Simply Enough

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I Think Shopping Has Made Me Hate Christmas

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Ok - perhaps hate is too strong of a word, but I strongly dislike shopping. I cannot sugar coat it. Last week was Week 3 of my holiday preparation. During this week, I attempted to focus on Gift Making & Shopping. As you’d expect, this is my least favorite week of the season. All week, I struggled to get going. Even writing about shopping felt like a chore because it's so counter to what inspires me about living a minimalist lifestyle. Perhaps like me, you also feel bogged down by the “need” for excessive gift giving and family expectations. In fact, I know you do!  Because I’ve talked to you at my speaking engagements. Gift Giving is the #1 question I field at these events especially from exasperated parents. Gift making is a completely different story. Photo calendars for the grandparents, cookies and mason jar mixes. The recipients look forward to these gifts and return empty jars for refills. Delivering these homemade items makes us feel like Santa with the …

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7 Secrets To Hosting A Successful Holiday Party

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It’s party time! Perhaps you're getting ready to host a Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve bash! As I shared last week, party prep is Week 2 of holiday preparations in our house.  We host our annual holiday party on the second Saturday of December. 75-100 people attend each year. It’s our labor of love for the holiday season. This year, we celebrated our 21st year. Suffice to say, we learned a few things along the way. Keep It Simple No surprise, we simplified. We do less. In years past, decorating consumed days and I scrambled right up until the last hour. No more. I completed my decorating in a few hours last week.  Week 1...Check! Many rooms in our home used to require a significant amount of effort to declutter and rearrange. I had to create a pathway for guests through our maze of possessions. Tables and counters had to be cleared of “stuff.” Then, the items were boxed and stored in closets. Why didn’t I just pass those on to GoodWill? :) Bins used for Christmas …

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Houston Does Not Need Your Stuff

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Houston lived inside my heart and overwhelmed my thoughts this week. I took this picture in Austin's Zilker Park during our US Roadtrip. As we drove across Texas, I remember the vastness of Houston. I can't imagine what Houston and the many affected cities look like now. Everywhere you turn, people are talking about Houston. While watching conversations on social media, a concern grew inside me.  After a few days, I felt ready to write. Actually, I need to write about Houston. They need our help! Like you, I want to help. I am praying. I donated money. But I cringe at posts about sending “stuff” to Texas. (School supplies, clothing, water, etc.) I am here to tell you....  Houston does not need your stuff   More posts appear every day about trucks that will deliver items to Houston. I applaud all of these well intentioned efforts but Houston residents don't need your old sweatshirt. Donations can and will do more harm than good in this first wave of …

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Family and Health First, Blog Second

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Dear Blog Readers, I miss you! It's been too long since my last post! Believe it or not, I'm working hard on several topics but as often happens, life got in the way. Specifically, me getting sick! So, this note is to let you know that yes, I am still here! My days have been spent trying to get everyone back into the groove of work and very soon...school. This has proved to be no easy task and I appreciate your patience! I'm focused on taking care of my family and getting healthy. We're doing ok, but it's taken longer than expected. Remember My Values? I shared these before: Faith, Family, Friends, Health and Generosity. Well, I wouldn't be honoring them if I didn't let my blog take a backseat once in a while. So as you might expect, this will be a short post just to let you know that I haven't forgotten you. I hope to be back to normal soon. That said, I did have the opportunity to speak to several amazing Mom's Groups in the last year and tell the story of Simply …

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Accused Of Throwing Everything Away

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I have been accused of throwing everything away. I do not. But I understand the accusation. Over the years, I acquired a lot of things. I still feel like I own too much. At one time or another, I contributed to the statistic estimating there are 300,000 items in the average American home. Years of buying and collecting turned into a lot of stuff to get rid of. It probably does seem like I throw everything away. We needed storage for those 300,000+ items. I installed cabinets and shelves lined with baskets and bins. Most are now empty and I pass on the storage devices too. It hurts my head to think about the "investment" in collectable baskets and bears. I feel buyers remorse and guilt for inspiring others to make similar purchases. I'm embarrassed to admit how much we accumulated. After years of consumerism and chasing the American Dream, I found a better way....a more meaningful way to live. And I hope others can learn from my mistakes. Hindsight is 20/20. …

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