Christmastime is fraught for minimalists. In many countries, the winter holidays mean big spending. Every person is obligated to buy things for every friend, family member, and coworker in their lives. Lists go online about what to buy the person who already has everything. People exchange useless gadgets and ugly sweaters, which then become clutter. And often we receive gifts from our closest loved ones that make us wonder if they even know us at all. Certainly, where I am in the U.S., we’re indoctrinated as children through the Santa Claus myth to the idea that Christmas is all about giving and getting stuff. All of this is in stark contrast to minimalist values. So, you might ask, is it even possible to have a minimalist Christmas? And if so,…
-
-
When I boarded the minimalism train years ago, one of the first steps I took was to purge my closet. My goal was to build a capsule wardrobe that would last me for years. Basically, I wanted to look nice every day without having to think about it much. I had no idea where to start at the time. Knowing nothing about fashion, I started my quest by searching for capsule wardrobe ideas on Pinterest and YouTube. And I learned a lot of important lessons in the process. Through that research, plus trial and error over the last few years, I discovered some great minimalist clothing brands that are my go-to’s for basics to build a capsule wardrobe. My Approach to Minimalist Clothing Brands …
-
If you’re preparing for an international trip, you might assume that you need to check a bag. There’s all kinds of stuff you need to bring with you when you’re flying overseas, right? I used to feel that way, too. But it’s not true. Your packing list for international travel doesn’t have to be that much different from your list for a domestic trip. I’ve written before about how, through the process of traveling to 45 countries and taking hundreds of flights, I managed to transform from a chronic over-packer to a carry-on-only traveler. In that post, I shared a generic one-week vacation packing list. Here, I’d like to focus on international travel specifically, since there are a few extras you’ll need to consider when packing. But there are also a lot…
-
Tackling a massive wardrobe is one of the most intimidating tasks involved in a home declutter. Whether you’re starting a minimalist journey or you just want to be able to shut your closet doors without brute force, you’ll need to approach this project with a strategy. But it doesn’t have to be painful! Below, we’ll cover tips for how to organize the clothes in your closet so you never have to do it again. I used to spend hours on a weekend organizing the clothes in my closet, even spending money on storage bins and painstakingly labeling things. And somehow every time, within weeks, it would be an unmanageable mess again. It was beyond frustrating. And I know from living with and talking to others – both women and men – that I wasn’t alone…
-
I’ve written before about Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism and how it changed my mindset toward life goals and more. McKeown urges us to recognize time and energy as limited resources, and to be intentional about how we spend them. Just as minimalists recommend clearing physical clutter, McKeown endorses clearing the things that clutter our daily schedules and our minds. He delivers the harsh but powerful truth that we cannot do everything we want to do. Rather, we have to choose what we value most and consciously discard those things that don’t support our highest priorities. I had already been dabbling in minimalism when I encountered this book. Its message that…
