The 2021 Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff Recap

By

As we come to the end of the year, I'm happy to share a recap of the most popular posts on Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff, and a few of my personal favorites that didn't quite make the Top Ten.



tiny Christmas house



Proud moments


This has been a great year on the blog.  There are almost twice as many subscribers as there were last January, which exceeds my goal for the year.  This post is the 99th I've written for 2021, and I also had well over a dozen posts featured on NoSidebar.com, which makes me very proud.  The huge financial website, Motley Fool, quoted from and directed their readers to my posts, "How to Recover from Winning" and "How to Get 100% Off This Black Friday."  Wow!


Additionally, I published four books this year:  The Minimalist Tool Kit* in March, The Minimalist Wardrobe in July, Comfortable Minimalism in September, and my kids' book Fairhaven Christmas Eve just last month.


* Updated June 2023 – The Minimalist Tool Kit is now out of print.


Whew!  Listing it out like that makes it look like I kept a crazy writing schedule, but I can honestly say I loved doing it.  Minimalism not only directed me toward a passion I didn't even know I had, but helped me create time and space to fulfill it.


I am so grateful to all of you for reading.  Writing is fun for me, but it's also hard work and a challenge to my intelligence and creativity.  Without readers, it would be tougher to sustain the energy and commitment it requires.  I greatly appreciate your comments on the blog and the personal emails you send to me (karen@maximumgratitudeminimalstuff.com).  You inspire and encourage me.  Thank you!




10 most-read posts in 2021


1.  How to Get 100% Off This Black Friday

Black Friday frenzy promotes over-consumption, but avoiding it doesn't mean we won't overspend later.  Minimalists don't stop spending money; they just spend differently for more benefit.


2.  4 Easy Steps to Create an Attractive Minimalist Wardrobe Now (The 4x4 Wardrobe)

A capsule wardrobe lets you buy less clothing but love it and wear it with more ease.  The 4x4 Wardrobe is a tool for creating your minimalist closet.  


3.  How to Boost Your Energy With the Comfort of Hygge

The Danish concept of hygge isn't just a trend or aesthetic, it's a feeling.  Its "effortless comfort" is about taking time to find joy and connection every day.


4.  12 Practical Tips for a Wardrobe that Lets You Dress with Ease and Confidence

The capsule wardrobe movement is growing.  Experiment for yourself and find less stress, more convenience, and more personal style with fewer clothes.


5.  9 Simple Steps to Lighten and Renew Your Home By Undecorating

Sometimes we long to refresh our homes.  Instead of shopping, undecorate to get a new perspective, make deep cleaning easier, and decide what to keep and what to declutter.


6.  Declutter 30 Things (or More!) With Ease This Weekend

Clutter represents procrastination, but you don't have to stay bogged down and mentally drained by it.  Remove these 30 items and enjoy a simpler home today!


7.  15 Proven Tips to Make Life in a Small Home Pleasant

Living in a small space reminds us how to share, communicate, and consider others' needs.  Make your small home seem bigger to maximize its benefits.


8.  It's True – Clutter and Obesity Share a Direct Link

The link between clutter and obesity involves the stress hormone cortisol and insulin resistance.  Don't let clutter send you down this unhealthy path.


9.  5 Ways to Live More Simply Even If You Can't Declutter Yet

If you're struggling to declutter, try a new approach.  Minimalism is about more than possessions – it's also about your mind and your habits.  So start there.


10.  Every Day Looks Better When You Focus on Gratitude

Producers of stuff find ways to make us unhappy about what we own so we will buy more, but with eyes of gratitude we'll see how much we already have.




8 more of my favorite posts


holiday gift
1.  Why Mid-Century Minimalism Is the Way to a Better Future

Minimalism looks nostalgic to a Baby Boomer.  Return to a 1960's lifestyle, which is minimalist by today's standards, and enjoy plenty of comfort with much less waste, debt, stress, and pollution.


2.  Just Eat an Apple

Too much of our time and money is spent on complex solutions to simple problems.  A minimalist mindset clarifies choices and eases daily life.


3.  Ten Tiny Decluttering Tasks With Big Results

Want to declutter, but feel overwhelmed by the job?  Overcome avoidance with manageable tasks and enjoy clutter-free benefits sooner than you think.


4.  Three Little Words to Help You Keep Tidy

Even if you're not a natural tidying and organizing superstar, three little words can change your home – and your life – forever.


5.  Try 50 Ways to Leave Your Clutter – But Don't Stop There

Decluttering is the first step to a minimalist life.  It frees you from the lies of materialism and makes room for what really matters to you.  Let's talk about those 50 ways!


6.  How to Live Well

Most Americans feel anxious about finances, and our constant shopping makes it worse.  Living on less is a way to live well, with security and satisfaction.


7.  Why Life is Happier When We Look Through Lenses of Gratitude

Given the real benefits of a gratitude mindset, why do we often struggle to develop one?  How can we become more aware of the benefits and mercies we overlook?


8.  A Motto for Living: Look to the End

When you realize that your life will end, it changes you.  Which choices will add meaning and value to your life, and how can you have the most impact?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 Important Ways to Stay Minimalist

By
Image
Some of us declutter our homes, our schedules, our e-devices, and more – but we don't stay that way.  We're alive, so we buy and consume.  Opportunities arise, and we say yes.  A new app, streaming service, or online resource beckons, and we subscribe. It's called clutter creep , and that's the perfect name for a reason.  It sneaks in, little by little, and we barely notice at first.  Then one day we wake up and pay attention, and see that we're overloaded again. It's not a sign of failure. And it's not a signal to give up on minimalism!  It's a cue to be more intentional about our actions, and more selective in our choices. I recently took stock of my home and realized I wasn't as minimalist as I want to be.  I've added too much, and my closets, calendar, and computer reflect that.  Like auto maintenance, you neglect it at your peril, and the eventual cost may be more than you want to pay. Here's how to handle clutter creep. 10 essential mai
Read more

42 Things to Clear Out and Simplify Your Home Before Christmas

By
Image
Depending on when you're reading this, there are approximately six weeks until Christmas.  You probably have a lot of tasks and events planned for this time, so decluttering might not be high on your to-do list.  But as with any habit, decluttering consistency can yield more rewards (and longer-lasting results) that decluttering intensity.  If you only remove one of these items each day before the holiday, you'll celebrate with a lighter home and a brighter outlook, and prepare yourself for a New Year of being more satisfied with less! Find more energy and focus by spending just a few minutes each day decluttering.  Most of these categories and suggestions represent several items, so by Christmas you'll be able to remove dozens of things.  You'll feel buoyant and rejuvenated for your festivities. Start in your closet. You'll notice a big difference when you remove the following items: 1.   Clothes that are irreparably stained, torn, stretched, and/or faded. 2.   Cl
Read more

10 Myths to Ignore on Your Minimalist Journey

By
Image
In our consumerist society, the pressure to accumulate more and more can be intense.  With styles and fads and TikTok memes constantly changing, you might fear that if you don't keep up you'll be irrelevant. Minimalism offers sanity and serenity amidst the chaos. As you continue to explore this lifestyle, don't be misled by these common myths about minimalism. So not true 1.  Minimalism equals deprivation. Minimalism isn't about losing the things you need or love.  It's about prioritizing.  It's about discovering which belongings and activities bring value to your life, and which keep you too busy, too burdened, or too in debt for what you care about.  Minimalism isn't austerity – it's attention and choice. 2.  Minimalism is a number. Counting items might help you get started, but it's not a goal.  A 30-piece wardrobe isn't about the number.  It's about ease, versatility, and self-confidence.  Limiting hobbies to two or three is about time fo
Read more

8 Ways to Successfully Waste Money and More this Holiday Season

By
Image
It's been an expensive year in the U.S.  Inflation and interest rates are up, and the costs of food, gas, and electricity are all higher too (you know – those necessities we can't do without).  And the holidays always bring plenty of extra expenses. But an  October survey by financial services giant Deloitte found that shoppers are planning to spend a record-setting amount on gifts, decorations, food, and more this year – an average of $1,652 that we may not actually have. If your goal is to begin the New Year with a pile of credit card debt (and who doesn't want that?), be sure to follow these time-tested strategies.  Side benefits include cluttering your house with junk and courting burnout and exhaustion.  Ready to learn how? How to turn holiday cheer into New Year misery 1.  Ignore budgets. Budgets are boring and restrictive.  Debt counselor Dave Ramsey says they're a way to help you set priorities and account for where your money is going, but what does he know? S
Read more

If You Love Christmas but Hate Waste, Try Thrifting

By
Image
Many people say that Christmas is their favorite time of the year.  The lights, the music, the décor, the fun get-togethers, and yes, the presents – all add a special lift to each day during this season. You can love the holiday but still worry about what it does to the Earth.  And that's where the trending TikTok topic  #thriftmas  comes in. What a waste Togetherness, memories, and music can create plenty of Christmas magic.  But there's also all of the packaging, plastic, and waste to think about.  All the extra energy used for lights and inflatables.  All of the food waste, from special ingredients we buy for the one teaspoon our recipe calls for, to mail-order food gifts we don't want, to the leftovers we don't manage to eat.  And don't forget all of the transportation to get merchandise from wherever (mostly China), to the warehouse, to the Amazon truck, to its spot under the tree. That's why some people are giving Thriftmas a try.  It's about sourcing
Read more