NO SPEND MONTH | UPDATE + TIPS

In this post, I discuss important tips for a successful no spend month. Our family just finished one and, although there were some big challenges, it was a great learning experience. I spent the month of January, along with my friend and fellow blogger Shannon Torrens, focusing on not buying anything new. It was a…

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  • I think we’ll have to try this at least 2 or 3 times a year.  It’s strange how we justify spending money on the unnecessary….  Great post!ReplyCancel

    • It really is crazy when you think about how stores market to the customer because the KNOW we will fall for it!!!ReplyCancel

  • Love this!  We were going to do one for January but it didn’t happen… going to do March and use your tips!ReplyCancel

  • This is a good follow up! Loved hearing your results!(success and failure). Thanks for “Every Dollar” tip!  ReplyCancel

    • I think it is important to share all the real life things that can happen! We were pleased with the results of the month, even though we had some unexpected expenses! I hope you love Every Dollar! we do!ReplyCancel

  • Great job! I would like to do this as well! I’ve never attempted a no spend month but I bet I could learn a lot just by trying! I do keep a detailed budget and have been doing that for almost 10 years. Thanks for sharing! ReplyCancel

    • You should definitely give it a try! If nothing else it is really eye opening about the little money spending habits that we might not even know we have! Good job on the budgeting! I am so much more relaxed about money since we have had one (I think almost 10 years ago too!)ReplyCancel

  • Val

    Great idea & challenge . We typically spend at least $100 every 2 weeks on a food truck delivery service 🙂 we decided to not order until freezer food consumed that was 6 weeks ago & we’ve saved $300.00 ., plus we STILL have food in the freezer – so, we will continue to save ?ReplyCancel

    • It is incredible how quickly those little expenses and services can add up! Good job using up what you already have!ReplyCancel

MINIMALIST SHARED BOYS BEDROOM

Ever wonder what it might look like to have three boys share a bedroom? In this post I give a quick tour of our minimalist shared boys bedroom. I also discuss some of the reasons why are not concerned that the three boys will continue to share a bedroom in our new home.   This…

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  • Great out of the box solutions. I had three boys in one room years ago. I would’ve loved some of these ideas then!ReplyCancel

  • I like the closet nook!  Thinking outside the box is so fun!ReplyCancel

    • thank you! Yes, I agree… some of the best solutions are found outside the box!ReplyCancel

  • I live what you did to convert the closet into your older sons personal space!!ReplyCancel

  • My two boys have always shared a room as well and it has worked out well even as they are older. I wish I had been more of a minimalist when they were younger. I really like how each boy has a place to call their own but without a lot of clutter! ReplyCancel

    • It’s definitely been a lot easier for them to keep their room clean when less clutter is allowed inside. Books and blankets… that’s about all that is needed for a bedroom! ha!ReplyCancel

  • I love, love, love the bed nook in the closet! Well, also that you creatively used what space you had! Awesome.ReplyCancel

    • I remember that when I mentioned that I thought a bed might fit in there, my father in law looked at me like I had gone crazy! ha!ReplyCancel

  • Loved reading this.  I have 3 girls and the the 2 oldest started sharing when we downsized.  When we finishing building our house, we had room to split them up but we never considered it. They love to share. Soon #3 will move in with them when she starts napping less. So useful for me to see how you arranged everything! ReplyCancel

    • It has really been great for them to share. Glad to hear that others have multiple kids sharing who love it!ReplyCancel

  • Val

    Nice layout and calming , Great use of storage for the sleeping bags too 🙂ReplyCancel

    • thank you! The day that we made the switch to have it store bean bags was so eye opening for us!ReplyCancel

INTENTIONAL FAMILY VALENTINE’S DAY IDEAS

This post discusses tips on how to create an intentional family Valentine’s Day, including the ideas we plan to implement for our own holiday, making it a simple time that we can connect as a family.   Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. And this year, we are looking at things a little differently….

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  • Such cute ideas! I love them.ReplyCancel

  • Wendy, Little House Simple Living

    I love how you used everything around your home. It’s not about spending a ton of money, just being with each other is enough.ReplyCancel

    • thank you! I agree that it is a myth that you need to buy things in order for the celebration (of any holiday) to be a success!ReplyCancel

  • Very nice post! I love pro family topics!ReplyCancel

  • Katie

    Love these ideas, and especially love that they are free!  I definitely notice when new books come out, the kids are interested!ReplyCancel

  • These are such great ideas!! I especially love your decor suggestions! ReplyCancel

  • Great post! Valentines Day will be here soon. Great ideas!   “Love with intent”.ReplyCancel

    • thank you! I am so excited to celebrate with my little (big) family!ReplyCancel

  • It’s like a breath of fresh air each time I visit your blog, Angela.  Great ideas and absolutely ones that will be more cherished than a box of stale chocolates!ReplyCancel

    • oh, thank you so much Jenny! This new mindset we have been working on has really been turning our whole lives around – in a great way!ReplyCancel

AROUND HERE: JANUARY 2019

Around here we have been… PLAYING basketball. The older two boys have been enjoying basketball season at their school. It is {I’s} first year to play, and {D}’s second. They think it is fun being on a team together! We are really impressed with how much both of them have improved, and are proud of…

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  • Fun!  We are a basketball family too!  My two oldest boys are 16 & 14 and I love watching them play on the same team!ReplyCancel

NEW MINIMALISM | BOOK REVIEW

Looking for an inspirational book to read? I might have just found the perfect one! This review of the book New Minimalism discusses the overarching topics and tips presented by the authors. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I…

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  • This is so interesting! I think I’m all of the types, which makes sense as to why I struggle to get rid of stuff. But that’s my goal for 2019. Thanks for sharing!!ReplyCancel

    • ha ha! all the types! 🙂 They do say in the book that you may tend toward different archetypes depending on the situation!ReplyCancel

  • This is great!  I’m going to check it out to look more into the archetypes… and then hope my husband reads it too.ReplyCancel

    • the good thing is that even if he doesn’t read it… just knowing what his archetype is can be really helpful for you in understanding why he might have a hard time letting go of certain things. Similar to the ‘love languages’ I suppose!ReplyCancel

  • Hope this comment isn’t duplicate, my first one disappeared.  Thank you for bringing this book to my attention it looks very helpful!ReplyCancel

  • This looks so interesting! Thanks for reviewing!ReplyCancel

  • Katie

    This is so interesting.  I am a practical.  I have been keeping a ton of stuff in case guests need it.  I just want to be prepared!  ReplyCancel

    • Yes! that is totally my husband too – we ‘might’ need that some day! The Archetypes were so eye opening for me. Like the Love Languages, it is interesting to know that we aren’t all the same in the reasons we hold onto things!ReplyCancel

  • I am a total Connected Archetype! No wonder have such a hard time getting rid of things! ReplyCancel

    • Isn’t the archetype info so interesting! ‘connected’ is the category that least affects me – but man oh man do I have the craft room clutter!ReplyCancel

  • This is good. I’ve been trying to declutter with out too much success. I’m heading to the library today and will be looking for this book! ReplyCancel

    • I hope your library has it! There are also some free book reading apps, such as Hoopla, where it might be available!ReplyCancel

  • Sounds like a fantastic book! I’m intrigued and want to read, will be checking to see if my local library has it, thank you for the review!ReplyCancel

  • Val

     I’m the Connected & Practical types 🙂  looking forward to reading the book , it’s on the way to my Kindle now ?ReplyCancel

HUSBAND’S CLOSET | DECLUTTER + ORGANIZE

Like many men, my husband was reluctant to declutter his closet. And so, I teamed up with him to get the job done. Find out what I learned that helped him get organized and complete the process.   My husband watched as I decluttered my clothing, creating a 50 piece year round capsule wardrobe. Seeing…

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  • Gotta love when the men are willing to declutter too!ReplyCancel

  • I enjoyed reading about your process.  Hubby and I are in a different season of life. Probably wouldn’t replace those khakis if that small rip was the only rip. Grab a needle and repair them. Great tips to remember even before the items make their way into our closets!ReplyCancel

    • Those poor pants. It’s more than just the rip – but that was the most obvious thing to photograph – his wallet keeps poking through that hole! I think they will just be demoted to ‘chores’ pants, and he can get a new pair or two for his office job.ReplyCancel

  • Katie

    Wow, I needed this!  My husband has a shirt and jacket problem!  He has probably 75 percent of our closet space. ReplyCancel

    • It really helped my husband to see all of his things laid out together. He was really surprised he had so much!ReplyCancel

  • This is great!! My husband might go through his side of the closet once a year. He’s neat and tidy but just has too many clothes lol. I think it would help and go smoother to de-clutter together. I’m OCD and color coordinate my clothes ?. ReplyCancel

    • I really enjoyed decluttering together. It started out that he wanted me there though, so I knew that I wasn’t getting in his way. Your husband may have more opinions about clothes and how they are stored.ReplyCancel

  • I’ve been dreaming of the day my husband wants to declutter his things, but most importantly his closet!  The man has 50 dress shirts, probably more T-shirts, and 30 pair of dress pants.  Who needs that much????   It’s probably frowned upon to sneak a shirt here or there and donate somewhere, right?  haha!ReplyCancel

    • Yeah, probably frowned upon. LOL. Seriously though, ask him if he wants to go through his closet together. Since he knew I was there to help him, my husband was a lot more comfortable.ReplyCancel

  • My husband has been telling me for months (ever since I got rid of my dresser and minimized my clothes to fit just on my side of the closet) that he wants to go through his clothes. I’m excited for when the day arrives!ReplyCancel

    • There is so much more space now in our (very small) shared closet! I’m sure that your husband will do great too if he is ready!ReplyCancel

  • You have motivated me! How you got your husband to do his too is awesome:) And how did you get him in front of the camera?  Lol! Great job!ReplyCancel

    • Believe me that he does NOT like cameras, but he was a good sport about it. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • I’ve been planning on minimizing my closet here soon! Maybe it will inspire my husband to want to do the same too! Haha. Looks like it was a fun l?bonding experience and love the dance moves at the end ?ReplyCancel

  • Good job!ReplyCancel

  • This is awesome! I have been enjoying watching the Netflix series and my husband and I both went through our closets! I love having everything stacked in drawers rather than folded! Makes it so much easier to find everything! ReplyCancel

    • It is really nice to see a little bit of the tshirt logos instead of having to dig through and figure out which is which!ReplyCancel

  • Val

    Great decluttering video that you did together. I like how you found out more of his clothing style likes & dislikes too . Good job  ??. (& dance lessons next for him ?) ?ReplyCancel

    • Didn’t he do a great job?! I’m super proud of him for taking it on, and making it fun in the process. 😉ReplyCancel

Organized Linen Closet | Quick Declutter

Today I am going to share how I tackled a seriously stuffed hall closet and turned it into a simple and organized linen closet – in less than 30 minutes! *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here** In this decluttering journey, I have…

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  • Nothing gets me in the cleaning mood better than cleaning out a drawer or closet.  That feeling of unloading my “crap” from my life and into the trash is so freeing!!!  We live in an old house so our closet space is minimal and therefore very precious.  Thanks you for this post!!!ReplyCancel

    • It is just amazing how many things we are able to stuff behind closed doors – and still think our house is organized! It was shocking to me for sure! Happy to have this project behind me. Onto the next!ReplyCancel

  • You are getting me motivated to do some decluttering! Love your site!  Great job:)ReplyCancel

  • Baylee

    Thank you for these tips. I don’t think I would have thought to put baking soda in for freshness! ReplyCancel

  • This is amazing! I have been going through the Marie Kondo method as well and I love how you put things in the wire baskets! And that quilt is gorgeous’ ReplyCancel

    • Thank you so much! It took so many hours – so sad that it had been neglected that way, but happy that it is found and now can be displayed!ReplyCancel

  • Katie

    Loved reading this.  I dpam a big believer in storing things were they are used, so I turned ours into a spare toy/ gift closet.  If I could keep mine pretty like yours, I might switch it back!ReplyCancel

    • Yes! every family uses their space (including storage space) so differently!ReplyCancel

  • Wendy, Little House Simple Living

    We’re building a new farmhouse and you’ve inspired me to go into this with an organized linen closet. I’m so excited as this is my first home with a linen closet lol. ReplyCancel

    • Oh, I need to go over and check your site! New simple houses are my favorite! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Such a difference! Now for my own linen closet… ?ReplyCancel

  • Val

    Good linen decluttering ! You’ve inspired me ; I’m in to get mine more organized , thank you for the tips?ReplyCancel

Control magazine clutter | Simple organizing tip

Do you love getting a new glossy magazine filled with inspiration in the mail, but are not sure what to do with them after you’re finished reading? Today, I will be offering a quick organizing tip on how to control magazine clutter.   Long before the steady reliable stream of digital images, print inspiration was…

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AROUND HERE: DECEMBER 2018

Around here we have been…   DECLUTTERING our rental house. In preparation for our BIG MOVE into Arrow Hill Cottage in 2019, our family is working on minimizing our belongings. Because… well, nobody wants to haul a bunch of things they won’t use to a new house. Angela went through a series of 4 decluttering…

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MINIMALIST RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

A new year means a new perspective and goals for the future. Today I am outlining five minimalist resolutions that I am setting to start 2019 out on the right foot! I have just finished up a four week series of declutter challenges. The process was hard work, but I have to admit that the…

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