Growing up in a generous family there were gifts for every holiday. More was always more! I carried this mindset into college where I met my husband Steve. After graduation, we got married and moved to Washington DC. We were checking off all the boxes: fast-paced careers, new cars, travel and buying a house. All part of the American Dream right? Or so we thought for many years. The Famous Clutter Comment I’ll never forget Steve's comment as we were packing to move into our ‘starter’ home. The Clutter Comment as I've called it for over 20 years. It would eventually be the catalyst for my desire to embrace a simpler lifestyle with less. We owned a large display of 20+ picture frames that showcased our life together. Photographs of family, friends, pets, and travel were neatly arranged (or so I thought) on top of our piano covering nearly every square inch. Steve commented, “It looks so cluttered.” I Don't Have …
6 Easy Tips To Host a Simple 4th of July Picnic
July 4th is right around the corner. Maybe you're planning a picnic to celebrate. I hope so! Because I have some suggestions for hosting a simple picnic that won't leave you scrambling to do all the things and never enjoying the event. Shop Early Buy beverages and paper products in advance. I prefer to handle this labor-intensive shopping trip early. Drinks are heavy! Last-minute errands will arise for forgotten items. So deal with the non-perishables early and save time. During my weekly shopping trip, I shop for my meal plan and the picnic. I stock up on items like onions, garlic, butter, olive oil, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. I also buy the hot dogs and ground beef and store them in the freezer until picnic day. Let Guests Help Everyone asks this question, "What Can I Bring?" This time, be ready with an answer and make the party fun for you and your guests. Plan the menu, make a list, and delegate items to your guests when they ask. Be specific and make it easy for …
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Why You Need to Take a Minimalist Vacation
Two of my favorite things are minimalism and travel. So naturally, I enjoy a minimalist vacation. In early 2020, I spent 5 glorious days in the sun and sand. Nothing could have been better for my health and wellness. In hindsight, we were lucky to sneak this trip in before the world fell apart. There's something about a view of the ocean. It was a couples-only trip to Jamaica. My husband and I were so excited because we had not been back to the island since our honeymoon. A lot has changed in 20+ years. Not just on the island, but for us too. We are indeed older, wiser, and living more simply, even on vacation. Old-Amy On Vacation The Old Amy had some pretty bad vacation habits. She tried to stay connected to work, family, and friends. She was tethered to all of it as if she never left. Old Amy packed a large suitcase and carried on a work laptop to be productive during the flight. And she even sacrificed vacation time to take conference calls and respond to emails. Her …
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7 Must-Have Items for a Successful Moving Day
It's Moving Day! You arrived at the new house. How exciting! The movers delivered all the boxes and you’re ready to start unpacking. But someone is asking for toilet paper and the kids spilled a drink and can't find the paper towels. Now they want snacks! So, instead of unpacking, you run to the store. Maybe you return to realize you need a screwdriver, step ladder, and batteries. And now you are wondering, what else have you forgotten? What if instead of digging through boxes, you had all these items at your fingertips? If this sounds like a better plan, then keep reading. 7 Must-Have Items Small Suitcase - Each family member should pretend they are packing for a weekend trip. Don't forget toiletries and medicine. Backpack/Computer Bag - Pack your laptop, tablet, chargers, and any important documents related to the house sale, purchase, or move. Paper Towels, Toilet paper, and Garbage bags Box Cutter & Small …
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How to Organize Your Pantry
I often hear that the pantry is the most disorganized spaces in your home. Am I right? Well, you can tackle it one shelf at a time! Since we simplified, I can empty and reset my pantry in 2 hours or less, including cleaning the shelves and updating labels. My pantry is a cabinet, not a walk-in space. I think that is a blessing. It might take you longer and you may need to tackle one shelf at a time. My Step-by-Step Approach for how to organize the pantry can be used over and over again until you've taken care of all the pantry food and contents. Give it a try this week! Remove everything from the cabinet or shelf Clean canisters, shelves, and containers Declutter expired items and poor quality ingredients Group items by category Vinegar/Oil Flour/Sugar Canned goods Snacks Pasta and Rice Repurpose extra food storage containers for organization Remove items from multi-pack plastic or trim boxes for easy access Granola bars …
Photo Organizing with Scan My Photos
Perhaps you have a pile that looks like this? Fear not, you can turn this into organized digital photo albums to share with friends and family using a service called Scan My Photos. Several years ago, I owned 12+ photo boxes. After I sorted and purged lots of bad photos, only the very best went to a few archival quality albums. Thousands of pictures were thrown away....yes, in the trash. Even baby pictures and wedding photos! Once upon a time, I did traditional paper scrapbooking. I said goodbye to that hobby and hello to family travel where I learned to take fewer photos. You only need a few tell the story. Digitize and Share Digitizing my paper photos allows me to share them with friends and family. Recently, I scanned 200+ family photos. Afterward, I posted them to Facebook and the entire family commented on our favorite memories and which cousins resembled the aunts and uncles. Something that can't be done with photo albums or …