How we got rid of our stuff (family minimalism)

We've said in the past that we got rid of 80% of our stuff to become minimalists. How did we do this and what did we do with the stuff? We'll talk about it today, along with how family minimalism has improved our life day in and day out!

B E T T E R T O G E T H E R F A M I L Y G R O U P :

WHAT YOU'LL FIND:
– Support to build strong families with healthy relationships!
– 4 video posts each week by the leaders with helpful information, encouragement, tips & support
– Weekly Facebook Live Q&A sessions with the leaders & other guests (Replays available for those unable to view live). Questions may be submitted prior to the session or during it.
– Weekly group focuses with weekend challenges, games & prizes!
– A behind the scenes look at what goes on in our day to day family life
– The ability to share your progress, questions & wins- we CAN’T WAIT to celebrate with you!
– The opportunity to ask questions specific to your process & family
– Content organized into “units” so that it’s easy to find and re-visit
– Weekly Highlight emails so you know that you didn’t miss anything important :)

H E L P F U L H O L I D A Y L I N K S :

EASY Minute to Win It Games:

Awesome Bundt Cake Recipes:

Make a Bundt Cake Gift Basket with Printable Recipe Card:

SUPER EASY Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses

Family Advent Devotional:

EASY & Cheap DIY Photo Canvas (Make this for under $5!):

DIY Family Christmas Photos on your cell phone:

What Teachers REALLY Want for Christmas (written by a teacher!)

55+ Elf on the Shelf Ideas with Dollar Tree Props!

Start a New Elf on the Shelf Tradition (Special & Meaningful!)

C U R R E N T L Y R E A D I N G :

M O S T P O P U L A R O N O U R B L O G R I G H T N O W :

#minimalism #familyminimalism #minimalist

M O S T P O P U L A R V I D E O S R I G H T N O W :

📺 P O P U L A R R E L A T E D:

**AFFILIATE LINKS! THANK YOU!!!**

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[lisas]

Am I the only one that watches Dawn’s videos over and over? It keeps me on track and motivated. Just to keep hearing it and feeding the words to my brain is so helpful.

[brandi]

It happened. The kids are listening. In another room I heard one say to another, “Dawn says if you don’t get rid of it, you’ll just move it from pile to pile.”

[NancyWhelanSharingMemories]

The more I declutter, the more I want to get rid of. It's so much easier to keep the house clean. Less anxiety and stress now. Thanks for the inspiration.

[pattimesser]

Our church has done a give away day. We set it up like a garage sale, but don’t sell anything. It is free for our community. Then whatever was left was donated.

[amwiamwi]

I love how you're just standing in your kitchen with a cup of coffee, makes me feel like I'm just at a girlfriend's house having a chat. Really enjoy your content, minimalism has really made my whole life easier and I get so many great ideas from you and it keeps me motivated and on track :)

[momofrex]

I just love you Dawn! I've been decluttering our home for the past few months. I too have been just putting stuff out on our curb and posting it on FB Marketplace or Craigslist. I had 1 lady that came and got a box of some of my nice work clothes (I'm now a homemaker and don't need so many work outfits, just a few things for church), and I also had some of my son's outgrown clothes and toys. After the lady loaded up the boxes, she stopped at my mailbox...I was concerned as to what she could be doing....she left me a THANK YOU note! Seriously, she told me how she had just gotten a new job and was really needing work clothes and her son was really needing clothes and would love the toys too. It made me cry. #PayItForward

[lisaschreiber]

you know what is so great about you, it's that you're not the minimalist type everyone thinks is "minimalism"... you have things, plenty of things that bring you joy, you have just forgone the insanity that is abundance. I can't imagine the stress and sadness you had when you were overwhelmed, but you took those lemons and literally made lemonade. you have a successful youtube channel, four happy incredible kids and a husband who takes all things in stride. you truly are an excellent role model on eliminating excess stress while living comfortably.

[d_m]

You have a new subscriber. Family of 8 and I have been a stay at home mom for almost 18 years. I have been in a depression/anxiety rut for years for many years due to loss of one of our children and health problems. It’s so overwhelming to even look at one room, one cabinet, one closet. This video hit me hard, and I actually had to stop for a bit because I couldn’t stop the crying. You’ve explained exactly what I want in life, what I need in life. Especially with children ranging from 17-3. I can’t keep up with everything on my own; and I spent so much time in a deep depression that I didn’t do the best at teaching them ways to stay organized. Now I’m trying to play catch-up and it is not easy. So thank you for breaking it down, into manageable ways to tackle it💜

[daisybuchanan]

I used to feel my house needed a “backstage” but now it’s all onstage and anyone can stop in, use our bathroom, have a tour, and it’s fine. Woo Hoo ! That sparks joy ! Thanks Dawn ! I am so thankful Jesus led me to you and your family.

[katiegreene]

I have two kids, HALF, of your kid amount. I'm so glad I found you. I am a budgeter who was about to hire a housekeeper! NOPE! I found YOU instead. Straight from Jesus. Thank you Dawn (and your family, too.)

[katwellkaye]

Personally, I will forever be a supporter of Goodwill! Their services have blessed my family in immeasurable ways! My adult autistic son worked with a Goodwill job coach for about a year, and she was a FANTASTIC advocate for him, even after she was "officially" off the job with him. He is an employed success story because of her, and I am SOOO grateful!!

[glendaboyd]

I did the thing where if I didn’t use it in the last year, I pulled it out, put it all in one room and asked my kids to go through it and see if they needed any of it...then I took the clothes to the resale shop and donated the rest. I arranged every room the way I wanted it, then made a pact with myself to put something back as soon as I pulled it out. Everything I want to acquire has to have a place to live or replace something else. We retired and downsized from 2200 to 840 square feet in a lake cabin. We spend MUCH more time outside with the grandkids, walking, kayaking, swimming and fishing. TOTALLY WORTH IT to have less stuff and MORE LIFE! God Bless!

[blackholesun]

Could we get by without it? Yessss! I don't know why, but this question really resonates w me.

[sydlant]

Your suggestion to set a $50 threshold for selling vs. donating is exactly what I needed to hear today. I have been saving some items to sell, but just can't seem to move.them out of the house. I don't want to wait on them anymore. Thank you for the permission! I needed it!

[shellyk]

I’ve put stuff out for free and it my neighbors grab it instantly. The family across the street from us has 7 children, and has been blessed with a bookshelf, matching dressers, and empty storage tubs. The saying is true..one persons junk is another’s treasure. Thank you for your channel.

[elisemoser]

I’ve been following a low-buy for almost two months and today I was really tested! I took an Amazon return to Kohl’s and our local store moved the Amazon return counter to the back of the store! I had to walk by cute clothes and I was so close to the seasonal decor but I DID NOT BROWSE! Because I was not there to shop and I don’t need anything. It was tough! But I did it.

[Anberel]

I am a huge fan of the Buy Nothing Project. The idea is that it’s a hyper local gift economy. You’re literally giving gifts to your community. It helps me to know that my stuff is blessing someone else. I gave a bedding set to a mom who was so grateful because she “never got nice things for herself.” I’ve had people come empty my garage of cardboard boxes so they could use it to mulch their garden. Good stuff doesn’t stop being good just because it no longer has a place in your life. I like that my things go on doing good, bringing joy, and enriching my community.

[sallymay]

Interesting about the tidying advice because I feel like I’m wasting my time tidying all the time when I could be decluttering stuff that I would never then have to tidy again

[cassandrageorge]

Dawn's solution to everything: "Have you tried de-cluttering?" 🤣

I love it because it is so true! 💕

[coffeefortwo]

Truthfully, I let your videos play in the background while I am purging closets, pantries, garage shelves, etc. it’s really helping! ❤️💪🏼‼️