Like most things I waited for the hype surrounding Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up to die down before I grabbed a copy. I know that if I rode the hype train every day I’d be broke and in possession of too many things I didn’t really want. So the waiting game is my best method to guaranteeing I don’t just want something because it’s popular. This book I definitely wanted.
Now if you are one of two people in the world who haven’t read this book yet, then let me tell you it’s a pretty drastic, all-in guide that most won’t take everything away as gospel. I myself left some ideas to the wayside knowing that they just wouldn’t work for me. That’s totally ok. You have to find what works for you. This book just really makes you figure that out. Here’s what it taught me.
- If it doesn’t spark joy you don’t need it. Of course at first I thought this was a bit nuts. I thought that there would be so many things in my life that didn’t spark joy, but I definitely still needed. Pots and pans for example; not world changing things. Yet I sat down with all of my things and asked myself the question, and I started to see that some things (even pots and pans) made me happier than other things. So the things that made me happy I kept.
- You don’t feel regret for getting rid of things. I thought I would. I paired down my memory box quite a lot to photos and items that really spoke to me. I thought for sure I’d feel regret the next day about throwing out photos from old birthday parties and journals from the fourth grade. But I don’t. Kondo talks a lot about holding onto the past and the fear of the future guiding people into keeping things they don’t really need. She also speaks about how we shouldn’t hold on to things to remember every single event in our lives. We’ll naturally remember the really important ones and the other memories of events have already served their purpose. They’ve shaped us to be who we are now. I completely get this and feel so much lighter for only having the mementos that speak to me.
- Objects have feelings. And I don’t mean that in a Sesame Street kind of way. Objects have a purpose and a life span with a person. A house wants to shelter you and keep you safe. Clothes want to protect you and keep you warm. It’s important to have respect for these objects because they’ll be able to do their job better. It’s when they no longer have respect that they no longer serve a purpose. So that sweater you just never wear anymore deserves to feel respect from someone else. It needs to move on.
- To appreciate my things and thank them for what they do for me. And it’s made a crazy difference in my happiness. I say goodbye and hello to our house every time we come and go and it gives me a relationship with my home. I thank old objects for what they’ve done for me before I donate them or throw them away. I feel so much more in touch with my belongings and my emotions doing this. It just feels right to do.
- I was already ready for the change. I just needed a push to do it. I had already started getting rid of unnecessary clothing and random objects. I just needed the final shove to tackle everything else in my life. Kondo made it feel so obvious, like I was already doing it but just not to the best of my ability.
- Everyone’s peace with their belongings is different. What I feel like is enough isn’t necessarily what you’ll find to be enough things. There isn’t a yard stick to measure your success in decluttering. You’ll know if you half-assed it or have gone to your limit.
I have a feeling I’ll return to this book a year or so down the line and have a completely different relationship with it. It really makes you think about what your belongings actual are to you and how to interact with them. Things no longer feel like things and that’s a crazy feeling.
Have you read this book? What did you think?
xoxo Kayla
Wednesdays are always hard days for me. There’s something about them being smack dab in the middle of the week that I dislike them more than Mondays. I always try to make them a bit more relaxing than other days in order to keep me going until the end of the week. So here are five things to do today that can help you feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the week.
- Take time away from the screen. This is a really hard thing for a lot of people to do, especially if you have a computer/internet related job like I do. But getting away from screens for even just an hour can really help reset your focus.
- Put on some makeup. Not only is it great to have a little “me” time and take it slow putting on some makeup, there’s always something so confident-boosting about the whole process. My motto is “stressed, but well dressed” and makeup definitely makes that a truth.
- Organize something or clean up a space you spend a lot of time in. Having a clean living area can really boost your mood. Nothing is worse than coming home to a stack of dirty dishes or a kitchen table you can’t see under bills.
- Learn something new about a topic you’re interested in. Lately Alex and I have been watching a lot of design videos and learning more about the software we use on a daily basis. Learning new things just feels good.
- Make a list and get back on track for the rest of the week. I always tend to drift by Wednesday and a to do list makes it that much easier to focus and remember what I wanted to accomplish.
xoxo Kayla
After wrapping up our first pottery class last week, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic and think back on the entire process. It was loads of fun and definitely something we would do again. It was a ten week course for three hours every Saturday. We improved leaps and bounds by the last class, but my favorite part might just be what I learned about Alex and our relationship in the process.
- We work very differently, something I already knew quite well, but we worked very great together despite that. He was a very messy, all over the place kind of worker, but produced a lot of beautiful pieces quite quickly. I was all about precision and taking my time, which made me a great glazer to take all of our pieces to a great finished form.
- Our styles compliment each other in ways I never noticed before. Every single piece he created I loved and wanted to immediately keep for myself. He couldn’t get enough of all the bowls I was making. We created very different things but they worked so well together.
- Alex works incredibly hard to become good at something if at first it doesn’t really click. We found out a few classes in that Alex actually throws left-handed, but until that discovery moment he struggled along trying to throw right-handed. He kept working at it and didn’t get frustrated when it wasn’t going his way.
- We can be at different skill levels and it doesn’t affect anything. Because Alex had such a hard time starting out, I became better than him at the start. He didn’t pout and I didn’t boast. We encouraged each other to push ourselves without carrying who’s better or worse.
- We are a good team regardless of what we think sometimes. We rarely work together during the week days since we have such a different work style, but when we do work together, our two personalities really shine as one cohesive unit.
Beyond the fact that I loved getting out of the apartment for a few set hours each week, I really enjoyed watching Alex’s process and spending some time with him. Relationships are definitely ever-changing creatures, but I’m happy to say pottery definitely taught me a thing or two about mine.
xoxo Kayla
There’s just something about the evening that I can’t get enough of. I love the feeling of winding down and getting ready for a nice night of sleep. Everything feels cozy and warm. Yet the evening is an important time to bring in some good habits to make sure you’re getting the most out of the time right before bed.
- Read something. Anything really. Whether it’s a comic book or an article in a magazine, let yourself relax with something that isn’t technology based.
- Pamper yourself with a good skincare routine that also helps heal your skin throughout the night. Use an overnight mask that works while you sleep to make your skin look so much healthier and brighter in the morning.
- Give yourself 30 minutes without technology before heading to bed. This would be an awesome time to read and give your brain a break.
- Tidy up your place so when you wake up in the morning you aren’t faced with dirty dishes or a messy living room. Taking a few minutes to pick up can really improve your mood and make it easier to fall asleep.
- Keep a gratitude journal or at the very least reflect on the day that you’ve had. Thinking of all the positive things that happened can really improve your mood as you head to sleep and it’s always good to be thankful!
Now go cozy up with a good book and get into the habit of having an amazing evening, every evening.
xoxo Kayla
I’m definitely an on and off again morning person. I can go months with waking up super early and then suddenly can barely pull myself out of bed at a normal hour. I’ve found that these five morning habits help make every morning a good one and ultimately make me more productive throughout the day.
- Don’t start the day with social media, or checking your phone. Give yourself some time to wake up before diving straight into the internet/work load for the day. Bombarding yourself with so much information so early could easily start your day off on the wrong foot.
- Practice a morning skincare routine, even if it’s just a few steps. You’ll not only end up looking more awake, but you’ll feel better knowing your skin is clean and not starting the day of gunked up with makeup from the day before.
- Eat something for breakfast, even if it’s just something small. Starting your day off with a bit of food jump starts your metabolism and keeps you from becoming hangry.
- Drink a glass of water. Seriously.
- Give yourself time and don’t wake up with just enough minutes to rush through your morning routine and fly out the door. Even waking up just 15 minutes earlier can make a huge difference. If you start your day off calm, chances are the rest of the day will follow similarly. Why not try to give yourself the best possible advantage?
Mornings get a bad rep, but they can be great quiet times to reflect, focus, and prepare for the day. These five steps are just a few of the really easy ways to make your mornings start off better and get you in the perfect position to have an amazing day.
xoxo Kayla
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. This idea of “doing your own thing.” With a world that’s constantly connected it’s so easy to get swept up in the flurry of trying to keep up with the Joneses. Everyone and their brother is opening an Etsy shop selling stickers these days. I was definitely not the first and I’m sure dozens are still to follow. Is that a bad thing? I’m not sure. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t worrisome as we try to make a living off of an ever saturated market. We take a risk every day and whatever consequences that come with it are ours to bear. But beyond the economical implications I keep wondering if I’m just one of the herd and how to do my own thing and stay true to myself when everyone else has the same idea.
I know I’m just rambling really, but is it even possible to do your own thing anymore? What does that even mean? If an idea is a good one, does it become less as more and more people adopt it and put their own spin on it? It’s a good thing I wasn’t a philosophy major or I’d be in a world of trouble.
I guess what I’m trying to say is in a world were everything is so intertwined, it’s hard to do your own thing. It’s hard to feel unique and special and that your idea, or whatever it is that you’re doing, has merit and matters. Regardless of what you’re doing or how many other people are doing the same thing, constantly work towards doing your own thing. Every morning I wake up thinking about how I can just be myself and do what I love to do in the way I love to do it. It’s important to me. I base my self worth off of it (regardless of whether or not I should).
I don’t know if there’s an answer or an explanation to ease my mind. The only thing I can do it try every day to remain honest, humble, and myself. Maybe that’s how we can all do our own thing. By working every day to just be ourselves, no matter what that means.
xoxo Kayla
