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Joy of One

Minimalist Wardrobe: Leggings

For a few years now, I’ve been inching closer and closer towards a uniform. I’ve experimented with styles, and pondered the versatility of various tops, bottoms, dresses, etc. I’ve pared down to One Shoe, One Coat, and One Handbag.

Well, as of late, I’ve taken another leap forward in this initiative—I believe I am down to One Bottom. To be honest, this happened by accident; one of the unintended consequences of my Eating Less experiment is that most of my clothes no longer fit. And just when I nailed down a great capsule wardrobe—argh!

Pants (trousers for my UK readers) have been a particular problem.… {Read more}

The Joy of One: Handbag

Okay, everyone…are we ready to talk about One Handbag? This should be a good one.

I don’t know if I’ve ever told you before, but I’m a “bag person”—not a designer bag or novelty bag person, but a utilitarian one. I get excited about zippered compartments and adjustable straps and water bottle holders (be still, my heart!).

And to be clear, I’m not a bag person who wants a different carryall for every occasion or day of the week. I’m far too lazy for that. Not only can’t I be bothered to make such a decision in the morning, there’s no way I’m going to shuffle the contents around from one bag to another.… {Read more}

The Joy of One: Bath and Beauty

For the latest installment in my Joy of One series, I’d like to talk about cosmetics, bath items, personal care products, and the like. Though disposable in nature, we often don’t dispose of them—opting to buy a new color or scent or formulation before we’ve used up our old ones. Oftentimes we get them for free from cosmetic counters and hotels (those tiny toiletries are super-cute and hard to resist). They accumulate in our drawers and cabinets, and on our countertops and shelves, and can lead to a real clutter problem. So even though we may not consider them “possessions,” they’re certainly worth discussion.… {Read more}

The Joy of One: Pan

My husband and I have had a pretty nomadic life together, and since we were always on the move, we never invested in quality cookware. Pots and pans are heavy and awkward to transport, so we would usually pick them up randomly as needed, then donate the lot before moving on and starting over again.

Well, we’re hoping to stay in our current location for the long haul, so when it comes to kitchenware, it’s time for a change in strategy. And that’s part of the motivation behind my One series: I’m ready to choose quality, versatile items that’ll last forever, instead of a mishmash of “temporary” things that sort of get the job done.… {Read more}

The Joy of One: Shoe

I feel a little guilty that last week’s One Coat challenge was so easy. It was a good warm up, though, and I hope it inspired some of you that yes, it can be done! We often discover on our minimalist journey that what might seem daunting or pointless at first can actually be quite doable and gratifying.

But still—a bit of a struggle makes for a more interesting blog post, doesn’t it?

Well, I have that struggle for you today, as I tackle what might be the most difficult item to reduce to One: shoes.

Now, I’m no Carrie Bradshaw when it comes to footwear; beyond looking presentable and feeling comfortable, I have little interest in what’s on my feet.… {Read more}

The Joy of One: Coat

When I moved from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest, I took the opportunity to rethink my outerwear. I no longer needed my heavy winter coat (goodbye snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures!), but I did need something more waterproof (hello rain!).

I wanted just One Coat that would work for fall, winter, and spring, and settled on a mid-weight raincoat with a removable quilted liner. I opted for one with a hood, to eliminate the need for a hat (and hopefully, an umbrella—optimistic, I know, but so far, so good).

As far as color goes, I normally default to black for outerwear.… {Read more}

The Joy of One

I have long been enamored with the concept of One.

How lovely would it be to have One coat you could wear all year? One pair of shoes that worked with every outfit? One bag that filled all your needs? One pen, One pan, One sauce pot, One spatula, One lipstick of the perfect shade.

Ahhh…..for me, that’s minimalist heaven. It’s the culmination of all the decluttering I’ve been doing, and minsumerism I’ve been practicing, for the past decade.

One is restrained. One is elegant. One is beautiful.

I talk a lot about Limits in my book, The Joy of Less: like limiting our shirts or books or towels or plates to a certain number or certain space.… {Read more}