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5 Minimalist Gift Ideas for a Clutter-Free Valentine’s Day

February 10, 2026 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

Did you know that the Valentine’s Day tradition of giving candy started in the 1840s by Richard Cadbury, a descendant of a British chocolate manufacturing family? With a new chocolate-making technique, Cadbury seized the opportunity to sell chocolates as part of the beloved holiday. And so began the love holiday celebrated with chocolates, flowers, and oversized teddy bears. But I must remind you that $16 billion is wasted on unwanted gifts every year. So, before you click add to cart or order over-priced flowers, let's consider some clutter-free and inexpensive options that won't ruin your budget. Make Dinner At Home During college, I waited tables at a local restaurant, as did my future husband. That's where we met, and we could tell you a tale or two! As a result, we do NOT recommend eating out on Valentine's Day. Service is not at its best, food quality suffers, and restaurants are overcrowded to get you in and out fast. Don't do it. Also, Valentine's Day is …

How to Romjul – Guide to the Week between Christmas and New Years

December 26, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 4 Comments

Every year, we look forward to winter break, especially the week after Christmas (a.k.a. Romjul). We often spend it at the beach with friends. After nearly 20 years, they are the kind of people who feel like family. And together, we have raised our kids. On one of those trips, we stumbled over the term, Romjul. Romjul accurately describes our experience between Christmas and New Year's Day. And now, we have a word for it. Romjul is a Norwegian holiday that refers to the week as a tranquil time to spend at home with friends and family undisturbed by the outside world. And a great time to rest, recharge and reset for the new year. The British equivalent is Boxing Week and I love the Danish term, "Yule Vacation." According to several articles, Romjul is more than a week on the calendar, it’s a mindset, a time to cozy up with loved ones, take long restorative walks, slow down and reflect on the past year. It gives us a reason to snuggle up on the couch and watch Hallmark. Awesome! …

Not yet…Not Christmas Day

December 18, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

The week before Christmas is my favorite week of the holiday season. The kids are out of school, work projects wind down, school activities are over, and everyone is in the holiday spirit. In my corporate days, there was an unwritten rule that after a certain date, work literally stopped. Any long-term or difficult assignments were met with the phrase, "let's circle back after the holidays." Email out-of-office replies started popping up, indicating no response until January. It's the time of year when you turn off the alarm and maybe even skip the gym. Shhh! Don’t tell Santa. You ease into the day with a Hallmark movie, coffee, and a blanket. I love to turn on the tree lights first thing in the morning. It’s always evident we’re ready for a break. Time to rest and recharge. As a kid, I remember how much I looked forward to winter break. On the last day of school, my mom let me open a special present. By the time I came home for Christmas break, our house …

How to Easily Decorate for Christmas in 1 Day

November 28, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 11 Comments

After Thanksgiving, I decorate for Christmas. As a Christmas decor purist, “post-Thanksgiving” is my favorite time to decorate. I cheer for stores like Nordstrom’s that wait until after Thanksgiving. Usually, my decorations appear by early December. Gratitude at Thanksgiving My resistance to decorating before Thanksgiving stems from what has become known as the spending season instead of the holiday season. As a society, we move right past the gratitude holiday into the spending holiday. Kudos to REI who closes on Black Friday and encourages everyone to get outside. As I simplify, I actually enjoy the holidays more. And I mean all the holidays, including Thanksgiving. We focus on time with family, simple traditions, and giving to those in need, especially at the holidays. I think it helps our story get better and better. So if you're trying to figure out how to create a holiday season focused on what matters most, I have some suggestions. Start by setting …

7 Secrets to Hosting a Party You’ll Actually Enjoy

November 21, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

It’s party time! Maybe you’re hosting Thanksgiving, or pulling together a festive dinner? Each December, we host our annual holiday party—a gathering that now welcomes over 75 friends and neighbors. This year marks our 26th celebration. It’s truly a labor of love and one of our favorite traditions. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot. Whether your party is big or small, these lessons might make your gathering a little easier and a lot more joyful. Keep It Simple No surprise here: we simplified. We do less. Years ago, party prep took over our lives. I used to be scrambling until the last hour. Now? Decorating took just a few hours last week. Back then, I had to declutter and rearrange every room to make space for guests—clearing counters, stashing things in closets. It was like creating a path through a maze of our own stuff. Why didn’t I just donate it? Minimalist homes are always ready to entertain. If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It For a long time, my husband started each menu from …

Alternative Christmas Ideas That Bring More Peace and Less Stress

November 8, 2025 by Amy Slenker-Smith 6 Comments

Christmas is different now. Everything shifted when I began my journey to own less. A few years ago, I wrote about how just one decoration sat on display in my home—and how, surprisingly, there was no guilt or panic. Only peace. I had confidence. I knew I could decorate with ease, and even enjoy the process, because I’d pared down what we owned to only what we loved. These simple, alternative Christmas ideas have changed everything—and they might inspire a different kind of holiday for you too. Every December, I take out four boxes of decorations from the closet. I unpack and place them around the house, then return the empty bins—all in one evening. It’s simple. It’s enough. Some years, we visit a tree farm in Pennsylvania to cut down a Fraser Fir. In other years, when we’re traveling, we use a small tabletop tree. Either way, it’s lovely. I also donate some ornaments each year, knowing they’ll bring joy to another family. When the decorating is done, I feel a wave of calm just …

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