Drop me YOUR favorite way to use "less is more" and read the full blog post here: atozenlife.com/less-is-more/

My less’s , less TV , less processed foods , less talking , less debt and square footage in my smaller townhome , my mores , more reading and piano playing

Being more present with my kids and husband is one of my most important "less is more" practices. Once I decluttered stuff, I found room in my home, my heart, and my schedule for the things that matter most to me.

Funny story - I was in a beauty pageant as a teen and my on stage question was “less is more…what does this mean to you?” I said “ the less bikini you wear, the more attention you get.” 😀🤣 now I smile every time I hear it.

I'm so sorry that your "friend" was so unsupportive. Please know that you have thousands of "fam" out here who would be happy to help you move. You have already helped us move so many things in and our of out homes! Thank you, Marissa.

Less stuff makes us more agile in an uncertain world.

When my husband and I retired we moved from Long Island with huge taxes and moved to South Carolina.we sold our 4 bedroom home, and downsized to a brand new tinier home. We were able to pay cash, and we also decluttered and donated before the move. We have never been happier. Less is MORE for sure 😀

For me, having less hobby supplies meant I have more time to actually live. I can do hobbies now, instead of just being overwhelmed by the idea that I *should* be making use of all the supplies I bought. ❤

I have never thought your house looks empty. I’ve always thought it looked relaxation inducing.

This resonated deeply with me. All my life I’ve been a people pleaser and it really is exhausting. It explains so much about my environment too. I keep things because other people think I should without giving any thought to what’s best for me.

I find your husband's life story to be incredibly inspirational. Since learning about his backstory I find myself often thinking back to it when making lifestyle and purchasing decisions. His story combined with your own optimism and growth has been an incredible boon to my own minimalism and simple living journey. My partner and I are about to move into a house and as I've been packing and planning for our new space your "north star" advice has been the most useful tool. Thanks to you, and your husband, for sharing your life stories with us all. I hope you both know how meaningful and inspirational you both have been to so many of us.

Oh man! The "When people tell you who they are, do youself a favor and believe them" hit home! A so called friend of mine told me that he wasn't to be trusted. Naturally I took for granted that he was joking! He was NOT. I was being chased by an stalking ex and this "friend" gave him my number and new adress, giving me years of hell as a result. Afterwards I was so angry at myself for not listening to the dude saying he couldn't be trusted! How much clearer can it be!?

Less IS more! We're downsizing our home from 3600 square feet 5 bedroom to a 24 ft travel trailer. Getting rid of so much stuff. It's so freeing.

I love to decorate my house with seasonal curtains. A big curtain with a big x-mas-tree can make your room look festive and is stored in a very small space when not in season.

Thank you so much You and the minimalism/clutter free community on KZfaq have completely changed my life, my mindset especially. Sometimes i just walk through my house for no reason other than just to look at it. I never thought i would ever be happy to just look at my house and see hardly anything but im genuinely the most happy, most calm I've been in years So thank you I only stumbled on your channel like 2 weeks ago but something clicked so fast and im selling stuff on ebay, throwing things out, reading my bible, having quiet me time, eating better and sleeping better ??? I didn't think this could ever be me lol, Thank you so much I hope i can keep this up because i don't think I've been happy in 10 years, and im also actually SAVING MONEY 😭😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 i NEVER HAVE MONEY My mood tracker all year has been in the red right up until the end of April. GREEN FOR A WHOLE WEEK Y'ALL! Im doing a 30 day no spend challenge right now and it is difficult! But im trying my best

I saved money through the winter by withholding impulse purchases. This spring I bought with this money (200 euros) to buy a wide variety of fruit and berry trees. I believe this investment with be game changer in years to come. Thank you for inspiration 🙏♥️

Hi Marissa! My "less is more" is: smaller house, less stress. My husband and I chose a smaller house and mortgage, and the result is less stress and more money to save or spend on other things. Great video as always! 💖

I like enough furniture. Enough to suit our needs. Like a bookcase is a must have. One open cupboard for all the dishes. To have something to store the essentials is less is more and homely, organized but cozy.

Your origin story almost brought me to tears. What truth there is in joy of simplicity like your husbands village. Thank You

Wow - your “friend” and the sofa - unbelievable! Shifting house is a good example of friendship and very telling in whether it is reciprocated or not.

My favourite (and living) "less is more" ways are: (1) Less furniture - more space; (2) Less to do - more time for me Thank you for this video. I always enjoy seeing your nice home - and using what you have is exactly what I do as well. That's how my low (and only) cupboard also serves as my standing desk.

I have been downsizing for around 6 or so years and the time between me keeping something, then purging it from my life is getting less & less. I have brought countless truckloads to Goodwill, sold a lot of furniture, & thrown away old notes, papers, & pictures. It never seems to end! Ever since there was a big wild fire a few years ago, I have kept all my favorite things in boxes, ready to go in case of evacuation. Last year, I had them packed up in my vehicle as soon as I saw flames nearby & was able to get all my favorite things out. But this year came, I removed my things from my vehicle, and they're still sitting in boxes, along with a ton of other stuff. I went through & did yet another purge, but still had way more things than I imagined I'd want to keep. Lots of random things like stationary & many other things (barely used MAC makeup, toiletries, etc.) that can't be given to donation places, sentimental items that had no use, & a bunch of other random stuff. Even though all neatly packed away, I can feel its heaviness weighing me down, ALL THE TIME! I'm not even near the stuff! I know it exists, I know it will be trashed if a fire comes blazing through, & it gets in the way of my entertainment room. It's so stressful to me. After packing up all my fave things a few years ago, my house has a few pieces of nice furniture remaining, a couple of decorative things on the wall, and that's it, and that's closer to how I like it! As soon as I start putting things on shelves (I have a nice display cabinet), I feel stuffy & stressed, even if it's stuff I like. I am now planning on selling my antiques & display cabinet at some point since I realize I am just having them to fill space, but don't want to actually put anything in them, and am always worried they're going to get destroyed in the fires, broken, or scratched up. A waste of time! I walked into my garage yesterday, prepared to accept even getting rid of a small % of my items. Box after box (not my fave things boxes), I realized there was NOTHING in them I needed. The entire floor is covered in stuff that is going goodbye. Around 80% of all my things I no longer need or want to hold on to. I'm so done with "just in case" objects! I know how much I enjoy doing barely any cleaning compared to before since I have no more knickknacks on the shelves. I am looking so forward to having my garage back for entertainment purposes again, along with less stress & my life back! Less really is more. I am so excited after all these years, your videos (which are inspiring because you actually show emotion like a real human having to separate your feelings away from objects, instead of sounding like actress trying to sell something) have finally helped me "click" into place the feeling I needed to separate myself from countless unneeded objects. The biggest problem I have now is to find a place/someone to sell a ton of gentle used stationary to and actually have the energy for it. I have a lot of ADHD issues like executive dysfunction that make it hard to get anything done, let alone begin (one of the reasons why I haven't gotten rid of some of my stuff in the first place) & no one to help me. Hopefully, I can get past that hurdle easily. Good day!

I'm recovering People Pleaser too. I have so many stories of times I went way out of my way to help people I hardly knew. Once when my kids were little I offered to babysit for another mom I met at a play group so she could go out dancing. I had no idea she was planning on staying out ALL night. My kids and I had to sleep on a blanket on her living room floor. When she got home I thought she might offer to pay me, but no. Then weeks later I asked her to watch my kids for an hour so I could go to an appt, and she just told me she doesn't babysit. I'm much more careful with my time and energy now.

I must say that no other minimalist channel is as powerful as your channel. It's so real and all your information has really helped alot. Just when I think I've decluttered, and it's OK, you remind me that stuff can accumulate again, especially for me who has 3 young kids and I homeschool all of them. It's been 3 months, but I'm loving the improvements I've made so far! Pls keep on posting💐

The videos of your husband's childhood village had me in awe. It's so beautiful. And that stream! I'm in love.

I struggle with being a doormat too. It's crazy how such a small word (NO) is so hard to say. It's hard to say NO without apologizing and/or explaining, and I have to tell myself that I don't owe people anything, especially when it's always been one-sided. If NO is not enough for them, & they're angry/hurt/demanding reasons, or trying to change your mind, that's manipulation. I have to make myself mentally step back & look at the situation logically (not emotionally), to recognize manipulation and stand up for myself. I've had to distance myself from some people who made this a constant struggle. Distance is the only thing that seems to help for me.

I'm an interior designer and I appreciate you Marissa. I really like these stats on emotional and physical conditions that can manifest given a cluttered environment!

Fun fact: I discovered and applied the principle of less is more in music when writing songs and playing drums long before I actually started to declutter my physical possessions. Less is more in music meant to focus on the most important aspects of the song and scratching everything else and not to overplay. This makes the parts of the song you want people to focus on much more clear and enjoyable. Love your videos!

I have been on this journey for the last 6 years and now I am refinishing my basement and planning to downsize completely by moving there and renting my house, which will give me even more freedom. As an empty nester I cannot justify having an entire house to myself and hubby. I have always been attracted to the tiny house option and I am building a place that will feel exactly like that.

I have learned that lesson about believing what a person tells you about himself. Recently, a male friend who seemed to have been "breadcrumbing" me for several months said in a joking way "You really don't know the real me!" I was stunned for a minute and then I said "You are so good at hiding yourself from others that I am not even going to try!" And I haven't made any further effort to contact him.

Marissa. I love it when you tell the story of your husbands humble beginnings. It just feels my heart with so much joy. I do consider myself to be a minimalist even though we live in a big home. I'm a wife and mom to 2 teenage girls. I've instilled this minimalist lifestyle when they were very little The shear amount of toys sent me over the edge. It's been tough though, because the norm (for teenage girls) is to have a closet full of clothes (which I despise) and a cluttered room. Despite their friends saying our house is too clean and not "lived in", and a neighbor looking at me strangely as I shared I was into minimalism, I continue on this path. THIS lifestyle SHOULD be the norm. If only society would be still and listen to how we are being marketed to and stop trying to keep up and filling that void. Our planet is suffering! Our mental health is suffering! I still hold out hope that society will come around..... Leslie

Thanks for another great video. One thing minimalism does for me is that it releases me from unhealthy connections with possessions. Sometimes I have already released myself from the item, so it is easy to let go of it. Other times I have to let go of the item in order to be released from it. So fewer possessions means more freedom and health. My father hoards family items because he is still traumatized by his childhood. I think releasing clutter is part of the healing process. 🙏

Thanks for so many great points! My favorite "less is more" policy is to be more intentional about buying less, high-quality, ethically sourced products instead of more cheap stuff!

Less is more for me is "having less stuff" so I get more time for relaxing and I can play more with my daughter. Would also like to share that recently we were decluttering my daughters stuff who is 8 years old. At that point she was a little hesitant to let go a few of her things. Also in India ,by the time the videos are uploaded on this channel, it is almost sleeping time and yesterday night when this video was uploaded,my daughter was beside me watching the video with me. She was making me elaborate each point and explain each point in the video. And when the video ended, she said that now she understood why her room was decluttered and she now wants to declutter her stuff on a regular basis so that she gets more time and space to play her friends and with me.Thank you so much for this video. It was a really well explained video that even kids can understand it.

It's funny how friends only want to be around you when you're happy or you don't have any problems thanks for sharing Marissa.

not 100% on-topic but the first thing that came to my mind: "No" is a complete sentence.

Haha, I am a former doormat, would stop what I was doing and help anyone and everyone when they needed help then I learnt the magic of the word NO! .. I was friends with a woman for 10yrs, lost track of how many times I helped her move, clean, declutter, paint after she burnt the kitchen twice! baby sat her 2 month old baby 3 days a week from 8-5 for a month til she found a daycare and one day she popped in while I was painting my office, she stood and watched me the entire time, she literally lived 2 minute drive from my house and could have easily gone home to change and came back to help but NUP! ZILCHO! We're not friends anymore ... and I stopped helping people, unless they have proven to be true friends that arent just going to just take, she is just one example, I have many many more, my hubby is the same and if often hurt by people that use him but he has a hard time saying NO ... Less is more for me is saying NO and slowly working my way thru my house and simplifying, giving myself more time for the family and finding enjoyment in what we have like our pets and working on projects that we have put off for a long time ..

Whilst decluttering, I have changed from thoughts of ‘What can I get rid of?’ to ‘What do I need to live?’ which ends up being very little.

If everyone found contentment in what they have instead of always wanting more think how wonderful this world could be.❤️🙏 I never really was a big shopper or needed to have what everyone else has yet I still have accumulated so much over the years. Now that I’m older I just want a simple life. It’s so exhausting trying to look after a home filled with stuff. I am making a dent in my decluttering journey but as I’m older now and I have an autoimmune disease I find it much more difficult. I wish everyone could live a more simplified and contented life.❤️🙏

Open space in the home is calming.

Hi Marissa! Thank you so much for sharing your family and life! Before grocery shopping, I shop my fridge, freezer and pantry to create a new meal using up what I have before going to get the staple items to make the standard meals I'm used to. On most occasions these "creative meals" turn out better than I expect! And I too know the happiness and joy you saw thru your husband in China. My family is from a small mountain town in Italy and there was a time the water ran out at midday for conservation purposes and no heat. The fridge was tiny and not really used as we do now. Everything was prepared daily and stored in the cupboards for the most part. The chickens lived in coups by the house, the pigs not too far. Everyone had these little plots of land where things grew. There were wild herbs too, I used to be sent to go pick fennel by the cemetery because that's where it grew! And we would pick wild blackberries by the side of the road and make fresh jam for morning. Thanks for stoking the simple beautiful memories in my mind! Hugs, Rachele~

I love when you include photos from your past, in a way it makes me feel more connected to your story, even though the themes and emotions you describe in your videos are already virtually universal ❤️

My God.. you're suffered so much loss & yet, made it through & stronger. A warrior ❤‍🩹

Every time I watch your videos, it has a soothing effect on my mood. The quality of your content is truly impressive, a testament to your talent and wisdom! Today, when I saw you sharing your husband's story, it touched me deeply. To achieve such breakthroughs in such an environment requires exceptional talent. He is also incredibly fortunate to have you as his wife. I hope your channel continues to thrive, and may your family be filled with happiness and joy！

There is a Dutch saying that my boyfriend uses: 'Goedkoop is duurkoop', (translates to 'cheap is expensive'). It means that if you buy a cheap item, it can still be expensive if what you have bought is of poor quality and therefore quickly needs to be repaired or replaced. This expression is based on the idea that something cheap is _typically_ of lower quality than something more expensive.

I love the simplicity of your house, don’t worry what others say. They don’t live there. Love the open space

I really like how you have so much open space in your home. I could do with less furniture. The openness is appealing. One way we do less with more is not eating out. I enjoy cooking, and usually we enjoy more what I cook than when we eat out. It's also less expensive to eat in than to eat out. So, it allows us to save money.

You don't need anything more! Your apartment - Wohnung - is just perfect. I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and long life!

I am soooo happy to watch your husband"s smile... my husband grow up in a small village in India, they had nothing, but they were happier than now. After living in india for a while i have not a lot of stuff as well but i feel soooo rich 😍 , less material things is more rich life ❤️ i Love your vidéo as usual 🙏🏼

Yay for another video! I've been re-watching some of your others as I find them so helpful. Okay, my favourite 'less is more' has to be not over scheduling family activities. My kids have ADHD so I thought that by keeping them constantly on the go I was helping them expend some of their seemingly limitless energy. Now I know they need a lot of down time, as they also have autism and need time to process and unwind. Lesson learned!

wow the gray color of the sweater accentuates your eyes very well )

Many thanks for your video. I loved your husband smile when he sat under the frame picture. He looks so happy ☺️☺️☺️☺️ God Bless your family ❤️

I think your home is beautiful and has everything your family need to lead a happy and healthy life.

I can't imagine people commenting that your home needs more "things" in it. Kinda missing the point. I'm putting forth a concious effort to get to where you are. Thank you so much for sharing your story. You are such a help to me.

This video was simply too short. I wouldn't mind listening to for an hour straight. Being an emotional hoarder, now that I have my own family, your videos are slowly but surely helping me declutter. I'm never going to be a minimalist but I can at least live life with 50% less clutter.

In the process ofMinimizing: I realize I don’t need probably 1/2 the stuff I have & been giving it away to neighbors. Today, I gave my 2nd mirror to a neighbor, who needed it. I’m condensing & buying worthwhile stuff, & replacing the excess cheap stuff that just takes up space. .

I like that you said seemingly, your right!

Life can get so overcomplicated these days. I find it very challenging to slow down and just enjoy the little things in life. My kids have really helped me with this though.

I love the space in your house. I am trying to get rid of more stuff to make more room

I love your open spaces without all the clutter.

When people say "hang some art on your walls" they usually mean "buy some meaningless decorative thing and hang it". I cannot recommend that. It will not make you happy every time your eye wonders over it. Either have something that makes you smile, makes you remember, makes your heart fill with joy or have nothing. It does not have to be expensive, but it has to have meaning. There are so many artists out there making stuff all the time to a point we are out of walls in our homes. I can say I have sold paintings for as much as it costs to have a happy meal in that restaurant. Art is very important to me. I paint, draw and have been studying these things for the last 3 decades. It is like something I can't escape. I have lots of pictures hanging in my walls - stuff I made, things I got as gifts from artist friends, some I bought from friends and a few things I bought when I travel. Most pieces are originals - drawings, paintings, a few are original copies - engravings and such and only a tiny fraction are reproductions - like prints from dresses from the Victoria and Albert Museum. I am saying this not to humble brag, but to say that this is what art looks like for someone that does it, enjoys it and travels specifically for art viewing.

For me it's people. I love building a life with fewer people so that I can give them my all. I even made a video called, "Why I Have No Friends". I'm all about being very selective with my time 🙏❤

Very moving🥰 Beautiful place and beautiful people

Your husband lived in a beautiful place, so I understand why he smiled. I live a simple life. My gardening feeds my soul. Birds chirping is better than the noises of humans. Lol

Less furniture. One thing I've done for my bedroom is getting one versatile piece for the tv, books, socks etc. and there's enough surface space to double as a desk. Whatever does not fit does not belong.

Less is definitely definitely more! I started with decluttering kids toys 4.5 years ago and ended up getting rid of 80-90% of their toys. It was such a positive impact in my life that I started applying decluttering to other areas and wow what a transformation. We are definitely living in complete excess and gluttony in the US compared to other countries. It's unreal. Great reminder that the simple things are the most important things and the most important things aren't actually things at all. 🍍

I have minimal clothing, and I love it that way. I have no problem deciding what to wear, and, yes, my laundry is a much easier job.

I love your living space. It has both open space and coziness, feels calm but not stagnant. It takes a lot of intention to get the right tone.

what a beautiful story about your trip to China.

Beautiful video. We've all been there - trying to help - but getting used. So glad he's not the one you ended up with. Beautiful pictures of your visit to China too! I hope your husband's family in China are well outside of all the turmoil in the big cities.

When living in poverty, the manners and mentality around it is more important. I grew up very poor but my parents were miserable about it and that was carried by young me into adult me making me a bit of a hoarder until last year when i did a 180 after watching minimalism videos for another 6 months

What a wonderful video ❤️. It spoke so loudly to me as I’m drained everyday due to try to keep my house nice/ safe. I have 3 kids so I’m always standing on toys and the mess stresses me out. I’ve decluttered so much over the last 3 years but don’t feel done. I’m a single mum in the UK so it can be hard to find the energy/ time . Thank you for making me realise I need to keep going until I feel more peace . I showed my 8 year old the beginning part of your video the bit about your husband as that was so motivating xx

I was inspired by Frugal February. I tried something else - I did a 3 day Mobile Phone Freeze (a Phone Fast/Phone Detox). It was great to buy back some extra time over Easter while I didn't need to check I for work.

Hi there! This is my very first comment on KZfaq and yours was the very first channel I ever subscribed to. I'm not a huge fan of social media but I have been an avid follower of your channel for more than a year. I've been too shy to ever leave a comment but I feel compelled to tell you I love your channel, your philosophy in life and admire you for your courage and outlook in life. You have a beautiful home and family. Thank you for sharing your experiences and life story. I find them inspirational. All the way from South Africa, I send you the very best wishes. Mel

your husbands story is very inspirational. It is so true that many of us have too much stuff and still not happy. I also hear you about giving too often and at the detriment of self. I have done this too many times and just starting to learn to say no more often.

I was inspired by your minimalist, intentional decor and sold things that I owned because they filled the space and I didn’t use or love. I thought I’d be missing them and not like the empty space. But I love it.

*Děkujeme.* 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

My husband and I decided to buy a smaller house than what we could afford. (Our house is still big and we know we are very lucky people) What I mean is that we don’t have extra space or rooms we barely use. I like that the mortage is lower, the upkeed such as cleaning is easier… and we spend a lot of time together, child and parents, in the same rooms :)

I implement it with decor. You can appreciate individual items when they can 'occupy their own space' and be enjoyed in an uncluttered way. I agree that having outdoor furniture that can double as indoor furniture is a brilliant idea. I did a colour and shape lesson years ago so i always operate a capsule wardrobe. I only like to cook about 10 types of good quality protein do I just rotate these ad lib, pairing them with quickly cooked veg. G Ire

Like you I have no more my parents and this makes more difficult the process … every thing I own remember me a piece of my life with them. Declutter the items of my parents is a lot more difficult than mine.

Definitely stargaze!!! Especially with kids. Some good music and beer or hot chocolate for kids can make a great evening so entertaining.

Sending prayers and virtual hugs for your friends and family in Shanghai and countryside this Easter. 🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷🌱🌷 In my life, I learned "Less is More" as an architectural/furniture design expression of the modernist movement attributed to several Baucus students. Partially rebelling against Breaux Arts, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco design styles which rely on applied decorative elements; Modernism embraces the omission of non-functional applied decorations in favor of refining the functional form of space and objects and also embraces the newest advances in building and manufacturing technologies in order to achieve the most beautiful simplified forms. Eliminating applied decoration and minimizing visual clutter or visual noise of elements that detract detract from or compete with the essential form of an object or space was highly valued. For example, the new technology for bending chrome tubing allowed development of cantilevered chairs formed from one continuous chrome tube with added seats and backs with as few exposed fasteners as possible. Steam bending and then ply-gluing wood bent in one direction then later in two directions allowed the creation of very beautiful furniture with less overt attachment devises. Even later, fiberglass forms and injection molded plastics technologies allowed for less pieces for more function. Your dining room chairs are great examples of a one piece seat on a basic leg frame that is extremely beautiful and functional. The modernist "Less is More" applies to the architectural space as well as how we put things in a space. So, if you put too many things in a space that creates a lot of lines, or shapes or layers; that visual competition can be uncomfortable or at least "less preferable " for a lot of people. When people enter a space, most are more comfortable if they can easily see what they are supposed to notice first and their attention has time to adjust and see and register all the shapes, colors, textures and the more cognitive process of understanding what items are and how they are intended to interact with that environment. Again, your chairs are a good example. It is easy to take in the beautiful form, color and texture of your chair because the solid wall behind the chairs allows you to see the form of the chair without your brain having to visually separate the chair from a busy pattern. More dramatically, the absence of jackets over the chair backs, colorful objects at varying angles all over the table, etc. also allows a guest to see and appreciate the beauty of the chairs. So, the way you have arranged the objects (furniture as art and art objects) in your space allows the viewer to see not only the objects but also the space a round the objects in harmony. WELL DONE! Position of objects in relationship to each other is worth planning intentionally too. Lines of sight are important, e.g., what you see on a wall from the entrance or at the end of a hall. The comfortable visual field of room occupants is a consideration for how high you hang pictures. For example pictures viewed by people standing in a hallway would be hung higher than pictures viewed by people seated on a low sofa. And lighting has a lot to do with how you direct visual attention in your space. You have exactly the right amount of decoration for your home. A good exercise is to go to an art museum and notice how restrained their displays are and how they light the art. A more practical example might be to observe the room displays at Ikea. They are very talented at lighting although the visual fields are very saturated because they are selling product. Although this reminds me how uncomfortable I feel in someone's home when they put out so much Christmas decorations that their horizontal surfaces look like retail display shelves and tables.

I downsized my clothes to 1 4 drawer dresser..both my winter and summer clothes fit in it. Makes getting dressed so easy..and I love each piece😊 I also downsized the kitchen to just what we need on any given day...so freeing and I love all the empty space I have.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This one because it reminds me the LESS we own, the MORE we can spend time together as a family! It's been six years since I have approached a more minimalistic lifestyle, and I have to say the last couple of years, I felt the swift from frantically cleaning all of the time to spending more time with family and enjoying the small moments of life!

I can relate! My husband is from India and I am there as happy as I can because of the focus on joy from simple life.

Thank you for making this kind of content ❤

Clutter can increase corisol. A study by UCLA. OMG! that's my school. It is so exciting to hear it mentioned in your channel, Marissa.

I think it's absolutely 💯 % wonderful that you have so much space. That is truly a awesome thing. I think your home is just right. I've been working on minimalizing my home since the summer/fall of 2018 and while I'm not perfect at it and I still feel I have more to go, I'm grateful and content that im on the right path and I know that its a day to day thing. Working on my home. Thank you for sharing and letting us learn from you.

I get the same opinions on my house style. I’ve always been a natural minimalist. My parents literally tried to make me paint my teenage bedroom an obnoxious colour or hang trendy posters. From a interior design aspect I like the negative space around items (eg. the matte around a beautiful piece of art) and how light bounces off the room throughout the day. I think the character in your German apartment had a lovely feel but it’s not as attractive in the modern Canadian suburban home.

I love the amount of furniture you have in your space! I don't have much either as it feels cluttery ! I too prefer lots of open space!

I really enjoy your videos. The images of your husband's village and his smiling face was a joy to see and gave me food for thought. One area where I think "less is more" is music in the background of these types of videos. Sometimes I find myself distracted by the barely discernible noise, and I'l turn off the video sound to see if it's coming from somewhere else! I love listening to music but not if it's just noise in the background. Just a thought...

Thanks a lot. Now I need a glitter filled timer😁😁😁

That looks like such a wholesome trip

One major memory that stands out to me is a week at family church camp. My parents and I shared one room. I didn’t have toys, or a TV or radio. I had my bike and human interaction. I remember being bored and annoyed at first. But I quickly looked forward to prayer group, meals in the huge cafeteria, and the chores we were all assigned. Everyone worked together and spent the whole week without outside distractions. And I remember when the week was over. All of us cried, we didn’t want to leave. It was the first time that my family had spent so much time together without disruptions. That memory has helped me in my minimalism journey. Especially as a parent myself. I often have felt guilt for not giving our son all of the things other kids have. But that childhood memory has forever given me the meaning of “less is more”. The less we have the more meaningful interactions we can have. With less stuff to clean and manage the more I can spend time focusing on my son. The fewer toys he has the more focused his play is. And at 3 and younger he’s been able to clean up after himself. Having a few toys and on rotations has allowed him to build confidence that he can pick them up and put them away himself. I long for a more simple life with less stuff, less electronics, less distractions, and more meaningful time well spent.

Thanks for sharing good things.

I have no idea how to do less is more without giving up the hobbies i love. Homesteading, canning, gardening, making and creating things i use.

I hope you left that "friend" on the corner with his couch. Would have been fun to see him figure that out ! 🤣 Just found your channel and I'm really enjoying it - thanks for all you do! I love Berlin and seeing it on your channel gives me joy !

Less comparison and more connection. I totally agree

I had a cycle which I had promised my mom that I'd use it to lose weight.. But when I got into college because of my schedule I couldn't use it... I didn't go cycling and even after college finished I still couldn't use it because its wheels had gone flat... My househelp wanted to buy the cycle for her son because he was going to start school but because of guilt I couldn't give it up.. I promised again that I'd use it... But a year went by I didn't use it except only once during the pandemic... And during that time I had started watching minimalism videos... And I realized that the cycle is only giving me guilt and not doing any good... So, after refusing for a year I finally moved on from the idea of it or my fantasy self... I gave the cycle to my house help... I didn't even charge anything, Im not living in guilt anymore... 😊

I watch this video many times..I think that this video is one of the best stories about less is more♥️