What is it about being an attached family that lends itself to a minimalist parenting style? Are you criticized by others wondering why your children don’t “have the hottest new item?” I hope this post is not too redundant since I have addressed this subject many times before. My own love of minimalism and going minimalist with kids probably stems from a few different things. First would be my desire to live green. Consumption of less stuff and reusing what you have instead of buying new … [Read more...]
Shopping for World Change
Hot on the heels of a post about minimalism, I am posting about the benefits of ethical shopping. Aren't the two mutually exclusive? I don' think so. We have so many problems globally and nationally that are a direct result of addiction to consumption. We are literally spending ourselves into a deeper, darker hole every year. Deciding to go minimalist is a wonderful step in combating this issue because it allows us to take a time out and evaluate what our values are. Once we see that "things" … [Read more...]
Throw Out Fifty Things
Over the weekend I dived into the book Throw Out Fifty Things - Clear the Clutter and Find Your Life by Gail Blanke. It is not so much about minimalism as it is about taking the beginning steps to decluttering. The idea is to have the concrete goal of getting rid of fifty things in all the main rooms of your house. Items of the same type count as one... so 5 pairs of shoes is only one item in your overall fifty. I started reading it on Saturday morning and by noon I was knee deep in … [Read more...]
Happy With What You Have – Feng Shui Tips for the Home
One of the most important aspects of minimalism and learning to live with less is learning to love what you have. This is one of the reasons why I love Feng Shui. It is all about accentuating what you have and creating a sense of beauty and peace within the home. I know you have had the thought once that you just cannot concentrate with all the clutter around you. Well, Feng Shui is about decluttering and arranging furniture and other furnishings in ways that will allow for positive energy … [Read more...]
Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For A More Joyful Christmas
Over the holiday weekend I read Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For A More Joyful Christmas. With less than 100 pages it is a pretty fast read and I loved the fact that the cover was made from brown packing paper... it just screams minimalism and voluntary simplicity. The core idea is to pick a modest amount of money like $100 and spend no more than that on the holiday. This allows us to slow down the pace of Christmas, make it more about time with loved ones, and less about rampant … [Read more...]
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