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Why You Need to Take a Minimalist Vacation

June 12, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 6 Comments

Two of my favorite things are minimalism and travel. So naturally, I enjoy a minimalist vacation. In early 2020, I spent 5 glorious days in the sun and sand. Nothing could have been better for my health and wellness. In hindsight, we were lucky to sneak this trip in before the world fell apart. There's something about a view of the ocean. It was a couples-only trip to Jamaica. My husband and I were so excited because we had not been back to the island since our honeymoon. A lot has changed in 20+ years. Not just on the island, but for us too. We are indeed older, wiser, and living more simply, even on vacation. Old-Amy On Vacation The Old Amy had some pretty bad vacation habits. She tried to stay connected to work, family, and friends. She was tethered to all of it as if she never left. Old Amy packed a large suitcase and carried on a work laptop to be productive during the flight. And she even sacrificed vacation time to take conference calls and respond to emails. Her …

7 Must-Have Items for a Successful Moving Day

May 16, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 8 Comments

It's Moving Day! You arrived at the new house. How exciting! The movers delivered all the boxes and you’re ready to start unpacking. But someone is asking for toilet paper and the kids spilled a drink and can't find the paper towels. Now they want snacks! So, instead of unpacking, you run to the store. Maybe you return to realize you need a screwdriver, step ladder, and batteries. And now you are wondering, what else have you forgotten? What if instead of digging through boxes, you had all these items at your fingertips? If this sounds like a better plan, then keep reading. 7 Must-Have Items Small Suitcase - Each family member should pretend they are packing for a weekend trip. Don't forget toiletries and medicine. Backpack/Computer Bag - Pack your laptop, tablet, chargers, and any important documents related to the house sale, purchase, or move. Paper Towels, Toilet paper, and Garbage bags Box Cutter & Small …

How to Organize Your Pantry

April 15, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

I often hear that the pantry is the most disorganized spaces in your home. Am I right? Well, you can tackle it one shelf at a time! Since we simplified, I can empty and reset my pantry in 2 hours or less, including cleaning the shelves and updating labels. My pantry is a cabinet, not a walk-in space. I think that is a blessing. It might take you longer and you may need to tackle one shelf at a time. My Step-by-Step Approach for how to organize the pantry can be used over and over again until you've taken care of all the pantry food and contents. Give it a try this week! Remove everything from the cabinet or shelf Clean canisters, shelves, and containers Declutter expired items and poor quality ingredients Group items by category Vinegar/Oil Flour/Sugar Canned goods Snacks Pasta and Rice Repurpose extra food storage containers for organization Remove items from multi-pack plastic or trim boxes for easy access Granola bars …

Photo Organizing with Scan My Photos

February 18, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

Perhaps you have a pile that looks like this? Fear not, you can turn this into organized digital photo albums to share with friends and family using a service called Scan My Photos. Several years ago, I owned 12+ photo boxes. After I sorted and purged lots of bad photos, only the very best went to a few archival quality albums. Thousands of pictures were thrown away....yes, in the trash. Even baby pictures and wedding photos! Once upon a time, I did traditional paper scrapbooking. I said goodbye to that hobby and hello to family travel where I learned to take fewer photos. You only need a few tell the story. Digitize and Share Digitizing my paper photos allows me to share them with friends and family. Recently, I scanned 200+ family photos. Afterward, I posted them to Facebook and the entire family commented on our favorite memories and which cousins resembled the aunts and uncles. Something that can't be done with photo albums or …

How to Improve Your Sleep with a Clutter-Free Bedroom

February 13, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 3 Comments

We travel a fair amount. Often sleeping in a spare bedroom and living out of suitcases. But when we return home, I sleep like a baby! Clutter and Noise While away, we often sleep in rooms with clutter and little free space. Excess furniture lines the walls of the room. Knickknacks cover the dressers, affording no room for our stuff. Often the knickknacks rattle during the night and I can never find the culprit. And with all the furniture and our suitcases, a trip to the bathroom in the dark is treacherous, to say the least. Having time away is something to look forward to, but I realize how blessed we are to have a clutter-free home. A clean and calm space to come home to every night. Additionally, we find our home to be a place of rest, with a bedroom that feels like a true sanctuary. The bedroom is uncluttered and peaceful. We can close the armoire doors and block light from the television. In the future, we plan to remove the TV …

How to Increase Margin and Improve Organization in Your Home

January 27, 2023 by Amy Slenker-Smith 24 Comments

Want to know a secret? Organizing isn’t about the stuff. It’s actually about the margin between the stuff. The more space, the better. I create margin in every space I declutter and organize. Eliminate the excess and keep the essentials. Margin represents 37% of a page of written work. Margin makes spaces look more attractive. As a decluttering coach, I help clients create margin in their crowded and cluttered spaces. Empty Flat Surfaces Consider the kitchen. Are you fighting to store a large piece such as a griddle or the Instapot? Open all the cabinets, take a step back, and find prime real estate for the items you use most and store them accordingly. This means getting rid of lesser-used items and rearranging. Margin also means empty flat surfaces such as clean kitchen counters. With clean counters, I unload groceries, cook dinner, and pack lunches without cleaning the kitchen first. Create a Playroom Not a Toy Room Margin also means creating a …

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