Author: Katie Coughran

Author of Young Adult and Chapter Book fiction, consumer of fine chocolates and teas.

Homemade Hummus Recipe

Posted on by Katie Coughran

This is my go-to hummus recipe. Great with veggies, bread, and crackers and even my husband who won’t eat store-bought hummus LOVES this recipe. Find the recipe below and thanks for watching! 

Want to listen to the How to be a Minimalist podcast? You can find it here

Hang out with me on Instagram by CLICKING HERE

Homemade Hummus 

2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) 

1/4 Cup Tahini 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

1/2 Heaping tsp Himalayan Pink Salt (regular salt will work, too) 

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder 

1/4 Cup water 

1 tsp Dried Basil 

1/4 tsp Curry Powder 

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy or to your taste. Refrigerate or enjoy immediately. Store in the refrigerator.

5 Daily Habits that can Improve Your Life

Posted on by Katie Coughran

There are so many habits I’ve developed—good and bad— that have changed my life. While I can’t control everything (let’s face it—it’s nice to have control of even a few things), there are several actions I try to do each day so that I can live my life to the fullest, enjoy those people that are most important to me, and work on goals and skills, which has become a huge part of my life. I still have bad habits, but I’m happy to slowly see the good ones winning more and more often.

Listen to the podcast by clicking the play button below, CLICK HERE to watch my YouTube video on the topic, or scroll down to read on.

They say that small things make the biggest difference and I’m noticing that to be more and more true in my daily life. This comes in many forms for me, but I find that the most personal growth comes from healthy, positive actions taken on almost-daily repeat. Below are five of my favorite high-impact habits.

1. I drink plenty of water each day, including a good 32 oz. soon after waking. You might question how this can have that much of an impact on anything other than giving my body one of the few essentials, and I get it. The thing is, when I wake up and drink water first thing in the morning, I tend to have more energy, I’m alert much more quickly, and I feel more athletic throughout the day. All of these things lead to me feeling generally happier and more capable of getting things accomplished. And it feels great.

2. Take a quiet moment to myself. I try to do this daily, even if it means reading a single chapter of a book, resting for 10 minutes, or going on a short walk alone. I find that putting my phone away is incredibly important during this time as social media and various apps can be some of the loudest things on earth. When I make the time to do this, I feel more whole, content, and focused.

3. Making time to get into nature has always been important to me. It’s inspiring, helps me to feel grounded, and I tend to feel healthier and energized from getting out on a walk or hike. I even try to bring nature to me by having a little tiny RV garden, which brings me joy and brightens our house on wheels.

4. Practicing joyful gratitude isn’t about an attitude adjustment—it’s all about noting, enjoying, and being happy in the abundance in life. Sometimes life is tough, but learning to see the good things has helped me through the bad times.

5. Each day I try to have a meaningful conversation with a family-member or friend. I especially focus on my husband and children. They’re my people, I love them, and I want them to know it. Taking time to laugh and talk with them, smile at them, and look into their eyes—instead of at a screen—while we chat has improved the connection I feel with my loved ones. If I can’t make time for that each day, something has gone terribly wrong and it’s time to re-assess.

What about you? What habits have improved your life? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.

Remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.

Want to follow along and see if I can reach my goal of publishing 46 more YouTube videos by December 31st, 2020? Click one of my YouTube videos below and be sure to subscribe.

How to be a Minimalist YouTube Videos:
4. Five Daily Habits that can Improve Your Life
3. Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (Plant-Based/Dairy-Free)
2. Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls (Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Dairy-Free)
1. Chocolate Cream Pie (Plant-Based with Oil-Free Crust)

Hal Elrod’s Book—The Miracle Morning

You can now purchase my book, How to be a Minimalist — A Beginner’s Guide! Click HERE to see the details. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and thanks for supporting me/my family/my work! The ebook is out now and the paperback will be out in the next month or two.

Your support of the show is so very appreciated! Ratings, reviews, and Patreon patronage all sustain this show. Don’t forget that Patrons now get bonus episodes! Thanks so much!

Want to leave a tip in my virtual tip jar? You can Venmo me @HowtobeaMinimalist Thank you so much for your support!

Instagram @howtobeaminimalist

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup — Instant Pot Recipe — VEGAN/DAIRY-FREE/PLANT-BASED

Posted on by Katie Coughran

Thanks for joining me! I hope you find the videos helpful and I’m glad you’re here. Enjoy this recipe, but don’t forget to check out these other two recipes from my 3-part Thanksgiving mini-series to make your plant-based holidays yummy!

I’ve always loved a good soup. Thick, creamy soups, minestrone, wild rice, tortellini (before I became a plant-based eater), chilis. I have to admit, though, the creamy soups with just the right amount of veggie pieces left have my heart. Maybe it’s because I usually have homemade bread to sop up the soup or perhaps some other reason. Either way, this is a newly created favorite, especially when paired with my Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls (Click HERE for the recipe). 

Watch the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup video above or scroll down to get the recipe.

Want to learn to make my Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie? Here’s the recipe:

Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls — VEGAN, DAIRY-FREE, OIL-FREE:

Want to listen to the How to be a Minimalist podcast? You can find it here:

Hang out with me on Instagram:

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP RECIPE (Vegan/Plant-Based/Dairy-Free)

1/2 of one butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 medium-large carrots, scrubbed and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 medium gold potatoes, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp dried ground/rubbed sage

1/2 tsp allspice

2 cups water

1 15 oz. can of coconut milk

3 QUART INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS (would work with a larger Instant Pot if you want to multiply the recipe or cook as is):

Turn the “Sauté” function on and add a few TBS water. Chop onion, add to pot, and stir occasionally while chopping other veggies for a couple of minutes. Turn off the “Sauté” function.

Scrub, peel, and chop vegetables, adding them to the Instant Pot, careful to not fill past the “Max Fill” line. All vegetables are different sizes, so if you get to the line but still have a little squash left, for example, you can save it for a different dish.

Add all other ingredients EXCEPT for the canned coconut milk.

Put the lid on, make sure it’s set to seal—not vent—then turn on high pressure and set the cook time to 25 minutes.

Once the pot is done cooking, let it release pressure naturally if you have the time. Take off the lid, add the coconut milk and stir.

At this point, you can blend some in a hot-food-safe blender, mash with a potato masher, or leave as is—feel free to make it your own. I always opt for the potato masher and like to have lots of pieces of vegetable in the soup. Some like it completely creamy.

Salt and pepper to taste and it’s ready to be served up.

I’ve never made this on the stovetop, but changing the technique a little should still result in a delicious soup. I would start by sautéing the onion in a little water or broth, then keeping the heat low while you add the other ingredients, stirring occasionally and reserving the canned coconut milk. Turn up the heat to medium, stir somewhat frequently to prevent sticking, and you might need to adjust the water, remembering you still will add the 15 oz can of coconut milk. Once the squash, potatoes, and carrots break apart easily, add in the coconut milk, stir, then follow the mashing/blending/salt and peppering instructions above.

Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls (Vegan/Dairy-Free/Oil-Free)

Posted on by Katie Coughran

Thanks for joining me! I hope you find the videos helpful and I’m glad you’re here. Enjoy this recipe, but don’t forget to check out these other two recipes that are a part of this Thanksgiving 3-Part Series to make your plant-based holidays yummy!

My Mom taught me to make bread. I started kneading dough when I was eight or so, and by the time I was twelve, I could make beautiful loaves of bread. This is a special recipe, but I’m thinking I need to share my everyday bread. For now, I hope you enjoy these soft and fluffy dinner rolls that are perfect for sopping up soup. Hit the play button above to watch the video or scroll down to see the recipe.

Vegan Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe:

Want to learn to make my Vegan Chocolate Cream Pie? Here’s the recipe link:

Want to listen to the How to be a Minimalist podcast? You find find it by clicking HERE

Hang out with me on Instagram by clicking HERE

SOFT AND FLUFFY VEGAN DINNER ROLLS RECIPE:

3/4 cup warm water

2 tsp yeast (I use instant yeast)

3 TBS coconut sugar (regular works fine, too)

1 cup canned coconut milk (shake well before measuring. You could also use a different plant-based milk like cashew or soy milk, but the rolls won’t turn out as soft and fluffy)

3.5 to 4 cups All Purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

In a large bowl mix the water, yeast, and sugar. I use instant yeast. If you don’t have instant and only have regular yeast, stir it in with the water and sugar and let sit about 10 minutes or until frothy and bubbly.

Add in 2 cups of flour and the coconut milk, then stir a little. Add in the baking powder and salt, stirring once more.

Kneading the dough roughly 5 minutes, add 1/2 cup flour at a time until your dough is getting smoother, the flour is incorporated, it’s tacky but not goopy or hard. Watching the video if you haven’t made bread dough before should be helpful!

Form the dough into a ball, then drizzle a little oil over the top (optional), roll the dough in the oil, form into a ball once more and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let sit 45-60 minutes or until the dough has risen and doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, pinch the dough ball into twelve even pieces. Fold, tuck, and pinch each piece into a ball, then place on a silicone mat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I suggest you watch the video to see how I do it and how closely the dough pieces should be placed.

When all twelve pieces have been formed into dough balls, cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit 15 minutes before the rolls are done rising.

Once the rolls have doubled in size, bake 15-25 minutes or until deeply golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped with a fingernail.

Let cool at least 25 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe (Plant-Based/Vegan with Oil-Free Crust recipe)

Posted on by Katie Coughran

I LOVE chocolate. And I love pie. Chocolate cream pie? What a fantastic combo. 
Scroll down for the recipe and I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for joining me! I hope you find the videos helpful and I’m glad you’re here. Enjoy this recipe, but don’t forget to check out these other two recipes to make your plant-based holidays yummy!

Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Recipe:

Vegan Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls:

Want to listen to the How to be a Minimalist podcast? You can find it HERE

Hang out with me on Instagram by clicking HERE

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

Chocolate Cream Filling Ingredients:

2 & 1/4 C water

1 C raw cashews

3 TBS cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2/3 C sugar

1/3 C cocoa powder

Pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

Vegan Pie Crust Ingredients (1 Crust):

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups nut butter with a neutral flavor, CHILLED (I use homemade brazil nut butter)

1/2 tsp salt

7-10 TBS COLD water

Let’s make the pie crust first. In a bowl, stir the salt and flour together. Next, add in the cold nut butter. With a fork, work the nut butter into the flour. Finally, use your hands to work the mixture until there are no clumps of nut butter and it holds its form when you squeeze a fistful together.

Add 7 TBS cold water, mix lightly, then add 1 TBS at a time until your flour comes together, can be formed into a ball, and there isn’t any flour left in the bowl. Note: The tricky part of pie crust-making seems to be working all ingredients in while handling them as little as possible. Good luck to us all.

Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. With a rolling pin or cup, roll the dough out into a circle an inch larger than your dish, then carefully place in an 8 inch pie dish. Prick with a fork 10 or so times to prevent bubbling.

Bake about 10-15 minutes until golden with slightly darker edges. Let cool completely while making the chocolate cream pie filling.

Chocolate Cream Filling (fits best in an 8 inch pie dish—see notes below):

In a high speed blender pitcher, add all chocolate cream filling ingredients except the vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy, then pour into a medium saucepan.

Using a pan and heat-safe whisk, set the burner to medium and whisk the mixture. Stir continuously until the cream is thickened. Usually, when the cream begins to form soft shapes when whisked, it’s done and can be removed from the heat.

Add the vanilla, whisk until well combined, then pour into the pie crust.

Cover, refrigerate 6 hours, then enjoy.

Notes:

—This cooks very similarly to stovetop pudding. In fact, it’s delicious plain and will also set up well when poured into individual cups, chilled, then served.

—This chocolate cream filling recipe fits best in an 8 inch pie dish. If you only have a 9 inch pie dish (as I do), you might consider topping with coconut whip OR make 1.5 times the chocolate cream recipe. Doubling it would probably be too much.

How to Declutter: 5 Minimalist Tips — Ep. 49

Posted on by Katie Coughran

Minimalism encompasses a lot of things—often issues that come and go. Whether we’re talking about the physical or not-so-physical stuff, minimalism always seems to include decluttering and ditching things we don’t want in our lives. Here are some tips and questions you can ask yourself to make ditching and decluttering just a little easier.

Listen to the episode by hitting the play button or read the highlights below:

Women of the Woods—the anthology that includes my story, “Alina’s Well”

You can now purchase my book, How to be a Minimalist — A Beginner’s Guide! Click HERE to see the details. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and thanks for supporting me/my family/my work! The ebook is out now and the paperback will be out in the next month or two.

Letting go of stuff and decluttering feels great…usually. Sometimes the thought of it is downright terrifying. Here are some questions that will hopefully help you to be confident as you say adios to those things that are holding you back.

1. Is this item helping me to have the home I want? A lot of times, the answer is no. When we think about the way we want our lives to function and the important role our homes have in that, we usually don’t imagine clutter and useless objects filling a lot of our space. If the answer to the question is no, it’s time to consider saying goodbye.

2. What is the positive vs. negative value of the item? Positive value can include things like beauty, functionality, usefulness. Negative value can include things like the amount of space an item takes, bad vibes it brings, and not being to your taste. If you don’t like the way something works for you and it also happens to have come from your ex you broke up with on bad terms, it has a LOT of negative value and little to no positive value. This tip comes with a bonus question—why on earth is it still in your home?

3. Is there another item you own that can fill this item’s purpose? If you look around—especially in the kitchen—it’s likely you’ll find a lot of single-purpose items. Multi-purpose items are often our friends. Open your cabinets and drawers; you’ll likely find you don’t need various items. Others can work just as well for the intended purpose as well as function as the item you’re considering ditching.

4. How difficult is it to replace this item? Usually, it’s pretty easy to replace the items we’d like to ditch and declutter. Assuring ourselves that if we REALLY need the item we can get it again is absolutely OK and often helps us to continue progressing on our minimalist journeys. Saying goodbye doesn’t have to be forever, but if we give ourselves the freedom to bring an item back into our life, we often don’t want to.

5. How often do I use this? If you can’t remember the last time you used something, it’s likely it’s been months or years and can probably be let go of. Sometimes I wish items like this would just disappear from my possessions because it’s likely I’d never miss them and would forget I ever owned them.

I hope these tips help you! I’m always decluttering and these questions have helped me more than once. What helps you to declutter? I’d love to read in the comments below.

Remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.

Your support of the show is so very appreciated! Ratings, reviews, and Patreon patronage all sustain this show. Don’t forget that Patrons now get bonus episodes! Thanks so much!

Want to leave a tip in my virtual tip jar? You can Venmo me @HowtobeaMinimalist Thank you so much for your support!

Instagram @howtobeaminimalist

My book, How to be a Minimalist with Kids: Finding YOUR Kind of Minimalism

Broden and the Shark-Toothed Chicken — Book 1 of this chapter book series (should be marked as free)

My latest videos on YouTube:
Simple Crunchy Granola Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Fry Sauce
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Sushi Bowl Salad

My Website: KatieCoughran.com — check here for my free books and to keep up to date

10 Things I Regret Buying

Posted on by Katie Coughran

The more I practice minimalism, the less stuff I purchase. I like to think it’s because I have bigger goals and desires which include having the time and space to enjoy my life and experiences. It hasn’t always been this way, though. Here are some of the pitfalls I’ve experienced in the past, some of which I still have to remind myself are a waste of money.

Listen to the podcast below or scroll down to read the article I wrote down below:

In no particular order, here are ten things I wish I would’ve never purchased:

1. Fast food/food out for regular meals instead of as a treat. Listen, I know everybody likes a treat of eating out every once in a while, but we were eating out up to two times a day when we were in heavy home renovation mode and it was just too much. I wish I would have taken a moment to breathe and create meal plans that were simple and easy to execute. It would have been better for our budget as well as our health.

2. Subscriptions that weren’t useful. Although I’ve had many subscriptions I’ve used and enjoyed, I’ve often stuck with subscriptions I’ve never or barely used for far too long. Auto-renewals ALWAYS get me. Last month, I cancelled all auto-renewals I could think of so I wouldn’t have any sneak up on me in the coming months.

3. Gifts that were purchased out of obligation. You know when you’re going to a Christmas party and you go and buy something generic you HOPE the person will like? Obligations similar to that always snag me. Mostly because—instead of making a homemade loaf of bread or potting a clipping of one of my succulents—I always try to go with something purchased to meet social standards and expectations. Now, I try to make sure that I bring something that goes with my ideals that I also know most people would love. And I don’t try to meet any underlying expectations.

4. Items “guaranteed” by myself or the packagIng to make my life easier. I’ve spent a lot of money on stuff I didn’t use more than a few times because in the end, the item didn’t make my life any easier. It’s arguable that they made my life harder, actually; I wasted resources, time, and storage space on those unused items.

5. Makeup. I don’t wear makeup. I don’t like the way it looks or feels on me, and it’s just never been my thing. The last bit of makeup I purchased was out of self-inflicted obligations to social norms. I’ll never buy makeup again that doesn’t make me feel physically and emotionally great.

6. High-ticketed courses. I purchased one a long time ago. While it was a great course, I didn’t have the time or energy to put all that was necessary into the requirements. For now, I’ll stick to video instruction on Skillshare and YouTube.

7. More supplies than necessary for a project. I used to over-buy all the time, particularly when I was learning a new skill. I’ve learned to only buy what I need, as I need it. This makes it a lot more likely that I won’t have excessive amounts of materials hanging around.

8. “Someday” clothes. I don’t do these anymore. It’s just not mentally healthy for many to most people. In fact, when I think about it, it’s a pretty disturbing “reward” system. In my opinion, it’s actually one of the worst punishment systems when a person is trying to get healthier and changes the focus of self-appreciation, efforts, and love, to only deserving beautiful things when you’re “skinny.“ Now, I purchase cute, nicely-fitting clothing…no matter my size.

9. Low-quality furniture. There are times when I could have waited a month or two in order to purchase something I really wanted, but instead let my impatience get the best of me and ran out and purchased something low quality. I can’t think of a time I was satisfied. Now, we wait and either purchase or create the exact piece that will work in our home.

10. Stuff for the simple fact that it was a “good deal.” Mmmm. I love a good deal. But it’s something I fight. I don’t care if it’s 90% off, I really don’t need a specialty wrapping paper cutter or sweater I hate.

There they are! Ten things I wish I would’ve never purchased. What about you? What do you wish you would’ve passed on? Please leave a comment below to share!

Beautiful Minimal Millennial

Fabled Podcast—It’s Fall Y’All

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

You can now purchase my book, How to be a Minimalist — A Beginner’s Guide! Click HERE to see the details. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and thanks for supporting me/my family/my work! The ebook is out now and the paperback will be out in the next month or two.

Your support of the show is so very appreciated! Ratings, reviews, and Patreon patronage all sustain this show. Don’t forget that Patrons now get bonus episodes! Thanks so much!

Want to leave a tip in my virtual tip jar? You can Venmo me @HowtobeaMinimalist Thank you so much for your support!

Instagram @howtobeaminimalist

My book, How to be a Minimalist with Kids: Finding YOUR Kind of Minimalism

Broden and the Shark-Toothed Chicken — Book 1 of this chapter book series (should be marked as free)

My latest videos on YouTube:
Simple Crunchy Granola Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Fry Sauce
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Sushi Bowl Salad

Minimalism in the Workspace

Posted on by Katie Coughran

Whatever kind of work you do, in this episode I’m walking you through several ways you can bring minimalism to work. After all, many people spend almost as many hours doing their work as they spend on their personal lives. I hope these tips help you to have a more productive and peaceful workspace.

Listen to the episode by hitting the play button or scroll down to read the article.

Today, I want to talk about minimalism in workspaces, but talking about minimalism and an office space isn’t broad enough, but I also can’t possibly talk about every type of different work and how to apply minimalism to that particular area. I decided to break it up into a few different areas. I hope you find these tips helpful!

At Work, In Person:

This may sound basic, but keep your drawers nicely sorted. It’s hard because you’re working and taking the time to tidy up might even be frowned upon. In the end, though, it’ll make you better able to work efficiently, so spending a little time outside of work hours will end up helping you to work more quickly and have a more enjoyable space.

On a similar note, keep your desktop sorted out! Ask yourself, “What do I really need and want on my desk?” From there, you can decide how many photos and desk toys you want. I know from experience that shuffling things around your desk isn’t productive.

If you need organizing tools, get them…but only if you actually have thought about it and determined that you need them. It’s easy to have a space full of organizers without being organized at all.

If there’s a lot of drama at work, choose carefully who you spend optional time with. On the other hand, find those people that are uplifting and eat your lunch or collaborate with them as much as possible. Yes, your desk space is important, but your head space and choosing to fill it with either negativity or positivity is way more important. Negativity is the worst kind of clutter.

Driving for Work/Commuter Tips:

Spending a lot of time in a vehicle can lead to a lot of garbage tucked into door pockets and cup holders. Having a system for your garbage is essential! Keep a bin, bag, or garbage gadget in your car so it’s easy to toss your apple cores.

There’s a rule in hiking; “Pack it in, pack it out.” The same applies to vehicles—if you pack it in, pack it out. Don’t leave garbage or objects behind, no matter how tired you are after your day of hard work.

Don’t forget to wash the outside of your vehicle! It can be a challenge—especially if you drive a commercial vehicle—but it’ll make you feel great to drive a rig that’s clean inside and out.

Find ways to eat healthfully while you’re on the road. It’s already a sedentary life to be driving and sitting so much, eating unhealthy junk foods all day doesn’t help. Minimalism has been a big help when it comes to travel and packing foods for my husband—we keep it simple and healthy, which saves food and menu prep time. I’ve been making myself 1-2 things at the beginning of the week so I can save food prep time and it’s been an awesome way to allow myself to have more time to write and podcast instead of spending that time on cooking or opting to grab something unhealthy, instead.

Working at Home

If you’re working an office Job at home, what do you really need on your desk and in your space? Also, since you’re working from home, I’m assuming you have at least a teeny bit more control of your space than when you’re at an office building. How can you be happier in your space? Better lighting? Tidying your home the night before? Take advantage of being the decider of your office space so you can add to your happiness.

If you’re working at home as a homemaker, what tools do you need? I know that as the keeper of budgets, schedules, activities, menus, etc., I have things I NEED, but don’t often treat myself to. It’s wrong and I’m working on it. Need an hour so you can take care of your budget? Schedule it in. Need a desk drawer so you can have a place to keep your tools? Re-organize the desk. Almost every type of work requires some type of tool, so making sure you have what you need as the home maker is important. With the wide variety within the many areas we manage, it’s impossible to do it well without having the essentials.

Put your work away when you’re done. While we spend a good part of our lives at our work, our home life is more important and where we can take care of ourselves, reenergize, and spend time with loved ones. No need to keep our work out on our desk or other areas; this visual will only nag at us and keep our minds from relaxing into our home life.

Minimalist Challenge: Ask yourself, “What’s one thing that bothers me about my work area?” Maybe it’s your cluttered desk, unorganized pantry, or trash in your vehicle. Whatever the case, spend ten minutes working on it during your lunch or after work hours until you’ve got it the way you want it.

Good luck with your workspace and remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.

Here’s the article I talked about in the podcast episode.

You can now purchase my book, How to be a Minimalist — A Beginner’s Guide! Click HERE to see the details. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and thanks for supporting me/my family/my work! The ebook is out now and the paperback will be out in the next month or two.

Your support of the show is so very appreciated! Ratings, reviews, and Patreon patronage all sustain this show. Don’t forget that Patrons now get bonus episodes! Thanks so much!

Want to leave a tip in my virtual tip jar? You can Venmo me @HowtobeaMinimalist Thank you so much for your support!

Instagram @howtobeaminimalist

My book, How to be a Minimalist with Kids: Finding YOUR Kind of Minimalism

Broden and the Shark-Toothed Chicken — Book 1 of this chapter book series (should be marked as free)

My latest videos on YouTube:
Simple Crunchy Granola Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Fry Sauce
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Sushi Bowl Salad

This Week’s Minimalist and Simple Living Happenings

Posted on by Katie Coughran

I’m amazed at how long it takes to adjust to getting into a different type of lifestyle flow. When we’re on the road in the summertime, everything is really spontaneous—we don’t make reservations months or even weeks in advance, we hardly know where we’re going when we set out, and we’re pretty much just looking for the next place we’ll find beauty and adventure. 

Is there hard work involved? Absolutely! But because of the circumstances and fun, it doesn’t always feel like hard work. As soon as we pull into a stationary spot I can deeply feel the hard work of getting into a routine. Once again, this last week has been all about getting into a routine.

Home school has been going great, though getting into the flow of THIS type of concentrated learning has been challenging for the kids. I like to have Monday-Thursday set up to work a little harder and have Fridays be a bit more chill and ready for a field trip. By the time Friday came this week, we were definitely ready to chill! It made me realize I’ve got a little more adjusting I need to do to our schedule.

Each week we have a family night where we try to do something fun together. This week I suggested we head to the park and play. Our daughter brought her frisbee and our son brought a toy parachute man and between those two things and the playground, we had a great time. Simple and sweet, but it was the highlight of my week.

My husband has been growing his hair out and wanted some Rambands. Instead of buying them or asking me to make them, he got fabric and asked me to teach him to make them. We had a fun date night of me bossing him around the sewing machine while The Office was on in the background. He’s pretty good with a sewing machine!

I’m always on the look-out for ways I can help the kids expand their skills without purchasing too much stuff. I’ve loved the look of macrame pieces for a long time and decided I wanted to learn, so I watched a billion YouTube videos and bought a spool of rope. I taught the kids the history of macrame and we each made a piece for home school on Friday. It was really fun and I love the way my first attempt turned out! Also, because you only NEED rope (all the other accessories for macrame are optional), I feel like it’s a very minimalist hobby/skill.

Since we’re stationary, I’ve been trying to take more time to organize and do some deeper cleaning. During the summer on the road, it’s pretty hard to give up a hike in a national park so I can wipe down cabinets. This week I got to several projects, but my favorite was the large and deep cabinet beneath the kitchen sink. A potato-gone-horribly-wrong turned my attention/nose to this area, but by the time I was done cleaning it, I was happy I’d somehow lost track of that lone potato. 

Those are definitely my favorite minimalist and simple living happenings this week. What about you? What minimalistic or simple living practices made you happy this week?

Four Quick Chores that Keep Your Home Tidy

Posted on by Katie Coughran

If you’ve listened to this podcast even somewhat regularly, you’ll know that I hate cleaning. This is especially tedious for me when the mess has built up, so I’ve learned to not let that happen. Even if I can’t get to the bigger daily chores, these are the few things we do almost every single day to ensure our home stays pleasant and manageable.

Click the play button to listen to the episode, or scroll down to read all about it.

1. Deal with mail right away. Not only does this lower our stress because it’s not hanging out where we can see it, nagging at us to take care of it, but having a tidy space also lowers our stress. Recycle flyers and ads, then file mail that needs to be taken care of another day. If you don’t give it a home, its home will be whatever surface is closest to the front door.

2. Put your keys/purse/wallet/backpack away as soon as you enter. It takes so little time, but the tiny bit of extra effort will make your home a more pleasant space.

3. Empty your dish drainer or dishwasher right as soon as soon as your dishes are dry. This always inspires me to cook better foods and makes me a happier person in the kitchen. Plus, it just looks nicer.

4. Do a nightly clean sweep. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep your home clean. Taking 5-10 minutes to pick up all the little stuff that’s quick and easy to put away is pretty simple and a great habit. If you have others living in the home, try to get them to help out! It’s so nice to wake up to a clean home in the morning.

These four things won’t make your home perfect, nor will they necessarily help you to downsize, but they are great at maintaining the hard work you’ve already done. If you’re home right now, I challenge you to quickly do one of these things. If you’re not home, do one of them as soon as you walk in the door.

Remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.

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Simple Crunchy Granola Recipe
Vegan Cheesy Fry Sauce
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Sushi Bowl Salad