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Real Life Minimalists: Nicole

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

This week, Nicole shares how a difficult situation in her childhood inspired her to live with less.

Nicole writes:

It was late in high school that my mom started calling me “Simplicity.” I had decided to get rid of almost everything I owned. I kept things I felt had use – bed, dresser and clothes. I also kept my photos and music – things I felt had meaning to me. My choice to minimize was a reaction to my childhood and the court battle my parents were currently going through.… {Read more}

Lagom

I’ve always been a big fan of Swedish design and culture—I love their restrained décor, their use of light and natural materials, their respect for the environment, their healthy lifestyles, their strong sense of equality. So it comes as no surprise that Sweden is also the origin of one of my favorite concepts: lagom. The word has no direct English equivalent, but is perhaps best translated as “just the right amount.”

The lovely thing about lagom is that it’s a desirable state of appropriateness, or enoughness—and has nothing to do with scarcity or deprivation. It’s both the opposite of having too much and too little, and instead a celebration of moderation.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Kimberly

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

Today, I’m pleased to feature Kimberly, who tells us how battling an illness started her on the road to minimalism. Read more about her inspiring story on her blog.

Kimberly writes:

In my mind, I’ve always been a minimalist. Although, I didn’t really embrace it until more recently when several things in my life began to shift and change.

About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. I didn’t worry about myself as much as I worried about the people around me.… {Read more}

Storage is Not a Solution

Look at any organizational website or catalog, and you’ll find a plethora of boxes, bags, and containers billed as “storage solutions.” No matter what the item, there’s a vessel to hold it—big, small, tall, flat, thin, wide, clear, colored, fabric, plastic, leather, wood.

Put them on shelves, pile them in closets, stack them in your attic, basement, and garage. If you run out of room, gather them up and stick them in a storage unit across town.

And presto—your clutter problems are over!

Uh, not really. Storage is not a solution.

Just because it’s out of sight, doesn’t mean it’s out of mind.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Kristen June

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

I love this story from Kristen June. She experienced the wonderful freedom of traveling lightly, and is now living a minimalist life in Madrid.

Kristen writes:

When I was about 6 years old I would collect scraps of papers, beads, rocks, ribbons, and other little pieces of garbage that were precious to me. My Grandma June, vigilantly tidy and non-materialistic, taught me how to get rid of things and keep a clean space.… {Read more}

Happier Without

The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. -Elise Boulding

What a wonderful quote, and so true! We’re constantly bombarded with the message to buy, buy, and buy some more—it’s hardly ever suggested that we might find greater satisfaction in not owning something. Yes, you read it here, week in and week out; but I’m just one tiny voice questioning the status quo—hardly a match for the marketers and advertisers that command so much of our visual and auditory attention.

So after three years of blogging, I’ve been inspired to look back and celebrate the things I’ve learned I’d rather not have.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Courtney Carver

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

This week, we have an inspiring story from Courtney Carver, who shares with us the profound impact minimalism has had on her life and health. Be sure to check out her blog, Be More with Less, and her book, Simple Ways to Be More with Less. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Courtney writes:

I didn’t wake up one morning and think, “I want to lead a simpler life.” I didn’t wake up, cancel my cable television, quit my job and throw all my stuff in a dumpster.… {Read more}

Montessori and Minimalism

Although Plumblossom is several years away from preschool, I’ve been doing some preliminary research on various educational methods. I’m particularly intrigued by the Montessori philosophy (thanks to reader Carrie-Anne!), as it seems quite complementary to a minimalist lifestyle.

I was thrilled to discover that several of its central tenets aren’t just applicable to children; in fact, we’d do quite well to practice them as adults:

Simplicity. A Montessori classroom contains all the essentials needed for the child’s development, but nothing superfluous. Each item is carefully chosen, and serves a specific purpose.

Adult version: You can edit your home in the same way—retaining only those items that you use on a regular basis, and that make a positive contribution to your household.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Santiago

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

Today, Santiago, a philosophy student, shares his story with us. He’s already made wonderful progress with his decluttering, and is striving to reduce his possessions even more.

Santiago writes:

My name is Santiago, I’m currently a college freshman hoping to major in Philosophy, and I work with my mother on our healthcare consulting company, eventually hoping to get contracts from the state and become non-profit. This means that I don’t have very much time to myself, much less to commit to large projects like cleaning out my mess of a room.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: The Christian Housewife

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

This week, we hear from The Christian Housewife. She’s a mom of five who recently started shedding her stuff, and is finding that the rewards of minimalism go deeper than just a clean home. Read more on her blog.

The Christian Housewife writes:

Who am I? I’m just your typical mom. A mom with 5 kids and too much stuff. We have too many clothes, too many toys, too many things to take care of.… {Read more}