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 update from Fawn, who was first featured as a Real Life Minimalist in September 2010. Her minimalist lifestyle, as a single mom of four, is truly inspirational—please visit her blog to learn more!
Fawn writes:
I have had minimalist leanings since I was a child. I used to make up games where I had to leave my home and stuff and pack only what I could take on my (imaginary) horse for a month on the range. At the age of 11, I was designing living spaces to fit in a horse trailer. But, like so many, I got distracted by pretty, shiny things in the media and the idea that a woman needed different styled shoes for different outfits. Then I got married and people gave us tons of stuff to start out our new life. Except our new life was very transitory. My husband was a journalist and as he advanced his career and traded up newspapers, we moved from small town to bigger town from weeklies to dailies. He would get a new job, and it was my task to pack up the home and move it to the new place. We moved nine times in three years. The silver chaffing dish moved with us the first time, but by the end of those three years, I had given away everything that was not essential to our lives.
Fast forward a couple decades (and several more moves) and I found myself at the age of forty living in a two-bedroom apartment with my four children, ages 16 years, 5, 4 and 1 years. We each had a week’s worth of clothing, and shared a couch and a few pots and pans. The sixteen year old had all his stuff in a room to himself and me and the little ones slept on a futon on the floor. I had left all our stuff on the farm when we moved away. It was so freeing!
I decided to not fill up our new life with clutter and began to curate heavily what I allowed into our home. I started to count our possessions each year, with the goal of only having 100 or fewer personal possessions. This year, my personal count is 85 things. There are other objects that I share with the kids. You can read about our happy minimalist life at www.singlemomenough.wordpress.com.
Fawn’s home
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
One of my favorites and continued inspiration!!!
You indeed are an inspiration. One’s home can be comfortable and lovely while remaining uncluttered, airy and open. We have a move coming up and I already am reevaluating much of what I packed up. I am so happy for you and that your children are growing up without consumerism being pounded into them. Enjoy your sweet life and beautiful family.
Wow, Fawn ~
I looked at the picture of your living room and immediately felt a sense of warmth, tranquility and home. Who would imagine that you could achieve that with five people living in one small space? It’s funny, but I thought to myself “I would actually enjoy cleaning that room!”
We have far too much stuff. My Mr. sold his 1,400 sq ft home a couple of years ago and gave up his lease on a 1,600 sq ft shop last year. We’ve sold a TON of stuff and shoe-horned the remainder into the 1,123 sq ft home we now own together.
I love being together–he’s the man of my dreams; however, I HATE cleaning my home because we have far too much stuff. I can’t blame it all on him because I already had the house fully furnished with my stuff when he moved in. We all love “our” stuff so it’s hard to set a good example and start selling off everything you paid good money to get. But it goes both ways!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I can read between the lines to see a deeper story there…one that must have had some sorrow and pain…whatever it was, I hope you are healing and feeling that joy you sometimes get when watching the sun rise or seeing a hummingbird at a flower.
Here’s to a beautiful and clutter-free 2014 ~
Ree
Six, with the cat… :-)
As a dyed-in-the-wool minimalist, I thoroughly enjoyed this post. I resonate with your wise observation: “I decided to not fill up our new life with clutter and began to curate heavily what I allowed into our home.”
I recently posted “More(+) Equals(=) Less(-): http://wp.me/pP1C5-1eR
85 possessions! What a feat. Very Impressive and inspiring Fawn!
Whenever I need a breath of fresh air, I revisit Fawn’s blog and her “100 things” postings. :-)
When I was reading your post I pictured your home as very sterile, but the picture shows a warm, inviting and harmonious space. Thanks for sharing the inspiration!
Fawn I remember you from the Simple Living Forum message boards way back when! You are always an inspiration!
Hi Fawn, your minimal life is very appealing! Just to get off the topic though – looking at your blog (which I haven’t read all the way through) you talk about your teenage children – where have your youngest three come from? (if that’s not too personal)
Cheers – Susan
Really enjoyed this.
Thanks,
Donna
PS. Loved the blog too.
Fawn, what a great example you are to your childen — love and unity is far more important than anything we could own. I look forward to reading your blog.
That living room looks so serene and relaxing. As a mom of three, I can relate to paring down to a week’s worth of clothing each and we keep toys to a minimum. It sell boils down to what you love and what is functional. I always thought when kids throw their clothes all over the floor, they have too much. My one daughter takes pride in caring for her pared down wardrobe.
You’re absolutely right: it is freeing. I’m going to make a cup of tea and read your blog. Thank you for your story.
Fawn, what you have achieved is my goal. (I’m making progress.) I remember your posts on the Simple Living Forums also.
I like your decorating plan. I like my condo even though it’s a little big for just the 2 of us it has a great kitchen. We lived in a small house for many years and the kitchen was just too small for a family of 5. We always had to eat in the dining room.
Finding more to give away. We still have a lot of china sets we don’t use. I donated a lot of old mismatched china cups and plates to the local historical society for their teas. I have a lot of silver plate to sell. And I am thinning out my earring collection.
I keep seeing huge single family homes and I wonder who is buying them. They must cost a fortune to heat and cool. Then I see “suites” of furniture advertised and again, I wonder who is buying all that stuff.
We have been to some huge homes lately. The couples’ children are grown up and out of the house and yet there is plenty of stuff. We seem to have the smallest place of everyone we know. And the smallest closets.