The Practical Minimalists

In today's episode we'll be getting into the topic Minimalism Perfectionism.  It's common to experience growth, joy, and contentment as you unburden your life of all the extra stuff and obligations.  But what happens then?  Do we "arrive?"  If we're not careful Minimalism can just become another thing we're striving for in order to be happier.  Additionally, comparison can come in and hinder our p...

Happy 2017!  We are back in action and excited to welcome you to Season 2 of The Practical Minimalists!  As the new year approaches everyone is talking about goals.  People are motivated by their goals for the new year or they are abandoning their goals altogether.  Today we are adding to that conversation and talking about how we've set and worked towards goals in the past, what we're letting go...

We are now on our Fourth and Final episode of our holiday series, and today we are talking about our Favorite Things. Don't worry. This is not going to be a 30 minute commercial although we will give big shout outs to some of our favorite artists, creators, and small business owners in our recommendations portion of the show. On this episode favorite things means not only material things but memor...

We are now on our third episode of our holiday series, and in today's episode, we are talking about gifts. This seems to be a hot button issue for budding minimalists.  Even if you wouldn't call yourself a minimalist, if you are listening to this episode, our bet is that you are looking for ways to have a more intentional or simple holiday season and gifts can definitely complicate things. Whether...

This is our second episode in our holiday series and today's we're talking about "Hustle and Bustle." Whether it's holiday parties, family get-togethers, or school celebrations, the number of gatherings and obligations available are typically at an all-time high during the holiday season. We discuss ways we can manage, be more intentional about, or even minimize our schedules during the holiday se...

With the holiday season quickly approaching, there's an emphasis on tradition; whether it's a widely accepted tradition Thanksgiving dinner, Santa Claus, the Festival of Lights or quirkier traditions specific to your family, there's a lot to wade through during the holiday season. So listen in as we discuss the holiday traditions, how to be more intentional during the season when it comes to eithe...

Be the light you want to see in the world. Shine your light.. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. These are things a lot of us grew up hearing. But what does that look like? How does it relate to minimalism and Unbecoming? If you are someone who struggles with feeling like a nag, wanting to control other people's actions, or wanting to manipulate outcomes, this episode is for you. O...

Are you someone who tends to push and work for results, experience, outcomes, or even balance but end up feeling tired, drained or unsatisfied?  Do you ever feel like you're trying to force outcomes and then waiting for that feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment or fulfillment to come afterwards?  We get it which is why today we're talking about a revolutionary concepts we've used in our own liv...

This week we are diving into part 2 of our Unbecoming Series and the topic is surrender.  Listen in as we discuss what it means to surrender, how practicing surrender has transformed our lives, and the hard things that come along with that practice. We also talk about our own minimalistic values and how they relate to surrender.  If you are someone who finds yourself addicted to your planner, want...

If minimalism is the intentional promotion of everything that matters and the removal of everything else, why is this process so hard sometimes?  We believe it's because sometimes self knowledge and value development is not always clear.  If we don't even know who we are or have a grasp on our personal values, we can get stuck in the minimalism process.  This leads us into our new series, Unbecomi...

Kids today have an abundance of choices when it comes to technology.  iPads, phones, tablets, Leap Pads, TV...the list goes on.   How can we apply the values and concepts of living a minimalist lifestyle to the way our kids use technology?  If you feel like your kiddos may need a technology reset or you are interested in hearing some tips for being more intentional about the way your kiddos consum...

Love it, hate it or have mixed feelings, it looks like social media is sticking around.  In a world where we have lot of decisions to navigate through when it comes to the time we spend on technology and what we consume, social media plays a huge role.  So how does this relate to minimalism?  How can we tap into whether or not social media is causing problems for our thoughts and actions?  If you...

Sometimes it's can be easy to identify the excess when it comes to the technology we are consuming, but it can become difficult to identify which technology tools and mediums we actually want to be using.  How do we figure this out?  Why does this even matter?  How can changing your approach to the way we consume technology change your life? If you are someone who finds yourself spending more time...

In this episode we take on the topic of technology. We are setting this up as a series because there is so much ground to cover when it comes to technology. This week will be part 1 and in this episode we'll be dealing with digital excess, what that means, how we've identified and dealt with digital excess and our challenges along the way. Do you feel overwhelmed by technology?  Do you feel like y...

In this episode we answer all your questions about kids, clutter, gifts, trophies, laundry, Friday Folders, and art projects.  As always we go deeper into the whys behind these questions and speak on blending minimalist values with raising kids, the benefits of minimalist values for families and practical ways to simplify the stuff that comes along with raising kids so that you can experience more...

In this episode we discuss how hanging on to sentimental items can become a roadblock in our journey to minimize and declutter.  We also get into the deeper implications of clinging to sentimental items.  If you struggle with letting things go  because of attachments issues, want to know why we should care about addressing this these types of things, or simply want some tips to let go of some of t...

Ever struggled in a relationship?  Do you find that you have tons of surface level relationships out of convenience or circumstance but struggle to make intentional deep connections?  Maybe you are a loner and have trouble letting people in.  No matter how you relate to people relationships are tricky but they are key to our existence and happiness.  Join us as we dive deep into the topic of relat...

In this episode, we tackle the tough topic of social engagements.  Is your calendar filled with things you think you "should" do?  Do you want to cut down on your social obligations but have a hard time figuring out when to say yes and when to day no?  Does it get even more confusing when it comes to kids activities?  If you answered yes to any of these questions or if any of this sounds interesti...

In this episode Eryn and I discuss how to deal with the physical and emotional clutter that can result in minimizing possessions, obligations, activities, etc.  

In this episode we introduce our selves and give you little slivers of our story and how we got on our own minimalism journeys.  We also share our reason and hopes for this podcast.

In this episode, Eryn and I discuss our misconceptions on minimalism.  We also dive share some things that helped us get started in making drastic reductions in the amount of stuff we own.  Also we introduce 2 new segments of our show: Challenges and Wins, and Recommendations.