I’ve written before about how it is, in fact, possible to be minimalist with a baby. When you’re preparing for a new baby, the world will tell you that you “need” hundreds of products, but as I’ve discussed before on this blog, most are not really essential. One of the benefits of embracing minimalism is traveling lighter. In the same vein, a minimalist approach can also make it much less daunting to travel with a baby. Sure, you’ll definitely be packing more than you would as a solo traveler. You’ll probably be taking a stroller and car seat with you,…
-
-
I’ve traveled a lot in my life. It’s a hobby I love, and I’ve visited 45 countries so far. I spent a good portion of my 20s on planes, for work and for fun. For most of that time, I had no idea how to travel light. I aimed to make my checked luggage exactly 50 lbs, maximizing what I could bring while avoiding fees. On top of that, I’d bring a heavy carry-on and a large backpack on the plane – stretching airlines’ definition of “personal item” to the limit. I mentioned in my minimalism story that when I…
-
Going minimalist? Planning a big declutter? If so, you’re about to create boxes and bags full of clutter. And those will need to go somewhere. I’ve written guides on how to sell and donate clutter. But some things won’t fit in either of those categories. You’re going to want to clear out clothes with holes or stains, worn out shoes, and random household items. If you feel guilty about throwing them away, you can use this guide to figure out how to recycle clothes and as much other clutter as possible. That being said, I’d like to issue a warning…
-
I’ve written before about how I toyed with the idea of minimalism for a couple years before I really took it seriously. One January I finally dipped my toe in as a resolution. I started by decluttering, then creating a capsule wardrobe, minimizing my beauty routine, and buying less. In the process, I was shocked by the realizations I started having very quickly. Here are 10 things that took me by surprise once I became a minimalist. 1. I felt better, not worse, after letting things go. As a tidy person, I had done superficial decluttering before. It always feels…
-
Designing a Minimalist Wardrobe For most of my life, I was pretty clueless about style. I had way too many clothes but somehow still struggled to put outfits together. When I tried to declutter, I had no idea where to start. When I started my minimalist journey, one of the first steps I took was creating a capsule wardrobe. That involved decluttering most of my clothes and creating a curated collection of pieces that could be mixed and matched. I had no idea how to approach this, so I did some internet research and learned how to design a minimalist…
-
Defining terms: Essentialism vs. Minimalism vs. Intentional Living This blog includes “essentialism” in the title, but you’ll notice that I often write about minimalism and intentional living. This post defines these terms and demonstrates how they intersect in a purposeful and authentic approach to life. What Is Essentialism? The most succinct definition for this term is in subheading of the 2014 book, Essentialism, by Greg McKeown. That is, simply, “The disciplined pursuit of less.” A longer explanation from the book goes like this: Essentialism is not a way to do one more thing; it is a different way of…
-
Why Pack a Minimalist Diaper Bag for a Newborn? When I imagined becoming a parent, I pictured families I’d seen around the city with their babies. They pushed babies in strollers, schlepping blankets, bottles, and toys underneath it, along with a suitcase-sized bag on their shoulders. They looked burdened and harried as they hurried along with their little ones. It’s understandable, of course – when you’re a new parent, you have more important things to think about than what to pack in a diaper bag for a newborn. Still, the sight did not make me eager to enter this phase of…
-
Have you tried decluttering before and found that, despite the purge, you still have more than you need? There are some things we all have that are obviously junk – you know how to identify and declutter them. But other things survive the decluttering process over and over, continuing to take up space in your home after multiple spring clean-outs. This article describes some bad reasons that you’ve held onto these things. Once you can identify those, it will be easier to recognize which items seem worth hoarding but are, in fact, clutter. Bad Reasons You Hold Onto Clutter –…
-
Is it possible to be a minimalist with a new baby? So much is advertised as “essential” for newborns, and it seems inevitable that you’ll buy hundreds of new items in the process of “nesting.” Before you have your first child, it’s hard to know – what do I actually need? To compound the problem, lists you’ll find online are generally written by companies that want to sell you things. Yes, you’re going to have to add more “stuff” to your home when you welcome a new member of the family. But it doesn’t have to be out of control. You can…
-
If you’re buried in clutter, you probably have a similar mindset to mine before I embraced minimalism. So how do you change ingrained habits to become a minimalist? In our modern world it’s easy to accumulate stuff. It’s much harder to get rid of it. And after all, what’s the harm in keeping it? Anything could be useful someday, right? Why not store it in your living space just in case? This line of thinking makes it very hard to declutter. If you’ve tried it, you may have had these conversations with yourself. You’ll look at something you haven’t used in…