A Minimalist's Approach to Revamping a Pair of Wedding Shoes

I talk frequently about letting things go as a part of my journey into minimalism. I whittled down my closet to the essentials, and even during my pregnancy, I lucked out by scoring some maternity pants from a coworker. When we moved from Austin to Houston, I packed up several boxes of items, including many pairs of shoes. While living with Kendan's cousin for nearly a year, only a few pairs made it into the closet of a spare bedroom we were renting.

When we bought our house, I couldn't wait to unpack and give away more donations to Goodwill. I know that sounds kind of odd, but we hadn't used anything in the boxes for nearly a year, as they had been stacked in my parents garage, rearranged dozens of times and remained unopened. I finally found the box labeled "Kelsey's Shoes" and knew which ones I had wanted to keep.

I pulled out my wedding shoes and tossed them in the keep pile. After much debate, I decided to revamp my wedding shoes. I found the Houston Shoe Hospital and dropped them over the next day for a total makeover. The dingy creme-colored pair of shoes were slightly dirty from my bridal photography session (by an amazing photographer—Sassani Photography), and the handful of times I had worn them since then. When I picked them up a few weeks later, I was absolutely stunned at how they turned out.

There are now only five pairs remaining out of the nearly dozen or so pairs I had accumulated over the years, which include

• one pair of black flats
• one pair of tennis shoes
• one pair of flip flops
• one pair of silver heels
• one pair of black (wedding) shoes

My point is this: Don't let go of something that means so much to you. For me, keeping this one pair of shoes and revamping them as my only pair of black heels was important to me. I donated my other pair, as I only need one black pair of heels. Invest in a high-quality piece of clothing or item that makes you happy, and be OK with that! I can't wait to rock these new heels, but I'm currently nearing 9 months of pregnancy, so we'll have to wait a few more weeks. 

Check out my before and after photos below!

Photo Credit | Sassani Photography

Photo Credit | Sassani Photography

Top 3 Places to Donate & Cash in on Clutter

While researching for this blog post, I found an amazing article by a minimalist that covered a detailed list of where to donate anything. If you're looking for that kind of guide, be sure to read Miss Minimalist's guide, 101 Places Your Clutter Can Do Good. I thought I'd cover a few places where I like to go when I'm ready to get rid of something. With the three of these, we've been able to pare down much of our possessions to what we truly need and care about. Because, really, do you need 50 t-shirts?! I've found that with less clutter, I have way more time to focus on The Little Red Journal and spending time with my husband while we're not at work!

Goodwill | There's over 2,700 locations nationwide, and I can think of two within a three-mile radius of our new home. Not long ago, I found myself bringing home less than $450 a paycheck cleared after taxes. I had no other choice but to shop at Goodwill for clothing. They will literally accept nearly any type of household item or article of furniture and clothing. You're also creating job opportunities for people who sort, price, and sell the items, which I always thought was a great perk. Their pricing is great, too, if you're needing a new item of clothing or are looking for some used furniture. I'm all about donating, and think it's great to free your home and mind of the clutter.

Half-Price Books | I don't know how we amassed a library of books. When we lived in Huntsville, Texas while I attended Sam Houston State University, my now brother-in-law asked me, "Who do those books belong to?!" As if they magically appeared out of thin air or we were storing them for someone else. When we moved from Austin, we filled up two reusable bags and hauled them over to Half-Price Books. I was stunned to be offered nearly $50 for the lot. I cashed out and tossed it into our savings. We saved the hassle of packing two boxes during our move and we haven't even missed those books.

Craigslist | This one can be hit or miss, but when we moved out of Austin to Houston, Texas, we definitely cashed in on some items that we wouldn't need for one year. We sold a couch to some total hipsters (vintage holds its value in Austin) for $300 (and I made $50 profit!), and we sold a record player cabinet for $130 that I had only paid $100 for originally. So for higher-priced items, it is definitely worth it, but I wouldn't recommend trying to sell items of clothing or small trinkets around the house. Not worth the time you will spend going round and round with a potential customer. Big items, though—YES!

Interested in minimalism? Read some inspiring posts!
How Minimalism Made Moving Day Less Painful
Minimalism 101: We The Tiny House People
Skipping the Holidays: Minimalist Style
Cutting the Clutter: The 5 C's to More Happiness
5 Lessons I've Learned by Decluttering
Cutting the Clutter: Kitchen Revamp
Top 5 Reasons for Cutting the Clutter
Embracing a Minimalist Lifestyle

A Minimalist's View of Frozen's Anthem: Let it Go

I was teasing my mom recently because she's been talking about the movie Frozen for weeks now. She bought the movie because she heard it was good. I have not yet seen it, but of course, I can sing the entire theme song from memory because it's just so popular! Well, I think the title of that song has some great advice. So, I'll write this post while being completely ignorant about the context of this song, and we'll just wing it.

LET. IT. GO.



I'm talking about anything and everything in your home that causes you to cringe when you walk by it. Do you have a pile of items sitting in a junk drawer that you can stand to look at? Well, let's let Elsa do the talking here. We'll take chunks of the lyrics and apply them to minimalism. This should be fun!

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.

Alright, so here we have the perfect intro: your house is your kingdom and if it was cluttered up like mine a few years ago, you'd feel like the queen of a great treasure trove. But it does feel a bit isolated because you don't have the room to really breathe and enjoy your home. What's next, Elsa?

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!

By now, you know there's something not quite right in your life, and you really do want to make some changes. Where do I start? How do I even begin to tackle the clutter in my life? You've tried to buy some organizational totes and you're too embarrassed to admit you totally fell for those bags that you stuff full of extra bedding, sweaters, and sheets that you really don't need, only to realize as you're sucking out the air out of the bags with your vacuum cleaner attachment, that you'll just be tossing these to the back of the closet once you've sealed them in their tomb.

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know!

Crap, you have visitors and they showed up at the most inopportune time. Why didn't they call beforehand so you could do some speed cleaning?! How are you supposed to tidy up the house when you hear that knock on the door?

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!

No, no, don't lock the door and run away in shame! This is your chance to make some big changes in your life. You don't need to speed clean once you have decluttered your home. Why? Because everything has a home and nothing is left strewn about. You'll look like the queen on your kingdom and everyone will wonder just how you keep your house so tidy. They may comment how well-polished the home looks and you can probably get away with those unswept floors if people aren't focusing on a pile of magazines or other items that tend to pile up.

I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!

This is the attitude you will have AFTER you've made peace with donating any unnecessary items and letting go of those things you thought you needed. Once you realize that your home has a profound effect on your mental well-being and ridding yourself of the clutter can actually improve your outlook and attitude, then you'll be donating like crazy. Some people may not understand you or why you're letting go of things in your home. That's okay, and you should remember that this change only matters to you!

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!

Once you see your possessions as what they really are, whether they be useful to you now, or five years ago, it will be so much easier to decide what stays and what goes. I'm not saying you'll be packing everything up, but you'll realize you really don't need three extra sets of bedding or 50 t-shirts. You'll soon be free of those preconceived notions and feel good about helping someone else out by donating an item that was once useful to you but is now surely much more useful to someone else today.

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free!

So what are you waiting for? You can totally do this. There are no rules to minimalism. It is what you make of it. If that means removing items from your home, that's great! If you find that reducing the amount of time commitments you make each week is helpful to ease your mind, then that's also another way to minimize. Don't compare your journey to anyone else's, because it's a deep-rooted change that takes place, and it looks different for everyone.

Best of luck to everyone during their journey into minimalism, and I'd love to hear how it goes.

Helpful Minimalism Blog Posts
Embracing a Minimalist Lifestyle
Sell your crap. Pay off your debt. Do what you love.
Top 5 Reasons for Cutting the Clutter
Cutting the Clutter: The 5 C's to More Happiness
5 Lessons I've Learned by Decluttering
Cutting the Clutter: Kitchen Revamp

Interview with Tofurky Founder Seth Tibbott: Living 7 Years in a Treehouse

A couple of years ago, I reached out to Tofurky confessing my love for their products and asked if anyone would be willing to give me an interview for my blog. I never imagined that I would receive such a positive response, and certainly didn't expect the company's founder, Seth Tibbott, to respond. He was a sweet, down-to-earth guy who shared his story with me and told me how he went from making tempeh to building one of the top vegan companies that come to my mind when I think of plant-based options!

He shared his story openly, and I was so excited to interview him. Then he mentioned he had lived in a treehouse. Say what?! I was intrigued and quickly asked him another set of questions that I hoped to one day share here as my interest in minimalism and financial savviness grew. I've been meaning to post this for nearly a full year now, and I finally have sat down and finished this post! Better late than never, and you'll love his story.

To read the full interview about Tofurky's company history that I had previously posted, click here.

The Little Red Journal (LRJ): How did you go about renting a tree to build your treehouse?

Seth Tibbott (ST): In 1985 I was making tempeh as a cottage industry in the small town of Husum, WA. My take home pay was $300/month and I needed a place to stay. I proposed a deal with a neighbor to rent three trees for $25/month, build a treehouse, and when I moved out, the treehouse became part of their property. I spent about $2,000 on the house and lived in it for seven years.

LRJ: What gave you the idea to build a treehouse?

ST: My friend Kirk Hoessele had built a really cool treehouse in a nearby town. I admired his house and thought, "This could work for me." Unbeknownst to me, another friend was building a treehouse in Husum (population 80) at the same time. We didn't find out about each other's treehouses until they were well underway.

LRJ: Did you gradually update as the years passed, or did you build out the treehouse completely in the beginning?

ST: The thing about a treehouse is you always keep building onto it. I added the third story coupola about two years after moving in. Just before moving out, I started building a cool pathway through the forest canopy but never finished it. The "treehouse peehouse" was added rather soon after moving in.

LRJ: Did you ever have guests in your home, and if so, where did they sleep?

ST: I had room to sleep two to four visitors. Downstairs there was a window seat that folded out into a double bed that you screwed legs onto (I had learned this trick from my father) and upstairs in the coupola I added another fold out bed.

LRJ: What do you miss about living in the treehouse?

ST: I miss the nightly visits from the flying squirrels who would land on the side of the house and poke their heads up to my bedroom window. That and gentle swaying of the house in the wind at night.

LRJ: Where do you currently reside? Are you still living in a small space?

ST: Currently, my wife and I live in a relatively small house of about 1,600 square feet, which is a lot bigger than the 264 square feet of the treehouse. There is a creek on one side of the house and a 12,000-foot mountain on the other side, so it's not a bad alternative to the treehouse at all. There is a small cottage about the size of my treehouse that my son stays in when he comes home from college.

Note from The Little Red Journal: Thank you Seth for taking the time to chat with me about the experience of living in a treehouse! It's so inspiring to hear a story of simple living.

We're Expecting and Due in February 2015

My husband and I have been planning, saving, and paying down debt like crazy since November 2012. Once we paid off Kendan's student debt in April 2014, we knew our next challenge would be saving up for a down payment on a house. I was hired on full-time in June, and found out I expecting one week later. We're beyond excited and are preparing for the arrival of our first baby in late February 2015.

I'm now twelve weeks pregnant and ready to shout it out on the blog. I am terrible at keeping secrets and we told our close friends and family when I was only a mere three and a half weeks pregnant. I waited until I was eight and a half weeks pregnant and could not longer disguise my growing belly at work to tell my coworkers.

Since finding out we're expecting, I've been amping up our savings. We're still living with a family member, so we're currently saving $3,000 a month for a down payment on a house. We still use Mint.com every day to track our spending, and we've even paid off the birth of our child in full already! I'm a big planner, so adding a little one to our family was no exception. My husband and I will be celebrating our ten-year anniversary of being together next week, and I never imagined I'd be where I am today ten years ago.

We're preparing for our biggest challenge yet and are keeping focused so we can have the best possible footing when our little one arrives. Here's a quick breakdown of our goals before our February deadline (the birth!) hits:

• Save up a total of $25,000 by the end of December. If things go according to plan and stay on track, we'll keep $10,000 in the savings for a nest egg and put down $15,000 for a house. 
• Stay true to our minimalism and only purchase the bare necessities for our child.
• Find a house that is within our budget and find a mortgage that we feel completely comfortable with.
• Move and unpack all of the boxes that have been sitting in my parent's garage for the last eight months since we moved back home. Donate anything we really don't need and keep our new home decluttered.

Some quick notes (for you and for me so I don't forget!)

• I'm still vegan. Yes, it's completely safe. I only have to up my protein intake (hello, beans!) during my third trimester. Otherwise, it's business as usual plus a few more snacks throughout the day to keep me satisfied (crackers, a handful of almonds, or a cup of vegan yogurt.)
• I'm seeing some wonderful midwives who are providing amazing care for my baby and I at the West Houston Birth Center.
• I haven't had any signs of morning sickness. I credit this to my plant-based diet, but maybe it's just pure luck. No clue, but it's great either way!
• I've had a few symptoms so far, with the most noticeable being more fatigue than usual. Sometimes I go to bed at 8:30 p.m., and other times I am fine staying up until 11:30 p.m.
• I believe I actually felt the baby "fluttering" around on August 5th. It was a Tuesday and as I was sitting at work, I began to feel a slight buzz and then what I can only describe as fluttering. Imagine taking two tips of your fingers and lightly tapping very quickly on the inside of your arm. That's what it felt like. It would do this on and off throughout the day for up to a minute at a time. I haven't felt it since, though.
• We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time on July 28th during a prenatal visit. That was surreal and I just stared at my husband and smiled. I had no words.

I plan to continue sharing my story here about my vegan pregnancy, saving up for our house, and trying to stay minimalist while adhering to a very strict budget to accomplish it all. Thanks again for tuning in, and feel free to ask me questions!

Now, here's my growing belly:

My husband and I at seven weeks.

Seven and a half weeks. My herbivore tattoo is a goner!

Eight and a half weeks.

Nine and a half weeks.

Ten and a half weeks.

Eleven and a half weeks.

The Joys of Donating + Tips for Keeping Your Closet in Check

I've always loved donating and all that it stands for. For a quick recap, once upon a time, I used to make very little money for the first few years out of college. I didn't have much, so I couldn't spend much. I thought it was crazy how one of my jobs required a dress code of khakis and solid plain colors for a top. I didn't have either and I was only making $8 an hour. So off to Goodwill I went! I appreciated the low prices, high-quality, gently worn clothing. Yes, you do have to dig. But the time spent is well worth it. That's probably the ONLY con I can think of when it comes to shopping second-hand. Now, let's chat about the pros!

1. Amazing prices. I'm talking $4 for a shirt or $7 for jeans. Or what about $8 for a dress? I knew that Goodwill would be good for my wallet since I had to purchase clothing and didn't want to pay department store prices.

2. You're putting people to work. Someone has to sort the donations, and Goodwill puts people to work to build this skill sets and help them train to gain valuable experience. 

3. Fashionable clothing. I know you probably think of your great grandmother's blouse or an ugly sweater when you hear Goodwill, but trust me, if you dig, you WILL find the gold. Nearly everything in my closet is from Goodwill and I receive compliments every other day on the items I wear.

4. You can afford to recycle your clothing. After you're tired of a shirt that you've worn endlessly for six months, you can let it go if you're ready. Wearing something 15-20 times that cost only $4 is not something you'll fret over if you're ready for a new look.

A few tips for keeping your closet in check

1. Keep a one in, one out rule. Exactly as stated, if you bring an item into your closet, be ready to let something else go. 

2. Consider what you love and wear often. See something you've only worn once in the last six months? Let it go.

3. Don't keep a shirt for memories. Make memories, but you don't need to keep your college shirt to remember the good times. It's ok to let things go, and it's great for you to detach from a material item. Live in the moment.

Here's my current closet. I often edit this weekly so I know I'm not hanging on to items that no longer fit well or are no longer something that is bringing joy (and color) into my life.

Spring Cleaning for Your Bathroom + Dollar Shave Club Interview

Spring is here and as a minimalist, all I can think about is purging more items from our household inventory. To inspire you to create a zen, minimalist bathroom, here are some quick tips for keeping your bathroom tidy and in order. I've also included an interview with Dollar Shave Club, which offers a great way to save on razors.

1. Remove duplicates if at all possible. I had a HUGE stockpile of chapsticks that I found after cleaning up my bathroom before our big move at the beginning of the year. If you don't need it, donate it or give it to someone who will use it.

2. Limit your hair products. Seriously. It's amazing what a bottle of detangler will do for you. I use it to spruce up my hair before work to give it some body and lift.

3. Audit your makeup items. I may be boring, but I keep my makeup bag to a bare minimum with only foundation, brushes, concealer, two eyeshadows that I pair, mascara, and eyeliner. That's it. No need for all the fancy tools and extras. Keep it simple.

4. Check your medicine cabinet. I routinely check labels and properly discard of any items that are way too old. During Hurricane Rita in August 2005, I volunteered to help out with refugees from Galveston, TX and came down with who-knows-what. Luckily, my husband's grandma had a bottle of medicine that had to have been 20 years old. Let's just say I didn't remember Hurricane Rita blowing through Huntsville that night.

What tips and tricks do you have to keep a simple, minimalist bathroom? 

Now what about saving money on bathroom items? I love to hear from readers, and when I heard from Dollar Shave Club, I thought it made perfect sense to interview them, as I love saving money. Their slogan is: "a great shave for a few bucks a month." Sounds good to me. I personally don't love shaving and find it to be such a, ahem, hairy situation. When I first met my boyfriend-now-husband, I told him, "I don't like shaving my legs. So if that's a dealbreaker, let me know." But I'll be honest: there's nothing like shaving with a good razor.

When the time rolls around to tackle the jungle that I call my legs, I opt for a nicer razor, as you pay for the cheap ones twofold in nicks and cuts. I had heard of Dollar Shave Club before, but was surprised that women could also benefit from their service. It's also affordable, with packages at only $3 per month, with shipping and handling, up to $9 a month. You know by now that I'm a frugal person, but I think the $3/month option sounds pretty doable, even for a small budget.

Check out this NSFW video below about the company (contains cursing!):

LRJ: I see that you have plenty of options for men. Do you offer women's products, too?

DSC: All of our products are great for women! We recommend the 4X (aka the Lover’s Blade), but our women members have told us they love the Executive, too.

LRJ: I'm all about saving money. I've even splurged on waxing, but that gets expensive really quickly. What does an average person spend on razors a month, and how does this compare money-wise?

DSC: According to this WSJ article, about $20/month is usually spent per month, as compared to Dollar Shave Club options.

LRJ: What were some of the issues that he wanted to address by creating such a service?

DSC: Basically, help people save money and provide a great, fun service.

About the Company
Dollar Shave Club couldn't be simpler. Select one of our great razors, pay one low monthly fee, and we send 'em right to your door. No more over-paying for fancy brand name shave tech. No more forgetting to buy your blades.

 Links | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter

Renting a Room and Keeping it Minimalist

When we first moved in with my husband's cousin at the beginning of the year, we didn't really know how long we would be here. Would it be just a quick pit stop while we looked for our sixth apartment in 8 years? Where would we even begin to look? After a couple of weeks, it seemed that everything was working out just fine. With his permission, we began slowly moving our items into the house that we now shared.

As a reminder, we literally moved on New Year's Day and shoved every single box that we owned into my parent's garage while we figured everything out. I would rummage through all of the boxes, open each one, and mark with more detail what was contained inside them. Now, instead of simply labeling one as "Kitchen", I now knew if there were cups, bowls, or forks inside. Once you've opened a box five or more times, you begin to create a system that makes more sense!

I began bringing items back to our new home that I had carefully selected from the boxes in my parent's garage to piece together our bedroom. This exercise really made me reconsider what was important to me, and I was surprised to see that I had even more items to add to my donate pile. Before we moved out of Austin, I decluttered many areas of the apartment, but not that it was clear we'd be living elsewhere for a while, the decision to toss another shirt into the donation box was that much easier.

Each time I visit my parents now (which is way more often than I can ever remember in year!), I go through another box and really think about what I can do without. My wardrobe has been pared down yet again and my husband now owns more clothing that I do! Our favorite decor is adorning the walls of our bedroom, and we added some kitchen items to the household inventory for communal use. Check out some of our setup, and let me know what you think! I'm loving the simplicity of the room, and know that it's the perfect amount of items for us.

Minimalist Living Room Decor and Makeover

When we moved in with my husband's cousin a couple of months ago, I was completely grateful for the living arrangement that we had. We're currently renting out a room, and he has a house full of furniture and decor that had a bachelor pad feel to it. And hey, that's what he was! So once we finally "settled in", I was careful to toss around the idea of redecorating and moving items to give the place a fresh new look.

During a weekend conversation before he was heading out for the evening, we began discussing his living room and the possibilities of decor ideas. I had some ideas in mind and quickly sketched out a floorplan that could work a little better than the current setup. After agreeing on the setup, our roommate mentioned that it looked like a "weekend project". If you know me, you'll know that I like a good challenge. I told him I'd have it done by the time he got back to the house (within two hours).

Without spending a dime (and actually finding a lot of loose change in the process), I completely revamped the living room in just under the two hours. I completely rotated that massive rug and moved around furniture myself like nobody's business. I feel it opened up the space and really took the living room to a totally different level of comfort.

Check out how moving just a few pieces of furniture and rearranging some items can do to a room!

Before

During

After

New Roomie: This House Just Become More Like Home

I had been counting down the days and waiting for weeks for our newest roommate, my husband's cousin. While we prepared for his arrival, I wanted to make his homecoming something he wouldn't forget. I'm all about a challenge, and I knew I had to budget to make his home something really nice while working with what we already have. I've been making over the house we're currently renting with my husband's cousin (our new roomie's bro), and steadily have been making it a little more cozy.

I started off thinking about what all would be needed but also wanted to make the room a little minimalist. This would give him a good welcome home and at the same time provide some flexibility if he wanted to "make it his own". I thought about a budget for this, and figured about $35 would do the trick. We had the bed and bedding, but aside from that, the room was bare. I'll just jump right into the photos, and then we'll talk numbers.

Picture frame (Target) -- $1.99

Chair and pillow -- $0 (owned by roomate, free)

Laundry basket (Target) -- $3

Fake succulent (Target) -- $3

Lamp (Ikea) -- $0 (owned previously)

Bedding/bed -- $0 (previously owned)

Curtain rod/curtains (Ross) -- $20 

Clock (Target) -- $5

------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL --> $33

I feel like it turned out pretty nice, and our new roommate LOVED his room. Simple and minimalist, but it looked great. I'm becoming a big fan of less is more, and especially renting just one room can really make you appreciate the items that you have with you even more!

Settling in To Our New Home

When we first decided to make a move back to Houston, near our hometown of Wharton, I didn't really know where to begin. It started with a job opportunity that my husband had heard about and turned into a real conversation as we drove from Houston to Austin during a weekend trip. Once that conversation took a serious turn, from could we move to Houston to when we move to Houston, I knew there would be some real work to get this to happen.

Downsizing Our Lifestyle and Dining Table

One of the first things that I wanted to sell as we moved a couple of months ago was our dining room table. I'm not too attached to sentimental items, and you may think it's weird that a table would be sentimental to me, but there's a good reason. Many years ago (about six, to be exact), Kendan and I decided to move in together. Although my mom wasn't too thrilled that we were "shacking up", she took me to a local furniture store where she agreed to purchase half of a dining set for our new little apartment with me covering the second half.

I didn't have a job at the time and was focusing solely on school. Looking back, I know this definitely helped me out personally, as I was able to get out of school sooner, but that's another blog post entirely. Anyway, we walked in to the local furniture store and there were many different options. I chose a nice dark brown set with white padded seats. If I had to choose a style, I would say it was a mix between modern and traditional.

We put it on layaway and I remember putting down some money that I had received from family for the holidays. We paid a little on it each month and finally by the time we were ready to move, it was paid off. Kendan and I were probably considered minimalists back then, but only because we hadn't really owned anything before then. We had a bookshelf from Kendan's childhood bedroom, the brand new dining set, a washer and dryer set that was a least a decade old (and still have!!!), and borrowed furniture from my brother.

This dining set went though four apartment, two upholstery sessions to change out the fabric on the seats, and was slightly dinged from a couple of moves. The problem? We rarely used it! There were times I would use it when I was working on a hobby, but for the most part, it was usually holding a pile of something that it really shouldn't have. So when it came time to move, I knew I wanted to sell it and get me something much smaller since I knew my next dining area was smaller.

It had been used plenty of times, saw many good meals, and shared some laughed around it with friends and family. But when it came to actually needing a practical pice of furniture, I knew I needed something smaller to match my new lifestyle. The day that I sold the table, I called my dad and asked, "Can you make me a table?" He's probably one of the most talented people I know when it comes to creating things.

We talked for a couple of hours and I told him what I was envisioning. I talked about going retro with a formica top, but the main thing for me was size. Kendan and I wanted something small that we could put up against a wall. Something that would be perfect for a small family like ours. Dad sent me a picture two days later of the finished table and I was blown away. It was tiny and I LOVED it.

My mother-in-law painted it for us and even added a personal touch underneath the table which included some paintings of butterflies. Why, you ask? So we can tie a sheet that will hang beneath like a hammock for our unborn child.

It's the perfect little table or us, and I beg you to ask yourself the question, "What do I really need?" and "Why don't I downsize, too?!"

Macklemore's Minimalism Inspiration in Wings

Kendan introduced me to Macklemore's music right before I had my financial awakening in November 2012. One of the first songs he showed me was "Wings", and it centers around Macklemore's lifelong journey into consumerism. As a little boy, he cherishes his Nike shoes and reflects now on how it consumed him after time. I listened to this song multiple times within hours and was hit in the face with the amount of truth in the lyrics. 

We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it
So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it
Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit
A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in

I'm an individual, yea, but I'm part of a movement
My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said

After listening to this, I started to think about a few things. At this point, I hadn't been buying expensive items for years, but it still stuck a chord with me. So many people (kids and adults) grow up thinking that they need the latest and greatest of everything. They are just material items. I guess the problem I have with them is that once you give an item that much power over who you are as a person, then it will begin to consume you. I'm all about wearing something that makes you feel great. For me, that could mean an $8 dress from Goodwill or a $2 shirt. Dropping $100 on some shoes is something unheard of for me, but the message is all the same. He was at a point where he didn't even take the shoes out of the box!

Look at what that swoosh did
See it consumed my thoughts
Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box
Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
That's my air bubble and I'm lost, if it pops

After hearing this song, I knew immediately that I was making the right choice by embracing minimalism. Check it out below and see if it rings true in any aspect of your life. You may not be into shoes, but  I'll bet this could apply to another situation or object that's taking hold of your life in a way you probably didn't even notice.

The Life-Giving Pursuit of Minimalism

Joshua Becker has been a great inspiration to me as I ventured into the world of minimalism. He's a father who found himself cleaning out the garage and having an epiphany as he realized he was wasting time with things he didn't even need. Here he gives a quick talk about owning less and living more, which is what minimalism means to me. I personally have found myself more calm and relaxed with our clean little apartment rather than stressed out worrying about, well, cleaning it. He has a blog, Becoming Minimalist, where he discusses all of these things and what minimalism means to him. Check it out and let me know what you think about owning less!

The Chair That Almost Blew Our Budget For The Month

A couple of weeks ago, my mom told me about this super cute chair that she found in Kirkland's. She knew I would love it and texted me immediately with a couple of photos. The price was $149, and it did match my couch perfectly with its colorful fabric in a mustard yellow tone. She called the store in San Marcos, which was the closest one to me, and they confirmed they had two in stock. I did think is was incredibly cute and I really wanted it. The problem was that I really didn't need it. I told mom, "That's not really in our budget for the month!"

I spent all weekend thinking about that chair. I had baked over 150 cookies and brownies for an Austin Bakes for West fundraiser that Friday night, and didn't have time to go to the Kirkland's in San Marcos. I kept busy all day Saturday working on The Little Red Journal site, and I worked some more the next morning. I  really didn't want to crack, because this is kind of my weakness. Before we had a budget, I would buy whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. This isn't that easy anymore. We're paying $1,000 a month on my husband's student loans, and a $150 purchase can definitely toss a tight budget off kilter. 

After meeting up with some friends for lunch, I was headed to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Happy Herbivore Abroad for a friend who's interested in eating more vegan meals. Before I arrived at the bookstore, I made a last-minute decision and turned into the parking lot for HomeGoods. I sighed heavily, and grabbed my purse to head in to the store. I knew I shouldn't be there. I hate to compare this to a serious addiction like drugs or alcohol, but I definitely felt jittery walking in there. I knew this wouldn't fit in to the budget and I had worked so hard to get rid of so many things lately while embracing minimalism. 

I took a look around, checked out the furniture, but didn't see anything that I loved as much as I did that chair mom had told me about. I shrugged my shoulders and hauled ass out of the there. If I hadn't left immediately, I would have found some small thing to look at and convince myself that I needed it. Once I had my first "real job" about five years ago, this would be a frequent event for me. Even growing up, I still remember piling into the car with my mom and grandma and heading for the mall. We didn't really need anything, but it was something that I learned to do to pass the time. (Bored? Go shopping!) So even though I didn't purchase anything that day, it is still very much something that I battle with. 

For now, our budget was safe. I'm sharing this with all of you because even though it is easy for me to donate, it's tough for me to stop spending. Don't get me wrong -- I haven't purchased anything like that in a long, long time, but I almost cracked and did. Walking out of that store felt amazing and I headed to the bookstore next. After picking up the book, I headed to my friend's house and noticed she was cleaning out her garage. I left her house and realized that I also should be cleaning out a few more things from our apartment. 

I've been so happy letting things go, and need to remind myself why I'm doing this. It's not a contest to see how little I can live with, but a true restructuring of our finances to work towards the goals we have in mind. That's why I found myself searching for "minimalist parenting" blogs when I arrived back at our apartment, even though we don't have a kid yet. I'm doing this now so that we can become parents sooner rather than later. And it's all a part of our bigger plan to pay off the debt and start living the life we really want. Don't use the "I deserve it," phrase, because what I deserve more than a chair is some peace of mind in our finances and think about growing our family.

The Infamous Chair

New Focus on The Blog & Why It's Changed

A few months ago, I had been taking a couple of extended breaks from The Little Red Journal. I've been quite busy moving, switching jobs, and trying to settle in to these adjustments. That's not my excuse, though. I was getting a little burned out on writing about veganism. I turned to my husband and said, "You know, I feel like I know everything I could possibly want to know about being vegan." I think there was a slight sigh of relief from him, and he probably knew that I wouldn't be asking him to watch yet another vegan documentary.

I wrote a blog post where I expressed this burned out feeling and tossed together all 45 posts up to the point that dealt with my journey into veganism. After writing that, I felt better, and realized that although being vegan is now a huge part of my life, it's definitely led me into another direction that I never really expected it to. After nine months as a vegan, I started to think about about other ways I could improve my life. I watched Adam Baker's TED talk and decided that we should pay off the remaining student loan debt that we have.

Despite having no experience at all with budgeting, I set to work creating one with the help of Mint.com. This was something that I was really staring to care deeply about. Instead of shrugging off a purchase as an "I deserve it" impulse buy, I began to really stop and think, "Do I need this?!" I found a love for minimalism and donated even more than usual to help purge some unnecessary items from our live. Then I really started getting serious about the finances. We've paid $1,000 every month since January on the student loans and are on track to be out of debt in June 2014.

If you're a regular reader (and I thank you for that!), then you're probably thinking, "I knew all of this!" If you're new, welcome, and I'd like to let you know that this has all impacted me, as well as this blog, heavily. The Little Red Journal began as a place where I could write freely and serve as a virtual diary of sorts about my life. I used it whenever I had the time, and in the beginning, I was posting sporadically. Once I went vegan, it was a place for me to seek refuge when many people were not supportive of what I was doing. There were plenty who were behind me since day one, and if you're reading this, you're probably one of them.

My focus has since shifted, and I want to talk about a few topics seriously, and without reservation. Obviously, I will still talk about veganism, as I am passionate about this and know that this is a great place to share all of my info here. I'd also like to talk about my financial goals and minimalism efforts here. An important thing that I've learned over the last year or two is that I don't have to live by anyone else's script, and it's time to create my own. I have no interest in living the life I had always dreamed about and now realize that I'm heading onto another path. I hope you all will continue to take interest in this new direction of The Little Red Journal, and I'm more than excited to share all of these new adventures with you.

Ways to Minimize Your Housework and Belongings

During our move a few weeks ago, my husband and I were discussing how many things we have donated in preparation for our new apartment. I am the queen of donating, and people are actually afraid to give me presents knowing that if I don't find it useful, I will simply donate it. Packing up the kitchen was a big wake-up call for us, and I sat there staring at ramekins and other useless items that I thought I needed to cook or the cabinet full of cups and dishes that overflowed for only two inhabitants of a one bedroom apartment.

As we stared at all of our boxes, my husband said, "We should go down to one plate." I thought about that and wondered how awesome it would be to just be responsible for cleaning two plates when meal time rolled around. Unfortunately, we aren't there just yet. I currently have a nice set of dishes from my great aunt that I can't let go of. They really are beautiful, but it's one sentimental thing that I can't let go of. Aside from their beauty, you can imagine our surprise when we first microwaved one and realized there was silver lining the edges of the dishes that will create sparking when heated!

Minimalism to me isn't about getting down to a backpack of your possessions, but downsizing to the things that you really want and need in your life. Once you start to dig around your kitchen, living room, bedroom closet, and bathroom, you realize that you really don't need all of that excess and that you could simply do without. There's something magical that happens once you get rid of all the little useless things in your life. I couldn't pinpoint it at first, but now I know what it is.

I can wake up in the morning and quickly tidy up the house before heading to work. There's no longer tons of little things laying around and everything has a purpose. I've always been sort of a neat-freak and I pride myself on my organization, but once you whittle down your belongings to the things that make sense for everyday use, you really free up tons of time. It's easier to get dressed in the morning, my kitchen always looks pretty spotless, and I am not stressing about big messes.

Think of the things in your life that bog you down or make you feel like you need to do a laundry-list of chores. Ugh, sorry to make you do that, but now check out these tips below for ways to ease your mind and lift the burden of abundance.

• Recycle cheap plastic storage containers and invest in Pyrex storage pieces that can quickly be tossed in the dishwasher and will last forever
• Clear out your living area of uneccessary items, including small catch-alls that attract clutter
• Look at your kitchen counters, rethink the space, and set out only frequently used items like spices and a cutting board
• Recycle any worn out plastic cups and invest in some glass or my favorite: Tervis tumblers
• Take a look around your bedroom and put away any items that are catching dust
• Utilize the drawers or shelves in the bathroom to store your essentials and keep them in an easy to reach space

Middle-Class Abundance Study from UCLA

I stumbled up these videos while recently browsing for anti-consumerism research. These are the results of a 10-year study of 32 different families conducted by anthropologists and archaeologists from UCLA. What's probably more startling that how many things people have, is that it's really not far from what I have seen in many homes growing up. This is becoming all too common and after watching these while writing this post, I got up from my laptop and started to clean my kitchen. Just the thought of ever becoming this filled with clutter makes me nervous.

I am not sure what has fueled this more, whether that is advertising, the super consumer economy we're created, or the fact that people just can't throw away or donate something! Most of the things in these videos just look like they purchased things on a whim (as I know all too well) or have stockpiled for some unknown reason or to quell some subconscious feat that they have within them. I do know that it's best to realize that when you are at this point, it may be time to reconsider how you're living, what you're using the space in your home for, and if you really need all of the things within it.

The results of the study were published with photographs in the book, Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century, and serves as a window into the homes of busy parents and their children. Check out the videos below to get a taste for how others live and then consider how you're currently using your home.

Minimalism 101: We The Tiny House People

In the last several months, I have been re-evaluating many things. I feel like they have all stemmed from going vegan and changing my lifestyle, but it opened many doors into my finances and how I lived. After watching Adam Baker's TED Talk about debt and what freedom meant to him, I started to wonder if I was always meant to live by not following "the script". In many ways, when I began dating my husband over eight years ago, I envisioned how it would all unfold. Dating, college, landing the perfect job, engagement, marriage, buying a home, having two kids, etc. 

Then as we progressed throughout our life, we found all of these things to be somewhat unattainable and impossible to follow the path that I always thought we were meant to follow. A few months ago, I realized that no, I don't need to have all of these things in that order to be happy in life, and that not everyone lived the American Dream. What I did find was marvelous. Instead of buying McMansions, I found a documentary that revolved around space, basic comforts in a home, and a way of living that went against every thought and dream that I had. 

We, The Tiny House People is a great documentary that focuses on a different way to live. I sat here in amazement as I watched how each home was different than the next, although had the same principles and goals in mind. Living small was not only environmentally smart, but it's also financially flexible. Why hadn't I considered this before? I challenge you to watch this and re-evaluate what you think is most important in life. It's not always about getting the next best thing or having the most square footage.

Enjoy the full documentary below in its entirety!

Minimalism in Disney: Baloo's Bear Necessities

When you're a child, there's really so much great advice out there that you probably didn't even catch. Aside from the great Dr. Seuss quotes that I previously blogged about, Disney movies are also a great source of adult advice that we tend to tune out. After a night of singing Disney songs last weekend, I realized that Baloo really knew what he was talking about. Who knew that I would have watched that movie so many times without realizing that he was talking about a form of minimalism?

Look for the bear necessities
The simple bear necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bear necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bear necessities of life 

Great! Here we have some minimalism and what sounds like veganism to me, too! How did I just now hear this in the lyrics?! Have about the part where they are floating the water? Let's take a look at those lyrics!

Yeah! This is really livin'!
So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard
And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you

My only regret is that I didn't figure out all of this sooner. I now tend to enjoy my life more without worrying so much about things. As Baloo says, you can really live without so much. For us, "bare necessities" is something that we're still working on. During our recent move, my husband suggested that we go down to one plate each. While we aren't there just yet, it's still challenging us to rethink how we consume, what we do with the money that we have, and how we don't really need all that we've had.