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Minimalist Travel: What’s in My Suitcase

In response to my Traveling Light post last week, I received several requests that I list the contents of my carry-on. I’m happy to oblige, as I think we’d all be happier travelers with much less stuff. :-)

Furthermore, my minimalist packing system is no secret—in fact, there’s a certain security official at London Heathrow who could have written this post for me, given the 20 minutes he spent unpacking and inspecting the entire contents while I was trying to make a connecting flight to Venice. (Note: if you don’t want to treat airport security, and dozens of strangers, to an intimate look inside your perfectly packed bag, don’t bring a spork on an international flight.)

The list below covers what I pack for a trip of about 10-14 days (the typical length of my overseas travel).… {Read more}

The Minimalist Wardrobe: Choose a Base Color

Once upon a time, the clothes in my closet ran the gamut of colors—I had warm hues, cool hues, neutrals, pastels, jewel tones, etc. What’s more, I had a variety of accessories to “match” this rainbow of apparel.

No more. In my quest for a minimalist closet, I found the secret to a well-edited wardrobe: choosing a base color.

Ideally, your base color should be a neutral like black, brown, navy, or khaki. I chose black—mainly because it’s flattering on me, travels well, and hides stains (if I splash something on myself at lunch, I can still make it through the day without looking a mess!).… {Read more}

The Minimalist Mailbox

The key to being a minimalist is controlling the stuff that flows into your life. In most cases, this power lies in your hands: you can refrain from shopping, refuse freebies, and ask friends and family to stop giving you gifts.

You can, in effect, shut the door on stuff.

The problem: in that door lies a mail slot. And through that slot will pour all kinds of useless, unwanted, and uninvited clutter, almost every single day.

Short of boarding it up, here’s what you can do to limit the postal deluge:

1. Put a freeze on your credit report, or sign up with optoutprescreen.com.… {Read more}

Traveling Light

Sometime in my twenties I was bitten by the travel bug—I’m not sure exactly when or where it happened, but I realized that being in airports, train stations, hotels, and unfamiliar cities made me extraordinarily happy.

Interestingly, this passion developed during what I’d call an “accumulation phase” in my life. After graduating from college, my now-husband and I went through the typical process of “setting up house.” In fact, decorating our apartment became a creative outlet for us. Since we had little money, we scoured antique shops and flea markets for hidden treasures—and hauled a good deal of “junque” back to our abode.… {Read more}

Born Minimalist?

The A&E show “Hoarders” has prompted many a debate over whether the inclination to hoard is something people are born with, or something they learn.

I’ve often wondered the same about minimalism—and mainly because it’s been part of my psyche for as long as I can remember.

I’ve been told that in my early years, I found it upsetting to have toys, clothes, and other things scattered around me. Apparently, nothing made me happier than putting things “away.” My parents assumed they had an extraordinarily tidy toddler. Looking back, however, I’m not sure it’s neatness that motivated me (I had little interest in dusting or vacuuming), but rather an innate aversion to the distraction of too much stuff.… {Read more}

Minimalist Living: One In, One Out

One in, one out: it’s a simple rule that works wonders in keeping clutter under control.

When trying to lead a minimalist lifestyle, it’s important to monitor the “stuff level” in your home. Imagine it as a bucket full of water. Your decluttering efforts are a hole in the bottom…drip…drip…drip…as you slowly rid your household of unwanted things. But if you continue to pour water in the top, it’ll never empty—and may, in fact, overflow!

To keep your stuff level from rising, live by the following rule: every time a new item comes into your home, a similar item must leave.… {Read more}

Ditch the Prints – Digital Photos are More Fun!

To be honest, I’ve never really enjoyed spending hours looking through someone else’s family photo albums—and I get the feeling I’m not the only one! On the other hand, receiving a snapshot by email always makes me smile. :-)

I stopped printing digital photos many years ago, and I recently paid a service to scan my shoeboxes of old pictures. Not only has this eliminated a lot of clutter from my life, but I actually look at my photos much more often. I can access them more easily, and more quickly, now that they’re on my laptop. If on a whim I want to view pics of my trip to Paris, the office Christmas party, or even my high school prom, they’re right there at my fingertips; if I had to dig through a closet or shoebox to find them, I likely wouldn’t bother.… {Read more}

How to Create a Minimalist Bathroom

How wonderful it would be to have a bathroom with simple lines, gleaming white surfaces, not a toiletry in sight…ahh…

Seem out of reach? Don’t despair! You can achieve a similar “clean and serene” look in your own home—even if designer Italian fixtures aren’t in the budget.

Just follow these ten tips for creating a minimalist bathroom, and you’ll have a space that soothes your soul while you brush your teeth.

The basics:

1. Empty all the (moveable) contents out of the bathroom. Yes, really. You’ll be surprised how many things you’ll find that don’t really need to be there: that moisturizer that made you break out, the hotel samples you brought home from your last vacation, the curling iron you haven’t used in a decade.… {Read more}

One-A-Day Keeps the Clutter Away

I don’t always have the time (or inclination) to set aside a few hours for decluttering. At the same time, I like to feel that I’m making progress in ridding my home of useless things.

My solution: the One-A-Day Declutter. It’s super-easy, super-fast, and most importantly, keeps me going in the right direction.

Every day, I commit to purging ONE item from my house. It can be anything—a worn-out pair of socks, a book I’ll never read again, a gift I could live without, a shirt that doesn’t fit, an old magazine article, etc. It doesn’t take much effort, and at the end of the year, my home is at least 365 items lighter.… {Read more}

Less Stuff = More Joy

I’m starting this blog to explore the joys and challenges of a minimalist lifestyle. I truly believe that having less stuff can lead to a happier life, and would like to discover that elusive point of “just enough.” Along the way, I hope to create a site where fellow aspiring minimalists can share their ideas and experiences, setbacks and success stories.

You may be thinking, “Oh, I could never be a minimalist,” “I have pets,” “I have kids,” “I have a closet full of shoes,” “My desk is buried in paperwork…” That’s okay!

The term “minimalism” can be intimidating; all too often, it conveys a sober, serious, sterile feel.… {Read more}