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Minimalist Holiday Decor

One thing I’ve never liked about the holiday season is the proliferation of store-bought décor. Plastic trees, mass-manufactured ornaments, and objects emblazoned with Santas, elves, and reindeer are not only a drain on our planet’s resources; they’re also extra things that must be stored, unused, for eleven months of the year.

I’m certainly not against decorating for the holidays; I simply think we can do it in a lighter, more elegant, and more environmentally-friendly way. Here’s some ideas:

Decorate with nature. Spread evergreen branches across your mantle, or spruce up your table with sprigs of holly. Gather pine cones into a bowl, or place a few poinsettias around your home.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Sancho

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.

It’s my pleasure this week to introduce you to Sancho—who, after an experiment in minimalist living this past summer, was inspired to continue paring down his possessions and living with less. Check out his blog to learn more!

Sancho writes:

I’ve had the chance to live minimally this summer. I moved to Mountain View for three months and decided to bring and buy only what I really needed. I ended up bringing 66 things and acquiring a few more.… {Read more}

Minimalist Holiday: The Gift of Time

There’s one gift that’s more valuable than anything bought in a shop; more appreciated by its recipient than anything wrapped in pretty paper; and sure to be remembered for years to come. The best part: giving it won’t require a trip to the store, harm the environment, violate workers’ rights, contribute to the commercialization of our holidays, or clutter the recipient’s home.

What is this fabulous gift? Your time.

This holiday, offer your presence—instead of presents—to friends and family. You can even make it formal by giving the recipient a handmade certificate for specific services, such as the following:

* Provide a free night of babysitting for a friend’s kids

* Help an elderly relative with household chores or repairs

* Spend an afternoon (chatting, having coffee, or walking through the park) with someone special

* Teach someone something you know—like how to cook, do yoga, or speak a foreign language

* Offer your expertise with a task, be it fixing someone’s computer, doing their taxes, or hemming a garment

* Take a niece or nephew on a cultural excursion, such as a trip to a local museum

* Help someone declutter their closet, basement, attic, or garage

* Cook someone a delicious meal, like breakfast-in-bed, an elegant brunch, or a special dinner

* Help with a home improvement project, like painting, tiling, or planting a garden

* Offer to run errands for someone who has trouble getting around

* Take a day off from work, to spend exclusively with your spouse or child (let them pick the day’s activities)

* Offer your creativity—help someone design a web page, redecorate their living room, or put together a scrapbook or slideshow of their favorite photos

If your cup of generosity runneth over, go a step beyond and offer your time to someone you don’t know—by participating in a volunteer project.… {Read more}

One Less Gift – A Holiday Gift Exemption Certificate

Tired of holiday consumerism?

Give a “One Less Gift” Certificate to someone special.

Instead of exchanging presents, you’ll both have one less gift to worry about, saving time, money, and the planet’s resources.

Click here for the full-size certificate in PDF format: print it off, or email it to friends and family!

Consider these less-material ways to celebrate the holiday with your loved ones:

1. Spend time together. Schedule a lunch, walk, or coffee together. Plan it around a holiday activity—like strolling through town to admire the shop windows and Christmas lights—for a particularly festive atmosphere.

2. Make charitable donations. The money we spend buying each other gadgets, knickknacks, and tchotchkes can do a world of good for those less fortunate.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Amber

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 excited to share Amber’s story with you. She’s embracing a minimalist lifestyle to realize her dream: living out of a backpack and traveling around the world. Surf on over to her blog to follow her adventures.

Amber writes:

In 2007, fresh out of college I moved to Tokyo with a suitcase and carry-on. I didn’t have much accumulated and what I did have I sent back to Seattle for Storage.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Carol from Brazil

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 a wonderful contribution from Carol from Brazil. She’s dreaming of a tiny house, and enthusiastically embracing new challenges in her minimalist journey. Very inspiring!

Carol writes:

The first seed of minimalism was planted in me in 2008 when I came across an article about Jay Shafer’s tiny houses. At that moment, I was exhausted juggling two kids, work, home, among other things. I suffered with this fixed idea that I could only be satisfied if I had nothing pending at all.… {Read more}

Twenty Questions to Clear Your Clutter

In your quest to declutter, sometimes a good interrogation is in order. If you caught a trespasser on your property, you’d likely question their presence—why not do the same for your stuff? That way, you can determine whether it truly belongs in your household, or needs to be escorted off the premises.

To that end, here are twenty questions to ask of your clutter:

1. What are you? Let’s face it—if you have to ask, the item under scrutiny should already be halfway out the door. It might sound like a ridiculous question, but I’d wager that most of us have plenty of unidentifiable bits and bobs in our junk drawers and garages.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Alex Gonzo

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 we hear from Alex Gonzo, a 21-year-old college student majoring in philosophy. He’s also a fellow minimalist and runs a witty humor blog when he’s not studying.

Alex writes:

My interest in minimalism was an accident. Trust me, I hadn’t the slightest clue what downsizing was, because my friends always invited me to go out and buy things with them. We’d go to the mall and buy hats, shoes, ties, DVDs, and a bunch of other junk.… {Read more}

Wanting to Want

In my younger, more acquisitive years, I had a problem with “wanting to want.”

I subscribed to several magazines, and would page through them for ideas on new clothes to wear, new beauty treatments to try, and new things to decorate my home.

I received a mountain of catalogs each month, and would scour them for products I never knew I needed.

I would stop by the mall on my lunch hour and browse the racks, waiting for something to catch my eye.

The cycle went something like this: a particular gadget/outfit/book/decorative item/piece of jewelry would capture my imagination; I’d spend a few days or weeks wanting it; I’d acquire it; and then I’d look for something else to want.… {Read more}

Historical Minimalist: Saint Francis of Assisi

When I was a young girl, I attended Catholic elementary school (yes, complete with plaid uniform, oxford shoes, and nuns). I remember in first grade, one of the first orders of business was assigning each of us students a patron saint. The selection was based entirely on our first names, and would stay with us as we progressed through each grade; our responsibility was to learn more about our saint through various projects, and share their life story with the class.

I was assigned St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182 – October 3, 1226). After my 6-year-old self got over the initial irritation of not getting a “girl saint,” I realized how lucky I was.… {Read more}