I was chatting with a friend about the number of items I own such as towels, shoes, and books. She asked. So I offered guidelines to help her get started. Not rules or mandates, just successful practices that help me live better with less. She stared at me in amazement but pressed for more answers. She appreciated the logic of my decisions and realized how overwhelmed she was by her own excess. I don't profess to know the perfect number of items. Minimalism isn't about that. While people have certain possessions in common, like cups and plates, our circumstances dictate the appropriate number to own. But in my experience, duplicates always lead to more missing items. I could never find a pair of scissors when I needed them! Minimalism challenges me to question every category from housewares to hours on the calendar. And when I say I own one pair of gloves, it really means that I own One At A Time. This is true of many items in my home. Owning one does …
Why Getting Rid of Books Will Make You Read More
Over the years, books generate the most passionate discussions. Very good arguments are made to keep book collections. I wonder if people fear they might lose the knowledge gained from the book if they give it away? Actually, I think they want to keep the feeling they had when they read the words. There is a sentimental attachment to books. Especially the ones we get lost in. Books you cannot put down. The ones for which you will ignore work, spouse, and children. I have no idea what happened during the days I read Water for Elephants. I was unable to speak or look up during that time. Then, I was sad because it ended. I felt this way about The Help, The Nightingale, Half-Broke Horses and The Harry Potter Series. And yet, I keep reading. Because I will find more like this. Books that challenge me to grow. Ones that inspire my writing. Others that teach me new things. Reading is good. Owning is the problem. There was a time when I was reading less and yet my collection was …
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Would You Like to Play the Minsgame?
At least once a year, I play the Minsgame, usually by myself. A few months ago, I challenged the family to join me. The conversation went something like this. Me: What if we play the Minsgame? Son: What's that? Me: Day 1, get rid of 1 item, Day 2, 2 items and so on, up to Day 31. Son: Mom, now you're talkin' crazy! Me: Ok, what if we did this as a family competition? Son: What would be my reward? A new video game? Mom, you can get a new phone! What about the Bahamas? Me: (Ok - clearly I have some work to do here.) Well...Mom doesn't need a new phone. And we'll need to discuss the budget with dad but I think a digital download game could work. Should dad join the game too? Son: Of course. So Mom, how much stuff will this be when we're done? Me: 496 items per person in 31 days. Which means nearly 1,500 things we won't have to clean, maintain, organize or take care of! That's my reward. Let's talk to dad. (As he rattles off 3 or 4 …
Do Good Well – How to Help When Disaster Strikes
Do Good Well. It's what I tried to say when I wrote this post. All credit to Tom Berlin for the phrase Do Good Well. I wrote about ways to help but more importantly, how not to help disaster relief efforts like Hurricane Harvey. The piece included lessons learned from people who lived through a natural disaster and volunteers who helped victims to rebuild. It's relevant to all disasters including those affected by flooding and Hurricane Florence. My post was not perfect. You may disagree. That's ok. But I hope you’ll take time to read this post from a Houston resident. Or this one or this one or this one. My goals were simple....1) increase awareness about how relief efforts work and 2)steer caring people to the best ways to help. Timing Is Everything The message to "send money, not stuff" resonated with many readers. It doesn't mean there will never be a time or place for physical donations — check with relief agencies as time passes. …
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Get Uncluttered This Fall
I've been feeling stuck in my decluttering efforts. Yes, it even happens to me! I know there are things left to donate but sometimes life gets in the way. Good news, I have a plan! Fall Edition of the Uncluttered Course It's the Uncluttered Course by Joshua Becker of becoming minimalist. Several readers signed on to the Spring Edition of the course. I followed them on their journey and encouraged their progress. Here's a quote from one of them... "The space I have cleared for myself and my family is life-changing. It has made a huge difference in the atmosphere and stress-level of the house already. I am so grateful for your help." Becoming Minimalist offers the course just three times each year. Registration ends this weekend, Sunday, September 02 at 11:59pm. If you want this to be the season you declutter your home, own less, and get ahead financially, this is the right program for you. The course includes… Videos with …
Kid’s Artwork – Who Are We Really Saving It For?
Kid's Artwork is abundant in our house even with just one child. Households with multiple kids struggle to tackle paper clutter because of the volume. I believe every parent finds their kid's artwork difficult because of the memories. Artwork more appropriately falls under sentimental clutter versus paper clutter. And sentimental stuff requires its own process. Currently, I am working on a small scrapbook for my son's elementary years. I collected photos and artwork from kindergarten through elementary school. With each passing grade, there is less and less. I asked for his help with a few large books of his first writing samples. We read them together and laughed at the funny sentences. He noted 6 or 7 pieces that he truly remembered. I snapped photos of those. Without prompting, he said, "I think I'm ready to pass these on. I don't need them." I believe there are three reasons that allowed him to this so easily. Time - Several years had passed since he wrote these …
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