BEING THANKFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I thought it was fitting to talk about thankfulness since it is the first Thursday in November! I wanted to kick off this season of thankfulness by sharing my thoughts on the importance of being thankful for the little things in life.

No matter what challenges you face today, I am sure there are little things in your life that you are thankful for. Sometimes the little things are overlooked because we tend to take them for granted over time. If you live in a western culture and have running water, you have something to be thankful for!

I think especially when we are in a difficult season in life it can be easy to focus on all the things that are going wrong. It can be overwhelming as we try to problem solve to resolve whatever is going on, and that can take up a lot of energy. I certainly don’t want to minimize anything challenging you may be experiencing in life right now! I simply want to encourage you to also focus on the positive things in life and the blessings you have even if it’s something small!

I was having a difficult day the other day and I was sharing with some friends on the Marco Polo app that whenever I’m having a hard day I like to stop and think of the things I’m thankful for! (Side note, check out this app if you aren’t on it! It is a fun way to stay connected with people!) On that day I shared with them that I’m thankful that I have a flexible schedule. For those of you who don’t know, I have been a stay at home mom/wife for over 25 years now. I did have a couple of part time jobs and I ran my own organizing business for a while and now I’m managing my YouTube channels and social media content, but all of these things afforded me flexibility in my schedule. I’m thankful for my husband who works hard for our family to provide for us financially, which allows me to pursue content creation and to be there for my husband and kids (yes, even adult kids need you from time to time!) 

This is something that I can definitely take for granted at times. It is good to stop and recognize this blessing. There might be days where I don’t feel well, or I don’t want to do what is on my to do list that day. I have the freedom to rearrange my schedule as needed, within reason. I do have deadlines I create for myself, but that is just to help me to stay organized and to stay on top of the household chores and administrative things that need to be done for our family.

It can be easy to overlook the small things that we may take for granted on a day to day basis. Even something as simple as a cup of coffee can allow us to feel grateful! I hope this chat inspired you to be grateful for something little in your life!

When I was talking to my friends, I asked them to share what they were grateful for. I think hearing what others are grateful for can remind us of blessings in our own life that we may be overlooking or taking for granted. It was so fun to hear all of their responses! I would love to hear what you are grateful for if you want to leave that in the comments! I hope your holiday season is off to a great start!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this post!

POSITIVE MINDSET

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to talk about having a positive mindset. I know that I often talk about positive self talk as a technique to keep a positive mindset. But I realized that when I share that I may make it sound like it’s a simple solution for negative thoughts or beliefs. I wanted to talk today about how I recognize this is absolutely not an easy thing to do.

Like any other healthy habit, positive self talk takes practice and repetition. I sometimes liken it to exercising. It’s not easy, but a necessary part of staying healthy. There are some days when I don’t want to workout, and the same is true for positive self talk. There may be days where I am struggling more to have a positive mindset, but I discipline myself to speak the positive, just like I discipline myself to do a workout on days when I’m feeling tired or just not in the mood to exercise.

The first thing we must do to get to a positive mindset is to be aware of our self-talk. Many of us talk to ourselves all day long unconsciously, not even really thinking about what kinds of things we are telling ourselves. Once we start becoming aware of those times when we are talking negatively or putting ourselves down, then we can start replacing those things with positive things. For a general example: if you recognize that you say to yourself, “I’m not good enough.” When you hear this, negate it by saying something like, “I am trying my best everyday.” Like I said, I acknowledge that this is not an easy practice. Anything we do that is pushing against what we naturally want to do is hard, it’s work. But I think it is worth it to do the work to get to a place where you have a positive self image and feel good about who you are.

Now I’m not suggesting you say something that is completely untrue about yourself with positive self talk. I’m just encouraging you to focus on the good in you, your character, and your talents. If we have a habit of focusing on the negative about ourselves, that is what I am suggesting to break. We still need to be accurate. It’s about creating new pathways in our mind so that we are in the habit of speaking positive to ourselves instead of negative.

I know some days can be really tough – for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a life circumstance, or maybe it’s just hormonal, but there are days that we may feel more down on ourselves than other days. I encourage you to reach out to a family member or friend who might encourage you through those moments. When we can’t speak kindly to ourselves, we may need to rely on others to remind us of the positive. 

I hope you have someone in your life who would speak positively to you, but if not there are a lot of positive affirmation videos on YouTube that could also help you! I actually like to make it a practice to listen to positive affirmations videos either before bed at night or first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. I have found this helpful for me to just maintain that positive frame of mind!

When you’re going through something really tough in life keeping a positive mindset can be extra challenging, so I don’t want to minimize whatever you might be going through that has caused you to struggle with a positive mindset. Like I said at the beginning of this chat, it’s not always easy. I have found that working hard to keep a positive mindset IN SPITE of difficult circumstances has truly helped me during those dark days! 

From my experience, overall I feel like once you experience that mindset shift, it is easier to continue on in it. It is like any other disciplined habit, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. And like I mentioned, you will still have those days that are a little more tough, but once it’s a habit it’s easier to bounce back!

THE REAL YOU

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to talk about being authentic. I heard this message this morning from a Christian teacher, Christine Caine. I really love her messages, they are so inspirational! I will link her YouTube channel here if you want to check that out. She said something that really resonated with me. She said, “The real you is who you are when no one is looking.” This resonated with me because when she said that I thought to myself, I truly want to strive to be authentically myself in every situation in life.

Being authentically myself does not necessarily mean oversharing. I really value boundaries on social media and online. It can be a tricky line to walk, because you do want to be relatable, but I believe that it is okay and actually healthy to keep some things about your life private. I think this is especially true when it comes to relationships in your life. I just don’t think it’s fair to share things that are not your story to tell. And oftentimes in those situations, you hear one side of the story, which is also not fair to the other people involved.

What I am talking about, and what I thought of when Christine said that, was that I would be consistent in whatever situation I’m in. That my values would guide my behavior, my words, and the way I treat people. Now with that said, most people are multifaceted! They have many facets to their personalities, so we are not just one way all of the time. I just say this because I recognize in different situations, different parts of our personalities may be more obvious. It doesn’t mean we are being inauthentic, it just means that in that situation that aspect of our personality is showing more. 

Christine shared this analogy of building a building. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes when you’re building a building, or I thought about when I’m doing a makeover on a room. There is a lot that has to happen before we get to the part where we get to decorate and do the finishing touches. So often on social media, people just see the finishing touches. They have no clue what is going on behind the scenes or what went on behind the scenes. Like I said, not that we have to share everything that is going on in our lives on social media, but all too often people just portray this external façade, that just isn’t real.

Listening to her just got me thinking, how can I truly be authentic while also having those boundaries? How can I be vulnerable and relatable while also honoring the privacy of others? I hope I share openly enough online that others can see my authenticity. Also, while I do like to be relatable, creating YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and blog posts are a creative outlet for me, so I am going to present them in an artistic way. Something else I have thought about is that some people might think: it’s unrealistic for someone to clean their house dressed nicely with makeup on and their hair done. Perhaps, but this is how I have always cleaned, even before I had a YouTube channel. And then there are some days where I don’t get dressed and stay in my workout clothes all day, and if you have watched my videos for any length of time you have seen that too! That is authentically me, and that is how I have always been!

Here in my Thoughtful Thursday posts I like to share positive and encouraging things. Things that will inspire you, or motivate you. And that is how I am in my real life as well, with my family and with my friends! I may have some down days, or rough days where I don’t feel as positive, but for the most part I am a positive person!

I hope I come across to you as authentic. Today, I’m evaluating the way I portray myself to others, and thinking about if there is any way I can be more authentic! Well friends, as always, I love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts down in the comments. Please let me know what you think about this idea of being authentic and “the real you is who you are when no one is looking.”

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

CHANGING SEASONS

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to encourage you, if you are in a difficult season in life, it is only a season. I have been thinking about seasons as we are finally changing seasons here in Austin! We are finally having some fall weather where the mornings have cooler, crisper air. When people talk about challenging times in life they often refer to an analogy that the winter was long and hard, but the spring is coming. For those of us in Texas, an analogy that resonates more is the summer was long and hard, but fall is coming! By late September, I am SO tired of the hot weather and I’m just longing for the crisp, cool mornings of TRUE fall!

Sometimes when we are walking through a difficult season in life it can feel so long and like it will never end. Somewhat like summer feels if you live in the southern states! Just like it’s hard to imagine the weather being cooler at the end of summer, in hard seasons of life it’s hard to imagine that things will feel positive and hopeful. I want to assure you, no matter how long you have been walking through a tough season, there is hope on the other side. You will one day feel the crispness of fall! 

I myself have been walking through a pretty tough season that has lasted quite a long time. I am just now seeing glimpses of hope that remind me that we will not forever be in a difficult season. There is hope for a change that is coming! I know more than anyone the perseverance it takes to live in a season that is challenging, so I can assure you that you can make it out on the other side!

While it can feel refreshing to exit a season of hardship, change is really never easy. At least for most people! Even when things are changing for the good, it can be scary to deal with the unknowns. Being aware and realistic with ourselves as we head into that new season can really help with this transition. While I was so excited for the cooler weather to return to Austin, I realized I had to change my schedule and go for a run a little later in the mornings now because it was not as comfortable first thing in the morning. It made me realize that we do need to be aware that change, even if it’s good, is not always easy.

Leaving a difficult season of life can bring so much opportunity for personal growth, finding purpose in life, and embracing a new perspective from what you learned in the season of darkness. So often it is in the difficult seasons of life that we actually grow the most – learning empathy and compassion, becoming more strong and resilient, and becoming more self assured. Also, in a season of hardship we may learn the value of self reflection as we process the difficulties we have endured and the value of acceptance as we may have had to learn to accept the way things are for that period of time. We must take these lessons with us as we move into a brighter and more hopeful season! This can be a great time to reevaluate your life because of the new outlook and potential new opportunities!

Well friends, I hope this Thoughtful Thursday was inspiring or encouraging to you today. As always, I love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts! I hope you might share your thoughts on this topic of changing seasons down in the comments!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

IF IT FEELS LIKE A NO, LET IT GO!

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to talk about a quote I recently heard from Joshua Fields Milburn. If you don’t know who he is, he is one of the two men who make up the content creators, The Minimalists. They have a podcast, YouTube channel, and they even have a documentary on Netflix. I have been following these guys for several years as inspiration on my journey towards pursuing minimalism. Recently in one of their podcasts, Joshua said something that I think is actually a catchphrase that he says often, “If it feels like a no, let it go!” I am sure I have heard him say this before, but on this day it just hit differently.

This may sound a bit dramatic, but I feel like for whatever reason when I heard this phrase on this day, it was a breakthrough moment for me. So often with my things I have looked at items and think that I don’t love it, but I like to have it around for an option. I especially struggle with clothes and home decor in this way. But as I began looking around my home, I started noticing a lot of “no’s.” There were several things that I was just holding onto to fill up a space or just in case. I have even said to clients before that “just in case” is a dangerous saying when it comes to making progress in decluttering. If I truly want to get to the place where I am managing less things, I have to quit saying “just in case” and I have to start saying “if it feels like a no, let it go!”

There is this cactus print I had in my bathroom for the longest time and it is a great example. It is something that I don’t really love anymore, but I was just keeping it to fill the space. I realized that it is okay to have spaces more simplified, and that is actually what has been more appealing to me lately. I purchased that print several years ago and I have displayed it in different places around my home. I’m beginning to realize that it’s okay for my tastes and style to change. Something I purchased 5 or 6 years ago may just not really be my style anymore. I am also realizing that if I purchased something and a year later decided I don’t really like it, that is okay too! It was not necessarily a waste, because that item taught me something. It taught me more about what my style is, or maybe it taught me to be more intentional and cautious when I make purchases.

Now suddenly as I am walking around my house I am seeing a lot of things that “feel like a no.” I was joking in one of my recent YouTube videos how I could have anything left to declutter, but the reality is over time I am just building my decluttering muscles and learning what actually is important to me! In addition to that, I have now been married for over 27 years and we have three kids, and had two dogs – and that is a lot of years of accumulation. So, it will likely take a lot of years of decluttering.

Over time I have learned that the decluttering process is kind of like an onion, the more layers you peel away the more is revealed. You don’t truly know how much stuff you have until you begin that process of hard core decluttering. The more layers you peel away, the more you learn to let go, and the more you realize what is truly important to you – what you really want to spend time caring for, cleaning, storing, and organizing.

I think more than anything, as I age I realize that relationships and experiences are so much more valuable than stuff! The more stuff I own, the more time it takes away from relationships and time and energy for experiences as I have to take care of that stuff. Slowly but surely I’m getting there! Well friends, I hope what I shared was inspirational or encouraging to you today. I always love hearing from you in the comments, so I would love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

GOD IS THERE

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Okay friends, if you have been around for a while and have heard my Thoughtful Thursday thoughts, you might know that I share a variety of things. Some weeks I’m thinking about decluttering or organizing, and other weeks I’m thinking about more serious or deeper things. I like to share it all!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that over last weekend I went on a women’s retreat with my church. Because of that, I have been really processing everything I learned over the weekend and wanted to share with you. Admittedly I hesitated to share this, because I know faith based content doesn’t resonate with everyone, but I was really feeling like I was supposed to share this. Even if it is to encourage one person. I don’t often share this vulnerably, so this is outside of my comfort zone, but I know that is good to do from time to time.

First I wanted to share that while on the retreat I felt a little frustrated or disappointed. I usually feel spiritually energized on women’s retreats. But this weekend was different. I was not “feeling it” so to speak. I was not feeling as emotional as I typically feel on a retreat. In hindsight I realized that I was really absorbing it all, because over the last few days I have really been processing and feeling very spiritually renewed! It’s funny that I would use that word renewed because that was the theme of the retreat! I think while I was there it was hard to really process everything because I wasn’t getting as much sleep as I usually do, I wasn’t eating as healthy as I usually do, and I wasn’t able to exercise.

In addition to that, I think my mind was distracted. Being on this trip made me realize how addicted I am to my phone. Although I don’t necessarily mindlessly scroll on social media apps a lot, I do mindlessly open social media apps to respond to comments, look for likes, and read chats I am a part of. After this weekend, I have decided to set up boundaries on social media. I used to not get on social media at all on Sundays as part of my day off, but somehow that crept back in as I wanted to keep up with chats. I decided to get back to no social media on Sundays. I have also been practicing just leaving my phone in another room so I’m not constantly inundating myself with media while I work.

The main thing that one of the speakers said that really resonated with me was the idea that it is okay if you feel like you are in a season of God being quiet. You may look around and feel like God is being so loud with other people – they seem to be experiencing Him emotionally, or they seem more passionate about their faith. But just because God is quiet, doesn’t mean He’s not working and it doesn’t mean He is not present. He IS still working and present in your circumstances. This really resonated with me since like I said, I was not feeling emotional on this retreat.

One of the speakers shared the analogy of a tree in the winter. What we see when we look at that tree is bareness. It is stripped of its leaves and it almost looks dead. But did you know that it is in the winter season that a tree’s roots grow deeper? This is the season for the tree to grow deeper to find the water. We are the same way – it is in the season of bareness that we can grow deeper in our faith. Sometimes it’s in this season of bareness or season of difficulty when everything is being stripped away from us that we can more accurately see what unhealthy thing we are turning to in order to fill the void in our lives. Because of my faith, I believe that God is the place I should be turning to for comfort, peace, joy, contentment. So often we think other things – like social media, entertainment, food, alcohol, shopping, you name it – will give us those positive feelings, but those things always leave us wanting.

The other big takeaway from this weekend is this idea that God is there. He is present even amidst the trials I’m going through. I know I don’t share in detail some of the things I have been going through the last several years, but I really think boundaries online are important. Nevertheless, I have been going through some tough things. I didn’t realize just how much until one time I was talking to my therapist and listing everything that has happened in the last five years, and listing it all together I realized it was a lot. All through this time I had been praying – for the situations and the people involved in those situations. I prayed alone, and I prayed with friends. And I’ll be honest, I started to feel really discouraged, wondering if God could hear me anymore. Feeling like God was… quiet. BUT, over the past few months I have started to see movement. I have started to see the answering of longstanding prayers. Years of prayers! We often don’t see what God is doing until we are looking through the lens of hindsight.

As I was processing this weekend, I kept thinking about God’s timing. How His timing is better than my timing. How I had learned so much in the past several years – about myself, about relationships, about people. I have grown so much as a person, and I wouldn’t trade that for the comfortable life I thought I wanted. God IS present, even in the quietness, even in the trials. He is there.

Well friends, I know this was a heavy chat today. If you stuck with me through this, I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to process the experience I had this past weekend. As always, I love to hear your thoughts too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments on what I shared today, even if there is something you disagree with me on or something you’re questioning. I’m open to dialogue about it! I wanted to share a worship song that we sang over the weekend that was really meaningful to me. The title is Make Room. Today I’m making room for whatever God wants to do in my life and I trust that He can still work amidst the trials!

Check out the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

HOW TO DEAL WITH CONFLICT

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Okay friends, for this week’s Thoughtful Thursday post I want to talk about a bit of a tough subject, and that is conflict resolution. I wanted to talk about the importance of conflict resolution and to share some healthy and unhealthy ways people tend to deal with conflict in life. We have all had to deal with difficult relationships or situations in life that require conflict resolution skills. Really no one can escape dealing with conflict at some point in life because we are all flawed, imperfect humans.

First I wanted to share the four ways people tend to deal with conflict, which I learned from a therapist. There is the conflict avoider, which is avoiding the conflict at all costs and appeasing others to do so. There is the passive aggressive approach, where the person makes snide or underhanded comments to try to convey their opinion. There is the aggressive approach where the person is overbearing in sharing their opinions and often raises their voice or looks visibly agitated. And the fourth is the assertive approach, which is the most effective and healthy way to communicate opinions, needs, or concerns. The assertive person shares in a respectful and loving way but is able to confidently address the issue at hand.

I will share that for most of my life I was an avoidant. And admittedly, I still avoid conflict with certain people or in certain situations. But as I have aged I have learned that sometimes when we avoid, that leaves us feeling frustrated, angry, and/or resentful. I got to a point in life where I did not want to continue to live in such a way that others were in control of my emotions. Being a conflict avoidant person goes hand in hand with being a people pleaser because you don’t want people to be upset with you, and you don’t want people to feel uncomfortable in general. But I would argue that it develops deeper and more meaningful relationships when we are able to share our hurts, opinions, and needs. There may be times when you can overlook an offense and move on, but you must really evaluate if you are overlooking and moving on just to keep the peace and you actually still hold onto resentment towards someone, or if you have truly let it go.

Next is the person who is passive aggressive about their hurts, opinions, or needs. This person can be very difficult to deal with. This type of person leaves you to read between the lines in trying to decipher what they are saying. They often feel like they have said enough that the other person should be able to figure out what they mean. But we can’t read their minds! The reality is, if you have a problem with someone and you don’t clearly and concisely address it – you can’t blame them for not doing anything. Only you are responsible for your own thoughts and feelings. If there is something you can’t let go, you must address it because people can’t read your mind.

The person who is aggressive can be just as difficult to deal with. Although they may be sharing their thoughts and feelings openly, they often do it in such a way that places blame – using “you” statements instead of “I” statements. They tend to not take ownership of their feelings, but instead blame others for their feelings or for the situation being the way it is. I don’t know if you have ever encountered someone who is aggressive in communicating, but it can be very unnerving and can cause a lot of anxiety which in turn hurts the relationship. People tend to begin to fear those who communicate aggressively, leaving that person more likely isolated as others don’t want to have conflict with them. Their relationships can then become very shallow.

Obviously, the best and most healthy way to handle conflict is assertively. When you share your needs or concerns in a gentle way, using “I” statement (like “I feel blank because of this fill in the blank situation”), it is more likely to be well received. I am forever thankful for the amazing girlfriends I have here in my neighborhood. Several of them do this assertive communication so well, and it has taught me that it is okay and safe to share my thoughts and opinions too. It does take practice and you won’t always do it perfectly, but hopefully the person on the receiving end will have enough grace for you as you do your best to convey things in a kind and loving way.

Being assertive builds stronger bonds in relationships as you are able to be authentically yourselves with one another. I don’t know about you, but I think it feels so good to be in relationships where I am seen and heard. It makes me feel closer to the friend or family member when I’m able to be vulnerable like this. Even if it’s not intuitive for me, I still choose to find the bravery I need to address what needs to be addressed. And if they are genuine and true friends, they will receive your concerns thoughtfully and with grace. Even if in the end you agree to disagree, that’s okay too!

Well friends, I know this was a rough one – well, really it was just a rough thing for me to hear and learn to make healthy changes in my own life. I hope this chat was encouraging for you today! Please let me know your thoughts on this topic in the comments!

Here is the YouTube video I shared in conjunction with this blog post!

BALANCING MINIMAL AND COZY

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It’s that time of year where we all want our spaces to feel cozy! Fall equals soft blankets, candles burning, cozy sweatshirts, and baking all of the fall goodies! But today I wanted to talk about the struggle I have had as I pursue minimalism to create spaces that are minimal but also cozy!

When I first started pursuing the idea of becoming minimalist I thought I could never be a minimalist because I really enjoy decorating our home to make it more cozy and inviting. Eight years later, I’m realizing that “minimalism” is not a one size fits all. There is no true definition of minimalism, or a box you can put it in. To me, it just means living with the things I use and love. With this in mind, I wanted to share with you the ways I make my home cozy and inviting while still striving towards minimalism.

It can be challenging to find the balance between minimal and cozy for me as I love decorating and making our spaces feel inviting, but I also don’t want my spaces to feel too cluttered. For me it has just been a process of trial and error, living with decor set up and deciding how it feels and if I hit that balance. I feel like the longer I have pursued minimalism, the better I get at figuring out that balance.

I do like having some holiday decor pieces, however I also like to have some items that I just leave out year round and might rearrange them for a new look. Rearranging my decor helps me to keep minimal extra decor stock in my home, because it feels fresh and new when I move it to a different room, or set pieces up in a different arrangement. I also like having pieces that transition well into multiple seasons so I’m not taking all of my decor down for each new season.

Another way to achieve cozy and inviting spaces in your home has nothing to do with physical stuff, but it’s more about making a space feel a certain way. This is the idea of Hygge (pronounced HOO-GUH). This is a cultural practice that was first used in Denmark, but has been used throughout the Norwegian countries. I’m not sure if you have heard of this term before, but it incorporates focusing on the five senses, using different textures like with pillows and blankets, using ambient lighting, having calming music playing in the background, having a scented candle burning, an oil diffuser going, or even something cooking or baking in the oven. Having a delicious home cooked meal, or a homemade loaf of bread can make a space feel cozy! You don’t necessarily need stuff to create that cozy and inviting feeling in your home.

Another way to achieve that cozy feeling while still keeping things minimal is creating an environment where people feel welcomed – whether that’s family or friends. Focusing more on the relationships – conversations, hugs, or cozying up with one another under a blanket provides that inviting feeling. Arguably, stuff just distracts from those intimate moments!

Something else that makes a space feel cozy, even if it’s minimal, is a space that is in order. Of course I’m going to mention the importance of organization and cleanliness to create that cozy and inviting feeling. Chaos in our physical space can breed chaos in our minds, which does not lend to a feeling of coziness or peace. Just having a clean and orderly space can help you achieve that feeling of coziness, and obviously that is easier to do with less stuff to take care of.

When I first started pursuing minimalism and would see some of the images in blog posts or in videos, I wasn’t sure that was for me. I didn’t like the idea of living in a space that had sparse things. But now I’m learning there is a balance and I can achieve both minimal AND cozy! I love to hear from you in the comments! Let me know if you are trying to pursue minimalism and have that balance between minimal and cozy. Or let me know how you make your spaces cozy for the fall season!

Here is the YouTube video I created in conjunction with this blog post if you would like to check it out!

8 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR PANTRY ORGANIZED

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Okay friends, for today’s Thoughtful Thursday I wanted to share some tips with you on how to keep your pantry organized. I was having a conversation with some friends on Marco Polo where we were all talking about our pantries and what works for us and what doesn’t and it inspired me to share these tips with you!

My first tip is to have bins and containers with broad category labels to store your food. Storing food according to like categories is a great way to easily find what you need in your pantry. When you choose broad labels it makes it more flexible if you’re not purchasing the exact same things every week. These bins act as drawers in your pantry making it easier to keep things contained. It’s also a more efficient use of space to take things out of the original boxes or packaging to make your pantry more streamlined. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to achieve this look. You could use bins from around your home, or even cardboard boxes to contain things. Honestly, there are a lot of affordable bin options out there these days, including the white bins I have in my pantry (pictured below). I purchased them from The Container Store and these are the large and medium sizes, costing $6.99 and $4.99 respectively.

My second tip is to invest in uniform bins if you can. Having uniform bins will not only fit more efficiently, but will also make your pantry look more aesthetically pleasing. You might notice in my pantry I have a few different styles for different types of food. I like using the white bins to store broad categories of food, the plastic storage boxes with the white lids for snacks and other categories we are getting in and out of regularly or taking with us to different rooms, and the glass jars are great for staple dry goods such as rice, pasta, and quinoa. I really love those glass jars for storing baking items as well, which I don’t store in this pantry.

With all that said, tip number three is to only purchase containers if you have the time and are willing to decant your food. It will be more disorganized if you have the containers and packaging in your pantry. I actually find it very cathartic to decant my food, so I really enjoy it, but I know it’s not for everyone.

My fourth tip is to spend time regularly tidying your pantry. I usually give our pantry a little tidy each week when I pick up groceries and decant all of the food I purchased. Even though my family members know the system I have in place, they don’t always put the snack boxes back exactly where I would, so I take that time to just put everything back where I like it. I also like to take everything out every three months or so to wipe everything down in order to get it clean and back in shape!

Another tip I have is to inform your family of your pantry system. Like I mentioned, my family knows the general system I have set up for our pantry. If family members know the basic system, they can help stay on top of putting things where they belong making it a more effective system. You could add labels to the bins to make this easier for family members, and I find labels also aesthetically pleasing.

The sixth tip I have is to use the back of the pantry which is more difficult to get to for back stock. This is obviously for those of you who have a deeper pantry like I do. If you don’t have a deep pantry, maybe there is another space in your home where you can store back stock. In addition to storing things in the back of our pantry, we also have a secondary pantry where I store things that have a longer shelf life that I can purchase at Costco.

Another tip I have is when decanting your food, dump out old product into a dish before adding the new product to the container so it can be on top and used up first. Whenever I’m decanting dry goods into a jar or storage container, I like to be sure the older product is on top so it gets used before the newer product. When decanting liquids, I only add more into the uniform bottle if I’m adding from an already opened product. Once that product is gone, I use it up fully then wash out the uniform bottle with soap and water before opening a new product and adding it.

The eighth and final tip I have to share is to be realistic about the space you have for food and intentional with only purchasing what you can store. If you don’t have a deep pantry, or a secondary pantry, you will not be able to keep a lot of back stock on hand. The less space you have means the less food you will be able to have on hand. Being realistic about your space boundaries for food will help you to not have a cluttered pantry, which will make it easier to keep organized.

Well friends, I hope these tips helped you today! I love hearing from you in the comments, so share any tips you have to keep your pantry organized!

This is the video I shared in conjunction with this blog post if you would like to check it out!

5 THINGS MINIMALISTS DON’T TALK ABOUT

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For today’s Thoughtful Thursday post I wanted to talk about something I was wrestling with and thinking about during the process of decluttering old fall decor, and adding in the new pieces this year. If you missed it, on Tuesday I shared a video on my YouTube channel with my fall haul and old fall decor declutter. But I wanted to share with you what was going on behind the scenes in my mind. It did take me several days processing with friends and evaluating my reasoning behind why I decided to purchase new fall decor before I felt confident in my decisions.

If you have been reading my blog posts for a while, I am sure you have heard me talk about how I have been pursuing minimalism for several years now. As I processed through my decision to add new fall decor this year, I thought of 5 things most minimalists don’t talk about. I wanted to share these with you if you are on your own journey to become more minimal, or just on a decluttering journey. 

The first thing I wanted to share is that minimalism looks different for everyone. As a matter of fact, I wrote a blog post about this very topic. Because minimalism doesn’t have hard and fast rules, it can be difficult for me to navigate becoming more minimal. To be honest, I am the type of person who works better under rules, but I do appreciate the fluidity of minimalism. Everyone is in a different life stage, requiring different things. Everyone has different passions and hobbies, and different things are important to them. For me, I love making our home cozy and inviting. I do that with home decor, pillows, blankets, and art.

The second thing I wanted to share is you don’t stop purchasing things altogether when you are pursuing minimalism. One of the most difficult things for me is making decisions on bringing new pieces into my home. I like to be very intentional about what comes into my home, so I know I tend to overthink and overanalyze every purchase. It makes it difficult for me to make decisions, and I often feel guilty when I buy something new. But, I know logically that this is not healthy. I don’t think when you begin to pursue minimalism that means you will never buy anything again. That’s just not practical. For me, since home decor and styling is a passion and hobby of mine, that means I will be removing old decor that I don’t love as much as I once used to and replacing it with new items.

The third thing most minimalists don’t talk about is how decluttering is an ongoing process. Like I mentioned, there will most likely be new items coming into your home regularly. I am sure there are a small percentage of minimalists who purchase nothing new, but for most decluttering is just a part of the process. This is why you will see a monthly declutter with me video on my YouTube channel where I share everything I decluttered for that month. Decluttering is an ongoing habit I have incorporated into my routines. This is how I can keep our home minimal.

The fourth thing I wanted to share is that pursuing minimalism helps you to be more honest with yourself when evaluating your purchases. When I first started pursuing minimalism, I didn’t realize how this would cause me to be really cautious about the items I purchase. One of the things I spoke with a friend about regarding my new fall purchases was the idea that I might just be doing this for content and would I do this even if I didn’t have a YouTube channel. She wisely encouraged me, even if I was doing it for content, that would be okay! It is my job after all, and creation is part of the job! Even if that didn’t bring me solace, ultimately I do think I would have still replaced my old decor even if I wasn’t sharing it on YouTube. I am hyper aware of sharing on YouTube in an authentic way, while still creating aesthetically pleasing content.

The fifth and final thing minimalists don’t talk about is the struggle to remain balanced. It can be a challenge to fight against consumerism. Many people in Western culture buy new home decor every season! I think this is why I overanalyze my purchases. I wonder if I’m getting sucked back into consumerism, or if I am truly being thoughtful and intentional with my purchases. It can be difficult to remain disciplined about what you bring into your home. I think most minimalists don’t talk about how difficult it is! I hope one day I can get to the place where I’m confident in the balance.

I do find it a little comical in hindsight that I was feeling bad about replacing fall decor that I have now owned for almost 20 years! I remember purchasing a good portion of that decor when my son was a baby, and now next month he turns 20! So, I think it’s okay to replace it!