tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post8252138661543833186..comments2024-03-26T02:19:04.744-07:00Comments on barefoot in the kitchen: all you need is less, or our foray into minimalismstephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11399191040892859634noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-75595868036579556152014-02-25T08:38:04.825-07:002014-02-25T08:38:04.825-07:00This was a great article- one blog you might try i...This was a great article- one blog you might try is zenhabits.net. I really enjoy Leo's blog and he has a wife and six children so his advice is more family driven than some. Great site!Kristin from Iowahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03520680361320505353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-53105597540601067132014-02-08T16:33:42.430-07:002014-02-08T16:33:42.430-07:00Trimming down is a constant effort. We spend a few...Trimming down is a constant effort. We spend a few years moving each year, and that really helped keep things pared down. Now that we're stationary I find that I need ruthless <a href="http://http://hellocleaning.com/" title="Los Angeles Cleaning Services" rel="nofollow">deep cleaning</a> and vigilantly watching what comes into the house in the first place. Our home is happier and simpler when there's less. True story! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10658512103970386321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-32950292477814381992014-02-08T08:31:26.123-07:002014-02-08T08:31:26.123-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01088312579426171104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-91070542031575561732014-02-08T08:29:49.705-07:002014-02-08T08:29:49.705-07:00Very well said Stephanie. Especially in the secon...Very well said Stephanie. Especially in the second to the last paragraph. We have seven kids in a three bedroom house, they have bunkbeds but the top bunk is vacant. Three of them ages 8, 6 and 4 prefer to share a twin bed. All our kids really do is sleep in their rooms anyway, their toys are in the familyroom. It reminds me of when my grandma grew up during the depression, life was simpler and people were actually happy. My grandma had very fond memories of her childhood. <br />Thank you for encouraging me to revisit the clothing/toy situation in my own house. ;)<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01088312579426171104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-66852679052844013642014-02-05T21:31:09.071-07:002014-02-05T21:31:09.071-07:00Yes I love this, we have similar waves of minimal ...Yes I love this, we have similar waves of minimal thinking. KKKTMSHELBY https://www.blogger.com/profile/16711305573075019512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-53087617346836559862014-02-05T21:30:59.661-07:002014-02-05T21:30:59.661-07:00Yes I love this, we have similar waves of minimal ...Yes I love this, we have similar waves of minimal thinking. KKKTMSHELBY https://www.blogger.com/profile/16711305573075019512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-53162093183742778332014-02-05T11:03:27.293-07:002014-02-05T11:03:27.293-07:00you know how i feel on this all too! mostly of cou...you know how i feel on this all too! mostly of course driven out of the pragmatics of constant international moving. i always love how toni can fit his entire wardrobe into 1 washing machine load :) all the same colours too! i can't get rid of my books though. i'm fine with having just 4 pairs of shoes (1 high heel, 1 sneaker, 1 slip-on flat, 1 nicer flat for city walking - why need more?), and not buying a stitch of maternity wear (thanks to you, ging, and katie for the hand-me downs!), but i cannot, cannot! give up all our books. the rest can all go away, and i'm happy to wear the same things now as i did 10-15 years ago, (i was ahead of the fashion curve to cinched-in waists and vintage, right? :) but don't take away my sartre or woolf! hehe.joojierosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10453347523611616102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-17436357192636174562014-02-04T20:50:07.625-07:002014-02-04T20:50:07.625-07:00Loved this post, Stephanie, and did a little purgi...Loved this post, Stephanie, and did a little purging this morning after I read it. Thanks for the inspiration! Do you have any tips on memorabilia/photos? I was cleaning out our attic and I have so many photo albums from pre-digital days. Would love to cut back on those as well as the bins of t-shirts/memorabilia from high school. It's hard though!Grace in my Hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09742364804125879803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-47659204546851358822014-02-04T15:20:39.888-07:002014-02-04T15:20:39.888-07:00The frugal part of me holds onto stuff in case we ...The frugal part of me holds onto stuff in case we need it. I don't want to buy it again after I got rid of it, so until I am sure we are done having kids I keep totes in the shop. I have however, decided that if it is stained, or run down that I don't pass it down thru the kids...they only need so many "camping" outfits! I could do so much better. It is really refreshing to go through my things and toss stuff. Maybe next weekend I will do it again! Once I am sure I am done having kids we will do a big purge. Holding onto a few things for visiting baby cousins (the pack n play) and what not! I am very sentimental, so I am not sure what I would do in our play room! Heidihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14776426385301962705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-18710841738921843152014-02-04T07:18:15.843-07:002014-02-04T07:18:15.843-07:00Oh goodness I loved this post. I have been a long-...Oh goodness I loved this post. I have been a long-time-non-commenting-reader (maybe only commented twice!) and have always, ALWAYS loved your blog. So very inspiring. Thank you. I have been on a "minimalist" quest for several years and, like you, have found that it comes in waves. Which is nice really. If it was constant, I probably wouldn't have anything. :) I enjoy so much the blog becomingminimalist.com. He has a family and I feel inspired to action when reading it. His daily facebook posts are also a good reminder of what we really "need". Thanks for sharing this today. Off to clean out a closet. :)Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03105118158805579801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-58366460580314243072014-02-04T06:24:54.472-07:002014-02-04T06:24:54.472-07:00The last time I went through The Great Season Swit...The last time I went through The Great Season Switch-a-Roo, I really tried to cut down on the number of items in my kids closets. Potty-training toddlers obviously need more pants, but the bigger kids only need a few (5?) outfits as we are constantly doing a load of laundry. Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00539535944862788478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-66456129842268006582014-02-03T19:13:25.416-07:002014-02-03T19:13:25.416-07:00I love this. In a world (and quite frankly a blogo...I love this. In a world (and quite frankly a blogosphere) that is always screaming that we need this or that, it's hard to remember that really life's necessities are quite simple. I bet your home feels so lovely and peaceful. Thanks for the inspiration and the example!Camillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08529524551745264433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-55188400530615680082014-02-03T19:08:20.096-07:002014-02-03T19:08:20.096-07:00I love this. You wrote about being more minimalist...I love this. You wrote about being more minimalist before Christmas and it really stuck with me. I have a great desire to do the same. We are moving this summer (our family of 5 leaving a 2 bedroom townhouse!) and finally buying our first home, and I want to take virtually nothing with us. Empty shelves and closets it what we are going for! Thank you for sharing. You have a beautiful family, and you have really inspired me. Erin_Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07152189186477056881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-7116936792584940622014-02-03T16:30:10.403-07:002014-02-03T16:30:10.403-07:00Ahh, yes. I love this post. It's so nice to se...Ahh, yes. I love this post. It's so nice to see people I relate to, who are interested in the same things. As I mentioned in my email to you, that we have had two cross county moves in 2 years and I still feel like I could purge so much more. Every time I find myself organizing our "stuff", I just want to get another black bag out and fill it with things to donate. I loved your comment about almost everything bring purged could be replaced in less than 20 min for less than $20... hadn't heard that one before. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13814648092842935208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-16907498827886608232014-02-03T15:44:10.104-07:002014-02-03T15:44:10.104-07:00Love this post! I always need a reminder and insp...Love this post! I always need a reminder and inspiration! I tend to ere on being too sentimental. But, I realize so many of my "decorations" and things like that don't really have any sentimentality…so if they don't, purge. I just filled two black bags this weekend and it is so liberating. Thanks for the encouragement. I waste so much time "cleaning" and "folding" and "organizing" it is ridiculous. Natalie B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13880791218122932517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-89265738041981419822014-02-03T15:41:13.786-07:002014-02-03T15:41:13.786-07:00Several years ago--I think I had one baby or maybe...Several years ago--I think I had one baby or maybe two at the time--I decided on a whim to get rid of half of my clothes and shoes within a year, and I did it and have kept it up by accumulating less (love the book Overdressed: The High Cost of Cheap Fashion on this topic). A few years later, I had pretty bad postpartum depression after my third child. When he was about 6 months old I ruthlessly got rid of half of my household stuff. I filled an entire room with piles and piles and boxes and bags of giveaways (and sold some on craigslist). Storage I had kept for years and years, kitchen tools I didn't need, hand me down baby clothes I didn't want. Books and toys and bedding and throw pillows and "home decor". It was the best therapy and truly changed my life and my outlook. I can handle my stuff now, because it's a manageable amount, and I am super careful about what I bring in. I also purge regularly. It's addictive! I love paring down and am encouraging my kids to go down the same path as well with their toys and clothes. Glad you're loving it too!Elizahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13943126446575413050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-20711183563642623782014-02-03T15:04:36.142-07:002014-02-03T15:04:36.142-07:00Oh I love this topic! If you need a few "stuf...Oh I love this topic! If you need a few "stuff rules" click the link:<br /><br />http://frommytippytoes.blogspot.com/2012/04/have-joy-in-your-home.html<br /><br />You have a fun blog and super cute family! And I am pretty sure I went to HS with your husband. Julzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10672078500461006314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-35449498888447240072014-02-03T14:55:43.949-07:002014-02-03T14:55:43.949-07:00You know how I feel about it! Loved your post Ste...You know how I feel about it! Loved your post Stephanie! :) Could little Stella come over and help teenage Abbey? Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14912466557223829314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-15289667263014605682014-02-03T14:43:48.528-07:002014-02-03T14:43:48.528-07:00We downsized from 2000 square feet to 1000 square ...We downsized from 2000 square feet to 1000 square feet when we moved to LA for my husband to do residency. We sold or donated bags and bags and bags of stuff, furniture, toys, etc. It was great. And we don't miss it. Thank you for this post. In a world of blogs that promote products and encourage buying more cool stuff you have to have, it is nice to be reminded that things are not important. Our families are important. You are awesome.<br />annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09761571846278631251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-47185593707436996002014-02-03T14:37:55.360-07:002014-02-03T14:37:55.360-07:00one helpful thing we learned from Mike's readi...one helpful thing we learned from Mike's reading is that most things we were keeping "just in case" could be replaced for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes. that made getting rid of stuff we thought we "might need" a lot easier. stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11399191040892859634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-19661431830441952152014-02-03T14:35:34.488-07:002014-02-03T14:35:34.488-07:00you can do it ellen!you can do it ellen!stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11399191040892859634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-83499230725193677902014-02-03T14:31:10.289-07:002014-02-03T14:31:10.289-07:00We too have a growing family and a small house (3 ...We too have a growing family and a small house (3 kids and 1500 sq feet). It's hard to let go of things because I feel like we might need them if we have another baby, or if we go on a trip, or if I rearrange, or if we move and finally have room for (fill in the blank). I try to remember that sales and deals come again and that the things aren't as important as the people. Plus it's so much easier to clean and tidy with less! Thanks for the reminder. Gotta keep on keeping on!Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03742988374635783051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19629645.post-37891370364837011102014-02-03T14:16:58.632-07:002014-02-03T14:16:58.632-07:00My niece is planning to stay with me over the summ...My niece is planning to stay with me over the summer and one of my goals is to go through ALL my stuff and to some major decluttering with her help. Good luck to us all!ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10107387078104994223noreply@blogger.com