Typically I don't go for overly fussy seasonal decor, but I do like each season to be represented. When I brought my fall box down from the attic and looked inside I had to admit it was pretty pitiful, only half full; I guess when I decluttered last year I really meant business! So, having only the white pumpkins I made last year, some silvery turkeys I like to put on my Thanksgiving table, and a few Halloween decorations I hold on to for my grandson to enjoy, I felt my fall holiday box and house needed a wee retail refresh. I went to Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel certain I'd find things I'd love, and I sure did, but when I saw the prices I almost choked. I think most seasonal decor is faddish and I hate to spend a lot of money, not to mention the actual storing of it, on something that will look dated in a few years. I then headed to Target, and honestly, they rarely disappoint. Good old Target. I paid $30 for three graduated sizes of ceramic pumpkins in a pretty muted orange and also found a matching pumpkin scented candle. Next I looked for some foliage but everything I saw at the local craft and hobby stores looked garish so my next stop was Amazon. Jackpot! I bought a few stems of artificial pomegranate branches in orange. I worried what they would actually look like in real life but I was so happy when they arrived. They are gorgeous. They add just the right amount of fall color I wanted in my home. And because I follow a strict rule of one in, one out, (a handy minimalist trick to make sure the clutter does not creep back) I had to find a half dozen things to remove from my home. I try to remove like for like, but since my fall box was already decluttered, I headed to my closet and went for my skirts instead! 

The big holiday season is around the corner and we have already begun to make plans for get-togethers. As much as I love Christmas and love to gather together with friends, I don't like to over-do. Been there, done that, and I know all too well the feelings of anxiety when faced with a busy calendar and not enough hours in the day to do it all. Taking on too much was stealing the beauty from my favorite season. So, about a decade ago and without even knowing what I was doing, I slowly started down that wobbly road of simplification. For the first years I focused on the holiday season, but eventually I carried it throughout the entire year. I only later found out that I was practicing a form of minimalism, but at the time, all I knew is that I simply had to remove things, but what to remove I didn't know. I started to look at how I spent my time and my money, and in both cases I was spending too much time and money on things that just didn't make me happy, and actually made me unhappy. In my heart I'm actually an introvert and frugal, but I wasn't living my life that way. 

First, I gave myself more down time. I started removing things from my calendar. I was still working part-time at the time, and even took on less hours there too. I started to say no to volunteer opportunities and invitations, things that I loved doing, but knew I didn't have the hours to spare. Saying no was awkward at first but that became easier with practice. Somewhere on this journey I started to read about minimalism. Right away I knew that it was right for me. I didn't want to organize my stuff anymore, I wanted to have less of it. Over time (I'm rather slow at getting the point) I learned that decluttering is not only for physical household clutter, but emotional clutter, calendar clutter, and digital clutter. My journey has been slow but steady and I'm still working it out. 

How then does the hustle and bustle of the holidays fit in with my new style? I actually love the hustle, but need smaller doses of it, so for me, the first thing to do is keep my calendar manageable. My husband and I prioritize spending time with our grandson (while he still loves to be with us) and our family. How I'm managing to spend less money is probably best left to another post. 

We still host gatherings because we both love to have guests over, but our style has changed over the years; it's more casual, simpler, most always on the small side, but still pretty, yummy and welcoming. We recently hosted two small dinner parties for six. In both cases I set pretty tables, one with my new pumpkins and another with some faux magnolia and candles as the centerpiece. For the first dinner I made Italian Wedding Meatball Soup and the second I made individual chicken pot pies. Along with both I served a green salad and served cookies for dessert. We enjoyed both our little parties very much and we could tell our guests did too.  I will never go back to the complicated and grand scale of entertaining I used to do. It poops me out, costs too much, and is no more enjoyable than a simple dinner.

Every month or so I seem to have a filled-to-the-brim box to hand over to the charity shop. Simplifying my life is a work in progress and while I doubt many people would call me a minimalist, in my mind I am. Minimalism looks different on everyone. In a future post I'd like to share more detailed ways in which I've been able to make my life more manageable, and where I find inspiration. If you are on this journey, I'd love to know your progress and any tips you can share.