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4 WAYS I SIMPLIFY MY LIFE

October 8, 2015

Despite how the headline of this post sounds, I’m not giving life advice. That would be most ridiculous case of false expertise blogging in the history of the Web (and if you read blogs you know that there are a lot of “experts” out there). I prefer to think of posts like this as tidbits about stuff I’ve done that you may or may not find useful. Which pretty much sums up everything on this blog.

Anyway, whether I consciously set out to do it or not, I’ve simplified my life a bit in the last five or so years and I’m a happier person for having done it. Here are some of the things I’ve done.

1. WE EAT THE SAME THING EVERY MONDAY

This is pretty weird, but every Monday we have “salad Monday.” We have a salad with grilled chicken. Because neither of us are good at grocery shopping or meal planning, to have one night a week when we don’t even have to have a discussion about what is for dinner is a huge relief. And with as hectic as Mondays can be, it’s the perfect night for our no-brainer dinner.

2. I’VE STOPPED DOUBLING UP ON THINGS

Before we did our house renovation, I had a lot of stuff I didn’t need laying around. I had pans to cook every possible thing you can think of. Specific pans or pots or dishes. For just about everything. And yet, 99% of the time I use the same pan every night. I would pick up all sorts of serving dishes for when we entertained. I also had about seven tongs, three potato mashers, approximately 39 spatulas and a bunch of other things. When we did the renovation and then renovated the kitchen a year or so later, I cleaned in a big way and was ruthless about getting rid of all of the extras. We hardly entertain and I’ve never had anyone ask me where my special serving dish for the mixed nuts is. I also have friends and family with all of that stuff so I could always borrow it if I needed to. (I pay them back by being the official family/friend/neighbor owner of a roaster oven—called a “Nesco” in Wisconsin parlance—which is the key requirement to any party for 35 or more people that also involves a sporting event being broadcast on TV.)

3. I RESPECT THE STORAGE SPACES I’VE CREATED

Yes, I create storage anywhere I can, because that’s what you do in a small house, but I’ve also made it a point to not allow myself to create overflow areas. If the sweater drawer is too full, something has to go before any new sweaters can come in the door.

4. I AVOID MOST “FREE” STUFF

About a year ago I cleaned out two baskets of beauty samples (those little packets of moisturizer or shampoo or eye cream that you get when you buy or order similar stuff). It filled a gallon-size plastic bag to the point where I couldn’t close it. I took them all to work and let everyone grab what they wanted, but now I never take the samples unless it’s a product I know I’ll use for traveling or something I truly want to try. The same goes for other giveaways and samples. Unless I really want it, I just don’t take it.

Don’t get me wrong. Life is great because it is complex (most great things are), but it’s nice to simplify some things so you can make room and time for the more complex parts of life. Do you do anything to simplify your life?

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by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
5 Comments

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Comments

  1. Annie says: October 8, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    I (try to) do all the things you listed. This is a good reminder to try harder. My life gets out of control during the summer months when I spend all my time in the garden and let things pile up inside. Literally. Piles of stuff are hard to plow through. This will be my project now that the gardening season is coming to a close. Good reminder!

    Reply
  2. Stephen Andrew says: October 8, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    Hmmmm
    Does this mean "get the f out of my blog, SAJ"?? False expertise and hoarding are my passions. Haha well I'm not leaving. I simplified my life in a huge way when I quit social media. And I created a wardrobe that requires no thought and handles many occasions. I couldn't believe how much time I used to waste standing in my closet trying random things on.
    Simplifying my kitchen? Never. I have multiple backups for my backups and somehow seem to use everything all at once. But I do cook very big. At least I put the effort in some places, right? 🙂

    Reply
  3. Heather - New House New Home says: October 9, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    Great advice! We're renovating our bathroom and I threw away a kitchen catcher bag full of shampoos and soaps from hotels. My husband just loves to bring those home with us. And under all that, I found his cherished nail scissors which he's been accusing me of stealing for 4 years.

    Reply
  4. Ms. Wis./Each Little World says: October 9, 2015 at 10:54 pm

    I have yet to become part of the paperless society. I am adrift in books, mags and clippings – all of which I find hard to significantly reduce. And lots of things certainly fall by the wayside during gardening season. Good list and it is easier to work on these things during the indoor season.

    Reply
  5. Kylee Baumle says: October 14, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    This is good. We do the first one on Saturday nights. We have pizza and try to watch a movie. Sometimes we don't do the movie, but we always know what we're eating that night. I'm going to try the other suggestions you give. Something's gotta give here…

    Reply

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The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
Three years ago I planted 10 ‘Royal Raindrops’ Three years ago I planted 10 ‘Royal Raindrops’ crabapple whips and then (after a gin) cut them all off about 16 inches from the ground. And so began the training of the espalier Belgian fence (no, I don’t know why it’s called that, it’s just what that form of espalier is called). It is blooming fabulously this year and in need of a few more extensions of the framework to help guide the branches but I’m thrilled with the progress it has made in a relatively short time. Video update coming soon but I didn’t want to miss showing the blooms.
I still believe that the biggest game changer in a I still believe that the biggest game changer in a garden and the single best way to make a less-than-perfect garden look amazing is a fresh edge. Weeds? Who cares. Bare spots? Nobody will know. A fresh edge tidies even the most disheveled garden right up. And even though I have a ton of planting to do, I spent a good amount of time today working on edges because it’s just that good. I use my @troybilt gas edger to cut the edge and follow up with the @sneeboer half moon edger. By the way, I’d give up my lawn mower before I gave up that gas edger. I didn’t get all the beds done but I did do the ones I see the most from the house so I can stare out the window and just think, “Damn, that looks good.”
Great diagonals courtesy of Polygonatum (Solomon’s seal) in the shade garden. Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) and ‘Dawn’s Early Light’ playing rare backup roles as the Polygonatum is allowed to have its moment in the sun … er … shade.
I love the small flowers of Epimedium. I’m grate I love the small flowers of Epimedium. I’m grateful that they bloom early in the season because their delicate blooms would probably be overlooked if they bloomed later when they would have to compete with big, brash, attention-demanding flowers in the summer garden. They are great for dry shade but they really need moisture to get established before they will get on with things.
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