Healthy Living: Downsizing my Life

I think part of healthy living is downsizing. And I say that because I was going through my shelves and found several bags of yarn that I do not need. I think we don't realize how much stuff we accumulate until we're either packing for a vacation, or moving, or when we're looking for something particular.

One good thing about us living in a small apartment is that it keeps us from buying more stuff. I do have to admit that I like to shop, what girl doesn't right? But, I know that I don't want to have a lot of things around me because it just makes my mind feel cluttered. I've made changes already to my home studio to make it a bit more airy and less cluttered. But, minimalism is an ongoing task, it's a lifestyle.

And, it really feels good to donate, gift, or sell items that I never used, because I know I'm blessing someone else.

To keep my life on the simpler side, I know there's some things that I need to hold myself accountable for:

1. Clean out files on my computer. I keep all the photos I use for this blog and typically I have two versions, a large resolution and a small size. But once I upload the small photo to this blog, I don't need to keep it on my hard drive since I have the larger version. This will free up space on my computer.
2. Stop signing up for more newsletters. I don't have time to read the ones I do follow, why add more to the list? 
3. Go through my crafts and gift out what I'm not using. I might do a giveaway but if I don't have time to prepare that, there are places in my town that I can donate to that welcome good items.
4. Selling all my handmade crochets and knits. I've made hundreds of items dating back since we first moved to Oregon in 2012 and I made them to sell but not all of them did so I've been warehousing them not sure what to do. This year, I made the decision to sell them a local garage sale. I'll have more information about this on my Facebook page.
5. Buy responsibly. Lately, I feel like I've been throwing money away and I haven't felt good about that. I love to shop, but I don't want to waste money especially on things that I won't use or wear. I really need to be saving as much money as possible, because hubby and I have some pretty lofty goals this year. So, my plan is to really try to stick to our budget and scale back from buying unless I really need it. And, even though I live in a town with many thrift stores, those 2.99, 3.99, 7.99 items add up.
6. Get rid of those too small sized clothes. I try not to do this, but I'm guilty of keeping that cute top that I know is two sizes too small. I tell myself that I'll lose enough weight to wear it, but it doesn't happen. So why torture myself? Just give it away. 
7. Stick to a few beauty products. Sometimes I wind up with several unopened bottles of lotions, soaps, body washes and many times they are gifts but do I really need all that? I only need one good lotion, powder, soap, and body wash. That goes for shampoo and conditioner too. Putting these extras into a cute box, tying a beautiful bow on it and gifting to a needy family not only fills a need, but blesses me to be able to share.
8. Lessen the number of craft projects I'm working on. I used to have anywhere from 7 to 10 items going on simultaneously. And, that drove me batty! I've stopped that since and so my goal is no more than three especially if I'm working on a long-term project and I know it will take several weeks to finish. Right now, I'm at my limit of three: two crochet items and one knitting.