The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • 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.

  • Minimalism in 90 Days – The Pre-Move In

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    Ruth Carter

    For those of you who missed it, I moved from a 1800 square foot furnished townhouse to a 895 square foot condo. Since my life was going into boxes, I decided to create my own variation of Ryan Nicodemus’ Packing Party. I decided to move myself to the new place but not unpack anything until I needed it to see how much stuff I actually use and what I truly need to function and feel comfortable.

    I closed on the condo on September 29th but I won’t move in until October 11th. I needed time to buy some basic furniture, pack up my life, and get it moved to the new place.

    Let me start by saying, Ryan’s Packing Party is a lot easier than mine. Moving sucks. I feel like my life for the last week has been hijacked by furniture stores, delivery people, utility people, and movers.

    I’m really glad I did a major clean-out of my life last year. I still had more to get rid of in this move, but it’s a lot less than what I’ve already parted with to date.

    I’m writing this post from new condo on the eve of the official move-in, at my new standing desk from Ikea, while I’m waiting for the furniture guys to arrive to exchange the damaged box spring they delivered earlier this week with an un-damaged one.

    The only furniture that belonged to me in the townhouse was a bookcase and my mattress so I had to go furniture shopping. Here’s what I’ve purchased so far furniture-wise for the condo: bed, box spring, 2 bedside tables, dresser, desk, desk chair, coffee table, 2 end tables, entertainment table (for the TV), and 5 lamps. The fact that I made this many selections without crying is a miracle. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m hellaciously indecisive. I have trouble ordering a sandwich. I purchased a couch too but it won’t be ready for a few more weeks so I’m sitting on a camping chair for now.

    My Living Room - October 10, 2014
    My Living Room – October 10, 2014

    Some people may be wondering if I’m a minimalist if I’m buying this much furniture. To me, minimalism isn’t about having as little as possible. It’s about limiting myself to the things that add value to my life. It’s ok to be comfortable.

    In the back and forths from the townhouse to the condo, I’ve brought over a few boxes, some oversized items that didn’t fit into a bankers box, and a few garments that I’d rather keep on hangers instead of folding them and getting them wrinkled. I brought over all my empty hangers in my laundry basket. It seemed dumb to have 3 boxes just for hangers. I cleaned out the freezer and realized the freezer at my new place is a lot smaller than the one I’m used to. I also went shopping for a few items that I knew I would need early on like a new comforter and toilet paper.

    This is supposed to be the dining area, but for now it's where the boxes are going to be.
    This is supposed to be the dining area, but for now it’s where the boxes are going to be.

    Here’s how unpacking is going to work. The movers are going to bring my things to the condo. Everything will be placed in the great room and nothing will be unpacked until I need it. (I expect this will be the fastest move they’ve ever done.) Once an item is unpacked, it can’t go back in its box. It has to be put away, given away, or thrown away. Today, I had to unpack a notebook so I could leave a friendly note on the windshield of the truck that’s been parking in my space.  Now I need to decide where notebooks are going to be stored.

    For the most part it’s been fun creating my new living space but I’m at the point now where I can’t wait to be settled in.