Minimalism Q&A: Part 2

A few weeks ago I did a Minimalism Q&A (part 1 HERE) and I recieved so many great questions. Thank you for your engagement! Here is part 2 of this series.

1. I love hosting parties. How do you keep your party supplies minimal? I love all the extras so it’s easy for me to go overboard.

   • I love hosting parties and dinners as well! For me, I try to go neutral. I used to have a ton of cake plates and now I have 4 - yes, I use all four of them when I have a party. I used to have quite a few more. They were all different colors and only used for specific events. They key is to go neutral. Neutral doesn’t mean boring. But only keep things you TRULY use and love to use. And keep and buy things that you can use for all events. I love using gold and wood. I can add some colorful plates, napkins, and fresh flowers to change out for each event. But the things I keep in my cabinet are neutral. Tip: If you do have colors, I like to go with red. I have some red napkin rings that I use for Valentines Day, Fourth of July, and Christmas. Just add other colors in as you need to. (HERE is a video I did about minimizing your kitchen.)

2. Your favorite cleaners? How to take a cabinet full of sprays and cleaners to just a handful.

   • Multipurpose cleaners. That is the key. I actually like cleaning and used to be a cleaner junkie. I had so many. And so many half full bottles. I now have cleaners that can be used for many purposes. I also am making the switch to 90% natural cleaner. Confession, I do still use bleach from time to time because I just can’t get away from it. For the kitchen I make a cleaner that is great on my countertops and my wood floors. I use baking soda to deep clean pots and pans and my sink. Those are really the only cleaners I need in my kitchen. I have a glass cleaner that I make and an antibacterial spray that I use in the bathrooms. Aside from my bleach spray that I use occasionally in my shower, this is really all I need. I am still in the process of using of some of the things I have. However, if you are looking to go more natural in your cleaners, it is ok to throw some things away. After my daughter was born I started looking into the harmful chemicals in our home and threw quite a few cleaning products away.

3. How do I majorly downsize my closet?

4. Do you recommend a capsule wardrobe?

   • I am going to answer both of these at once. A capsule wardrobe is a small amount of clothes that you can mix and match. I really have a capsule wardrobe for my fall and winter clothing. I have a few pairs of black shoes and some leopard flats and boots. Anything I have can mix and match and coordinate. This makes packing for a trip so easy. 

   • So now that you know what a capsule wardrobe is, let’s talk about downsizing your closet. Going with a capsule wardrobe for each season is the easiest way to do this. But even if you aren’t ready to do that, here are some steps to help. 

     1. Take everything out. EVERYTHING. If you have extra clothes in another closet, grab them too. Bring all your clothes to one place. Your bed is a great place for this. 

     2. Make 3 piles: LOVE, I THINK I love, NO. Pick each piece up and really look at it. Try it on if you need to. Do I love this? If I was packing for a 3 week trip would I say - Yes! I know I’m bringing this? Try to make a quick decision and put as many things as you can in the LOVE or NO piles. The THINK pile is only for those things that you are taking too long to decide on. 

     3. Clean your closet out. Vacuum and dust and clear the clutter. You need a fresh place to bring things back to.

     4. Put the LOVE pile back in your closet. Only this one category for now. I highly recommend matching hangers. They make a huge difference! Now step back and look at how amazing it is to only have the things you really love in your closet. 

     5. Immediately box up the clothes that are a NO. Sell them, give them away, donate them. Just get them out of your house REALLY quickly!

     6. Pack up the THINK box and come back to it in 30, 60, or 90 days. Did you really miss something or can you let it go?

     7. Enjoy a smaller wardrobe. Keeping your closet neat is easier. And picking out clothes is SO much easier now that you know everything in your closet is something you love and it fits.

5. How do you help your parents get rid of their clutter as they get older?

   • Well, this is quite the loaded question. As our parents get older, there are a few hard conversations we have to have. Do you have enough insurance? How can I help without overstepping boundaries? Unless you have been invited to help, there is really nothing you can do without harming the relationship with your parents. However, I do have one recommendation. When we moved into our house my mom brought over all of my childhood and memory boxes. If your parents have not given you these things yet, ask for them. I have a blog post and video HERE about dealing with sentimental things. Offer your help for things that pertain to you. My mom, sister, and myself are currently looking for a date to plan to go through all of my mom’s photos. This is something I can do to help her and it’s something that will help me down the road as well. Your relationship with your parents is really important, so tread lightly. But if they will let you help them, then absolutely get started. Just remember that while you will have to go through all of their things one day, it’s still their home today. 

My next videos are going to be direct answers to questions from YOU! I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment here or to message me on Instagram or Facebook.