The Simple Kitchen-why I ditched my small appliances

~ Megan

Once upon a time I did not like to cook. The kitchen was not my favorite room and I felt like I spent way too much time cleaning up after meals. Did I mention that I did not like to cook?!

At some point in my minimalist journey I began to look seriously at every item in my kitchen cardboards. How often did I use those appliances? The truth was, not very often. Each appliance seemed like a hassle to me, so I avoided them. They seemed bulky, hard to clean, and just didn’t enhance my cooking experience…So I let them go. Most of them.

The food processor, the juicer, the blender, hand mixer, the toaster, the microwave, the rice-cookers (yes 2 of them)! And when my kettle broke, I almost didn’t replace that too!

Freedom to cook

At first, I was worried I would miss them but in reality, it was a sigh of relief, a breath of fresh air. No more guilt for not using them often. No more taking up counter space or collecting dust. Can you imagine the space I gained by eliminating them?!

 It was actually very liberating, and I found that I really enjoyed cooking manually. Chopping and mixing by hand feels good to me. I understand it is not for everyone and if you enjoy using any of your appliances then by all means keep them.

However maybe as you are reading this you have a few things come to mind that you don’t really enjoy, and which feel more like a hindrance than a help in the kitchen. You have permission to let it go. One lesson I’ve learned on my simplifying journey is that you don’t need to keep things just because it is the norm.

What I kept

A kettle, a Nutri-bullet, a baby Nutri-bullet, a bottle sterilizer, and that’s it. Once I don’t need the baby items they will go too. Honestly it has made my kitchen prep so easy that I would not go back.

I cook simple meals. Healthy yet simple. I still have some small appliances just not many.

Happy Cooking!

Need more Kitchen inspiration? Full kitchen declutter post coming soon…

My minimalist story

~ Megan

Where it started

My journey to living with less began 10 years ago, right before our first child was born. It was a busy time. We had been married over a year, were selling and moving to a new home as well as preparing for our first baby. I remember as I was packing during those weeks before moving feeling really overwhelmed by stuff. Not that we were hoarders or owned any more than the average home. In fact we probably owned less than most just because we were not long married and no children yet.

However there was still too much unnecessary stuff that had accumulated together as well as what we each owned prior. Unused wedding gifts, ALOT of health & study books on my part, un-necessary furniture, kitchen items, paperwork, excess clothing and just stuff! Oh and not forgetting the room full of baby gifts from my recent baby shower!

Packing & decluttering

Anyone who has had to pack and move knows that when you are handling each and every item you own, you soon realise that there is much more than you expected. I began to question why we owned what we owned. At the same time I had ordered a book on decluttering from a catalogue. (I know that is such an outdated way to buy books!) I also started doing google searches on decluttering. At the time I was not aware of the term minimalism or living simply but when I came across the idea of living with less. It really resonated with me. I do believe I’ve always been a minimalist at heart. Just because I now had my own home, did not mean I had to accumulate excess stuff.

A defining moment

A defining moment for me was when my sister in-law came to help us move and gave me a small plastic disposable vase with hand-picked flowers. Something about it made me wish that I could have packed a lot lighter. I had already begun shedding some items before moving but now I had moved into our freshly renovated new home, I decided I was going to live as simply as I could. I do believe that having a baby also gave me a desire to keep things as simple as possible.

The journey continues…

Over the next 10 years I have grown in many ways and also came to understand how living with less impacted my Faith. Or rather how my Faith defined living simply. The bible has a lot to say about not storing up treasures and going after riches as well as giving to others in need. These scriptures help shape my journey of simplicity.

On a daily basis, living simply helps keep my home calm and orderly as well as my mind. I want to be able to focus on what matters. Of course I am not perfect and sometimes stuff just seems to grow! Sharing my journey and pictures of my home also helps keep me accountable. My hope is that this blog and my experience with living simply can also inspire you to live simply also.

Blessings,

Megan Raj

I’m dreaming of a Simple Holiday Season

~ Megan

With Christmas fast approaching, you may already be feeling the tension of the Holiday Season. Endless to-do lists, what to buy, where to buy it, who to buy for, what to eat and on and on. Take a deep breath….it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Here are some of my thoughts and ways that I seek to keep this Season simple. Maybe it may help you in some way also.:)

Drop the expectations

This is a hard one for me. When I decide to do something I put my whole heart into it. Yes I’m kind of a perfectionist! This means I put undue pressure on myself to make whatever I am doing GREAT! Maybe you can relate. Christmas time often brings expectations of not only ourselves but of others. Everyone tends to have their own ideal of what Christmas should be and this can often be a source of stress within the family. The truth is, you don’t need to meet others expectations. The Holiday Season can be what you want it to be. If you want a simple yet wonderful Holiday Season, then decide what you would like to do but relax and have fun with it. Nobody wants to be around stressful miserable people!

Minimal yet meaningful gift-giving

In our family we seek to keep gift-giving super simple. We are not going into debt to buy stuff. Nor are we going to buy lots of presents that may not even get used. We usually ask what family members would like rather than give gifts that aren’t wanted. I personally love to give and receive simple hand-made gifts or consumables. Always thinking about what the person enjoys or may be useful to them. E.g consumable gifts of chocolates or cookies. If the person enjoys a certain craft then you can gift them something for their collection that they can use. Grandparents love photos! A nice frame with a sweet photo of the grandkids. you get the picture!

Keep entertaining simple

Whether you are doing the big Christmas dinner or just entertaining throughout the holiday’s. Keep it simple. If you love to spend hours in the kitchen then great. If not, keep it light and stress-free. Ask guests to bring a dish to share or perhaps have a cook-off together! Otherwise you could outsource your food. The main thing is to enjoy each other’s company. When preparing the house for guests, ask family to pitch in and help. The less you own the easier it is to keep tidy.

Embrace being home

With borders closed, you probably won’t be travelling far this year. Instead of feeling disappointed about not going on a holiday, embrace the opportunity to stay home and do things you don’t usually have time to do. Enjoy spending time with family and friends if possible. We don’t usually go far during the holidays but we enjoy day trips, getting work done on the house as well as having down time together. One thing I like to do is challenge myself to find frugal things for us to do as a family and it does not need to cost much to have fun meeting up with loved ones.

Count your blessings

Last but not least. Count your blessings. It’s easy to get swept up with all the hustle & bustle at this time of year. Perhaps you are still recovering from a difficult year that was 2021. Slow down and reflect on the things that went well and all that you have to be thankful for. When we look to be thankful for the little things each day, we will find there is much to be thankful for.

In short I have found that the more Simple life is, the more content I feel.

Happy Holiday Season to you all.x

Give your stuff a new life, bless someone in the process

~ Megan

Motivation to let go

Sometimes it’s difficult to find motivation to let go of the items that we know we don’t need or use any more. We may pull an item out from a drawer or closet and think, ‘maybe one day I’l need this’. Or this was a really special gift I received from so and so. Perhaps you can see the beauty in something although you don’t exactly know what to do with it or where to display it. I’ve been there! In fact I go through this on a regular basis. Even after being minimalist for around 8 years, I still question certain things and then put them back. Only to revisit the item again asking the same questions!

A new season

Different seasons in life mean that we sometimes accumulate things that are necessary for only a certain period of time. Having a baby, a new hobby, a business, (fill in the blank).  The problem comes when we don’t recognise that that season is over and we no longer need to hang on to those related items, unless of course you know that you will re-use them again soon, ie: passing down kids clothing to the next child or re-using maternity wear etc. Most of the time though, we WON’T need those items. The season has passed and it’s time to move on to the next season. If we fail to recognise this and store away those ‘extras’ or ‘maybe items’, we can end up feeling burdened. For out of site, is not always out of mind! In fact every time you happen to come across those un-used items, (think, un-finished projects, unwanted ornaments or unworn clothing with tags still on). Guilty:( . You don’t feel good. It is that nagging reminder that you haven’t completed what you started or that you haven’t used that item as you intended. You know it’s a waste and yet somehow you feel stuck.

Renew your thinking

Although I am not 100% with the Kon mari method, I do see the value in recognising that our items may not be doing us good any more. It has become that weight that you don’t need to carry around any longer, both physically and metaphorically speaking.

There are a number of methods that can be used to let go of our stuff and for items that we are no longer using I suggest these verses:

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Luke 12:33-34

So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Luke 3:10-11

Do not withhold good from a]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Proverbs 3:27

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17

distributing to the needs of the saints, givena] to hospitality. Romans 12:13

Give your stuff a new life, bless someone in the process

These verses are GREAT motivators for me when I find myself hanging on to things that are not getting used. Letting them go means that I can give them a new life, a fresh start. However the best part of this is that I get to bless someone else!

These things can bring another joy and smiles or even make their life more livable. While I am storing an item away, someone else could be using it on a regular basis. We have no idea how much difference releasing our stuff and giving to others can make.  But we know that Jesus asks up to be generous and give our extra things to others. We don’t need to hold on to items ‘just in case’. We can trust God to supply for our needs in the future.

Trust God

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Mathew 6:31-32

Generosity

So as we go come into contact with those un-used items, yet again! We can ask ourselves if it would be better to give this item a new life and bless someone else in the process. Imagine the item/s being used regularly and making a real difference in someone’s life. Instead of thanking the item for it’s service (or lack of), we can thank the Lord for His provisions and generosity toward us, asking that He now bless someone else with the items that we are about to share.

And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

Boost your decluttering efforts with these 7 tips

~ Megan

Sometimes it feels like no matter how much I try to get rid of the clutter there seems to be more coming in than I can handle and I wonder why I’m not where I want to be. If you have been trying to simplify your home and life but still feel things are going too slow then maybe you need to boost your decluttering efforts with these 7 tips:

Get to the root of the problem

When you think about it, clutter doesn’t just magically appear, (although it may feel like it does). Every item comes from somewhere and so it goes to figure that we need to get to the root to stop the growth of clutter and stuff. So here are some tips and thoughts to help get back on track with simplifying.

1. Consider going on a shopping fast or no spend month.

Sometimes our shopping habits can sabotage our simplifying efforts. Doing a challenge like this will give you the opportunity to focus on getting clutter within the home under control without incoming inventory coming in. This can mean still buying all essentials of course. The rules are up to you. Focusing on the stuff you have may also help you to realise that you already have more than enough.

2. Put a stop all unnecessary subscriptions and junk-mail

Cancel any subscriptions that you really don’t need and put a stop to all junk-mail. We rarely get time to read or look through too many magazines and junk mail so just keep the ones that you really do need. This will mean less junk lying around on counter-tops and a bonus is that you will not be tempted to buy more advertised items.

3. Eat through your Pantry and fridge/freezer

The amount of food that we used to throw out on a weekly basis was not only a waste of food but also money. Now we try to only buy what we will actually eat that week. But what about the excess food we have at the back of our pantry and freezer? Try only buying necessary food items and making meals by using up those items that are still fresh. Throw out expired items. Again this will save money and give you a chance to declutter the pantry and freezer. I like to give it a good clean out when the food is cleared out somewhat.

4. The one in five out rule

Every time you make a purchase get rid of up to five items of the same. New bag, try to remove 1-5 bags you no longer use. Before you buy a new book decide which books you can pass on. This helps in two ways. You may decide you don’t need the new item altogether or you mininize your stuff the times that you do buy something new.

5. Use up what you already own

In the same way of no.3,use up what you already have before bringing anything else into the home

Before making a purchase ask yourself if there is something you already own that you could use instead? Making do is a lost art that I believe can really move us forward with simplifying our homes, helping the environment and saving our hard-earned cash. For example last year I needed a long petticoat but the vintage cotton ones I saw were pricey plus I knew I had a couple of white dresses I no longer wore. So all I did was cut, put elastic and sew. It was very simple and rewarding.

If ever I need to give a gift I always check if I could re-gift something new that the person would enjoy. There are endless ways we can use up what we already posses and that will boost our simplifying efforts.

6. Have a donations box handy

We keep a donations box in the laundry where we drop items jo longer wanted or needed. You could keep one next to the door. Once full put in the car ready to donate. Its a quick and easy way to declutter your home.

7. Simplify gift giving this Season

Keep it simple this Holiday season by decorating minimally yet thoughtfully. Try halving what you usually decorate the house with and better yet, don’t but any new decor. Give simple consumable gifts and ask for simple gifts or no gifts from loved ones if they ask. This will help keep things calm and orderly during this busy time ready to welcome the new year.