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Simplify and Downsize...You can do it too! - Page 7

post #121 of 319
10/9/06 at 10:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caitlin320 View Post
I just wanted to add, the more stuff I purge, the richer I feel. I realize how much we really have. Funny, huh?
No, I totally agree! I like what Delight said about being able to love everything you have in your home.

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post #122 of 319
10/9/06 at 11:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caitlin320 View Post
I just wanted to add, the more stuff I purge, the richer I feel. I realize how much we really have. Funny, huh?
Word.

You just reminded me--I have FOUR cast iron skillets of roughly the same size. Hmmm...
post #123 of 319
10/9/06 at 12:21pm
how wonderful!!! so inspirational!!!!!! you've got big ones, takes alot of guts to do that. i need to get my husband to read some of your suggestions.

Delight, I saw on your blog, you cloth diaper. I didn't see where you kept them. Would you be willing to show a pic of your cloth in a small place. I'm having that dilemma now.
post #124 of 319
10/9/06 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kellid View Post
Delight, I saw on your blog, you cloth diaper. I didn't see where you kept them. Would you be willing to show a pic of your cloth in a small place. I'm having that dilemma now.
I'm not Delight, but I can tell you what I do, maybe it will be helpful. We only use flats, prefolds, and wool, so those don't take up much space to begin with. The diapers are just all stacked in a basket that sits on top of the toy shelf in the living room. The wipes get stacked in a wire basket on the back of the toilet tank. The diaper pail is just a metal bucket from Target, it's not very big, just big enough for one load of dipes. That goes in the bathroom. Our bathroom is very tiny too (only as long as the bathtub, and maybe five feet wide, very very small.), but it works for us.

ETA: I forgot to say that I too have been so inspired by you Delight. I went through my wardrobe and pared it down more. And did the kitchen too so we only have four sets of dishes out. I got rid of some toys too, but have quite a ways to go with those. I told my dh about your blog and pics and stuff and he got really inspired and wants to move to a small apartment in an area we love and really work on our debt. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
post #125 of 319
10/9/06 at 3:04pm
I just wanted to add how inspiring this post was...

We live in an 800 sq foot house with our three kids. I'm really staring to see how space doesnt add anything to your life except more stuff, and as long as we can sleep and eat and live, this house is all we need. But greed and materialism is so sneaky! We really struggle.

I love your blog, btw- really great!
post #126 of 319
10/9/06 at 3:16pm
Another fan :

I'm in the process of decluttering and when stbx moves out in a few months a lot more will be gone. I still fight the consumerism urge & the need to buy because it's a deal, but I'm working on those.
post #127 of 319
10/9/06 at 3:59pm
I too have felt so rich and so wasteful after getting rid of so much stuff. Wasteful because why did I have all of that to begin with? It's just amazing how you don't see how much you have sometimes. I am cleaning out the garage this week. I am going to feel so much better after that is done. Then finish the kids rooms...the closets...the dressers....
It never ends!!
post #128 of 319
10/9/06 at 4:06pm
well, you've inspired me now too! i thought my house was pretty uncluttered, but hubby and i spent most of the day decluttering.. we've come up with 5 garbage bags of stuff to donate! and 2 bags of garbage! and 3 more bags of stuff i'm going to try to sell! woohoo!
post #129 of 319
10/9/06 at 4:30pm
I can't stop, seriously, but this is such a wonderful feeling, SO FREEING!!!

I mean, I've been decluttering for years now, but looking at the pictures of that little apartment made me realize that there is this whole other level I can take it too.

So all day I keep peeking around here and there and tossing things in the donation bins (or trash!!!) Just random stuff and it adds up . . . and I see so much more left to do . . .

I just wanted to add that we love IKEA and they have a lot of ideas for living in a small space. When we visited the store they had a display which was of a very tiny apartment (can't remember the square footage, it was smaller than Delight's) and they showed it all set up for two adults and a baby and it was SO great for ideas, I was very inspired! They sell lots of storage and organization solutions too and their prices are extremely affordable. The designs are very hip and young too. I feel like I sound like an advertisement but I know a lot of people don't know about IKEA so I just wanted to pass on the idea . . .
post #130 of 319
10/9/06 at 5:53pm

I want to see examples with larger families

Quote:
Originally Posted by Caitlin320 View Post
they had a display which was of a very tiny apartment (can't remember the square footage, it was smaller than Delight's) and they showed it all set up for two adults and a baby and it was SO great for ideas, I was very inspired!
It's like if you have a larger family then you can't have a small space? I have 4 children and DH and I live in 1100sq ft now which is double (plus 144sq ft) the OP's space but in a freestanding house.

I have 2 boys and 2 girls and they each share a bedroom. We can't have clutter since my youngest has SID and can't tolerate it as he gets emotional and sick over a visually cluttered mess.

*When the children were older one toilet plus a potty sufficed but imagine me telling my 10yo to use the potty! LOL! He'd pee in the yard first! It brought back memories of when I only had one child.

We have to stagger the shower/bathing since our hot water heater runs out of hot water with 6 people even if they are taking *Navy* showers! (Meaning you shut off the water while you soap up to conserve!)

**I too enjoyed viewing the OP's photos. It reminds me of when my DH and I were first living together 12 years ago!
post #131 of 319
10/9/06 at 7:59pm
Delight- You are definitely an inspiration! Your place is so simple, neat, beautiful, and organized!

We currently are a family of 5 (with number 6 due in 11 days ) in a 430 sq ft apartment. This is NOT the ideal space for us, but due to unforseen circumstances we are making due. We have been here for over a year and for the beginning we were very very unhappy and it took a lot for us to get in the right frame of mind. Our old house was 1300 sq ft and too much room for us. We just kept on buying more stuff because there was room. Now we are storing most of the stuff (even though we got rid of a lot) in friends basements.

Today we were moving some of it and I realized just how much stuff won't need when we move out of here in 6 months. We keep so much things "just in case". But when you pay to keep things in a storage unit, you begin to think about just letting the payments go and letting the storage place auction it off!!! I think besides a dining room table, we have 2 smaller tables (older wooden ones that we used to use when we had pot lucks) and a new folding table to fit all of us for the apartment. I just totally forgot we had that many tables!!! : Yea, I'm alright! NOT!!

I think that since we have decided to make the most of this place and have changed our attitudes, things run much more smoothly. But the real issue is my 9 yo son. He just has so many things and he "loves" them and plays with them all. But he doesn't put everything away. So it has come to the point where, if by 10:00 am it isn't in it's place, I put it in a trash bag and throw it in the garage. I am planning on seeing how long it takes to get ALL of his things out there in the garage. My 12 yo dd has been very flexible with letting go of her stuff. She is also a much wiser consumer, while ds just blows his allowance whenever he gets the chance. But I know there is a piece of my dd that somewhat regrets our current situation. I also know that when she grows up and goes off on her own to live however she may choose, she will have had the experience of living simply and knowing you can make it work when you want to.

I have come to see how fortunate we are for so many things that don't need to go into a storage unit. It has forced us to deal with issues that are so easily left undone when you can retreat into a different room in the house. Our family has become so much stronger and closer. It has also shown us how much we can live without. Filling your time up with family activities instead of shopping for stuff has improved all of our sanities

Now I have to sit down with DH and figure out just what we should keep for when we leave here. I have so many clothes for when the kids grow that are in mint condition and I don't see getting rid of. We have decided that we don't want to move into a huge space, but maybe something around 800-1000 sq ft. I really like having common space and bedrooms combined with alcoves for sleeping. But we will have to see what is next on this crazy life journey.

Stacey
post #132 of 319
10/9/06 at 8:10pm
Some calculations just for fun:
Assuming Delight and her dh to both be ~30 years old and Bella to be 3 there are 33years of person in a 478 sqft apartment
That's 14.5 sqft per year of person

Aunt Lavender, you mention a 10 year old and a potty, so I'm going to arbitrarily call you 37, 37, 10, 7, 4, 2 = 97 years in 1100 sqft = 11.3 sqft per year of person

By the numbers without allowing for younger children having accumulated fewer possessions and hobbies: 478sqft/3 people= 159.3 sqft/person 1100/6=183.3 sqft/person. Fairly comparable.

Which of course assumes that all space is equal which, as all of us with obviously wasted space can attest, it isn't.

Some other interesting comparisons would be by living area, sqft of bathroom per person, sqft of pure storage space per person, etc etc.
post #133 of 319
10/9/06 at 11:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hipcoolmama View Post
All those things are within walking distance??? I'm so envious!! Wow, you live in a utopia!
Sometimes I feel like that! On Sunday, it was Utopia-like. We got up on Sunday morning, and it was amazingly sunny and crisp. We got on our bikes and rode down to the coffee shop...and as we rode, the skyline of downtown before us...it was almost like life was perfect for a moment Things were even better after I had my coffee. LOL!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Caitlin320 View Post
I just wanted to add, the more stuff I purge, the richer I feel. I realize how much we really have. Funny, huh?
Yes I feel that a lot...thanks for putting it into words.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OliveGirl View Post
Word.

You just reminded me--I have FOUR cast iron skillets of roughly the same size. Hmmm...
Isn't it funny how kitchen stuff just multiplies without us noticing? It's so fun to downsize your kitchen because it's an instant change. Most of us probably spend a lot of time in there, and when you're bogged down by extras/clutter, it's so draining. Less stuff = more energy = happy life.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kellid View Post
Delight, I saw on your blog, you cloth diaper. I didn't see where you kept them. Would you be willing to show a pic of your cloth in a small place. I'm having that dilemma now.
Bella is potty trained now...so we're done with the cloth diaper stage. But, if we were stlil doing it, I would just have them in a basket in the closet. For a wet bag, I would hang one on the back of a door instead of having a hard sided one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by anniegirl View Post
ETA: I forgot to say that I too have been so inspired by you Delight. I went through my wardrobe and pared it down more. And did the kitchen too so we only have four sets of dishes out. I got rid of some toys too, but have quite a ways to go with those. I told my dh about your blog and pics and stuff and he got really inspired and wants to move to a small apartment in an area we love and really work on our debt. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Wow!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunshinegal View Post
Delight- You are definitely an inspiration! Your place is so simple, neat, beautiful, and organized!

We currently are a family of 5 (with number 6 due in 11 days ) in a 430 sq ft apartment.

It has forced us to deal with issues that are so easily left undone when you can retreat into a different room in the house. Our family has become so much stronger and closer. It has also shown us how much we can live without. Filling your time up with family activities instead of shopping for stuff has improved all of our sanities
Oh my goodness...now that's a lot of people in a smaller space than mine! I'm in awe of you. I love everything you said...especially about how living in a small space forces you to deal with things that you would normally retreat from.

I also just want to say thank you to all of you for being so encouraging. It's so touching...I've had many tears in my eyes this week as I've read your stories of decluttering your homes and your lives. If every one of you shares your story and passion with ONE other person...just think of the decluttering love we could spread! Our possessions and our homes tend to be very closely tied to our self-esteem/emotions...so as we clean them, declutter them, and clear them out...so will our lives start to be clean and sparkly...more purposeful and more fun!

Let's keep it up!
post #134 of 319
10/10/06 at 3:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AuntLavender View Post
It's like if you have a larger family then you can't have a small space? I have 4 children and DH and I live in 1100sq ft now which is double (plus 144sq ft) the OP's space but in a freestanding
:


We have 3 kids in 1076 sq feet. We are moving in 18 months because my neighbor sold us his apartment (he is building a house) which will be our forever h ouse with 1500 sq feet. We intended to stay here longer, but there is never real estate in this community, so when an oppertunity came up we snatched it. My friend lives in 800 square feet with 4 boys (ages 14 - 7) and she also runs an in home day care. : but it's amazing what people thing you "need" in the states and what other people manage with elsewhere.
post #135 of 319
10/10/06 at 4:11am
Ahhh, the craziness!!! I just can't stop decluttering!!!
post #136 of 319
10/10/06 at 4:13am
Very nice!
post #137 of 319
10/10/06 at 4:29am
I am actually crying after looking at your pictures. Earlier tonight I took some pictures of my own house to show a friend, so I am emotional about the house at the moment to begin with. I am struggling to try and gain some control. We live in 2400 sq. feet that is about 85% filled and a cluttered mess. I have managed to keep the playroom and the kids rooms clean so that they have some peaceful places to play but the rest of the house is beyond me now. Thank you for sharing your pictures and decluttered life, it gives me some hope and encouragement.
post #138 of 319
10/10/06 at 7:35am
LOVE your apartment, Delight. Thank you SO much for sharing.

We (me, dh, 4 boys) live in approx. 1000 sqft.

If noone is in - or I'm alone - our house is simple and spacey. But then most days there are - at least - six people scattered around in here

Our house is white and brown with splashes of green (white walls, wood floors, wood kitchen, leather couches, wood beds, white linens, green plants) But I'm inspired by your colours. Maybe I should add some colour.
post #139 of 319
10/10/06 at 11:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cutie Patootie View Post
I am actually crying after looking at your pictures. Earlier tonight I took some pictures of my own house to show a friend, so I am emotional about the house at the moment to begin with. I am struggling to try and gain some control. We live in 2400 sq. feet that is about 85% filled and a cluttered mess. I have managed to keep the playroom and the kids rooms clean so that they have some peaceful places to play but the rest of the house is beyond me now. Thank you for sharing your pictures and decluttered life, it gives me some hope and encouragement.
... hang in there mama, take it one step at a time. One piece at at time. There have been times when I have actually chanted...

"Just pick up ONE thing and put it away...now pick up the NEXT thing..."

Do it to music. It helps And try not to look at your whole house at once. Choose one room and START. You already said you can keep your kids' play areas clean...so you CAN do it! Heck, if you can keep kids' rooms clean, you can do anything!

One last thing...the state of your house does not reflect your abillities as a mother/wife/partner/friend. Try not to let your emotions get too caught up in the clutter...it's only stuff. You can do it!
post #140 of 319
10/10/06 at 11:40am
Delight, I LOVE your vintage tablecloth. Awesome. I have a small collection of vintage cooking aprons, I am trying to think of a way to display them creatively but practically . . . right now they are just all hanging on a nail in the storage room which is right off of the kitchen. I'm still thinking about it, maybe something will come to mind.

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Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › Simplify and Downsize...You can do it too!