Happy Tuesday! Long time, no chat. I had a couple of blog posts planned for last week, but this one had to be postponed to deal with more pressing technical blog issues. My absolute least favorite part of blogging, to be quite honest with you. Thankfully, those are (mostly) resolved and I can get back to posting!… Read More »
What is Minimalism? + Reasons to Go Minimalist
What do you think of when someone says the word minimalism? A year ago, I thought that minimalism meant wearing a capsule wardrobe made of clothes that weren’t my style, only owning some arbitrary number of possessions, or living in a tiny house with blank white walls, no furniture and three succulents. If you had asked me if I considered myself a minimalist, I would have answered no.
However, after watching Minimalism: A Documentary last winter (which I highly recommend!), I changed my mind. And if you currently think that minimalism is simply about capsule wardrobes and empty rooms, then this post is for you. It’s the first in a series about the what, why, and how of minimalism to encourage those at any point along their minimalist journey. In this first post, we’ll talk about what minimalism really is, why E and I became minimalists, and why it might be a good choice for you, too. … Read More »
6 Ways to Practice Self-Care At Home + A Reader Question
When I was in elementary and middle school, I was hardly ever sick. As a result, I rarely had to stay home from class. However, my sister was the opposite, and I was jealous (yup, I wanted to stay home so badly that I was willing to be sick for it!). So my mom gave me permission to take one “mental health day” per quarter. She’d call in sick for me, and I’d snuggle up on the couch in front of the TV with some cookies and forget about school for the day.
Once I started high school and college, I stopped taking days off—it was more stressful to miss all of the day’s lessons and homework assignments than to be in school! However, now I’m fortunate enough to be “working from home” for the next few weeks (or more—but let’s hope the job search turns up something soon!). As a result, I have the luxury of being able to take “self-care days” (as I prefer to call them) again.… Read More »
15 Easy Ways to Go Plastic-Free in the Kitchen
We all know that plastic is bad for the environment and for us. Different kinds of plastic take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years to break down. Plastic that makes its way into the ocean kills millions of sea animals every year. It contains dozens of harmful chemicals that leach into the ground and our water supplies. And it’s extremely dirty energy-intensive to produce.
Yet eliminating plastics from our everyday lives can be extremely challenging. It often feels like just about everything we buy comes boxed, bagged, or wrapped in some form of plastic, from toys to makeup to power tools. And don’t even get me started on grocery stores! Even if you follow the advice to “shop around the store’s perimeter” for healthy eating, meat, berries, and salad greens alike can usually be found packaged in styrofoam and hard plastic containers.… Read More »
Claireified Travels: Exploring the Grand Canyon in One Day
If you’re interested in reading other travel adventures on our cross-country road trip, here’s where you can find my recap of our visits to Custer State Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, and Mesa Verde National Park–complete with information about park fees and our recommendations for camping in the area.
The last stop on our cross-country road trip from Minnesota to California was the Grand Canyon. E had visited previously but I’d never been there before, and visiting together has been on our bucket list as a couple for years. So even though we had very little time left before we were supposed to be in California and sign our lease, I knew we had to plan a short visit into our trip somehow!… Read More »