Are you joining me and thousands of others as we ‘go dark’ for the National Day of Unplugging? I’ll be without cell phone or Internet or television from sundown this evening until sundown tomorrow. My only exception for screens will be my Kindle. I’ve been saving the last third of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects
Finances
Our New Budgeting System
One of my goals for this year was to take our family budgeting to ‘the next level’. For the last year and a half we have been using a reverse budget and tracking our spending as a family with the Smart Budget app. This method was great because it gave us a good financial snapshot
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Minimalist Families Series
Families in Small Homes: 880 square feet for Kathryn’s Family of 5
Today: Kathryn tells us about living in 880 square feet with her husband and three daughters on their urban homestead. Kathryn blogs about self-sufficiency and living a bit smaller at Farming My Backyard. P.S. Yes, these photos make me want to raise chickens too! You can see all of the posts in the series here.
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Internet
A 24 Hour Challenge to Unplug
I did it last year and I’m doing it again this year. Last year I took a week offline. It was eye opening and restorative and challenging. I learned a lot. It was similar to a nutritional cleanse: at the end of it I felt ready to commit to better habits. This year I am
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Home
Families in Small Homes: Brooke from Slow Your Home
Brooke from the Slow Your Home Podcast shares her beautiful minimalist family home. In Brooke’s words she’s an: Aspiring Minimalist. Blissful Gardener. Frequent Swearer. Passionate Writer. Inappropriate Laugher. Shit-Hot Dancer. Sometimes Exaggerator. Gin Drinker. On a Mission: To slow the hell down. Tell us about your home and the people that live there. I live in
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Minimalist Families Series
Families in Small Homes: Jules from Pancakes & French Fries
As part of the Families in Small Home Series I asked Jules from Pancakes & French Fries to tell us about her reasons for simplifying and her William Morris Project. While Jules and her family don’t technically live in a small home, she’s done a lot of simplifying and pairing down. Lots to learn from
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Baby
3 Things You Can Skip Buying For A New Baby
I have a new post up at Home Your Way on, you guessed it, simplifying with a new baby. If you need baby gear for a small space or live in a tiny house with a baby I have some great money and space saving nursery ideas for you. Our second child arrived in
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Minimalist Families Series
Minimalist-ish Family Series: Britt Reints
As part of my Minimalist-ish Family Series I asked Britt Reints, freelance writer and blogger, to tell us about simplifying and downsizing as a family of four. They have pared down, moved and reimagined their lifestyle, city and living situation several times over several years and currently call Pittsburgh home. Enjoy and be sure to