{"id":17953,"date":"2024-11-21T06:45:43","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T06:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/?p=17953"},"modified":"2024-11-21T06:45:43","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T06:45:43","slug":"13-kondo-like-living-tips-to-give-you-some-breathing-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shop-cili.com\/?p=17953","title":{"rendered":"13 Kondo-Like Living Tips to Give You Some Breathing Room"},"content":{"rendered":"


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While in my third trimester of my first pregnancy, I binged episodes of the then recently released Netflix series, Tidying Up<\/em>, during which the host Marie Kondo politely granted me permission to let go of anything that wasn\u2019t bringing me joy. <\/p>\n

Smack dab at the peak of my nesting phase, my new drug of choice\u2014in lieu of my preferred amount of caffeine\u2014became frequenting the back alley of our local Goodwill where I\u2019d unload mountains of trash bags chock-full of items I didn\u2019t need and would never miss.<\/p>\n

While minimalism has maintained its place as a pillar of my value system ever since Marie asked me to reassess if motherhood was really going to require that pencil skirt from 2010, I must admit that having young kids in tandem with my long-standing obsession with anything related to home decor or home aesthetics has given me a few additional layers of consideration on my path towards simplicity. <\/p>\n

Even still, I\u2019ve managed to protect my decluttering-addicted, Joanna Gaines-loving heart from discouraging rigidity with a few friendly reminders that have helped lighten my load mentally, physically and realistically.<\/p>\n

So for the parents who spend way too much time at home with their kids not to have an opinion about an appropriate amount of throw pillows, and for those who still aim to make their space a beautiful place they love to be, this guide is for you. <\/p>\n

Here are my 13 tips for \u201cminimalish\u201d maintenance\u2014and these will work for people without kids, too.<\/p>\n

Work on small areas<\/h3>\n

Occasionally, pick a drawer\u2014not a room\u2014and clean it out. At the risk of sounding dramatic, sometimes it can feel like my entire well-being hinges on my ability to easily close the kitchen drawer housing my linens. Rather than allowing this trivial annoyance to become an expletive-inducing experience, I can take five minutes to declutter or redistribute the overstuffed drawer instead of overreacting on account of too many dish towels. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tackled enough quick tasks like this now to know that working on one small area begets motivation for another, further confirming a little effort can go a long way.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t collect too many baskets<\/h3>\n

Despite my urge to solve every housekeeping issue with another basket, it\u2019s unfortunately possible to have too much of a good thing. My tendency is to accumulate stuff in as many baskets as I\u2019ve allowed myself, rather than using the baskets as an interim tool for transport like I intended. Consequently, if I want to avoid compiling static stockpiles, I need to cut myself off at a realistic amount of baskets that is helpful without being enabling.<\/p>\n

Just like buying new underwear to avoid washing the dirty ones, it\u2019s better to unload and free up a basket in the same way it benefits me to do the damn laundry instead. <\/p>\n

Use pillow covers to refresh your space<\/h3>\n

When the impulse to buy new decorative pillows arrives with ferocity, opt for pillow covers instead. A new pattern can easily refresh a space, but investing in another full-size pillow every time you get the itch to switch won\u2019t do your guest room closet any favours.<\/p>\n

When we purchased a new sofa to replace the three-seater couch we got by with for the first seven years of my marriage, I was stoked to finally get all the decorative pillows of my dreams to fill it. After weeks of experimentation, I\u2019d finally landed on the exact patterns and groupings of cozy squares and rectangles destined for each of the three nooks of our new sectional, which looked really beautiful for five minutes before my children reminded me what kids love most about pillows: throwing them on the ground. <\/p>\n

So while I\u2019m a little salty that my couch display usually looks more like an ongoing fort project than a Crate and Barrel catalogue, I have to admit that fewer pillows (and blankets)\u2014despite the fun I have styling them\u2014will always be easier on my parental closing duties.<\/p>\n

Choose what occupies your space carefully<\/h3>\n

Consider that when we allow certain things to infiltrate our space, we\u2019re denying ourselves potentially more important pursuits. I often look at the specificity of a holiday-inspired magazine and think, but where will that trio of Christmas trees staged in every corner go in the off-season?<\/em> The obvious answer must be eventually where you\u2019re currently doing your at-home Yoga practice, or whatever your space-inhabiting hobby or movement method is.<\/p>\n

Despite my spacious closet, it\u2019s no longer a place full of trendy pieces I wore once and forgot about. When I decided to take writing seriously, I made room and put a desk in there because I wanted to give myself a quiet place to work. And sure, it may double as a landing place for clean laundry sometimes, but I love the diversity of my \u201ccloffice\u201d and the freedom it\u2019s given me to dwell quietly in solitude.<\/p>\n

Make your decor functional<\/h3>\n
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