Foto Friday

I went to the Museo de Jade in Chepe. I thought it was a little overpriced for extranjeros, especially considering one exhibit was closed, but it was interesting and well planned. Here are a few pictures.

 Un gato??? Shocked, shocked I tell ya. But wait, there's more.

 Otro gato!!!

Someone was having a bad day... I've had a few of those.

Keep your floors clean for those special moments. Muy importante.

For the record I love Fabuloso, ever since my tenure in México del norte (South Texas). 

Something interesting, to me, that I have noticed here is the pairing of seemingly random products. This one is actually boxed together but sometimes they are just taped together in their separate boxes. Yes, I will buy this skillet because I also need an iron at the same moment! The skillet/electric chopper combo made more sense and was tempting but I remember I decluttered the electric chopper I never used... 

"Some language barriers are bad

They can really make you mad

And sometimes make you swear and curse"

Or sometimes you wind up with three scoops of ice cream in a giant waffle cone instead of the single scoop of ice cream you were attempting to ask for. I think this is the Pura Vida.

Things That Matter, Stuff That Works

Things That Matter. Stuff That Works. Two songs that I have loved for many years, which have taken on deeper meaning as I’ve worked to simplify my life. I imagine the words ring true to most people on a simple journey.

De-owning half of your possessions will give you perspective on the ‘things that matter’ – tangible and intangible. It will also give you a greater appreciation for the ‘stuff that works’.

I own many things which fall into those categories. A dresser which belonged to my oldest cousin as a child; it has belonged to four cousins over the course of four decades. My grandmother’s cedar chest. The desk my grandfather built in his high school shop class. These things matter, they have history and “spark joy” as Kondo would say. And they also work! Consumer culture tells us these things should be replaced, updated, super-sized but doing so doesn’t satisfy. Deep down, no matter how much we financially buy into the lie, we know that’s not what matters.

Simplifying my life has made it easier to enjoy the ‘things you can share’. My home is a more welcoming place to others. It is easier to clean and to maintain the welcoming environment. I have more time to be hospitable to my guests and enjoy their presence. Having such a home has always been important to me and I never realized how the excess was getting in the way of that goal.

Going forward in my simple life I want to focus more on the things I keep, and less on what I’m getting rid of. More about what I allow in, than what I need to send out. More on the ‘stuff that’s real’!

Tidy Magic

Tidy Magic… that could work as a Tiny Bubbles parody… next post! For now, let’s talk about what everyone in the decluttering/simplifying/minimizing world has already talked about: The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

Tidy Magic came into my life via Audible circa March 2015. The minimalist bug was in my ear due to a close friend and I had a LOT of stress in my life. It seemed to make sense that, though the “stuff” wasn’t the source of my stress, less “stuff” could still equal less stress.

I love stuff. I had (still have) lots of stuff. Children’s books, stuffed animals, and clothes I hadn’t worn in a decade. I also had an emotional attachment to all of this stuff. I’m talking psychological issue attachment. This is where tidy magic came in.

I admit the book was odd at times. The idea of thanking “stuff” I should have gotten rid of LONG ago seemed bizarre, at best. But I was determined to listen with an open mind. I listened as I decluttered:

-          size 0 (insert hysterical laughter here) jeans,

-          clothes with tags I knew I would never wear,

-          hard-earned trophies (from over a decade ago),

-          gifts I no longer wished to keep.

While I didn’t go so far as to thank every item I let go of I did learn to appreciate the purpose things served in a given time and space, realizing they didn’t have to fit into the current time and space. I could be grateful for a gift, and still let it go. I could be proud of an achievement, and still let it go. I could accept the lesson of a bad purchase, and still let it go.

Another thing that stuck with me as I listened to Tidy Magic were the cultural differences and how steeped my culture is in consumerism. This is something obvious yet it hit home to me more after listening to Kondo. Not only did Tidy Magic change my relationship with the stuff I own, but it also changed my purchasing decisions. It changed how I give gifts, how I decorate my home, and how extensive my wardrobe is. I still desire and purchase nice things but I am much more discerning of what is a want versus what is a need, and far less prone to impulse purchases that will end in a decluttering heap!

I’ll be sharing more in the future on how decluttering and simplifying has improved my quality of life, thanks in part to Tidy Magic. I’ll also share some of the things I did NOT declutter. J Until next time… travel lightly.