Why do we keep stuff?

I am amazed when I see what some other people feel are their "treasures:" Little League baseball trophies, childhood games and toys, tools they never use, broken things they'll never fix, a breadbox? Anyone using a breadbox hasn't read my blog about how valuable counter space is!
I helped a friend move recently and he put as much stuff into the garage as he did the house!

I do have a few good ideas why people keep such things. I think they tie them to someone who gave them to them or someone they were with when they bought them somewhere in their past. Of course, many people hoard out of fear they'll have nothing one day, or they might need that useless thing one day. But the truth is: we need to get over this stuff! There's always more stuff in our future - the Good Will is full of other people's stuff they wasted their time, money, and our planet's resources on. You won't be young again, and your kids don't want your old toys. Oh, and your old girlfriend's not coming back, so make some room for a new one!

Minimalist Travel: Vacation in Your Own Town

Here in Portland, Oregon the weather just isn't giving us a break. Grey Grey Grey! I got onto the internet and started trying to find out how far we'd have to travel to get out from under these clouds and endless drizzle and to my horror it seemed to go on forever! We could drive eight hours to Redding or fly somewhere. Then I checked out the price of flying and it was crazy! $500 to fly to LA? There had to be an alternative. So my sweetie and I spent the weekend playing around in our own town. We ate every meal out, heard live music, went to art museums, Saturday Market, shopped on NW 23rd, (the tourist section of town), took cabs, stayed out late and slept in late and did pretty much what we would have done in any city on vacation. No dishes, no work and you know what happened? On Sunday the sun actually came out! Today alas, it's gone again, but we had loads of fun anyway and didn't have to spend $1000 for two round trip tickets to the sun, and kept our carbon footprint small...."Oh you can pour my next glass of wine into this glass. It saves energy."

Minimalist's Angst: Not Clutter Again!

I don't know how or why it happens but clutter just seems to happen. Somehow yesterday I looked at my kitchen and thought, wow, we're slipping. The thing is I have zero tolerance for clutter. I have never understood how some people can sit happily with a neighbor sipping tea in their kitchens with piles of paperwork that needs to be dealt with, dirty dishes in the sink, random items that should be put away in other rooms and perhaps even a basket of laundry that needs folding. It makes me feel like Monica from Friends! I just want to start cleaning!

So to my horror, I looked at my own kitchen realized it had lost it's sparkle and needed to be decluttered. So what was wrong with it? All of my systems were in place and functioning, no appliances on the counters, no dirty dishes in the sink but some odd items were creeping in where they don't belong. First of all, my table has six chairs which seems like a great place to drop my purse, jackets, and dog leash. No, this is not where the go and I have an easy place to hang these things in the entryway closet but alas they were there. A pile of checks and misc. papers had accumulated on the table as well as some keys. Under the sink my recycling system had exploded, there were two cutting boards on my counter, a fruit bowl with one apple and two tomatoes in it, and a watering can that belongs outside. This may not sound like a lot, but in my tiny row house kitchen it is.

So I took action. First I got my iRobot vacuum going and took out all of the recycling to the garage. ( Green note: I recycle and compost 90% of my garbage so we only have garbage pick up once a month.) Next I put all of the items away that didn't belong there. Then it was time to pare down. I put the watering can on the back deck, put the random fruit in the fridge, washed out the fruit bowl and put it away, and put one of the cutting boards away. I decided to lose the table runner and put a new candle in the center of the table and wash the throw rug by the door. I had a huge bamboo bowl filled with pine cones that spilled over in what can only be described as "Northwest Chique" that seemed to be screaming winter, so they had to go. I bagged them up, put them into storage in the garage, washed the bowl and put it away. Next all of the surfaces were sprayed with bleach and water which then sat for one minute and then I wiped them all down. That kills most of the germs and bad bacteria in your kitchen. I of course washed the floor then picked some flowers in the back yard and put them where the pine cones had been. This may not seem like a lot but the room now feels bigger and more comfortable and inviting.

I hope this post will inspire you to hit your own kitchen and if you want to check out how my kitchen systems work, read some of my past posts on reducing kitchen appliances, reducing the amount of junk mail you get, and composting.

The Minimalist's Desk

Even though I am a minimalist, I have a lot to keep track of. I keep books for my family's construction company and our real estate investment company. I also paint and play the guitar. All of these activities can cause a cluttered mess to occur really quickly. I have a real office but it has been taken over by my new art print hobby. So, I decided to make use of a rather cleaver space. Here it is:
Don't see it? No it's not the wicker box. That holds the all the remotes.
Here's my office! Yep it's all in here. Back left: Construction file box, Back right: sketch pads and watercolors, front left: office supplies and folders of bills to pay and items to file, front right: journal and guitar music. This has kept me really organized and keeps my living space uncluttered. I was lucky this came with my couch but, I don't see why someone couldn't convert an ottoman or coffee table or just use a trunk.

Emergen-C : Here's Their Answer...

Basically, it sounds like they're saying don't buy it if you don't like the packaging! I would love to hear what you think!

Dear Maureen:

Thank you for writing and sharing your concerns.

Our Emergen-C fizzing drink mix products are moisture-sensitive and effervescent, which means individual, airtight packages are necessary to keep the powder dry inside. We are always open to recyclable packaging options; however, to date we have not found recyclable packaging that preserves the quality of the product. We are consistently researching new ways of improving our current processes. And you'll be happy to know that our box is fully recyclable.

You might prefer to use our Super Gram III; it is very close in formulation to Emergen-C, but it is sustained-release tablets that are swallowed. There is no individual packaging and the bottle itself is recyclable. For more information about Super Gram III, please visit our website at www.emergenc.com.

You can purchase Super Gram III at any of the retailers below:

• Swanson Vitamins (800) 437-4148 or www.swansonvitamins.com
• Vitacost (800) 381-0759 or www.vitacost.com
• Vitamin Shoppe (866) 293-3367 or www.vitaminshoppe.com

If we can be of help in any other way, please let us know.

Kindest regards,

Barbi Hehn

Customer Service Manager

Alacer Corp., Makers of Emergen-C

(800) 854-0249

The Minimalist's Letter to Emer-gen-C

Here's my letter to Emer-gen-C based on my casual survey. I included as many of my readers' ideas as I could. Do you think they'll listen?

Dear Alacer Corp.,

I belong to a large network of on line communities interested in the environment and reducing packaging in particular. I did a survey on my web site asking if your product should be packaged differently. First of all, people love the product! Many people use it instead of Alka-seltzer for sour stomachs and hangovers. We dislike the current packaging however, as it contains plastic. We would like something made of waxy paper that we can put into our compost piles, I suggested either a tea bag type or a Pixie Stick type tube. People loved the Pixie Stick idea because they could pop one into a purse or pocket. It was also suggested that they could be sold in a single tube at the supermarket checkout area and that perhaps the multipack package could be smaller.

I am sorry to see you producing bottled water. Shame on you! Just so you know, there's a huge movement to boycott bottled water. People want simplicity and less plastic! I urge you to listen to your customers. I will be printing my letter and your response all over the web, so I appreciate your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, The Minimalist

If you would like to try to help me influence this company to dump the plastic, follow the link below and let them know how you feel. I believe that we need to stop garbage before it happens! We can do it! (They'll send you some free coupons too!)
http://www.emergenc.com/contact/

16 Ways to 'Green Up' the Kitchen

Green up your kitchen and it will be less cluttered, cleaner, and prettier too!

I started this site not just to help people unclutter their lives , but also to help show that reducing our consumption of things we don't use much (like kitchen gadgets) or didn't even ask for (like junk mail), can really help our planet. I hope some of these ideas take some of the stress out of your everyday living as they have for me. Thanks, The Minimalist

1. Donate your Coffee Maker and instead use a French Press ...read more
2. Replace your old dishwasher with an Energy Star model that uses less water read more
3. Replace your old fridge fro an Energy Star model that dispenses filtered water...read more
4. Donate your microwave to a school and try living without it....read why
5. Use washable bar rags and a bit of bleach mixed with water in a spray bottle to disinfect your kitchen.... here's why
6. Limit your kitchen gadgets that will eventually end up in landfills......here's how
7. Buy your last set of good quality pots and pans .... read more
8. Store things properly so food doesn't go to waste .... here's how
9. Stop buying food in cans.... here's why
10. Support your local farmer's market... here's an easy way
11. Cook from scratch, it's not that big a deal...... here's some help
12. Reduce your junk mail and get it off your kitchen table ......here's how
13 Stop catalogs from piling up...here's how
14 Contact companies and request that they change to earth friendly packaging.....like this
15. Compost your kitchen scraps .... here's how
16. Reduce your use of all plastics, recycle numbers 1-6 containers at your local transfer station, and bring your own bags to the store .....read more