Creekside Garden

Clutter: the weeds in our home. I never know where it comes from, how it multiplies so quickly, or why it is so hard to eradicate. But it persists, like bindweed, you think you got it all but within a few weeks it starts to choke out your life again.

At one point I was a minimalist. When we moved from Wyoming to Montana in 2022, I was very proud of the fact that we could pack our entire life into one trailer and had room to spare. I had thrown out and donated so much stuff and I felt so free. We could go anywhere and have only what we needed.

Now, life is a little different. Baby things are like mint or dill in the garden, if you aren’t careful, they will take over everything, but a little bit is absolutely necessary to have. This January I have been trying to find the balance of what to keep short term, store for future babies, and what we simply do not need.

Last week I spent an afternoon packing away Caleb’s clothes that he has outgrown. You might have seen my baby essentials list here to help you prepare for baby, but I used it to minimize what I am storing for the next kid. Everything from newborn to size 12 months now fits in one tub, so I think I did pretty good.

Another clutter problem in our home is paper, also a necessary thing that takes over if not closely monitored. Besides the normal personal paper clutter, we also run a business out of our home and keeping it organized is a chore. I have not figured out a good method and it is driving me crazy. Normally with minimalism if I have any doubt in my mind about keeping something I get rid of it. With business papers and receipts you can’t do that. Recently I found a desk, and I simply need to use that space to implement systems that will work better than what we are doing. Currently our kitchen counter is the main stash area for papers, which is not ideal for so many reasons.

An area that I have successfully maintained only what I need is my cosmetics and beauty products. I am proud to say that my entire makeup collection easily fits in one drawer divider and is super easy to pack in a small bag for traveling. One way I have achieved that is by simplifying what I use to the absolute basics. Eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, and maybe a tinted lip balm.

I used to use foundation and concealer as I have struggled with acne since I was 12, but I found that a bare face, properly moisturized and cleaned, suits me better than hiding all of the blemishes and scars. Actually, after throwing away my foundation my skin improved, I think it was causing more problems than it was hiding. Which just goes to show that weeding out items can improve more issues beyond just solving clutter.

The same applies to my hair products, I keep a curler, dryer, and straightener for special occasions, but I rarely use any heat on my hair. When minimizing I also threw away all hair products other than a heat protectant for those rare occasions I need it. Now I rotate normal shampoo and conditioner with an egg shampoo (it really works!) and replaced leave in conditioner with jojoba oil. Simple, clean, cheap, and I think it all serves me better in the long run.

January, the month we all start trying to be someone we are not and at the end find out that we are indeed the same person. However, instead of giving up and choosing to stay the same, perhaps the end of January is enough to convince us to keep trying to change. There is nothing magical about a new number on the calendar, the only way we are going to address the weeds in our life is to rip them out ruthlessly. Changing myself takes work, intention, purpose, and discipline.

What area in your home could use some weeding?