Sunday Edit: Choosing NO Car!

WE SOLD OUR CAR and WE ARE NOT GETTING A NEW ONE.  At least not in the near foreseeable future.  Letting go of the car is an oddly tough choice to make.  It felt unreal putting it up for sale last night, especially when we sold it, handed over the keys and saw it driving off in less then four hours. 
Wow!  It’s done now and there's no going back. 



My husband Spencer, though on board with the decision to sell, was awfully quiet throughout this whole process.   I knew what was going through his mind, because I was pinched by those nagging questions too. 
Are we making a BIG mistake?
Are we going to regret our decision?  How soon?
Is it foolish?
Idiotic?

IT’S NOT.  After all, we’re selling the car because it’s an unnecessary expense, it’s a luxury item we rarely use, and worst of all IT’S BROKEN.  That’s right, we don’t drive it because it’s broken!  It’s time to stop paying gas, insurance and repairs for a thing that might or might not carry us a few blocks without breaking down.
I’m excited we’re rid of it and I kept reminding Spencer that we’re not going to mourn a thing that lately gave us so much trouble.  We won’t and we can’t.  We are bravely going to move forward—by foot, by bike or by public transportation—and it will be so much better.  The decision to sell the car wasn’t made lightly.  We’ve debated the pros and cons, and discussed it at length with family and friends.  Months passed before we finally went through with it.

For most Americans, or probably most anybody in the world, having a car is the default status, and it’s difficult to imagine life without it.  I don’t care so much about car ownership, because I am much more interested in access.  Salt Lake City offers access to all kinds of things without the need of a car.  Since moving into the heart of downtown Salt Lake last fall, I quite enjoyed not having to use our car every day.  I’m grateful for our current location and the extensive transportation system we could rely on if need be.  I don't feel the need to own a car anymore.   It bothered me more then it did good because it wasn’t really useful to us.  I also think it’s quite liberating that I can go about my day without driving to do anything. 

I suppose, I took it as a given that I always had and needed a car.  In many ways, a car is a sort of status symbol, just as being able to learn driving a car is as a teenager.  Fancy me, I even learned to drive stick shift.  In the words of one of my good friends, this means that I have the privilege and good luck not to be a helpless damsel when it comes to driving.  I would be able to drive anything, even a tractor, out of the sticks if I had to.
But I don't like driving. 
I really don't and I'm ecstatic about each day I don't have to drive. 

When we first moved into the city, we went days without it.  Then weeks.  We drove on special occasions when we planned an outing or wanted to go hiking.  Mostly my husband drove, but he also started to dislike driving.  I suppose you never consider the unnecessary stress of a fast-paced highway commute or congested streets until this drive is not a necessary evil in your day anymore.  And then, the car kept having mechanical problems and we were pretty much afraid to drive it anywhere.  So this is what let us to where we are now... choosing NO car.

So, today is day one of our car-free life.  So far, in the months and weeks of using the car way less, I’ve enjoyed the additional exercise and reduced guilt about pollution and travel expenses.  It’s also nice getting to know and discover all the little streets and alleys of the city as I paddle past.  You see so much more when you’re going slow and have the ability to stop and hop off whenever you like.  You could stop to smell the roses.  This isn’t so much of a cliché, because if you know me, you can see how I’ve done this on more than one occasion.

♡ Nina

Moving Day Apartment Tour

For those of you who don't already know, Spencer and I are moving. 
Again. 
Actually, TODAY!
 
So, I thought we would show you around our old apartment where we spend all of last winter.  Ironically, while you're reading this, we're in the process of boxing up our things to carry them all down the street to our new home.  I definitely wanted to photograph our apartment before moving so that we all can have a look back and see what this place used to look like.  I’m a bit sad to leave even though I started to despise being home because my allergic asthma has been torturous ever since they changed the pet policy at the beginning of May and started to allow dogs in the building.  Luckily, we quickly found a small, one-bedroom apartment that’s not to far from our current downtown studio and today we are finally able to move.  I wonder if I am going to be happy with our new place.  It’s nice and clean, but a bit more spacious then we actually like it to be.  There are hardwood floors throughout and lots of windows, but it just doesn’t have the stunning, uninterrupted view that our old studio had.  From anyplace in the house, even from the bed you were able to enjoy the skyline of downtown Salt Lake, with the mountains to each side and you were able to see all the way to the end of the valley.  There is no inspiring view to speak of at our new place, unless you’re talking religiously fear inspiring since we’re facing a gothic inspired cathedral, complete with gargoyles and “demon” waterspouts.  Can we be content with this change?  I’m not sure, but hey, now we get to move into a new place and decorate it and I’m sure it's going to be beautiful.  Most importantly, it will be a healthier place to live.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little mini apartment tour.  Please keep in mind, that we’re trying to keep everything as minimal and as essential as possible—we really like having it that way.

♡ Welcome
For this place, we tried to work with the space as best we could.  It’s a historic building in the middle of the city, none of the interior is new or newish and everything is a bit—no, a lot—lived in.  How’d they call in the advertisement?  Yes, historic charm.  That’s not too charming to me because I remember touring the apartment and completely disregarding the yucky kitchen and bathroom because there was a lot of natural light, more windows then I could count and a view that made my husband turn to me grinning and say “WE’LL TAKE IT!”




S P E N C E R 'S   C L O S E T   +   S T O R A G E   C U P B O A R D S
Let’s start at the door and walk from one room into the next.  First, to the right of the door we have my husband’s closet.  This closet is in a tiny room with a door, which also meant that he had the freedom to decorate it as he liked, or make a mess and then just close the door.






B A T H R O O M
To the left of the door and directly across from Spencer’s closet is the bathroom.  We quite enjoyed the old-style tile work.





N I N A 'S   V A N I T Y,   C L O S E T   +   S T O R A G E   C U P B O A R D S



There is nothing minimalist about this closet.
Someone loves makeup.  

There are lots of beauty bits on the counter.  I can assure you, they can all fit into the box, but for the most part, I like all my compacts, paint pots, lotions and perfumes at my fingertips. The build-in dresser holds all my clothes, except for a few pieces I hung out to wear this past week.  Sadly, much of the space in the dresser, the bottom drawer to be exact, is stuffed entirely with heavy winter sweaters and hoodies.  I asked my husband Spencer if we should do something about it.  Maybe pair down a few... however, he's convinced I'm in need of every single one of them because I'm always, ALWAYS cold.  While that's certainly true, right now I feel like I’m never going to have need for all these unappealing winter clothes.  I'd love to toss them all out of my closet and donate the whole lot to charity.  Surely, somebody might appreciate wearing them—in Siberia.

 




L I V I N G   R O O M
Our favorite room in the house and the place in which we spend most all of our time.








B E D R O O M


The bedroom is in the same room as the living room due to the murphy-bed that can pop in and out of the wall.  That’s by far, my husband’s favorite feature of the apartment.  The murphy-bed makes a comfortable place to sleep at night, but then it can fold up to leave only a large full length mirror visible.




K I T C H E N
This kitchen is tiny, but it’s been well loved.


 


I think that’s it!  I hope you enjoyed taking a look at our apartment.
♡ Nina

Sunday Edit: Living the Minimalist Lifestyle!

I thought I would take advantage of the Sunday posts and share some personal updates!  I might even have time to do this quite regularly—we'll see.
HAPPY Sunday btw...

Courtney Carver, guest speaker and creator of Project 333 with The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and  Ryan Nicodemus.

Last Wednesday night, The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, were at Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City.  Spencer and I got the chance to attend their lecture on their minimalist lifestyle.  We were so excited for this event that we reserved our tickets months in advance.  It was great to hear their inspiring message.  The topic of minimalism has been of interest to me for years.  I love the visual aesthetics of minimalism and the idea of editing your life until all that remains is beautiful and meaningful.  I would love to have everything I own and everything I do well curated.
I am attracted to all things simple and basic, but I'm actually really bad at it. 
Lot's of things turn out much busier then I intend them to be.
This article, for example, keeps running off with different thoughts instead of staying concise.

Minimalism appeals to me because of its aesthetics, but it also makes me feel better, healthier even.  In many ways, it means that I'm not weighed down or adversely affected by the things I own.  That would be pretty tragic and ridiculous.

My husband and I have embraced minimalism as a couple from the beginning of our relationship; through several cross country moves, different sized living spaces, different jobs and incomes.  Don’t get me wrong, scarcity and necessity (burdened by my husband's student loans) often pushed us to decide whether we wanted to live frugal and minimal, or if we dared to live beyond our means and purchase things on credit.  For us, it seems foolish to want and to make purchases we couldn’t afford. Buying things on credit was out of the question. We ran a really tight budget and bought almost nothing... It was a rough and scary time in our life  ◡╭╮◡

What I appreciated most about the lecture was that it was not preaching why you should get rid of the things you own, or why you should live differently, but how you’re life can improve once you make the decision to let go of everything that may hold you back.  It's not about subtraction of stuff for the sake of subtraction, but subtraction to narrow the focus on what's meaningful.  The lecture wasn’t a call to spring clean or de-clutter, but a presentation of a lifestyle with less burden.  While adopting this kind of lifestyle could easily lead to adventure, more excitement and money, the main aim is for people to find and to have purpose.  While I imagine, minimalism can be picture perfect and quite luxurious, what motivates minimalism seldom is.  I would love to say minimalism is a frivolous and noble idea people pursue on a whim.  The Minimalists mentioned large amounts of debt, the lacking of meaningful or failing relationships, feeling unwell and depressed as catalysts for their lifestyle changes.  Another motivator is the fear of having not really lived, or of having been deluded into a lifestyle you didn't choose for yourself.  I think if minimalism is a way to escape the trappings of consumerism, it's really powerful and I am happy I attended the lecture.

I was excited to ask Josh and Ryan a question at the end of the event.  I was interested to learn what keeps inspiring their minimalism.
I don’t know what I expected.
I suppose, I thought they were as visual as I am.
I suppose, I was hoping they’d reveal some authoritative text or figure that unfailingly guides them toward betterment, but of course they didn’t.  They are much more practical than I am—they're guys.  They don’t look to aspire to some ideal, they do things, taking stock of their life and “uncluttering” the unnecessary.  In an attempt to answer my silly question, they talked about the experiments they did to figure out which things they really needed and which things actually added value to their life.  They also stressed that minimalism is unique to each individual, that it doesn't have to be idealistic or extreme—though some people may think it is.  I really appreciated to also hear from their guest speakers that had a different take on minimalist lifestyle and it was so refreshing!
Minimalism sure isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s beautiful.
For more information on this subject, check out The Minimalists blog.

 ♡ Nina

3 Simple Juicing Recipes

Juicing is a great way to consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to supercharge your body.  The nutrients found in fresh and raw fruits and vegetables are buzzing with vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory agents.  The following three juicing recipes are simple to make, healthy and you will want to drink them often because they are delicious and refreshing. 



I'm not a dieter and I like to enjoy whatever food I am in the mood for, but I do have some healthy options that I really love and that I take to consistently.  Regular juicing is one of my favorite things to have.  Please know these juicing recipes are not meant as a juice fast, juicing challenge or some excessive force-fed diet I never could and never wanted to upkeep.  Instead of being on a juice diet, juicing is a delicious addition to my diet.  I like to enjoy a 16oz glass with my breakfast in the morning or as a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up in the sluggish hours of the day.

When it comes to juicing, I usually don't tend to adhere a "strict" recipe.  I love my greens (celery, kale, and various herbs like mint, parsley and basil) and I always like add in with a few apples, pears, oranges, lemon or pineapple for a sweet taste.  The following recipes are my favorites, perfect for anyone new to juicing and each recipe is a great base for experimentation. 

A word of caution about experimentation.  I got way overexcited when I figured out that juicing was not just for fruit, which I loved eating anyway, but that I could also shove all kinds of vegetables through the juicer and I still loved the taste.  These were vegetables that normally required a great deal of attention, cooking or mounts of ranch to make palatable.  I thought if I could handle beets and a variety of fancy leafy greens, there probably isn’t much I can’t handle.  “Hop into my juicer, gross, unappealing veggie!” I said cheerfully. “You’ll taste great liquefied.”  Well, this idea didn’t always work and we had some pretty gross juices.  I learned, I can’t make everything taste good (things I normally dislike to eat, most likely didn’t work as a juice either) and that I should stick to simple juice recipes.  As it so often is in cooking, having more and ever more ingredients generally doesn’t improve the flavor.

I’ve been juicing on a regular basis for about a year now and I love the way it tastes and the way it makes my body feel.   I noticed an increase in energy, I feel satiated and well nourished as opposed to eating not so nutrition rich foods.  In addition, drinking regular juices helped calming tummy troubles, balanced skin conditions and fostered hair and nail growth.

Each Recipe Serves 2.  Ready in 5 minutes + 5 minute cleanup.





A good juicy and tart apple is essential for this juice.  Honey crisp apples work best for us, but you should experiment with your favorite kind of apple.

• 2 large Apples
  
• 3 Carrots
  
• 1 Celery stalk
  
• 1 stalk of fresh Basil or Mint

A sweet refreshing juice with that little bit of extra froth.

• 2 large Apples
  
• 1 Celery stalk
  
• 2 Carrots
  
• 2 leaves of Kale
  
• 1 Pear

This gorgeous purple fruit & veggie juice is not only vibrant in color, but also refreshing, smooth and earthy.  After braving to include beets, beet juice soon became one of our favorites.

• 1/2 Beetroot
  
• 2 large Apples
  
• 2 Carrots
  
• 1 Celery stalk

Are you juicing?  If so, what has your experience been and what do you typically like to juice?  Let me know in the comments!


        Nina



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Simple Chore Schedule

The fewer things I have by default, the better.  This also makes cleaning much less of a maintenance issue.  I am always seeking to minimize, simplify and to make steps towards a more intentional way of living.  Apart from the obvious concerns of cleaning everyday messes and allergens, I have always been attracted to clean and uncluttered spaces.  The kind of spaces that make some people go “Oh, it’s so empty, so bare, it needs something!”

I’ve been in houses where every nook and cranny was filled with something.  No space was left unadorned, no horizontal area left uncovered by a figurine or souvenirs, trinkets or other pieces of home decor.  Why?  What is the fascination with clutter? 

In our first shared apartment, my husband fought me over the same issue.  He wanted to decorate the walls (with pictures, maps, banners and quite possibly his hat collection) until he visited with our neighbors in an identical apartment and felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed in their space.  The apartment felt tiny and dark due to all the wall-hangings, it was over-furnished and cluttered with belongings.  I don't like to meddle in other people's business and I belief everyone has a reason why they act they way they do.  To each his own!  However, I am mentioning this couple in the flat next to us because their relationship eventually fell apart and the man moved out because of the mess.  He claimed, all the clutter and stuff in the apartment didn't provide room enough to accommodate him adequately.

This is the point where it gets problematic.  It is no good if your life is negatively affected by your belongings or the state of your home.  I wouldn't want to feel uneasy in my own space because there is so much going on, or because it is so unkempt and dirty.  I wouldn't want to be the person who cleans like a fiend in order to avoid embarrassment just so I could have visitors.

Bright spaces, clean lines and the lack of adornment make me feel at peace and relaxed.  It is like a natural stress reliever.  As a child I didn't always have to opportunity to be in spaces that were allergy-free, clean and orderly.  At some point, I became aware of feeling better every time I was in a clean and clutter-free place.  I felt like I could actually breathe, feel inspired by it's clean beauty and be at peace.

When it comes to our home, my aim to keep things simple and clean help to keep our home free of unmanageable clutter and it also makes it easier to maintain a healthy, allergen-free living space.
The flip side of this issue is my tendency to go to the extreme, where I become a perfectionist and freak out if things aren’t done in absolutely the best way.  I have a hard time finding a balance, where things are done and organized but they aren’t perfect and I’m still ok with that.

Since living with my husband my daily to-do-list folded significantly to a small point on which it once read: Bring every room back to "ready."  In the beginning, we decided to tackle our chores in daily 15 minute increments.  We delegated our attention to areas that felt most essential and called it our "15 Minute Clean!"  Often, we scrubbed and tidied for 15 minutes only to get inspired to tackle the odd deep cleaning project.  On other days, the time ran out and we were quite happy with the result.  Over time, we developed the following list of guidelines that work well to keep our home tidy.
 
If you're in the mood to get inspired and keep your home clean without needing to set aside hours at a time then look no further.


Save this image to your computer, print it out or use it as inspiration for your own cleaning schedule!

♡ Nina