A couple of months ago I stumbled across The Minimalists and quickly became obsessed. While this isn’t my first brush with minimalism, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

For the past few years I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of stuff I have. (It turns out moving frequently is a great way to jump-start an obsession with minimalism.) I’ve been slowly pairing down my possessions, but I still feel like I have too much.

I dove into Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists looking for an answer to my endless itch to get rid of everything. I got so much more out of it than just a list of things I could donate or sell.

My biggest takeaway from the book was not that I need to cut down to a certain number of things, but rather that everything that I do and have need to add value to my life and lives of the people around me. It made me realize that minimalism isn’t just about stuff, it’s about how we spend our time and interact with the world around us.

While I was reading Everything That Remains, I wrote down a few quotes that really stood out for me (don’t worry, I won’t bore you with them all):

“We tend to hang on to things – jobs, relationships, material possessions – in an effort to feel secure. But many of the things we cling to in search of security actually drain the satisfaction from our lives, leaving us discontented and overwhelmed.”

“We stay in shitty relationships because we think there’s security in not being alone”

“Minimalism helped me realize that if I relinquish my need for expendable income, and adjust my lifestyle to revolve around experiences instead of material possessions, then I need much less money to live a fulfilled live.”

“My phone will be a tool, not an appendage.”

“Imagine creating more than you can consume.”

I’m still going to keep trying to get rid of the material items filling my space, but I’m also going to put a heavier focus on simplifying my life and on the things that truly add value to my life. I’m going to seek out more experiences and build deeper relationships. I’m going to make my creativity and my passions more important. I’m going to put a heavier focus on my writing and doing things that bring me happiness. And most importantly, I’m going to do my best to stay in the current moment and stop worrying about the past or the future.

My coworker and I have a bet. Whoever breaks and eats Halloween candy first owes the other person coffee (we know, we know, one vice for another).

The whole thing started a few weeks ago when the candy bowl appeared in the hallway at work. Out of nowhere. Just BAM, sugar-filled temptation. We turned avoiding the bowl into a competition out of mutual understanding of how enticing the candy could be (and the desire to win. always.).

While we have joked around (someone put candy on my desk to get me to crack first), it’s been easy this year. When I’ve tried to avoid Halloween candy in the past, it’s been a constant struggle for me. This time around I don’t have any candy lurking around my house, and I know I can make it through the whole month – I did it last year. Every day I don’t eat a piece I get more power to say no and the candy seems less enticing.

I’ve spent the past two years or so consciously limiting my sugar intake. I read Year of No Sugar and watched Fed Up. I’m acutely aware of what sugar does to the body and how it messes with the brain. And most powerfully, I know how I feel after I overload on sugar.

I won’t give in this year. Not tonight. Not for the rest of 2014.

This is a candy free zone.

I’ve been strict with myself lately on the “one thing in, one thing out” rule on my way to a more minimalist closet. I recently bought a (much needed) new shirt and a simple dress, and before I found either of them a home I went through and pulled out a few t-shirts and a jacket to donate.

Not only does the rule keep my drawers from overflowing, it also challenges me to really think if a purchase is worth it or not. Do I need it and like it enough to get rid of something I already have? If not, it stays in the store. I’ve been trying to match like items (new shirt in, old shirt out), but I settle for any similar item when I have to.

Two of the items that made their way into the donate bin

But the rule isn’t just for clothing. When a new magazine arrives each month I go through and recycle an old issue. Same goes for beauty products, although my “one thing out” has to be empty to get the boot. There isn’t much it doesn’t work on, except maybe roommates.

I have been on a mission to slowly pair down my possessions (especially my unused books and clothes), and I’m not alone. One of my coworkers and her roommates set aside this weekend to recreate “moving” with all of the cleaning, organizing, and clearing out unused stuff… only without actually having to pack everything up and move. The idea is genius! When I was moving twice a year in college, I was constantly sorting through my things and forcing myself to decide if I really wanted to take one more item with me again. Since I’ve been in one place for almost a full year, I think it might be time to do my own pretend moving.

Need some inspiration to cut back and live more simply? Check out writer and designer Graham Hill’s TED Talk on how having less stuff and less room lead to more happiness.

To get in the Earth Day spirit, check out my quick, easy tips to minimize your impacts today.

Looking to really get your hands dirty? Dive into my sustainability archives!

For the past few years I’ve been slightly obsessed with figuring out what I can get rid of, what I really need, and what makes my life better/ me happier in an attempt to balance living space, happiness, and stuff. While I had the house to myself last weekend I decided it was a brilliant time to sort through all of the book I was storing and make some tough decisions.

Due to a lack of a bookshelf (or the space to put one or the desire to have one) all of my books were shoved into a corner of my closet. Despite the fact that I usually read library books or an ebook, my love of reading has led me to amass way too many books over the years. When I was digging through them all I still had books from when I was in middle school.

The Big Purge

When I really thought about it I didn’t want to move these books, I never want a bookshelf that takes up space or collects dust, and most of these books I never (ever) want to read again (once was enough for the required summer reading). I made a box of books that had notes or highlighting to be donated (and hopefully make some high schooler very happy that they don’t have to bother writing down what Shakespeare was “really trying to say”), a box of books in good condition to be given to the library, and a box to potentially sell.

All in all I cut down my books by 90 percent. I saved 12 books I re-read almost yearly (and made a pact with myself that in a year or the next time I move I will get rid of the ones I hadn’t touched in a year). I also saved all of the books my mom gave me from when she was a child, including my namesake, Mandy.

I now have more room in my closet (that I have vowed not to fill with new things) and it feels great to know that instead of being hidden away, other people will get enjoyment out of all of them.

As the eastern half of the United States gets buried in snow, those of us in California are being told that we are facing a severe drought. While recent rains will help a bit, we are still seriously behind on the amount of water we need. In the face of one of the worst droughts in California in more than a century, it’s long-past time we got serious about saving water.

It’s true that every drop counts, especially when each drop is hard to come by. So in light of the drought, I’m stepping up my water saving tactics and trying to save as much water as I can.

What I’m doing to save water:

1. Turning off the water when I’m washing my hands. I know it’s a small change, but with flu season running rampant I wash my hands constantly and I try to suds for as long as possible. I have been making a conscious effort to turn on the water, rinse my hands, turn off the water, scrub with soap, turn on the water, rinse my hands, turn off the water. It makes a huge difference in the amount of time the water is actually running.

2. Likewise, leave the water off while I’m brushing my teeth.

3. Only wash full loads of laundry. It’s so tempting to do a quick load of laundry mid week with only a few things in it, but the less I do laundry, the more water I save. And since the largest carbon footprint of our clothing is not from manufacturing but from the water it takes to wash them over and over again, there are extra benefits to holding off. I also use a European front-loading washer that uses far less water than a conventional top-loading washer.

4. Opt for a shower instead of a bath, and make that shower fast. I’m aiming for seven minutes or less (which is huge for the queen of the 10-15 minute shower), and when I can, skip a shower. Showering less is actually good for you, but on days when I get really sweaty I take a quick shower where I don’t wash my hair.

5. Only run the dishwasher completely full and opt for the dishwasher over hand washing for appropriate items. You’ll use up to 35 percent less water than if you washed them by hand. When I do need to hand wash items, I use a bowl or the sink and fill it with soap and water instead of washing each item individually and running the tap.

6. Wash my clothes less frequently. While there are some items that need to be washed after every wear, my sweaters and jackets certainly don’t need to be. I also stretch how long I wear my pants before washing. Not only am I saving a significant amount of water, I’m also saving the time it takes to do the laundry and I’m making my clothes last longer.

7. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. Although it’s really most convenient and least difficult to explain when you have your own bathroom.

8. Avoid meat. Technically not a change in light of the drought since I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly a decade, but avoiding or decreasing meat drastically cuts water consumption. A pound of beef takes nearly 2,000 gallons of water to produce from growing the feed for the animal to the production and processing of the meat.

For more tips on how to cut your water consumption, check out this great list from National Geographic.

The rest here.