Living Simply

Get Organized & Declutter with Simply Enough

April 16, 2018 by Amy Slenker-Smith 2 Comments

How many times have you said, "If I could just get organized..." Well, now you can! Simply Enough is about more than helping you to declutter and organize your home. It’s about challenging you to live differently. Living simply means owning less, but having so much more. Spring is here! Ok, almost here. While the weather may not be fully cooperating, the calendar says its time for Spring Cleaning. Perhaps you simply can't get started because every flat surface in your home is buried under a bunch of stuff! Is your dining room table covered with papers? Do you have to clear the kitchen counter every night before you cook dinner? Is the garage a war zone covered in winter grime? Are your cars parked outside? Are your closets so full that it's difficult to rehang clean laundry? Does cleaning feel daunting because the house is overrun with toys, books and decorations? Do you have boxes of photos and sentimental items piled in the attic? Can you …

How to Bring Back the Lost Art of Borrowing from your Neighbor

March 26, 2018 by Amy Slenker-Smith 1 Comment

A sharing economy means to focus on the sharing of underutilized assets, monetized or not, in ways that improve efficiency, sustainability and community. This renewed term describes companies like Lyft and AirBNB. It also defines one of my favorite organizations, The Buy Nothing Project. Giving someone a lift or sharing a spare room are not new concepts, but less common than years past. When I was growing up, a family friend stayed with us. He lived a few hours away, but worked in our town periodically. He had a key to our house and arrived at any hour. No phone call needed. It was our version of the sharing economy to offer the spare bedroom. The further down this living-simply-journey I go, the more I long for times like this. Days when we borrowed a cup of sugar from our neighbor instead of running to the store. Now, it’s rare to find people who know their neighbors well enough to even ask. Stopping to chat by the mailbox is a rarity, not the norm. Cars pull out of garages …

Decluttering Challenge – Day 25 – Margin

January 25, 2018 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

When I say margin, I mean create more of it. Margin in my schedule made today possible. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of reducing our activities and commitments. I was moved by this quote “Show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities.” Today I spent the day skiing with my son and some friends. It was a beautiful day on the slopes. Sunshine, blue skies, good friends, exercise…. I’m still smiling as I think about our day. It was an undistracted day doing something I love with my favorite snowboarder. :) We actually planned this trip with just a few days notice. The weather looked great, favorable ski conditions and the kids had just a half day of school. Knowing this, I planned ahead with a different post for today, but tonight I felt inspired to share this instead. On Day 7, I challenged you to eliminate at least 1 activity that did not align with your values. Today's trip prioritized nearly all of my values. When the invitation arrived to go …

I Think Shopping Has Made Me Hate Christmas

December 22, 2017 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

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 …

My Values

August 29, 2017 by Amy Slenker-Smith 1 Comment

I mention my five Core Values often, but they’ll probably make more sense if I elaborate a bit. My journey to simplify isn’t just a desire to declutter and have less stuff but rather a goal to live with more intentionality and purpose focused on these values. …

[Read more...] about My Values

Accused Of Throwing Everything Away

July 24, 2017 by Amy Slenker-Smith Leave a Comment

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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