Simplifying Problem Stuff
I’m typically pretty down to earth with the way I decorate, but I have noticed over the years that there are different style diva’s living inside me, all with their own idea of what constitutes perfection. It’s a recipe for ending up with an eclectic decorating scheme for sure, especially [...]
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What Does Simple Really Mean?
Patrick and I grew up with different backgrounds. He grew up playing on hundreds of acres of West Virginia mountains and I grew up (largely) in a landscaped middle class suburbia. One of the big differences we encountered was in regards to pets. I didn’t have a lot of pets [...]
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Nickels and Dimes and National Bank Transfer Day
“What man but a philosopher would not be ashamed to see his furniture packed in a cart and going up country exposed to the light of heaven and the eyes of men… It is the same as if all these traps were buckled to a man’s belt, and he could [...]
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That’s a Wrap: One Year of Blogging
“If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” -Henry David Thoreau *** THE SHORT Minimalist Packrat is one! It’s been a wonderful year and a grand experiment in right [...]
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A Calm and Positive Approach
I was building a list with multiple resources in it, and then I ran across this. This to me, is the calm and positive approach I appreciate. After hearing this one person’s perspective on Occupy Wall Street, I realized how much more I need to tighten my belt, and also [...]
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One Personal View on the Occupation Movement
I once felt that my empathy would cripple me. I felt too much of what was happening around me. It was as though something inside of me had opened up too wide for the world around me. With my child’s eyes I couldn’t understand the things I saw, and why we [...]
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Occupy Daytona Florida: Raise Your Voice
“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” -Mohandas Gandhi “There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.” -Dalai Lama “Any intelligent fool [...]
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99% and The Lost Art of Being Gentle With Yourself
*Image courtesy of The Truths of Life. In our society there’s a certain push to keep going. If you have a headache and it’s a workday, you take an aspirin and keep on going. If you’re a woman and you have your period, you pretend there are no cramps and [...]
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Ladder Cats and Living With Roommates
Today it has rained. It has rained so much the mothball smell is finally leaving the second hand curtains I bought, the ones hanging on the line. It has rained so much that pinecones have loosened from the pine tree hovering over our tiny house, and pelted the cones down [...]
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How to Be a Good Minimalist
1) Toss Your Excess: Minimalism is a lot more than getting rid of your junk, but it’s an essential first step. As you clear your attics, your basements, your closets, and your car, you’ll come to realize that something bigger is changing than just your outward physical space. You’re [...]
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Simple Weekend Ideas for Fall
This fine fall weekend we’re going to a 50 acre botanical garden in Orlando with a friend. I’m excited for the outing and I can’t wait to see what kind of pictures we get. I consider it a minimalist weekend outing. We’ll drive and use gas, pay an admission, probably [...]
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Submit Your Blog to the 2012 All-Star List of Minimalist Blogs
Hey everyone. Today’s the day that I open up submissions for the 2012 All Star List of Minimalist Blogs. Want to see your blog submitted? Head on over to the submissions page. I’m really excited to see the list grow and expand from this year’s list. 2011 was the first [...]
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Pathways in Your Home
I used to block pathways in my home. It wasn’t a consciously decided intention, it was an accidental reoccurrence. A continuous dropping of loads of crap right inside my front door, by the entrance to the living room, at the base of the stairs, on the stairs…. ahem, at the [...]
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A Minimalist Take on Collections: Incense Edition
Incense used to be a small part of my life. I loved it, but if I’d made a list of the top ten most important things in my life incense wouldn’t have made the list. Despite incense being a relatively small component of my world, I had a robust and [...]
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Take It Back
Yesterday I was listening to some Pink Floyd tunes and came across an old favorite called, “Take It Back”. I’d heard this song many times before but as I listened yesterday, I picked up a different message. The song is written as though to a woman, but the woman to [...]
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