Category Archives: AIM’s

In the spirit of keeping true to my minimalist venture, I need to put AIM 5 on hold for the more pressing matter of cleaning for Passover!

In the meantime, a few things I wanted to say:

-One of the goals for this blog is to provide people with a place on the internet that is somewhat free of superficial values. My focus is on enhancing our lives on all levels, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I focus on AIM’s that help weed out the nonsense in life to make space for enjoying the things that truly make us happy, on a deep level, not only for the moment. This is not to say that the little things do not matter, but this is not my primary focus for this blog.

That said, I invite you to comment more frequently on anything you wish to say with respect to life enhancement etc. I also invite you to send me pieces of writing, poems, articles, etc., that reflect your voice on matters important to you that you would like others to know about. I will post these in my “Views and Voices” category. Pieces can be informal, short and to the point, fun, serious- you name it!

–Have a great day!

Wow that felt good! My phone is all cleaned up!

1. OHIO is the way to go with everything!!! Do not delay, take care of it right away, or later you will pay!

I had so many grocery list notes, random notes about my son’s shoe size, expired reminders and so on. After deleting all of the nonsense, I was able to finally SEE the things I needed.

2. I also learned that deadlines work. I knew that I had to finish the project by the time night came, so I MADE time to complete the task. Without that deadline I would have continued putting it aside for “something more important.”

Stay tuned, AIM 5 starts tomorrow!

I’m caught in between 2 AIM’s for the week, so in the mean time I decided a mini AIM that could be completed in a short time would be appropriate .  Here it is:

Between tonight and tomorrow night it is your job to delete old notes, e-mails, and text messages from your phone. Also delete unwanted apps, and photos.

If time allows, then you can also make sure all of your photos are transferred to your computer.

Ok, so AIM 3 was not the success I had hoped, but some lessons learned none-the-less!

1. The rules could have allowed for a bit more flexibility, as I do have children and a husband who deserve not to suffer!

2. DO NOT walk into a store if you really do not want to shop (Moishe’s excursion with Sam).

3. I really can cook out of my refrigerator! My husband and I try to eat a very clean diet of simply prepared proteins, vegetables, and grains throughout the week. Most of my recipes require 5 fresh ingredients or less!

4. Minimalism in the kitchen is not for everyone! Over Purim, I received some face to face feedback from some unhappy readers! The thought of a limited pantry was too much for them to handle! There are those who enjoy the feeling of a fully stocked pantry! (I conclude that it all depends on the turnover in your house…) 

Oh, and by the way, I told these readers that I would have loved to have read this feedback on my blog! All feedback is welcome, I want your opinions.

Here is my pantry "Before"

Here is the failed, even less organized "After" Cut me some slack, Purim got in the way!

For those of you celebrating Purim…

Some rules for the day…

1. Read the article in THE JEWISH HOSTESS  How to Get Your Family to Eat Healthy on Purim.

2. Take Pictures! But when you do, keep in my mind next weeks AIM will be all about PICTURES!!! so…CENSOR, as you are snapping away, see if you could use OHIO with your camera by deleting the bad shots RIGHT AWAY.

3. HAVE FUN, be MINDFUL of the DAY, and BE HAPPY!

Yesterday, I gave in! I was with my son at the park, and when we left he told me he wanted to buy a snack. The closest store was Moishe’s Discount Supermarket, so went just for a snack…But rule # 1 when you are trying to buy less…DO NOT WALK INTO A SUPERMARKET (especially a cheap one). I picked up:

1. yogurt for my baby

2. sugar cereal for Shabbat (my son was there, so I thought I would let him choose)

3. Oats (I used the Oats in the Thumbprint Cookies, so I was running low, and I do eat oatmeal daily)

4. YoCrunch for my son, as he chose it…

Oh Well…I still managed to make all of my meals from my pantry, but 2 consecutive failures is hinting towards perhaps an improvised AIM 3 in the future. (Maybe in time for Passover? we can all try this one again!)

Wow this is not easy…I am able to COOK out of my pantry, but I really did run out of items that we use daily! I gave in and ordered my prized almond butter, yogurt for my baby, baby food, and jelly for my husband (I used the jelly on those Thumbprint Hamantash), and THEN my mom called and said she was going to COSTCO, and well, while I intensely dislike buying in bulk, there are key items that I find truly worth buying there. So, I was caught in a bind, let my mom buy those few items and save myself the trip, or honor my commitment to AIM 3? I chose the former, and I’ll explain: The purpose of goneminimalist is to simplify my life and free up my time– what is more simple than having someone do an errand FOR you? Additionally, I was able to save myself from buying IMPULSE items at Costco.

Here are some Costco Rules:

1. You are not allowed to buy any items not on your list! (if you realize you forgot something that you authentically meant to put on the list exception applies)

2. Start upstairs (in the Brooklyn store) and work your way down!

3. Try to go when there is a sale.

4. Avoid buying specialty food items. Try them in smaller doses first!

5. Absolutely NO bakery items.

6. If you know you like change in the kitchen, do not buy bulk ANYTHING.

7. BUY organic milk if you have children.

8. If you like to buy natural/organic items (including toiletries, food, vitamins), and they are not available at Costco, do NOT give in and buy the one available at Costco (we all know that if you give in and purchase it, as soon as you get home, you will see the organic one on sale at SOAP.com, and you’ll order it anyway!)

(If you are curious, the items I had my mother buy where staple items including, shredded cheese, coffee, canned tuna, and surgical gloves used for food prep.)

Thought I would take a moment to say that AIM 1 has changed my life! I still find myself OHIOing, and really dumping what I know I won’t use. I find myself organizing my make-up drawer when I have a free few minutes, and making sure I really do take those water bottles out of my car…And soooo, I decided- AIM 1 is not going anywhere! I will try to incorporate this into my daily life so that it becomes a habit, like brushing my teeth.

I would LOVE to hear how AIM 1 has affected you. Do you feel like keeping it in your life like I do? Are you over it? Click on the chat icon to comment…

‘What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.’ ~C. S. Lewis

When you want to make a change, start small. If you want to start exercising, eating better, buying less, spending more time with your kids, drinking less coffee, etc. BABY STEPS will get you there. Think about something you’ve been wanting to change, and take one baby step today…(AIM 3 will work, but it’s your choice)