I first heard about the Broken Window Theory in one of Malcolm Gladwell’s many amazing books. The basic idea being that if there is one person with a broken window in a neighborhood, slowly the rest of the neighborhood will start to shift and deteriorate. In other words, our surroundings dictate our behaviors. In my almost a decade of practicing minimalism, I can see more and more how we can apply the Broken Window Theory to our lives and homes. You know, less clutter = more peace of mind and all that jazz. However, there is a fine line to walk between fixing a few broken windows in your home and buying an entirely new furniture set. How the heck do ya tell the difference between these two? Well, here’s what I’m thinkin’…
I’m always finding myself caught in this minimalist hell of frustration when it comes to seeing other minimalist creators. There are some out there who tend to slap the word “minimalist” in front of things like gift idea lists for Christmas or kitchen essentials. In reality, this is just another form of pushing over-consumption with the handy dandy label of being minimalist. On the other hand, we are all just trying to get by and my hope is that these creators only recommend things they themselves truly use and believe in — because I’m also a big fan of true product reviews so that I can make the best, most informed decision possible when it comes to making a purchase. That being said, I felt the need to make a plea for why minimalist kitchen essentials are total crap and how you can figure out what you really need.
There is truly something magical about a minimalist aesthetic bedroom. I know, I know, all around it’s a good look in any room of the house, but bedrooms in particular is where we lay our heads at night and should be able to completely let go of our worries of the day. Coming from someone who used to have to leap over piles of stuff and had Teen Beat posters plastered to her wall, I can promise, the less stuff theme works way better for a good night’s sleep or even relaxing at the end of a long day. That’s why I wanted to take a hot minute and share some gorgeous inspo. with you.
I have been hosting live decluttering sessions via Zoom for the last few months for one reason: decluttering can be really freaking hard. My sessions were designed to help give people an “accountability buddy” as well as a fool-proof system for clearing through clutter quickly and easily without getting distracted. This was a method I created based off what works best for me when it comes to cleaning or decluttering my space. Imagine my surprise when I began to realize that this method is actually perfect for people who want to declutter but struggle with ADHD! I’ll share the video that gave me this AHA moment as well as my super simple 5 step plan for helping you declutter with ADHD.
One of the top questions/comments I hear from people is something like this:
“I would be minimalist, but my husband hangs onto everything!”
“I can’t declutter because my wife doesn’t want to!”
Now…I hear you, I get it. You are sharing your life with a person and you are sharing your home with a person so it’s kind of hard to create a simple home when they are mini hoarders. Correct?
Let’s talk about that…
I have been desperately trying to apply more environmentally friendly techniques in my life for the last decade and let’s be honest, it’s hard! Especially if you have a family and a busy day that doesn’t allow for much flexibility or research into the newest trends in plastic substitutes. On top of that, if you do get a minute to sit down and research, there is so much contradicting information that you feel more overwhelmed than before you started. Thankfully, I have taken next steps toward using less plastic in my bathroom and I want to share it with you because not only are these methods environmental impact minimalist, they also take up less space!