Holidays

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

February 10, 2025 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 bad, food quality suffers, and restaurants are overcrowded with the goal of getting you in and out fast. Don't do it. Also, Valentine's Day …

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

December 25, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

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! I'm in!Our …

5 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Unwanted Gifts

December 17, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 1 Comment

I return, regift, and donate unwanted Christmas gifts. Go ahead. Call me Scrooge. It’s ok. Because even with my well-documented desire to own less, I receive many things I cannot use. But I express gratitude for all the gifts. Once received, I use, return, or donate. Because the nature of a gift should be offered without strings. Receiving a gift means you now own it and can decide what is best for you when it comes to keeping it or not. Every year, shoppers buy $9B in unwanted gifts. So chances are good you received unwanted gifts this holiday season. And if getting organized is your New Year's resolution, I recommend starting with gifts. The average American home contains 300,000 things. We are drowning in clutter. And the holidays compound this problem as we figure out what to do with clothing, gadgets, and tchotchke. Typically, these are items we do not need, did not ask for, and will not use. Here are five ways to ensure that unwanted items don't turn into …

7 Secrets to Host a Successful Party

November 25, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

It’s party time! Perhaps you're getting ready to host a graduation party or summer picnic? Every year, we host our annual holiday party in December. 75+ people attend each year. It’s our labor of love for the holiday season. This year, we celebrate our 24th year. Suffice it to say, we learned a few things along the way. But you can apply these suggestions to ANU party. Keep It Simple No surprise, we simplified. We do less. In years past, party preparations consumed days and I scrambled right up until the last hour. No more. I completed my decorating in a few hours last week! Many rooms in our home used to require a significant amount of decluttering and rearranging. 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 boxed and stored in the closet. Why didn’t I just pass those on to GoodWill? Minimalist homes are always ready to entertain. If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Try And Fix It For many …

How to Celebrate a Different Kind of Christmas

November 4, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 6 Comments

Christmas is different. Everything is different since I began my journey to own less. A few years ago, I wrote about how a single decoration was displayed in my house, and yet there was no panic or stress. Quite the opposite. I had a level of confidence that the task of decorating could be completed with very little effort. And that it was enjoyable now that the volume of decorations we owned was less. Each year, I remove 4 boxes of decorations from the storage closet. I unpack and display their contents, and return the empty bins to the closet once more. All of this can be done in one evening. Some years, we went to a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania and cut down a Fraser Fir. Other years, depending on our travel schedule, the ornaments stay in the box and we used a small table top tree instead. Also, I donate 10-15 ornaments each year. Because I know that donating them will bring joy to another family. When my decorating is done, I feel a wave of …

How to Easily Decorate for Christmas in 1 Day

November 2, 2024 by Amy Slenker-Smith 7 Comments

After Thanksgiving, I decorate for Christmas. As a Christmas decor purist, I find “post-Thanksgiving” the best 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 us to get outside. As I simplify, I actually enjoy the holidays more. And I mean all the holidays including Thanksgiving. We focus on the time with family and strive give to those with throughout the year but especially at the holidays. I think it helps our story get better and better as a result. So if you're wondering, "How can my family create a holiday season focused on what matters most?" Start by setting priorities …

Holidays

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