Downsizing Your Life

Anyone who has downsized her home knows that the experience it is an emotional roller coaster. The process of getting rid of our possessions goes something like this. First we get rid of the junk that has accumulated in our homes. This includes…

Downsizing is on the minds of many baby boomers right now, but with that comes the concern that if you downsize your home, you might also be downgrading your life and your lifestyle. After all, you’ve become accustomed to more space…

“I don’t need it. I don’t want it. I’m not gonna buy it.” Say it three times and walk away. Say it and feel fabulous. You’re a part of a new anti-consumerism movement that will help you feel like a millionaire. The anti-consumerism movement…

I’ve always been somewhat of a minimalist myself, so my own experiences probably aren’t a good representation of the whole. After all, me being more comfortable and less agitated when my living space is small and devoid of clutter…

I had just finished a book reading at a local bookstore, and the first question came from a man who was sitting toward the back of the room. He shared that he had begun a “small downsizing,” and that the first question he got from a neighbor was…

Have you ever gone to an estate sale? As you walk through the home of the previous owner, what thoughts are in your head? What are you feeling? I have found myself having difficulty not feeling like an intruder or feeling guilty or disrespectful…

I love IKEA. I have loved it since I first heard the store name on an old episode of Trading Spaces on the TLC channel. When I say I love it though, I am not talking about the meatballs in the cafeteria or the cute, little, blue, shopping bags…

A couple months back, I had an enlightening conversation with Melanie, a 63-year-old in central California who had decided to give homesharing a try. Melanie had an interesting account of her path to homesharing. She explained to me that she’d been working…

We are entering a gradual post-pandemic period. Over the past year and two months, there are a number of subtractions I have made that have been positive. Going forward, I would like to hold on to the positive subtractions that came about…

Moving is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most stressful things in life. In the past seven years, we have moved three times. That’s a lot of hours x weeks and months devoted to planning, packing and pining over personal wares that found…