Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

There's been a major shift in shopping since this time last year.  Amazon is booming.  So is e-commerce at retailers like Walmart and Target.  In fact, online spending in the U.S. increased 44% in 2020, according to digitalcommerce360.com. With COVID around, many of us have stayed away from brick-and-mortar stores as much as possible.  But we're shopping more than ever, and what seems to be fueling all of the spending is frivolous purchases . Some people joke about it.  "I can't even remember what I ordered," quips one neighbor when we meet near our adjacent front doors.  I've noticed he has packages delivered almost every day. This isn't funny. As I gather all of the trash from our most recent take-out dinner, I realize that my husband and I aren't much better.  Not a fan of cooking at the best of times, during the pandemic I've gotten into the habit of ordering take-out four or more times a week.  I joke about it too:  "Look how lazy I'v

Don't you love those magazine photos or model homes where the kitchen worktops are completely clear except for a beautiful plant or bowl of fruit?  Everyone does.  It's peaceful.  The kitchen looks ready for cooking or for having a friend in for coffee.  It looks clean, and easy to keep clean.  (And isn't that something you want in a kitchen?) So how do we achieve this state of bliss?  How do we clear kitchen counters and keep them that way? 3 steps to kitchen clarity 1.  Clear out the cupboards so you can store things in them. The things we keep on the counter are the things we use most often, but we may be forfeiting valuable cupboard space to things we use rarely, if at all.   Do you have a pasta maker or ice cream maker shoved way in the back?  Or a stack of large serving trays?  Or maybe you have a waffle maker, even though you always serve French toast because it's easier to prepare and to clean up.  Maybe you have a cupboard overflowing with mismatched mugs, or v

I just spent nine hours in front of my computer.   Again .   I took only three short breaks, and spent maybe ten minutes outside.  I even ate lunch at my desk. I know this isn't healthy, but still it happens much too often.  Maybe it does for you too.  And many of our kids are still distance learning, which also requires them to spend hours a day in front of a computer. This is not how I spent my days when I was in my 20's or 30's.  Even when I was working as a secretary/bookkeeper, I didn't spend nine hours nonstop bent over my ledgers or in front of a typewriter.  I was up and down from my desk all day long, doing other tasks.  I physically went to a file room, to the copy room, or to deliver a message or the mail.  I usually took a walk and ate my lunch outside. Maybe we don't need more tech. In my lifetime and before, technology has been celebrated as the revolution that would improve the world.  "Better Living Through Science" and so on.  And I certai

When the sun is shining and trees are in bud, the inside of my house can start to feel stale and uninspired.  I think that's why many of us get into the spring cleaning mode.  We want new energy in our homes as well. After a winter of adding seasonal decorations, new purchases, and holiday gifts, my home can use some attention.  So this year I'm trying a simple refresh I call "undecorating."  It takes just a little bit of time and makes it easier to thoroughly clean a room.  And it really rejuvenates the space. Undecorating lets me be  more intentional  with my décor.  To undecorate, I remove a layer of objects from a room so that I can see it with fresh eyes. 9 quick and easy steps to undecorate 1.  Choose the room(s) you want to revitalize. I'm going to do my entryway, living room, and bedroom, but this process works in any room of the house. 2.  Locate a few containers that can hold surface décor. This can be a couple of boxes, a laundry basket, some grocery ba

If you're new to minimalism, or just starting to declutter (or even if you're an old pro, and just want a little tune-up), you need to understand why you're doing what you're doing, where to start, and how to maintain all of your good work.  Here are some basics to help you on your way. (If you'd like some specific guidance as you prepare to spring clean, check out my  previous post  on the subject.) 9 tips for decluttering (and staying that way) 1.  Identify your values. Minimalism highlights the things you value by removing everything else.  But it's a personal decision.  What's important to you will be different from others.  The goal isn't deprivation – it's satisfaction. So maybe you need plenty of extra seating because you entertain often, or you sew your own clothes and also make the costumes for a local theater group.  You want to make space for these activities and their tools, even though a formal dining room with fancy dishware or a ded

So-called "healthy" eating can be made very complicated, with intricate diets to follow that require books, courses, meal cards, and many ingredients to shop for and prepare.  But we don't need such complex solutions to a simple problem. In the past, when I planned how to maintain healthier choices in my diet, I always thought in terms of  substitutes .  Like most people, I have favorite foods and cravings, and they prompted my search. Enter low-fat cookies, low-salt crackers, sugar-free ice cream, gluten-free pasta, soy cheese pizza, turkey bacon, and other mutants from the world of  manufactured food . There's a lot of "healthy" junk food out there. I spent hours researching my options and plenty of money trying to satisfy those cravings.  Almost every replacement food had one or more ingredients at least as bad as what I was trying to avoid.  Artificial flavors and sweeteners and unpronounceable chemicals abounded.  Even in the so-called "health food

Many of us like to go hiking or camping.  We love driving down a road that hugs the coast, with a new vista around each corner.  We flock to Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, Greek islands and the fjords of Norway.  We even take that first cup of coffee out to a porch or balcony and savor morning freshness, flowers and trees, birdsong, and playful squirrels. What's the appeal of these places and activities?   It's the beauty.   It's the cool, dewy air, the early fingers of sunlight, the incredible colors of ocean, sky, sand, ice, leaves, bark, birds, butterflies, and even rocks and the rich, loamy earth.  No granite countertop, no custom front door, no professional paint job, no high-end sofa can equal this perfectly designed beauty.  It calms us.  It refreshes.  And it energizes too.  It feeds our imaginations and our spirits.  It's the home we're made for. Beauty makes you feel good.  It brings peace.  It makes you happier. Beauty is important. We need the shelter th

Once you've gone through a major decluttering event, you may think you're done.  You've achieved minimalism!  But minimalism is more than decluttering ; it's a lifestyle.  You need to change your habits in order to retain your newfound lightness and freedom. Minimalists are no different from anyone else.  We're real people.  We work, we socialize, we have hobbies and husbands and kids.   Stuff enters our homes every day , and if we have no system for dealing with it, clutter will reappear.   So part of the minimalist lifestyle is learning to be a gatekeeper, to keep stuff from once again overwhelming our lives. 4 simple maintenance tips 1.  Don't just put it down – put it away. Use the old adage "A place for everything and everything in its place."  As you declutter, you need to make a home for each item you need, use, and love. Although the two are often confused, organizing, by itself, isn't the same as decluttering.  If we simply organize stuff