The year is 2024, my family and I have moved, and we are excited to decorate our space. As we were prepping the kitchen and finding ways to organize the pantry and the cupboards, I had this idea of getting containers to put my spices in them. I was thinking of the pinterest kitchens that had the glass containers with labels on them, and with that in mind I made my purchase. 

I wouldn’t put these containers to use till one year after receiving them. Let me explain myself. When I received the containers (find it HERE), I quickly realized how time consuming it would be to transfer all my spices from its original container to these new containers, then label them. I thought about the hassle it would be to continue to refill them. What put me off the most was that when I was cooking, using the containers would SLOW ME DOWN. 

For a long time, the idea of slow living was attractive to me. But I think I appreciated it in theory. I associated it with the morning routines I would see online, where the girlies were romantically making their coffee and existing at least an hour before starting whatever work they did. I think slow living was an aesthetic I wanted to incorporate in my life, and it is. There is beauty in slowing down, but I was not ready for the practicality of it. I get it now. 

These containers taught me the biggest lesson on slow living. Slow living means to slow down, to be intentional, and to be present in whatever it is that is being done. These containers taught me that beauty matters even when it will not be seen by others. That sometimes the beauty of slowing down is solely for the doer. 

I thought about how I typically cooked. Taking out spices and sprinkling them in them in whatever I was making, and rushing to the next spice. But with these containers, I figured out the spices I liked and used frequently. I was able to see the amount of spices I was putting in any given food, essentially having control of the amount of salt, pepper, etc… I was able to know what I was running low on and needed to replace. I am never surprised by something being finished and I am taking my time when I am cooking. 

As I write this post, I am realizing the importance of slowing down and living slow. It is in the slowing down that lessons, ideas, and thoughts are birthed. With this new knowledge, I am curious to see in what ways I can slow down. I’ll be sure to keep you all posted. 

My biggest tip: to start living slowly, is to do things that will make you slow down.

In what ways do you practice slow living?