Amelia Wilson: Ethical Living

Alright, so today I wanted to take some time to talk about minimalism!

Minimalism is not necessarily about owning less, but more about finding purpose and fulfillment in what you have. It means creating a clean space for yourself by undoing the burden that clutter and disorganization can bring into your life. Minimalism looks different for everybody. I’ve watched so many YouTube videos on the topic and can officially confirm that this is true!

Personally, minimalism for me means clearing out old and unused items, keeping things because they are useful and discarding what is not, and keeping spaces clean and clutter free.

One thing that can be kind of difficult for me as a minimalist is that I’m not too particularly keen on the white on white on white style. You know, the decorum that comes to mind with minimalism:

In fact, I prefer the bohemian style when it comes to decorating my house. I enjoy warm colors, lots of plants, vintage items, paintings and art all around, etc. Now, I do enjoy the white on white theme that many minimalists take one, but it’s not necessarily my favorite.

Many people think that in order to be a minimalist, you have to reduce the amount of everything you own and take up this white on white decor theme. This is not true!

You can be a minimalist and still have 50 books on your bookshelf or 20 blankets on your bed or 15 paintings on your wall.

Minimalism looks different for everybody!

Minimalism is not so much a style as it is a mindset. Yes, in some cases you will reduce your amount of “stuff” but essentially, you’re clearing out what no longer serves a purpose for you.

Here are ways I’ve cleared clutter, taking up the minimalist attitude:

reduced my closet
Reduced the mail/paper clutter in my office space
Threw out old projects, paint, and useless items that I’ll never use
I don’t buy more dishes than we need
I don’t shop just because something is “cute” or “trendy”
I’ve become more aware of how my purchases affect the environment and my home

Okay, so that last one is not necessarily a minimalist “need” per say. But I enjoy knowing that the products I purchase are holistic, ethical, and clean. It makes me feel healthier and more responsible.

However, there are many things I did not do that many minimalists do. For example:

I didn’t throw out all of my shoes (I own quite a lot)
I didn’t throw out my knickknacks
I keep old postcards and decor gifts
I own more than 50 books
I own more than 30 dvd movies
I have quite a few plants
I have quite a few pieces of wall art.

Just because I own this stuff doesn’t mean I’m not a minimalist. I really enjoy gifts and souvenirs from others, they become hard to part with. I also find the pieces decorative and timeless. I own a lot of books because I’m a literary freak and don’t know how I’d live without them! I love plants and want so many more! They brighten up the living space and speak to that bohemian house theme that I’m so in love with.

What does minimalism actually do for me if I’m not living it as most minimalists do?

Well, for one, I feel less burdened. I own less clothing which makes it easier to get up in the morning and dress. I own less makeup which makes it easy to get ready that way. We have fewer dishes which makes it easier to keep the kitchen clean. We have less clutter in our living room which makes the space more useful and enjoyable.

Minimalism is a state of mind. It clears a lot of stress and helps me to feel rejuvenated. I’ve recently dabbled in Wicca, specifically the cyclical effects of nature, and have become quite obsessed with certain traditions/actions. More specifically, Ostara—the spring equinox—was just celebrated. Ostara is about new life, beginnings, planting seeds (mentally and physically) etc. One of the most important things I could do for myself spiritually, mentally, and physically was to clear old clutter from my house.

I cleaned out my wardrobe and now operate it as a capsule wardrobe. I cleaned out old jewelry that I hardly use. And I cleaned my entire house. This has made me feel so refreshed and ready to take on the new astrological new year.

How do you know if minimalism is right for you?

Watch videos. Read articles. Listen to podcasts. Do it all. You’ll know if it’s right for you. My favorite influencers on this topic are:

Youtube:

Sarah Therese
Madeleine Olivia

The Small Wardrobe

Sedona Christina

Blogs:

minimisewithme.com
laivana.com
alittlerosedust.com

Podcasts:

Minimal-ish
The Functioning Minimalist
Be uncluttered

The best thing you can do is experience this yourself and then define what minimalism means to you. As I grow and mature, more and more used to be “necessities” become clutter and I end up removing them from my life. Ideally, I’d like to be as clutter free as possible even despite my bohemian-esque home decor.

It’s possible to obtain this mindset and still not be one of those “hardcore” minimalists you see online. Give it a try!

If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:

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Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how you define minimalism.

You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com

Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!

Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.

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This post is going to be a list of foods I have either a) cut from my life or b) limited. I’ve been pushing myself towards cleaner eating and aiming to keep my body healthy. I’ve been really inspired by youtubers like Sarah Therese (for example) to push myself towards a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy eating is step one. I want my body to feel good and strong. I hope that one day, should I have kids, that my habits will influence good habits for them.

Now, I’m not perfect and I do indulge at times. This post lists foods that I have either entirely cut (like soft drinks) or am working on cutting (like dairy). It’s tricky to do, but not impossible!

I hope this post helps you push towards cleaner eating or at least inspired you to cut out some “not so good” foods!

So, what have I cut from my diet?

Soft drinks

I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a soft drink. I don’t buy any canned or bottled soda for the house, opting instead for fruit juices or plain water. When I go out to eat at restaurants, I tend to order water, tea, or lemonade. In fact, I don’t drink much soda so when I do, it sort of hurts my stomach and prevents me from wanting to drink it again.

If I do opt for a soft drink (which is rare) I usually go for sprite or ginger ale as both are less likely to cause tummy pains.

Cutting out soft drinks has been amazing, actually. I don’t get as much acne as I used to, and it feels more refreshing to get water based drinks. It’s a huge cut back from sugar, which is nice, and I feel better with a lemonade or water vs. a soda. Soft drinks are kind of my enemy now and I’m glad I cut them out.

Fried foods

The only time I eat fried foods is when I break and buy frozen corn dogs or I go out to eat and get fries. To be clear, I’m talking about deep fried foods. I still fry foods (like potatoes) on the stove. However, I don’t eat deep fried foods. I eat a lot of my meals at home and since I don’t own a deep fryer, it certainly discourages that form of food.

I do go out to eat every once in a while and indulge in fries, but again, it’s rare. I save a lot of money by limiting myself from restaurant foods!

Cutting out deep fried foods hasn’t necessarily been as mind blowing as ridding myself of soft drinks. But I can say it feels nicer to eat food that is fresh and colorful over food that is greasy and brown. Does that make sense? Again, if I do indulge in deep fried foods, it usually results in a stomach ache which discourages future attempts at eating those things.

Fast-food

I admit, I still eat fast food SOMETIMES! But not nearly as often as I used to. I estimate that I (maybe) eat fast food once a week. Typically, it’s less than that. My boyfriend and I don’t live near many fast food restaurants as it is so that has helped us cut it out a lot. He and I have both partaken in a “no fast food for a month” challenges innumerable times.

He and I also feel our money is spent more valuably on ingredients for meals vs. a fast food meal. We also love to cook, so that helps!

I personally don’t enjoy McDonald’s, Burger King, or White Castle and he dislikes Subway (which is my favorite) and Starbucks. So we don’t get food from these places very often or at all. If I spend money on fast food, it's rare. We might cave and get Wendy’s or White Castle once a month out of convenience. Or I’ll get Arby’s once a month when visiting my family. In general, we avoid fast food all together.

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Cakes/donuts/brownies

Okay. I’m a huge sugar freak. I do indulge in candy or cookies a lot of the time at work. I’m struggling really hard to completely eradicate refined sugars from my diet! However! I have successfully cut down on cakes, donuts, and brownies!

All cakes, brownies, and cookies that I eat are made at home so I can control the ingredients that go into them. Even then, these sweets are rare in my house. I don’t buy little Debbie cakes or premade sweets like that. Every now and again I’ll allow myself to get oreos (which are NOT good for you) or packaged chocolate chip cookies, but again, it’s rare.

My boyfriend and I tend to make our own sweets or eat healthier alternatives (like fruits). I don’t remember the last time I had a donut or a cinnamon roll even though I know that I’ll still eat them on rare occasions.

This is another attempt of mine to cut out bad sugars. I’m still in the process of eliminating it entirely, but for now, I’m doing good.

Dairy

Have I completely cut out dairy? No. I haven’t. I still drink milk because my boyfriend is obsessed with it. I prefer water, but hey, to each his own. Before my boyfriend moved in, I would go a while without milk or I would buy milk alternatives. With him here, he drinks most of the milk and I tend to use it when cooking.

I’m not sure if I prefer milk alternatives or not. Personally, I’d like to make my own nut milks (I think that’d be cool).

I drink milk (maybe) once a day or less. I don’t drink it with meals and only use it for recipes. I use it for cereal IF I eat cereal but that’s not always my go-to breakfast. I don’t use butter aside from baking and the same goes for cheese. In all honesty, I still utilize milk often but in small quantities. I simply prefer water for most things!

Cutting out dairy has been better for my gut and has helped me prevent acne. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to cut it out completely, but it’s something that I try to limit for both myself and the environment.

Red meat

I really don’t like red meat. Is that weird? I never realized how little red meat I ate until I downloaded a meal tracking app. The app had a “no red meat” challenge and after a week, I realized I didn’t eat any red meat. It’s just not something I invest in or enjoy. I personally hate ground beef and only eat steak about once or twice a year. I only have bacon at restaurants (though I do love bacon) and have ham around New Years with my family.

I love ham and bacon, honestly. However, I don’t typically invest in them. Recently, I’ve been eating more fish which I enjoy. I think it’d be nice to cut out all red meat and only eat chicken and fish. Maybe cut out chicken one day too?

My boyfriend enjoys ground beef but I’ll only eat it in tacos (IF THAT). So, typically, red meat is not common in our diets.

Frozen meals

Gosh. I have a weird love and hate with pre-packaged frozen meals. I love the convenience. Hate the quality. Love the price. Hate the ingredients. The list goes on. The only frozen meals that my boyfriend and I indulge in is frozen pizza and even then, we hesitate to buy it because it goes too fast and it’s not the best. I don’t buy frozen dinner entrees, lasagna, chicken nuggets, or corn dogs. If I do, it’s rare. (I know I keep saying this but it’s true! These things are only bought sparingly, maybe once a month or less!)

I can’t do the frozen pre-made dinner thing. The taste is often bland and it messes with my stomach now that I’m used to making a lot of dinners. I’ll admit, they’re super convenient! And I will get frozen veggies or frozen shrimp to add to a dinner. But I don’t buy the ready microwave stuff. Cooking dinners can take a long time and sometimes, pizza is worth the minimal work, but it’s not a necessity item.

Alcohol

Okay, I’m young, alcohol is not something I buy a lot of. I still haven’t tasted a lot of it so I don’t entirely know what I like and what I don’t. (Most of what I’ve had, I don’t like). It’s not entirely cut out from my diet but I don’t drink it often. I can tell you now, that as a young adult, I’ve had two drinks in the last three months and that feels excessive to me!

Though I want to try more drinks and figure out what I like, I want to go to more parties, and I want to find what’s comfortable, I don’t think alcohol is something I’ll have often. It might remain as a once a month (or less) venture in my diet. And that would be totally fine with me!

If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:

click here to view

Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what foods you’ve cut from your diet! Give me recommendations on how to truly cut out things like dairy! Or, let me know if you want a post on my dietary goals!

You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com

Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!

Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.

Thanks again

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For the past month, I’ve been living with almost NONE of my stuff. As many of you know, I’ve moved back in with my parents for a month and a half before transitioning to Chicago for school. (You can read more about that here). This past month has been INSANE!

A lot has happened in the past month. My bank account is slowly getting smaller. My blog has been put on hold. Actually, most, if not all, of my projects have been put on hold. I’ve barely read anything. I’ve worked a ton. The list of my summer, thus far, could go on. However, I wanted to write a blog post about one of the great things I’ve learned this last month.

That is: it’s possible to live minimalistically.

I’ve watched a ton of Minimalism Vlogs read a lot of blog posts about it, etc. And I never thought that I would be able to obtain a lifestyle like that. Capsule wardrobes sounded like a nightmare. Losing all my stuff sounded gross. And I’m not a fan of the “clean-white” look that most minimalists have.

However, for the past month I've been living with a small closet wardrobe, my laptop, a few pairs of shoes, my hygienic products, and that’s about it.

Living minimalistically IS possible. And I never would have thought it would be for me. But I really like it. I don’t have to worry about all of my stuff (currently in storage right now), and I’ve begun to get more creative with what I have.

I’m contemplating decluttering my wardrobe after I move. I brought only my summer clothes and a few jackets. Despite only bringing a few things for the summer, I’m finding that I still haven’t used half of the items in my newly decreased closet! I will definitely be refining it once I move.

I’ve learned that, for me personally, I only need about 5-10 t-shirts, 5 pairs of shorts/pants, some undergarments, 5 pair of shoes (if that), and 1 or 2 dresses and jackets. It’s incredible.

This may sound like a lot for some people, and for others this might seem insane. I’ve always had a bunch of clothes (many that have stayed with me since middle school—I still wear my eighth grade book club shirt to work and yes, I get loads of compliments from it). My mom has a closet that takes up half her room, no kidding. And I’ve just been pretty used to having a ton of clothing.

I’m learning that, I don’t need all of that. I can capsule wardrobe (by the season). I can cut back a lot of what I own and appreciate what I have.

I’m considering paring my summer closet down to:

5 pairs of shoes

5 dresses (different occasions)

10 t-shirts

3-5 tanks

5 pair shorts/pants combined

3 skirts

And two lightweight jackets

Not including my undergarments, I think this works best for me. I’m considering pairing down jewelry as well, as I’ve survived the summer with no earrings or rings or watches and only two necklaces. I do miss some of my accessories, but I’m beginning to realize I don’t need half of them!

Now, I’m not going to get into makeup, but there could definitely be some pairing down on that too.

I move in August (I plan to create a bunch of vlogs/videos of the move, reno the space, and write a ton about my new adventures). But most importantly, I plan to cut down a lot of my “stuff” and begin living minimalistically.

Minimalism isn’t just about owning less. It’s also about being environmentally aware. It’s about being sustainable and affordable. I’m excited to take what I have learned this summer and begin implementing these ideals in my life.

Here is a list of ways I’ve decreased my “stuff” and how I plan to continue this trend:

I’ve paired down my closet

As you read above, I’m living (essentially) with ONLY my summer closet. And it almost feels like too much! I actually did a mini declutter upon moving back into my parents' house. So it’s wild to me that, even after purging once, I could still do it again!

I’ve paired down my makeup

Since moving in and placing everything in storage, I haven’t really been wearing a lot of makeup. I have a small pouch that contains moisturizer, foundation, concealer, 2 mascaras, one lip gloss, chapstick, tweezers, eyeliner, and an eyebrow kit. That's it!

It contains one of everything I’d need and it’s pleasant! I don’t have to dig through a bunch of cosmetics. I own my favorites and I can pick what I’d like to wear between them.

This is especially nice for the summer since I prefer to be more natural in my makeup routine as I’m often outside or in the pool.

I’ve prioritized plants and hygiene

As far as other items go, I only brought with me some hygiene products, my laptop, some books, and my plants. That’s all I really need to be happy and content—to feel as if the space is somewhat mine.

By prioritizing my needs versus my wants, I’ve eliminated a bunch of clutter from my life. I’ve come to terms with what I require to be happy in a space and it’s honestly so relieving!

I don’t have a bunch of knick knacks around. I don’t have too many clothes. I don’t have to worry about a messy desk. It’s nice to know that I don’t have as much to clean or worry about.

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I’ve ridden myself of many knickknacks

On the topic of knick knacks, I’ll be honest. I own a bunch. The majority are souvenirs/gifts from friends and places I’ve visited. They’re all in storage right now.

Knick knacks collect a lot of dust on my shelves, however, I still love them. I have sentimental attachments to many of them. Although, since moving back in with my family and cutting down only to the bare necessities, I’ve realized that, despite having an emotional connection to my knick knacks, at the end of the day, they are only material objects and are not as important to my growth and environment as I once thought.

I’ll always have the memories from my Knick knacks, even when they are long gone. This doesn’t mean that once I move I’ll be getting rid of them. However, it influences my future. I don’t think I’ll be buying any decorative knick knacks anytime soon. I’m too focused on making sure that everything I buy has a use and/or purpose in my life.

I’ve learned that I don’t need A LOT to feel happy

This is the number one fact I’ve learned since living minimalistically for the summer. When I first moved out of my parents house into an apartment in June 2018, I was shocked at how homesick I felt due to my “stuff” not being unpacked in my new space.

I defined “home” as the objects I brought with me when I moved. I didn’t feel safe and welcome until all of my knick knacks were set up. It was a crude awakening back then to realize that I connected all of my material possessions to a fleeting feeling.

A year later, I’ve started to define home as a feeling separate from my material objects. I don’t need them. I am free without them. It is possible to be completely content with a living space so long as I have my essentials and necessities.

Living minimalistically for the summer has really influenced my thinking for future spaces. I move again in August and I’m excited to implement these new ideals into my new home.

Minimalism is different for everyone, but the main idea/goal is to be comfortable with less. And I am! I plan to continue reducing my closet, reducing my clutter, and focusing on my needs rather than my wants.

I hope this post aided in any questions about living minimalistically. If you want to see more, you can check out similar posts in my Ethical Living series, or, comment below and let me know what you’d like to read!

If you want to see more and be updated about more content, gifts, and promos, go ahead and subscribe to my email list below!

Feel free to leave a comment below or email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com

Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $9.99!

Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored.

Thanks again

No comments

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