3 Benefits of a Minimalist Wardrobe, and How to Get One

I found the secret to massively simplifying my wardrobe I was so done with wardrobe stress. You know – you stare at your closet every time you have to get dressed and you get overwhelmed because nothing seems to go with anything else, and nothing looks good on you. I always thought I was a careful shopper, but I finally realized that I wasn’t being very smart about it. I’d buy stuff on sale, or buy something because I thought it was cute, but I never actually sat down and created a plan. That all stopped last year when I purged practically everything I own, including the clothes in my closet. No more stress getting dressed! Before I tell you how I did it, here are the benefits of a minimalist wardrobe:  More free time. With less time shopping and deciding what to wear each day (since there’s less to […]

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Why Melody Lopez and Her Husband Opted for Peace of Mind Over a Big House

When Melody Lopez and her husband were newly married, they opted for peace of mind over a big house. 19 years later, they’re glad they did it. “At the time when everybody was building huge houses, we opted for a small one,” she says. “We had just read a Wall Street Journal article about living simply, and the article mentioned Janet’s book, The Simple Living Guide. That article was huge for us. I loved the article and then bought the book and took the advice. That’s what gave us permission to make better choices than to follow what everyone else was doing. If we hadn’t read that article, my husband and I would have bought as much house as the bank said we could afford, and we wouldn’t own our house outright today. We got a 15 year mortgage and paid it off.  “We’ve been blessed ever since. “My husband […]

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How I Found Freedom from Clutter

I am finished with the packrat thing! Actually, I had no choice because for one reason or another, ever since moving into my tiny 300 square foot apartment during college, I have always lived in smaller spaces and had to learn to live with less.   My apartment was so small that I had to wash my standard-size pan at an angle so it would fit into the sink! My husband and I have moved up since then, but our space is still pretty small and that’s OK. We’ve learned a lot of tricks about living with less, and we waste no time getting rid of what we don’t need. I’m happy to say that we both love the feeling of freedom that we get by not being burdened with a lot of clutter and stuff. Here are our easiest tricks: Junk mail goes straight to the recycle bin. We don’t […]

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A Simpler (More Fun) Method for How to Host a Holiday Party

What is it about holiday parties? Everybody goes into major stress trying to pull together the perfect holiday dinner or party. Me, too. But I vowed this year to simplify my holiday gatherings so that I could enjoy them as much as my guests do. No doubt but you’re like me – over the years, we’ve  hosted our fair share of dinner parties, cocktail soirees, and potlucks – both with family and friends. So this year, I asked myself what is it about holiday parties that causes way more stress then the usual party? I think it’s all about expectations from decorations to special-occasion, traditional food dishes. Not only that, but everyone has emotional expectations that somehow holiday gatherings are supposed to be perfect. So this year I decided my holiday gatherings are going to be fun. In fact, I hosted a holiday party over the weekend, and tried some […]

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