teenage minimalist a blog about sarah's journey as a teen minimalist

Challenge: Make a list of 30 places in your home that need to be decluttered and organized. Over the next month, tackle one spot per day. Throw out, give away, or repurpose. Your living space will thank you! Feel free to add or subtract days to fit your family's size or amount of clutter. I could easily do this two months in a row and not have a clutter-free home. But every little bit helps!

My list:

1. purse
2. clothes 
3. shoes
4. under the bed
5. dresser drawers
6. bedroom junk drawer
7. refrigerator 
8. pantry
9. freezer
10. computer desk/office
11. kitchen cabinets
12. kitchen utensils
13. dishes
14. cookbook cupboard
15. spice cupboard
16. pots and pans
17. makeup bag
18. jewelry
19. laundry room
20. bathroom closet
21. bathroom cabinets
22. bookshelf(bonus: return borrowed books)
23. garage shelves
24. garage floor
25. inside the car
26. magazines
27. entryway closet
28. movies
29. CDs/Music
30. linen closet


This is gonna be fun! You in?

Ads can be extremely annoying, and they're usually unavoidable. Lucky for you, it's pretty easy to take them off your Kindle. Most methods only remove the ads temporarily, but this one should take them off for good (if it stops working, I'll update the post accordingly). I used it on my Kindle, then revised it slightly to make it as simple as possible.

This guide is for Windows, but you can adapt it for a Mac or Linux system if you're fairly tech savvy. The steps are much simpler than they look. It takes about 5 minutes, but it could take a little longer if you have a very slow computer or if your kindle is loaded with hundreds of books.

1. Connect Kindle to PC and allow USB mode.
2. Copy the "documents" folder onto your computer.
3. Unplug the USB cord.
4. From Home screen, press Menu, go to Settings.
5. Press Menu button again, go to Reset to Factory Defaults.
6. Select "OK".
7. After a few seconds, Kindle will restart. Be patient.
8. You will soon see the "Set Up Your Kindle" screen. Don't do anything yet.

Ultralight packing requires regular laundry, and being able to quickly wash my clothes anywhere is crucial. So naturally, I was super excited when I heard about this new (to me anyway) method. It seemed like it would save time and money when I traveled. And it has. It was everything I thought it would be and more. I've even found myself doing it at home, even though we have both a washer and a dryer! How I do it:

1. Throw your dirty laundry into an aLOKSAK (or sink, bathtub, bucket) and fill with water until the clothes are covered.
2. Pour a few drops of laundry detergent (whatever type you normally use), depending on how many clothes are in the bag.
3. Knead the clothes (punch, grab, squeeze) for 5 minutes.
4. Let the clothes soak for 10 minutes.
5. Rinse clothes under running water (or rinse inside bag with fresh water), wringing clothes until all the soap comes out. Get them as dry as possible.
6. Hang clothes to dry wherever you can (clothesline, rack, hangers, this handy thingamajig).

q. are my clothes going to smell fresh? 
a. Absolutely. My clothes come out every bit as clean as when I use a washing machine. If you followed the steps, but your clothes still came out smelling dirty, adjust the steps until you're happy with the result. Add more detergent, knead harder, or soak longer.

q. how long will my clothes take to dry? 
a. It depends on the material. If I do my laundry in the morning, my lighter fabrics are dry before supper, but the heavier stuff like jeans won't be totally dry until the next morning.

q. what size aloksak should I get?
a. How many clothes do you plan on washing at once? 12x12 is perfect for one outfit, but if you plan on washing more, 16x24 might be a better size.

q. how durable is it? is it worth $15 bucks? 
a. It's much more sturdy than a zip-loc bag. While it doesn't claim to be gunshot/knife proof, it's very well-made and definitely worth the price. If you aren't willing to pay for one, use a plastic bag or a bucket.

q. do I fill the bag with cold water or warm? 
a. I use cold, because it's more efficient, causes less color bleeding, and is easier to get

q. how tightly does it seal? will it leak?
a. Mine has never leaked, and the seal seems quite tight. Feel free to comment with any questions or tips! How do you handle laundry on the go?

I've always struggled with habits. My problem: Someone inspires me, and I start several new habits, along with a resolve to stop all the bad ones immediately. Things go great for a week, then I lose all motivation and quit.

That's been my story for years. I hadn't ever seen it work for anyone else, so what made me think I could do it? I don't know why, but I think we all tend to overestimate ourselves in this area. We somehow assume we are capable of changing everything at once (or it's the opposite and we don't even try). Fortunately, through several people wiser than me, I was able to learn a new way of going about it. Give it a try if what you're doing hasn't been working.

1. make a list. Write down all the habits you want to start or stop, in order of difficulty. Having a list has helped me keep track of my progress, as well as motivate me. I have my list on accompl.sh, but paper works well too. I just prefer online because it gives me accountability(anyone can read my list), and is easier to keep track of.

2. create a trigger. If you're trying to start a new habit, a trigger is your reminder. When I started flossing, my trigger was touching my toothbrush. Every time I reached for my toothbrush, I would remember to grab the floss first. If you're trying to stop a bad habit, the trigger is its replacement. When I'm tackling one of those, my trigger is deep breaths or clenching my fist. You can try one of those, or pick something else that's relaxing or enjoyable. It's also important to be very mindful when an urge hits you. Take note of it, and let it pass.

3. start small. Most people fail, simply because they try to tackle multiple things at once or begin with the hardest habit. Doing that will only frustrate and overwhelm you. Look at your list and start with the easiest thing, or the one you are most excited about. Assign a month to each habit on the list, and be careful about getting ahead of yourself. :)