Category Archives: Personal

The Furniture Hunt Begins

By Claire Posted in downsizing, Personal, Small-House Living Tagged , , ,

I know I said I wouldn’t start looking for smaller scale furniture right away, but apparently, I lied. Today, I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a peek into one furniture store that I have to drive past to get groceries.

Oh my gosh. Last time, I noted that there are tons of small sofas for sale online. Well, there were none in this store. Only ginormous sofas. Even the loveseats were big. And I saw a sectional sofa that was so long in both directions that it would not fit in our living room unless we let it completely block the front door.

I can see this is going to be harder than I thought. Many of the small sofas I saw online were not of the highest quality. They often call them apartment sofas, I suppose because people use them to fit into apartments, which tend to be on the small side. But such people often move frequently so they aren’t looking for quality, long-lasting furniture. However, I am.

With the Christmas tree up, we’re more cramped in the living room than usual. This has only increased my motivation to find good-quality, small-scale furniture for our living room. However, I suspect this might take a while.

Black Friday Lessons

By Claire Posted in Clutter, Personal, Small-House Living Tagged , , , , ,

I never got into the Black Friday excitement when it first cropped up years ago, probably because I don’t like crowds. But once it moved online, I learned that it could be quite a temptation for me.

Case in point: this Thanksgiving, it was just us at home for dinner because illness was running rampant through our extended family. So once the turkey was in the oven, I was free to sit and shop the Black Friday fabric sales in the comfort of my recliner.

I actually spent two hours looking at fabric, picking out my favorites and then, later, talking myself out of them. There was a needed purchase that I planned on making, and I did so at 20% off due to the Black Friday sale, but that was all I bought.

It was quite a struggle, I can tell you. Each fabric that appealed to me came with its own idea: this would make a cute top, that would make such a nice dress, and on and on. Who knows how many tabs I had open?

But I had to be strict with myself, because I know me. I’ve written about “I Was Gonna,” and how that gets us creative types into trouble. Well, every one of those potential purchases might have eventually ended up on the “I Was Gonna” list. I know this because of my track record, and because I already have several large pieces of fabric waiting their turn to become clothing. I really don’t need more.

The fabric I did buy is needed to finish a project; that’s OK. But starting new projects? Not until those fabrics currently in line become actually finished clothing. Otherwise I end up with a sewing room full of clutter, which is exactly what I don’t want.

Giving Up Clothes That Still Fit

By Claire Posted in Clutter, downsizing, Personal, Simpler Living, Small-House Living Tagged , , ,

Being a frugal sort, I never get rid of a piece of clothing unless it no longer fits or can’t be repaired. But being a sewist, I can usually repair things. So I haven’t been in the habit of giving up clothes that I can still wear.

That said, I decided this year that I was going to up my game, clothes-wise. I’ve been sewing, splurging on really nice fabric and making myself some pretty things. As a result, I now have more clothes than I need, so I have to give some up.

Why? Because I promised myself I would limit myself to two boxes of clothes in out-of-season storage. Living in my little house requires me to keep a lid on my propensity to collect things, including clothes. Being strict about that two-box limit is key.

I also want to keep my closet from becoming overcrowded again. See what happened last time I let it get out of control? Let’s not go there again!

This type of decluttering is a lot easier than most, because my old clothes don’t look so good compared to my new clothes. So all I’ve had to do is give up the same number of tops and dresses as I’ve made. Now that’s easy!

Gifts for the Grands

By Claire Posted in Clutter, Personal, Simpler Living, Small-House Living Tagged , , , ,

It’s that time of year when many of us begin shopping for Christmas gifts for friends and family. But it’s not as simple as it used to be. Not everyone wants a physical gift anymore.

This is particularly true of some of my adult kids. I’m sure their children like opening gifts, but they don’t want more clutter in their homes. One of them suggested that I buy experiences instead of physical gifts for my grandchildren.

Of course, my mind immediately went back to when I was a child, and how much I loved finding my gifts under the Christmas tree. And it also brought back memories of how much my children enjoyed opening their many gifts each year on Christmas morning.

But my kids were at home all day and had plenty of time to play with all of their toys. Some of my grandchildren spend long days in daycare or school and afterschool care, and come home in time to have dinner and go to bed again. They have plenty of toys and no time to play with them.

The days of a child having only one or two treasured toys are long gone. Kids today have more toys than they know what to do with; sometimes they’re so busy playing games and watching movies on their parents’ phones that they don’t even think about their toys.

This is hard for me to accept but I think it’s a fact: it would be wiser for me to give them experiences instead of stuff. Their parents would prefer it, and they might actually get some enjoyment out of museum passes, zoo passes, show tickets or something similar. Their folks don’t have a money tree, so providing a gift like this for the kids is also a gift for their parents. They can enjoy a fun outing with their children without having to pay for it.

So I’ve begun to research this concept. If you have grandchildren or young nieces and nephews or all of the above, you might also want to think about doing this. Here are some examples to get you started:

Play passes

Movie passes

Museum passes (some offer the bonus benefit of getting into other museums for discounted or free admission)

Zoo and aquarium passes

Farm visits

YMCA or gym memberships

Kid-friendly restaurant gift certificates