Today marks one year since I published my first post here. (Wow, how time flies!)
This time last year I had just moved to a new country, and started blogging on a whim – mainly to entertain myself and indulge my passion for minimalist living. I considered it a creative outlet, a way to practice my writing, and never expected to have more than a handful of readers.
The response, however, was incredible. According to my latest statistics, I have over 3,000 RSS subscribers, and received 76,000 unique visitors last month. I can’t tell you how excited I am that so many of you are interested in minimalist living!
This post is partly a birthday celebration – but more so, a heartfelt thank you note to all of you.
I was recently asked what I enjoy most about blogging – and hands down, it’s your comments. I’ve learned so much from you over the past year! And although I can no longer keep up with responding to each one, I religiously read them all – and always look forward to your insightful (and often entertaining!) feedback. Your thoughts, ideas, and opinions have made this blog what it is today.
You’ve also been a wonderful source of inspiration to me. In fact, your comments and emails prompted me to write my latest book, The Joy of Less. Over the past year, I’ve received thousands of requests for “how-to” guidance on decluttering, and living a minimalist life (I still smile when I open an email that starts “Dear Miss Minimalist”). I felt that writing the book was the next best thing to visiting each of you, and helping you clean out your closets and drawers! I wanted you to feel like I was right beside you, helping and encouraging you, each step of the way. A very special thanks to all of you who’ve purchased it; I’m eternally grateful for your enthusiasm and support.
I know that practicing a minimalist lifestyle can sometimes feel like you’re swimming upstream. We’re constantly bombarded with the message that “more is better;” and our efforts to make do with less aren’t always understood by our peers, colleagues, or neighbors.
That’s why I’m so thrilled that we’ve built a community of kindred souls here; a place where we can come together, and help each other pursue our minimalist journeys. A place free of judgment and criticism, where we can explore new ways to live simpler, more meaningful lives.
Here’s the little post that started it all:
Since then, I’ve written about everything from philosophy, to practical techniques, to how many shoes, towels, and plates I own.
As we embark on another year together, I’d love to know what you’d like to read in the future. Do you prefer philosophical discussions or brass-tacks decluttering advice? Do you enjoy reading about others’ experiences (a la Real Life Minimalists), or would you like to know more about mine? Are there any specific categories you’d like me to cover in more depth? Would you like a forum, where you could post your own topics and chat with each other? Please let me know in the Comments – I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and continuing this wonderful journey with you!
Congrats on the anniversary, Francine! I’m so glad I found your blog; it has truly been an inspiration.
I would like to hear more about your minimalistic experiences, especially with your new home! I enjoy the RLM section as well, and I would LOVE a forum! Two thumbs up on that idea!
~HK~
Happy birthday.
My blog gets possibly 5-20 visits per day. I have no where near your success, but I too enjoy the process of writing and posting my own thoughts on what I deem relevant.
It’s interesting that you have so much success. I would venture the people who read your blog are above average intelligence and are willing to take responsibility to be in control of their lives. That’s a good thing. You’re one of my favorite blogs, keep it up, Mike
Happy Birthday! Your blog is unique and has been really helpful. I particularly enjoyed posts on Real Life Minimalists because it reaffirms that there are like-minded individuals from different backgrounds who have taken this step.
The journey has been great because it was your personal story, giving advice in the right doses and not overtly philosophical!
I’d like to hear about all of the above! Keep up the great work!
Congrats! I really enjoy your posts.
I love the Real Life Minimalists, and am always struggling with creating the perfect minimalist wardrobe, so I’d love more on that. Also more on minimalist – but extremely useful – kitchens! I would also love to hear more about minimalism in different countries.
I enjoy the variety you have served up– keep up the good work!
Happy Blogging Anniversary! I enjoy reading your posts and take inspiration away to continue decluttering and reducing.
Congratulations Francine on your first year anniversary!
I truly look forward to reading your posts and am delighted with your success. Best wishes in the coming year.
Congratulations! My family has been through a really difficult time the past few years (as many people have) and your insights have really helped me to enjoy my small space and embrace the concept of “enough”.
I love, love, love the minimalist makeovers. I used to obsessively watch HGTV (in another life when I had a TV and 1000 channels) and these posts satisfy that interest, but unlike the HGTV shows they make me want less instead of more! Love the philosophical posts too, and the personal posts (I still think about your story of being robbed by a cross-dressing thief off to spend your Canadian coins all the time). :-)
I just found your blog last Monday and already I am hooked! My husband and I have been decluttering in preparation to sell our 1800 sq foot home and move to ~600 sq ft apartment and return to nursing school. Your site prompted us to do another pass through the kitchen where we finally felt it was ok to ditch the George Foreman grill and rice cooker, both of which I hate to clean. We bought your book immediately and we are enjoying it so much! Thank you for making it ok to declutter!
I would love to see more articles about your experiences. I also enjoy the Real Life Minimalists, and hope to one day join them!
Your blog was the first minimalist blog I read – and I’m so glad I found it. It brought me back to my own minimalist roots and I discovered other minimalist bloggers through that process! So thank you!
Also, really love the Minimalist Makeovers – inspiring.
Van harte gefeliciteerd. (dutch for Congratulations)
Congratulations Miss Minimalist!
Write what you are passionate about. It is the self evident joy and love of your subject that is so attractive and inspirational.
Thank you.
I love your blog, I just ordered your book two days ago and I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival. Your style of writing its both reassuring and yet inspirational. Keep it up! Happy Bday :)
Happy Birthday to Miss Minimalist’s blog! and Thank you for helping me start on my minimalist journey! Your experience and the experience of others posted here have inspired and continue to inspire me. I look forward to another year of reading all the wonderful content you post here!
Congrats! I’m a lurker but absolutely love your blog and the message you are spreading.
Hi, Miss Minimalist. Happy Birthday to the blog!
I love reading your blog and especially love the stories about you and your real life minimalists. I know from experience on our blog that people are inspired by seeing other people just like them do the things they want to do. We recently held an event for people interested in long-term travel and had a panel of people from their 30s through 50s tell the crowd how they did it. We also had tons of information from sponsors, tour guides, airline companies, etc. – but the biggest feedback I keep getting from the attendees is about hearing from real people about their experiences.
It would also be great to showcase people going through each of the steps in your STREAMLINE method – maybe a profile of a few people who commit to doing this for 3 months and checkins from you on their progress? If I had any stuff left I’d sign up for that challenge in a hurry!
I like all the features. I suppose I prefer the nuts-and-bolts articles to the philosophy, but I suppose it’s useful to examine the philosophical grounding for our practices.
I also like “Real Life Minimalists,” as everyone faces different issues, has different priorities, and goes about things in a different way. I really don’t like the one-size-fits-all approach that many bloggers take – this is especially prevalent in the online minimalist community right now, where we’re told that we SHOULD be self-employed, we SHOULD have fewer than X number of possessions, we’re chumps if we own certain items (i.e. TVs, irons…). We need more diversity!
Congratulations, Francine! Your blog is wonderful. I agree with SNM:
“The journey has been great because it was your personal story, giving advice in the right doses and not overtly philosophical”
What I love about your blog is its usefulness as a guide to stylish & efficient minimalist living (home, wardrobe, office, etc.)
I’d also like to read more about your travels and about your approach to the world as a “traveling minimalist” (for instance, the story about planning a meaningful elopement rather than a huge, heavy wedding). I’d love to see the world — it’s my main goal — and I’m inspired by how you have fit a lot of traveling into your life.
Best wishes for another great year!
I love the variety.
Happy blog birthday!
Happy Birthday! As I’m reading this I’m tearing up the previous months of my calendar, and next year I’m not even bothering to waste more trees and money with another. I really enjoy the setup you have now- a diverse collective of practical tips, philosophical readings and real-life minimalist experiences. The forum concept sounds like an idea- sometimes when I’m contemplating whether or not it’s worth keeping something I would like other opinions on the particular item. Almost reached my goal. Thanks for the great posts!
unclutterer.com as a nice forum and also a thing a day challenge were people commit to getting rid of one thing a day.
Happy 1st Blog Birthday to Miss Minimalist!! And congratulations on such an accomplishment and with a great loyal following too!
Is it any wonder why so many folks stop by to say hi and read up on one of their favorite blogs? Your writing is heartfelt, simple, peaceful, and joyful. It is simply a delight to read your writing, no matter what the topic is.
Thanks for all you do here, Francine, and I wish you much continued success in your minimalist journey!
Your friend,
Nina
Happy Birthday! I enjoy reading Miss Minimalist very much and I hope your second year is even better than the first. :)
I love all of your posts! I would like to hear more about the minimalist wardrobe. It’s been so hard for me to get my head around this…I run, play basketball, work in a professional office, lounge around the house, travel, ski, work in the yard,etc and each one of these things require their own attire. Anyway, happy 1st blog birthday!
I’m fairly new (last week, I think) to following your blog, and glad I’m able to send you Congratulations! on such a successful blog in just one year.
I Love the RLM, hearing how they have accomplished the decluttering in their lives. I’d love to hear from large families, as the more ppl involved in the process it seems the more stuff that’s held on to. I have 7 dc still at home (2 adult dc also) and would like to hear how other big families minimalize what they keep.
Happy Birthday!
Yours is one of my most cherished and favorite blogs. I think it’s because of your very obvious caring that shines through.
I love RLM and all of your posts. Everyone’s suggestions here are great. My suggestion would be I’d like to hear about those who are minimalist but still have one or two or a few collections or collectibles that they keep and how they make that balance. My best friend and I were talking about that the other day.
Happy 1st Birthday to your awesome blog! Love your writing. You are such an inspiration. I’ve got your books as well and refer to them often. Keep on blogging!!
Francine,
I hope at some point you could write about the myths and negative misconceptions regarding minimalism. (i.e. that we are cold, boring people,have no interets, etc :)
And happy 1st Birthday :)
Happy Birthday and congratulations! I really enjoy all of your posts — your own experiences, those of others. I continue to need inspiration on parting with paper, photographs (yes, I’ve digitized most of them but there are so many I just can’t part with)– sentimental items, mainly. Great job, great community, looking forward to sharing the year ahead
Wow! That’s an amazing accomplishment for one year. You should really be proud – you deserve it!
I think everyone keeps coming back to your site for the same reason I do – you give such great advice! You also make Minimalism seem much more relatable and lead by example. You’re a great role model.
Congratulations again, and I hope this success means you will continue to work on what has become my favorite blog. Looking forward to your future books as well!
Congrats and thanks for the inspiration. To many more minimalist years. : )
Happy Birthday!
Love your blog! I first “met” you on the simple living forums, and am currently reading your latest book. Your blog helps me stay inspired and on track.
Congratulations, Francine! I love your blog and I think the mix of practical tips and decluttering advice is just perfect.
Happy birthday! I’ve only just discovered your blog, and didn’t even know I was a minimalist until I started to feel like I had somehow unconsciously ghostwritten every single one of your posts =) Great job. I think we could all stand to consume less and live more.
Happy BLOG-DAY Francine!
I say more TRAVELING LIGHT posts and PEEK INTO FRANCINE’s WORLD (pics included) are two things I absolutely love reading in your blog. I love ’em so much that your blog is the only one I reread! Honestly!
It’s inspired me so much that it gave me the courage to start my own blog http://www.chicagominimalist.com you are truly an inspiration in the world!
Congratulations!!!!!!
Dear Miss Minimalist,
I too enjoy the mix of all the facets of your blog. Because I’m on the decluttering journey (still!) I thoroughly enjoy the posts about your experiences. Keep it up! I’ll keep on reading.
What a great achievement Miss Minimalist – you wouldn’t believe the changes around here since I started reading your blog. One change we are looking forward to is 4 carry on bags for the four of us for our trip next year. A two week trip including the need for fancy clothes and beach clothes. Can’t wait to travel light – you have really been an inspiration.
Like Jenny above, the “travelling light” and “peek into my world” are my favourites. I’m not that interested in other people’s efforts for some reason – I think I need to see your REAL minimalism to keep us going.
Thanks for all the excellent writing ::))
Happy Blogiversary!
Congratulations on a successful first year… here is to many more :) I would love to read more about travel, RLMs and decluttering. Always finding something great here!
Happy Blog Birthday, Francine :) Thanks for writing such a great blog and a great book, and may you write a great many more!
Hey Francine — congrats on a year of blogging.
For the questions you asked, I really would like to see you continue switching up between your own journey and advice. I also think the use of pictures is very helpful in giving different ideas that might be hard to translate strictly with words.
Keep up the great work and I’m glad for you that so many people enjoy reading your blog. I am one of them so thank you!
It’s been a joy to read your blog over the last year. In response to your question, I believe it all depends on my mood – some days I enjoy reading your decluttering breakdowns (specifically the room-by-room content) and other days it’s nice to read your philosophy. Either way, thank you for writing and I look forward to reading. Take care.
i love every single thing about your blog! congrats!
Congratulations on your first year. This proves your persistence and dedication to your craft. I hope you’ll continue bringing inspiration to those who aspire to have more joy with less. :-)
Happy Birthday to the blog I have grown to love!!
Thank you for your wise words, for your support and your hints on how to live a life with less stuff.
What an achievement!
Sara xx
Happy birthday or anniversary or heck, celebrate BOTH! You deserve it!!!
A year already, my how time flies. I have been following you for a good while now and I am so happy that you are still carrying on and your readers are loving you!
My own blog is pushing 4 months now but someone forgot to tell me how time-consuming they can be (or maybe it was just me- I simplified my physical surroundings but then went a little crazy on the blog.) Oh well – at least at the end of the day I can just shut the screen off and walk away…
Keep up the good work as we are looking forward to much more from you!
A happy, happy Miss Minimalist birthday, Francine! You have no idea how much I have enjoyed your blog this past year and how much I have gotten out of reading your posts and the comments. I especially love the Real Life Minimalists. These folks have all been an inspiration and invaluable help to me in my own minimalist journey which has been slow but steady. I have started following several of these minimalists on their own blog sites. I tend to favor practical and useful hands on posts rather than philosophical thoughts, but I have enjoyed the variety of your posts. Here’s looking forward to another minimalist year!
Hi you! I think you are posting my article for tomorrow’s minimalist profile….if possible, can you use this web address (http://augustlake.wordpress.com) rather than the one I had listed on here before? If it’s too late, no worries…looking forward to seeing my article and am so enjoying your site. Happy Birthday! Alisa Moore
Hi Francine,
Congrats on your first anniversary! You know that I simply adore what you do so I’ll be minimalist in my praise of you! Ideas on future content? I think we need to see you convert your philosophy to video for YouTube! And then onto terrestial TV!
Here’s to many more years of success!
Jens