Less Is More in the New Year!

Each new year offers us all another bright chance to start fresh. Make this the year you increase your health and happiness with less stuff and fewer chemicals. Here’s what a Less Is More approach to this year could look like for you!

Less Stuff.

Buy less, organize less, straighten less, declutter less. All of it results when you have a goal to just have -and buy – less stuff. Here are some ideas I’ve come across that can help you think about the stuff you own, or to challenge you to buy less or get rid of things more. Use them together or separately.

• Don’t Declutter, Simplify. Decide you don’t want to declutter anymore – and go on a binge and get rid of that stuff forever (by get rid of, of course I mean donate and recycle!)
• Love it or Leave it. Ask yourself if you love it, if it gives you joy. If it doesn’t, its just stuff, and its taking up valuable space – physically, mentally, emotionally, sometimes financially.
• One item a day. Have a bag or box and donate it when its full. Start a new one.
• Create a challenge. Each week choose a different drawer, room, or project area to tackle. Take an hour or the whole week. But don’t move on until that’s finished.
• Do a 30 Day Challenge.
• Buy Nothing Year.
• Tips: Start with the area that bugs you the most. Clear it out. Love everything in it. Pass on unloved items to a thrift store. Get inspired to do the rest.
• If you keep – and only buy – things that you love – then your house/room/closet etc is full of things that you love! See how that works? Get inspired by Bea Johnson and her  Zero Waste Home here!

Less Chemicals.

Make this the year you reduce your exposure to everyday chemicals. Here are a few challenge ideas and resources from our go-to website for this kind of thing, the Environmental Working Group to help you tackle this monster.

• Go organic. If not for everything, then at least for the EWG’s Dirty Dozen.
• Reduce exposure to food additives. Download EWG’s Food Scores App to scan the barcode of your favorite packaged food products.
• Clean Green. Start by searching through the Environmental Working Group’s database of 2,000 cleaning products to see how yours stack up. Replace your cleaners with their Top Green Cleaning products, or decide to start fresh and make your own cleaning products from safe household ingredients.

How will you live More With Less in 2020?