Good list of great articles.
Henry David Thoreau’s simple and elegant book Walden was one of the earliest American writings about the glories of simple living and appreciating the natural beauty around us.
Thoreau has long been an inspiration to many minimalists, but what exactly can we and should we learn from his life and writings?…
I really enjoyed this post as I would often find myself frustrated that I wasn’t following the “rules” of minimalism and am starting to realize that it is not a “one size fits all” philosophy. If you are making changes in your life to simplify - no matter how small then those are all successes.
Slim Slimmy Minimalist Wallet
I have been on the lookout for a more minimalist wallet - contrary to popular belief not all women like to carry around mini-suitcases that are sometimes called purses. I was reading a blog post awhile ago that mentioned a series of wallets called Super Slimmys. I was in need of a new wallet so I visited their website and decided on their most minimalist offering pictured above called the Slim Slimmy. The post office delivered it today and I excitedly emptied my old wallet to transfer items over to the new one. I took it on its maiden voyage this morning when we went out for breakfast and to run some errands and I already love it. It fits great in my front pocket without any bulk and the smart design keeps things secure yet still easy to find what I need. There is a section of the website called Frugal and though I realize it may be marketing, I like their minimalist philosophy. So, if you are in the market for a new minimalist style wallet I recommend checking out the Slimmys.
This is the Debt Payoff Priority Worksheet that I am personally using to erase my debt and become truly free! It is a great tool that will help you prioritize what debts you should pay off first (regardless of interest rate) using your current monthly payments and show you how you can set aside a small monthly accelerator amount that will snowball your payments and get you completely out of debt in the least amount of time. This is NOT a “get rid of your debt overnight” scam - it’s a real tool and may be the best $5 you have ever spent! I hope it helps you figure out your game plan like it did for me. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about how to use it.
Peace!
Goodwill is getting to know me
So far in the last week I have taken a large garbage bag full of clothes after cleaning out my closet to Goodwill and 3 large boxes that resulted from the “I am simplifying this effing mess of a kitchen” project.
I do agree that it is much better to do these sorts of crazy spontaneous cleaning in shared areas (like the kitchen) when your partner who has “letting go” issues is NOT around - hey what she doesn’t know I threw out won’t hurt her until of course she decides to use the damn thing after not using it for several years a couple of days after I got rid of it - damn that Murphy and his BS law!
Cups (no really - this is interesting)
Stopped at the local Starbucks for some coffee (French press ground - the best!). Don’t demonize me for going to Starbucks - it is locally owned and as far as a larger mother ship company goes - is really good (health insurance and education benefits for part timers, is moving to all fair trade coffees, etc!) Ever notice how people who work there are always annoyingly happy? It’s like - you are working - why are you so happy? Sure, it may be the caffeine but whatever it is - I want some.
Ok, so anyways I digress since this post is titled “cups” I should probably discuss cups somewhere. Well we go to the store to get coffee and there are these great cups in the “green” section that catch my eye. I take a closer look since I have a thing for mugs (weird) and they are made from 100% recycled glass (100% recycled glass is a hard process) - in Spain nonetheless (what..not China?!) AND they are not Starbucks branded in any way shape or form except for the price sticker on the bottom that says $4.95.
So now I am in a dilemma since I am trying to be a minimalist and I really-really want a couple of those damn mugs - knew I should have gone through the drive-thru! So in my head I make a deal with myself - I will buy 2 mugs but then go home and put 4 of my current mugs in the “give away” box. Good plan! I am paying for the mugs at the counter as my partner is giving me a dirty look saying things like, “I thought you were trying to be a minimalist?!” and so on - totally outing me and my apparent failure at minimalism to the smiling cashier.
She chuckles behind the counter and says “I love these mugs…just go home and get rid of like 5 mugs” (I like this girl). She then goes on to tell me that her mother has been trying to simplify lately and was on a kick where she was getting rid of 17 things every day (she wasn’t sure why the number 17). I think maybe a lot of people are getting sick of all of their stuff and are longing for the time they can free up by not having to care for so much crap. I walk out smiling (with my mugs).
running barefoot
I was reading minimalist, David Damron’s post, Minimalist Running and became very intrigued about the concept of running barefoot. I had a freak soccer injury that broke my ankle and lower leg which led to compartment syndrome which almost became an amputation (I know…crazy!). I spent a week in the hospital and had 4 surgeries, a cast for 3 months and then 3 months of rehab. This was over 2 years ago and it still bothers me to some extent daily. I used to run several times a week and miss it incredibly. Though I have found other activities to spend my time, I deeply miss the simplicity of running. I was never a marathoner or anything like that - I just liked going for runs - mostly in the early morning before the rest of the world was awake. One of my goals this year is to start running a a few times a week - even if its only short distances. The doctors say I shouldn’t run but doctors say a lot of things. The timing of David’s post was perfect as it led me to learn more about Vibram’s five-finger shoes that mimics running barefoot. I also just downloaded the book, Born to Run to my Kindle for inspiration.
