The dream to simplify my life was the original reason I started this blog.  Things have been all over the place for the last year and a half, and it’s only now that I’ve started to get back on board with it.  I think I’ve gained a lot of inspiration from The Minimal Mom , whose approach I love.   She demonstrates that families can live simply and minimally, without it being too over the top.  I know now that a more simple lifestyle is going to help me to manage to stay well in the future, and I’m trying to do what I can to get myself there.

Have felt as though I’ve had a super successful weekend, not only in terms of decluttering and sorting, but also in regards to getting back on top of ‘the house.’  I admit that whilst I’ve been feeling so dreadful, things have slipped and it’s been getting me down even more.  This weekend has allowed me to begin to declutter, take some items to the tip and charity shop, finally sort out my books and find them a permanent home and even to sort out my huge collection of notebooks!!  (I seriously can’t admit how many I actually have…it’s insane!)  I have decided that the notebooks I haven’t even written in are going to be donated (some to my friend and her girls) or to the charity shop.  The rest I will try to use up over the coming months….as I now feel quite confident that I will not be buying any more.  Have finally realised that buying stationery only makes me feel better for a very short while…..it’s not the answer!

So my new simple approach – use a small diary that can stay in my bag, for appointment dates etc.  These dates are put into my Google calendar but I somehow find it easier to see the week/month at a glance when I’m trying to arrange things.  I have one notebook, a slim one, that I will note everything else in.  I suppose it will be like a bullet journal really.  For so long I’ve been chopping and changing between notebooks, diaries and systems, and it needs to stop!  I find I’m constantly having to transfer information from one to the other, keep them tidy and not all over my bedroom floor, try and find the right one, and then lose information in the process.  I want it to be simple and straightforward, but work well for me.  So my current set-up looks like this:

• Small diary
• Slim notebook (dotted pages….I like those best)
• One journal
• One book for morning pages…..if I ever am up early enough to be able to do them.

That still might not sound very simple for most people, but for me that’s a huge improvement.  The diary and notebook are small and light, so won’t take up much space in my bag either, which is helpful.  The journal and morning pages books will stay at home.

I have to sat that I was so impressed with by daughter too this weekend, she agreed to look to go through her clothes, as we plan to decorate her room next week.  She only has a tiny box room…..but managed to get rid of 5 bags which have gone to the charity shop.  I encouraged her to think about whether she felt good in the clothes, whether she liked them and whether she would ever wear them again!!  She did brilliantly…..I’m really hoping that this will help her in the future to not get too attached to possessions.  She was hesitating at first about items that we had bought her….but I told her that It doesn’t matter and that if they’re no longer suitable, then I am happy for her to get rid of them.  It can be hard seeing clothes that you’ve bought, and they’ve barely worn, being cleared out but I had to remind myself that she’s not wearing them anyway and they’re just taking up valuable space!!

I’ll try and update with some photos tomorrow of our progress so far…..it’s going to be a long journey….but I feel I’ve made a great start and am looking forward to carrying on.

Right…you’ll have to excuse me as ‘Line of Duty‘ is about to start……the only TV programme I religiously watch!  Just love it and it’s the perfect end to a good weekend xx