Simple Life Together

So now that you’ve been working on building some margin in your life, maybe it’s a good time to start thinking about how you can make the most of your margin to make your life fuller. Not fuller with with stuff, but fuller with satisfaction.

Once in a while when the topic of our simpler lifestyle comes up, someone will ask, “Well what are you going to do to fill all your extra time?” It’s a valid question, I guess, but one we can easily answer.  Read more…

So how would you answer how you planned to fill your “extra” time”? Actually, anyone could make an endless list of things to fill their “spare time”. But I think what separates us from our former selves (our pre-simplification selves), and what makes those of us on this simplicity journey a bit different, is that we would likely answer it very similarly. We’d say, “Well, first of all, I don’t feel the need to fill my margin, but if I choose to use some of it, it will be doing things that are important to me. Things that help fulfill my Life Plan.”

This is how we define it: We define margin as “uncommitted time and space in your life.” Margin is what gives you options. Margin is what allows you to be spontaneous. Margin is what makes you feel more free. Just as there is a place for work and commitment in our life, there must also be a place for margin.

Margin on a page helps us appreciate the written word, the content and the context. But if those written words went from one side edge to the other, and from the very top of the page to the very bottom, the written words wouldn’t nearly as enjoyable. Those margins give us a place to make a little note; to record a thought or a question. The margin helps keep the written words, the message, in focus.

I know we’ve all been working on building more margin in our lives. Here are some things we’ve done to achieve more margin:

But, there comes a time when we’re faced with the fact that what we’ve let into our lives has stolen our margin from us. Here are some ways margin slips away from us…

But when we decide we’ve had enough, we can vow to take that margin back. That is the first step. What follows is a stream of questions that all seem to start with “How?”

Here are some key things you can do to make sure you do what you can to make sure you make the most of your margin:

Know that you don’t need to fill your margin, but if you choose to use some of it, make sure you’re doing things that make the most of your margin. Choose things that flow right along with your Life Plan. Be frugal with your margin, be conscious of how you spend your margin…just like you are with your money. Invest your time in quality activities, not a larger quantity of activity.

You’ve worked hard for your margin. Make sure you take time to enjoy it!

So, how do you spend some of your margin? Have you considered which of your life pillars you’re supporting by your activities? We all enjoy different things in life, so tell us your favorite activities that you invest your margin time in! We’d love to know.

 Be sure to leave a comment below.

Our daughter mentioning while we were camping this past weekend: “This is the life!” 

Miriam commented that she’s made great strides at meal planning:  “…now each week I pull out the monthly plan, copy over the coming week’s menu and tweak as necessary.  So simple.  With enough variety but not opening up the entire world of choices which mostly get rejected and just cause me stress to sift through.  Since I plan at the start of each week I can change the plan a little or experiment if I want to, but from a position of stability.”

So here’s a shout out to:

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

 Photo Credit: Daniel Hayes

Maintaining simplicity is an important step in making sure your simplicity efforts don’t go by the wayside. We’ve said all along that simplifying your life isn’t a one time deal…it’s a lifestyle. And as with any lifestyle or major focus area in your life, you have to nurture it and care for it, otherwise your efforts will be in vain.

So why is maintaining simplicity so important?  Well, just like a car or the air conditioning unit in your home, if you do regular maintenance and tune ups on them, the less likely you are to be in a situation where you’re facing catastrophic failure…or a colossal bill to repair it!  Read more…

The same goes for simplifying your life. Paying attention to and doing regular simplicity checkups will go a long way in ensuring your efforts to simplify your life will last a lifetime.

Background: Interestingly enough, the background for this episode was Vanessa’s early dandelion pulling session at 7:30 AM on a cold (41 degree) morning last week. You’ll just have to listen to get the full story!

So, we all know what maintenance is…actions, routines or systems you put in place in order to keep things functioning smoothly in your life. Maintenance is like getting a tune up. You might even consider maintenance like getting and an extended warranty, only instead paying a fee up front to cover when systems fall apart, you are paying in terms of your time and effort to hopefully keep the systems running smoothly. And the reality is, if you’re consistent with your maintenance efforts, it really won’t cost you that much time or effort. So let’s cover a few major life areas where maintaining simplicity are important.

Final Thoughts

So the bottom line is that maybe the way to think about maintenance is not as a chore but more of an investment in your life of simplicity. Consider it your extended warranty to guarantee a simpler life. Setting up routines and systems to edit and control the things in your life will go a long way to ensure your efforts to simplify your life will last a lifetime.

So, have you considered the maintenance side of your simple life? What systems, routines and tools do you use to keep your life simple? And if you haven’t thought about maintenance before, what areas of your life do you think could benefit from establishing a maintenance system? We’d love to know.

 Be sure to leave a comment below.

Pam commented that she’s “…quite sure I am not in your normal demographics. I am a retired schoolteacher, however, I wanted to let you know how much I’ve benefited by your knowledge and expertise.”

Kate left us a beautiful comment and closed with saying, “Some people might cut back on buying things for environmental reasons, for religious reasons, or for financial reasons. We can still all support each other while we ride the train together, even though we are going to different cities. Thanks so much.”

Lara Blair of TheExtraOrdinarySimpleLife.com authored our first-ever guest post, and followed up with a comment to Vanessa, “Thank you so much for the opportunity, Vanessa. I’m a big fan of all that you two do. Your podcasts are such a treat on my runs (as a runner, I know you know the value of something that can take your mind off aching muscles!).  Looking forward to the exciting things coming up on your blog and podcast. BTW, don’t stop saying “anyhows”…it’s sweet and part of your charm 🙂

Dan:  I found some amazing merino wool socks, made here in the US that are guaranteed for life. They’re actually cheaper than the SmartWool socks I used to buy, which I loved when new, but they wore out too quickly. These new ones are awesome…I swear they’re bulletproof, they feel great, fit right into our shift to mostly travel-style outfits for our Project 333 capsule outfits, and again, have a no questions asked guarantee. 

So here’s a shout out to:

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

 Photo Credit Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection

We’ve been sharing our story about simple living here since the tail end of 2012. But when it comes to simple living, we know we’re not alone! So, in this episode of the show we have our very first Simplicity Profile! We’ve mentioned a few times that there would be a few changes coming in 2014 for the show and here on the website, too.

So, last week we introduced the Qs & Comments segment where we answer questions you send in. And today we have our first guest on talking about how she’s simplified her life, too! But before we tell you any more about our special guest, we want to give you a little background on this new segment. Read more…

We’re looking at doing Simplicity Profiles about once a month. We’ll start the show with our featured guest and talk with them about simple living, how they embraced simplicity, what they’ve learned along the way, etc. We think the talks will last anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. Sometimes longer, sometimes not. Then we’ll do the announcements, sometimes a Thing segment, and sometimes the Qs & Comments segment.

We told you there would be a few changes coming along, didn’t we? We think it’s great to highlight your stories, and for you to be able to share:

Each of us has our own story when it comes to simplifying, simplicity and simple living. Sharing what you’ve learned, what you’d do differently, advice you’d share, and even mistakes you’ve made on your journey, helps us all grow individually and as a community. We’re all in this together, so we’d all love to hear from YOU.

When we started Simple Life Together, we kind of felt alone on our journey. We really wondered who would want to listen in and weren’t sure whether or not what we had to say mattered to anyone but us. Well, you’ve changed that for us, and we want to change that for you, too.

We’ve been incredibly inspired by stories from the Edit & Forget It Facebook page, emails we’ve received, voicemails…you name it. YOUR story is unique...and if you’re willing to share it, it can serve to inspire others to follow your path. We’ve found out first-hand that something we mention in passing on the show can have a positive impact on someone on the other side of the world…and make their life a little better. Your story can do that too! The world is waiting, and we want to share our platform so you can share your story just like we have.

Tania Ginoza is an Assistant Financial Controller who lives in Hawaii. She is also a freelance writer and blogger who shares her passion for design, a creative life and living well on her website MauiShopGirl.com. When not crunching numbers or writing, she can be found walking the beach during sunset hoping to spot a whale or two!

So, how have you been simplifying your life!  We’d love to know. Be sure to leave a comment below.

Our first question comes from April. April wrote in wondering how to cut down on the stuff coming into your home, especially gifts for her daughter? She doesn’t want to deny her daughter, but believes kids can suffer from analysis paralysis with too many toys.

Next up is a voicemail from Jared. Jared asked how do best deal with digital clutter. Jared’s physical life is clutter free and in good shape, but he wonders how he can make his digital life clutter free, too!

Sara wrote in saying how she loves the style of the small cottage plans from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and also wanted to hear more about our consideration to get rid of one of our cars to become a “one car family.” 

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

Photo Credit: BlueRidgeKitties

Whether we’re hard-wired for it, or it’s learned behavior, we all fall victim to the comparison trap from time to time. Whether it’s houses, cars, paychecks, toys (I’m not just talking about kids’ toys here, I’m talking grown up toys like boats, motorcycles, gourmet kitchens, tech gadgets, you name it)…from time to time we find ourselves comparing what we have against what others have.

And it’s not just when you have less, but we tend to compare just as much when we have more than others too. Read more…

How does comparison typically make us feel? Does it make us jealous, like we’ve been slighted? Are we envious, like we deserve something too? Or maybe we feel proud and superior because we have more or better quality things? Often we fall into a comparison trap that leaves us feeling anything but good. Maybe what we should strive for (when it comes to “stuff,” any way) is to try and stop comparing altogether.

That’s not to say that there’s no place for comparison. When used as a tool to discern, and when used objectively, comparison can certainly be a good thing. Take for instance:

But we begin to fall into the comparison trap when we begin to use it to determine our value and self worth, or even worse, the value and worth of others. When we compare ourselves to others it leads to nothing but discontentment and unhappiness. And here’s why:

If you’re not happy with the stuff you have now, would you be happier with twice as much? How about 10 times as much? Chances are, you’d be happier with half…

The problem with the comparison trap is that it always leads to envy, jealousy, and sometimes resentment. I know I’ve often been guilty of this in the past…and even sometimes today. Back in Episode 6 we spoke with our friend Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist. Joshua notes notes in his new book, Clutterfree With Kids, that “Comparisons are always unfair. We typically compare the worst we know of ourselves with the best we presume of others.”

But, bringing it back to “stuff”, sometimes we aren’t much better than we were when we were kids, comparing what kind of tennis shoes we had or what kind of jeans we have. As we get older, the comparison trap just manifests itself differently if we don’t put it in check; what kind of car, boat, suit, purse, house, shoes, etc. What kind of job, what’s your title, benefits, perks…what your kids have, where they go to school… I’ve even seen adults one upping each other over what their adult kids do, drive, live…just perpetuating the cycle.

The bad news is it’ll always be there. But the AWESOME news is, for us, it ends when we say it ends. But we can’t end it for anyone else, they’ll always compare. But we can end it for ourselves.

There are two very simple ways to help you combat the comparison trap. They really don’t need any explanation, so we’ll just list them here. You’re smart, you can figure out the rest:

Final Thoughts

So what does comparison do for us? Well, it can certainly be helpful for some things, but when we succumb to using a tool like comparison to gauge our worth, status, or standing based on things that we have or don’t have, it leads us down a slippery slope and into the comparison trap. But, much like Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers…each of us has the power to escape the choke hold that comparison can put on us. Where comparison can be our kryptonite, simplicity can be our superpower.

So, do you find yourself comparing what you have against what others have? If you do, how does it make you feel? If you’ve stopped, what made you stop and how does that feel differently? We’d love to know. Be sure to leave a comment below.

Claire wrote in to talk about living in a small space. She suggested that Dan’s desire to live in 500 sf may be a little too tight for a family of four. She thinks that Vanessa might be more on track with 750 or more sf.

Don asked us what our approach is to home decor. He says he’s always liked simplistic home design but how we strike a balance between minimalism and still having a “homey” place to live.

April and her husband have a 6-year-old daughter and want her to be able to play and create, but need to set up better boundaries. So, April asked Vanessa a few questions, such as: What do you do with your daughter’s toys? Does she play in her room? Also does she do crafts at home and if so, do you do that on the kitchen table and just clean up for dinner?

Vanessa:   Joshua Becker’s new book: Clutterfree with Kids. I love all of Joshua’s books and I honestly a little skeptical at how this book would be any different.  But of course he delivers.  What I like most is that it’s a simple 200 page book that has very practical advice on how to raise your kids to live clutter free.  It’s not an organizing book…it’s a book about intentional parenting.  Joshua gives a compelling reasons for minimalism in all of his books, but having read his books…in this one it feels like he’s writing more with conviction. It’s definitely worth the read. You can find out more at SimpleLifeTogether.com/clutterfree.

So here’s a shout out to:

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

 Photo Credit Unknown

If you’ve ever ready Steve Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (one of our all time favorite books), then you know that by doing just seven things, you can be well on your way to becoming more effective at what you do. Now, if you’re ready to simplify your life a bit and really need a jumpstart, there are 7 habits you can develop to bring some serious simplicity into your life.

Now, there are tons of things you can do to simplify, but we wanted to hit what we think are the top 7 things that have worked for us, and we want share them with you! So let’s get started! Read more…

We want you to be able to take just these 7 habits…seven things you can start doing today, to have a better tomorrow, a better year, and a much better chance of achieving the lifestyle that you want for yourself and your family.

So here goes…

Habit 1: Begin with the End in Mind

Habit 2: Strive to Simplify versus Organize.

Habit 3: Embrace the idea of “less is more.”

Habit 4: Learn to Value Margin in Your Life

Habit 5: Value Experiences over Things

Habit 6: Establish Habits, Routines and Rituals

Finally, Habit 7 is Understand that You are Different and that’s OK.

So there you go…7 habits you can start developing today, to help you have a better tomorrow, a better year, and a much better chance of achieving the lifestyle that you want for yourself and your family. A life more…simple!

So, we know these aren’t the only  7 habits you can use…so tell us what we missed! What are some habits you’ve developed or are working on to simplify your life? Let us know! Be sure to leave a comment and share at SimpleLifeTogether.com/055.

Dan: Choosing Tenkara, a more minimalist/simplicity-style traditional Japanese fly fishing, over western style fly fishing. Dan’s goals are to avoid a “gateway gadget” situation and concentrate more on the experience of fishing…not the gear. Dan says, “The more you know, the less you need.” 

Vanessa:  Andy Stanley’s podcast is called Your Move.  Now, it is a faith based podcast but it’s NOT heavy on the spiritual content.  It’s much, much more!  Vanessa finds it more of a motivational, thought-provoking, leadership-driven, and inspirational podcast. And it’s funny!  Now…specifically, he has a series called Recovery Road that is directly line with everything that we talk about here on Simple Life Together.

So here’s a shout out to Nicki425…thanks so much for your review of the show!

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

Setting limits isn’t as popular in our advertising culture as buzz phrases like “No Limits”. When we think of “limits”, it’s typically in a negative sense. So, when setting limits on ourselves, like when we go on a bad diet, or a too tight budget, or worse, when someone or something puts limits on us, we think of it as a bad thing.

But setting limits is actually a really good thing! Limits are a fantastic tool to help simplify your life and actually help you appreciate the things that are most important to you. Learning to accept, use, and embrace limits can help make a whole lot of sense of the hyper-consumer society we all live in. No limits? No way!

So let’s get started! Read more…

So I first thought about the framework of setting limits being a truly positive thing while I was watching a Tony Robbins training video. In it, he mentioned that sometimes limits were good, and the example he used was a glass. If you’re thirsty, you pour yourself a glass of water. The glass limits or contains the water so you can drink it. Without the glass to limit the water’s flow, the water would pour right through your hand.

Well, sometimes the weirdest stuff will get me thinking. And, true to form, Tony’s comment got me thinking about the positivity of limits that help us on our simplicity journey. So here are a few examples from our family:

Stuff We Have

Stuff We Buy

What We Expose Ourselves To

Our Family Time

Media Consumption

Things Dan’s Cutting Back

Limits and Children

Limits and Food

Final Thoughts

So, why think of “setting limits” in a negative sense, when they can be a fantastic tool to help simplify your life. Use limits to your advantage and craft your limits to help ensure you keep on track with your priorities that are in line with your Life Plan. Sure, the slogan “No Limits” is popular these days, but it’s often used to describe what your spending cap should be for the product they’re hawking.

Establishing limits or boundaries can be pretty empowering and it goes hand in hand with embracing the Power of Saying No. Together they can help you live a life with intention and and keep you focused on your priorities.

The last thing we want to do is expand on the word congruent that I mentioned earlier. This whole congruency thing has become our watchword lately. But, limits we set are congruent with our priorities we set out in our Life PLan. Remember, we call our priorities our 5 Pillars of FAITH, FAMILY, FINANCES, FITNESS and FREEDOM. It’s kinda like back in our military days, sometimes people would talk about Command & Control like it’s one thing. It’s not, it’s two very distinct things. Command is like our Life Plan, control is like the Priorities and limits we use to ensure our actions are congruent to our Pillars. So, that’s how we frame limits in our lives. It works for us, and hopefully it can work for you, too!

So, what limits do you use to help keep your life on track? Which limits are the most difficult to keep? Let us know! Be sure to leave a comment below! 

Resisting some marketing temptations and making sure our own actions were congruent to our 5 Pillars.

So our little girl Sunshine was awarded with a “FAIRNESS” award at school…which is pretty cool because it’s like a little reinforcement that we’re teaching her the right things. Well, she also came home with a so-called “award” to go see the San Antonio Spurs basketball team play. She got a free ticket, but of course…she had to get at least one adult ticket too. Naturally she was so excited to win an award, and as a parent you want share in the excitement and praise their good work. So I (Vanessa) started to plan how we were going to go to this game, because of course….we’d have to take the whole family to celebrate. Well, the pressure was on because I had only one day to make a decision. But when I brought it to Dan and as we were trying to figure it out, he was like, “Vanessa…the thing is…would have even considered going to a Spurs game if Sunshine hadn’t won this award?” And I said, “no.” So it really made us think about how quickly you can react to the “FEAR OF MISSING OUT” but when we actually stopped and thought about it, we realized this wasn’t in line with our normal way of spending time together or our priorities (because that would have been a pricey family night out). We’re not going to the game, and we’re celebrating Sunshine’s award together, as a family, in a way of our own choosing.

So here’s a shout out to

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

On our journey toward a more simple life in the modern world, one point that keeps hitting home is that less is more. We like to say, fewer things, fuller life. Last year, we started the Edit & Forget It Challenge to eliminate 2013 things from our lives and hundreds of you joined us. Well, we’re going to keep it going this year, too! Now, we know 2014 fewer things is a lofty goal and certainly won’t be for everyone. But remember, it’s never about the numbers, it’s about your relationship with stuff. The real focus is to eliminate anything that you really don’t need any longer and to reach a point where you have truly what you need…what you love…and what you use. You’re trying to build some margin in your life and the Edit & Forget It Challenge will help you do that!

So, if you’re considering doing the Challenge…if you’re ready for fewer things cluttering up the margin in your life…we thought we’d share some of the experiences we had as we eliminated over 3000 things from our lives last year. Plus, we’ll tell you how you can sign up too (it’s FREE!), and and we’ll go over the “rules” (think of those rules in air quotes because you can shape them a bit to fit your needs).

So let’s get started! Read more…

Our Experiences from 2013

Starting Out: As we embarked on this challenge I was chomping at the bit! Editing clutter has become second nature to me. Not just because of the work I do as an organizer, but because I make a regular habit of letting go of clutter in our home. I’ve also come to appreciate the concept of “less is more” and so I’ve been ready to let go of a lot more things for awhile.

Our Results: We edited 2920 things (a little more because I lost count and forgot to record a few things…plus we didn’t count all of our garage items).

Some Edit & Forget It Challenge “Side Effects”:  There were definitely some other side effects that we experienced that you might experience too by going through this challenge:

Moving Forward in 2014: Our Edit & Forget It Challenge Goals

Things to consider:

The Numbers: To eliminate 2014 things from your home in 2014 the numbers work out like this:

So, you may want to re-listen to Episode 6 and our interview with Brooks Duncan of DocumentSnap. We recommend ScanSnap scanners!

It’s also really good to have an accountability buddy and that’s what we and all the members of the Edit & Forget It Facebook Page are for. We keep each other on track, with encouragement, suggestions, and reinforcement.

Edit & Forget It Guidelines:

Again, we know 2014 fewer things is a lofty goal and certainly won’t be for everyone. The focus of Edit & Forget It Challenge is eliminating as many things you truly don’t need any longer. It’s not about deprivation, it’s about reaching a point where you have what you truly need, love, and use. It’s about shedding some things that no longer have the impact on you that they once had, so you can focus on the quality of things you let into your life. The Edit & Forget It Challenge really will help you take control and build that margin in your life that you’ve had as your goal.

So, if you’re a returning Edit and Forget It member, what’s next for you? If you haven’t signed up yet, what’s holding you back? Are you ready for fewer things and a fuller life? It doesn’t cost a thing but you’ll get so much out of it. Oh, and would you like to hear from some of those that took or are taking the Challenge? We’re considering an occasional segment from members. Let us know! Be sure to leave a comment below! 

Our trip to Vegas for the Podcast Awards. Well, we didn’t win, but we had a fantastic time with some amazing friends, none of which we wouldn’t have ever met if it wasn’t for this show.

So thanks again so much for taking the time to vote for us. Maybe next year is our year, huh?

Our friend and colleague Karen Meade of Let’s Get Organizing will be hosting her annual Organize and Energize workshop. It’s on Saturday, January 18th, 2013 from 9:00 Am to 1:00 PM at the Norris Conference Center, on Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio, Texas. There’s a great lineup of speakers talking about organization, financial planning, health and fitness…you name it. Dan and I will be there talking about “Five Things You Can Do To Lead A Simple Life In A Modern World”. For more information check out LetsGetOrganizing.com and we’ll have a link in the shownotes, as well.

Finally, sign up for the Edit & Forget It Challenge! If you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

Photo Credit Amodiovalerio Verde

If you’re like most people you probably have intentions to make some serious changes and make this your best year ever, right? Well, we want to help make 2014 YOUR year to simplify! And even if you’re not listening to this at the beginning of the year, or heck, it might not even be 2014 anymore when some of you listen to this, the fundamentals are timeless and perpetual.

So, if you’ve fallen short of your goals in the past, like probably all of us have at some point, we have 5 steps to help you build a more solid plan, and hopefully set you on the road to success.

So let’s get started! Read more…

Step 1: Take some time to do a review of the past year.

Step 2: Make a conscious effort to prioritize, then change or eliminate THINGS that clutter your life…and establish new goals.

Step 3: Take control of your time. 

Step 4: Give yourself credit for your accomplishments!

Step 5: Commit to a personal review schedule that works for you.

So, there you have it! Five Simple Steps to make this YOUR best year ever! To recap, those 5 steps were:

Sure, you could just hop on the resolution bandwagon, make yourself some empty promises and avoid all the real effort. Or you really could take charge of your decisions, your actions, and your life. We’d be willing to bet if you really spend some time on Step 1, the other 4 steps will fall into place for you. Give it a shot. You deserve this year!

So, what are some of your goals for this year? How are you going to simplify? We’d love to know. Be sure to leave a comment and share at SimpleLifeTogether.com/052. So, are you going to get a jump on the New Year and start simplifying now? 

Combined: Well, our thing this week has to do with some of our reflection time. Remember, the Thing segment started out as something that happened, someone or some “thing” that made our lives a little simpler during the previous week since the last show.

Well, one thing that will make life a little simpler is this: We took about 4 hours to plan one day just before the middle of December and just spent some time reflecting and bouncing ideas off of one another. Here is some of what we talked about with regard to the show:

Thanks to all of you who waited patiently throughout the month of December as we took a break. We missed you and we’re really, really excited to be back! 

So as we mentioned earlier, we are working on two big writing projects. The first will be a book for Amazon that will be a guide to help people through the editing process with steps, some checklists, and more. Plus it will go right along with the Edit & Forget It Challenge. The second project is another book, as well. We’re not sure if we’ll self-publish that or seek out a traditional publisher. So, more to follow on that down the road as we make progress…

We have to say Project 333 is going great for us! We had no problems over the break and are going strong with Courtney Carver’s Dress With Less microcourse. You can learn more about that at SimpleLifeTogether.com/dress.

Finally, the Edit & Forget It Challenge is back for 2014! So if you’re already on our Edit & Forget It Challenge email list, that’s great. If not, you can sign up here.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

Photo Credit Amodiovalerio Verde

We always call what we’re on a “journey” because we always seem to be learning new things, paring down to less and less, and finding ourselves in new circumstances along the way. But in the beginning, it sure helps to have a little bit of a roadmap. We’ve never been the types to tell you “this is what you need to do” or claimed to be “The Expert” in any particular area. Your journey is up to you.

But, it sure is nice to have a general idea in mind, isn’t it? So, we wanted this show to serve as a sort of a Simplicity Quick Start Guide for your journey. You know how when you’re working on a puzzle you check the cover of the box from time to time to see if you’re on track? Well, that’s what we hope you do with the episodes listed here. Check them and gauge your progress once in a while. Read more…

So we broke our Simplicity Quick Start Guide down into 5 categories and listed some of our most popular topics in each. This way, you can go back and listen to those shows you may have missed, or re-listen to them based upon your simplicity goals. So here are the 5 categories we used:

Part 1: Starting Out…The Decision to Simplify

Part 2: Simplifying Everyday Life:

Part 3: Organizing What You Have:

Part 4: Designing Your Lifestyle:

Part 5: Your Digital Life, Simplified:

So, there you have it! A great Simplicity Quick Start Guide and the perfect resource to help you get a head start on simplifying your life in the coming year. Why wait for the New Year to make a resolution? Start now and get ahead of the pack.

So, are you going to get a jump on the New Year and start simplifying now? What are some of your favorite episodes? What did we miss that would make our Simplicity Quick Start Guide more complete?

Dan’s Thing: Road time! Sleeping in the truck & teardrop, Hudson Bay Point blanket, Thoreau’s Walden (Librivox.org for..free) , seeds, lemon water and the occasional Tabasco Slim Jim! Had a great 2558 mile road trip so far! Made new friends, visited family, saw old friends (some after 25 years). Enjoyed seeing more of this beautiful country.

Vanessa’s Thing: Free kid’s Kindle Books from Amazon.com! All the joy of reading for our little girl but none of the clutter…woo hoo!

We’ll be taking the month of December off to concentrate on some writing projects! So, you’ll have PLENTY of time to catch up on previous episodes of Simple Life Together! Enjoy the holidays!

Consider signing  up on our email list!  If you’re not on our email list you’re missing out on one or two blog posts we do per week, and the occasional video, too. You can subscribe right here on SimpleLifeTogether.com over on the right side.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

Photo Credit hmomoy

It’s our 50th episode and we wanted to pass on our Top 20 simplicity websites, and also  our favorites for minimalism, lifestyle and more! You know, we have so many resources available to us these days that sometimes it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, as the saying goes.

It’s nice to have one source that you can go to in whatever interest category you have. So, we wanted to put together an episode and talk about some of our favorite websites and blogs that helped us on our journey, and still do…our Top 20 websites!

We’ve talked about many of these before and even had some of the authors on the show, but we want this show to be a tribute to them and a resource for you. We decided to break them down into 4 different categories to simplify things (go figure…that’s what we do here): Minimalism, Simplicity, Lifestyle, and  Lifehacking/Productivity/Tech…and we threw in a couple of bonus blogs too! So here they are, our Top 20 simplicity websites:

Minimalism:

Simplicity:

Lifestyle:

Lifehacking/Productivity/Tech:

Bonus Sites:

So, there you have, the Top 20 simplicity websites and blogs that have helped shape our journey so far and that we still look to for information, inspiration and motivation.

So what are some of your favorite websites and how do you follow them? Do you subscribe to email lists, RSS feeds, etc? How often do you share content from your favorite websites, blogs or podcasts with a friend? Maybe it’s time to spread the love, huh?

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Dan’s Thing: Community…especially the Simple Life Together and Edit and Forget It Facebook communities.  We learn so much and appreciate how everyone supports one another in their pursuits to simplify.

Vanessa’s “THING”: Dymo LabelWriter.  This label maker has made life so much easier for Vanessa, especially when it comes to labeling file folders! It’s fast, easy to use and very versatile with its many different sizes of labels.

We still have a couple slots open for Washington DC area meetup. We’d love to have you come join us for some great conversation, pay as you go snacks and drinks, and the chance to connect with others who are looking to lead a simple life in the modern world. We’ll be at La Tasca in Rockville Town Square at 7:00 PM on Sunday, 24 November. There are just a few spaces left. It’s a free event and really just a chance for us to meet you and get to know you face to face, so make sure you grab a seat before they’re gone! Just go to SimpleLifeTogether.com/dc to sign up or search for Simple Life Together at Eventbrite.com

Consider signing  up on our email list!  If you’re not on our email list you’re missing out on one or two blog posts we do per week, and the occasional video, too. You can subscribe right here on SimpleLifeTogether.com over on the right side.

You can download a PDF of our show prep, too.

As always, you can help support SimpleLifeTogether.com by using our Amazon Affiliate Link for any purchases you must make. Thanks!