Tag: minimalism

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

2 Comments

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?

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?

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.

My Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Published 09/05/2014

I did it guys! After my Decluttering Your Closet post, I got serious about my clothes and did another purge. I thought about the style I wanted to have, the colours I liked the most, and the lifestyle I lived.

I was inspired by Unfancy’s capsule wardrobe strategies and followed her How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe principles linked here.

It was really fun being deliberate about my wardrobe and planning all of the bits and pieces. It’s also freeing to know that I wasn’t impulsively buying things just for the sake of shopping. I already owned pretty much everything, and only had to purchase a few things. I tried to stick with neutral tones and classic styles. I do have some leftover bits and bobs that I kept because I’m not ready to part with them, so they might show up from time to time in my real life, but below is my core Fall Capsule Wardrobe!

The 34 items that make up my Fall Capsule Wardrobe!
You can see everything on my Pinterest Board here.

TOPS & JACKETS – 17

3 Sweaters
Taupe slouchy sweater / Navy blue slouchy sweater / Black slouchy sweater

4 T-shirts
Grey jersey long sleeved shirt (new) / Black t-shirt / Navy and white stripy shirt / Plain white t-shirt

3 Button-ups
Black button-up #1 / Black button-up #2 (sheer) / White button-up

3 Tanks
Grey tank (new) / Black dressy tank / White casual tank

4 Jackets
Leather jacket / Fall coat (need to purchase) / Casual army green jacket / Black blazer

BOTTOMS & DRESSES – 10

3 Pairs of Jeans
Black skinny jeans / Dark blue jeans / Light blue jeans

3 Trousers/Leggings
Black loose trousers / Mustard yellow loose trousers / Black leggings

4 Skirts/Dresses
Black cotton long skirt (new) / Black pencil skirt / Grey jersey dress / Black jersey dress

SHOES – 7

Black chelsea boots (new) / Black ankle booties / Camel ankle booties / Black loafer flats
Brown flats / Black Converse sneakers / Black Nike Freerun running shoes

I’d love to hear if you are working on a fall capsule wardrobe yourself, let me know in the comments below!

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Minimalism in the City vs the Country

Published 09/04/2014

There are SO many ways minimalism and simplicity can be looked at, and so many ways we can apply it to our living situation, whether it’s in the city or the country, or if you live in an apartment or a house.

While I’m currently in an apartment in the city, I’ve also lived in a house in the countryside. Below are a few things I’ve loved about living in each.

Living in the City

Using public transit, walking or biking to get around as we won’t need a car
We can work closer to our home as there are more job opportunities
Being close to the public library so we can borrow items instead of collecting books and dvds that add to our clutter
We don’t have to spend time tending to our lawns and gardens, but can spend a nice stroll in the park
The greater ability to meet likeminded people simply because there are more of them
We likely live in a smaller space (apartment, basement suite, smaller house) which means owning less stuff
Less need for purchasing indoor entertainment like a big screen TV or video games when we can go out to a concert or a movie

Living in the Country

Growing our own fruits and vegetables in our garden, which means less groceries to shop for
Entertainment options are farther away, so there is more motivation to do fun and free things at home
Everything moves at a slower pace and is more relaxing
A slower life means more opportunities to really connect with our close friends and family.
We likely live in a bigger space, so there is more opportunity to invite people over and spend quality time together
Enjoying the sights and sounds of nature
Less pressure of keeping up with the latest fashion trends in order to feel good
Not having to deal with constant shops, advertisement and consumerism surrounding you
Less tendency to eat out, and more cooking at home
More self-sufficiency and relying on what is available at home
More conscious or planned spending as you have to plan your shopping trips

What is your current living situation and how do you apply minimalism to it? Or if there is anything I’ve missed, please add to the list and comment below!

If there are any specific topics you’d like to hear more about, PLEASE let me know in the comments, or send me an email to lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

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Minimalism and Spiritual Awakening

Published 09/01/2014

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein

I follow a lot of Minimalism blogs (see them here), and I’ve noticed there seems to be two common ways people approach or discover Minimalism if they weren’t always a minimalist in the first place.

They’ve had a profound shift in perspective, usually due to a significant event or series of events. Things like break-ups, job loss, deaths in the family, illness, travel, having children, etc. After these events, they have realizations of what is important in life. And then they discover Minimalism.
They are searching for something ‘more’ out there and are tired of the status quo. They are trying to figure out what the purpose and meaning of their life is and question everything they’ve been told. They aren’t sure what that is yet and discover Minimalism as a way to get there.

No matter how we are introduced to Minimalism, I think it is tied to Spiritual Awakening, and our need for the shift for something more. Now, I realize some people find this topic a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but it has some value. This post was oddly enough inspired by a dream about mice last night. I never dream about mice. Today I found a dying mouse in my building. I’ve never seen a mouse in my building.

It is also inspired by a dream I had about two childhood best friends, and the next morning I received a message from a childhood best friend who wanted to reconnect. I hadn’t seen or talked to her or her sister in 8 years. We met up this weekend and they introduced me to Spiritual Awakening as they are on similar paths. I’ve never heard about it before, but after some research, it was a huge aha moment so I had to share it.

Apparently synchronicity and clairvoyance are part of spiritual awakening…

What is Spiritual Awakening?

The process of becoming a whole person, reaching higher peaks of awareness.
The individual sense of self identification falls away. We no longer care about the superficial world and we are left with awareness, sensing, thinking, feeling or being.
It is a process that can take a lifetime. It doesn’t happen over night.
It is similar to Maslow’s Self Actualization or Carl Jung’s Individuation.

Below are 22 signs of Spiritual Awakening:
Original sources are here and here. This post also has some really great advice.

1. Asking Questions about the world around you and the stuff that is taking place in your life.

2. Changes in sleeping patterns to suit your needs and requirements as a growing individual.

3. Stimulated sensations like random bursts of emotion that you didn’t usually feel before, such as crying during movies, feeling compassion and empathy towards those around you, changes in body temperatures, or sudden random urges to go and do something like running, swimming, or climbing a mountain.

4. Having great ideas and putting them into action, seeing the depth of the truth, willingness to look beyond the tip of the iceberg, compassion on a bigger scale, and thirst for knowledge.

5. Feeling pressure in different parts of the brain, such as the frontal lobes which is the male logical and thinking part, or the back of the brain which is more connected to the female, intuitive and space of connectedness.

6. The recognition of issues that have been denied, repressed, and avoided in the past and present may surface to be processed, in many cases, this may happen in relationship to someone or something, which offers opportunity for growth for everyone involved in the vibration.

7. Changes in the body like looking younger and stronger, which also goes hand-in-hand with changes in the eating habits and life style. Everything revolves around health.

8. Having personal and peak experiences where one feels at one and in peace with her/his surroundings. Having meaningful dreams and in-depth visions are not uncommon.

9. Craving more and more to break free from traditions, outdated institutional thinking, blind conformity, and useless beliefs that do not serve the greatest good of humankind… taking that craving, and turning it into action.

10. Seeing and comprehending the world in a way with deeper meanings. More and more awareness of synchronicities between the physical world and the feelings, thoughts, and energetic representation of the physical world.

11. An increase in occurrences – (there aren’t any coincidences) An increase in psychic, mediumistic, clairvoyant, and intuitive skills.

12. Acute sensitivity to negative energy around specific people or environments.

13. A desire to “find yourself”, change your social group, behavior, job etc. Sudden extreme sensitivity to people or crowds. You may find that your once sociable nature suddenly disappears and you simply cannot bear to be with certain friends, family members, colleagues, or coworkers.

14. Sudden awareness of recurring patterns or relationships– A noticeable inability to tolerate someone with whom you have had a previously close relationship.

15. Sudden inexplicable panic or anxiety attacks occurring at any time with no valid reason. A feeling that something has changed within you.

16. Acute sensitivity to shopping malls or crowded environments such as restaurants, clubs, festivals, and so on.

17. Extreme sensitivity to mobile and digital phones, laptops, computers, wireless routers, and all microwave technology, as well as certain types of lighting.

18. Zoning out for long periods of time with an overpowering need to sit and do nothing. (This often occurs as a result of our consciousness spending increasing amounts of time in the fourth and fifth dimensions.)

19. Changes in your energy levels. The need to rest and sleep for much longer than usual or sudden insomnia in normally sound sleepers.

20. A stronger connection to nature

21. Quicker manifestations

22. A change in what you read, watch on TV, and your hobbies

Let me know if you’ve experienced any of these signs and share your thoughts in the comments below, or email lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

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Getting Back Our Carefree Youthful Sense of Time

Published 08/17/2014

In 7th grade, who you are is what other 7th graders say you are. The funny thing is it’s hard to remember the names of the kids you spent so much time trying to impress. – The Wonder Years

There is a secret about minimalism that we don’t often hear about. When we get rid of all of the excess clutter in our lives, whether it’s the physical, emotional, our to do lists, our relationships, we give ourselves space. And what do we do with this new found space? Go a little crazy perhaps? Just kidding.

Think back to when you were still a student, or before you officially called yourself an ‘adult.’

We were happy and carefree. And we probably didn’t have very much money but we were full of joy anyway. We also had all this extra time on our hands because we didn’t have so many responsibilities. But what made life so good was not because we had the latest piece of technology or hottest fashion trend, it was because we spent it with our friends, doing what we enjoyed, living in the moment, laughing, being silly and full of life.

That’s how we can slow down time and the space we can get back if we choose to stop being slaves to consumerism or keeping up with the Joneses and focus our energies on things that bring us true joy. Not having to deal with the:

“I need to buy new curtains for my living room.”

“I need a new lamp for the bedroom.”

“My plates don’t match, I need a new set.”

“Sorry, I can’t go to the park with you today, I have to clean my house.”

“My boat needs some fixing and maintenance.”

We’re either maintaining, cleaning, or buying.

That is WAY too much energy to be spending on these things. With less clutter, we get rid of this annoyance and time suck. All these so-called ADULT responsibilities – they’re all just a story they want us to believe. They don’t make us more grown up, they make us slaves to our very precious time here on this earth.

I do want to emphasize again, that minimalism is not about deprivation, or living so simply that all you own is a chair and a bed, and have bare white walls with no art. It’s about figuring out what is the most important to you, and cutting out the rest. Every object, task or person has purpose or meaning.

Anyway, I just finished reading The Joy of Less by Francine Jay, because I am a self professed self-help junkie and can’t seem to stop reading these books. Then I have the need to share it with the world. In this book she talks about gaining that youthful sense of time back which is where I got the inspiration to write this post. As well as super practical tips on decluttering your home. So go check it out, it’s probably one of the better books I’ve read on this topic.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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Meeting the Minimalists & a Signed Book Giveaway!

Published 08/07/2014

Last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus aka The Minimalists as they were visiting Vancouver, BC, on their Everything That Remains book tour. They were so lovely, warm, and open, and gave a very inspiring speech to a huge Vancouver audience. So many people showed up they had to do their show twice! They also give great hugs 🙂

I just finished reading their new book, Everything That Remains, which they describe as not a “how-to” book, but a “why-to” book. If you get the chance, check this book out. You’ll experience sadness, joy, laughter, and inspiration, but most of all, a new perspective on what is really important in life. After finishing it, I honestly came out with a new appreciation of living a deliberate life, and more confidence to really own my destiny. Anything worth anything takes effort, while passivity leaves us hollow.

What if everything you ever wanted isn’t what you actually want? Twenty-something, suit-clad, and upwardly mobile, Joshua Fields Millburn thought he had everything anyone could ever want. Until he didn’t anymore.

Blindsided by the loss of his mother and his marriage in the same month, Millburn started questioning every aspect of the life he had built for himself. Then, he accidentally discovered a lifestyle known as minimalism…and everything started to change.

That was four years ago. Since, Millburn, now 32, has embraced simplicity. In the pursuit of looking for something more substantial than compulsory consumption and the broken American Dream, he jettisoned most of his material possessions, paid off loads of crippling debt, and walked away from his six-figure career.

So, when everything was gone, what was left? Not a how-to book but a why-to book, Everything That Remains is the touching, surprising story of what happened when one young man decided to let go of everything and begin living more deliberately. Heartrending, uplifting, and deeply personal, this engrossing memoir is peppered with insightful (and often hilarious) interruptions by Ryan Nicodemus, Millburn’s best friend of twenty years.

http://youtu.be/gnKvtfEGDjQ

And now for the awesome news! I’ve got a copy of Everything That Remains that is SIGNED by Joshua and Ryan, and I am giving it away to one of you lovely people! All you have to do is the following:

Leave a comment below about a book, blog or person that has inspired you on your minimalism or personal journey and why
Follow me on Twitter here
Follow The Minimalists on Twitter here

That’s all! In a few weeks I will choose a winner at random and you will be mailed a copy of this incredible book!

You can purchase the book here!

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Let’s Talk About Frugality and What It Means

Published 05/02/2014

“Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.” – Samuel Johnson

What do you think of when you hear the word Frugal? Thriftiness? Being a cheapskate?

I’m looking at a gorgeous view of the park from my studio apartment window, thinking to myself, this is heavenly. The golden sunset beaming its rays across the leafy treetops is mesmerizing. Because I live in a studio apartment, my rent is lower than a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. I was frugal in my choice so that I would have more money and more freedom but I didn’t sacrifice quality. There is no deprivation involved.

‘Cheap’ means something different. The word ‘cheap’ has negative connotations. It can range from a certain attitude in someone’s personality, to buying things that are yes, inexpensive, but of low quality, and will not bring any lasting happiness or satisfaction. I was being frugal in my choice of living space, but definitely not cheap. I absolutely love it here. It’s my peaceful getaway in the middle of the city.

Frugality is:

About living smarter and wisely, and not depriving ourselves of things we want in life
Making thoughtful decisions, using research and intellect on what we buy
Understanding the value of our money and how it is spent, stretching a dollar as far as it can go
Better money management and knowing where all our money goes, getting rid of debt, eliminating or decreasing unnecessary bills
An awareness of the long-term value of an item
Understanding the value of purchasing higher quality items that last, vs things that will fall apart quickly
Getting back to the simple things in life, and focusing on what is important
Freedom!

Cheap is:

An item/thing being of low quality and eventually falling apart
Being stingy and difficult around friends and family when it comes to spending
Holding onto money in the detriment of others
A lower quality of living and sacrificing personal happiness

Below is a beautiful excerpt that a friend sent me that talks about Frugality. It’s from the book “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez and Monique Tilford.

There’s a word in Spanish that encompasses all this: aprovechar. It means to use something wisely – be it old zippers from worn-out clothes or a sunny day at the beach. It’s getting full value from life, enjoying all the good that each moment and each thing as to offer. You can “approvechar” a simple meal, a flat of overripe strawberries or a cruise in the Bahamas. There’s nothing miserly about aprovechar; it’s a succulent word, full of sunlight and flavor. If only “frugal” were so sweet.

The “more is better and it’s never enough” mentality in North America fails the frugality test not solely because of the excess, but because of the lack of enjoyment of what we already have. Indeed, North Americans have been called materialists, but that’s a misnomer. All too often it’s not material things we enjoy as much as what these things symbolize: conquest, status, success, achievement, a sense of worth and even favor in the eyes of the Creator. Once we’ve acquired the dream house, the status car or the perfect mate, we rarely stop to enjoy them thoroughly. Instead, we’re off and running after the next coveted acquisition.

Another lesson we can derive from the dictionary definition of “frugal” is the recognition that we don’t need to possess a thing to enjoy it – we merely need to use it. If we are enjoying an item, whether or not we own it, we’re being frugal. For many of life’s pleasures it may be far better “use” something than to “posses” it (and pay in time and energy for the upkeep). So often we have been like feudal lords, gathering as many possessions as possible from far and wide and bringing them inside the walls of our castle. If we want something (or wanted it in the past, or imagine we want it in the future), we think we must bring it inside the boundaries of the world called “mine”. What we fail to recognize is that what is outside the walls of “mine” doesn’t belong to the enemy; it belongs to “the rest of us”. And if what lies outside our walls is not “them” but “us,”, we can afford to loosen our grip a bit on our possessions. We can gingerly open the doors of our fortress and allow goods (material and spiritual) to flow into and out of our boundaries.

Frugality, then, is also learning to share, to see the world as “ours” rather than as “theirs” and “mine”. And, while not explicit in the word, being frugal and being happy with having enough mean that more will be available for others. Learning to equitably share the resource sof the earth is at the top of the global agenda, and some creative frugality in North America could go a long way toward promoting that balance.

— from the book “Your Money or Your Life”

What are some ways that you are frugal? Let me know in the comments below or send me an email at lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

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