For the last year or so JP and I have been praying more intentionally about our future. We've been keeping an open mind about possible schooling opportunities, living situations, and growing our family. In preparation for the unknown we've been downsizing quite a bit lately. I would even venture to say we've started a journey towards minimalism. The term minimalism has various definitions and misconceptions, but one key idea of minimalism for me is simply to remove what isn't adding value to your life to make room for stuff that is. For us, that means less clutter and more time and energy focused on what really matters to us. We want to design our lives with intention.
The kickstarter of this decluttering process for us has been all of my medical issues. My infertility (I'll share more about that in another post) has made me aware of everything I put on my body and in my body. I've been living a gluten/dairy/egg free diet for a few years now but we've taken it a step further. We've gotten rid of all plastics and gone with glass storage containers and we've chosen all-natural body care products. Everything we put on our bodies, a significant portion of it gets absorbed into our bodies through our skin (I'm not a doctor and don't have specific percentages on this). Think of all those chemicals we are consuming every single day! Did you know aluminum is in regular deodorant? That can't be good for us. We've also tried to buy more local products and products made in the USA. For years now I have been a label reader and even more so this past year. When we purchase anything, we want to do it with intentionality. We end up buying less, but buying better quality. If you want to learn more about ethical companies you can stand behind, check out the website Free2Work.
It still amazes me how much stuff we had been shoving into closets and it has been eye opening to see how far we've downsized and how far we still have to go! In another post I'll share with you what we've sold/donated, and how we've done it. When I declutter, I feel like I'm clearing my mind. It is SO freeing. The more I sell/donate, the more I feel a burden lifted. My husband even says I have a gift of purging. My goal isn't to get rid of everything and then start filling up the space again. We want to have what we need and use everything we have. We want to live a simple life.
With all of that being said, we are in the process of selling our home! We've already decided on a realtor and are working on home projects including painting, landscaping, and home repairs. We are still praying for God's direction in our living situation and are eagerly awaiting the next chapter of our lives. There is much on the horizon and we can't wait to share more with you in the coming months.
I'd love to hear your story of living with intention and living with less so share in the comments section below! And if you have any suggestions for all-natural beauty products, I'd love to learn more about those too!
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