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What is Hygge?

Published 05/11/2016

If you have not been introduced to the Danish concept of coziness, I highly recommend that you check it out. It’s a growing lifestyle trend in Europe and the United States, with bloggers, writers and lifestyle social media personalities talking all about the benefits of it. But its no secret to the Danes, who have had hygge embedded into their culture for centuries.

To me, hygge embodies what Less of the Excess is all about. A lifestyle of getting rid of distractions, slowing down, connection and living meaningfully.

An awesome blog about hygge to check it is www.hellohygge.com. You’ll get all sorts of coziness delivered to you in one space.

Here’s a little introduction in case you want to learn more – an excerpt from my book, The Cozy Life.

What is Hygge?

Hygge, pronounced HOO-gah, is both a noun and a verb and does not have a direct translation into English. The closest word would have to be coziness, but that doesn’t really do it justice.

While hygge is centered around cozy activities, it also includes a mental state of wellbeing and togetherness. It’s a holistic approach to deliberately creating intimacy, connection, and warmth with ourselves and those around us.

When we hygge, we make a conscious decision to find joy in the simple things. For example, lighting candles and drinking wine with a close friend you haven’t seen in a while, or sprawling out on a blanket while having a relaxing picnic in the park with a circle of your loved ones in the summertime are both hygge.

Though hygge is often a planned affair, it can be as simple as curling up and reading a good book on the sofa. It’s about surrounding ourselves with everything we love and treasuring the moment. In a big departure from modern culture, we intentionally enjoy the domestic and personal aspects of life, rather than rushing through them just to make it through the day’s tasks. We seek and embrace that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Danish researcher, Jeppe Trolle Linnet, even suggests that translating hygge into homeyness is more appropriate because in Scandinavia, the home is the one place where we can be ourselves and shut out negativity from the world outside. It’s so important to have a place where we can go and feel protected from it all; it’s something we all deserve.

While hygge is typically associated with the colder seasons of fall and winter, you can hygge in the spring and summertime as well. Picnics in the park, lazy beach days, music festivals, barbecues, and bicycle rides are all hygge. There’s nothing better than spending the day at the beach with friends and having no other plans scheduled.

When we can enjoy what is right in front of us, we end up living a life that is truly present. With Hygge we create a safe haven where we can relax without pressures to be anyone else but who we are. We invite those we love into our world and create an environment of togetherness.

Read more here.

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Benefits of Being on Facebook

Benefits of Being on Facebook

Published 04/30/2016

Hello everyone!

It’s been an exciting past couple weeks since launching my book on simple slow living, through the Danish concept of Hygge – The Cozy Life. Thank you everyone who has downloaded or bought the book and for your beautiful kind words. We made it to #1 in 3 Kindle Categories, and I even got the Amazon Best Seller orange ribbon! It’s my dream to make a difference and inspire others, and I have more books on the way! If you haven’t checked out this book yet, (shameless plug), I really think you should. It’s life changing 🙂

I kept stalling on updating this blog because I had too many ideas floating in my head – I had a bit of paralysis, but I said screw it, I am going to just start with one and keep going. Today, because my blog post about the benefits of NOT being on Facebook was my most visited blog post, I wanted to update you all on the Facebook situation.

I was off Facebook for about two years, but I’ve recently logged back on. It started with my job, I was doing some Social Media work, and I needed to promote our business on Facebook, and I didn’t want to start a new personal account (I hate multiples and unconsolidated things), so I chose to log back in to use my account. It wasn’t for personal reasons, and I was very reluctant but I signed on anyway. I started realizing the benefits of Facebook from a business perspective.

Then I signed up for a Self Publishing course to help me get my book out, and with that you get access to an online Facebook Mastermind Community. This community has been INVALUABLE. As a new author, with no knowledge on self publishing, I was able to gain access to hundreds of brains all in one supportive place.

*Side note, if you’ve ever had a dream to write your own book, I HIGHLY recommend signing up for Self Publishing School. Everything is there for you, step by step. Let me know if you end up signing, I’d love to hear/help out.

Then I discovered there were several other entrepreneurship groups, that I decided to join. Another one of my dreams is to be my own boss and make money for myself. So another one of my favourite groups was the Screw The Nine to Five community. Wow, what a great bunch of people to speak to who just ‘get’ you. You help them, they help you, and your dreams come true!

I’m not in the habit of posting personal things on Facebook anymore, except for the occasional shared post because I like the message. I’ve been reading that people are posting less and less personal information on Facebook than they used to. Of course Facebook probably doesn’t like that, because they like to gather and use our personal information. But I think that’s a good thing for us. I don’t really use, or even want to use, Facebook very often, except for work related things.

So in a nutshell – the new Benefits of Being on Facebook (as an entrepreneur)

Sharing news regarding book or business announcements to a wider audience
Joining business and interest related communities, to learn from others and share a space with people who ‘get’ you
Sharing articles/videos about particular causes you believe in to spread the word
More exposure to potential people who would be interested in your business
Increase web traffic to websites or this blog for example!
Amazing communication tool to stay in touch with old friends of far away loved ones
Learning new things!

What about you? Are you on Facebook? What are your pros? Cons? I’d love to hear!

Pia

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A New Beginning: I Wrote A Book!

Published 04/09/2016

Hi everyone!

I’m sooo excited to announce something very dear to my heart! I know I’ve been MIA for the past months. But it’s for legitimate reasons 🙂 I’ve been spending my time building businesses, building my health and fitness, and building my character. I escaped the 9-5 to do what I love. (I’m still helping on a part-time basis, but now I have a lot more time to focus on my dreams!)

But my proudest accomplishment is my new book, The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge. It takes minimalist and simple living concepts up a notch and will hopefully inspire readers to enjoy what’s truly important.

It’s about the Danish concept of coziness (hygge) and how it helps us embrace the simple things in life, be more authentic, and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones. It also includes illustrations I’ve drawn, practical tips, activities and personal stories.

EBOOK: There is a FREE PROMO for 2 days starting tomorrow for the official launch (April 10th, and 11th) for the Kindle version here.

PAPERBACK: If you prefer holding a real book in your hands, you can grab one here. The book is definitely the cozier option and looks the prettiest.

If you decide to purchase the book, it would also mean the world to me if you could leave a review and share my book with your network. The more reviews and downloads I get, the higher I can climb in the Amazon charts and hopefully become a best-seller!! <3

Here is a description:

In today’s world, we’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next and are struggling with information overload. We’re more disconnected from ourselves and our loved ones than ever before. Rediscover the joy of the simple things through the Danish concept of Hygge in The Cozy Life. This book will inspire you to slow down and enjoy life’s cozy moments!

Learn about the Danish cultural phenomenon of Hygge, and the secret to why Denmark is consistently rated the happiest country in the world

Embrace the little things and take simplicity and minimalism up a notch

Add Hygge into every aspect of your life with practical examples and tips

Say goodbye to the Winter Blues and live a healthier, centred life

This charming little book, filled with hand drawn illustrations, beautifully addresses that yearning we all have for a more authentic life, created by ourselves instead of external forces.

What’s stopping you from living a more meaningful and connected life?

This book marks the start of my next chapter in life. Expect more posts on this blog as well! I can’t wait to share the magic of hygge with the world! 🙂

What’s most important is I want to thank all of you for inspiring me to write this book and spread the message about living meaningfully and authentically. This book would not exist without you and I know it will bring you infinite amounts of joy and inspiration.

<3
Pia

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The Highs and Lows About Living Intentionally

Published 09/19/2015

Does anyone else here struggle to commit to their goals, or intentional ways of being? I’ve hit a wall over the past couple weeks. I was on a roll. Then I crashed. That’s me, like the waves of the ocean, I swell and I’m intense, and hardcore in my commitments, I’m doing well, and then I burn myself out and crash onto the sea, in pain, and exhaustion, nearly drowning, only to begin the process all over again.

I disappoint myself. But maybe I try to do too much at once? Or maybe I need to focus on one day at a time. I’m a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) so ‘doing’ things physically on a regular basis exhausts and burns me out. I’m more in my head. I enjoy things that are intellectual. Maybe I’m just making excuses. I need to work on my ‘grit’.

So I’ve crashed for the past two weeks, but I am back riding on the ocean wave. I am beginning to recognize my patterns. I’m practicing being comfortable with discomfort. I just need to not overthink everything and just do them and let the compound effect do its thing.

Break Down your Goals into Small Chunks

I’m going to break down my goals into smaller achievable chunks and not get weighed down by the big end goal. I won’t get anywhere, I will burn myself out. Perfection doesn’t get you anywhere. So my next step this glorious rainy Saturday is to chart my goals in baby steps, and start making stuff happen.

“The days are long but the years are short.”

A thought provoking quote. You gotta make shit happen!! Or before you know it, you’ll be at the end of your life having nothing to show for it.

Anyone else relate?

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Bringing Back Your Inner child

Published 09/08/2015

What were you like when you were a child?

Were you shy? Were you quiet? Were you hyper? Were you happy? Were you sad? Were you playful?

What did you enjoy doing when you were a child?

Did you enjoy building cities out of lego? Playing with Hot Wheels cars? Writing books? Drawing pictures? Acting in a play? Building playhouses? Playing with animals? Creating science projects? Climbing trees? Reading books? Taking your bike out for adventures?

I just came back from a nostalgia filled weekend in Portland, Oregon, and it was amazing. I’ve heard that the city was like going back to the 90s, and is actually kind of was. In the best way. It wasn’t pretentious, people wore what was comfortable. Grunge was still a thing. I didn’t see a lot of big corporate shops, as most of the shops were locally owned businesses. Everyone was friendly. There were tons of shops that were nostalgia themed too, such as stores dedicated to toys front he 60s/70s/80s and so on. We had dinner at McMenamins Kennedy School, which is an old school built in 1916 which was converted into a really magical and incredible space with themed bars and cigar rooms, restaurants, and hotel rooms. Also, when I visited Powell’s Books, the world’s largest independent new and used book store, I somehow ended up in the section on journals made for grandparents to record their memories as a keepsake for their grandchildren.

I ended up buying a book called, “A First for Everything Journal”, which is a journal filled with all sorts of questions about your first everythings that you fill out. It’s a major trip down memory lane. It really got me thinking about who I was as a child. Check it out.

I was always a creative kid. I was always writing books, books and more books, mostly activity books about science, space, ghosts, and the earth/nature. But it really got me thinking that somewhere along the way, I lost who this little girl was. The little girl who didn’t care what people thought, who just created things because she loved to. I came across this video, which talks about when we were children, we functioned from the inside-out (our creativity came from within and was expressed outwardly), but as we grew up and needed to fit in and got caught up in consumerism, we became more outside-in oriented, and lost who we were.

I want to get back to who I was.

Today I visited my old elementary school, and sat in the field on the baseball bench. I took in the familiar scene that was lost so long ago, smelled the old smells, and remembered the old memories. This is my mission, and time to delve back into who I was long ago. I already have goals of writing books, but this really hit home. I do want to write books. And not necessarily novels, or anything big, but simple books to inspire people of all ages.

What were you like when you were a child?

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More Minimalism YouTube Channels

Published 08/29/2015

It’s 2:41 in the afternoon, and the air is moist. There is a raging windstorm going on outside, which has decided to blow over one side of my balcony railing onto the street below, and tear our patio gazebo apart into a tangled mess of canvas canopy and broken metal. Even with all of this going on, I am very comfy and cozy snuggled up on the sofa with my love, my laptop, and a hot cup of english breakfast tea.

Today has been a great day so far. We spent the morning wandering around the Museum of Vancouver to see the Happiness exhibition and a really neat exhibition on the history of living in Vancouver from the 1900’s to 1970s. Of course my favourite was the hippie display. A good day to slow down indeed.

Anyway, I just wanted to update my list of Minimalism YouTube Channels because it seems to be getting some popular attention, as I’ve found a few (more than a few) more since last time.

Melissa Alexandria – Probably my favourite channel right now. Melissa covers so many different areas in our lives with regards to minimalism and what that means. It’s very inspiring to watch someone go through their journey and follow along.

Samantha Lindsey – Samantha shares her inspiring story on how minimalism helped her deal with anxiety.

Brittany Taylor – Brittany takes a more nomadic approach to minimalism, but it is so cool to watch someone with such a free and spiritual lifestyle. She’s really into acro yoga too.

Carrie LeighAnna – I like Carrie’s simple and sweet approach to minimalism. She also has a really great capsule wardrobe.

High Carb Hannah – Hannah’s channel is more vegan based than minimalist, but she does live a minimalist lifestyle, and I love watching her and her fiancé, at Unconventional Living, build their intentional lives.

My Minimalist Baby – For those of you who have little ones!

Noelia Lewis – A beauty inspired minimalism channel.

The More We Explore – Watch this couple on their journey to living out of an RV.

This week…

I took a bit of a break on my workouts because I was on the 3 day juice cleanse. So I’ve made a commitment to start up with Blogilates again on September 1st to start the new calendar month!

I’m practicing my intuitive eating. Trying not to stuff myself. It’s helping. We bought a scale, and my body actually fluctuates between 4 pounds over an entire day. That weirded me out a little.

Every night I’ve been reading a bit of my Astrology book, but I’ve not been as focused on my goals.

Giving back is great, I’m excited to the Annual Walk for the Kitties event for VOKRA.

I’ve been more honest with the relationships in my life as well as career. I find that when you put the truth out there, a weight is lifted, and things are more likely to turn for the better 🙂

That’s all folks. Some things I could improve on, is focus on eating even better, and smaller meals more often throughout the day. I think my spending could be a bit better too. I don’t really buy a lot of stuff, but I know I could be more aware. I’ll aim for that this week. Less spending and eating better.

Anyone else trying to live more intentionally?

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I’m Raising Money for Kitties!

Published 08/24/2015

Just a quick one guys, I wanted to let you know that my partner and I will be raising money for the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA)

VOKRA’s mission is to end cat overpopulation and homelessness. They rescue, heal, then place cats – first in their network of foster homes, then in carefully matched, loving, forever homes. They are a passionate, volunteer-driven charity with extensive cat care experience. They believe that no-kill is the only responsible approach, that TNR works, and that cats are AWESOME!

We will be walking in VOKRA’s 6th Annual Walk for the Kitties on September 13th, and we are trying to raise money for this cause. Cats have always had a special place our hearts. I, Pia, have grown up with them, and I’ve been trying to save animals who can’t fend for themselves since I was a child. I believe that all creatures should be given a chance to live and be loved. Tony has been an animal lover since he was a child as well, and believes they should all have a safe place to call home.

If this resonates with you at all and cats have a special place in your heart, please donate to this cause and help make a difference.

$15 will provide a vaccine

$30 will buy a flat of food

$50 will provide care for one cat for a month

$60 will buy a trap for use in our trap-neuter-return programmes

$100 will spay/neuter a cat

Every bit helps!

We’ll be walking for Tuffy. (pictured above)

The donation link is here and you will get a charity tax receipt with your donation.

Thank you so much, it means a lot!

This week…

What is going on with my eating habits? Again, I can’t seem to stay clear of the unhealthier stuff. Well, it all changes tomorrow, as I start the juice cleanse by The Juice Box. Mmm, I’ve done a few juice cleanses, and actually love them, and the taste. So I am hoping this will mentally and physically reset myself.

I am loving Astrology. Reading my book on Astrology and trying to learn about it. The Cancer description is scarily me.

That is all for now. Let’s chat soon.

<3 Pia

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Our Microwave Culture

Published 08/17/2015

I was thinking about our microwave culture lately, which is defined as the “mindset of wanting (and nearly getting) everything “RIGHT NOW”. Technology has made gathering or sending information extremely fast and we’ve begun to think that everything in life should be available on demand.”

Where in your life have you seen life speed up? For instance, cameras were once very manual, large, and clumsy. Then they became smaller and pocket sized. We’d develop the film and wait a week before we could see the final results. Several photos would be of nothing really special. Then we had digital cameras, which were great for seeing and storing your photos instantly. But that wasn’t enough, because then we had cell phones. They had to have cameras too. And the crappy quality wasn’t good enough. They had to get better. Do you ever wonder what the next phase will be?

Or what about the short time over the past few years of posting things online. People used to take time to reply to comments, or status updates, and read blogs or articles word for word and patiently. And while sometimes we still do, our attention span is speeding up. Now we’re skimming everything. And if it’s not interesting enough, it hardly gets a glance. We’re simplifying instant gratification even more by using the “Like” button. Quick and instant validation. With the new release of Periscope, we get even MORE instant gratification. Instant likes, live comments, etc. What is next?

What about…dating! Dating used to be a slower process of meeting people in real life. Someone had to be brave enough to make a move or signal. I can’t speak for what the dating scene was like 50 or 100 years ago, but even back before the internet age we would take the time to get to know someone. We would value each and every precious encounter with the person we were interested in, waiting forever for the next one. We’d write handwritten love notes. And yes, of course this still happens, but I’m more comparing the old dating model to the new one. Then there was the whole video dating thing in the 80s and 90s, okay that was alright, it was entertaining if anything, but it was still a slower process.

Then came online dating and it started to speed the whole process up. But even in the early days, we would spend more time writing to each other, getting to know each other. But as time went on and the people pool grew, potential dating partners became more disposable. We didn’t want to waste time writing too much in case it wasn’t a match. Today we have sites like Tinder and it’s literally, swipe yes, swipe no. Quick quick quick. And even once you meet in real life, it’s all very fast paced for us to move onto someone else because there are so many options. No time wasted here. It’s all very shallow.

Anyway, what do you think about the speeding up of our need for information. While yes, it’s convenient to have things right away, (online banking, packaged ready made food, etc) we lose a sense of how things used to be, and the beauty of being creative, and enjoying the process, instead of the result.

And this week…

I think that me and food need to have a serious conversation. Sure, just because I’m exercising doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to have that cookie, or ice cream cone. This week, I am trying to make more of an effort to eat healthy. This is a common pattern with myself.

Exercise has been successful. I’m still sticking to my daily Blogilates. Today was rough, but I pushed through.

Something I want to be more mindful of is how much time I’m spending on YouTube and surfing the internet.

I did overcome a fear of water, as we did a team building event at my work. It was pretty amazing actually.

I tried to always be a good friend. To be kind, and to listen.

I did buy a couple vintage clothing items (hello mom jeans and sheer white button up) and a new pair of black booties. Granted I have to get rid of my old ones because they are about 3 years old and falling apart so that was a guilt free purchase. I get into these modes where I’m really inspired by something. Like right now I really want to incorporate vintage clothes, because a) I love vintage fashion and b) it’s more ethical than buying new and c) gives back to the local shop.

Anyway. I could do better. Writing this blog is a helpful reminder to keep on track to being the person I want to be.

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Why We Need To Slow The F*** Down

Published 08/08/2015

Pardon the language in my title. But seriously. I’ve just finished a book (I read a lot of books sometimes) written by my partner’s aunt, called Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

It’s a book about the importance of creative thinking and being in tune to your inner creative intuition. It looks at all of the ways that we repress ourselves and how society blocks our creativity. But there were a couple points in this book that really stood out that I must share.

Living in a Hurry -Up Culture

We have become overstimulated and overwhelmed by all of the choices available to us and there are way too many options that stand in the way of deep examination.

“Political “experts” sell their pre-packaged thinking, financial analysts, theirs. Into whose interpretation of political events or economic eventualities should we buy? What commodity will reflect well on us? Which new fashions will enhance us? What cereal displayed in the rows and rows of cereals in the ultra-super-megastore should we choose? Which of the latest technological applications is best? How long will it take for it to become outdated? How do you keep up with the ever-changing future? How much more time will we spend trying to make choices? Will there fever be enough time to explore our individual creative desires?” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

It’s incredible! Because we are being bombarded with information, we rarely have a moment to sit and contemplate everything thrown at us, and we don’t take any time to listen to what our own souls are crying for us to do.

People who are removed from their own instincts about things become more and more confused by the multiple perspectives they are constantly being offered and become incapable of defining their own world view. And thus, we suffer from a loss of authenticity. This is something I can really relate to sadly.

Our poor kids today are growing up in a busy culture as well, and not having time to themselves to create and be imaginative.

“In the United States today, it is the age of the microwave child, many of whom have never kneaded dough, never watched a meal being cooked from scratch. The ingredients are not of importance; it’s the finished product that counts…a goal is achieved without the creative process, without the stimulation and sacrifice of work. Instead, there exists a need for instant gratification.” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

Our Lack of Solitude

“There might be a place inside your head where ideas dwell, but nowhere to bring these to fruition is a cruncher.” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

Creative people need a space for solitude in order to reach those depths within. But many people are afraid to be alone with themselves. But being alone allows us to really think, it’s required if we want to get to know ourselves, and not get distracted by the constant information out there.

But anyway, enough about that. I just wanted to share those nuggets of information should you be inclined to check out the book!

This week…

I didn’t end up biking to work at least 3 days a week (oops). I blamed it on not making enough time to ride to work. However, I have ran 5km twice this week to make up for it and I’m noticing a huge difference. I’ve done well with intuitive eating, BUT have not always made 100% healthy choices. There was chocolate birthday cake, and a wine and cheese girls night in there somewhere. This week I must do better.

I’ve been setting a few minutes everyday practicing feeling blissful and not suffering. I tend to whine and complain, so I’m trying to get over that.

I didn’t make any unnecessary purchases. Yay to that!

Last weekend I donated a cat tree to Katie’s Place. And almost took a cat home.

I tried to squeeze in important family/loved ones time but I could have done better here. I was having an emotional and hormonal week contemplating my life and career, so I think my attention was more towards myself. I saw my family on the weekend and had brunch, and did a road trip with my partner to Harrison Hot Springs though.

I asked my boss to work part time. The company is still my baby, but we aren’t as busy currently so it was a good time to see if I could focus on all my projects on the go. I’m torn between growing the role full-time, vs time on my projects. There’s a great opportunity there that I need to sort out.

And that is all folks! Nothing very exciting. I’d love to hear how your week went! Is anyone else trying to live intentionally?

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A Fresh Start to Living with Intention!

Published 08/01/2015

Hey everyone! Long time no chat. I’ve been a bit MIA these days because, well, basically life just sort of took over, but I am back and I want to give this thing the love and attention it needs. I’ve also been fighting a fear between just being myself vs trying to be objective and informational, if that makes sense. But a good friend helped me realize that, what is the worst that could happen if people I knew in real life knew me as personally as I shared myself on this blog? So I’m going to be more real, as I definitely enjoy reading those blogs more than pure informational ones (i.e. 10 Ways to Get Over a Cold!) Be warned, this is a long post, but it’s an intro to a new start, so if you have the patience to read it, then cool!

A lot of things have changed and I must admit that I got distracted from the Minimalism thing because I had moved into a new house with my SO and had a promotion a few months back so I was very busy and overwhelmed. The result was a house full of things (combining my things with his things) and being too mentally exhausted to focus on anything else with all the work stuff going on.

After having gone through some intense personal development workshops and seeing the person I want to be wasn’t exactly who I was currently, I am committing to live a more intentional life starting today, August 1st, 2015! I plan on checking in weekly to see how I am doing, and I am happy for you to point out of I miss any updates (eek!). One thing I need to work on is committing to tasks that are somewhat ‘repetitive’. I seem to have a difficult time with this. But my coach said something brilliant.

Building Character means doing the things that uphold your values and who you want to be, despite you not feeling like it or wanting to do it.

Amen to that. But first.

I kicked off my “Fresh Start” by reading this book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. It’s absolutely incredible! Talk about a unique, quirky perspective on minimalism. Basically, Marie talks about the Japanese KonMari method of decluttering, where you hold every item in your hand, and only keep it if it “sparks joy”. She anthropomorphises objects, teaching you to show them love and appreciation, and thank them for their purpose. For example, if there are gifts or cards you don’t want to keep but feel guilty about getting rid of, know that the purpose of a gift/card is to convey someone’s emotions about you. Once that purpose has been served, you have no other obligation to keep the item.

I finished this book in a few hours and was well on my way to decluttering what I had accumulated since my last purge. I got rid of 4 giant garbage bags of clothes/linens, a bunch of books, dishes, and random knickknacks that had no meaning. I also went through useless documents that I thought I had to keep for record keeping sake. Granted, I don’t have a ton of things because I did do a huge purge last year, and I am not the biggest shopper. But I did well! I am so lucky to have a partner who was super supportive of it all.

“Go ahead! I like my office but the rest of the house is yours!”

Yay!

Anyway, pick up this book. It’s very cute, but extremely practical and claims to make you a tidy person for once and for all.

Let’s take a moment to talk about Minimalism for a second. I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately on minimalism,

Here are a couple I absolutely love:

but most of the Minimalists I am running into, whether on YouTube or on the Blogosphere, focus on extreme minimalism. Like, literally living with only, probably, one item of everything you need. Their decor is very neutral, simple, and clean. Which is really cool, and I wish I could do it, but I can’t ignore who I really am.

You know what brings me joy? Anything antique/vintage/retro and bohemian looking. Think eccentric grandma! Ornate designs carved into wood, colourful eccentric patterns against a neutral background, and textures. I do like to keep the bedroom fairly neutral and relaxing though as a space to clear my mind. Also, my wardrobe is pretty minimalist and neutral. My home just has to be eye candy. Here are some photos below.

So while my tastes don’t match what the norm seems to be out there in the Minimalism world, I adore every piece I own and they all spark joy. This is what it means to me. It means many things to different people. For instance, the world traveler minimalist who lives from their backpack, or a van converted into a home. I think it’s important not to confuse minimalism as one way of being because the purpose is ultimately the same – to get rid of the things we don’t need, to make room for the things we want.

And now, I must move onto to my Intentional Living! I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit nervous to start this. But the blog, Blonde on a Budget (another one you need to check out) really inspired me. Not only is she living more intentionally, but she has been on a Year Long Shopping Ban and onto her second! Amazing work Cait!

Below is a list of things that I intend to focus on so that I can live more intentionally, simply, and meaningfully. I’ve already been doing these things, but the goal is to STICK to them and remember the higher purpose.

Health and Fitness:

Daily Pilates: Currently I’m doing Blogilates daily. (Guys it’s so much fun!)
Bike to work at least 3x/week.
Intuitive eating which is creating a good relationship with food, mind and body. Learning not to eat for emotional reasons, just eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full.
Vegan/Vegetarian diet. I love animals way too much to eat them. Also not eating processed foods, too much sugar/alcohol/caffeine/crap. Currently I’m open to eating seafood, but most of my diet is primarily vegetarian. Let’s see if I can get to vegan. Any advice?
Cook more! Less eating out. Save money. I’ve been doing pretty well here.

Spiritual/Emotional:

Everytime I have the impulse to eat something bad because of emotional reasons (boredom/sadness etc), sit in the feeling, recognize it’s a misguided opportunity to connect with ourselves. Being ok with just feeling the emotions.
Be more present.
Astrology!: I must admit, whether it’s true or not, I find it so fascinating because the things I read seem to be extremely accurate. Been reading a bit of this book everyday. The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need.
Be more aware and ethical in my lifestyle choices, whether it’s cleaning products, food, clothing etc.
Practice my daily Bliss feeling and no suffering so I can learn to push through uncomfortable feelings when I don’t want to do something.
The minimalist lifestyle, living simply, enjoying the little things and open up space for what is important.

Finance:

Currently live on half of my paycheque, and save the other half. Only buy things I need such as food and toiletries. Spending a minimal amount on ‘going out’ and other miscellaneous things.

Giving Back:

This Blog: Writing consistently, and personally, to hopefully inspire others. And I will be honest when I fail on any of these things in my weekly updates.
Animals: Donating money or supplies to Katie’s Place, a local animal shelter in my hometown, Maple Ridge.

Relationships: I think I can sum all of these into really honouring the time I spend with those that I care about. Being truly present with them, instead of being distracted by the next thing I need to do.

Friends: Make an effort to see how people are doing, being more supportive of people’s dreams and aspirations.
Family: Being present with my family, recognizing they won’t be around forever, spending more time with them.
Partner: Also being more present, giving my full attention, appreciating how much I love this man and how amazing he is.

Career/Personal:

Grow my Virtual Assistant business here at Less of the Excess, the ultimate goal for me is to become location independent and self sufficient. Through living a minimalist lifestyle and not buying into consumerism, we need much less money to survive on!
Less time surfing the internet, more time on goals…this one is difficult. Less distractions!

Phew! That was a long one…

I’d love to hear some of things you guys are all doing in order to live more intentionally.

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