Minimalism has always been a lifestyle that has appealed to me. Now, I’m not a minimalist in the traditional sense; I purchase what I need and I do not deprive myself or my family. We do not live in a home with a bed on the floor and nothing else. But for me, minimalism is the intentional living to consume less and be fiercely intentional with what we purchase and bring into the home. We have a cozy house but we do not purchase items we do not need. We keep it simple, both for the goal of ending the cycle of needless consumerism and to maintain a home free of clutter.
When we bought our house in 2018, I knew the “vibe” I wanted – mostly warm whites, beiges, and neutral colors with warm wood accents. I wanted my home to feel comfortable and cozy while also providing a space where our minds could think free of too many distractions. For me, less is more, and when I am in a space that is more of a blank canvas I can think more clearly, be more creative, and feel more at ease.
Becoming a parent is a huge shift in lifestyle, and that includes the minimalist lifestyle. Babies require so many more items and it can quickly become product overload. It is critical in parenthood to become more intentional with what is brought into the home if you strive for a minimalist lifestyle, as I do.
Few things have been more helpful to our minimalist lifestyle with kids than our local public library. For children, books are so important. Books are often one of the cornerstone items for a solid nighttime routine for children. In my home, the nighttime routine goes as follows: dinner, baths, story time, bed. Every single night is the same routine, regardless of how the day went or if something else is different. It is a routine my children have come to know and love, and my partner and I love it too.
We read two to three books each night, so we go through books extremely fast. For the first few years of my oldest daughter’s life, I was buying a lot of books. It was fun and I had fun stocking her small bookshelf in her room. However, as time went on it became a cluttered mess, filled with books for every holiday, that we would not read again until the next year. When my second daughter was born, we needed the shelf space for clothing items, so I removed the books, stored away the ones that were sentimental to us, and donated the rest to our local thrift stores.
In comes the importance of public libraries. We go to the local library once per week and choose about 14 books for the week. Some of these are chapter books, some are picture books, and some are books about certain topics (like animals in the forest or things in nature). My daughter loves going to the library and choosing her books for the week, and we save so much money and space by utilizing it!
The most important benefit of a public library is that it is often completely free! We spend exactly zero dollars a year to be a member of our library and zero dollars to rent the books. In addition, another benefit is that we can read so many more books! We read hundreds of different books each year and my kids learn so many new things from the books! Last but not least, we have a freshly stocked bookshelf each week full of brand-new books to read while also saving so much space in our house.
For any parents who are on a journey to minimalism, I highly suggest utilizing your public library. Sometimes libraries can be overlooked with the rise of Amazon and how easy it is to purchase a book, but it has been so beneficial for our family! We have a fun outing to do each week, have new and exciting books to read, and save money at the same time.
