Deep Thoughts: Why I'm Not Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

Are you busy tidying up and folding clothes and deciding if things give you joy? I feel like I'm being part of the crowd right now, but I'm not taking part in the craze. There are multiple reasons why I'm not. 

One reason is I am somewhat of a maximalist. When I love something I really love it. I collect coffee table books, earrings, and apparently lipgloss. When I love something I love it hard! I find that there are a few things that give me so much joy I go all in. 

But I also try and go for quality when I buy these days. And I try and buy carefully which I hope leads to less need for a big clean out. Though I love trying new things, I tend to be fairly brand loyal leading to no need for excess. 

There are some things I learned when I read her book some time ago. Steve and I went thru all our paperwork and weeded out so much that wasn't needed. We looked at the girls' artwork and schoolwork with them and decided what to keep. And we went thru a bunch of our old photos to cull them down to the important ones. 

We are such regulars at the thrift stores that it feels normal to keep a bag always on hand for items to take in for donation. I usually feel like it's reasonable to donate a pair of shoes if I bring a new pair in. And clothing is something that I try to keep to a reasonable amount. I think it's okay to have things that you are really attached to, and things that come and go. As long as there is a balance of course. I guess you could call me maximalist with minimalist leanings! 

What do you think? Do you find it easy to purge? Do you deal with your possessions in a different more novel way? I would love to hear your method! 

Field Trip: Goodwill Outlet Seattle

 Have you seen the video Thriftshop by Macklemore? It was the first time I had seen the Goodwill Outlet in action and it made me curious. (and it may play in my mind when I'm thrifting) I have always loved the thrill of the hunt associated with thrifting, and this just seemed next level. I read up on other peoples experiences with an outlet and it doubled the curiosity. There were great finds, unusual finds, and just plain crazy experiences. It sounded like something I wanted to try. 

 Steve also decided that he was interested and it turned into a family day at the Goodwill Seattle Outlet. Our girls are gifted at finding cool things, Kate especially so. They both have their own style and know what they are looking for. They were ready to dive in and find the cool stuff. 

 Digging thru bins of thrift store clothing can be dirty work. Sam opted to wear gloves, and I saw some people there face masks. I was good with a good swipe with a baby wipe after. This place is huge, and there are a lot of bins to dig thru. There are major amounts of bins out in lines. And bins come out of the back all the time. 

We stuck to the bins full of clothing and shoes, though there are all kinds of things to be found. I picked up a huge dinosaur robot, but as it wasn't working I put it back. Kate found multiple pairs of shoes and we found tons of clothes and a blanket that we will keep in Steve's car for road trips. 

The pricing is by pounds and is weighed out when you check out. There are bags available but I think in the future we will bring our own...maybe even a big IKEA bag that we used to move Sam into school. It was crazy just how much we decided to buy, even after going thru our cart and putting stuff bag. Even crazier was what we brought home! 

Sam found this cute jumpsuit that is going to be so much fun when the weather turns. Kate brought home three pairs of shoes, there were numerous tee shirts and sweaters. 

The shoes I'm wearing are from the Outlet. Nine West booties that I'm guessing cost less than $5. And they look brand new. Our total for a cartful of loot? $44.32, and day of entertainment. What do you think? Is this something you would try doing? I'm excited for our next visit and curious what the find of the day will be. What would you expect to find? 

Deep Thoughts : Fresh Slate

How are you this New Year? Are you a resolution type person? I have to admit I have never really been about them. They just seem like another way to beat myself up if I fail again. And it seems there are very few resolutions that I tend to keep. 

There are however, some ways that others have been approaching this clean slate of a new year that I find intriguing. The first one was having a theme. Maybe the theme is to be fearless in most things. Maybe it's being gentle with yourself. Or maybe it's about making relationships priority. I love that this is a guiding principle that helps you with all your choices during the year, while giving you room to fail. 

Another way that some approach things is with a word of the year. This can be another guiding principle that gives you room to fail, but also guides one choices. I have done this in the past, with various results. I have chosen words that suggest taking more chances, and others that are related to motivation. They've both been helpful. 

But a friend posted something that really resonates with me this year. She just said "less." I've modified this for myself for the year. And in my mind that means this:

less comparison, more contentment

less striving, more doing

less business, more action
less mindless eating, more satisfaction

less mindless scrolling, more connection

less stuff, more meaning

less mindless aggravation, more movement

less detachment, more love

Thats what I'm considering this year. I'm hoping it will give me some direction in how I approach this clean slate. I get excited about it every year, and I hope that this year the drive to do things well will last. Do you have resolutions, a word or anything that you use to give your new year shape? I  would love to hear how others approach the year! 

(ps. All these photos were taken at Electric Beet Juice, a delicious local restaurant that has an array of healthy salads, sandwiches and smoothies!)