Quick shots of the hotel before I swept in with my stuff and dropped it everywhere.

I use the second bed as my “wardrobe” area to lay my clothes flat.

I also use the other bed as my “filing area” because it’s so big, I only use half of it to sleep on.

I’d sleep on the floor here, but there’s no freaking space except in the hallway, so I’m sticking to the bed for now.

I do yoga in the kitchen, and I eat on a desk to the right of the TV.

My aesthetic for general hotel/apartment living is pretty scattered. I’m organized, but everything is laid out and nothing is put away.

This is a good example, my vanity:

Nuts right?

But I have little “areas”….

Jewellery area…

Makeup area…

Related posts:

1. Living in a Hotel FAQ: Why am I living in a hotel, and is BF living with me?
2. I am living in a hotel again
3. Living in a Hotel FAQ: General Re-Purging – What passed and what failed?
4. Living in a Hotel FAQ: How to handle sentimental items
5. Living in a Hotel FAQ: How does living at a hotel work and what does it cost?

Send me a note here and if you are on Twitter, you can find me there @brokeinthecity.

© everydayminimalist for The Everyday Minimalist, 2010. | Permalink | No comments |

YOUR QUESTIONS

1. Why am I living in a hotel again and is BF living with me?
2. How living at a hotel works & the cost of it (cooking, laundry, rates, mail, apartment hunting)
3. Purging my wardrobe (again) — this one is very difficult for me because I love wardrobe variety
4. General re-purging process — what did I allow to pass the test and what have I decided is not worth it any longer?
5. How to handle sentimentality — photo frames, sewing machine — would it all fit into one suitcase?

How to handle sentimentality when you’re in a hotel room

I am not the best person to answer this because I  don’t get sentimental, but I shall give it a shot.

I am attached to my clothes, shoes and jewellery (only because I paid good money for them, they’ve been tailored to fit me perfectly and I’ve spent hours breaking them in!)… but as for photos or things like a sewing machine given to me by my grandmother, I don’t feel a need to keep it, if it is too bulky or heavy to move with.

Eeeep!

My own personal rules:

• If I don’t actually use it, I don’t keep or take it just to be sentimental.
• If I can’t pack it away without it taking too much space, I don’t take it
• I digitize everything: I take photos of things like sewing machines or big items to remember them
• I give them to other family members to hold & keep, so I can visit/cherish them on THEIR space
• Home is where the heart is — I am more attached to having BF around in person, or seeing my family in person

Suggestions for others:

• Take ONE photo frame and rotate the photo(s): Umbra makes a nice big collage-like frame you could try that with
• Ask yourself why you’re keeping it — if it’s for the memories, but you don’t use it, photograph it
• Digitize all your photos: I never print photos for myself any longer, I keep them all digitally stored
• Prioritize your space: Is that desk from your Aunt Betty more important to you than a cabinet from Uncle Mike?
• If you haven’t touched or seen it in more than a year, it isn’t really that important to you.

I’m not really into decoration, souvenirs or gifts I don’t use, and I’ve gotten a lot more ruthless over the years as I keep moving and packing, unpacking, re-packing and shifting my things.

It takes a toll on your psyche and I’d rather just let the things go.

But if you stay in your home a long time, I wouldn’t sweat it too much, unless you’re a Secret Hoarder, who keeps old tissue boxes because you can’t let them go.

Other than those tips above, I can’t help much other than to really emphasize that de-cluttering and being a minimalist is a never-ending process and journey, not a project with a deadline.

Take it easy.

Take one room at a time.

Don’t stress out about it.

Be ruthless.

Related posts:

1. Living in a Hotel FAQ: Why am I living in a hotel, and is BF living with me?
2. Living in a Hotel FAQ: How does living at a hotel work and what does it cost?
3. Living in a Hotel FAQ: General Re-Purging – What passed and what failed?
4. Living in a Hotel FAQ: Purging your wardrobe again
5. I am living in a hotel again

Send me a note here and if you are on Twitter, you can find me there @brokeinthecity.

© everydayminimalist for The Everyday Minimalist, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments |

This is pretty sad.

Woman’s Body Found Under House Clutter After Four Months [link]

The 67-year-old woman, Billie Jean James, was described by her friends as a hoarder who constantly bought small items and knick-knacks from thrift stores. Her husband, Bill, and police had reportedly searched the house on several occasions, even using police dogs to help locate the woman. Apparently, the sheer volume of clutter in the house prevented even the dogs from tracking the scent of the missing woman.

It wasn’t until last Wednesday when Bill James spotted a pair of feet poking from beneath a “floor-to-ceiling pile of junk,” that he released his wife had actually been in their home the whole time.

So. Anyone up for some de-cluttering?

Related posts:

1. 10 Baby Steps to Minimalism: #10 Clean up one messy pile
2. The small space test
3. Saturday Project: Be prepared
4. Get rid of your clutter, STAT! — The Statistics of Clutter

Send me a note here and if you are on Twitter, you can find me there @brokeinthecity.

© everydayminimalist for The Everyday Minimalist, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments |

Shared via me in the millions on Twitter

No related posts.

Send me a note here and if you are on Twitter, you can find me there @brokeinthecity.

© everydayminimalist for The Everyday Minimalist, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments |

YOUR QUESTIONS

1. Why am I living in a hotel again and is BF living with me?
2. How living at a hotel works & the cost of it (cooking, laundry, rates, mail, apartment hunting)
3. Purging my wardrobe (again) — this one is very difficult for me because I love wardrobe variety
4. General re-purging process — what did I allow to pass the test and what have I decided is not worth it any longer?
5. How to handle sentimentality — photo frames, sewing machine — would it all fit into one suitcase?

What did I allow to pass and what have I eliminated?

PASS

Rice Cooker: Still comes with me. I hate cooking rice on the stove and I eat a lot of it.

My own Iron: After the last rusty-water-on-white-top debacle, I’m bringing my own.

My hard drives: Every time I think I can leave some at home, I end up needing it. They don’t take THAT much space.

Futon/Sleeping Bag: Mostly for BF. I can sleep on a bed, but he can’t.

Tupperware: I need to bring food to work, and store it in the fridge as well.

My own towel: I need it. The hotel towels are bleached within an inch of their lives & I prefer mine

Knives, Grater, Peeler, etc: SOME places have them but if they have them, they usually suck & I prefer my things.

Soap, Dish soap, Own Toiletries: They aren’t eco-friendly and mine are. I just set their supplies aside.

2 laptops: I have a PC for work on the desk and my Mac for stellar videos & sound.

I can’t do both functions on one laptop, as the PC only works on my clients’ networks and the Mac is the only laptop that is amazing for video and sound.

FAIL

Printer: I can print things at work.

Networking hub/router: We just swap internet connections as we need it, because BF is not a web hog like I am.

Entertainment system: I find other things to do. It’s too bulky and delicate to travel with.

Extra pots & pans: I just don’t cook those meals that need extra things, or find other creative ways to do so.

Ironing Board: Seriously, some places don’t have one. But now I just call ahead & check.

IN TRIAL MODE

Immersion blender: I’m making hummus and sauces, but I need to see if I really use it a lot in 5 months.

That’s all the major stuff.

The rest, such as pots, pans, cutlery, plates, hangers and towels are already provided in the hotel.

Other than that, the internet is either wireless or with a cable, and there’s a TV provided (not that I watch much of it), as well as a telephone.

Then I just have my cellphone, camera, GPS, iPod, toiletries, makeup, clothes, shoes.

Related posts:

1. Living in a Hotel FAQ: Purging your wardrobe again
2. Living in a Hotel FAQ: Why am I living in a hotel, and is BF living with me?
3. Living in a Hotel FAQ: How does living at a hotel work and what does it cost?
4. Living in a Hotel FAQ: How to handle sentimental items
5. I am living in a hotel again

Send me a note here and if you are on Twitter, you can find me there @brokeinthecity.

© everydayminimalist for The Everyday Minimalist, 2010. | Permalink | 1 comment |