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Tiny Home Tour-living room

Welcome to my 900 square foot home’s living room! Just like the eating nook that we toured last week, we love this space and spend a lot of time in it. You will often find my kids curled up on the couch with a book and the fireplace on. This is a happy, comfy space that performs large despite it’s itty size. Every item in this space serves double duty (sometimes triple!), is carefully chosen, and has personality.

If you have a small space, rent (yes…we rent this itty home!), or are simply looking for some ideas for your own space, keep reading for some great ways to save space and get lots of function. While looking pretty!

Let’s start with the entry. Or, rather, the little space we’ve carved out and told it to be an entry. This is just a little bench (the pair to the t.v. vanity) and plant that helps define this space. I tucked the dog stuff under the bench (really…there was NOwhere else to put it :)) and the plant sets atop the bin of dog food. Small spaces need to be pretty but they still have to pack a lot of function into them!

TIP:

Buy a thin bathroom mat for the door. They are inexpensive, washable, and often more decorative than traditional welcome mats.

All you need is a rug, seat, hook, and plant to define an entry.

Talk about a tiny entry, right! It works fine until we have multiple people coming over. Then it is simply not practical to have people stop. Just come on in! I’ll deal with the floors later. A little mopping is cheaper than paying for extra square footage, anyways :).

One item on my to-do list is that back wall the door and window are on. I’d love to build a narrow built-in bookcase/entry closet kind of thing. I’m thinking of framing the window with bookshelves, putting a couple hooks next to the door, a built-in bench below the hooks, and more bookcases above the door. A built-in like that seems exactly what a little cottage might have had.

We use a sectional from IKEA that pulls out into a queen bed. This has been a fantastic purchase for us and is used often when the kids have friends over. Sometimes it’s pulled out simply for a movie night or football game because all of us fit on this couch with a bit of room for cozy friends :).

Tucked in between the couch and the wall are two old camp stools. They work great to set trays for food, propping up feet, and even for laptops. They function like a coffee table or an ottoman would, without the bulkiness that this room can’t handle.

That fireplace wall! I used temporary wallpaper in a brick pattern and wood trim to give the fireplace a bit more drama. I simply command stripped (is that a verb?) the trim to the wall. A GREAT, renter-friendly diy!

Tip:

Use small stools, stacked suitcases, t.v. trays, or other more portable items as a make-shift coffee table in small spaces.

Try temporary wallpaper (make sure it’s REALLY temporary) to add personality to your spaces. Even a great pattern on a single wall will make the space feel more YOU.

This rug isn’t really for anyone else than the dog. The in-floor heat warms the rug and the fireplace warms the air making for a happy dog. It’s not going to be long before I pull it and go rug-free. But for now I’ll keep cleaning it and pushing it back into place. All for that sweet face.

The rug is a $12 DIY from stitching together 4 cheap rag rugs I picked up at the local home improvement store. When I say “stitching” that’s a stretch, I simply used thread to combine them together in a “stitch” kind of way :). I have a tutorial for a DIY area rug I did many years ago, if you are wanting more info.

Normally, I don’t “do” throw pillows. I find them a bit annoying and never quite know if I should sit on them or move them. However, the IKEA couch is quite deep and we need the extra bit of oomph behind us. If you come to my house and don’t know what to do about the pillows…sit on them!

TIP:
Mix in inexpensive throw pillows from places like Menards, Lowes, or Walmart with your favorite more expensive ones. You’ll get a high-end look with a LOT less money.

Don’t spend a fortune for a rug. DIY one, use carpet “tiles”, outdoor rugs, or watch for sales. In small homes rugs get ALOT of traffic and need to be replaced often so it isn’t always smart to throw alot of money into them.

Oh boy, the t.v. wall. This wall was born out of my desire to display my favorite small bits of kid’s artwork, collected items, and memento’s. Because this is a small home, there aren’t enough walls to nicely display my memento’s without feeling cluttered or messy.

The answer, to me, was cluttering up a single wall. I know…logic might not be all there. I invested a heck of a lot of money in command strips to hang and display these items around the t.v. in a gallery wall sort-of-way. And I love it. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

The two chairs flanking the side of the t.v. “cabinet” act as additional living room seating while being easy to access, when needed, for additional dining room seating. They look cool and formal but have a nice, small shape, and clean lines. I brought these chairs with me from our country dining room and will probably buy identical ones when they break. I adore them, a.d.o.r.e!

Tip:

Go vertical. Always look for ways to add additional storage with shelves, hooks, or baskets on the walls. If you rent, like us, command hooks/strips are your best friend!

Try to think about multiple purposes when looking for furniture. Watch the scale and function of chairs, tables, and dressers. These particular pieces of furniture can be multi-purpose most easily when the scale is on the smaller side.

We are using my great grandma’s vintage vanity as a t.v. console. There wasn’t enough room in the bedrooms for additional furniture and we surely weren’t getting rid of this sentimental piece. So, we got creative. Nate put a board across the top that the t.v. was set on. The board also created a great nook for the DVD/Bluetooth player. The vintage vanity drawers hold DVD’s, video games, and various electronic gadgets. And underneath the vanity family scrapbooks are stashed.

Another to-do list item… hiding cords! Gah!

Tip:

Rethink the “traditional” purpose of furniture. A chair can be a nightstand, a dresser turns into a kitchen island with a set of wheels, and a ladder propped against the wall can display books. What do you already have that can be turned into something more useful to you?

Throughout my house, you will often see decorative items on trays (like the terrarium centerpiece) or crates like this. Not only does it keep items corralled and help the house looking clutter-free, it also keeps the items portable. In a small space, portability is a bonus! We have to move the table centerpiece to play games, do homework, even photograph. And this little crate often has to be moved to watch t.v., otherwise that plant is going to block something important. Or so my kids tell me.

We love having a little house. Sure, there are inconveniences that come with having a little space but the trade off is worth every bit!

Our life is filled with so much LESS but somehow MORE than we could have imagined when we began simplifying our lives. Even as I look at the photos of this space and write out this post, I’m emotional. Thankful that we’ve headed down this journey to reduce the “stuff” in our life and find a simpler lifestyle because it has brought immeasurable moments with the people in our lives. I can’t put a price on that.

These photo’s show you my favorite things, ever. It’s me…in a house. And gosh, I hope you like it!

simplifying your schedule

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Gosh, don’t think for one second that I have my schedule under control all days, all weeks, and all years. Heck…sometimes I’m lucky if it’s for a few hours.

However, you don’t get to my age in life having ran a business all of your life while being a mother of 2, a youth director, a sibling of 9, and all sorts of other titles without knowing a thing or two about time management.

I am a MASTER at packing a whole lot of productivity into my day. And a MASTER at making it seem like the day isn’t terribly busy. Both, at the same time.

Not possible, you say? Sure, not every day. But I have learned a few tricks over the years, employ a few tools, and get lucky here and there. I’d love to share a bit of what I have learned in the hopes it might you gain a bit of sanity in your crazy, hectic life.

Pomodoro Timer
I use this little tool for tasks I dislike but know need to be accomplished. Or, for when I would love to read a book but know that I can’t take too long because there are other things that should be done. The idea is simple…break up your day into small increments (I have mine set for 25 minutes) with small breaks in between each increment. Do that task for 25 minutes and stop. Do it again if necessary. Or not. Really, it simply teaches you (and your kids) that anything can be done for a small amount of time. And often, it only takes a small amount of time to finish it.
Block Scheduling
In the podcast I don’t go into great detail about this because I think it’s fairly self-explanatory. Block scheduling is simply scheduling time for the activities you need to do each week/month. But, doing them in block times rather than a bit every day. This allows your brain to devote time only to that task (frees up energy and brain space!), allows you to stay on groove for the entire time (saves time!), and allows you to take out necessary supplies only once (saves time, energy, and sometimes money!). Example:
Saturday is laundry day in my house. Sure, it’s a pile but the rest of the week I’m not distracted by folding or doing laundry…I know it will be done on Saturday.
Monday is money day. I take care of the bills, interacting with the bank, and other necessary financial decisions.
First of the month is Monthly planning. I plan out the month for schedules, meals, bills, and misc. Sure, I don’t get everything.
I schedule a time in my week to go out for coffee with a friend (if I don’t schedule the time I fill it with “work”).
Sunday is grocery shopping day. Sure, I’ll pick up toilet paper if we run out but I don’t need to remember “what else we might need” because I know Sunday it will be taken care of. Get it? Doing a bit of block scheduling and creating to-do list for the blocks can help free up your brain and time. You KNOW that these to-do lists will be addressed at the proper time which allows you to focus and enjoy the task at hand.
White Space
Along with the block scheduling, I schedule “white space” into our calendar. How each family does this will vary. Some families need a few hours each week, a day a month, or a week every few months. For our family, I try to make sure we have a full weekend without scheduling for each person. They may not always be the same weekend for everyone, that’s okay. It’s about each individual getting a couple days to do what they feel is important to them and to “catch up” on what is bothering them.Scheduling “white space” in the calendar is vital to keeping stress at bay, feeling productive, and remembering that life is ours to enjoy.
Saying NO to good things.In order to block schedule and create white space I often have to turn down good things. For myself and for my kids. Invitations to great events, sleep-overs to friends homes, or non-profit fundraisers. There seems to be no shortage of good things to be involved in and give time to. And, I want to do it all! I want my kids to have all the good experiences they can. In all the clubs that exists. Yet, if I don’t say no to good things there is no white space available for my kids to learn what THEY love. For me to recharge and rest so that I can best contribute to the good things I’m already a part of.
Having a great planner.
A great planner should help you remember what is most important in your day. Not your to-do list. The problem with to-do lists is that we often don’t prioritize them properly. We are just intent on getting the list crossed off that we don’t do the items in a proper order. Good planners will help you prioritize your day and keep you on task. Remember that just doing isn’t useful. Doing in the right order is best. I mention these in my podcast but I will mention them here, as well. Day Designer by Whitney English and Planner Pad are my two favorites because of the funnel systems they use.

Tiny home tour-kitchen nook.

I’ll be giving you glimpses into my tiny home a bit at a time in the weeks to come. I want you to see that it is perfectly possible to have a practical AND beautiful home that is tiny in stature but big in living. Not that I want you to join in the tiny home movement. Simply so you can rethink how many THINGS you have and are taking care of. And maybe, just maybe…reduce that stuff. So you can DO more with your people. Those people are what it is all about, after all.

So, I don’t think of my home as a tiny home. I think it’s simply small. But, according to definition, is anything under 1000 square foot is a tiny home. Therefore, Nate, Katie, Levi, and I live in a tiny home. With Newton, the dog.

There is absolutely no question that living in such a small space has brought challenges along with it. But, it’s brought a great sense of accomplishment. We are spending less time taking care of stuff and more time having fun.

Today I want to show you our kitchen nook/dining room. This little space serves multiple purposes in one tiny area. We eat here, we do homework here, I work here often, this serves as the game table, we make terrariums on this table, I even photograph recipes in this nook.

I am a huge fan of corner nooks for use in small spaces. They save space and seat a number of people while looking beautiful and tidy.

I created this nook with an IKEA bench that hs served multiple purposes for us, as well as an old church pew that I simply adore. Those two benches make up the corner seating. Right now I am using a round table that I found for $100 dollars at a local vintage shop. It’s not idea for this space but until I find something better…it works. I adore the treatment of the top with it’s green, blue, and white!

I employ vintage folding chairs for the additional dining space (I also have one being used as an end table in our bedroom to be pulled into the dining room when needed) because they are sturdy, look good, portable (we often take them outside in the summer!), and inexpensive.

I’ve added a narrow vintage cabinet to give us storage for our linens, alcohol, wine glasses, and more. I like this cabinet because it is small in stature but gives the dining room all sorts of charm.

That ladder. I have gotten a gillion comments about that guy. Let me tell you about it…

I simply loved it and didn’t want to get rid of it when we needed to edit down our belongings. So, I found a home for it. And I utterly love it in the dining room to show off my favorite cookbooks (although I am still on the hunt for one more fantastic one!). I have learned small homes do NOT require every. single. space. to be used for storage. In fact, you’ll notice that the top of the liquor cabinet is used purely for my favorite art pieces, vintage silver salt and pepper shakers, and greenery. Nothing practical about it.

As renters, we can’t do much with the structure of the space. But, we DID change out the light and use a command hook on the ceiling to move the light over to the corner. Immediately the space looks more updated and personalized. Adding our own decor, color, and fabric adds more personalization and comfort.

Another renter trick…dowels and command hooks for curtain rods. The curtains in this space are purely decorative and mounted with a cheap dowel and clear command hooks. This temporary option cost me about $8.00 for both windows.

Tip:

To make them function, I could have used a longer dowel to move the curtains across the window.

We took an afternoon with family members and made terrariums for the centerpiece. I am not about having decorative items for no purpose. So, we made an activity out of making living terrariums for each member of the family (Nate & I share one). Putting the jars onto a wooden tray (found at a thrift store) keeps it looking clean, purposeful, and moveable.

Did I convince you that a small space can be lovely and purposeful? Are you on board with living in a tiny home? Maybe not. But, I surely love this space and love having my morning coffee in this space each day!

Your home should be for people, not stuff.

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Answering a reader question today “How do you, Janel, declutter and organize your spaces? What are the steps?”

Oh boy, is that a full question!

I’m giving you my process, why I rarely need to use the process anymore, and my favorite tip…

“Your home should be for people, not stuff.”

Tips for your very first capsule wardrobe

Looking for the FREE 2015 Fall Capsule Wardrobe Printable? HERE you go!

(just save the file to your computer and print away!)

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A photo posted by Nellie and Bellie (@miznelliebellie) on Nov 15, 2014 at 9:11am PST

Season:

Your capsule wardrobe is intended to last you 3 months. Those 3 months will be your season. Summer, winter, fall, and spring capsule’s. It is absolutely up to you if you completely replace your entire wardrobe each season. I can’t afford that so I swap out items each season and have several that are staples throughout the year. Be mindful of the season when thinking of what you will need and how many of each item you want that season.

Tip:

Each time you make a capsule wardrobe for the season you will have learned a bit more of what works. Adapt and adjust accordingly. A capsule wardrobe is intended to make things easier; being stuck on rules at the expense of creating something that will work for you is silly.

Lifestyle:

You need to decide what style clothing your capsule wardrobe needs to accommodate. Do you need mostly office clothing or athletic gear? Plan accordingly. Do you often go out on weekends and need cocktail dresses? Keep that in mind. Make a list of the type of clothing you wear in a month and put a number next to each type for how many days you wear them. Now you can plan the number of pieces your personal capsule wardrobe will have.

Tip:

This isn’t the time to pick out clothing. Don’t look at your wardrobe. Now is the time to simply look at your lifestyle and what your lifestyle requires from your wardrobe.

Continue reading “Tips for your very first capsule wardrobe”

Balance. Does it exist?

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I’ve been reading article after article from parents, teachers, business people, and “experts” about the struggle of finding balance in life. About balancing family, work, fun, and all the stuff that life throws at us. Conversation after conversation, tip after tip, criticism after criticism all in the hunt for the elusive beast that is balance.

Stop hunting. Balance doesn’t exist. It can’t.

Whoa!! Gasp. I know it’s the wrong, un-popular thing to say. Let me say it again….

Balance doesn’t exist.

Who thought up this word and this goal? Where did it originate? Certainly not a parent. Or someone simply trying to make a living. How about a college student? Nope, pretty sure they didn’t make up balance. I know, I know…a small business owner! Ha! We can all giggle at that one.

Unless you lead a perfect life (if you think you do, you are delusional) you are devoting more time to a single area of your life than another. Usually out of necessity. True, choice is in there. But, it is a rare person that can choose a life completely void of dedication to a particular area, be it work, school, parenting, a relationship, etc. Balance, in the way it is commonly used, is not a reality we can achieve.

Perhaps you are a single mom and you are struggling to work and take care of your children. Adding the guilt of not “balancing” work and parenting doesn’t help you one bit. You can’t do a damn thing about your need to work and have your children in daycare. Does that make you less of a parent…no. I say it makes you MORE of a parent. Should you try to find time with you kids? Absolutely. Yet, I dare say that your children will grow up with a great respect for you and your hard work. And that is something to be proud of. Your life is not balanced, but it can still be good.

Maybe you are a college student with a part-time job to try to pay bills. What is this “balance” they speak of? For you, it’s simply balancing the need to keep your grades up with your need to pay for college. Forget eating healthy, going home for holidays, staying up to date on the world around you, having a hobby, reading for FUN??…you are lucky if you remember to do those on a GOOD day. Balance is a ridiculous idea, at least in the context in which the world tends to use it.

A working father putting in more than 60 hours a week can’t possibly “balance” his world. Just look at the hours that he has left for family, sleeping, mowing the lawn, friends, voting, and the other five million things that make up a life. He simply doesn’t have the time in the day to have “balance”. Sure, he can cut back on hours (maybe?). But then that throws another part of his life out of “balance”. He now watches the kids more often after school instead of working to save money. Which means he doesn’t have the income to care for the house, car, college, etc.. He can make different choices about priorities, but his life isn’t going to be completely in “balance”.

For me, the better question is how to lead a life that is fulfilling and happy. Balance has little to do with it. Every single day we are focusing on something different, a new goal, relationship, or struggle. It often receives a majority of our attention. There is nothing wrong with that. The question should be whether we end that day feeling fulfilled and happy. Are those we love fulfilled and happy? Yes? Well done. Was it a balanced day? Who cares!

I say we throw out the idea of balance.

Instead, let’s focus on our lives as a whole, our relationships as a whole, and our jobs as a whole. If we are fulfilled and our loved ones are fulfilled, if we are happy and our loved ones are happy, then we are on the right track. There will always be room for improvement and change. But let’s take one more pressure off our shoulders. The pressure of achieving balance.

Do you agree, disagree, partly agree? Have a thought you think we should hear? Leave it in the comments…we love to chat!

School Supply Storage for tiny homes

That little bag right there? It is magic for my tiny house. It holds the necessary supplies for my kids to do their homework. In one little bag that hangs on their closet doorknob.

It isn’t unusual for kids to find their way to where the action is to do their homework. Often right smack on the kitchen table or on the couch. Our kids are no different. What IS different about homework in our home is that we have utterly no space to store various supplies. There isn’t a cabinet available for art supplies and homework supplies like many homes tend to have, even without realizing they do.

So, I employed the use of a tote bag to store each of their essentials for homework. These are ordinary tote bags found at your craft store that I embellished with outgrown dress shirts and a Sharpie. Rather than sewing, I simply used Heat Bond to adhere the pocket and fabric to the tote bag. I am a no-sew kind of gal. Besides, if I can’t find storage for homework supplies where on earth would I put a sewing machine? Right!?!

Each of my children have their own tote bags that are fundamentally the same. They have a pocket on the outside, a strip of button holes attached to the outside for pencils and scissors, and a potholder electronic sleeve on the inside. Then I stock them with their favorite PaperMate mechanical pencils, colored markers, patterned erasers and various papers, scissors, notebooks, file folders, and electronic calculators from Staples.

They don’t need to pull these out each and every day because most of their homework doesn’t require anything but a computer or pencil. But, these do get pulled out once a week or so because of the need for markers, paper, graph paper, or scissors. And it has been a life-saver to have it all in one easy, accessible, and compact place!

To embellish a tote bag you truly don’t need to sew! Pick up a roll of heat bond adhesive or fabric glue (I love that stuff too!) and use it to adhere your fabric. Once you use these products you will wonder why you waited so long!

Here are the steps I took to achieve the tote bag I have…

Cut strips of the dress shirt fabric to wrap the handles in. I tied the strips at the bottom of the handle and wrapped it around tucking the next strip in as I went. I tied it again at the end.
I used a t-shirt to create a square for the pocket and then used Heat Bond to adhere the pocket to the tote bag.
For the strip of fabric with the button holes I pulled out my needle and thread and ran a couple stitches on each end of the strip. While you can use HeatBond for this, I find that the needle and thread is much stronger for the purpose of hanging pencils and pens.
The strips of fabric on the fabric on the front of the bag I adhered with Heat Bond and made sure they and the pocket aligned perfectly.
I created a striped pattern on the tote bag with a black Sharpie
The electronic sleeve inside is simply a pot holder. Isn’t that clever!

However, you decide to create your compact homework station be sure that it is stocked with the necessary supplies. Head to Staples to grab the best version of the school supplies you can! —The entire week of January 17th, 2016 save 40% off all regular priced PaperMate products. (while supplies last)—

Remember, here at NellieBellie we believe in having LESS so you can have the BEST. Minimalism is simply taking out what you don’t need to make room for living the best you can.

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Newell Rubbermaid , but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #stockup4schools http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

9 things you don’t want to hear about tidying.

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It’s true that I keep a rather tidy home, always have. And while I believe that my upbringing and unique childhood are factors in my desire for an orderly house it is certainly not something I naturally come by.

Let’s be real… who WANTS to tidy instead of watching t.v. or reading a book? And the tips I have to give you aren’t what you want. You want something easy, a quick fix. Ha! Do you truly believe that if that existed we wouldn’t ALL know about it?

Sadly, it’s not that easy. It’s work, it’s habit, it’s personal growth, and it’s relearning what our culture has told us about our homes, organizing, and “stuff”.

In no particular order…

Don’t fret the mess.
Often the mess is simply temporary and based on your current project, activity, or function. When those things end the mess will end, as well. So in the meantime, don’t fret. If there is nothing to be done or if you are simply going to be constantly fretting about the mess, leave it alone. Do NOT nag. Messes happen and there isn’t a single thing that needs to be done about it. Just breathe.
If it can’t be put away easily, get rid of stuff.
Rather than looking for more storage or a bigger house look to your stuff first. This is absolutely contrary to everything we have been taught, especially Americans, but should be the main lesson in keeping a tidy house. Rather than fussing about how you don’t have room to put your stuff away… get rid of stuff. Really. It IS the solution.
Pick-up daily.
Don’t leave until tomorrow something that should be picked up today. Or something like that. Get in the habit of putting your shoes away, hanging your coat up, taking care of ALL the dishes you use that day, and cleaning up from your daily life EVERY. DAY. This will also help you realize that your daily activities should be contained to only what you can handle. If you don’t have time to pick up after yourself each day figure out why. And fix it. Maybe you are just too busy and need to slow down. Okay, you are probably too busy. Yep, aren’t we all? This is a personal habit that you need to develop. As simple and as hard as that. There isn’t an easy fix, sadly.
Eliminate your drop pile FIRST.
If you have a drop pile that should be the first thing you tackle each day. That drop pile will mess with your mind creating clutter and a feeling of chaos that isn’t necessary. Clear the drop pile and you will feel infinitely better! And stop dropping it in the first place. Give your items clear homes and discipline yourself to put them in the homes.
Enlist help, always.
The help you enlist is a personal decision. Some can afford a housekeeper, lawn boy, pool boy, and more. Others need to take care of their family needs within house (that’s me!). Do NOT whine and complain if you can’t afford help. Simply reduce what you need to care for so you can handle it yourself. Sure, it’s not what our culture tells us the solution should be. But it IS the solution.On the same token, make sure EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. in your home is contributing. Regardless of if you have a housekeeper or not… every person living in the space should be aware of what it takes to manage a home. You do your kids absolutely no favors not giving them responsibilities. Even if you can afford to have all the chores taken care of… don’t. As adults, your children will need to understand the in’s and out’s, the finances, and the nitty-gritty of caring for homes and lives. In order to use the help that is given graciously, you need to stop micro-managing. Let those who help you handle the tasks that you have asked of them as independently as possible. Refrain from stepping in, hovering, or going back over what they have already done. Again, often this isn’t a them problem rather a you problem.
Get rid of stuff.
Did I already touch on this? Yes, I did. And I’ll do it again because it’s that important to keeping a tidy home. Keep your things well-edited. Stuff just gets in your way, keeps your thoughts distracted, and makes it difficult for you to feel peaceful in your space. When I say get rid of stuff it isn’t in the gentle, half-hearted bring a few bags to Goodwill kind of way. That’s rubbish. Most of our homes can easily get rid of a few bags on a weekly basis. You know when you have too much stuff… it doesn’t fit into the reasonable amount of space you own. The space you have is reasonable. Don’t tell me it isn’t. It’s the stuff that isn’t reasonable. Sorry, that’s simply the way it is. You have too much stuff.One way I have done this in my own life is through my use of a capsule/purposeful wardrobe. You can read more about that in my purposeful/capsule wardrobe series.
Upgrade your materials.
Rethink your furniture, materials, and spaces. Some of the pieces you have may be difficult to keep clean regardless of how hard you try. And it isn’t your fault… it’s the piece. Perhaps the top is a chippy paint that holds dirt and grime? Or the dresser doesn’t close easily. Or gosh those cabinets have NO helpers and are one big giant dark hole. Many of these problems can make it difficult to tidy and organize your home easily and efficiently. Resolve these problems, as you can. And be mindful in the future to choose materials for your home that make tidying easier and last longer. Pretty is only pretty if it stays that way long-term. If your lifestyle will degrade your things over time, something needs to change so you can take care of the items in you life in a responsible manner.
Rethink your space.
Similar to upgrading your materials is rethinking your space. Why do we spend so much time thinking about more room, about how things look, about organizing and little to no time about how the space functions for us. Understanding how you use a space and organizing your space to best utilize it for that purpose will be hugely helpful in tidying.
examples:
Baking supplies all in the same area of the kitchen.
A small drawer and wall for paying bills and organizing calendars.
A small tote by the couch to hold remotes, crossword puzzles, and other “couch” related stuff.
ALL the bedding for the whole home in one spot to eliminate the time it takes to search.
ALL the books for the home housed in the same shelf. Preferably near a reading chair. Or, if you have a child that loves to read then give them a great reading area with all their things in one spot.Set up your home to function the way YOU function, not in the way you think is prettiest, or the way magazines tell you. Not thinking about function at all is also a terrible error. Take the time to think through your families lifestyle and how your home can best help maintain and add to it. Give your home the best set up you can, the best furniture you can, and the best layout you can to grant a good use of space for you.
Downsize.
Lastly, and the largest change you can make is to completely downsize and change your lifestyle. Sure, this speaks more to just having a tidy home but if you find yourself constantly frustrating with your inability keep a tidy home regardless at how much you think you’ve tried the above options it may be time for a major change. In our case, we moved from a 2400 square foot house on 20 acres to a 900 square foot home on a small city lot. Huge change! And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Downsizing ultimately was the answer I needed to remove my home as a major energy drainer from my life. Perhaps it is something for you to think about too.

Cheers, my lovelies, to a tidy home, a happy home, and a joyful home!

Living with less, but more.

This article published quite a long time ago, is a well loved and popular piece. I believe that there is a strong movement towards smaller, quieter, more purposeful lives and I couldn’t be more excited. There have been changes in our home and lives since this post but we are still on a journey to stop and think about what we bring into our home and time. Feel free to email me | janel at nelliebellie.com | if you would like to chat about our journey, or leave a comment telling me about YOUR personal journey. No two people or families want the same things, dream about the same things, or will travel through life the same way. And I’m so thankful for that! For now, here’s a bit about our story…

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I have been so surprised at the interest you all have shown at our decision to move from a big house in the country with 25 acres to a 900 square foot house in the city-ish. I’ve talked about how we have been paring down our household goods and you all are so interested. I’ve talked about the little I survive with in my kitchen and still crank out crazy great recipes and you all are interested. I’ve talked about our decision to cut out events, activities, and more in our lives and you all are interested. And then I mentioned my transition to a capsule wardrobe and you all were crazy interested.

I realized it may be time to talk more in depth about our journey to a more sensible lifestyle.

Not that we are there yet. No, we aren’t. As I write this our big house in the country is still on the market and not sold. So, technically, we own a giant house in the country while we rent our little cottage.

As I write this we are still gathering all our belongings and getting them ready for a sale. The sale hasn’t happened yet, so we still have all of those belongings.

But still, we have made significant changes in our lifestyle, our habits, and our hopes and dreams that have us on a fast track to a more sensible lifestyle (some would use the word minimal to try to describe it, it’s not the same thing we don’t think). I know for many of you this post is not what you need, or never will need. That’s cool. We all have different hopes, dreams, and definitions of a beautiful life. But for those of you that feel overwhelmed with where your life has taken you. If you feel your life controls you and YOU don’t control your life, I hope that these series of posts can inspire you to take control back. Maybe not in the big way Nate and I have done, but in small ways.

Let’s start a bit back at the beginning.

2 summers ago Nate got his hand in a wood splitter. His right hand (dominant one). The doctors initially thought he wouldn’t gain movement or use in it again. Being our business was solely based on his ability to do manual work, this was a huge blow. To be fair, we had known for several years that something “had to give”. We were stressed, working all the time, had far too much to manage, and simply weren’t leading the life we wanted. But, that moment a couple summers ago was what put a wrench in our wheel and threw us off the cycle we had been on.

We started preparing for a complete and drastic difference in our revenue stream, making decisions as to who was going to be the sole bread-winner, and lifestyle changes to accommodate the financial changes that were sure to come.

Since I was now going to be bringing in a majority of the income with NellieBellie (and, at the time I was doing blog design full-time), we could live anywhere and I could still work. It seemed that things were set in motion for us that would start us down the road towards some necessary lifestyle changes. And, although we welcomed those changes, we weren’t terribly fond of feeling like control wasn’t in our hands. Feeling that we didn’t have control of decisions and changes was, by far, the hardest part of the last years of transition.

One of the first decisions we thought about was where we would live. We agreed that moving from our 25 acre 2400 square foot home was necessary. We simply didn’t want to take the time and energy needed to care for it.

So, stay in the area or move to a new town was the first question.

We chose to move to a new area for a couple of reasons.

1. We wanted the kids to have easy access to a great school (the bus ride to the small local public school was over 45 minutes) with opportunities beyond athletics.

2. I personally wanted to get closer to the Twin Cities where a multitude of work events often took place. Moving closer meant I could get to more of them without such a huge time commitment the usual 1.5 hour commute took.

3. We wanted to get into a smaller, simpler lifestyle in an area with great outdoor living and healthy shopping options. We looked forward to the ability to bike, walk, and hike every evening without traveling to do so.

For all these reasons and more, we chose to move to Stillwater, MN. Stillwater is a small town along the river border of MN and WI and, for all intents and purposes, a suburb of the Twin Cities. It has a wonderful public school system, a beautiful historic history, great shopping choices (love the local Co-op here!), and loads of biking, running, kayaking, hiking, and more.

We originally moved from the country to an apartment in the historic district of Stillwater (you can see a quick tour of that apartment HERE). The apartment was the second and third floor of a historic mansion and about 1200 square feet. There was no yard to care for, no pets allowed, we were within walking distance of the library and shopping, and the historic trolley tours went by out our door. It was a wonderful place to start our transition to a simpler lifestyle.

The hardest part, for me, about that first year and a half was adjusting to sharing a building with other tenants. We shared the washer & dryer, garbage, mail boxes, yard, and more with 3 other tenants. Also, because we were on the upper floors we were always mindful of how much noise we were making. All things that renters are probably used to. But because we had owned our own home for all of our 18 years together, the lack of privacy and ownership was difficult to get used to.

So, we knew that a small house would be the goal. And when I say small, I mean small. We wanted something under 1000 square feed with a little yard, garage, and great neighborhood. In Stillwater, that is near impossible. This town is large home central. All the houses are like the Tardis, you think it’s little and then BAM — an addition is there making it twice or three times the original size. It’s crazy!

But then, a tiny little cottage came up for rent. 900 square feet on a corner lot with an itty bitty yard, patio, covered porch, garage, and allows an animal. I know! Can’t get better.

It really can’t.

So, now we are in our second year here in Stillwater and learning to transition to a 900 square foot home. We love the privacy and more feeling of ownership that comes with a traditional house. And we love how tiny it is. The amount of stuff we have is next in this place to nothing. But, we are learning all sorts of new things about ourselves, our lifestyle, the materialism that we didn’t think we were participating in but when it came time to start sorting through our belongings we realized how MUCH STUFF we had, what we truly enjoy, what we do when we are bored, how to make healthy choices, and what it feels like to not thrive on stress. Because we had been addicted to stress.

If you think that isn’t a thing, you are wrong. We were absolutely used to drama, family problems, stressful situations, more work than we could manage, someone needing us ALWAYS, and ending our day with I wishes. We were so accustomed to stress and drama that in all truthfulness, learning to lead calmer & simpler lives is extremely difficult! We find ourselves wanting to ADD a project or say YES to helping someone else’s problem or NO to spending time with friends. Simply because we have not yet learned this new simper lifestyle and it’s many more hours of enjoyment, freedom, and simplicity. We feel guilty when we find ourselves sitting and watching a movie in the evening. I take bubble baths often. Whoa. I never thought I would say that!

The second decision we made, and are still working on, is to sell our home in the country (the pic above is just one of many gardens).

Financially we have the means to keep it and use it as a “cabin” for weekends and vacation. It is tempting, let me tell you! Here in Stillwater many folks keep cabins in the very same area of Wisconsin we have chosen to move from. They go there for fun and leisure. Ironic, isn’t it. It seems foolish to sell a property that many would love to have.

We went around and around about this decision. It finally came down to the same reason we decided to move… we don’t want to spend the time and energy to care for it. Regardless of how often we are there, it is still a 2400 square foot house on 25 acres. With taxes, utilities, and upkeep that go along with that. Time and energy we have chosen to put elsewhere. And, ultimately, finances we have chosen not so spend on a “once in a while” cabin.

Instead, we will rent a camper or hotel room when we vacation. Yes, it’s more expensive. But simplicity, in our opinion, will ultimately save us money and precious energy.

As I write this we are still working on getting the house up for sale. It is a huge undertaking. And, that right there is more than enough confirmation that we are making the right choice for us. The amount of time and effort it is taking just to get this place on the market is INSANE. No wonder we were always overwhelmed with the care and keeping of it.

The third decision we have made is to lease/rent as many major purchases as we can.

We have chosen to rent our home and lease our car. We are willing to buy, if necessary, to get the tiny little house we need. But, we prefer to rent and luckily, have found a tiny house we CAN rent. It can’t get much more perfect. Our car is a practical Subaru that gets us where we need to, has all-wheel drive for MN winters, and does all we need it to with a couple extra’s like heated seats and rear-view cam.

For us, renting and leasing eliminates the stress and energy that comes with owning your own home and car. We don’t have to worry about the upkeep and maintenance, we simply call the landlord when there is a problem. I don’t have as much paperwork associated with taxes, etc.., what projects we can take on are dramatically limited (no major renovations anymore!), and even the number of utilities we are responsible for are less.

We also like that stress has been taken off of us financially. Renting CAN be more expensive, in some cases. But, we feel more comfortable knowing that as we continue to make changes in our lifestyle we are not “stuck” in a long-term commitment to a geographic location. True, we absolutely love where we live and have no intention of moving but the ability to move and adjust to financial needs feels good and freeing.

For the sake of honesty I want you to know that we do have a goal of buying the home we are renting, if possible. We recognize that it often makes financial sense to pay for a mortgage than rent. But it will be an awfully small house and an awfully small mortgage for us to think about it. But, it’s not out of the question completely.

The fourth decision we have made, are making, and seem to keep making is about our source of income.

Lucky enough, Nate’s hand did not suffer permanent damage and he was, in fact, able to return to his business after a few months. This was a blessing and a hindrance, both. A blessing because our main source of income didn’t dry up, at all. He has been able to continue working as if nothing happened. A hindrance because the stress and difficulty of owning our own business is still tagging along. Financially, it’s hard to turn our nose up at the income it brings in. But yet, the business was/is draining and stressful. We are trying to balance what we need with what we don’t need. Can we get by with less, save less, do less, but work less? Or do we work more, save more, and stress less about money? We still haven’t gotten this quite figured out and are still working on it.

I still bring in an income with NellieBellie but without the design side of NellieBellie (why I stopped design work is another story for another day) it isn’t quite enough to support us on just my income. Almost. Close. Soon. And when it does it will be wonderful to have that choice. But, for right now Nate needs to keep a part-time or full-time job in some capacity. He always will, I’m sure. The choice right now is if we should stick with the business in some form. The business is a guaranteed source of income. Good income. But, it’s also a guaranteed source of stress and energy-drain as all small-businesses are. Alternately Nate could get a regular 9 to 5 job at a local business. Not as much income. At all. Not the security of what the business brings. Nor is there the stress of owning a business.

Ahhh, choices. Good and bad. I love having choices, for sure. But sometimes having choices is just paralyzing, in a way. Especially when there isn’t a clear way. You kind of find yourself standing and looking at the choices and wondering. Of course, the problem with standing and wondering is that often the choice becomes made for us in the waiting period. I’m not in favor of my indecisiveness making my decisions. That is the worst feeling.

If you think that it is these big decisions that are impacting our lives the most, you would be wrong. Very wrong. It is in the smaller changes in our lifestyle that I find the most effective and, ultimately, contributing to the large decisions. These smaller adjustments and changes have resulted in even having the ability to change major aspects of our lifestyle. The smaller changes are what I will continue to work on, strive towards, and talk about here on NellieBellie. Sure, I’ll update you often on the progress of selling our home or camper. Yet, learning to reduce our waste, live within a smaller footprint, and consume less material goods are what I’m most excited for. These are the small things that I know without a doubt change my daily life. And yours, too.

What are the small changes we have made, you ask? I’m so glad you want to know. Where to start?

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my Social Media Diet experiment: day one.

By the time you all read this, I’ll probably be on day four or five because of the way the editorial calendar is scheduled here at NellieBellie. But, does it really matter? One, four, or five all seem like they would be relatively difficult to take social media out of.

At least for me.

I can make excuses all day long about how my line of work requires me to stay in touch with social media and all the comments, likes, messages, and stuff. But it’s bull. Don’t believe a word I say.

Sure, there is some truth to it. I do have more interaction in the digital world than your average person might. But I sure as heck know how to draw out every. single. minute. I can. I’m a pro at reading everything on my timeline-twice. And finding “cool articles” in places that I can’t possibly remember where I got them.

The other day I caught myself looking through feeds, comments, and stuff for the hundreth time that day. What I was looking for? Couldn’t tell you. All I know is that I’m drawn to head back to social media when I’m bored and just scroll. And I’ll keep doing it again and again without thought.

Okay, not even when I’m bored. When I’m tired. Or frustrated. Or procrastinating.

Heck…even when I’m not.

I will scroll through my Facebook feed as if my life depends on it. I’m going to die if I don’t. No really. Probably from the plague, or something :).

Anyways, the other day after I caught myself for the crazy zillionth time I paused and had a heart to heart with myself. We did some honest talking. And decided to try something new. An experiment of sorts.

What would happen if I drastically limit my social media use. And schedule times to use it for work? What if I remove the apps off my phone and force myself to use my computer during work hours for “work social media use”?

What would happen if I did this for a month. What would happen if I didn’t scroll endlessly. Or look at Instagram feeds without commenting. Or scrolled through Twitter to see “what was happening”.

LET’S FIND OUT, SHALL WE?

For a month I’m going to use social media in a very limited way. I’ve scheduled times to update social media and connect with my readers that use it to read and communicate with me (that’s valuable to me!). Everything else… gone. EEEEEEK!

I KNOW that I’m going to go a bit crazy. Probably like sugar withdrawl, I’m thinking. I’ll let you know.

In any case… wish me llluuucccckkkk!!

(and if any of you have tried this… give me advice, will ya! Cause even as I write this my fingers are itching to grab my phone. STaaaaHHHP me!)