MINDFUL

Minimalism as a lifestyle.
Issue N o 1
1

MINDFUL is a monthly magazine about a
minimalist lifestyle. It is a popular magazine
explores the topic of minimalism and
engages people to reflect on all aspects of
their life, such as soul, home, food, clothes,
skincare apps, and garden, and more. This
magazine is about living with less stress, less
stuff, and more purpose.
Issue one features many articles showcasing
different aspects of minimalist lifestyles,
from recipes for food and homemade goods,
to illuminating interviews with some great
leaders in minimalist trends.
Come with us for an inside look as number
one minimalist author Joshua Fields Millburn
takes us on a tour of his home and gives a
behind-the-scenes look at how he lives every
day with a minimalist clarity.
We’ve also got a prominent article from the
talented blogger Brian Gardner with some
tips on how to reduce the clutter and chaos
in your life and pursue simplicity.
And for all you hardcore minimalists out
there, we’ve also got a great piece on how to
accomplish a no-furniture lifestyle, popularize
by the ever-creative Youheum Son.
Valeriia Borodina
Chief-Editor of MINDFUL
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Issue N o 1
5
MINIMALISM:
A HAPPIER WAY TO LIVE
Brian Gardner
7
5 ESSENTIAL APPS
FOR MINIMALISTS
Daine Mawer
8
TOUR MY MINIMALIST
APARTMENT
Joshua Fields Millburn
12
1-POT CHICKPEA
TOMATO PEANUT STEW
17
HOW LIVING WITH LESS
CAN GIVE YOU MORE
Melissa Balmain
22
FURNITURE-FREE
EXTREME MINIMALISM
Youheum Son
26
HOW TO RECYCLE HOME
GOODS & ELECTRONICS
Katherine Oakes Englishman
30
NATURAL
DEODORANTFOR MEN
Katie Wells
40
DIGITAL MINIMALISM 101
HOW TO FIND FOCUS AND
CALM BY BECOMING A DIGITAL
MINIMALIST
Jory MacKay
46
HOW TO DESIGN
A MINIMALIST GARDEN
Jennifer Fernandez
34
HOW TO START A
ZERO WASTE LIFESTYLE
Kate Good
4 5

MINIMALISM: A HAPPIER WAY TO LIVE
Brian Gardner
Minimalism seems to be a buzzword lately in fashion, in design, on the web, even in
homedecor. More and more we’re seeing, both in word and in action, that less is more.
Simple is better. But is minimalism here to stay?
Francine Jay
As we begin to answer this question, it feels
important to mention that minimalism has been
around for centuries. This is not a new concept,
although it’s been popularized by a generation of
people who have lived through economically lean
times.
They’ve learned, as they’ve had to, to reuse
and recycle, to do the best they can with what
they have, to focus on sustainability, and to live
without the luxury and extravagance of previous
generations.
So, if we’re asking if minimalism is a “trend,” the
answer is: sort of.
My journey with minimalism began a few years
ago when I started realizing how the clutter in my
life my schedule, my mind and even my home
was making me feel less than happy with my
circumstances.
I was not lacking resources. Quite the opposite,
actually. I had all the building blocks of a great
life. Still I felt a lack of focus I could not quite
explain, a dissatisfaction that did not make sense
in light of my surroundings and a heaviness in my
soul. So I started to get rid of some stuff.
For me this wasn’t as much about throwing out
a bunch of physical possessions as it was about
minimizing my schedule, getting clear about my
priorities, and being really clear about who I was
and what I wanted out of life.And for me, since
I’m a designer, one of the main ways this materialized
was in the way I design websites. I started
to see how many of the elements I had been
including for so long especially sidebars were
really unnecessary.
In fact, this is how the idea for this website,
No Sidebar, came along. I found myself asking
the question: do we really need sidebars?
And when I ask that question, I’m not just talking
about literal sidebars. I’m talking about the
metaphorical “sidebars” in our life the things we
keep around because everyone else has them but
clutter up function and design.
At the end of the day, I realized: minimalism
doesn’t have to be about living in a tiny house
with only a few t-shirts in your closet. Minimalism
is about paring down and focusing on what really
matters. We can interpret that in whatever way
we want. And in that way, I would say, minimalism
is here to stay.Because once you’ve experienced
the inherent benefits of living with less clutter,
you would have no reason to go back. You’ll
realize your clutter your sidebar, all those extra
activities, even the mess in your closet were just
getting in your way. So say what you will about
minimalism, but it’s not going anywhere anytime
soon. The trends in fashion may fade, the design
tides may turn but the effects of minimalism have
changed all those who have experienced it. If
you’ve yet to experiment with minimalism or even
if you have consider some new ways this age-old
concept could impact your life for the better.
7

No Sidebar: At Work
It’s no surprise the environment of your office
space could improve your workflow and productivity.
Check out these tips for maximizing your
work, both creatively and professionally. And
if you’re the kind of person who needs a little
inspiration to see what a pared-down workplace
could look like, you’re in luck. This CEO shareshis
secrets for getting his workspace clear, decluttered
and down to the bare minimum.
No Sidebar: At Home
One of the more practical ways minimalism can
play out in our lives is simply this: pairing down
our wardrobe. But before you worry to yourself a
minimalist wardrobe would be too boring, check
out Erin Loechner, who made the most of her 25
items.
And if living life with less clothing doesn’t seem so
appealing to you, maybe this will. Minimalism in
the kitchen.
That’s right, our friend The Minimalism Baker
shares her recipes you can make with one bowl,
10 ingredients or in 30 minutes or less.
Overall, minimalism is changing the way many of
us see the space in our homes. Less is more. Just
because you have a tiny space doesn’t mean it
can’t look great.
One of the most powerful things minimalism can
do is help us to focus our energies and attentions,
so that we feel more centered and calm, happier
and more productive. This has less to do with
decluttering our workspace and more to do with
decluttering our minds.
The most difficult part of all of this is there are all
kinds of mental and emotional clutter and you
won’t be able to get rid of it all at once. Just like
“spring cleaning,” this will have to be a habit you
cultivate over years.
The philosophy is modeled after Becoming Minimalist.
We want to help you turn down the noise
that disrupts the quiet of your heart and soul.
There is no better day than today to get started.
You won’t regret it. I promise.
Minimalism, I suppose, does not change our skills
or talents. But it does open up opportunity to
pursue them in ways we hadn’t imagined before.
In the process, it may unearth hidden talents and
passions we never knew existed before. Writing,
is the best example in my life.
This fuels even more passion for living.
5 ESSENTIAL APPS FOR
MINIMALISTS
Daine Mawer
I’m always on the lookout for apps that can
simplify my life. It’s unfortunate that the majority
of the ones I download never live up to my
expectation.
IFTTT FOR IOS
I’m a big fan of automation when it works out and
isn’t clunky. IFTTT does a great job of tying together
everyday tasks to save you micro-chunks of time. It
allows you to create recipes for popular apps that
can’t speak to each other by default. The world is
your oyster here.
BEAR FOR IOS
Bear is a note-taking app that uses #hashtags to
categorize and file notes. Bear’s design is clean and
minimal while encouraging focus and organization.
It’s mostly a minimal Evernote, without all the clutter.
It comes with a Mac App as well and uses iCloud to
sync notes. If you’re a fan of Markdown, you’ll want
to download Bear immediately.
CALM
Calm has come a long way since its initial release. It
is clean, easy to navigate, and packed with features.
Coupled with a pair of noise-canceling headphones
(I use the AKG N60NC), Calm is your best friend. After
a busy day at the office or life in general, Calm helps
me get back some of the zen I lose each day. Calms’
latest feature, Sleep Stories, is my favorite. Think of
it as adult bedtime stories. It puts you to sleep like a
baby. Well worth a try.
REVOLUT
One of the latest additions to mobile, global banking.
Revolut has fast become my favorite finance
app. Revolut is a cross-border, multi-currency bank.
It essentially creates a bank account for you in the
country of origin for the currency you choose. I
travel to the US and UK a lot, and Revolut has proved
itself invaluable. You can even get a physical card
delivered to your residential address. I use Revolut
for all online payments, and transferring currency is
a breeze. The card has a smart location feature, as
well. This means it will spend the appropriate currency
in the appropriate location. Easy as pie.
APPLE NEWS
I don’t often mention factory apps in my reviews,
but I am overly impressed with Apple News. Its
intelligence is evident, and it’s rare for me to have to
manually search for news anymore. The app is simple
and decluttered. Its native integration with iOS
makes it an easy choice over Google News or CNN /
BBC. In fact, it’s the only app that I allow to send Push
Notifications. That must be saying something.
I’m interested in hearing your experiences with the
apps suggested above. I’m also always on the lookout
for new and shiny apps to add to my collection.
8 9

TOUR MY MINIMALIST APARTMENT
Joshua Fields Millburn
Step inside my apartment for a moment. Welcome.
I’m glad you could spend a few minutes chez
Millburn. Please pardon the mess. I am just kidding.
Anyhow, walk this way, watch your step, I’ll show
you around.
People are often intrigued by my living space, or
rather by the idea of my living space, wondering
what it looks like, how a minimalist lives, often
posing all sorts of voyeuristic questions: How many
things do you own? What does your living room look
like? Do you sleep on the floor?
But that’s okay I understand the allure. When I first
approached minimalism, lingering trepidatiously
at its pristine white perimeter, I, too, wanted to see
the material changes in people’s lives; I wanted
to peek into their worlds to see whether minimalism
was possible and to see if it was something I
desired. Even then, I knew minimalism wasn’t ideal
for everyone. After all, I didn’t want to be a monk, I
didn’t want to live out of a bag and travel the world,
and I certainly didn’t want to get rid of all my stuff
and sulk in an empty apartment. Could I be happy
as a minimalist?
When Ryan and I first started this website, I counted
my things as a parody, showcasing the fact that I
didn’t have the desire to be as extreme as some
minimalists. In that essay, you can see a picture of
my beautiful loft apartment in downtown Dayton,
Ohio, a capacious living space with hardwood floors
and high ceilings, wide open and airy from brick wall
to brick wall. It was not unlike something you’d see
in a magazine (actually, it was featured in a couple
magazines).
When I left my corporate job; however, I decided
to downsize; I decided to reduce my expenses so
I could afford to live my dream. So I moved into a
small, one-bedroom apartment, not too far from
the picturesque old loft.
At first, I wondered whether I could be as happy
with my new apartment. Although the new place
was clean, and it had wood floors and brick walls, it
didn’t have the same “sexy” allure the loft had. Even
the word “loft” sounds sexy, doesn’t it? Could I be
content with this change? I wasn’t sure.
Fast-forward a year and, truth be told, I enjoy my
new, smaller apartment more than my old loft a
feat I thought impossible a year ago. The elegance
of minimalism transferred seamlessly to my new
dwelling. Plus, my new apartment is brighter during
the day, it’s quieter when I want to write, it is
located in a nicer neighborhood with 19th-Century
brick homes and tree-lined streets and a beautiful
park, and it’s closer to my favorite coffee shop and
restaurants. Oh, and at $500 a month, it’s considerably
less expensive than the loft.
Recently, a Norwegian magazine commissioned
my friend, photographer Adam Dressler, to take a
few photographs of my apartment for their organ.
Below are some of the photos from that shoot
(if you’re curious). Feel free to have a look around.
Entryway
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk inside the
apartment is its small entryway (if the apartment
was larger, you might call it a foyer), containing a
wall-mounted coatrack that holds a jacket, an umbrella,
and a wool hat (courtesy of She Makes Hats).
And just ahead, you’ll find a red chair.
Walk up a flight of stairs (I’m not always perched
on the bottom step laughing), and at the top of the
steps, you’ll see a small table topped with a bowl
containing a few of the personal effects I take along
on my daily walks. There’s also an unplugged red
phone occupying the bottom shelf, a phone that
represents my personal unplugging from the telecom
industry (where I spent 12 years). Above this stand
Joshua Fields Millburn
10 11

hangs a leather coat on the wall, a piece of clothing
that’s also (accidentally) a piece of artwork when I’m
not wearing it.
Living/Dining Area & Kitchen
From there, the majority of the apartment dining/
living area, kitchen, reading nook are all contained
in one bright, open space.
My dining table comfortably seats six (yes, I have
the silverware to feed six, too). It’s also a great place
to work with a friend.
Near the dining table sits a tiny reading nook in
which I spend many hours, though I’m typically not
gazing out the window contemplatively (pictured),
although I do do that from time to time:
Whenever I want to “think without thinking,” as
the main character does in my novel, As a Decade
Fades, I pick up the guitar a play a few chords,
searching the room’s empty spaces for euphony (I’m
a surprisingly bad guitar player).
Between the dining area and the kitchen, sits a
dividing wall/bar that serves as a casual eating
surface.
After getting rid of 2,000 books, only a few remain.
Where some people might shelve their cookbooks
in the kitchen, I stack my writing books, a few of
which are required reading in the online writing
class I teach.
The kitchen cabinets hide everything unsightly from
plain view, especially my vast assortment of herbal
teas, not to mention the dish soap and (tucked away
in the back) a nearly magical masticating juicer.
Bedroom & Writing Space
A small hallway leads you to the bedroom, in which
of course you’ll find a bed, as well as a nearby writing
space, which allows me to roll out of bed at 3:30
a.m. and write.
The nightstand next to the bed bears a because of
candles and a phone charger that doubles as an
alarm clock my only watch, in fact.
The nearby dresser supports a lamp, a candle, and
an incredibly complex stereo system (iPod doc).
And its drawers even accommodate a handful of
teeshirts.
Bedroom Closet
The bedroom closet carries the rest of my clothes
and a few iron weights for my 18 minutes of daily
exercise.
“The things you own end up owning you.”
“Success = Happiness + Constant Improvement”
make your way down the stairs, you can peek inside
the bathroom and get a glimpse of the guest towels.
Clearly, the above pictures don’t represent every
single item in my apartment, although that is nearly
everything. The studio obviously has a toilet and a
fridge and a shower. I also display digitally framed
pictures on a shelf next to the writing books; cleaning
supplies are lined neatly in a hallway closet next to
an iron and ironing board, and even a washer and
dryer are tucked away behind a sliding door in the
bedroom. Plus I own other things not pictured, like,
say, for example, a car and a single suit and a drawer
of socks and underwear and a travel bag.
That said, my needs will change in time, and thus
what I own will change, but I’ll continue to embrace
minimalism as a way of living because the benefits
are astounding (namely: intentional living, personal
freedom, deeper awareness, improved relationships,
individual growth, and meaningful contribution).
There are plenty of fringe benefits from living my
minimalist lifestyle, too, many of which I never
anticipated. For example, I used to spend eight
hours at a time cleaning my big, three-bedroom
suburban house, vacuuming and mopping the
floors, dusting every surface and curiosity; but my
current apartment takes less than 45 minutes to
clean, including scrubbing the bathroom. I didn’t
have to “tidy up” before Adam took these phots.
Seriously. This is what my place looks like every day.
I remember the old days when I’d spend an entire
weekend organizing junk, separating miscellanea
into various organizing bins, using a complex
item-dispersal system to separate my hoard, but
now it’s easy to remain organized since I don’t own
much to organize in the first place. Instead, I have
discovered that it is much easier to get rid of
something than it is to clean or hold it. Empty spaces
allow us to focus on ourselves and the people
around us to find ourselves in spareness not in the
things we’re continually trying to take care of.
The biggest fringe benefit, however, is the calm I
feel when I return home. No longer am I worried
about the wall-to-wall disorder. No longer am I
bothered by the organized chaos. No longer am I
discontent with my surroundings. My simple living
space is calm, relaxed, serene.
Damn, it feels good to come home.
Oh, you have to go? Bummer! Well, before you
12 13

1-POT CHICKPEA TOMATO
PEANUT STEW
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
25 minutes
TOTAL TIME
35 minutes
A thick, creamy, dairy-free soup inspired by
African Peanut Stew. This simple version is made with
chickpeas, tomatoes, and peanut butter all in 1 pot!
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp coconut, olive, or avocado oil (if avoiding oil, sub water)
• 1 medium red or white onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (seeds and stems removed)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (6 cloves yield ~3 Tbsp or 18 g)
• 1 large pinch sea salt
• 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 /2 cup tomato paste
• 2-4 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 cup natural, salted peanut or almond butter
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water, depending on desired thickness
14 15

For Serving (optional)
Cauliflower Rice, Rice, or Quinoa
Fresh lime juice / lime wedges
Naan or pita
Cilantro or basil
Instructions
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot,
add oil (or water), onion, red pepper, garlic, and a
large pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring
frequently or until peppers and onions are softened.
2. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), tomato paste,
chili garlic sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk, and
(rinsed, drained) chickpeas. Stir to combine. Add
water to desired thickness about 2 cups (480 ml as
original recipe is written).
3. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat, and continue
cooking until slightly thickened and fragrant about
15-20 minutes. Turn the heat down if it’s boiling
you’re looking for a low simmer.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding salt
to taste, additional peanut butter for depth of flavor
and creaminess, chili garlic sauce for heat, or tomato
paste for tomato flavor.
5. Serve as a stew, over rice, or with naan or pita. For a
lighter option, serve over cauliflower rice or a bed of
raw or steamed broccoli (which happens to be our
favorite). Basil and cilantro are delicious finishing
touches.
6. Store cooled leftovers covered in the refrigerator up
to 3-4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat
in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding more
water or coconut milk to thin as needed.
16 17

HOW LIVING WITH LESS
CAN GIVE YOU MORE
Melissa Balmain
Less is More.
https://humanhome.com
Who owns just five pairs of lingerie?
Three chairs? Two forks, one necklace,
and zero televisions?
If your answer involves the words Amish or monk,
think again. Over the past few years, thousands
of men and women non-Amish, non-monastic
have embraced such Spartan ways. Unlike people
forced by layoffs or other misfortunes to scale
back, they’ve done so by choice.
With such epiphanies in mind, Becker and his
frugal peers have launched a movement that
many call the New Minimalism. They’re purging
not just possessions, but, in Becker’s words,
“anything that distracts me from the things I most
value.” For some, this means not Facebooking
after dinner or binge-watching House of Cards.
For others, it’s resisting the siren call of eBay.
Though the particulars are modern, the ideas are
hardly new. “Almost every respected religious
leader from the beginning of time has been
talking about this, calling on us to stop focusing
on physical possessions and focus on spiritual
things, love and hope and peace,” Becker says.
Minimalist groups have sprung up throughout
history the Epicureans of ancient Greece, for
instance, and admirers
“Their belief: For every object, square of Henry David
foot or convenience they give up, Thoreau at the turn of
they’re gaining something far better.”
the 20th century.
Today minimalists
name a host of reasons for simplicity’s resurgence,
including climate change, economic anxiety, a
search for spirituality, and inventions like the
Kindle that make it easier to own fewer objects.
The new minimalists are drawing millions of
readers to blogs about lean living. They’re joining
online groups like “Use everything and waste
nothing!” (nearly 7,000 members) and “Freecycle
New York City” (more than 56,000 members).
They’re quoting Wordsworth and Thoreau.
They’re bringing back the Murphy bed.
And they’re discovering that, all in all, streamlining
your life is easier than you might expect. “You
don’t have to downsize dramatically like we did
to live more simply,” says Tammy Strobel (on
the left), who moved with her husband from a
1,200-square-foot apartment to a 128-square-foot
house in California. “Just be thoughtful. If you can
look at the big picture, the simple lifestyle will
emerge from that.”
That picture and lifestyle will vary from person
to person, Becker notes: “You talk to different
minimalists, you discover that people are free to
pursue whatever it is they want to pursue.”
Family and Flexibility
Back in 2007, Strobel’s job in investment management
made her feel like a drone. “I was working
like 10 hours a day and commuting two hours a
day,” she says. “I wasn’t getting enough exercise,
and to cope with stress I was shopping more,
drinking more. So my husband and I started
talking about ways we could downsize our live is
not only for me to shift careers, but also to pay
down debt, get healthier, and be there for friends
and family members.” Over the next five years,
Strobel and her husband, Logan Smith, thinned
out their belongings. They moved to smaller and
smaller spaces in Oregon and then wound up
near Yreka, Calif., in the 128-square-footer they
call the Tiny House. Designed for them, it has
a sleeping loft, kitchen, half-bathroom with a
18 19

A few years ago, Tammy Strobe and her husband exchanged their normal-class
lifestyle for life in a 128-square-foot house
composting toilet, and an outdoor shower all for
$33,000, what many people spend on a car.
The more Strobel downsized, she found, the
more her life improved. On the relatively minor
end, there’s been much less cleaning to do. “I
don’t miss having to vacuum all the time,” she
says. “And even when everything in our closet is
dirty, we can get it done in two to three loads.”
On the major end, Strobel’s expenses shrank
enough for her to switch to lower-paying jobs in
social services and then finally to writing, teaching
and photography. After her father had a
stroke, she had the flexibility to shuttle between
Oregon and California to care for him. “I would
not have been able to do that if I were still in
the investment management industry,” she says.
“Just to have that opportunity to help care for my
dad and to be with him as he died. It was really
hard, but it was also a gift.”
Other gifts of simpler living: having time for
gardening, hiking and traveling; playing with cats
Christie and Elaina; and feeling a lot healthier and
happier overall.
“I’ve tried to make a shift to just paying attention
to what my body needs in terms of rest and
exercise,” she says. “I’m eating better. I’m not
drinking a bottle of wine like I was when I was
really stressed-out. I also think that living simply
has helped me bounce back from really tough
circumstances, particularly my dad’s illness and
the grief I experienced after his death. If I were
still working in investment management, I would
have had the tendency to want to numb all the
negative feelings” with alcohol or shopping, she
says. “I’m just really aware of how I’m conducting
myself in the world.”
Change and Confidence
On the surface, Mary Carlomagno’s life 10 years
ago was peachy. She had money. She had a good
job as a marketing executive. She had plenty
of friends. Even so, she knew something was
missing. “I was living a very privileged life, but I
wasn’t happy,” Carlomagno says. How come? As
Carlomagno recalls in her memoir Give It Up!: My
Year of Learning to Live Better with Less, she was
“literally hit over the head” by a clue: an “avalanche
of designer shoeboxes” that fell from her
closet one morning.
She realized her problem was mindless consumption.
“I wasn’t changing anything in my life,
just going on day after day Oh, I’ll have another
double latte and another martini and buy another
pair of shoes,” she says now. “I was just adding
all these things on that didn’t necessarily have
a lot of meaning. I decided to start giving more
thought to what I was doing.”
Each month for a year, Carlomagno curbed or
cut something she saw as a personal weakness
or vice from recreational shopping, restaurant
meals and taxis, to coffee, chocolate and booze.
In almost every case, she discovered new talents
and strengths (making risotto, resisting peer
pressure to drink) and ways of enjoying life
(reading poetry, navigating Manhattan on foot).
“What I learned was not only could I live without
a lot of things and be happier and more fulfilled,
but also I could make a change instead of just
accepting things,” she says. “And change kind of
begets changes. So for me, just giving up chocolate
or questioning that third cup of coffee led to
revolutionary change in my life changing careers,
starting to write, moving apartments, realizing
this man I was with was the one I should marry.”
“I learned that many of the things I thought were
making me happy didn’t make me happy. I
learned a lot of people I was surrounding myself
with weren’t doing the things I wanted to be
doing, and I also learned the difference between
what my wants are and what my needs are.
Before, I thought everything was a need, like, I
need those shoes; I need that bag, and now I can
very easily let go of things.” Her year’s experiment
taught her to “put less emotion onto material
things and put it more on experiences and
relationships and things that really feed your life.”
Location and Luxury
Only 675 square feet for two adults, a toddler,
and a baby on the way? If you had told Jacqueline
Schmidt five years ago that such numbers would
make her happier than ever, she’d have thought
you were nuts. She was, after all, the illustrator
and designer whose beautifully furnished,
1,200-square-foot loft had been featured in
magazines; the world traveler who owned thousands
of dollars’ worth of art books and adored
decorating with just the right piece of coral or
taxidermied bird. That Brooklyn, N.Y., loft was
bound up with her identity, she recalls; it stood
for her thriving career.
Then she married small-space design expert David
Friedlander, and the couple agreed to downsize.
In the beginning, Schmidt felt anxious. She had
the idea that a pared-back lifestyle “meant less
success, less opportunity, less validation,” she
says, and then laughs. “What a joke! I have so
much more now than I ever did.” First, there’s
the vibrant slice of Brooklyn outside the family’s
new apartment. By choosing a smaller home,
Friedlander says, they could afford “a neighborhood
that’s generally reserved nowadays for rich
people” complete with Prospect Park, countless
family-friendly businesses and good schools for
their 2-year-old son, Finn, and baby-on-the-way.
Second, there are the splendors inside the
apartment: Organic waffle-weave towels. Carrara
marble tiles and countertops. Oiled European oak
floors with a special, rough-sawn finish that hides
scratches and dirt. In a larger place, Schmidt says,
such touches would cost a fortune—and indeed,
in her more sprawling days, she was forced to
use cheaper materials. Now she has everything
the way she likes it, partly thanks to the cash she
got from selling dozens of possessions on Craigslist,
eBay and Etsy.
Recently, Schmidt says, her mother confessed
that when she first heard about her daughter’s
downsized digs, she felt sorry for her. Then she
visited. “She said, ‘I want your apartment!’” says
Schmidt, sighing happily at the memory. “She
kept using the word luxury.”
Giving It a Go
Feeling inspired but unsure what to trim from
your life or how to do it? Minimalists are full of
ideas:
1. If you want to stop doing things that don’t make
you happy.
Answer some key questions: Do you look
forward to your day at work, or dread it? Is there
something you want to do instead? What hobbies
do you want more time for? How do you actually
spend your free time? What would your ideal
family life look like? This should help you figure
out your goals and what’s been stopping you
from achieving them. Watch your bank and credit
card statements. That’s partly how Carlomagno
realized she was spending too much money (and
time) shopping for shoes and sushi.
Keep a daily log. After Strobel started one, she
was shocked to find she’d been watching TV
three hours a day. “Not that watching TV is bad
in moderation,” she explains, “but that was time
I could have been spending downsizing or just
going for a walk.”
2. If you aren’t sure how small to go.
20 21

Consider how much of your current home you
actually use and find one closer to that size.
Choose a home that meets your daily needs.
“People tend to design their homes around worstcase
scenarios,” Friedlander says. “What if my
in-laws and my parents come and the neighbors
stop by at the same time? People will spend an
extra hundred grand on their home to prepare
for a contingency that will come up maybe once
a year rather than actually design their homes
around how they’re used 95 percent of the time.”
Don’t let your furniture limit your housing
choices. “When we were on a hunt for a rental
after the sale of my 1,200-square-foot space, we
turned down a lot of amazing and reasonable
apartments because we couldn’t see how our
stuff would fit into the apartment,” Schmidt says.
Only later did the couple realize that if, say, they
ditched their 9-foot dining table for a shorter one,
it would increase their options dramatically.
3. If you want to kill clutter.
Be honest. Will you ever use that olive pitter?
Do you notice that vase anymore, or is it just
something to dust? If an item isn’t meaningful,
beautiful or useful to you, give it away or sell it.
Unclutter one room or closet at a time. “If you
look at the whole, it’s just so overwhelming and
easy to get defeated,” Strobel says. “When you
focus on one area at a time, you can really see
progress.”
4. If you want to buy less.
Share more. Maybe you and a neighbor, instead
of each buying a chain saw, can buy one together
and take turns with it.
Make a pact. In 2005, Sarah Pelmas and several
friends formed the “Compact” a vow not to buy
anything new for a year, aside from necessities
such as food and medicine. If they absolutely
needed anything else, they borrowed it or purchased
it secondhand. “There was a lot of pride
about finding something for someone else. It
took two Compact members and a couple of connected
friends to find me a [used] shower curtain,
for instance,” says Pelmas, of Washington, D.C.
Finally Free
Peeling down to the necessities has its challenges,
minimalists admit. If you own just one pair of
socks, for instance, you’ll be washing those socks
daily. If your home lacks an indoor shower, you
might find yourself driving to the gym in the dead
of winter to shower there.
“It was definitely challenging being in the Tiny
House when Logan was on his sabbatical,” Strobel
recalls. “I work at home, and he was working at
home, so we had to have some conversations
about quiet time and having our own little areas.”
Perhaps hardest of all is the introspection that
minimalism tends to bring. “By about the fourth
vanload of things to Goodwill, I became very
self-reflective,” Becker says. “Why did I have four
vanloads of things that I didn’t actually need?
Was advertising really having that much of an
effect on me? Was I trying to impress people with
the things I owned?” On and on, the questions
rolled. “Having to search through that was difficult,
painful.”
Even so, minimalists say, such moments are a
small price to pay for the new lightness they feel.
“After my stuff was gone, it was like, Oh my God,
I’m free,” Schmidt says. “I don’t have to do this
anymore. I don’t have to acquire any more stuff.
I can go to a library or a museum and be around
these things in other ways, but I don’t have to
own them.”
As for Becker, minimalism has fostered more
time with his two children and the chance to
explore his love of writing. “Those are such a
greater fulfillment for me than just spending my
time watching television or shopping for clothes,
or taking care of things,” he says. And now and
then, there’s the joy of doing nothing at all.
“But I think also there was a little friendly competition,
which made us less likely to give in or give
up if it was hard to make something work.” The
Compact now has more than 10,000 members
worldwide.
packagefreeshop.com
137 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11249
22 23

y refusing to buy things made from animals.
FURNITURE-FREE EXTREME
MINIMALISM
Youheum Son
I know that living without any furniture is pretty
extreme. It might even be seen as insanity. But
what if I can make it work? What if I can thrive and
be happy without many things?
I currently live a Furniture-free Extreme Minimalist
lifestyle. I used to live with a few pieces of furniture
several years ago, but I finally made the decision to
let them all go.
If you are curious about how Furniture-free living is
even possible, I’m here to share all about it.
The decision is always up to you. You do not have to
force yourself to commit to Extreme Minimalism or
a Furniture lifestyle. I accept your unique unfolding
without resistance. So you do you! I’m simply here
to share my insights.
Because this is your home and not a home for your
things. Give yourself permission to enjoy the spaciousness
of a distraction-free home. Allow yourself
to focus on the things you love and live worry-free.
You wholeheartedly deserve a natural chemical-free
home. Your body is a temple, and it should be
nourished and not attacked. You deserve a thorough
detox from chemically treated mattresses and
furniture. Your home should flow with good energy,
free from insecticide and flame-retardant fumes.
Of course, no one can live 100% chemical-free, but
what’s wrong with trying your best to be natural?
We all need to be more kind to this Earth. Here’s a
chance for us to give back. We can stop contributing
to unsustainable manufacturing and harvesting of
natural resources. We can also spread compassion
A furniture-free home allows you to move freely
and invite more movement and flow to your daily
routine. You can enjoy a peaceful yoga session
without bumping into your things. You can also host
a group meditation at your home and practice with
the community! Use your precious time, energy,
and resource on the things that really matter. You
will save valuable time and money when you have
to move to a new home. Your budgeting will be in
good hands if you don’t spend on costly furniture.
Since you probably own furniture, you might
wonder what to do with them. I was wondering the
same when I first started my furniture-free journey,
and I wanted to know if there was a Zero-waste
solution. I sold most of mint condition furniture to
local buyers using resell apps and websites. The rest
were donated to a local charity. You can also ask
friends, family, and co-workers if they are interested
in pick-ups.
Don’t Stress About It, Do It Slow
If you are strongly motivated to transition to a
Furniture-free home, I suggest that you take it slow.
At one point in your life, you made the decision
to buy the things you currently own because you
loved the thought of owning it. I want you to revisit
those precious thoughts and remind yourself to give
appreciation for the things you own. If you feel the
urge to discard everything all at once, practice some
breathing exercises and self-reflection to release
those impulses. Life-changing transformations can
never be rushed or forced.
Bed
A mattress bed is probably the most space consuming
item in your home. As an alternative, you can go
for a foldable futon that is both space-saving and
lightweight. Keep it folded during the day and use it
as a floor cushion or a mini sofa. Try to get certified
organic cotton or buckwheat filled futon to avoid
chemical flame-retardants and other carcinogenic
treatments. I used a futon for several years but
found my new love for wall mounted hammock. If
you are an outdoorsy person who can be comfortable
sleeping in a hammock, I recommend trying
one indoors as a bed. Go for organic cotton or other
natural materials.
Sofa
If you are wanting to go Furniture-free, prepare
yourself for floor sitting. You will most likely spend
most of your time sitting on the floor like a Yogini in
a meditative pose. Use a runner rug to create a
24 25

cozy lounge area in the living room. I recommend
getting natural materials like 100% jute, linen, straw,
hemp, or bamboo. You can also place zafu cushions,
and blanket throws on the rug for extra support and
maximum coziness.
Chairs
If you are satisfied with your sofa, that’s great, but
if you want something that can be easily moved
around, I recommend getting zafu cushions or
rattan floor cushion. I also found this awesome
recycled foldable stool that I use when guests are
staying.
Dining Table
If you have a kitchen counter, you can grab quick
bites while standing. But I know you like to enjoy
your meal slowly and mindfully. You can practice
eating on the floor while sitting on a zafu.
Eating on the floor actually has numerous health
benefits, including better digestion and helps with
relaxation.
Writing Desk
I use the kitchen counter as a makeshift standing
desk, but I also like sitting on the floor while working.
If you enjoy moving to different spots while
working, try a foldable wooden laptop desk. You
can easily tuck it away while it is not in use, and
it is sturdy enough to hold a desktop computer. I
am currently using a collapsible floor desk for my
shared iMac.
Ask yourself these questions when
you are ready to find an alternative
to furniture.
1. Can I live comfortably and feel abundant with the
things I currently have?
2. I want to buy this thing. Who made it and how
was it made? How is the quality? Will it last for a
long time? Is it sustainably made? Is the product
packaging recyclable? Is this material natural? Is
it non-toxic to my body and to this Earth?
3. This is not sustainable or ethically made, but I
really need this to be happy. Am I going to feel
guilty and shameful?
4. Am I being guilt-tripped into buying this because
someone told me that living without furniture is
wrong?
5. Is it worth my life energy, time, and money?
Bookshelf
If you are a book lover and already have the right
amount of collection, I recommend using a floating
wood shelf. I don’t own any hard copy books
because I use an ebook reader, but my sister made
this shelf using leftover wood plank and a thick jute
string. You can also stack your books if that works
for you.
Drawer
If you have the right amount of storage in your closet,
the best way to organize your clothes is to hang
them. You can place decorations and accessories in
recycled shoe boxes or cardboard boxes. I own less
than fifteen clothes, so I hang my outerwear and
neatly fold the rest of my clothes on the bottom of
my closet. I ranger-roll underwear, socks, and accessories
so I can skip all containers.
26 27

HOW TO RECYCLE HOME GOODS & ELECTRONICS
Katherine Oakes Englishman
Recycling Beyond Bottles & Cans
So you’ve got your kitchen recycling system dialed,
plastic has almost entirely disappeared from your
home, and you shop for clothes like grandmother
(in the right way, of course). Up next? Responsibly
disposing of home goods and electronics.
Yet, simple solutions for how to properly recycle
these products evade us for a good reason: it’s
genuinely not that easy. A United Nations study
reported that of the millions of tons of e-waste that
was discarded in 2016, only 20% of it was recycled
correctly that’s not counting the large number of
home goods that are sent to landfills as well.
In light of those numbers, we are encouraged by
pioneering companies taking the lead to help you
safely recycle and repurpose unwanted home goods
and electronics. Read on to get the quick and dirty
guide on how to be a more mindful post-consumer.
28 29

How to Recycle Electronics
How to Recycle Home Goods
Return it to the manufacturer. The cardinal
➀
rule of recycling electronics is to check with
the manufacturer or company first. There’s a
good chance that the maker of your device has
a recycling program that will happily take back
their products. Big brands like Dell, Apple, Canon,
LG, Samsung, Sony, HP, Sprint, and even Amazon
accept old e-waste. You can also check your local
electronics store to see if they have an initiative in
place or an electronics recycling bin.
➀
Is it swappable or resellable? Assess the
condition of the item to determine if it might
still have value to someone else. If so, donating,
swapping, or reselling on an online marketplace
(think: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc.).
Shop around and talk to friends, family, or
community members to see if anyone might have
a use for. Doing so will give it a second life, and
that is always the best option, even before
recycling.
➁
Bring it to an e-waste recycler. One of the
most prominent organizations, Call2Recycle
will responsibly dispose of old batteries and
cellphones nationwide. Go to their website to
find a drop-off location near you, which the
organization states is within 10 miles of 87% of
people in the US. They also offer the option to
mail it back in bulk. You can find local recycling
options through TIA E-Cycling Central as well,
complete with a clickable map and list of resellers,
recyclers, and ways to get rid of e-waste.
➂
Check with your town. Local municipalities
can be a great resource to recycle e-waste
safely. Log on to the Waste Management’s
website. For information on how, where, and
what you can recycle in your city.
➁
Consider composting. Your first thought
when ridding yourself of home goods may
not be the compost, but it could be. For example,
a wooden dish brush with natural bristles can
break down into organic matter, or unstained
all-natural textiles can be cut up and added to the
pile. Unsure? Give it a quick web search first
before chucking it into the bin.
➂
Upcycle or repurpose it. To indeed limit and
even avoid creating additional waste, think
of ways to give your product a second life. Be
thrifty with actual items, so you don’t have to buy
newor can at least avoid sending them to landfill.
This may feel a bit ambitious, but it can also be a
fun and budget-friendly way to get more creative.
➃
Donate your electronics. A stellar option for
working and sometimes non-working
electronics is to donate them. Some brands have
programs that accept their old electronics as
donations, and there are plenty of organizations
in your area that do the same.
➃
Check with the brand, seller, or manufacturer.
A similar solution to the e-waste problem
is to check and see if the brand or seller accepts
old items back for recycling. For example, Whole
Foods’ partnership with Preserve allows you to
recycle approved bath and beauty products
through their Gimme 5 program. You might not
always strike gold, but it never hurts to try.
30 31

NATURAL DEODORANT
FOR MEN
Katie Wells
Finding the best deodorant for men that’s natural and actually
works can be the pits! I’ve been making natural homemade
deodorant for several years now and I love how easy and
effective iFinding the best deodorant for men, that’s natural,
and actually works can be the pits! I’ve been making natural
homemade deodorant for several years now, and I love how
easy and effective it is. This men’s deodorant recipe is just as
good, but has a manly scent to it .
Best Men’s Deodorant That Really Works
I used to be super sweaty! Natural deodorant (and clean
eating) have made a world of difference. This men’s deodorant
can stop man-stink in its tracks with essential oils and other
natural ingredients. For those just switching to a natural deodorant,
an armpit detox will speed up the detox process for
fresh pits.
32 33

If you’re not a DIYer, I’ve included a few store-bought
natural deodorants for men that really work at the
bottom of this post.
Sweat-Absorbing Ingredients
Baking soda has a very high pH at around 9, while
our skin’s protective acid mantle is about 4.5 pH.
This is one reason some people find it causes skin
irritation and redness in a deodorant.
My men’s deodorant recipe uses some baking soda
for its odor-preventing properties, but I’ve added
other ingredients that serve the same purpose but
are gentle on the skin.
Arrowroot powder or cornstarch helps to absorb
underarm moisture and thicken the product gently.
Diatomaceous earth does the same, with added
antimicrobial properties. When sweat hits bacteria
on the skin, it causes odor. Adding antimicrobial
ingredients helps solve that problem.
The science behind aluminum toxicity isn’t precise,
but there’s enough evidence of harm that I avoid
it. Antiperspirant deodorants with aluminum block
pores to reduce sweat. Natural deodorants allow
the body’s natural detoxification processes to work,
which is good for the body.
I’m not a fan of fake fragrances. There are over 3,100
chemicals used in perfumes, and NONE of them are
required to be listed on a product label.
Some essential oils can be safely used in more
significant amounts than others, and some cause
photosensitivity when used above a certain percentage.
Read more about the exact safe rate for
each oil here, but .5-2% is a good rule of thumb. I’ve
narrowed down to my favorite combination in the
recipe below, but feel free to switch up the essential
oils to your preference. Anything from the list above
will work.
My Favorite Deodorant Scent
Here’s a breakdown of the essential oils I used in my
men’s deodorant recipe and why they work so well:
Cypress, an astringent to tighten pores and minimize
but not prevent sweating (because it’s healthy!). It
also helps relieve stress (think stress sweat) and acts
as an antiseptic.Sweet orange anti-fungal, antibacterial,
and doesn’t cause photosensitivity.
Frankincense fights stress and anxiety, which can
help with stress, sweat, and overall mood. And
they also smell great together! This recipe to fill two
deodorant tubes. If your containers are more than
2.5 ounces each, cut back on the coconut oil.
Ingredients
• 1.5 tbsp beeswax, pellets
• 8 drops orange essential oil
• 18 drops essential oil
• 8 drops frankincense necessary oil or fir
needle essential oil (or use your favorite
skin-safe essential oil for the above)
Instructions
1. In a heat-safe glass jar, like a mason jar, add
the beeswax and coconut oil.
2. Place the jar in a pot with several inches of
water in it, and heat over medium-high heat
until melted.
3. Remove the jar from the heat with a hot pad
or towel and allow it to cool for a minute.
Whisk in the essential oils, arrowroot, baking
soda, and diatomaceous earth.
4. This will solidify rather quickly, so immediately
pour the natural deodorant into your containers.
If you prefer to have the deodorant in a
jar, adjust the beeswax, and keep the deodorant
in the pot, you made it in!
Variations
Once you try this recipe, mix it up with other
scent combinations. Here are some ideas of
essential oils that pair well:
• Clove, cinnamon, orange
• Cypress, juniper berry
• Bergamot, cedarwood
• Sandalwood, patchouli
• Sweet orange, patchouli
• Lemon, fir needle
34 35

HOW TO START A ZERO WASTE LIFESTYLE
Kate Good
Have you thought about going zero waste, actively attempting to reduce your
carbon footprint in the world? It’s a lifestyle dedicated to cultivating meaningful
experiences and prioritizing environmental sustainability.
Perhaps you’ve considered it. But without
knowing the basics and getting some guidance,
abandoning your dependency on plastic and the
usual ways of shopping, cleaning, and eating can
be pretty intimidating.
Before you embark on your own zero waste
journey, it’s essential to get an understanding of
the lifestyle of people living it daily. We turned to
some of the most popular zero-waste bloggers
and Instagram influencers for their advice.
From tips in the kitchen to the essential products,
here is some wisdom from six zero waste experts.
They also address common misconceptions associated
with the lifestyle. Get ready to
be less wasteful.
What is zero waste?
Chances are you’ve heard the words before, but
you might not know the whole deal. A zero-waste
lifestyle isn’t merely about eating clean and purging
your plastic belongings it involves adopting a
more thoughtful, minimalistic approach to living.
“Zero waste aims at eliminating as much trash
from the household as possible,” Bea Johnson,
blogger, and author of the bestselling book,
Zero Waste Home, said. “What it ultimately does
is translate into a simple, richer life based on
experience instead of things.”
Labeled the “Priestess of Waste-Free Living” by
The New York Times, Johnson and her family have
cut their waste output down to one quart-sized
jar per year. But as “Zero Waste Nerd” Megean
Weldon explained, zero waste living is so much
more than trying to fit a year’s worth of trash into
a jar.
A study published in the Science Advances
peer-reviewed journal in 2017 found a whopping
91 percent of plastic in the world doesn’t get
recycled, and around 79 percent makes its way
to landfills or other parts of the environment. If
those recycling and consumption rates continue,
approximately 12,000 metric tons of plastic waste
will crowd landfills by 2050, researchers estimate.
Any way you can cut down will ultimately help.
“It’s about changing our perspective. Changing
how we feel about consumption and how we
value the things we bring into our lives,” said
Weldon, who was inspired to reduce her waist
after a neighborhood trash cleanup in 2015.
How to get started
Coming to terms with the amount of harmful
waste you produce daily can be seriously overwhelming,
so the key is to start small and work
toward achieving your larger sustainability goals.
As several zero-waste veterans stressed to me,
“no one goes zero waste overnight.” But there are
steps you can take to ease into the lifestyle.
36 37

1. Keep “The 5Rs” in mind
Over the years, Johnson has compiled a list of
100 tips to help people reduce their household
waste. But “The 5Rs,” as she calls them, are the
five rules she thinks anyone looking to start a
zero-waste lifestyle should begin with. “Refuse
what you do not need. Reduce what you do need.
Reuse what you consume. Recycle what you cannot
refuse, reduce, or reuse. And rot (compost)
the rest,”
she explained.
Johnson started her zero waste journey in 2006
after a move from the suburbs to the city forced
her family to put the majority of their possessions
in storage and live with only the necessities.
“When we did find the right house, we got everything
out of storage and found that 80 percent
of the belongings we put in there we hadn’t even
missed,” she said.
2. Learn to say no to the little things
Whether it’s a business card at a meeting, a straw
at a restaurant, a plastic bag at the store, or a
disposable pen from a conference, Johnson said
recognizing and denying waste no matter how
small is crucial. “Next time someone hands you
something, think. Do you need it?” she said.
3. Start eating real food
When it comes to the kitchen, Anne Bonneau
who runs a zero-waste cooking blog called The
Zero-Waste Chef advises people to cut back on
processed foods and reach for the natural stuff.
“Start to eat real foods like fruits, vegetables,
and anything that doesn’t come in packaging,”
she said.
Bonneau, who adopted a zero-waste lifestyle
in 2011 after learning about the heartbreaking
amount of plastic that winds up polluting oceans
and killing animals, said she eats a lot healthier
since cutting out packaged goods. While she
still indulges in occasional cookies and crackers,
making them herself means she eats them far
less frequently.
4. Try using less of everything
“I use very little dish soap, laundry detergent,
body soap, and toothpaste,” Jonathan Levy, a
zero-waste project manager in Los Angeles,
California, explained.
Levy, who used to work in supply chain management
at a retailer warehouse, sought out a
zero-waste lifestyle after seeing massive amounts
of waste produced in the warehouse daily. “Most
consumer products are designed to dispense or
encourage you to use way more than you need,”
he said.
5. Join zero waste communities for support
To stay motivated and open to learning helpful
tips from others, seek out zero waste communities
for help — whether online or in person.
“I follow a lot of zero waste accounts on Instagram
and am a part several groups on Facebook,” Monica
Rosquillas, who runs the sustainable living
blog, Girl For A Clean World, said. “They provide a
daily source of inspiration.”
Essential products to welcome into
your life
Though many items you already own can be
reused for zero waste purposes, you can also cut
out disposable products by investing in long-lasting
replacements. Here are some essentials.
1. Reusable water bottle
Plastic bottles should be among the first things
to go in a zero-waste lifestyle. In 2017, The
Guardian reported that one million plastic bottles
are purchased around the world every minute.
If consumers don’t cut down, that insanely high
number could increase another 20 percent by
2021.
Invest in a reusable bottle like the Klean Kanteen,
which Johnson recommends because it has a
wide opening for easy filling and is insulated,
which makes it perfect for holding hot and cold
beverages.
2. BYOJ (Bring Your Jars)
When storing food, drinks, or a variety of other
supplies, try eliminating plastic Tupperware and
Ziplock bags and replacing them with glass jars.
Bonneau gets a lot of hers for discounted prices
at thrift shops, and Rosquillas reuses a lot of
containers in her pantry and refrigerator, such as
sauce and mayonnaise jars.
3. Cloth bags and totes
Cloth bags are essential for storing, transporting,
and buying food in bulk. “I couldn’t live without
them,” Weldon said. You can sew your own using
old shirts or sheets. Johnson said one of her
favorite cloth bag-making hacks is to sew the
bags the same size as containers in your pantry,
so when you go shopping and fill them, you know
38 39

you’ve bought the perfect amount.
Reusable tote bags also cut out plastic and paper
bags when grocery shopping. To ensure you
always have them on hand, Kathryn Kellogg, who
runs the lifestyle blog Going Zero Waste, suggests
investing in bags that clip onto your key ring and
fold up.
4. Reusable straws and utensils
Eliminating single-use plastic straws is a must,
says Kellogg. “If you like straws and drink a lot of
smoothies, they make all sorts of reusable straws
from bamboo, stainless steel, glass, and silicone,”
she said. Same goes for utensils.
5. Handkerchiefs
Follow the lead of older generations and keep a
few handkerchiefs handy. These useful pieces
of cloth are easy to make, and they’re great for
wiping your nose or mouth, eliminating the waste
of tissues and napkins.
If adopting a zero-waste lifestyle has the power
to save the environment, you’d think everyone
would be inspired to give it a try. But according
to our six zero waste role models, some harmful
misconceptions about the lifestyle easily discourage
people from taking the first step.
$$$ and time
One of the most common misperceptions about
zero waste is that it costs more than healthy living,
which Johnson says couldn’t be further from
the truth. “We found that the zero waste lifestyle
saves us 40 percent on our overall budget,” she
said. “We consume way less than before, and
when we buy something, it’s only to replace.”
waste are that you need expert culinary skills, or
always have to deny yourself the pleasure of your favorite
foods, Bonneau said. “It takes only 10 percent
of my effort to be 90 percent zero waste.”
“You don’t have to cook fancy stuff, and I don’t always
cook a new meal each night,” Bonneau said. If you’re
craving something unattainable due to packaging
purposes, odds are there’s a recipe for it somewhere
out there. “I never feel like I’m denying myself
anything,” she added.
Levy also stressed that he doesn’t feel he’s sacrificing
anything to live zero waste. “Yes, it took a lot of
practice and dedication to get where I am today, but
I would say that it takes only 10 percent of my effort
to be 90 percent zero waste.”
You will produce some waste
“Zero waste living is not easy. It’s a challenge but a
good challenge!” Weldon explained, noting that one
of the most depressing realizations people have
after adopting the lifestyle is that waste inevitably
happens.
Rosquillas reminded us that the words “zero waste”
serve as more of an idealistic motivator. In the end,
the overall goal is to lessen the amount of waste
you produce. “Remember that it’s a journey, so don’t
beat yourself up when trash happens.” she said.
Try doing one small thing, like composting at home,
bringing your mug to Starbucks, giving a jar a
second life, or trying Kellogg’s 31-day zero waste
challenge.
“Do the best you can and start small,” Kellogg said.
“Small actions done by hundreds of people add up to
massive impact. Have patience, and have fun!”
While zero waste will be different for everyone,
the influencers I spoke with each said the lifestyle
significantly improved their financial situations,
noting that buying secondhand, food in bulk, ,
and making and reusing bags and containers all
save money.
Johnson said she feels many people associate
zero waste with making everything from scratch,
which isn’t the case. “I think it’s scaring the crap
out of people like families or mothers who work
full time,” she said, assuring everyone she doesn’t
spend her days concocting tooth powder, lotion,
deodorant, or cleaners.
Self-denial and sacrifices
Other common concerns associated with zero
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40 41

DIGITAL MINIMALISM 101: HOW TO FIND FOCUS AND
CALM BY BECOMING A DIGITAL MINIMALIST
Jory MacKay
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at work these days. Between
schedules packed with emails, meetings, and
catchups and the constant pull of social media and
the 24-hour news cycle, it feels like we never have
time to do anything meaningful.
So when author and computer science professor Cal
Newport released Deep Work in early 2016, many
saw it as a better way forward. In the book, Cal proposed
that to do our best work and live a purposeful
life, we need to be intentional with how we spend
our time.
And while that advice made sense in 2016 (and still
does in many ways), our lives have become busier
and messier in the years since, especially when it
comes to our relationship with technology.
Depending on how you use them, email, chat apps,
social media, and other tools can be just as productive
as they can be distracting. So how do we get
the most out of the right parts of technology while
protecting ourselves from the bad?
In his new book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused
Life in a Noisy World, Cal attempts to answer
this question. By becoming a digital minimalist, we’re
able to rebuild our relationship with technology so
that it serves us. Not the other way around.
Origins Of Digital Minimalism
The word “minimalism” has been thrown around
a lot in the past decade. As many of us find ourselves
sucked into a lifestyle of “more,” the idea
of living happily with less becomes more alluring.
For Cal, his feelings about minimalism started
to form in a 2016 blog post, where he presented
a loose framework on his relationship with
technology.
“
On the one hand, I’m a computer scientist
who studies and improves these tools,” he
writes. And as such, he’s optimistic about the
role technology can play in our lives
However, he also explains how he’s critical
”
of a lot
of the developments of the Internet Era, including
our over-reliance on social media and communication
tools.
The challenge, Cal writes, comes in finding a
balance. The answer, he proposes, is in digital
minimalism.The modern minimalist movement
stems from a desire not just for less stuff. But for
more control and intention in how we spend our
time and energy. This intention is sorely missed
in our modern use of technology. Rather than
42 43

eing purposeful in what gets our attention, we
let everything in and assume only the best will
stick. But it doesn’t.
As we’ve written in the past, many apps and sites
are designed to keep you coming back, even without
your realizing it. To be a digital minimalist,
you need to be hyper-aware of your relationship
with technology.
“
To be a digital minimalist, in other words,
means you accept the idea that new
communication technologies have the
potential to massively improve your life,
but also recognize that realizing this
potential is hard work.
Exhausting Technology ”
While awareness is essential, our full-blown adoption
of technology into every aspect of our lives
doesn’t always make it easy.
We spend all day staring at screens, read books
on Kindles or iPads, and come home to relax by
watching a movie or TV. If you’re anything like
most people you:
• Spend 5+ hours a day on computer
(including using it after 10 pm on
40% of days)
• Use 56+ apps and websites a day and
switch between them more than 300
times
• Pick up your phone at least 58 times
and spend close to 4.5 hours using it
But, as Cal writes, the problem is not just sheer
usage of technology. It is in how digital technologies
lump together the good with the bad like
some omnibus bill.
Few of us are willing to give up the unique technology
does (getting around via Google Maps,
seeing family photos on Instagram, etc.) in return
for reducing the harm. Yet constantly policing
your apps and your behaviors can only lead to
one thing: exhaustion.
As Cal writes:
“
As many people clarified, the issue
was the overall impact of having so
many different shiny baubles pulling
so insistently at their attention and
manipulating their mood.
It’s no longer solely about your
”
calendar and
scheduling. Instead, Cal explains how:
“
The urge to check Twitter… becomes a nervous
twitch that shatters uninterrupted time into
shards too small to support the presence necessary
for an intentional life.
”
Take back control of your time (without giving up
your digital devices). Try RescueTime for free.
Giving Up Your Phone Or
Deleting Facebook
No one signed up for a loss of control at the hands
of our technology. Yet, digital minimalism isn’t about
throwing out all your technology. It’s about reclaiming
your authority and power over what you do let
into your life. And that doesn’t come from merely
deleting apps or getting rid of your phone.
As Cal defines it, Digital minimalism is:
“
A philosophy of technology use in which you
focus your online time on a small number of
carefully selected and optimized activities
that strongly support things you value, and
then happily miss out on everything else.
When you clearly understand your values and
”
how
they influence your philosophy of technology use,
you can make informed and confident decisions
about what to use and when. You become able to
prioritize long-term meaning over short satisfaction.
Does this mean deleting your Facebook account or
giving up your smartphone? Maybe. But rather than
going cold turkey and then assuming your willpower
will keep you going strong (it won’t), practicing digital
minimalism allows you to choose what you bring
into your life.
No one signed up for a loss of control at the hands
of modern technology. With digital minimalism, you
learn to take back control over your time and your
attention.
More than that, it’s about rediscovering the non
technology-powered activities and behaviors you
enjoy doing and supplementing them into your life.
The Digital Declutter: A 30-Day
Plan For Building A Practice
So how do you start practicing digital minimalism
in your own life? Let’s start by breaking down Cal’s
definition and pull out the essential elements of a
minimalist digital lifestyle.
• First, there’s choice and intention. You’re
still using technology, but only what you
44 45

want and only in ways that connect to
your values.
• Then, there’s optimizing the tools
you use. What you allow into your life
needs to work for you. This means
separating the good from the bad.
• Finally, there’s accepting you won’t be
everywhere all the time. Tech companies
survive on FOMO. But digital
minimalists are happy to miss out on
the things they know don’t bring value
to their lives.
Developing a minimalist digital mindset isn’t easy.
However, in the second part of the book, Cal
presents a plan on how to break out of current
technology habits and become a minimalist.
How To Do A Digital Declutter
When it comes to changing your relationship
with technology, gradually improving your habits
won’t work. The pull of the attention economy
is too strong. Instead, Cal offers up a different
suggestion.
Set aside a 30-day period during which you will
take a break from optional technologies in your
life.
During this break, you’ll explore and rediscover
activities and behaviors you find satisfying and
meaningful. And after the 30 days are up, you
can reintroduce the optional technologies you
want to back int your life if you determine the
value it brings you and how specifically you can
use it to maximize that value.
This isn’t a simple “tech detox” or short break.
It’s meant to be a reset for your relationship with
technology.
When you do bring optional technologies back
into your life, create “operating procedures”
around them. These are the rules on how exactly
you’ll use them and when. This doesn’t mean you
can use everything you did before just in a lesser
fashion.As you re-introduce new technologies
into your life, ask if it directly supports something
that you genuinely value. As Cal explains,
“
The fact that [a piece of technology] offers
some value is irrelevant–the digital minimalist
deploys technology to serve the things they
find most important in their life, and is happy
missing out on everything else.
”
Four tips on maintaining a Digital
Minimalist lifestyle
Specifically, Cal outlines four ways to rediscover
non-digital activities you love that will support
your newfound digital autonomy.
1. Spend Time Alone. So much of technology is
designed to keep us connected. Solitudeboth
physical and mental is essential for thinking
clearly. Rather than feeling the FOMO of social
media and email, try leaving your phone at
home while you go for a walk, journaling, or
only spending more time alone.
2. Don’t Click Like. Social media and digital
communication have become digital versions
of fast food. They’re too easy to consume, yet
don’t give us what we need to live a healthy,
happy life. Instead of buying in, Cal suggests
we specifically limit the performative aspect
of these tools. Yes, you can use them to stay
in touch and connect with loved ones. But
don’t click “♥” or allow yourself to be always
available.
3. Reclaim Leisure. One of the reasons we lean
so heavily on digital technologies is that we’ve
lost our hobbies and leisure activities. It’s
easier to scroll through your phone than read
a book. It’s easier to text than go for a run or
paint a picture. By reclaiming our leisure time
for analog tasks, we can break free from the
FOMO of digital technologies.
4. Join the Attention Resistance. You don’t have
to use all the features on your smartphone or
be continuously connected to social media.
As Cal writes, reducing the number of entry
points is an essential part of being a digital
minimalist. Try deleting social media off
your phone. If you can’t do that, treat it like a
professional task something you do as needed
and not more.
When It Comes To Your Tech, Less
Can Be More
Digital minimalism is a way to clearly define not
only what technologies you let into your life. But
how you use them. Once you understand your
actual values, you can build your technology use
around them. Rather than feeling overwhelmed,
you become more intentional, more empowered,
and more productive.
46 47

HOW TO DESIGN A
MINIMALIST GARDEN
Jennifer Fernandez
When it comes to gardens, ornate displays with manicured
hedges have been the gold standard throughout history. But
more recently, minimalist designs have made the jump from
interiors and taken root outside. “Looking at your garden
should not make you think of your to-do list,” says Julie Farris,
a New York–based landscape designer who has made a name
for herself with her understated plans. “It should actually be
the opposite. A minimalist garden can be powerful and beautiful
without demanding too much of you in the way of upkeep
and money.” We couldn’t agree more. So AD asked Farris to
share tips on how to maintain a streamlined aesthetic in your
outdoor space, whether you’ve got a small urban terrace or a
more sprawling tract. Here, everything you need to create a
calming minimalist garden of your own.
48 49

Decide if it’s right for you.
The choice of whether to have a minimalist garden
really does depend on personal style, as well as
the architectural style of your home. The flow from
inside to outside should feel seamless, so if you
have a modern aesthetic, a minimalist garden can
be a natural outdoor extension of your interior look.
You also need to consider your actual lifestyle rather
than your idealized version of it. If your life involves
kids, dogs, or both, designing to accommodate
things like storage, irrigation, a barbecue, a place
to sit, and shade are important. It should be beautiful,
of course, but it should also be inviting and
comfortable.
Plot out the space.
Urban backyards are great canvases for minimalist
gardens because they can become quiet and
enclosed mini-natural escapes within the busy city
context. Plus, I think it’s easier to create a minimalist
garden in a small space. I like to borrow from the
Japanese tradition of visualizing gardens as miniaturized
nature, because they do it best: the balance
they achieve by pairing plants in twos, threes, fives,
and sevens; an understanding of scale; the use of
stone, moss, and evergreens all can make a space
feel timeless.
50 51

Choose your materials.
I generally choose enduring materials that can hold
their own in a balanced composition. For example,
in the garden shown, I used limestone for the patio,
steel for the planter, and gravel, bamboo, and boxwood
in an asymmetrical composition. Each material
is extremely hardy and weather-resistant, and has
a distinct and compelling color and texture that can
stand on its own. Believe it or not, I use synthetic
lawn quite often in urban gardens because it is
green all the time, requires practically no maintenance
since it’s recycled plastic so it’s sustainable
and, if edged well, can look quite modern. It’s also
dog- and child-friendly, and mosquitos don’t like it as
much as a real lawn, either.”
Plant the seeds.
A benefit of a minimalist garden is that youhave
fewer plants to worry about, but this can be a
double-edged sword, because the plants you
do choose need to provide structure and perform
throughout the year. I love deciduous trees with
unusual branching and bark like the crepe myrtle,
stewartia, and the birch; ornamental grasses
and perennial flowers like echinacea, with large
seed heads, have a presence even when they go
dormant. Some people don’t like plants that look
‘dead’ in winter, but I believe that one reason to
live in a climate with four distinct seasons is that
you actually get to see plants express this very
seasonality. For those who prefer an all-season
greenness, evergreens like boxwood, bamboo,
laurels, and pines are some of my favorite go-to
plants.”
52 53

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Pure Minimalist
Furniture Collection, 2018
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