Should Art be considered in the process of letting go?

Distracting visual clutter not only affects horizontal surfaces but also vertical ones. But should Art be considered in the process of letting go? "You've inspired me to another level of desire for a simple living. However, I do enjoy art [...] There are always some that are in my closet, as I don't have the space to hang them all, awaiting their turn to be brought out" wrote one reader.When recently discussing the subject of living simply with mostly bare walls, a friend told me that he was intrigued and he too argued: "One needs some visual pleasure (beauty) in the home, don't you think?". I...

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Our white walls explained

Picture used for illustrative purposes only Comments, such as the following, keep recurring: "I certainly would not want my children, when asked what their mom loves [...] to answer "clear surfaces and white walls." AnonymousCritics come in waves. Through them, I have had to defend our car usage, our meat consumption, our toilet paper purchase... lately, our white walls (and I thought I was making a statement with the white floors;). That's right. White walls and decorating style. I sure did not expect to spend any time explaining my wall color or design choices when starting this Zero Waste...

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Granted!

Had I not picked 36 lbs. of organic strawberries on Sunday (which needed my attention on Monday), had I not been at work until 8pm Tuesday, and had I not deleted my post by mistake last night, I would have made this blog announcement earlier!We won the Green Parent category at The Green Awards last weekend! Check out the other category winners here: https://www.thegreenawards.com/Your votes, which accounted for a 1/4 of the voting process, combined with those of a panel of environmental judges (such as the Rainforest Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working...

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Why I've let go of non-functional items in my home.

Why do we fill our shelves with knick knacks? Is it to simply fill empty surfaces? Why must they be filled? Are we afraid of hurting someone's feelings (by not displaying a gift)? Is it to show off our wealth? Is it to remember someone? Is it to prove that we are educated and cultivated (shelves of books)? Is it to escape our own reality ("this shell reminds me of happy vacation times")? Is it to prove that we have been places and are wordly (tiki statuette)? The last three especially ring true to me.In my previous, bedroom community life, I had unconsciously filled my home with travel books and...

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Does decluttering help the environment?

"[...] Getting rid of inspiring artwork/fixtures etc. just creates more waste (what really happens to stuff that no one buys from Goodwill?) . I completely agree with reducing what you buy/bring into your home--but, if its already in your home will getting rid of it really help anything?" - Jasmine in Maine In response to the comment above, I need to clarify a few, very important things before going on the subject of decluttering a specific space, as promised in Less is More. While the comment above ignores the financial, health and time saving benefits of decluttering (i.e, "make room in your...

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