Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Guess what?  "Grandma hobbies" are growing in popularity, and they might even help you lose weight! These cozy hobbies include things like knitting, crochet , embroidery, baking, and gardening.  You could also add "Grandpa hobbies" such as jigsaw puzzles, whittling , and leatherwork. (I'm not trying to be sexist, but I know plenty of men wouldn't try embroidery, and a lot of women wouldn't consider whittling.  Whatever.) Even if you don't become a master of any hobby, scientists say there are a lot of benefits gained by pursuing them.  "When people immerse themselves in a hobby, they often find an escape from daily pressures, creating a space where they can unwind and recharge," says Patricia S. Dixon, a licensed clinical psychologist from Florida. Of course, many hands-on hobbies allow you to create useful and beautiful items for yourself, for your home, or for gifts.  That's why many of us craft jewelry or make candles.  With the simp...

Like Christmas, Easter is supposed to be a religious observance, but in America our faith often seems to be placed in money and possessions, rather than in God.  We are devout consumers , no matter what else we may believe.  Many of the 63% of Americans who identify themselves as Christians will give more thought to new church clothes, Easter table centerpieces, and full Easter baskets (even if they include a chocolate cross) than they do to the reason for the celebration.  Let's reclaim this holiday. People don't spend as much for Easter as they do for Christmas/Hanukkah, Valentine's Day, or even Halloween, but it is still definitely seen by retailers as a time to push candy, flowers, stuffed animals, spring fashions, and home décor (especially tableware).  Wallethub.com reports that $22 billion was spent on Easter in the United States in 2024. Personally, I'd rather keep Easter a DIY, family- and faith-centered experience than to give retailers yet another holiday...

It's a common feature in magazines and on websites:  The Holiday Gift List.  Usually filled with over-priced items that no one really needs, I've always found these suggestions pretty useless.  It's just another form of advertising, as far as I'm concerned.  And who wants to add to the total of unwanted gifts received every holiday season? Better choices However, I recently found some better recommendations for the holiday, and I want to share them with you.  They come from the World Vision gift catalog.   World Vision  is a global Christian humanitarian organization that has been partnering with children, families, and communities ( of any faith or none ) for over 70 years.  Their programs include health, education, hunger and water issues, disaster relief, child protection, gender equality, and more. Each of these gifts equips children and families to change their own lives for a better future.  They're useful, provide decent jobs, and...

Maybe you're broke.  Maybe you're appalled at the environmental costs.  Or maybe you're tired of compulsory consumerism. I get it.  I've been to those extended-family Christmases where there's a ten-minute turmoil of present opening, a tornado of ribbons and wrapping paper, and piles of presents that are destined to be tossed, returned the next day, or stuffed into the back of a closet. We spend how much ? The average monthly car payment in the U.S. is $568.  Which is ridiculous.  Yet most people are spending far more than that for Christmas gifts. Average household spending on Christmas gifts in the U.S. is $886 .  Women do most of the shopping, and spend an average of 20 hours searching for gifts. Additionally, 41% of U.S. adults say they're willing to go into debt for Christmas gifts.  Is it worth it? Let's look at the waste. Americans spend $15.2 billion on unwanted gifts , and about 61% of people surveyed expect to get at least one gift they don'...

My mother had a pen pal when she was growing up.  They wrote to each other for over a decade. My cousin and I wrote letters to each other from when we were about six years old until our late teens.  My letters always began, "Dear Patricia, how are you?  I'm fine." I got a long, newsy letter from my grandmother once a month until she passed away.  I wrote long letters home to my family when I studied in England in 1980, to my fiancé when he took a job in Colorado six months before our wedding (we've now been married for 37 years), and to my high school best friend when she moved to Oregon (we're still friends, more than 40 years later). Back then, there was no such thing as email or texting, and long distance phone calls were charged by the minute, an expensive way to keep in touch. But today, handwritten letters are rare. While I still occasionally write letters to a few elderly aunts and uncles, most of the time I don't do much more than sign a birthday card...

Famous designers have shown us again and again that decorating "rules" are made to be broken.  After all, each of us is unique, and we all have our own tastes and styles.   But our home environment plays a huge role in our mental and emotional health, so we want to get it "right."  How can we do that when styles change every year (or even more often) and decorating mistakes can be expensive and frustrating? You don't need to follow the trends to create a home that is peaceful and inspiring.  Three guidelines can help you create a space that leaves you feeling grounded and energized . 3 guidelines that work in any home 1.  Keep it simple. Homes that are overcrowded, with blocked traffic zones, too much clutter, and no open spaces where the eye can rest never feel right.  They're chaotic and heavy, and seem as if there's really no room for the people who live there. The key is to keep some white space, or margin, in your home.  When you keep things ...

As much as simple activities make happy times and wonderful memories, most people still love giving and receiving gifts during the holidays.  I love it too, and I don't want to stop doing it just to prove how minimalist I am.  Yet I agree with Leo Babauta of  Zen Habits .  He says, I don't love Christmas shopping, or the overconsumption, frenzied malls, consumer debt, environmental waste... and over-accumulation of needless stuff that goes with it.  Bah humbug!   I love Christmas, but the shopping has got to go. We don't have to buy in order to give. Think about it.  We shop like mad for a month or more, rip open the gifts in a few minutes' time, and then forget about them, break them, or exchange them the next day.  Shopping monopolizes our time, attention, and money.  "We seem to think that buying is the solution to any problem, but that has led to a society that is deeply in debt and piled high with needless stuff," says Babauta....

Christmas is just weeks away, and I imagine your holiday planning has already begun.  My five-year-old grandson is old enough to begin to understand and participate in Christmas-related activities, such as decorating the tree, making cookies, and setting up the Nativity scene.  Of course, he's also old enough to anticipate gifts, and has already requested "a battery engine," which means that  this * is a purchase I'm planning to make. *  This blog is reader-supported.  If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission. You aren't Scrooge. My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up, yet I have some very happy Christmas memories.  It's possible to create a wonderful holiday for your kids without turning it into a season of excess. A minimalist holiday is not at all Scrooge-like and skimpy, but it also doesn't glorify greed and materialism.  Instead, the focus is on quality over quantity, experiences rather than things,...

I know it's early, and I dislike rushing Christmas, but... if you want to simplify your holidays this year, now is the time to be thinking and planning for that!   But I don't really care for the MAC (Modern American Christmas). I don't want to do it this year.  Just thinking about it is depressing. I'm talking about the Christmas that starts  now , before Halloween.  I'm talking about the canned music, the packed parking lots, the over-heated stores, the ads, and the wish lists.  The jam-packed schedules, plastic reindeer, and way too much food. Some people thrive on the noise and the hype and the busyness.  I too used to believe I loved all of that.  But when I think about what really makes me happy, it doesn't look anything like the Modern American Christmas.  In fact, almost everything about the MAC makes me think I'm missing something that should be wonderful. Would you like to join me? 5 ingredients of a simple, heartfelt Christmas ...

My friend makes amazing costumes for a small theater troupe in Chicago.  It's a non-profit, church-based group, and she donates her time and skills.  She's incredibly talented, and finds the most exquisite fabrics and trims at clearance prices.  I've seen photos of the finished creations, and having worn many costumes for plays and operas, I can see that the ones she makes are of better-than-average quality. I once suggested that she should have an Etsy shop geared toward cosplayers.  My son and daughter both enjoy cosplay, and usually make their own costumes, which are good but not as detailed and professional as what my friend produces.  My friend could definitely make some money with her work. She's justifiably proud of her creations, and loves doing the work, but when I suggested an Etsy shop, all the light went out of her expression.  She apologized and said, "Yeah, everyone keeps telling me I should do that, but it would mean a lot more time, and I ...

We may not realize it, but we're surrounded by the hard work and innovation of people who came before us.  The chair and desk at which you sit, the lightbulb in your lamp, the glass in your window, the book on  your shelf, your pen, your eyeglasses, the qwerty keyboard on your computer.  The coffee in your cup, and the cup itself.   When we only buy mass-produced items, or only buy with a click on the internet, we become merely passive consumers.  We're removed from the process of how things are made, how they work, the people who make them, and the raw materials and energy that go into their production.  We're distant from all of these things and people, and in a sense from the real world. Pieces of history Crafts are pieces of history and tradition passed from one maker to another.  My grandmother taught me to crochet, and I taught my daughter.  My sister-in-law taught my son to knit.  My husband learned to refinish furniture from a ...