Blog #downsizing

Despite continued challenges in downsizing, I suggest 11 positive gifts that come from this practice along with personal examples of some of these gifts.

Does it matter what we call our efforts to shed ourselves of things? I present some terms, their definitions, and the questions these terms raise for me, along with Ann Patchett's experience of lightening her load.

One of the simplest and most satisfying ways to preserve a lifetime of paper memories is to compile a special looseleaf binder. I describe my own process for creating such a binder.

Although your ultimate goal as a downsizer is to eliminate the need for external storage, you may need such facilities for the short-term. Based on our experiences, we offer some advice for choosing storage facilities and packing and arranging your items in a storage unit.

Paper ephemera took up a lot of real estate in my house. I review what I did with the different kinds of ephemera I sorted through this past year and offer some suggestions on how to proceed with your ephemera collections, whether paper or not..

John offers his perspectives on what he has gained from following through on downsizing, including greater confidence, an ability to let go, and new definitions for his future.

The slow downsizers have moved after 27 years in the same house. We reflect on this recent experience and pledge to continue offering perspectives on the downsizing process, which has not ended for us.

2022 was a year when we cleared out many tangible items, in a variety of ways, in preparation for our 2023 move. We share what we learned from all this activity.

In this season of giving, I share nine ways I've thought about our donation process, give examples of items donated and where we've donated them, and provide some overall insights.

Most vacations are meant for relaxation and/or enrichment. But if you want, you can accomplish some downsizing tasks even when away from home..

Seeing both the scary and benign decorations of Halloween reminds me of the range of emotions I've experienced while downsizing.

We seized on an opportunity to sell some of our personal art through a city-sponsored YART Sale. We prepared well, and our expectations were far exceeded. But it took some work.