a blog about simple living
“I’m in awe of the way we romanticize the things we willingly left behind when the present moment starts testing us.” - Hannah Brencher, Come Matter Here I have a tendency to get nostalgic in August. This month is a whole other kind of January. It brings with it new possibilities, as well as new… Continue reading Here’s to Transitions
I read a lot of really good books this year. Some came out this year, and some had been out for a while before I got around to them. In any case, I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you, in no particular order. Come Matter Here by Hannah Brencher I read this… Continue reading The Books I Read and Loved in 2018
People can see the worst parts of you and still love you. It can feel so scary to be vulnerable with other people - to open up to someone for the first time, or even the second or hundredth time. You never know how they’ll react until you’ve said that thing that scares you. You’ll… Continue reading You’ll Still Be Loved
“It was easier back then.” “It was more fun before.” “Those friends understood me better.” These are all thoughts I’ve had, and I know some of the people around me have had similar ones recently. It’s so easy to get caught up in how good the past was. We idealize our past circumstances and friendships… Continue reading On Living in the Present
I’m not much of a morning person. Usually, I have a hard time just getting out of bed in the morning. This means I’m pretty slow at getting ready but also often end up sleeping longer than I should in the mornings. So I’ve learned a few ways to speed up my morning routine while… Continue reading How to Speed Up Your Morning Routine
I’ve never been great at budgeting or consistently saving up money. When I started working and getting paychecks, I didn’t put that much thought into how much money I had to spend and how much I needed to save in order to be okay. Then I’d go out and accidentally spend more than I should… Continue reading Money-Saving Tips
Start small. Small victories will help you feel accomplished and therefore help you stay motivated in the process. So start with some small areas that will be relatively easy to deal with. Choose a few drawers or maybe a bathroom to sort through. The ideal starting point will have quite a bit you want to… Continue reading Decluttering Tips for New Minimalists
I’ve always had a mental list of things I’d like to do and places I’d like to go at some point during my life. About a year ago, though, I actually wrote out a bucket list, and I’ve since crossed off a few items. This list contains places I want to travel, sights I want… Continue reading Why You Should Have a Bucket List
Going on a trip can feel like a lot of work. Even when you’re trying to do it as a form of escape or a way to relax, it can be overwhelming to prepare for it. I often pack and repack, trying to make sure I have everything I need. After traveling quite a bit… Continue reading 6 Tips to Pack Efficiently
Minimalism isn’t a cookie cutter type of lifestyle, nor should it be. It’s different for every person who practices this approach to life. While I often give some guidelines or ideas about what to get rid of or how to make this lifestyle work for you, the goal isn’t for your version of minimalism to… Continue reading Finding Balance in Minimalism
Note: I’ve written a similar post to this before, but I’ve learned a bit more since then. So basically this is an updated version. When you have a lot of clothes, it’s somewhat easy to have a large variety of colors represented in your wardrobe and still be able to create at least one outfit… Continue reading Don’t Limit the Colors in Your Wardrobe (If You Don’t Want To)
When we talk about self-care, we often refer to bubble baths, spa days, or lying in bed all day reading a book. Essentially, we talk about all the little treats we want to give ourselves for surviving the stresses of life. And while these indulgences are nice and can help us decompress, that’s not all… Continue reading Take Care of Yourself
If you’re trying to be organized and get a lot of tasks done, then you likely have a to-do list. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your to-do list. Write tasks down as they come up. If something comes up that you need to get done, add it to… Continue reading How to Create a Functional To-Do List
One life change I’ve been working to make is to shop less for clothing. I know I have just about everything I could need to put together enough outfits on any given week, so I’m trying to spend less time and money shopping for new clothes. However, when I do choose to shop, I try… Continue reading Reasons to Buy Clothing Secondhand
Once choice a lot of people make when they decide they’d like to pursue minimalism is that they stop shopping are at least shop a lot less. But then someone’s birthday rolls around, or a holiday, and it’s tricky to know what to do. It’s not like the gift would add to your own clutter,… Continue reading Giving Gifts as a Minimalist
One big advantage to having a smaller wardrobe is that it’s often so much easier to figure out what to wear in the morning. The reason for this is that a smaller wardrobe means that you wear everything regularly and therefore you know which pieces work together and how they fit you. But at the… Continue reading How to Curate an Effortless Wardrobe
When it comes to decluttering, we usually focus on our physical space. It’s equally important, though, to worry about keeping a clear mind as well. Here are a few tips to help you avoid feeling like your mind is getting cluttered with junk. Decide which things you care about most. It’s easy to say yes… Continue reading Mental Decluttering Tips
When you start to declutter, it can be easy to simply throw all the items you don’t want or need anymore into boxes and bags before hauling them over to the nearest thrift store. But sometimes that might not be the best solution. When you’re decluttering, think about the next life for the items you’re… Continue reading Tips for Ethically Decluttering Your Wardrobe
