I teamed up with Cratespace.com to share how to live a simpler life. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Charmingly Styled possible!

Raise your hand if life has been feeling a little crazier than normal these days {all hands raised!}

I know I’m not the only one when I say that summers are one of the most hectic times of the year – and maybe even a little crazier than the holidays when you consider all the summer BBQ’s, activities, places to go, and trips. Some days I feel like I run out of my house at 6AM and come home just in time to crawl under the covers just to do it all again the next day. Don’t get me wrong – I love it all, but it gets a little exhausting after while trying to pack it all in!

During busy summer days, my apartment quickly becomes a war-zone, and it looks like a tornado went through it while I was out enjoying my life. During the winter it’s a breeze to keep my place clean {honestly, what else is there to do in Chicago anyways?!}, but the warm weather makes me want to be anywhere but inside. And the more cluttered and dismantled my place becomes, the more I realize it’s completely full of STUFF. And actually, waaaaaaay too much stuff. I have what seem like hundreds of lotions, too many accent pillows, snacks bursting out of my cabinets, you name it – I got it, and I probably have at least three of them in my apartment right now.

I’m sure you’ve heard some version of the phrase “a cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind”, and the amount of stuff I was swimming in was making myself feel disorganized, overwhelmed and a little frantic too. I’ve spent so much time accumulating things over the years, and the more I’ve gathered, the more I’ve realized I don’t need quite as many things as I thought I did. Slowly but surely, I’ve been working to de-clutter my life, organizing junk drawers, getting rid of things I have in twos, and buying only what I need rather than everything I think I need in the dollar section {you know that struggle is SO real.}

In my never-ending quest to simplify, I’ve learned a few things along the way on how to live a simpler and ultimately happy life. I’ve felt more grounded and clear-minded after embracing the things I have rather than focusing as much on the things I thought I needed – and now that I’ve been decluttering, I don’t know if I’ll ever go back!

I teamed up with Crate Space to share a few of my favorite ways to live a more simple lifestyle {all of which you can start doing today!}. Crate Space is the simplest way to save on your household essentials, without the hassle of subscriptions or buying in bulk. It’s a great way to reduce clutter by only buying what you need.

Leave Room for Space:

When I used to organize my home, I never really thought about leaving room for the future, and instead I just filled it with whatever I thought I needed {a million candles, a table next to a table, you name it, I had it!} A big part of embracing a simpler life is leaving room, and clearing out the clutter that’s actually adding stress to my life.

To maximize my free space, I’ve been getting rid of anything I have that’s duplicative, and deciding what makes me happy, and what needs to get kicked to the curb. Suddenly after years of feeling cramped I finally feel like I have some space to breathe – and room to even grow into my space {despite living in a small condo in the city!}

Embrace the Little Things:

While I’ve always thought I wanted a designer purse and fancy shoes, but at the end of the day scientific studies have proved that the little things that make you happy actually add up to giving you more happiness than those big ticket items. I know buying that fancy purse might make you think that you’re going to be infinitely happier, but it’s the little things that get you through your day, week or month that really make the greatest impact. Rather than buying more things, I’ve been investing in little indulgences like fresh peonies, the perfect shade of red lipstick, or most recently had a few pre-made meals delivered so I don’t have to stress about making lunches for the rest of the week. I even bought a few books I’ve had my eye on for months, and I can’t wait to dive in before bed during the weeknights. So what if I only read a few pages and fall right to sleep 😉

Invest in You Home + Embrace Things Old and New: 

One of the best investments you can make for you happiness is giving your home some TLC. Whether it’s as simple as replacing those old throw pillows for something new and improved, or adding a fresh coat of paint to the mix, if you feel the urge to splurge – spending it on your home is always a good idea. I’ve also been trying to only buy things that are meaningful to me, so I’ve been looking at sites like Craigslift and Everything But The House to find old treasures to invest in rather than things that can be purchased at big department stores. Pieces like vintage frames, chic candlesticks, vases, etc are so much more meaningful when they have a store behind them – and focusing on finding the perfect treasure helps to curb your impulse shopping habits.

Be Smarter About Purchases:

Speaking of impulse shopping habits, being more purposeful with your purchases can make it easier to save money and live a more simple lifestyle. I used to always go to the store to purchase my beauty and skincare products, which usually lead to buying way more things than a gal could possibly need!

These past few weeks I’ve been turning to Crate Space, an online marketplace for all those goodies you need to buy month over month. Rather than going to the store, you can pick out 5 things you need and get them shipped for free to your door for $29.99. It’s awesome because I always find myself needing the essentials {toothpaste, face wipes, hair care products, etc.}, but I’m now saving myself a trip to the grocery store where I usually buy waaaaaay more things than I need. Keeping my beauty essentials at a minimum allows me to focus on everything else that’s crazy in life, without overspending or adding too many things to my medicine cabinet. Plus, they have the best curated selection of name-brand essentials in sizes that don’t take up too much space.

If you’re looking to make shopping for everyday beauty and skincare products easier – I’d definitely recommend giving Crate Space a try! Plus, you can use the code CHARMING in the next 48 hours and get 20% off your first crate. That means you can save up to 50% off retail prices on your first five items, plus free shipping!

Do you have any secrets for keeping your life less cluttered and more simple? I’d love to know since I’m always striving to simplify my life 😉 xx

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cratespace.com