Tag: live simply

It’s Simple

by Nicole, posted in exhale, Family, Life, Mindfulness, Simple Living, slow living

I started my simple living journey many years ago after years of clutter and too much “stuff” in my home. Over time, I have incorporated slow living and mindful, wholehearted living into our simple way of life.

Too much stuff, 2011
It was just chaos
And SO much red … what was I thinking?


When I think about how we live, I see it as a big exhale of the trappings of modern day life and the chaos that, oftentimes, ensues. People ask how we manage to keep our home neat and tidy with four children living at home, on top of homeschooling. They ask how we cope with “so many kids”. They sometimes look at us as if we are crazy, and, for the most part, this is probably true just not in the way that they think.

Getting better
And better
An almost clutter-free room for 3, 2017

I can honestly say that the more we have simplified our “stuff”, the easier life has become. It is easier to keep our home clean and tidy, it is easier to “be” in our space, we all feel free and relaxed because our home feels open and peaceful to us. We don’t have clutter, so when things start to get a bit untidy, it is quick and easy to clean it all up.

My favourite space of all time, 2017
Learning to make spaces feel open and airy, even when they are small. Courts’ room, 2017
Getting better and better at the clutter-free life, 2019
Our last home in SA, 2019

I don’t have all the answers and I am far from being the perfect role model for simple living. It is a journey and it takes time. Moving to Mauritius was a blank page for me in terms of belongings. We arrived with a suitcase each.  Emme and Jett brought some Playmobil over and Em brought her two dolls. Other than that, we really just had our clothes. Fast forward a year and a bit and we have already had to do a declutter. Its insane the amount one can gather without even noticing.

Our Home in Mauritius, 2020
Clean lines, Mauritius 2020

 I am not a minimalist, but I do have some minimalist tendencies and this can sometimes work against me, too. Sometimes I declutter too much and suddenly realize I got rid of things we still use or need. As I said, it is a journey. One I am ever learning on. I hope that as I journey, I can inspire people to start exploring simpler ways to live, which is why I will continue to write on this forum. It is also the reason I decided to start a Facebook page for “Exhale” and an Instagram account. Please follow along and ask as many questions as you can think of. Lets see where this journey takes us.