Aligning Values with Action

Where Intention, Purpose, and Values Meet

This week I saw a really helpful conversation online and I wanted to dig into a little bit more. The discussion centered around the cost of a pair of new shoes and how the writer chooses to spend a larger amount on quality ethical shoes because 1) ethical labor/production, 2) last longer so few short-lived pairs in landfill, 3) minimalism means 1 good, wear ever day pair of shoes rather than multiple options.

It got me thinking about how perfect of an example this is of identifying our values and actually taking some action or making some choices in alignment with those values.

In the On Purpose Membership last month we talked about goal setting which I believe revolves around knowing what your values are so you can forecast a vision of a life that lives out those values and so that each day you can ask the question “what can I do today that inches me closer to my values, my mission or my purpose”.

This doesn’t mean that every single day we are going to take leaping bounds or show up 100% embodying the values we are growing into. But it does mean that even on a bad day we step back to asking ourselves what is the best way we can honour and respect the things that are important to us. And for the days that DO go closer to how we hope – we can choose to consciously move along our journey.

Maybe this means setting an intention to spend quality time with the kids. Or swap just one household item to a low waste alternative. Or spend just 20-30mins working on the business that is going to fund the dream we have. Or maybe it means consciously practicing gratitude. There are so many ways we can bring intention into the day and align ourselves with values, purpose or the mission.

So going back to the example at the start. This person would have known in advance that they needed new shoes. They knew that it was important to find a product that was ethical, quality, and functional. Perhaps that meant utilizing some time to research brands and products. Maybe that meant selling some abundance to fund the shoes or wait just a little longer to save up enough. Maybe it meant sorting through their wardrobe to simplify and decide exactly what was needed.

So how can we learn from this today?

  1. Know your values. If you don’t know what they are I suggest asking yourself who you look up to and dig into a little bit about why you look up to them? What do they stand for? This can help find some themes and highlight what is important to you.
  2. Take some time to think about the life the future you (and family) want to be in. What are the milestones along that journey? House? Travel? Get healthier? Adopt? Buy Land? Quit a habit? Etc etc Thinking of my ‘goals’ as milestones along the journey has been really key for me as the car/house/job etc isn’t actually the goal – it’s the lifestyle or change that is created when that goal is achieved.
  3. Identify what is going to challenge you on that path
  4. Each day as yourself what can I learn? What can I change? What can I do to act upon my values? Your answer might be declutter, self care, learn a DIY/skill, bring in extra $$ or any other number of ways to purposefully get a little closer to where you want to be.

So next time you need to buy some new shoes (swap this with any other choice) don’t forget to ask yourself how you can make that choice from alignment.

For more on intention, purpose, sustainability and of course – minimalism. I’d love to welcome you to come on over to our membership community! Every month we tackle a different skill, habit, or obstacle so that we can live life with more purpose and intention in each day. Every month is value packed and of course – questions are always welcome! I’d love to see you there! On Purpose Membership here

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Am I too “Busy”?

An Open Letter about being “Busy”

Today I want to write an open letter to ever mother who feels like they are hardly holding on anymore. I see you.

I know sometimes you feel like you will just never be able to catch up. Like the people you love most are stepping on the very last drops of energy you possess. I know sometimes you feel unheard, hurt or frustrated.

I want you to know that you are not alone.

This week I wrestled with something and I want to share it with you.

I have always tried to be positive but also authentic. You will see photos with mess in the background. My hair does what it wants. Sometimes I am tired or too frustrated with parenting to get the writing that I want to get done on paper. I don’t sugar coat things. I try really hard to show you the full picture. And over the last few weeks I have shared with you the moments that have bought calm on my frazzled days. My self care in my hugely busy weeks. And my currently growing lists of projects that need more of my time than ever before.

And then a thought struck me. In sharing this have I been normalising being ‘busy’? Have I been actually adding to the pressure that mothers feel by sharing all this?

That was very uncomfortable to sit with to be honest. See I have always struggled with imposter syndrome – that feeling that I am not ‘enough’ to share, teach or mentor. It has been really hard to show my own struggles because I was terrified that it would ‘prove’ that mean girl voice right. Over the last years I pushed through that mindset because I knew how important it was for women to see something real beside the perfectly curated Pinterest and Instagram feeds. I knew as mothers we need to know we aren’t alone and that progress is possible. I am not perfect, but I know how far I have come.

Then this year bought new opportunities and with it – new pressures and struggles.

I launched my membership in July and we dug into our first topic in August. The feedback has been amazing – lightbulb moments galore. Then I was approached by a few people to help with admin tasks in their businesses! What an opportunity to work with like minded women to help grow their businesses! It has been an incredible few months and I am so excited to keep working with them in the future.

Suddenly, I have had more projects to keep in the air and life got really busy. And I shared that with you. I shared my excited about my growing membership. The process of creating all that bomb.com content. And I shared my joy about all the things I was learning from working in other businesses.

But this week I had to stop and ask if I was actually encouraging Mums or if I was adding pressure to those who already feel unsteady and like they cannot keep up?

So this is what I learned as I sat with this.

Busy isn’t always a bad thing. But – what we need to look at is if we are being busy for the sake of being busy, or if we are being busy because we are intentionally growing projects that we are passionate about and actioning change in our lives that moves us forward?

I also learned to look at my boundaries. If my busyness takes away my ability to care for myself or my family then I am too busy. Healthy boundaries are essential. This means saying no to projects that are not aligned with my values and knowing my own limits on what I can handle.

I’ve learned that being intentional doesn’t mean that every day is going to be perfect or productive or inspired or energetic. The busier I am, the more essential it is to work with my ebbs and flows. Not every day is going to be a great day for creating at the computer and not every day is going to be a day where I have the stamina to power through housework. Being intentional with my time means utilizing my strengths and protecting my needs.

So do I think that it is possible to be busy and be intentional? Absolutely yes! Do I think that every woman should be ‘busy’? No. We are all at different stages with different values, visions and timelines. I am not going to advocate for busy for the sake of busy. This is my time to grab the opportunities I have been given and be as intentional as I can in the process of working on those projects and nurturing myself and my family. So am I going to keep sharing the less than perfect side? Yes, I am. With great care taken to ensure that I am teaching kindness, alignment and intention in the season of being busy.

In a fortnight I actually choose to open the doors to my membership again. There is busyness right now as I prepare for that day and I plan the content that I am going to deliver. In that process, I am stepping up authentically to link arms with these women and help them move forward with intention.

We are actively seeking to create lives in alignment with values. Lives full of Purpose. We are together learning new skills and habits to move us forward. And my Purpose right now is to embrace the busy that this brings and utilize that time to impact lives. Showing up exactly as I am in the season I am and sharing all the wonderful things that life has taught me.

If you would like to check out more about On Purpose Membership please head over here – you can jump on the waitlist for when doors open too 😉

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Entertaining Kids

Ideas for fun – even in small spaces (and with limited waste!)

For many Australian’s this week is school holidays! However – for most Victorian’s this week looks not so very different from the last many months of having kids at home during the week for remote learning!

A few mummas have reached out for ideas on how to keep kids entertained these holidays! For some, they already feel like they are completely out of ideas!

Thankfully Spring is here (well kinda! We had snow here this week! Like actually proper floaty snow and freezing cold temperatures outside haha!). Here are some of my favourite ideas to keep kids busy – and produce as little waste in that process as possible!

I’ve tried as much as possible to make these ideas self-sufficient for kids to play (with some supervision) after they are set up. It works really well in our house to set up an activity and then let them play for a time while I work on my own tasks.

Treasure hunt!

There are 2 ways to do this! You can hide one treasure and give them clues or a map to find your hidden treasure (for some family fun try hiding the movie for the night, a voucher for a meal out, or tickets to your next family outing!). OR you can do more of an orienteering session and give them a list of treasures to find. Again this can be inside or out. Get as creative as possible here! “A leaf that looks like a heart” and/or “a reminder of your favourite holiday” might take a bit more hunting than “a smooth rock” or “a teddy”.

Obstacle course!

Sometimes our kids will set this up themselves and sometimes they will look for help to set up something more challenging. This often means lengths of timber and milk crates have been dragged around the yard in rather creative ways! But it is a fantastic way to use what you have and challenge their gross motor development at the same time. This can be done outside or inside. Hello the floor is lava!

Cubby houses/Forts

This was a favourite even in the Tiny House!! On the coldest days we would hang up a blanket inside from the loft and turn the couch into a fort! On warmer days we would throw that blanket over the top of some saw horses outside and make a cubby house outside. I found the addition of some books and snacks made this a pretty popular idea even with some older primary school aged kids

Shadow sketching.

Sketch around the shadow of any object. You can either hold an item above the paper or tie it up and suspend it! Sticks, leaves, cutlery, flowers or even the shadow of their own hands/arms/feet can make for some fun creation.

Make some story rocks

This is a super simple idea! But essentially you decorate rocks to be able to tell a story. So maybe a smooth oval rock with a drawn on face and hat could be a character to tell stories. You can even have the kids draw scenes for them on paper (so maybe a bed to lay in, a gym to work out at and a table to eat at for example). You could decorate stones to be food items, insects/animals, or other characters and use them all together to tell new or familiar stories. We first did this over a year ago and the original rock person still features in the girls’ backpacks for fun when out and about.

DIY’s

I’m loving all the eco-friendly DIYS lately! I’ll link to some of my favorite accounts – check out their variety of recipes on everything from food, slime, eco glitter paint, playdough, face paint and much more! Once the DIY creations are made this can then set up for some fun outdoor craft time on some scrap paper too.

The Inspired Little Pot

Inspire.Learn.Teach

Kids in Lockdown

The Eco Party Place

Audio Books and podcasts

There are some great audios designed for all ages of kids! Check your local library for electronic borrowing of audiobooks! This is a great way to access free audio content. You can also access a bunch of content on various apps too. I’ll link some of my favourites here

The Musical Story of Peter Pan (this is on the list as I have fond memories of hearing my grandad singing the tunes out of this story. He still sang them many years after my mum used to play her record as a small child. I grew up with this one and my kids love it too)

ABC Kids Listen has a bunch of stories, podcasts and music sessions. It’s our go to!

While I haven’t listened to many of these podcasts; I found this blog from Kidspot to be a really helpful list of podcasts for all ages of kids.

I have tried to make these ideas as friendly as possible for small spaces. My number one suggestion though is to try get them outside for some play time. However – there is often plenty we need to do as adults even in school holidays, so there are plenty of suggestions to set them up for playtime inside too.

For more intentional living tips for families be sure to subscribe to my email newsletter list!

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Progress Not Perfection

Overcoming Discouragement when Faced With a Huge Project

Those that know me personally know that I am a bit of a perfectionist. Ok, maybe a bit is too small of a word. I have always been both a perfectionist and a people pleaser. As a result, I am very familiar with the feeling of feeling so overwhelmed by not knowing how to do a job/task perfectly that I quit before I even start. There have been so many times that I looked at something that I want to do or that inspired me but I got so discouraged that I wont be able to do it perfectly that I didn’t even try.

This past week has been Zero Waste Week 2020 and there has been SO much good content shared! Tips, resources and advocacy. Stuff meant to inspire you to bring in some changes into your life and home.

But, I know many people will have looked at that content and felt so overwhelmed by the idea of “Zero” Waste – that they felt discouraged this week.

I want to say that I see you. I hear you. And I know what you are feeling.

But, I also want to say that I believe that change in this world is made by people who take action no matter how small that action or result is. They KNOW that sustainable change sticks. And that their small actions encourage others to take small actions – and the ripple spreads.

What I do advocate for is making small sustainable changes and integrating them into your day, your life and your habits. 1 swap at a time. 1 habit at a time. 1 purchase at a time. Integrating those choices into your life little by little means that when life throws us a curveball and forces us to adjust our time, priorities or commitments; we can still hold onto those changes that we have made. If you go all out and do it all at once but then a huge time commitment is put on your plate – you will probably find you end up having to drop some of those swaps.

Plus – I think it is really important to be aware that the most sustainable items we can have in our home are the ones that we already have! So, rather than running out and trying to swap everything over to ‘eco friendly’ items; just work on finding 1 better alternative at a time as something runs out or is broken. (The exception to that though is if you are no longer comfortable using a product after finding out what it is made of. If you are not going to use the window cleaner in your cupboard because you don’t want it around your kids – its ok to pass it on to someone else and find a better alternative now.)

We don’t need to do anything perfectly. The reality is we are all human and we are all working life out together. I still sometimes wonder if I’m actually an adult now as surely someone else is ‘Adultier’ than me. None of us really have life perfected. So give yourself permission to start small. Just do one thing at a time. Get started and watch those small changes slowly add up.

Its ok to look at a big task and feel a little scared of the enormity of the job. But you don’t need to do it all today. No more giving up before you start in fear of not being able to do a job perfectly ok? One step at a time – we will see the ripples grow!

I don’t actually advocate for “Zero” Waste. I honestly don’t even expect our family will ever be 100% Zero Waste. Why? Because we are a young family with 2 businesses, 2 homeschooled children and multiple food intolerances in our family living in modern suburbia in 2020. And I also know my own limitations and energy output – I know that giving myself some grace is essential to my wellbeing.

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How To Convince your Partner of a big Goal..

Getting your partner on the same page when you don’t see eye to eye?

So Last week I got a question that I’ve seen pop up again and again.
“How do I convince my partner of X”.

The goal might be different – anything from minimising, homeschooling, kids, traveling, careers, Tiny Houses and more. But the theme is the same. It says “I see a vision and my heart is open to the work and process of achieving it – but my partner doesn’t see the vision that I see. I see a way forward – but we don’t agree on moving that way”.

If this is you know I hear you. You are excited and burning with eagerness to achieve a vision – but so far not agreeing on this goal has perhaps caused confusion, tension or frustration. You desperately want to convince them to see your vision right?

Here is the thing – you are in this together. You NEED to be a team. That means you are both playing by the same game plan and aiming for the same goals. It’s not going to work if you are running around and kicking all the goals – but your partner is sitting cross-armed in the stadium as a spectator, right?

So how to start working together as a team? Start with aiming for the same goalposts.

Sit down together and talk about your short and long term goals. Where do you see yourselves as a family? As individuals? What about your career or financially? Write out where you want to end up. You need to have the same destination in mind.

Now work backward and work out the route to get there.

This is the part you get to start identifying all the things that are stopping you from getting there and start talking about your ideas on how to get there and why that solves a problem or achieves movement towards the goal.

You both have to be on the same page with the plan so you both need to clearly see the obstacles and the solutions.

It was about 4 years ago that my husband and I agreed to explore the idea of Tiny Houses.

We were at a point that we realised that working 9-5, to service a large mortgage for a big house full of clutter that had to be cleaned and maintained was NOT going to move us towards our goals. We had this overwhelming desire to be self sufficient and reduce the amount of house and stuff that needed time and energy.

The idea of Tiny Houses popped up and it just fitted in so perfectly. We spent the next 6 months researching and absorbing every bit of information about Tiny Houses that we could before we jumped in, bought our trailer and got started on our own DIY build over the following year.

I didn’t need to convince Jeremy of anything nor did he need to convince me of anything. Because we both had the same end goal in mind, could identify the same problems and we could see a potential solution to move forward.

I want to stress here that you need to get really clear about your goals.
This clarity will be essential to unite your visions and make important decisions about your project. And, when things go wrong (and they will) you will need this clarity to remind each other of why you are aiming for that goal post.

You and your partner are a team and you need to be headed in the same direction. If you can unite your vision for any goal you have then it becomes so much easier to discuss, plan and decide upon the process to get there. If you are both aiming for different goal posts though of course there will be fights about which way you are throwing the ball, right?

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Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

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When Decluttering Creates Guilt

Guilt? What about decluttering guilt??

So you’ve decided to declutter; Great!!

I’m here for you every step of the way. You’ve already created a collection of things surplus to your needs and wants in your home.

But sadly you haven’t been able to find a home for them or work out how recycle them. You are faced with an overwhelming sense of guilt as you are left with no other options but to bin those items.

Now what?

At that point its time to accept that it is going to end up in the rubbish. This is honestly the BIGGEST hurdle I have faced when it comes to decluttering myself. It took me a really long time to move past the point of refusing to throw something out that I ‘could use’ just to keep it out of landfill.

First up – We need to acknowledge that when we bring an item home we have already accepted the use of those resources. Their destination was already decided the moment they were manufactured and then sold. We as the consumer only delay this fact. One an item has passed its purpose sometimes we just have to accept this fact and instead make a conscious decision to do better next time.

You might be tempted to just keep that item – maybe you will use it.
But here is the thing. When our mental, emotional and physical state is effected by clutter we are not actually in our best state of mind. We are actually far more helpful to make change when we free up our energy, space and our mind. You need to let the guilt go and remind yourself that lifting weight off your shoulders is HOW you help your family and then your community, workplace and environment.

I want to talk about another type of guilt that you might face in this process. That guilt is money guilt… You know that thought that pops up and reminds you how much you spent on that item that you are about to sell, donate or put in the bin? Yep – that feeling of guilt that reminds you that there was once monetary value attached to that item holds you BACK from finding abundance and joy in every day life.

When we declutter we will be letting things go that once cost us money. That is fact.

We trade our time for money. That is an exchange of energy.
And then we exchange that money for goods or services. That is also an exchange of energy.

The money was gone when you made that purchase. You now get to decide whether that item still belongs in your space. Cassandra Aarssen says, ” You are not any richer because you store this item in your home, and you are not any poorer if you let it go”. I find this quote really helpful. The money is spent, the energy is exchanged. It is now up us to work on our home feeling like a refuge; not somewhere we store goods we feel guilty about passing on due to their cost (or a feeling of obligation that you SHOULD keep them – but that is another discussion on guilt for another day).

One really helpful way to move past this guilt is actually to bless others.

You can opt to sell an item and get back a portion of what you spent knowing that you are passing on an item to another person at a cost that is affordable to them. Sometimes selling things second hand actually blesses people with access to an item they could not have afforded otherwise.

The other way to bless others with our abundance is to gift it to them. If you are feeling guilt over the money you once spent on an item you might wrestle with this, but I promise that gifting people from the abundance that we have is good for both the gifter and the receiver.

If guilt is still a struggle I want to encourage you to come to join my new Membership Community. This is a topic that we will be talking about and we will talk more about overcoming this. If this sounds like a place you want to be please check out the information page

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Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

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What to Do with Decluttered Stuff?

Over the last 2 weeks I shared about how to know if you have too much stuff – and how to set up your intention so you have a focus to declutter OR clean OR Tidy.

This time I want to talk about what to DO with the stuff that you are removing from your home.

First up think about if this is an item that you want to sell or donate; or if you need to admit that it is at the end of its useful life and is now rubbish.

When deciding whether to sell or not consider the second hand value of the item. I set myself a $$ limit of what I will spend the effort on listing for sale. At the moment my absolute limit is $10-15 and I will not list anything for sale that is under that value – however this figure changes depending on where we are financially at the time.

If you have decided to sell an item my current go-to platform is Facebook Marketplace. However you can also look at specific sales groups, Gumtree, ebay and many other platforms. Take some time to Youtube how to take good photos with your phone as this will increase your success.

There are a huge number of places to send the items you have decided to donate. At this point in time most second hand stores are not accepting donations across the country so I have tried to include as many other options as possible.
Please ensure you communicate with your local facilities and find out if they can take donations right now. Here are some ideas.

Expired medicines and first aid items – first offer to Vet clinics. What medicines they don’t want can go to the pharmacy for disposal.

Stationary – community centres, after school programs, craft/art studios or schools.
Books – Buy Nothing Group, local Pop-up Library
Magazines – Buy Nothing group, nursing homes, craft groups.

Old textiles – MANRAGS, H&M, local boomerang bag group or local tradies who use rags.
New textiles – local Buy Nothing Group, Women’s Shelters or local Facebook groups. Animal shelters/rescues may be able to take blankets, towels and sheets.

Small Electrical items – Buy Nothing Group, Office works, Library, council, Aldi
Batteries and lightbulbs – local council, Aldi
White Goods, Computers etc – Buy Nothing Group, metal recycler, PlanetArk, Local Council
Metal (like broken saucepans, screw, padlocks, keys, binding, bottles etc) – metal recycler

Mugs – see if any funky cafes have a borrow a mug program you could donate to
Broken ceramics – local artist (ask on a local facebook group for any contacts who might be interested)

Tools – Mens Shed, Tool Library, Repair Café
Plants – local permaculture group

My aim is always to send our surplus somewhere it is wanted and/or useful. I don’t want to see our clutter become someone else’s clutter. So with everything that leaves our home I spend a little time searching for the right place to offer it. Next week I’ll talk more about what comes next when you CANT rehome or recycle an item.

Sometimes though you feel like you are drowning and finding the place to start still feels impossible doesn’t it? I’d like to help you find that start and share some tips to help you overcome that overwhelm you feel.

Come along at 10:30am on Wednesday 29th of July for a FREE webinar as I share 5 tips to Reduce the Overwhelm of the STUFF in your home. I’d love to have you there – just click this link to register (and you will get a copy of the replay if you can’t make it live!)

I’ve got some exciting news! Coming August 3rd I will be launching a membership that will actually end up replacing most of my existing modules and courses!!!

Over the last months, I’ve really been thinking about how important community is and how I can best serve that community. I realised I really feel called to build a like-minded community where we tackle one habit, skill or challenge at a time – together!

So in less than 2 weeks time we will get started together on our first topic and I’ll be bringing in a special guest speaker to run a workshop too. Doors will open officially on the 29th of July – but I’d like to offer early entry to my existing supporters.

Ps. Want to get the tips, tricks and ideas first?? Subscribe to our newsletter here

Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

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Declutter vs Tidy vs Clean?

It was about 18 months ago that I was listening to a podcast from “A Slob Comes Clean” and for the first time ever I heard someone talk about the physical difference between the actions of cleaning, tidying and decluttering. And it was like a lightbulb went off! I want to tell you a bit about what I have learnt about these activities and how to prepare mentally and physically because I think it is a really really helpful distinction.

First up – tidying. This is what most of us mothers feel like we do all the time. It’s the action of picking things up and putting them back where they belong. Depending where you are in your parenting years and in the process of managing your possession this task can feel super daunting. As much as possible get the owner involved in tidying up. For my girls this looks like reminding them to pack up with blocks when they are done. For a big family in a large house with lots of stuff – this might even look like getting a basket for each person and they are responsible for returning items to their homes from their basket. A collection point for their items per say.

Cleaning – there is a huge difference between being untidy and unclean. Cleaning is the action of physically cleaning the dirt, food, and grime off surfaces. We do this every day when we do the dishes and wipe down the bench. Getting prepared for a DEEP clean might mean you take everything off a surface so you can really get in there with your choice of cleaning products (pro tip – vinegar in water or detergent and water with a rag work really well 😉

Decluttering – when I started the journey of decluttering I’d make a good start and then without meaning to I’d find myself tidying or even just organising a space. Then I tried focusing on walking around the house hunting for things to get rid of. Essentially I was trying to tick a list off. And sooner or later I was really stuck in how to ‘find something’ to get rid of. So when you declutter your intention is to work with a space and choose what stays in that space and get rid of the rest. Try this instead of trying to pick what to get rid of. When I sent an intention to declutter I bring the recycling basket, rubbish bag and donation box close to me and I actually sort items into those destinations as I go.

Unfortunately; while cleaning and tidying when generally make an area look better sometimes decluttering gets worse before it looks better as you will have likely started pulling things out of the nooks and crannies where they were carefully stored. Know that it is OK!

Each day set aside 15 minutes to work on your home and set your intention about what your focus is. If your goal is to remove some of the clutter make sure your intention is to sort through possessions into what is staying and what is going.

I’ve got some exciting news! Coming August 3rd I will be launching a membership that will actually end up replacing most of my existing modules and courses!!!

Over the last months, I’ve really been thinking about how important community is and how I can best serve that community. I realised I really feel called to build a like-minded community where we tackle one habit, skill or challenge at a time – together!

So in less than 2 weeks time we will get started together on our first topic and I’ll be bringing in a special guest speaker to run a workshop too. Doors will open officially on the 29th of July – but I’d like to offer early entry to my existing supporters.

Ps. Want to get the tips, tricks and ideas first?? Subscribe to our newsletter here

Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

Follow me on Pinterest here.

How to know if you have too much stuff?

If you have followed me for any length of time you know that I absolutely do not subscribe to the thinking that you need bare walls, perfectly styled furniture or to know exactly the amount of items you own. I mean, I think it’s cool that some people CAN create a numbered list of what they own, but that is not what I am about. I don’t think there are any rules for minimalism. And I believe that the second you look to someone else to decide for you how many of any particular item you can own and still be a minimalist is the moment that you stop your journey of discovering what truly brings value, joy, and purpose to your life.

So I’m not here to tell you that you have too much stuff. Or that you can only own 20 DVDs. Or that the kids dressups have to fit in a tote. Or that your books must fit on one shelf. None of that.

I’d like to describe the moment I knew for sure that we had TOO MUCH STUFF – and the moment I decided to start the process of changing that.

Do you know that scene in Star Wars: A New Hope when Luke, Hans and Leia fling themselves down the shoot and end up in the trash compactor. As they stand there the walls begin to move and the room begins to close in around them. THAT scene is what it felt like when I walked into the front door of my house. It was like the very walls started to close in and the weight of my entire home settled on my shoulders. In those days I was a new-ish mum to an 18 month old and I felt like I spent my entire day cleaning and putting things away. Then when I had finally got the house clean I turned around to realise I was terribly behind in washing or everyone was hangry because I hadn’t got to dinner.

That was when I knew we had way too much stuff and I needed to do something about it.

If your home leaves you feeling stressed rather than able to ‘de-stress’; if it leaves you feeling exhausted instead of inspired; or if things are never away because they don’t have homes – then I’m going to go out on a limb and say you probably have too much stuff.

There is a lot of space between having bare basics and holding onto every single item we have ever owned. And its in that space that we find room to learn what we need (and want) to be happy, content, inspired and abundant in out lives.

I don’t count how many possessions we have or have rules about how many books we can own or what sort of aesthetic our home should be styled as. My goal is to create a home that leaves me feeling calm enough that I am inspired to create magic!

If that is your goal to I’d like to share some tips with you. Come along at 10:30am on Wednesday 29th of July as I share 5 tips to Reduce the Overwhelm of the STUFF in your home. I’d love to have you there – just click this link to register (and you will get a copy of the replay if you can’t make it live!)

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Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

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3 Top Tips to Kick off Your Intentional Living goals

Here at MecoBlue Tiny Living, I believe that ‘Tiny Living’ is about more than your physical home. It’s a whole meld of concepts that culminate in a lifestyle that is intentional and kind on the Earth. Learning to live with intention can be a big transition for people! So here are my top tips to get you started!

1. Get a Calendar!

Being intentional with your time means knowing what’s going on so you know when your weeks are just too full and so that you don’t double book yourself! Your choice whether this is a digital calendar, a wall calendar or a notebook/journal. Or maybe you want a combination of them! Whatever you pick start charting out the appointments and the non negotiables for you. Put in the appointments, activities and the family outings. You can even use this as a place to make notes of meals that work with the time you have available on each night. Be willing to tweak this system as you learn what works for you and what doesn’t.

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

2. Learn to say No.

Ok this is one I’m still working on myself. But – living intentionally means saying no to things that do not fit with your goals, values and your availability (be it time, money or space). Say no to the junky promo pens. Say no to the shift swap that means you miss out on the family outing you had planned. Say no to the BBQ that you don’t want to go to because that group of people make you feel yuck. Say no to following people on social media that make you feel less than. Say no to doing something that your heart and soul are screaming no to because you know its not a good fit. Say no to the food that you know make your insides roll over themselves. Say no to the things that do not fit with your values, passions, goals and resources.

3. Get hydrated!

This seems odd to put on an intentional living list right? But the reality is you will be at your best mentally, physically and emotionally when you are hydrated. The impact of being even a little dehydrated on your body is quit incredible. When you get your water up you will be less likely to reach for junk, you will be calmer, happier and more productive! You will find that everything starts slipping into place and you will make better decisions when you are functioning better!

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

This list is by no means exhaustive – these are things and habits you can start work on over the weekend to help kickstart your Intentional Living lifestyle. I’d love to see what you set up and hear what impact this made for you!

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Meco Blue Tiny Home Specialists

Follow me on Pinterest here.