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Minimalist Office: Downsizing Supplies

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Back in our former house, we had a plastic bin filled with office supplies. I can’t begin to recount all the contents, but know it included more envelopes, rubber bands, paperclips, staples, pens, pencils, markers, and sticky notes than we would ever use or need.

The cache had slowly accumulated since our college days. And, as is often the case with office supplies, we were hesitant to declutter them–because we were sure we’d find a need for the neon highlighters or A-7 envelopes the day after we threw them away.

The main problem: it’s difficult to purchase most supplies in small quantities.… {Read more}

Minimalist Strategy: Don’t Organize Your Clutter

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I used to be a big fan of organizational items. Although I wasn’t much of a shopper, a trip to The Container Store or Organized Living never failed to excite me.

The idea of corralling hundreds of loose bits and bobs into sleek, perfectly-matched containers had great appeal.  I truly thought that by putting all my stuff into various bins, I could maintain a sense of order in my life.

But while the containers made my house look shelter magazine-tidy, they didn’t bring me the serenity I’d hoped for. Even though everything was arranged neatly in pretty boxes (cloth-covered, wooden, wicker, plastic, etc.), it was still there.… {Read more}

Minimalist Confession: I’m an Empty Space Junkie

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This week the New York Post ran an article about a couple that lives in the city’s smallest apartment. Their “microstudio” measures a wee 175 square feet—only 10 feet wide, and just under 15 feet long. The kitchen is equipped with a mini-fridge and hot plate, but the couple never cooks; they use their cupboards for clothes storage instead of pots and pans. [See the photo gallery of the couple’s apartment here.]

Of course, such an extreme example of minimalism made me wonder if my husband and I could do the same. My first reaction was to laugh at the thought.… {Read more}

Minimalist Wardrobe: How Many Shoes are Enough?

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Every once in awhile, I like to analyze a category of my possessions. I list what I own, and the reasons I own it. This exercise helps me gain perspective on exactly what I have—and more importantly, why I have it.

This week, I decided to take a look at my shoe wardrobe. Years ago, I determined that the best way to minimize my shoes would be to stick to a solid color. I chose black—so out went the brown loafers, the navy blue pumps, the bronze kitten heels, the silver flats, etc. (The base colors of my clothing are black and gray, so I knew black shoes would match everything.)

The grand total: six pairs of shoes, which I think seems like a lot for a minimalist.… {Read more}

Top Ten Gifts for a Minimalist

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Ask any minimalist what they want for Christmas, and I guarantee they’ll say “nothing.” However, if you’re set on buying something anyway, I’ve compiled a list of gift ideas in keeping with their lifestyle.

(If you’re the minimalist, you may want to pass this post along to friends and family!)

So here it is—the Top Ten Gifts for a Minimalist (or What to Give Someone Who Doesn’t Want Stuff):

1. Amazon Kindle. Yes, the Amazon Kindle is another gadget—but it can replace entire shelves of books! Personally, I love the information in books but hate the physical format; they take up too much space, they’re bulky to carry, and they’re heavy to ship.… {Read more}

I’m Dreaming of a Minimalist Christmas

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From the time I was young, I’ve had mixed feelings about the holidays. While I love the excitement, the festivity, and the gatherings with family and friends, I’ve always dreaded the “stuff” that seems to come along with it.

When I was a child, I couldn’t articulate just what it was that made me so uncomfortable about Christmas. I enjoyed the anticipation, and how the spirit of the season made the everyday world seem more magical (I’ve always had a thing for fairy lights.) But the day after opening my mountain of presents, I’d tuck them away as quickly as possible, unsure of how to handle the sudden barrage of new possessions.… {Read more}

Celebrate Your Minimalist Lifestyle – Thanksgiving and Buy Nothing Day

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I’d just like to wish all my American readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. I’ve always loved this holiday, because it encourages us to focus on, and be grateful for, what we have. And when we stop to think about it, most of us truly have enough.

Furthermore, it makes us stop and realize that material goods are not the source of happiness—far from it, in fact. Friends, family, love, and good health—these are the things that make our lives truly rich. We really don’t need much beyond that.

When my friends and I were in our early twenties, before we had families of our own, we all used to meet up on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.… {Read more}

What’s in a Minimalist Kitchen?

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When we sold our house and purged almost everything we had (see My Minimalist Story, Part 1: A Clean Slate), we discovered that the majority of our “stuff” came out of the kitchen. We had never realized just how many plates, pots, pans, glasses, utensils, and other cooking implements we had accumulated over the years.

After ridding ourselves of all the excess, we thoroughly enjoyed having an ultra-minimalist “kitchen” during our six weeks of transition from the US to the UK: nothing more than our sporks, titanium cups, and a tea kettle (and the occasional hotel microwave). Of course, we relied heavily upon restaurants and prepared foods from grocery stores—not exactly a long-term solution.… {Read more}

Minimalist Furniture: The Bare Essentials

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We’ve been in our flat for over two months now, and I think it’s about as “furnished” as it’s going to get. Therefore, I thought I’d devote this post to recapping what we found to be the bare essentials, furniture-wise.

We ended up with a grand total of four pieces, as follows:

1. Mattress on the floor. We haven’t found any reason to invest in a bed frame, and actually quite enjoy sleeping on the ground. Our bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling window lends itself nicely to low (or non-existent) furnishing. Furthermore, our building has radiant ceiling heat, so our floor is warmed by the flat below.… {Read more}

Minimalist Living: Questioning the Couch

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Have you ever been in a house without a couch?

I don’t think I have. I’ve thought about my friends’ houses, my relatives’ houses, and my neighbors’ houses. I’ve thought about all the places in which I’ve lived, from childhood until now. I’ve thought about the homes I’ve seen on TV, in movies, and in magazines.

From modest studios to million-dollar McMansions, from inner cities to suburbs to out-in-the-sticks, you’d be hard-pressed to find a living room without a couch.

In considering the subject, I realized that our sofa has always been the key piece of our décor. When we looked for houses or apartments, we’d wonder how the layout would accommodate it.… {Read more}