The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Minimalism in 90 Days Update – What was Unpacked During Week 5

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    Ruth Carter

    I still have a suitcase filled with clothes I haven't worn yet.
    I still have a suitcase filled with clothes I haven’t worn yet.

    I am over a month into my variation of Ryan Nicodemus’(of The Minimalists) “packing party” and I have yet to go a day without unpacking something. On most days I unpack only a few items. I expect that day will come soon, but I also expect days where I’ll be unpacking a lot more. I’m starting to think about what items are going to survive the final clean out even if I don’t use them on a regular basis – like the keys to my parents’ house in California or the Ziploc back of spare change I haven’t unpacked yet. If I think of those items and I know they’re going to be spared, then I’ll unpack them. Likewise, the moment I know an item isn’t going to survive the final clean out, it will go into the pile of things to be donated to charity.

    Here’s what I unpacked during the last week:

    Day 29

    • Crockpot and pan
    • DVD

    Day 30

    • DVD
    • Towel set
    • Handout and magnets (to attach it to the fridge)

    Day 31

    • Sweatshirt (It’s finally cold enough that I want a sweatshirt instead of a zippy to walk Rosie in the morning)

    Day 32

    • Antibiotic ointment
    • DVD
    • Replacement tube of Rosie’s toothpaste (I have several replacements for toiletries I currently use that are still in a box. I might unpack all of those because they will be used. Don’t worry – I only have 1 replacement for each item at most. I’m not like an extreme couponer who has 100 bottles of shampoo.)

    Day 33

    • Dress
    • Cassette

    Day 34

    • Music stand and sheet music
    • Donation to charity: unused travel size toiletries

    Day 35

    • Aztec sun (I’m storing this on the wall for now)
    • Birthday card for brother-in-law (bought it during Independents Week sale)
    • Stage manager bag of pens, highlighters, velcro, and safety pins (to work at Ignite Phoenix event)
    • Vinyl pants, FMBs, and pasties (to wear at Ignite Phoenix event)
    • Mascara, foundation, lip liner, eyeliner, shimmer powder, and lipstick case
    • KT Tape (for my sore leg), alcohol pads, and knee socks (to sleep in my KT Tape)
    • Music binder

    The list on this post goes through last Friday, but I usually shoot the weekly video on Sunday so I’ll be talking about a few things that you won’t see on the what-I-unpacked list until next week. I’m definitely trying to treat my condo more and more like a home. I don’t want a lot a knick knacks – just a few sentimental items that make me smile.

    Other updates from the Minimalism in 90 Days project:
    What was Unpacked During Week 1
    What was Unpacked During Week 2
    What was Unpacked During Week 3
    What was Unpacked During Week 4

  • Minimalism in 90 Days Update – What I Unpacked During Week 2

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    Ruth Carter

    Minimalism Boxes - October 26, 2014
    Minimalism Boxes – October 26, 2014

    I’m a little over two weeks into my new minimalism project where I only unpack what I need as I need it – inspired by the “packing party” Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists did. His process lasted 21 days. I’m giving myself three months for mine.

    I looked up Ryan’s packing party story in Everything That Remains and noted that his first day when he didn’t have to unpack anything was Day 10. I’m still unpacking things every day, but the number of things I need is dropping – still mostly clothes, kitchware, and now that I have a TV, DVDs.

    I realized that before when I needed something, I would look at everything I have and make a decision. Now that most of my stuff is still in boxes, when I need something – like deciding what I’m going to wear that day, I envision how I want to look and feel that day and decide accordingly. I don’t rely on the visual stimulation of looking at my stuff to inspire me but try to tap into what I really want instead.

    One of the challenges I face on a daily basis is paper. No matter how much I minimize my life, I will always have to deal with paper in form of mail, business cards from networking events, receipts, etc. I’m toying with the idea of letting it pile up and deal with it once a week instead of daily.  That might be a more effective use of my time. Given that “freedom” is something I value greatly, conserving my time for things that matter to me is important.

    For those who are interested, here’s what I unpacked during Week 2.

    My T-shirt Drawer - October 26, 2014
    My T-shirt Drawer – October 26, 2014

    Day 8

    • Spoon
    • Sundress and cardigan
    • DVD
    • Highlighter
    • Coupons and store club cards
    • Laundry soap, dust cloth, duster, dryer sheets, and dishwasher soap

    Day 9

    • Contact lenses, contact solution, lotion, and marker
    • Eyeglasses case
    • Bike pump
    • T-shirt and socks
    • Big soup pot, food storage containers, measuring spoons, medium pot, chopper, cooking spoon, colander, and onion goggles
    • 2 DVDs

    Day 10

    • 2 T-shirts, tank top, bra, and cardigan
    • Salad container and measuring cup

    Day 11

    • Tank top
    • Lids for food storage containers and mug
    • Extra razor blades and 2 types of mouthwash
    • Vase I use for spare change

    Day 12

    • Skirt, blouse, and Mary Jane heels
    • Remote mouse aka “clicker”
    • Makeup brushes, eyelash curler, compact, powder, and nose hair trimmer
    • Crochet project

    Day 13

    • Reflective belt for early morning running, t-shirt, underwear, Legal Rebel Converse high tops, and blazer
    • Extra business cards
    • Measuring cups

    Day 14

    • T-shirt
    • Home inspection binder
    • Q-tips and tampons
    • Small pot, wooden spoon, and new knives

    I wouldn’t be surprised if my first day where I don’t unpack anything comes within the next week. I think I’ll need about a month to get through the majority of the activities I do on a regular basis and then it will be easier to start going through my boxes and get rid of things on a more frequent basis.

    In case you missed it: What I Unpacked During Week 1

  • Minimalism in 90 Days Update – What Got Unpacked the First Week

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    Ruth Carter

    When I read about Ryan Nicodemus’ “packing party” and 21-day minimalism project, I was curious to know what got unpacked during those 21 days. In case anyone is curious about what I’ve unpacked since moving into the condo, I thought I’d share what I unpacked in the first week.

    The number of boxes has remained unchanged but the amount in each box is dropping.
    The number of boxes has remained unchanged but the amount in each box is slowly dropping.

    Day 1 – October 11th

    • Nail kit (I broke a nail unloading groceries)
    • Bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth, bathmat
    • Mattress pad, sheets, comforter, pillows
    • Phone charger and extension cord
    • Rosie’s bowls, Kong toy, scoop, and food
    • My prescription pills and check sheet
    • Paper towels
    • Swiss Army knife (This is stored in my utility box under my bed so everything that was in that box is under my bed now)
    • My dirty laundry and laundry basket
    • Keychain for my mailbox key
    • 3-hole punch (I had to file a receipt. I treat my file cabinets and files like furniture so they were already in place)
    • Reusable water bottle
    • Laptop, cool pad, power strip
    • Measuring cup, spoon, soup mug, food storage containers, cutting board, knife, cup
    • T-shirt, sandals, hoodie, pajamas
    • “If you’re not fucking up, you’re not in the game” sign and 2 magnets
    • Sponge, hand soap
    • Coffee pot
    • Library book
    • Everyday toiletries
    • Night guard

    Day 2 – October 12th

    • Sugar bowl and canister
    • Coffee mug, 2 spoons, cup, knives, bowl, baking sheet, plate, fork, pot holders, glasses,
    • Blender
    • Camelbak and bike lock
    • Rosie’s travel bag, car harness, ear wash, and nail trimmer
    • Bear figurine (dust collector but I like it)
    • Scanner
    • Mug to keep pens in
    • Sunglasses, shorts, t-shirt, cycling clothes
    • Family photo
    • Boombox and cassette (b/c I’m old-school like that)

    Day 3 – October 13th

    • Knife, bowl, 3 spoons, measuring cup, food storage container, and sandwich bags
    • Zippy, t-shirt, socks, and underwear
    • iPod, headphones, and webcam
    • Backpack
    • Highlighter
    • 10-pound weights and resistance band

    Day 4 – October 14th

    • Running clothes, zippy, t-shirt, underwear, socks, jeans, Converse sneakers, and tank top
    • Knife
    • Stapler and scissors

    Day 5 – October 15th

    • Mug, 2 spoons, bowl, plate, salt and pepper, fork, can opener
    • Running clothes, pants, tank top
    • Painters tape, printer ink, shredder

    Day 6 – October 16th

    • Spoon, food storage container, plate, fork, kitchen towel, and cup
    • Safety pin
    • Running clothes, pants, 2 tank tops, dress shirt, underwear, heels, bra, and jacket
    • Hand lotion, eyeliner, and lipstick

    Day 7 – October 17th

    • Spoon, knife, plate, fork
    • T-shirt, socks, underwear
    • Calculator, stamps, and file folders
    • Gift certificate for trapeze lessons
    • Swiffer
    • Toothpaste
    • Rosie’s extra blanket
    • Hand towel

    So basically at this point most of what I unpack day-to-day is related to food consumption and clothes. I’m getting better at remembering where each box is and what’s in it (thankfully they’re well-labeled) but I still feel like a fumbling idiot when I’m in that corner of the condo looking for something.

    I did laundry and ran the dishwasher last weekend so now the closet and cupboards are starting to look like a person lives here.