Last month, in the midst of my own major post-holiday declutter, I learned a new-to-me term: osoji, which Google tells me literally means “big clean” in Japanese. It’s not a new tradition at all, however–it dates back to circa 800 A.D. At that time, the Imperial Court was ritually cleansed of soot at the end of each year to welcome the deity of the new year (source, source).
Keeping my home free from unused items does have a spiritual component for me. It feels respectful to my family to maintain a decluttered home in which the kids can play and Eric and I can efficiently live our lives. It feels respectful to the environment to thoughtfully pass on items we don’t need, and to receive an annual reminder to be intentional about the things we bring into our home. I even have more mental space to focus on what matters in life and to be intentional about my own spiritual practice when we aren’t overwhelmed by unnecessary stuff.… Read More »
I am a minimalist. I also have four kids, three of whom are not minimalists (the other one is three weeks old, so I’m not sure about his aesthetic yet). My olders love their toys, books, art supplies, random bits and bobs they’ve accumulated from birthday parties or the dentist’s office, school crafts… an endless array of things that are meaningful to them. C’est la vie!
I’ve been taking more social media breaks lately, which has been so good for my mental health. I’ll log off of Instagram or Facebook for a few days (or both) and not stress about keeping up with what’s happening online. It feels absolutely freeing to only think about life offline for a bit!
Good afternoon! The two youngers are napping, E and e are at a ski lesson and I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I’ve confined myself to the couch until my headache goes away at least. It’s 45 degrees and beautifully sunny out, and the birds are singing like it’s spring–so it’s not all bad!
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. I’m very into the idea of cutting back lately. Not just in the obvious ways (buy what’s on sale! Ask around for hand-me-downs!) but also questioning what I feel like I/we NEED to buy for one reason or another.