The Minimalist Lifestyle

As a non-extreme minimalist, just watching the film trailer for No Impact Man: The Documentary is rather stressful. What you see is a radical lifestyle change.

“No Impact Man” committed to living one year of his life creating the least amount of impact on the environment that he could. And documenting it on film. He has also written a book, 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.

His wife seems to be rather reluctantly “going along” with the project. She loves TV, and they can’t have one. It wouldn’t work anyway — they use no electricity. She loves to shop, and that’s out too. Cosmetics are out. Washing machines are out. And yes, even toilet paper is out.

Just how far can extreme minimalist living go? We might get our answers in the documentary. It stars the Beavan family — Colin Beavan, Colin’s wife, Michelle Conlin, and their daughter.

See the official trailer for the film:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Ctt7FGFBo[/youtube]

No matter how extreme or not your minimalist lifestyle happens to be, you still might learn something from NoImpactMan. Colin explains his blog as “…what each of us can do to end our environmental crisis, make a better place to live for ourselves and everyone else, and hopefully come up with a happier way of life along the way.”

In one of his posts, No Impact Man quotes Howard Thurman. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

With the idea of extreme minimalism, Colin Beavan seems to have found what makes him come alive. That is fascinating and compelling to me. His passion is there for the taking. What do you come away with from what he shares?

Watch No Impact Man on Demand at Amazon | Purchase No Impact Man DVD | Purchase the No Impact Man book | Rent No Impact Man at Netflix

Photo Credit: daddy’s footprint by lisajames. Browse Baby Cards

Summer used to be my favorite season. Spring took its place some years ago. Now, fall is my favorite time of year. You can smell it in the air, even feel it coming, segueing into porches with mums and window boxes full of petunias. Feel the excitement of carnivals coming where the people gather, and see the colors of oranges and browns take center stage…

But, I digress. I love all seasons; however, you can bet the house, the other house, and all the vehicles you own that winter will never be my favorite time of year. Brrr! Being born twenty miles from the coast of South Carolina, water is in my blood. I love it! Water is life to me, not only in the basic way, but in a spiritual way. It’s the element of peace and serenity for me.

I’ve been hearing rumblings online about folks being fed up with the cold weather, and I join them in the complaint. So today, let’s warm ourselves up with some pix of swimming pools!

The Neptune pool at Hearst Castle is always a nice view.

This infinity pool would get me as close to swimming with the sharks as I ever want to be.

Ready to take a dive right about now?

Does this look like a pool? It is. The largest in the world. At San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo. Created by Crystal Lagoons.

And how about the deepest pool in the world? Belgium’s Nemo 33 for divers. Would you venture down to its 108-foot bottom?

Well y’all that’s a look at pools for today…

No, wait! Check out the world’s oldest swimming pool. The Great Bath was built in Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan around 2600 BCE. Didn’t run across any public photographs, but you can learn a lot here if you’re interested. I start you out there at photograph #23; click the right arrow through #30 for the Great Bath images. And stay longer if you want. It’s an interesting place.

Well, this “is” it for swimming pools. I hope you are feeling extra warm now.

Shady pool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/leozaza/ / CC BY 2.0
Hearst’s Neptune: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mscaprikell/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
Infinity Pool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloudzilla/ / CC BY 2.0
Pool At Night: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stage88/ / CC BY 2.0
Largest Pool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wehren/ / CC BY 2.0
Nemo 33: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stojadinovicp/ / CC BY 2.0

The new year started with a lot of hope for making this the year to get my online life organized. This has proven to be a very hard thing to do.

I had my daily strategy ready to go for 2010, and even though I knew it looked impossible on paper, I was determined to make a go of it. But, the bloom is now officially off the rose. Reality has reared its “I told you so” head!

Facing the truth is hard when you have goals. But, reality, and a sane life, dictate that I get in gear and reassess what is really important — or spend the next 11 months floundering as before.

The acronym WIN fits in well here. What’s Important Now? So, I am going to re-group in the next few days. Really see what it is that I want to do and need to do. Yes, what one wants is just as important as what one needs in this case. We don’t want things to be all work and no play, do we?

And this topic fits in so well with a minimalist lifestyle. What things do you really need in your life? What do you really want to keep? How can you keep your stuff organized so that it doesn’t interfere with your inner peace? How can you balance your life? What’s Important Now?

Do you need a second-month reassessment of your goals and strategies? Are you going to let a month’s trying go down in history as another year of not meeting your needs and goals? Is 2010 going to end with just an empty renewal of your last-year’s goals? Or are you going to re-group, move forward, and keep striving?

Think “What’s Important Now?” Keep going. Never give up.

So tell me. How are you doing? Having some doubts? Feeling the overload? Or better yet, are you making progress?

As wives, mothers, and grandmothers, we are guilty of not taking enough time for ourselves. We are always on call for everyone else and making sure they’re comfortable, well-fed, and happy. Rarely do we sit back, relax, and say, “This is my time.”

It’s no wonder we run out of steam sometimes! And I believe it is because we rarely recharge our batteries.

In an earlier post, I mentioned making the home a sanctuary. That is the ultimate goal, but let’s talk about making one room, or area in a room, a sanctuary this time. Your sanctuary. A place to regroup and just be you for a few minutes each busy day.

It takes determination, including teaching your family to know that “this is mom’s time.”

How to start and use your personal sanctuary:

• Be determined. Know that this is good for you and your family; it will replenish you — restore you.
• Take the spare bedroom or even a corner of the living room or a corner of your own bedroom, and if it’s big enough, even your own bathroom.
• Add your favorite chair, some flowers, some candles, plants, books, music — anything you want.
• Decide your time. When will you “retreat?” Routine is good. Plan for around twenty minutes to start.
• Use your time there to just be. Be you reading. Be you meditating. Be you doing what trips your switch, so to speak. Make it a rule that you won’t sit and fret about the children, the bills, or whatever might be nagging at you. Remember, this is your time to just be. Take it while you can!

When I was writing this, it occurred to me that a personal sanctuary could be called a “rejuvenation room” or a “restoration area.” But, whatever you call it, call it yours and yours alone. For you. To replenish the giving cup.

From the beginning, my hope has been that my small houses would inspire others to live more simply and, perhaps, design their own small dwellings. —Jay Shafer

The average size of an American home is over 2300 square feet. That’s a lot of house to keep up with. And it’s enough to make you fantasize about downsizing when you are tired and still have another bathroom and the kitchen to clean.

Well, let’s do fantasize. Let’s take a look at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

I like these homes so much that I have affiliated with them. One day, I hope to buy one myself. Not as a permanent home, though that would be super fantastic if hubby would agree (coming in sizes from 70 to 770 square feet, I am sure to find one just right for us), but as a way to travel more.

They can be built on flat-bed trailers ready for the road and complete with built-in utilities. I fantasize that I will have my home away from home as I go visit family and friends. I also fantasize that I’ll use it at home as an outdoor office or just a place to get away and think.

What I like most about these homes, though, is that they are a way for more folks to afford to actually have a home. No, it’s not a solution for the homeless problem, but it’s a solution that lets in people who can afford something, just not the cost of a regular-sized home. And the designs, according to Jay, are with “adherence to the laws of sacred geometry,” as well as, with other design and organizing principles.

This is a cool little company. Jay is the founder; Steve is the business and tech guy. I can really appreciate what they are doing. And there’s so much more to it than I’ve mentioned here. You’ll find their website easy to navigate and to learn from. And there’s lots to learn.

Who knows, maybe one day, you’ll write to tell me that you have a Tumbleweed home. I’ll certainly write to tell you when I do!

Click here to visit Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

It’s a new year! Time to concentrate on what matters.

What does matter?

If what matters is letting go of the new car, the new TV, the new whatever, then you are on your way to a less stressful life, and consequently, a much happier life.

And while you are at it, why not let go of the need to be right all of the time? The need to have the last word? The need to show off? The need to be critical? The need to feel “better” than others? If that’s your mindset, then letting it go will make you feel so much lighter! Your spirit will soar, and your well-being will increase beyond measure.

And it’s easy to do — you just “let it go.”

Letting go is not hard. Letting go is a choice.

Choose to give others the opportunity to feel good when they are around you. Choose to grow. Choose to surround yourself and your family with beauty. Choose to be love.

My personal wish for you this year is that you grow as a person. That you take control of your life and get rid of the excess. The stuff that doesn’t matter. In doing so, it’s a sure bet that growth will happen, you’ll feel better, you’ll feel more productive, and you’ll want to become an even better you.

Taking control of your life, working to become the person that you were meant to be is a far worthier goal than getting new “stuff.” Here, at the Minimalist Lifestyle blog, let’s learn and grow and see just how far a minimalist attitude will take us. In a year’s time, you may be surprised to learn that you’ve grown beyond what you may imagine now.

You may even grow to love some of the more extreme minimalism in home design. Well, maybe not, but you will probably, at least, have learned to love many aspects of minimalist living.

This year, what can you let go? What will that make room for?

Photo credit: Olga Lyubkina – Fotolia.com

As some of you know, a much-loved member of my family passed away during Thanksgiving week. At a time like this, one has to reflect upon one’s current path. Is it where I want to go? Am I making the right choices? Am I using my time wisely? Are my goals solid or sketchy?

The new year is coming soon, too, which makes it another time for reflecting upon one’s path.

So, for myself, I have two very big reasons to ask myself these questions.

The Minimalist Lifestyle blog, though still in its first stages, is something I have grown very fond of, and I intend to write here more often. However, for the rest of the year, I’ll be planning and streamlining how I live online, so I hope you’ll stick by me and tune in once I go full steam ahead with minimalist living in 2010.

You are welcome to offer your suggestions for this blog. I want to help you thrive in your minimalist life, and can do that better if I know what your concerns are.

My thinking is that the blog will grow to be one of minimalist tips, minimalist designs, minimalist zen and spirituality…even minimalist products that help make life easier. Drop me a line when you can; it would be a real pleasure to be in tune with what your needs and concerns are…to have your say in how the blog evolves. . .

In the meantime, minimalist living is organized living. Are you planning to be more organized in 2010? What energy drains do plan to cut out? What time wasters are you going to eliminate? What items in your home do you plan to throw away or give away?  Does your New Year’s resolution reflect that? Are you committed to being the best you can be? It starts with organizing your life.

I wish for you that your best year yet will be the year 2010!

At one point in time, my front door was a dark red color. It contrasted nicely with our gray siding and dark gray shutters. And boy, I should have listened to my father-in-law when he told us to go with brick instead of cedar siding; I had never even heard of carpenter bees until they found our house.

Anyway, contrast is what you want in a front door. It needs to stand out and be a beacon to your guests.

Right now, and for the past several years, my favorite door color is hunter green. It gives a nice contrast, and the statement I make with it is that we like to be stylish, but we aren’t too showy, and we love natural colors. The red door was screaming a little too loudly for my taste, and since I figured this out, I have been very happy with hunter green. There was a time when I noticed lots of red doors, and it just goes to show that what you admire in other houses just may not be right for your own house.

To paint a front door, some folks take the door down and remove all of the hardware before painting the door, but you can use masking tape if you’re good with your hands. Wrap everything you don’t want to paint. I place tape over the hinges, then cut around the tape with a utility knife in order to have only the hinges covered. The door knob is a little tricky, but the key is patience. Once you have done your prep work, use a mini roller brush to paint it so you won’t have brush strokes.

Use a paint like this, which is latex for easy clean up, but doesn’t stick windows and doors. Load the roller; apply a thin, even coat. Allow to dry. If the door looks like the painted door you dreamed of, you are done. If you don’t have a thick enamel look like you want, apply coats as needed, but allow the paint to dry between coats (this helps the latex’s ability to not be a sticking problem). Once dry, the door will be smooth and glossy.

With a shiny new door, it will not only look beautiful, but its smooth surface will be so easy to clean! And don’t forget your kick plate.

Over time, this fact has been established as it regards money — you cannot take it with you. But, today, I’m talking about “things.” You cannot take things with you when you pass away. Things, those cards, trinkets, souvenirs and other symbols of the love in our lives.

My mother gave me some roses she had hand picked one Mother’s Day. They were bright red. Symbols of a happy time. They had grown wild by the roadside, as lots of roses do here in the South and all over, no doubt — remnants of the past lives of families from homes long since vanished brick by brick and board by board.

My mom had gone for a walk on that gorgeous day some fifteen years ago. I saved the flowers she brought me from that trip. But, these roses are only on film. I recorded them, the camera slowly taking in the scene. With each viewing I feel as I did that day. It’s such a peaceful scene — a couch, a window, a bookcase, a coffee table with wild roses in a vase…on Mother’s Day, from my Mother. Truly a day to remember.

Thinking about what we hang on to as we progress through this world, I’ll posit that all we are really doing is leaving a mess for others to clean up. Yes, because who, after you are gone, is going to want to be the caretaker of your sentimental keepsakes? This is something we need to keep in mind as we go.

I bring up the roses story because it’s a great way to simplify life. We keep our memories and we make true family heirlooms that bring the past to life for the next generations. Take a picture or film the scene. It’s a certainty that your descendants will value a photograph or a scene on film immensely more than a dead and dried up rose they find in one of your books.

By now, you know that dust and I are not the best of friends. That’s why I never recommend blinds. They attract dust like nobody’s business and are a time-consuming hassle to keep clean. And some manufacturers even put fake wood grain on them which gives you even more cracks and crevices to keep up with.

One way to minimize upkeep in the home is to use curtains or drapes. They need only to be thrown in the washer periodically and rehung. The rest of the time, you just get up in the morning and swing them open to let in the sunshine.

If you have curtains with a track for inserting a curtain rod, make sure the rod is smaller than the track so that the curtain is easily moved down the rod to open it. If you use a rod and hooks, make sure the hooks are twice the size of the rod for easy gliding. I love to hear the clink and tinkle of curtains on hooks as they are being swished open.

Curtains give you more privacy than blinds. Yes, there are blinds made for privacy’s sake, but they’re more costly, and you still have the dust and maintenance problem. With the cheaper ones, there are usually holes manufactured into them for the draw strings and such. A person could look into your home at night through these holes! And the holes don’t have to be huge, either. In fact, a really small hole gives a good view! With privacy concerns, curtains are far better. If you have just blinds in your bedroom right now, you might take a quick look at your windows from the outside, at night, just to see what someone could see if they are so inclined. Get out there and see what you can see through one of those tiny holes.

Upholstery fabric for use as curtains has built-in privacy because of what it’s made for — sitting, feet, bodies scrubbing and squirming on it — too thick to see through, and some of it has backing. My bathroom curtains have a white, rubbery backing. And, much upholstery fabric can be washed (look for “machine washable,” and do wash it before making your curtains). Treat your upholstery-fabric curtains with a fabric protector and you won’t have to take them down and wash them as often.

With some of the deals at Amazon, you might just find some great fabric. (This upholstery-fabric deal could be gone at any moment, and it’s not an affiliate link for me; I just want to let you know about it.) And be on the lookout for bolts and remnants on sale at flea markets, too.

Image credit: monamakela.com – Fotolia.com