Have you stashed things in your bedrooms to get them out of the main living areas? I’ve done it so much in the past that I was overwhelmed to see how much emerged from my closet, dresser, and chest and out from under the bed when I finally dragged it all out. I had to… The post How to Downsize the Bedroom – a Detailed List of a Minimalist Bedroom appeared first on Nourishing Minimalism ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp Because I’m substantially downsizing, I came up with what the essential pieces might be for each of my living areas; last blog post was the kitchen, today we’re on to the living room.  First, though, I’ve been thinking about creative ways to have more multipurpose and fewer single-use items.  In the kitchen, for example, choosing Pyrex clear glass mixing bowls means they will also be my serving bowls and can be used in both the microwave and oven.  I even use the smaller one to eat a meal-sized salad, soup, or a nice bowl of rice and beans.&nbs ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp Because I’m substantially downsizing, I decided to come up with what the basic “necessities” might be for each of my living areas; this week, we’re focusing on the kitchen. Instead of focusing on what to declutter, I’ve been thinking in terms of what I absolutely “need” to keep.  I donated the rest.   I’m putting “necessities” and “need” in quotes here.  I suppose that’s because I’m perpetually aware of my place of privilege in a world where so many don’t have their actual basic needs met.  Lucky I am to have clean food and water, clo ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp Trauma can come in many forms, from accidents to death, abuse, and more, and it can have a lasting effect on our lives, including collecting things that turn into clutter.  Why is clutter a symptom of trauma? When a person experiences traumatic events, they build protective walls as a coping mechanism to shield themselves from the outside world. Having the stuff around them in their physical space gives them a sense of control that is more important that having a clean house. The more trauma, the more the individual wants to keep things the same and keep ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp Can decluttering and sentimental even abide in the same sentence?  Am I a cold-hearted scrooge to even entertain the notion?  After all, every single greeting card I’ve ever received is absolutely precious, right? And all of those blurry photos of scenery?  How about that Altoid tin collection?  I am that person – the one who is 60-something and still has (had) all of it.  I am the one who was embarrassed to admit to the bins and boxes full of keep-sakes whenever anyone suggested that each of us should have one – one! memory bin.  ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp Written by Rebecca Plasters “Let’s do this!” I told myself.  It can’t be that hard….  So yeah, downsize to 350 sq feet and move 2300 miles cross country.   My 1200 sq ft house was fairly full but tidy.  I had moved from a 3000 sq ft place, so I thought I was doing pretty good.  And yeah, there was the 6000 sq ft barn and the 160 sq ft storage shed that were pretty full.  But I had a few months to get ready and was only working about 20 hours a week at the time.  Optimistic, I am. Several strategies were helpful as I min ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp This is a guest post from Maggie at Mother City Time So far this year, we’ve decluttered over 600 items. So why do we find it easy to let things go? We worked in Education for an N.G.O. in Zambia and, later, in colleges, universities, and international schools. And while we were teaching, we were learning as well. Lessons were learned from other cultures. In addition, we’ve decluttered a lot, with each and every move. For us, decluttering is about far more than marching unused items out of the house. Decluttering is also getting rid of the norms that society ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp When I first started with minimalism, I desperately wanted to see what a minimalist family home looked like. We all have stuff – toiletries, toys, games, crafts, kitchen equipment… how do you reduce that and still live comfortably?? My mind couldn’t envision it, and I wanted to see what other people did. When I started pursuing minimalism in 2008, I couldn’t find home tours. But now, there are so many awesome YouTubers that have filled that gap! And I wanted to share with you some of the best and most realistic minimalist family homes. Family of four: You can ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp When the state of your home makes you feel overwhelmed, and you have zero motivation to do anything about it, but you know that if you could change the state of your home, everyone who lives there would feel better. What do you do? First take one step to decrease the feeling of being overwhelmed. Look around right where you are at – do you see something you can throw away? A piece of junk mail? An empty tissue box? The wrapper from candy? Grab it and throw it in the trash!! Don’t keep reading – Toss that in the trash before going any farther. There. Now you’v ..read more

Facebook Email Pinterest WhatsApp I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that you have struggled to declutter; maybe you’ve struggled with the decisions, or maybe you’ve struggled with just the idea of getting rid of clutter. All those things that seem like clutter until you try to make a decision and then seem too valuable to release.  There are people who can throw things out all day long, and the only exhaustion they feel is because of the physical work they are doing. Those people don’t search the internet for “How to get rid of clutter.” So, if you’re here, please know that there ..read more