Living with Less

Follow the release of Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo's 2014 book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying-Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, minimalism was in. Following Kondo's steps of asking yourself for every item you own if it "gives you joy," is the basic principle of her teachings, but that's not always as easy as it sounds.

I always thought having OCD would work in my favor, that I would be ultra-organized and able to clear away the clutter, but that wasn't always the case. Today, my OCD works in my favor, not against me, to help me live a less cluttered and "stuff" filled life. Living more simply is just as difficult, it's not as easy as getting rid of the things you no longer wear or use, because you'll likely re-accumulate the same items over and over.

-Clothing: Identify what works on your body by trying on every single piece of clothing you own. If it's not flattering, has holes or stains, is too small or too big, say goodbye. Donate, sell, or give to your friends what you don't want. I've been working at paring down my wardrobe, by getting rid of lower-quality pieces of clothing that haven't held up, trends I'm no longer interested in, and am now working my way toward the wardrobe I want to have that makes me happy to get dressed in the morning.

-Products: As a blogger, I get sent a good amount of products for PR and consideration purposes, and have collected more free tote bags from events then I'd ever be able to count. I used to have massive stash of makeup that I wasn't using regularly, and have pared it down to only the products I truly use on a regular basis. Same goes for skincare, haircare and body care products. I used to have boxes in my closet of unopened products, that were serving no purpose except to take up space. Another tip is to use up any travel size or sample size products you have, and opt for reusable containers when you travel instead. You'll end up spending less in the long run, and these can be refilled easily. 

-Space: Getting rid of all the little things that yes, look cute, but don't really serve a purpose on your desk or dresser will make working from home or being in your space so much better. Accentuate your room with a similar color scheme, crystals, plants or flowers to purify your air, like I did on my bedside table above. Utilize recycled candle jars as pencil and makeup brush holders or even a flower vase, or use lucite, marble or glass to make your space look more fresh and less dark.