Hi everyone, welcome back to lifestyle
love. This video is a very different
video it's actually a vlog of a 30 day
minimalism challenge that I did. Now, the 30
day minimalism challenge is where you
throw out one thing on day one two
things on day two three things on day
three and all the way up until day 30
and I think it totally you end up
throwing around getting rid of I should
say about 495 things and you can either
throw them away, donate them or use them
up. Now, for me I've done this before but
I've never actually stopped and
documented and journal the process and
that's how I've been able to do this for
you guys in this I guess my first real
vlog. Now, I've just made a list of the
some of the things that I've experienced
in doing this because I really hope it
inspires you to have a go at doing this
yourself because it's been quite a
cathartic experience and I think I've
learned a lot about myself and where my
value system is but one thing one of the
biggest things is my the energy of my
house is is very calm and tranquil and I
think it's quite current tranquil
normally but it's another deeper level
it just,  it feels so much more peaceful
and calm and just a tranquil and so
there's a different, a better energy to
the house after doing this the other
thing in doing this 30-day challenge is
it is forced me to become more organized
and to actually stop and tidy things up.
For example, in my vlog you'll see I
found all these sets of keys all over
the house.
In doing this I was then able to group
all the keys together and put them in
one spot in you know in one container
and tidy up jewels so when I open them I
can see everything that's inside them,
it's neatly organized and I think when
you have a neatly organized home you
just you have a greater sense of being
control and I definitely think it
improves you know your level of
happiness and well-being. The other
valuable thing that I got from this
experience is is it's made me stop and
question what I really value in looking
at the products I use, You know, for example
my beauty products or
even my cleaning products it made me
sort of go realize okay I actually use a
lot of that prep so I really like it the
ref called all these like you know half
use or quarter used other products which
I just didn't value and in it really
made me sort of stop and actually it's
increased my level of appreciation to
the products that I actually you know
use on a regular basis and see the value
of those. The other thing in doing this
30-day challenge is it's been quite an
emotional experience you know there I
found you know old letters. I found you
know at times I really questioned myself
at times I wanted to cheat during the
30-day challenge which I didn't do but
it was in the nice little question
whether I was being too hard on myself
which made me sort of reflect on other
parts of my life and it was definitely a
cathartic experience but you know I've I
feel really good from doing it also it
made me aware of how much wastage I go
through which is not something I'm proud
of and I think that you know leads me
back to that whole thing of becoming
aware of what I really value so
hopefully going forward I'm going to
stop wasting things and it bit obviously
stop wasting money but I'll stop wasting
you know products and getting caught
into the trap of consumerism and you
know it's I now sort of now we know when
I buy something I think hang on do I
really want this in my home where it's
going to sit my home because right now
all my cupboards and drawers and
cabinets look so neat and tidy and just
there's a feeling of pride now when I
open you know particularly my bathroom
cabinet because everything that I need
what is there and the other thing is I'm
gonna start making I've already started
making a very conscious effort to use
what focus on using one product at a
time because as you'll see through my
blog you know they were I was quite
confronting I realize for example I had
like numerous packets of pasture they
were open but I only really need one
pass packet of pasture going at a time I
don't need five and and body lotions or
body oils I hold these body oils going
same time I should just stop and focus
on using up one product or time or
they're having five different months on
the go and I think obviously that will
help me also you know save money so I
got all the way through
day 30 and you know I felt really really
proud of myself and um and I had this
inkling that I could still keep going
and I always still secretly wanted to
keep going and of course I finished and
I found even more things that I actually
can get rid of so I think from doing
this experience I'm actually going to
apply at this general principle in my in
my home going forward to stop you know
to reduce the amount of clutter I have
in my life because it just doesn't serve
any good to me. Anyway, I hope you've
enjoyed I hope you enjoyed watching this
vlog it's something very different
you'll notice that I hate making my bed
cause I in most of my vlogs that I've
journaled I don't think that my bed is
made once and let me know what you think
please give me your feedback in comments
and and don't forget you can follow me
on instagram at sugar mama TV and like
us on facebook but hope you enjoyed my
first diary log for the 30 day
minimalism game last night I had some
time to myself and so I finally stopped
procrastinating and kick-started this
challenge so I managed to get through
days 1 to 4 last night which meant I
threw out 10 things and it's funny I had
been procrastinating for so long
thinking up any and every excuse Under
the Sun as to why I should just put this
starting this off and because I
regularly throw things out because I
kind of apply a minimalism approach in
my life I just didn't think I had many
things to get rid of but I thought I'd
really struggle but anyway last night I
got 10 things it was actually really
quick and easy and it I ain't felt
really good and the silly thing is
because I'm doing the thousand dollar
challenge I actually needed to do this
anyway so I think I put about five
things on eBay last night which I've
been wanting to do for ages and it
didn't take me long at all so I'm like
why was I progressing for so long over
doing this I should have just done it I
was building it up in my head to be a
bigger thing that it really needed to be
anyway to make sure I you know those
bags are the things that I do need to
sort of get rid of put into the charity
bin I've put them at the front
of my house so that I make sure I put
them in my car and I will put deposit
them into a charity bin hopefully today
tonight I'm going to keep going with
this project because I actually feel
really good and I feel really uplifted
and energetic so hopefully after rocket
goes to sleep I'm going to try and get
days five to eight done I'm about to
start a new project where I'm going to
rebuild my capsule wardrobe which I'm
really excited about some hoping I'll
discover new things my wardrobe that I
can but I don't value you love or
appreciating more which I can then you
know contribute towards this 30-day game.
Last night I didn't end up starting my
capsule wardrobe because I was exhausted
because it took a few hours to get Rocco
to sleep last night but I managed to get
through days 5 6 7 & 8 so I measure
throughout a lot of things and it was
actually I didn't really throw out any
clothes but I actually probably the area
where I found the most known thing so
that was my fridge and pantry finding
foods that I don't really ingredients I
don't cook with anymore meals that don't
make and food like condiments that have
been sitting there that I never used it
actually had gone off embarassingly a
while ago that I hadn't realized
so my fridge now looks so neat and
organized a little bit there and now she
looks really healthy because it's just
fresh food that's left in the in on the
shelves so it feels really good opening
up a fridge and the other things I found
I found it quite an confronting because
I get through say five things really
quickly and then I'd hit a bit of a
block and I couldn't progress more but
then I saw force myself to keep going
and find like the next six things and
also not have a breakthrough and find
like six or seven things to get rid of
all or give away so and it was that you
got this like a rush of energy when he
found those things that you could get
rid of and things that I've been looking
at everyday it was until I actually
stopped and questioned that thing
she knows that this dish I have need my
bedside table I always look at and I
don't even really like it but it's
always just been there and I've never
thought about getting rid of it or
giving away but because of this chalice
game I should say 30-day game actually
looked at it and realized that um I
don't like it at all today I was working
on this capsule wardrobe project and I'm
a regular color of clothes like I don't
really have a huge amount of clothes
whenever people come to my house my
girlfriend's like ask to borrow
something in my wardrobe they always say
oh and wear the rest of your clothes I
always have to laugh and say no no this
is my wardrobe I don't have them stored
anywhere else so I'm not I actually
always thought I didn't have that many
clothes and I'm working on a cap for
wardrobe project I'm really excited
about that we'll be in a separate video
shortly um but um so when I was doing
this I didn't think I'd have many closed
throw out anyway I managed to get
through achieved days 9 10 and 11 I
finish off day 11 this morning
um and the reason I couldn't film in the
morning is because Rocco slept in but he
slept in in my bed so I couldn't film in
here this morning but it's funny in
doing this game it's also quite
emotional as well because it's really
forcing me to stop and look at things
and it's almost quite emotionally
confronting because I had for example
one draw I've opened probably about
seven or eight times looking at and
every time I look at the drawer I'm like
no there's nothing in there and throw
out but yesterday actually stopped and
breeds and move things around and she
discovered there was a lot of stuff that
I needed to get rid of and some of which
included like letters to myself and
notes at lease and you know things to
try and cheer me up or things that I was
worried about stressed about and reading
them and seeing how much my life has
changed and the thief there's things
that were stressing at the time that
really were not really that a big deal
and I can look back and go why was I so
stressed about so um it's been kind of
nice about it it's been mostly
confronting some thinking in there must
be things that I I need to stop and
actually deal with in process
emotionally kind of reflected on the
stuff I think there's these
nothing to throw but there actually is
stuff to throw out like reflecting my
emotions and issues maybe and then the
other thing being that you know stopping
actually realizing amazing motion how
far I've come in my life and the things
that I've achieved so far and and really
what the big picture in life is all
about Saturday morning here and
yesterday I didn't get time to do and
re-post
on the 30-day game because Rocco threw
up all through my bed yesterday morning
so I was kind of busy cleaning that up
but yesterday I had amazing breakthrough
with the game. I managed to get through
days 12 13 and 14 and three items into
day 15 and um I hit a few oh okay you
wanna get past
oh I managed to get through I'm here
through jackpots like and a few
breakthroughs um and I think so hey
Kevin looking at and didn't even stop
him question but then because I was so
determined to get at least a couple of
things done today because I might get
through this 30 day challenge I actually
found things that I again like this the
dish monkey um like the dish that I am
in here but realize didn't like I found
like all these old faded um cloth
napkins and place mats which I hadn't
used for ages but just don't know why I
hadn't throw them out because I've
stained and faded an old so not had
these amazing breakthroughs that then
spurred me to keep going and onto the
you know the next day and to find the
next a lot of things that I just didn't
need and it feels so good
seeing them and
um seeing them realizing I don't need
them and then seeing the space that
freed up in my cupboards from from
deciding I actually don't need and value
them anymore um I also found more
packets of half opened or half-eaten
pasta so um and even with my like beauty
products I would I'm quite strict and I
only buy things once I'm close to
finishing up the existing product and I
use body oils and love body oils and I
realized I actually have five bottles of
body oil going and that's just crazy so
what I realized that so I'm actually
making a really conscious effort to use
one focus on using one body oil bottle
up at a time rather than using all five
at the same time it's just crazy in a
waste of space
I also found I have four different
sunscreens so again same principle I'm
gonna really focus on trying to use one
up one up at a time um and one thing I'm
really I'm realizing from doing this
challenges is actually forcing me to
become more organized and tidy things up
because um I found a few spirits of keys
that really should be sitting in the
spare key jar so you know I was able to
put them back away and group them
together in their order than they should
be
so that felt really good and again that
spurred me to keep going and inspired me
and motivated me to you know keep
progressing through and enjoy this game
um if this whole thing is is really
building momentum I'm really enjoying it
I actually didn't think I'd be able
monkey I'll be there in a second I don't
think I would be able to get through
this challenge but as I said I'm up
today today will be day 15 I'm already
three items into it so I'm only gonna
find 12 things and it's Saturday I'm
going to hang it with rock all day so I
probably won't get time to do too much
more but I will I'm sure I will find or
the remaining twelve things for the day
but definitely enjoying it if you're
watching us I hope you feel inspired to
have a go at doing this as well because
it's actually quite fun anyway ciao for
now and gotta go good to be with Rocco
I'll speak to you soon bye the weekend I
accomplished
day 15 I had a pretty busy weekend
hanging out with Rocco and painting the
new office and working so I had to kind
of spread day 15 across about three days
and I found the process really organic I
didn't have to like put too much effort
into um like releasing 15 items from my
life for example I found myself
naturally using up some of my doubling
up of ingredients and example my a my
neighbor even turned up asking to borrow
some pasta so I was able to offer her
one of my six opened packets of of pasta
so that you know naturally cold some
again more things I noticed in the house
where I just didn't value things I just
naturally not even thinking just pick
them up and put them in the bin or gave
them away to friends so um
day 15 went really easily and naturally
and organically so today I'm going to
try and continue on pushing through with
this game and do 16 and 17 maybe a lot
of things get rid of but I'm really
enjoying it and I'm really liking the
space that's opened up and and the
feeling of just Tigers and peace and
serenity with just less stuff like
surrounded by me and seeing the bony
everything that I'm touching and
grabbing is actually a really good value
and used to me and also with my bathroom
products I'm you know I think also go
now so much more aware of the fact that
I have like all these bottles of like
say for example buy body oils I'm
actually stopping and taking a conscious
effort to focus on just using that one
bottle of oil and actually using it up
before I work on to the next rather than
having five different body orders all
going at the same time okay so I have
done days 16 17 and 18 and I'm not gonna
lie I really wanted to cheat but I
haven't it's really high I'm slowing
down and I'm wait I can try to use my
products up and they're taking a long
time to use up and I wander around the
house at nighttime
trying to find things they can get rid
of or don't use and I'm running out of
things so I think that's a good thing
that I'm running on things because what
I'm leaving my home is stuff that I used
value love and appreciate but I'm really
struggling and it's also like I found
the other day a whole pile of business
cards and I didn't need the business
cards in walks they're all saved in my
Outlook anyway and I was there probably
maybe 20 cards I was like do I count
that is one thing to throw away or do I
count that is 20 things to throw away
and so because they were all neatly
stacked in one will pile like how there
was one but I'm really questioning how
much pressure I put on myself and um
whether I need to be as hard on myself
sometimes anyway it's getting much much
harder so I 67 18 I now need to do 19 20
I don't know how I'm gonna make it today
30 I'm gonna keep trying and hopefully
I'll eat some more jackpots because I
definitely definitely need them my home
is going to be empty very soon 19 was
pretty much impossible I was walking on
the house in circles trying to find 19
things that I could either give away
throw away or use up and it was driving
me nuts so I decided to include my car
as part of the 30 day challenge and
thanks to Rocco and being a typical
two-year-old and a messy two-year-old I
managed to find 49 things to throw away
I went I got three days 19 and 20 just
by going through my car I had so much
stuff that I'd been driving around with
in rid of my car and things that Rocco
had left or collected or discarded in
the back seat of the car that I had no
idea was hidden it was really quite
gross anyway so that was really good I
got through days 19 and 20 which um felt
good
and then I hit another little jackpot I
found on my balcony all this stuff that
had been dumped that I completely forgot
about and so I was able to power through
days 21 22 and 23 which was great and
one of the most exciting things actually
that happened is in cleaning up all this
stuff and getting rid of it actually
found a box of all my old motivational
books from when I was in my 20s and it
was recycle because of like finding old
friends and I've put all the book
through to put aside I'm not getting rid
of them I'm actually going to reread
them make lots of notes and I'm going to
do a whole series of like motivational
videos for you guys next year so 2016
it's going to be a very successful and
fulfilling one for you hopefully so that
it look I felt really good my house is
so much more organized I feel so much
more I feels just good this has been
such a great challenge - I'm really
enjoying it
no idea I've already started throwing
out things today this morning already
so up to days 24 now so I will report
back ok have a good day ciao I'm on like
a cleaning high and also one other thing
I discovered I had all these sake these
cleaning products like you know all
these different like surface wipes and
that so I decided okay I'm leave my
house a massive clean and use these
products up so I even should have soaked
my walls which is amazing so they look
so clean we must have dirty they got
until you look really up-close and
personal of them so I was able to use up
my million products and I can't there's
one thing or two things on Feliz which
is great I also even sealed my garden
tiles because I had this floor ceiling
that was just sitting it and hadn't been
used I was like okay well I'm going to
use it and seal them and they look
really good too so I'm getting a really
clean organized house which feels so
calming and energizing I've done just
done days 24 and 25 and I am getting so
frustrated by this challenge because I'm
running out of things to get rid of so
all that's left is for me to be ruthless
and that is exactly what I'm doing and
if I am being so strict now and he's
getting tough so I've got five days left
and then I'm done and I can't wait I
just don't know how I'm going to make it
to day 30 but I am persevering and also
because I put my house on Airbnb over
the new years is I've had a huge cleanup
of the house for the people they're
going to be renting it and that's also
forced me to have a look at the stuff
I've got and things I was able to throw
out things like old pillow cases where
the they don't match with the sheets or
the fitted sheets anymore so I just bent
stuff it in and put them in the charity
bins so I dono have this is so hard I'm
really struggling and it is so hot today
in Sydney so it's making even more
frustrated day 25 was kindly taken care
of by Giuseppe we went for a road trip
to Barry with Rocco and Sofia and
Giuseppe obviously and in the car on the
way just said we had a little explosion
and if you don't know who disappears
Giuseppe is my very big chocolate
Labrador and let's just say it was a
large explosion and anything that was
experienced by Giuseppe was thrown in
the bin and I pretty much had to get a
very very expensive car detail done so
I'm pretty sure I threw out 25 things if
not more out of the car and is one of
those things where all I could do was
laugh and I'd also like to make it very
special thank you today 25 to my two
amazing girlfriends Camille and Georgie
who not only helped me clean my car
before taking India detailed but also
washed just Sippy down who was um quite
unwell um it was definitely washing a
dog that um especially the size of my
dog who had had that sort of experience
and was covered in what he was covered
is definitely a trust test of true
authentic friendships I thank you
Georgie and Camille for helping me clean
up that mess so day 25 is pretty much
taken care of by Giuseppe um a lot of
stuff was sorry
my card I never want to think about that
experience ever again and on that note I
was willing to point out I'm really god
I have a life account because I didn't
have to get upset about having to pay
$250 to get my car detailed because
that's life that happens that's part of
having pets I'm absolutely crazy about
my dogs and in those situations or you
can do is laugh and we laughed
hysterically I think I almost wet myself
laughing anyway now I've done they just
finished day 26 and I'm also starting
day 27 today I am being so aggressive
I'm stopping and asking myself how many
things do I really need I could looked
at all my details during realized I have
more details than I actually need so I
was able to cull a few things I found a
couple of toys of Rocco's that he
definitely doesn't play with and don't
actually match the parts that he Moss
was able to throw those things out it
was like some stuff I've been looking at
and staring at not actually consciously
making decisions about whether I need it
or not like we had stopped gone and I've
also noticed I've got a council cleanup
days so there's some more things I'm
going to be a bit more aggressive and
larger things that I'm going to throw
out other Lots little things so days
twenty five and six done working on days
twenty seven today I should hopefully
have that done by the end of the day I'm
getting closer and closer to finishing
this project which is great because it's
taking up a lot of time and energy but
one thing I've noticed is I in doing
this I'm actually having to be really
strict and conscious about new things
coming into the house because we've just
had Christmas time Rocco got lots of
amazing gifts and I just don't want you
know after I've quite like decluttered
my life and house I don't want new
things flowing in that don't match those
those values that I uphold which are
things that I love value appreciate and
enjoy so and use so yeah I've got to be
I'm being very conscious about what I
let flow back in okay so it's Sunday
morning and I have just done days 28 and
29 I got a note in my letterbox saying
as a council cleanup happening next
weekend so I was again to continue to be
ruthless and have a whole pile of stuff
parked at the back of my house ready to
put on the street for next weekend which
means I've got only day 30
left and then I have finished and um I
cannot wake this is just it would feel
good to have it over and done with and I
mean just enjoy having a lighter freer
less cluttered house one thing I've
noticed is it's funny some of my
products in my bathroom that I don't
really value I was just thinking I'll
just use them up and then throw them out
you know they take some of them are
taking a lot longer to use up that I
expected and I'm side you get frustrated
and use them a lot more generously to
try and use them up and then as if you
or if I'm treating the products like
this this way I should probably just
check it out because clearly I don't
value that product so some of my
products I've actually just thrown out
sort of quarter you know half used or
1/3 use pros because I don't actually
like that anyway so I don't know why I'm
holding on to them I also threw out a
pair of my favorite little sneakers that
I wear like with jeans and and skirts
and shorts on the weekend and they were
falling apart and I but I absolutely
love them but and they had paint all
over them they were ruined and they were
dirty but because I love them so much I
was just really holding on to them and I
looked at them and saw the holes that
were coming through and how they were
literally falling apart because I wear
them so much and I just had to say suck
it up put in the bin I of course I can
replace those and buy some new ones but
like just let it go stop holding on I
finished the 30 day challenge and it
feels really good I I finish it I'm done
like I I've managed to get through the
whole entire thing and my house feels
it's look it's incredibly tidy and and
clean and it has a really peaceful
serenity about it it's I'm really I'm
really proud of doing what I've actually
like committing to this and going
through the whole process from start
middle to the end I feel like I
completed a task and that feels good I
actually feel really proud of myself for
doing this and I love that I've been
able to share and journal this with you
the whole way through finally enough the
doing this last 30 day thing I thought
it'd be really hard obviously it's the
biggest number of them all
and I thought I'd really struggle but it
was actually the most organic and
therapeutic process because I just
literally saw things about not get rid
of nup in the bin no giveaway it was it
was like I was almost in a very
meditative zone of culling things and
and actually stopping and identifying
things I just I'd be looking at blankly
but didn't actually appreciate so this
has been a really amazing project I'm
really proud of myself and getting all
the way through it the very very last
thing was actually quite hard finding
that number 30 to get rid of was really
hard and that as she was the only one
that made me stop and kind of had me
wandering around in circles again but
you know it ended up actually weirdly
being a bra that had she gone funny in
the wash all the padding had gone out of
shape and I don't know why I was holding
onto it it didn't work on the t-shirts
so anyway that was the last thing that
went into the bin and I feel good and I
to be honest there are probably more
things I could potentially get rid of
and I think I will be really conscious
going forward of what I bring into my
home and when it's when I'm ready to
discard things and let them go out of my
life so I'm going to try and be really
conscious to keep my house in the state
that it currently is hey I hope you've
enjoyed following along with this it's
been so good to do this and if I do it
again let me know if you want me to do
it again I think I'll need some time
though before I do this again always
I'll be living in a plain empty shell
anyway I will catch you on my next life
style of video but Chaffin arrow hope
you enjoyed this bye
