December Daybook

For Today: December

Looking out my window.... it's been raining hard -and it's been warm, yesterday it was 60 degrees!

I am thinking... about my friend Dawn's Christmas party that I'm going to tonight.  I'll be seeing a few friends that I don't get to visit with very often.

I am thankful... for my life.  I am blessed in so many ways!  I love the town I live in, and I am a part of two great churches.

One of my favorite things... is my daughter's baking.  The house smells so good right now!  She made yummy gingerbread cookies!

I am creating... these cool reusable shopping bags out of feed bags.  My friend has a farm and she brought me a pile of feed bags and taught me how to make these. 

I am wearing... black jeans, a maroon T-shirt, and a long gray and black sweater.

I am reading... nothing right now, which is very unusual for me.  We have been so busy with Christmas activities that we haven't been able to get to the library. 

I am watching.... YouTube videos of people who were vegan for 7,10, and 15 years, and how it damaged their health.  Years ago I watched some popular documentaries like FoodMatters, Forks over Knives, and food, Inc., and started believing that being vegan was the best diet for health and the environment.  I've since changed my thinking on this, but it's taken a long time.  These videos were a good reminder for me not to go so extreme with my diet.  

I am listening to... Noel by Lauren Daigle and  Light of the World by Lauren Daigle

I am hoping... to take an online course on how to become a professional organizer. 

I am learning... to be more confident when speaking to a group.  Last night at a woman's bible study I shared my testimony about how I met Jesus.  I was a little nervous at first, but after a few minutes I was very comfortable.  This past year I've led six worship dance workshops, so I've been doing more public speaking than normal.  I actually enjoy it, but I still get nervous beforehand.  

In my kitchen... we have been eating really basic meals.  Our dinners have mainly been meat and veggies, but we did splurge on some sushi recently!  

In the school room...  Sophie finished her online art class.  I'm really proud of her; she put a lot into this class.  We are taking this week off, but I like routine,  so I'm looking forward to starting fresh after Christmas break!  

A moment from my day

Merry Christmas!

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 13

Here is some fun stuff Sophie has been doing lately.  Christmas break will be here soon! 

Sophie's latest art project-a kitty collage

She made yummy Asian chicken rolls! 

Sophie went to an all day gift making workshop that a homeschooling co-op put on.  Here are a few gifts that she made (of the ones that she could show me):

 tissue holder

candle holder

We had a community Christmas party at our small church and about 500 people came!  Sophie set up the craft table and it was a big hit with the kids.  They even had a sleigh ride! 

My Minimalist House Tour: Office, laundry, Upstairs Closet, and Bathroom

It might seem weird to some people, to whom organization comes easily, to see pics of peoples drawers, cupboards and closets.  But I struggled for so many years to keep my home organized.  The kids always pitched in to keep it clean, but we just had to much stuff, and I didn't home a home for everything.   We would have piles of papers and small random objects that would get put in bags and placed in closets not to be seen for a long time!  Now that I have learned  how to live minimally and be organized, I want to help people see that they can, too!  So, here is more of my minimalist house tour! 

Between the living room and kitchen is our our laundry and office area.

My parents recently gave me this desk; it fits perfectly here!  We keep our weekly library books on the bottom shelf of the desk, and I use the calendar on the wall everyday.  Sophie does some of her homeschooling here.

Inside the desk drawer we keep office and homeschooling supplies.

Here is our laundry area. I didn't have a washer and dryer hook up in our last home, so this is a huge blessing!  In the plastic drawers up top I keep computer paper, card stock, and  lined paper.  The other drawers hold markers and colored pens and pencils.  One basket holds laundry detergent and vinegar, and the other has more games (our family loves games!). 

We only have one bathroom. The only thing we keep on the counter is hand soap.  Oh yeah, I forgot to get the drawers.  In one we keep hair brushes/combs and head bands, the other has Sophie's facial products. 

The medicine cabinet

We used to have so many towels!  Now we each have two bath towels and one beach towel.  

 This is the upstairs storage closet.  This closet could get out of control if I let it!  I  recently reorganized it.  In it there are things like scrapbooks, homeschooling portfolios, old photo albums,  artwork, books, school books, and sleeping bags.

The next post will be the bedrooms; it's the last one of the tour.

My Minimalist House Tour: The Living Room

This is my living room! This is the easiest room to keep neat and clutter free.  I love to have my quiet time with a cup of tea or coffee in the early mornings here.  Its also a great space for dancing!  In the evenings its a cozy place for family time.

It's the largest room in the house, and it's very open.

This is the only bureau we own.  It used to be in my bedroom, but I think it works nicely as a TV stand. The only problem is that you can see the cords behind it when you walk into the house.  Down below I'll show what's in the drawers.  Next to it is a small wooden table that doubles as a file cabinet.  The top opens up, and  I keep our important papers in it.   Christian has his Wii U and Nintendo Switch on it. In the basket underneath, we put the cords and controllers. 

 Side table drawers:

My bullet journal, regular journal, and pens, and coasters-Sophie keeps her phone in here at night

My knitting, some yarn and crochet hooks

A couple books and box of tissues

 bureau drawers:

 video game paraphernalia 

In this drawer I keep recent paperwork to go through, and few of Sophie and Christian's things.

Here we have movies, video games, cd's and batteries.   

There are two closets in the living room. 

This is our coat closet. 

This large closet holds crafts, board games , puzzles, outdoor games, vacuum, folding table, clothes drying rack, and a small music keyboard. 

Those  four large plastic drawers are full of Legos!  

There you have it, the living room tour! 

My Minimalist House Tour: The Kitchen

I have been on a journey towards becoming a minimalist for many years.   I would visit friend's homes that were clutter free, with lots of open rooms and clear counter spaces; they were so cozy,  welcoming, and peaceful!  I longed for that!  I would be inspired and would spend the next week organizing every area of my home.  But it never stayed that way.  We just owned way too much stuff!

Two years ago I watched a documentary called Minimalism.  There were only three of us at home at that point, and I had already given away about half of my belongings, and downsized to a small townhouse.  I was finally able to keep a neat and organized home most of the time, but my closets and drawers still got cluttered up time and time again.  But after watching that documentary I have been able to keep the main areas of my home and the closets and drawers organized (most of the time!).  I want to take you on a tour through every area of my home.

I still think I have too much stuff, but it's manageable now.  I have two teens still at home and I have to consider their feelings.  My daughter can part with things pretty easily, but my son not so much!  I always ask them before getting rid of something that might mean something to them.  Also in the kitchen I would like to have less of some things, like glasses and mugs for example, but they like to have more.  I will spread this post over a few days; let's start in the kitchen!

Here is my kitchen

In the white table I keep my daughter's school books and art supplies. She also keeps some homeschooling books in her backpack.

These are all of our glasses, mugs, small bowls and plates.  

I have a lot of mason jars and lids.  We use them as drinking glasses and for storing foods that I get from the bulk bins at the local food co-op.  

My daughter and I like to bake!  

This is above my stove. On the left are cleaning supplies, and on the right are cooking oils. 

On the left are all my pots and pans and our large strainer.  The cupboard on the right holds candles, toothpicks, salt and pepper, and matches.  It also has a few empty glass spice jars that I can refill at the food co-op.

Only three things under my sink

Bowls, pie plates, bread pans and storage containers on left. Spices and food from the bulk bins at the local food co-op on right. 

This is the cupboard above my sink. 

The left is a lower cupboard where I keep my foreman grill, juicer, crock pot, food processor, coffee pot, and large glass jugs I refill with water at the food co-op.  On the right is my food pantry. I also keep my broom and mop in there.

We don't use paper napkins or paper towels.  This drawer holds my dish towels, dish cloths, and pot holders.  I keep cloth napkins in a drawer in my table.

I keep enough for 6 place settings of silverware here so there's enough when my older boys come over.  Also, here are all of our knives, and metal straws (I hate plastic straws!).

Above my fridge I keep a few cookbooks; I get most of my recipes online.  In the basket I have my extra silverware and a few kitchen items I'm waiting a bit to see if I really need. 

  Not shown are a few casserole dishes in the drawer under my stove.  I also have a narrow cupboard next to the stove where I keep 2 cookie sheets, a cooling rack, 3 cutting boards, and a few muffin pans. 

A minimalist lifestyle gives me more peace.  I spend less time cleaning and dealing with stuff, and more time doing the things I love, with the people I love.