Simple Minimalism Series: The First Step (Video)

I've got a new series on our YouTube channel called Simple Minimalism and the first one is up today. Minimalism is something I have always been interested in and over the years I have dipped in and out of implementing it into our lifestyle.

Before we started a family, it was much easier to be a minimalist and we had reduced our waste significantly. Since we've had Max, the influx of 'stuff' has been ever increasing. While I have tried to keep what we purchase to a minimum through borrowing and sharing short-term use items with friends and family, that only really worked for the baby months.

Now he's got birthdays, Christmases and just general growing milestones that mean we need clothes in bigger sizes, toys, books, more food and all sorts of stuff that just means in general, sticking to minimalism, while trying to live a modern life, is more challenging. 

I'll be honest, a big part of that is my personal mindset. I've never been a huge shopper (in general) but I sometimes find myself heading to a shopping centre with Max, whether it's to beat the summer heat, do groceries, visit a play centre, the bookshop or just to see other humans.

Being in close proximity to the shops means more temptation to buy things we don't need. And as a mum, I find it incredibly hard to resist a cute new shirt or toy car that Max has taken a shining to. 

I've made a conscious effort to find activities we can do that don't involve shopping centres which I think will be much easier as the weather cools off. And don't get me wrong, our favourite activities have always been a walk in the park or the water play area at Southbank. 

However, if you're just starting out as an aspiring minimalist, tweaking your lifestyle and assessing your daily habits generally comes after the big first step of decluttering. Which is what my first video on this topic is about. Howeve I definitely don't consider myself an expert, I see minimalism as an ongoing process and one that you have to recommit to over and over!

I'd love to know what you think,

Rachelle xo