husband + puppies = awesome

I love my husband.... he's so supportive, and cute, and strong... and... well, just look at these photos!  It makes you like him a bit more, right? [smile].

-maike rinaye-

ps: see more here, or eventually here :)
pps: he did tell me not to put these on the internet [which I didn't actually agree to], so don't rat me out, k!

"Eliminate physical clutter. More importantly, eliminate spiritual clutter." ~Terri Guillemets

To most of you, this is just a bottle.  A tiny bottle.  Maybe you can see that it's a victoria secret body wash... it was nice, but I'm so excited to say that it is empty.

I know, sorta bizarre, right.  Why should I post a picture of an EMPTY bottle... dumb.

But it's not.  I've sort of been on a journey the past few years about learning to simplify, and to live and be happy with the things that I already have and more over the EXPERIENCES I get to have, because I'm conscious about how I'm spending my hard earned dough [and consequently, how I'm paying off debt].

So one way I have been doing this, is through products [sometimes it's not about buying new things, but more about better using the things you have].

Ya'all, I have SO MANY bathroom products.  How does it even happen!  My husband [okay, and whatever, he's a dude, so he automatically has less stuff, but still], he has a toothbrush, tooth paste, shampoo, body wash and mouth wash... that's it.

Me?... well, there's not enough blogspace to write every bathroom product I have, but even if we just look in the shower, I have a straight hair shampoo and a straight hair conditioner, then I have some other shampoo, and curly hair conditioner, shaving shower gel, soap bar, face wash, and two other things of small shower gel... well, now only 1 [smile].

But that's not including products I have in the cabinets or under the sink.  Ugg.

It's so much!  And I've spent some time wondering how I got this way.  It's not necessarily that I go and buy a new bottle of lotion, gel, shower stuff, or hair product every time I go to the store [I don't, I swear], but it's more that I have accumulated these items and don't use the majority of them.  For whatever reason [sale, buy something get something free, get it as a gift, etc], I get stuck with these things that aren't part of my daily routine.  And then they sit.

I've had this little bottle of shower gel in my possession for years.  Literally.  And that's ridiculous.

So, in an effort to simplify, and live a better, less cluttered, cleaner life; I'm trying to use all these items up, and then having the self control not to buy any more, 'cause there are certain things I use, and there are certain things I don't.  And I know what they are, I just need to be disciplined in that and not suckered into believing that my life will mimic that of a beach goddess if I buy the coconut smelling shower gel.  Or I'll automatically be so much happier if I have this special shampoo.

Simplification.  You would think that living simpler would also be easier.  And maybe some day it will.  Until then, here's one bottle toward using/giving away all the rest of my random products that I've had for way too long.

-maike rinaye-

ps: Don't know if you all have ever heard of this, but I'm going to attempt [when my current bottles of shampoo and conditioner run out], to shampoo my hair with the suggested baking soda and apple cider vinegar solutions instead.  I'll try to let you know how it goes [but I also probably have a good month left of my current shampoo and conditioner :)].

pps: Also, I've been encouraged by this blog post about simple living: http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/05/the-simple-life-2/