for it.

Have you ever felt stuck in indecision-land?

Deciding what to keep vs. what to donate can cause analysis paralysis. To continue working toward your decluttering goal, try following the advice of William Morris, a 19th center designer, poet, and artist: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful."

Here are a few questions to help with making decisions:
- Is the item a need or a want? Needs will stay and wants will go.
- Will you use it in a timely fashion (i.e. before it expires, within the next few months, etc.)? Or, can you give it away for someone else to use?
- If it's beautiful, do you have space for it? Or, are you ready to let someone else enjoy it?

Still not sure what to pare down? I would love to help you work through this process. My virtual mentoring sessions are a great way to overcome current roadblocks, explore strategies, ignite new solutions, and create sustainable practices to maintain order. Please contact me for more information https://www.livewithlessllc.com/contact

I'm wishing y'all clarity and decisiveness. Happy decluttering, friends!

Mark your calendars, y’all! The July installment of Live Light in Your Home (the online decluttering program that provides guidance, support, tips and resources to help you pare down the stuff in your home) is fast approaching.

Clients who’ve participated in past sessions have shared, “This is so freeing!”, “It’s easier to live life if you have less stuff.”, and “Procrastination doesn’t help because it gets worse and then everything is even harder to deal with.”

So what are you waiting for? Let’s do this!

Join us to work on decluttering tasks you've been putting off, and use this time to make your home a more enjoyable place to be. Along the way, you'll gain new insights about yourself and new perspectives from others, find support and encouragement during those challenging moments, and celebrate one another's successes.

You can find more info here https://www.livewithlessllc.com/enroll and here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-light-in-your-home-july-2021-tickets-158252354051.

Organizing Mentor | LIVE WITH LESS - Enroll Live Light in Your Home, a one-hour online decluttering/life management class, is an opportunity to lighten up every area of your home.Whether it’s a routine refresh or a deep purge, you'll work through each area of your home using an intentional, consistent practice focused on eliminating the exc...

Spring is just around the corner and it's time to fall in love with your home (and stuff) again!

Live Light in Your Home, a 30-day decluttering class, starts April 1 (no foolin'). Join us and learn how to declutter your home and find balance in your life. Every day in April between 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET, we’ll spend an hour talking about decluttering and practicing ways to deal with and prevent clutter from accumulating in your home.

If you have questions, head over to https://www.livewithlessllc.com/enroll. Look forward to seeing you there.

"We’re taught to hold onto stuff, that more is better. All of those things make it impossible to focus. It’s much easier to focus and less distracting when you have less things." – Student, Live Light in Your Home, January 2021

The Live Light in Your Home online class recently wrapped after an amazing month filled with discovery and education as students lightened up their homes…and their lives. I'm honored to have been a part of their journey.

Good news - if you weren't able to join us in January, another Live Light in Your Home 31-day decluttering class starts April 1 (no foolin'). Join us to learn how to declutter your home and find balance in your life.

Until then, here are a few thoughts shared by other participants:
"I've learned that just because you have space doesn’t mean you need to fill it. It's nice to have negative (open) space.
"

"You fail to know what you’ve got when you have too much clutter. It’s helpful to reacquaint yourself.


"I’m thinking differently and asking: “Where should this live? Where does this belong? Where should this go?”


"I learned how to work in small blocks of time and still make progress."

Contact me about private online mentoring sessions - I'd love to help.