The Practical Minimalists: Recent Episodes
Heather Conkin and Eryn Jones
We know, we know- not another podcast!! In the year 2024 your podcast choices are a plenty! And we are all about less is more... But this one is important! We think it will ressonnate with many of you. Join Eryn for a preview of her new show, Model Little (cult?) Member. And find Model Little (cult?) Member out now- wherever you get your podcasts!
Heather and Eryn give you a preview of their new show, The Common Cult. This episode on the common cult of Influencer Culture is one of their most downloaded this quarter. Head on over there if you enjoyed the show to Subscribe to their new podcast!
Did you know we have a new podcast called The Common Cult? We had a highly requested episode from some of our Practical Minimalists friends to do a deep dive on the budgeting world of Dave Ramsey. Enjoy our second most popular episode from The Common Cult- a deep dive on Budgeting and the culture around Dave Ramsey.
Take a quick listen to preview our friend Maria Failla's amazing plant podcast Bloom & Grow Radio!
Did you know we have a new podcast? We're giving you one of our most popular episodes of Heather and Eryn's new show, The Common Cult Pod. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi TPM listeners! Heather and Eryn are starting an all new show and we'd love to have you listen! In this special bonus episode of TPM we talk about our new show, what it's all about, and why we are doing in this direction.
Today we are back again with another episode where we’re sharing our thoughts with you during quarantine / self isolation in the age of Covid-19. Today we’re going to discuss what it means to let go of judgments and how that might serve us in getting through a time like this. We’ve done shows on this topic and adjacent topics before, but today we’re going to look at it through the lens of this collective crisis.
Today we are talking routines! Some people thrive on a routine, some do not, and each of us are on different end of the spectrum on this so we thought this would be a fun topic to help you think through as we are all confined in our homes.
Today we are coming to you again to talk Covid-19 and what we are doing to cope during Quarantine. Specifically today we are going to talk about homeschool and home learning as most of us in the US have become homeschool families overnight. Listen in as Eryn, the Homeschool OG talk about what her days look like and Heather chimes in too with the perspective of being thrown into home learning overnight!
In today's episode we talk about and define collective trauma, but do not fear! This episode is not 100% sad and/or scary because we talk about all the amazing things that we are seeing come out of this situation as well. We also share the funny things that are helping us cope as well as lots of book, TV, and podcast recommendations. Enjoy!
Hello TPM listeners! What a crazy time we are living in! As we all figure out how to navigate this pandemic that is affecting everyone on the globe, we wanted to do what we can to help. In this episode we are here to check in after a long hiatus as well as to offer some solidarity, conversation, tools and coping mechanisms. We are keeping it light yet real in today's episode and we hope that our conversation today provides some entertainment and comfort for you during this historic time.
Happy Holidays everyone! We are back with you today with some insight on how we are approaching the holidays as "practical minimalists" and are also giving everyone an update on our lives and the show. Additionally The Nester is BACK with us to talk all things holiday. We hope you enjoy the show!
Today we are chatting with a guest that’s honestly been a dream guest for us. Myquillyn Smith, AKA “The Nester” is an author, mom, wife, speaker, and home styling EXPERT! She’s wrote the book The Nesting Place which focuses on beauty and letting go of perfection when it comes to curating your home. In her next book, Cozy Minimalist Home, she explore the idea of being a stuff manager vs. a home curator, loving your stuff vs. letting your stuff own you, and tactical advice on how to get started….so basically she’s speaks our language! So it’s a dream to talk to her today and we can’t wait to share this conversation with you today.
Welcome to another mini "solo-sode!" This week Heather' talking about all her favorite things from September. From podcasts, to book to TV to things you don't even have to buy, listen in as co-host Heather dishes.
This episode is marches to the beat of its own drum and it might just be our most vulnerable episode yet. We’ve been wanting to share about our spiritual journeys and how the process of letting go has supported us throughout our experience. The time is right and it is with a grateful, loving, and tender heart that we give you this episode. In it you’ll hear about our own spiritual paths as well as the viewpoints of a few others. We talk about what its like to be in relationship with someone when they don’t believe what you believe. We talk about what its like when you burn it all to the ground. We talk about how infertility relates to spiritually. We talk about what we think of when we think of God. We aren’t offering answers or doctrine. We aren’t trying to sway or convince you of anything. We are simply sharing our own journeys and opening up to the paths of others so that, perhaps you might feel less alone if any of this resonates and that you may receive the permission you need to crack open and keep moving down your own trail.
It's just me, Heather today and I'm sharing all of my summer favorites! So many of you love the recommendations portion of our show, so think of this as an extended version of that; a mini "solo-side" if you will with fun book, podcast, show and other miscellaneous things that have added value in some way to my life over this past summer. In a world where it's sooo easy to unconsciously consume things, I know I appreciate recommendations from trusted friends, so this is my attempt to do that for you, our awesome listeners. I hope you enjoy!
We are back and so pumped to catch up with you guys and let you know what you can expect in season 4 of The Practical Minimalists. Listen in as we discuss what happened over our summer break, how we're growing, what to expect in season 5 and a roundup of summer favorites from each of us! Feels good to be back!
Welcome to the season 3 Finale of The Practical Minimalists! Today we are talking about the difference between letting things go and letting things lie dormant in our lives. We are also sharing a pretty huge announcement that you don't want to miss! This episode is perfect for you if you want to hear more about the practice of letting things lie dormant, if you want to hear about our experience with this practice or if you simply want to hear a big announcement about the show. We hope you enjoy!
Welcome to the season 3 Finale of The Practical Minimalists! Today we are talking about the difference between letting things go and letting things lie dormant in our lives. We are also sharing a pretty huge announcement that you don't want to miss! This episode is perfect for you if you want to hear more about the practice of letting things lie dormant, if you want to hear about our experience with this practice or if you simply want to hear a big announcement about the show. We hope you enjoy!
Today we are talking with Amy Stroup. Amy is a singer, song writer, designer and creative. Amy Stroup is a Boston born, Abilene, Texas raised independent artist, living in Nashville who has had her songs featured on more than 30 TV shows (This Is US, Parenthood, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, One Tree Hill, Pretty Little Liars) as well as National TV ads for Calvin Klein, New Balance, Lexus & more. Amy has released 3 digital EPs and one nationally distributed full length solo recorded entitled Tunnel. She is the newest member of the TEN OUT OF TENN tour where she is one of ten featured artists along side Andrew Belle, Katie Herzig, Joy Williams and more. Recently Amy released a single called 'This Is My Time’ featured on NBC’s hit show This is US she co-wrote with Mary Hooper her creative partner and co owner of their design boutique Milkglass Creative.
In today's episode we are discussing pressure; internal pressure, external pressure, expectations. We dig deep as we discuss how these pressures can effect us, what role they've played in our own lives and what we are doing to let go. This episode is perfect for you if you struggle with internal or external expectations and want some practical ideas for starting to loosen the pressure, or you are simply interested in hearing us work it out!
Today we are talking about creating family values and rituals. Since the show’s beginning, sharing how we strive to live an intentional life is something that’s been at the heart of our show. We and several of our guests have referenced family values and we thought it would be fun to share our personal family values and the process we used to create them. Additionally we’ll be chatting about how we incorporate rituals into our families lives and how to maintain a growth mindset through that process.
The longer we do this show, the more our vision for it is revealed. More than practical tips for clearing out your basement or your closet, we’ve come to realize what our show is really about is letting things go that are holding us back so that we can live a more fulfilling, creative, and free lives. So today we are going to expand on that topic and share with you how we’ve done that in our own lives and ways in which you can start that practice as well. BONUS: stick around for the whole episode, because we have something special for you at the end. A while back we asked for stories about letting things go from our very own listeners and we’re sharing some of their stories with THEIR voices with you today! You don’t want to miss it!
Elise is a powerlifting world record holder, business owner, home schooling mama and world traveler. Last year Elise and her husband Justin made the scary decision to sell all their stuff and become a traveling family, or gym gypsies as they refer to themselves. So today we’re going to chat with Elise about what it means to her to define and live by your values, the challenges that can come along with not a permanent home, and for fun we’ll talk about simple, healthy meal planning too since that’s what their business is built around!
Today we are talking to Priscila Smith! Priscila is a wife, mama, wellness enthusiast and personal style maven. You guys loved our capsule wardrobe episode with Suzy Holman, so we are revisiting the topics of clothing, and this time instead of talking about capsule wardrobes specifically, we are talking about what to do AFTER you’ve whittled down your wardrobe into those items that you just LOVE. We’re so excited to share our conversation with you today!
We are talking about a topic the topic of time. There is a lot of content out there about making he most of your time, how we don’t have enough time, and on being productive, but today we are going to talk about time in a way that maybe you haven’t considered before. TIME ABUNDANCE. What does this mean? Maybe the story that we don’t have enough time is not serving us. Maybe we have all the time that we need. Maybe we don’t have to feel so rushed and we don’t need 12 productivity planners to help us manage our time. Maybe time is abundant. Sound confusing and/or too good to be true? Listen up while we break it down today.
Today we are going behind the scenes at TPM! Find out what it takes to get this show into your earbuds. Today we talk about our productions schedule, how we procure guests, how we create content and we reveal some of our deepest insecurities around sharing our lives through the lens of the show.
Today we are chatting with Maria Failla. Maria is a woman who wears many hats. When she’s not in concert, auditioning, or on broadway, she can be found hosting her podcast Bloom and Grow radio. Bloom and Grow radio is a show for plant lovers where Maria, a self proclaimed plant mom newbie interviews plant experts on all things keeping your plants alive and thriving. She also offers a series within her podcast called “plant side chats” where she gets into the spiritual side of keeping plants and drawls parallels between life and plants. We’ve been wanting to do a show on letting things die, bloom, and lie dormat, and we couldn’t think of a more perfect guest to come on and chat about this and love how this interview has unfolded. We can’t wait to share our conversation with you today; hopefully you’ll come away feeling inspired about life’s seasons and learn a little something about plant parenting as well
Today we are chatting with Krystle Cobran of yourbravebox.com Krystle is a former lawyer, mom, teacher, speaker, writer, researcher and joy seeker. Krystle coaches both individuals and organizations on having judgement free conversations about race. We wanted to treat this topic with the utmost respect and love and we feel that Krystle is the right person to help us in doing that.
In this episode we are interviewing health and wellness coach Beth Clayton. Beth is a former actress turned heath coach where she helps people at www.soulbodylife.com She helps people heal their relationship with food through a truly integrative approach guiding people down a path of more joy, freedom and love. Food, weight, body image…even things like meal prep and planning can be an area where we have a wide array of clutter and we couldn’t think of a more perfect person to come on and talk about how to release that clutter.
Today we are welcoming guest Erica Gellerman to the show. We have had requests since day one from listeners to have a show on money. And to be honest nothing felt quite right until we both stumbled upcoming Erica Gellerman’s work. Erica Gellerman is the woman behind www.theworthproject.co where she talks about all things money, negotiation, living the life of your dreams, minimalist budgeting and more. With a background in finance and a love abundance, Erica set out to empower people to stop looking at their money as an obstacle in their way but rather a tool to help people live the life they want. We couldn’t be more excited to share our conversation with her with you today!
Today we are kicking off the new year by having a chat with our first second-time guest Laura Parrott Perry. Laura first appeared on our podcast in episode #23 and we talked about letting go of the stories that aren’t serving you and we talked with her about how Say it Survivor, a non profit supporting survivors of sexual abuse that she co founded came to be. Whether you are a survivor of sexual abuse or not, Laura’s work is powerful and can impact positive change. As we start the new year, often people are thinking about making strides towards improved mental and emotional health. Laura’s new book She Wrote it Down is launching soon and we couldn’t think of a more perfect person or time to talk about mental and emotional health. Survivor or not, this book and this episode is for everyone. We talk deeply about the role shame can play in our lives, how to set boundaries with those closest to us, and why it's crucial that we are truth tellers in our own lives.
Today we are doing a 2017 wrap up! Can you believe it’s that time of year? We’re going to be chatting about everything 2017, observations, things that worked, didn’t work…what we learned and what we loved.
We have a treat for you guys today. To day we welcome Courtney Carver to the show. Some of you guys will be familiar with Courtney’s work, but in case you aren’t, a bit about her….Courtney Carver changed her life by simplifying it after a devastating diagnosis in 2006. She’s the founder of bemorewithless.com and minimalist fashion challenge Project 333. Her new book Soulful Simplicity will be published December 26 by Penguin Random House. Carver shows us the power of simplicity to improve our health, build more meaningful relationships, and relieve stress in our professional and personal lives.
Today we are chatting with Grace Druecke of the Bali Market. Grace is a mama, interior decorator, and is passionate about simple, intentional living. At the Bali Market you’ll find beautiful, simple quality turkish towels created and shipped with lots of love. The Bali market is not just a online towel company; The Bali Market is a place where families are encourages to live simpler lives through providing items that bring joy and usefulness. Grace is also no stranger to minimalism and lot of life changes both in business and in life and we’re looking forward to sharing our conversation with you today.
If you are a TPM superfan, you’ll remember that Kallie was the person who inadvertently introduced Heather to the term Minimalism. Since then Kallie has lived our her values by living in many places including Seattle, Dallas, and now Portland Oregon. Kallie is a former film photographer who still loves to get behind the lens. She’s always making things with her hands whether it’s beauty or functional improvements. Kallie is a wife, mama, and forever explorer and we’re excited to share her perspective with you today.
We are continuing our everyday minimalism series today with our friend Alexis Rethlake. For those of you who love the idea of minimalism but the fact that you have a gaggle of kids that live with you….well this episode is for you. Alexis is the minimalist mom of 5 girls and you guys…she is such a gem. Down to earth, funny, wise, and spiritual, Alexis always teaches me something so when I found out she was a minimalist at heart, we HAD to have her on the show.
Today we are continuing our Everyday Minimalism Series by speaking with our friend Analisa Leaming. Although Analisa’s life is anything but “normal” she’s only just started dipping her toes into the concept of minimalism this past year. Analisa is a working singer and actress. She is currently starting on Broadway. You heard that right, Broadway where she is currently playing the role of Rosalie in School of Rock. While is she not giving it her all on stage, she is producing and hosting her podcast A Balancing Act, exploring, or hanging out with her husband. We love Analisa, her heart, and her perspective and we think you will too!
Today we are starting a new series called “Everyday Minimalism.” One of the big reasons we wanted to start the show in the first place was to take all that we were learning from leaders and voices in the minimalist community to share it. A lot of people don’t resonate with minimalism because they thing you have to travel the world in an RV or live in a tiny home. But what we have found that what draws us to minimalism is not the how, but the why. That being said, we thought it would be fun to feature some real conversations with real people who aren’t necessarily famous bloggers, authors or speakers about how simplification, minimalism, and intentional living has affected their lives. So today we are chatting with my friend Cara Ellis. Cara is a wife, mom of 2, entrepreneur and lucky charms lover. She is passionate about gluten free living, freedom, organization, health and wellness, talking about the hard stuff, and living your best life. We are so excited to have her on the show today!
Today we are so excited to share our guest Catherine Greer with you Catherine is a writer and blogger living in Australia. She writes novels about power, desire, jealousy and redemption. She writes picture books about optimism, resilience and flow. And she shares about life in her Happiness Blog. We wanted Catherine to come on the show today to talk about kids and flow as well as to share her thoughts on intentional living. We think you’re going to love our conversation.
Today have another kid-centered episode around the topic of Flow. After Heather’s interview on the Lively Show, the questions started pouring in around how you guys can start implementing the idea of flow and emotional frequency with your kids. While aren’t child psychologists, we certainly can and will be open books when it comes to our experiments in all things flow, including our experiments, challenges, and joys in parenting.
Today we are serving up a fresh episode that centers around Kids and Minimalism. We get a lot of questions these days and so many of them center around kids. Although we did a kid focused episode last year, we are coming at you today with some fresh new idea, experiences and content all around the challenge and joys of having kids while being a minimalist or, at least “minimalist-ish.”
Today we are chatting with Erin Loechner! Erin has been writing and speaking for over a decade and her work has been featured places like HGTV.com, The Huffington Post and The New York Times. Although she has done some BIG things, she very intentionally chooses slow living in a Midwestern town with her husband and kids. Our eagerness to share her with you guys can be summed up in her description of her life on her blog: “Erin strives for less in most areas except three: joy, grace, and goat cheese.”
Today we are we are talking about a topic we think a lot of self proclaimed minimalist struggle with at times. And that is the question, when is minimalism harmful vs. helpful? Do you ever find yourself struggling to be the "perfect" minimalist? Do you ever feel like minimalism is oppressive? Do you ever find yourself struggling with minimalism and wonder what you're even doing anymore? If you answers yes to any of these questions, today's episode with you. We are talking about all this and more on today's show.
Today we are talking about something that may be a little controversial in the minimalist community….and that is when or is it ok to add more? We’ll talk about when we’ve subtracted and taken away, the challenges this can cause and our opinions and perspectives on the issue.
Today we are continuing and finishing our clean green living series with guest Lara Adler and we are thrilled to have her onthe show today. Lara is a certified holistic health coach and self taught environmental toxins expert. Lara is committed to opening up the conversation around environmental toxins in an accessible way. We’ve actually gotten a lot of questions from our listeners about simple, non-overwhelming ways to start cleaning up our skincare products, water, household items, etc…and although we feel like we do know a fair amount about that process, we thought it would be great to bring in someone like Lara who is non-biased and pretty much and expert.
Today we are discussing freedom with less worry and anxiety. That’s what we all want, right? Isn’t part of what draws people to minimalism a release from outer anxiety so that we can also release our inner anxiety? Today we’re going to talk about worry, anxiety, what causes it and how we can release ourselves from it’s grip.
Today we are talking all about friendships. In school and in our younger years, for most of us, friendships is so much easier for us than it is when we are adults. Once we break away from that forced social circle and get out into the real world and get jobs, spouses and babies….well things get harry. Yet it seems we are hard wired for connection? So how to we find solid friends, invest in them and grow with them? That’s what we are talking about today. We hope you enjoy.
Today we are talking about one of our most buzzed about topic on Instagram and that is the topics of self care. But this episode may not be what you think. Will we encourage you to take time for yourself? Yes. Will we tell you to drop everything and get a pedicure…maybe maybe not, but today we are talking all about self care. We’re going to be getting into whether or not we are unconsciously “consuming” so to speak, things like massages and pedicures and how we can better tune into what our bodies, minds and spirits REALLY need
Today we are tackling big questions like how do stay informed but not get my emotions manipulated by the media? What can I actually DO to help those in need? How do I choose? Do I engage in the conversation on social media? What really matters? Bear with us audience. As we’ve said before, we are not politicians or seasoned activists, we are just two people trying to navigate the world in a more meaningful way. And we think that’s most people so hopefully you will find some value in our conversation today.
Today we continuing our series on Clean, Green Living. So many of our listeners are interested in simplifying and living intentionally. Often times when we start cleaning out our physical and mental clutter, we find the space to think about things that might have otherwise felt overwhelming. Today we are talking about recycling and resourcefulness and we are bringing in special guest Cody Lilstrom to talk about small, simple and easy ways to love the earth and incorporate more resourcefulness into your life. Cody is a husband, father, explorer, biker and loves the outdoors. He also work to implement Boulder County’s zero waste program and will talk all about that today. He ALSO once wore the same outfit for one year in college….so he’s going to fit right in here on the podcast!
TPM Bonus time! If you’ve followed along with us for a while now, you know that we love essential oils and, in fact, we facilitate and online wellness community outside of the podcast. In our bonus episodes (which come out about once a monty) we expound upon that part of our lives and that is what we’re doing today. If wellness and essential oils aren’t your thing, feel free to move along, but even if they are not your thing we’ve crafted this episode with everyone in mind and think that there’s something here for everyone. Today we thought we’d bring in David Jones, Eryn’s husband who is a chemist and former essential oil skeptic to speak to do a little essential oil 101 talk and speak to the “science-y” side of essential oils and even to some of the skeptics out there. We love it when we can combine wellness and practical minimalism!
Today we are starting a new series on Clean, Green Living. So many of our listeners are interested in simplifying and living intentionally. Often times when we start cleaning out our physical and mental clutter, we find the space to think about things that might have otherwise felt overwhelming. Which brings us to this series. Over the next couple of weeks we are going to talk all about ways in which you can live cleaner and greener and we are starting by chatting with Becky Rapinchuk of the Clean Mama blog. Becky is also author of one o of Heather’s favorite books, Simply Clean. She is a wife, mom, long time blogger, cleaning guru, and DIY master. Today we are talking to Becky about blogging, ways to stay on top of keeping a tidy and clean house that don’t leave you overwhelmed, and DIY home cleaning recipes.
Today we are kicking out our season 3 premier with a topic we are beyond excited to talk about and it’s one of our most requested episodes thus far. And that is on the topic of saying YES. We’ve talk about the importance of saying NO and checking in with your values and desires when filling your calendar. But how do you know when to say YES? That’s what we’re talking about today.
Today we are coming at you again with another bonus episode! We are embarking on a year of no shopping and we want to invite you to join in! In today’s episode, we’ll talk about why we chose to do this, what the “rules” are, and how you can join us.
We are coming at you with a brand new sparkly BONUS episode! Today we are talking all about our daily routines. This episode is light hearted and fun; perfect for summertime. We chat about everything from our hair washing routines, to products we love to living seasonally to how minimalism has changed our perspective with our daily routines. This episode is perfect for you if you are interested in what our daily routines look like, want to know what two minimalists use in the way of beauty products or simply want to hear an update from us this summer! Enjoy!
Today Eryn and her husband David are in the hot seat to explain to us why they sold all of their family’s possessions and are moving away from their beloved Austin, TX. We'll be talking how they came to this decision, how the minimalist lifestyle shaped their path to where they are today, and what it means to them to live seasonally.
Welcome to today's show! Anyone hungry? Well, if you're not, you might be after this episode. Today we are chatting about an in-demand topic from our listeners. Today we are talking all about meal planning, simple meals, and how to make meal time joyful, less stressful, and easier. As always we'll talk about our missteps and challenges along the way. We tackle questions like, "How do you plan meals for your family?" and "How can I simplify my pantry?" and "How can I best handle a picky eater while still keeping meal time simple?" and more. This episode is perfect for you if you are looking for some inspiration for making meal time more fun and easy, if you want to hear what we do personally, or if you just want to have a laugh at our expense when we talk about our meal planning missteps and our least favorite foods. Enjoy!
We are so excited to talk to you today about capsule wardrobes! We also have a special guest, Suzy Holman with us to chat about this fun topic! Suzy is a wife, mama of 3, photographer and owner of the amazing space Denver Photo Collective. She is new to the whole capsule wardrobe thing so we thought it would be fun to bring on someone with a fresh perspective.
Today we are switching gears and talking about a lighter topic that you guys are jazzed about…and that is home styling! Today we’ll chat about ways to style your home more intentionally, how to style when you feel like you have no sense of design, and as always, our challenges along the way.
Today is part 2 of our conversation with Jess Lively. Jess is a fellow podcaster, and runs online courses to help people live their best life. She is a tea lover, explorer and is traveling the world indefinitely. In this part of the conversation we get into alternative therapies for dealing with emotions, paradigm shifts and human consciousness…so a fun light, show. Just kidding, just like the first part of our conversation with Jess, this part is just as lively and gets into big ideas like alternative ways to think about how and why we are on this planet. So again, buckle up and get ready to stretch your brain cells.
We might have to restrain ourselves from “fan-girling” out a little bit with today’s guest. In all seriousness though we are thrilled to have fellow podcaster Jess Lively on the show today. Jess runs online courses that help people live their best life, she has a wonderful podcast called “The Lively Show” (one of our favorites), and is currently traveling the world indefinitely.
Buckle your seat belts guys, because you are in for a fun and slightly mind-blowing ride with this conversation. We talk about how, in American Culture, we are often taught that "success" equals hustle and struggle. But what if there was another way? And that science backed it up? In part one of this conversation we dig into emotional frequency and what that means, classical personal development vs. quantum living, and climbing the emotional scale. We also use some very personal examples in order to apply these conter-intuitive concepts that Jess speaks about in her newest course, Flow with Intention Online.
This episode is perfect for you if you are tired of struggling and want to hear about another approach to "success", if you get weary of all the talk about hustle in the personal development world and are interested in hearing a completely different approach, or, you are simply a Jess Lively Fan. Enjoy!
We have another bonus episode for you today! Today with are chatting with Kimberly Cochenour. Kim is a friend of the show, has 3 kids and a husband, is instrumental in running a non-profit, and is just an all-around fun person to be around. Kim is also an essential oils user and lover. She has a background in integrative medicine and loves using her knowledge in that area when using her oils and today we’re talking with her all about oils + natural therapies. If oils aren’t your thing, feel free to skip this episode. However, we are talking about so many other topics from baby minimalism, to motherhood, to juggling it all and we think everyone will enjoy this one!
We are talking about plateaus today….starting the minimalist journey can be exciting as you start to let go of things. But there can come a time on your journey where you start to like you are moving more slowly and you feel like you are at a plateau. We have received questions from listeners regarding this and have experienced it ourselves so we though we’d take an entire show to dive into the topic of plateaus…we think it’s a worthy topic to dig into because it can apply to any area of growth in your life, minimalism related or not. So whether you are a minimalist or not, if you're feeling stuck in any area of life, this episode is for you.
Today it’s just the two of us and we’re talking Travel. With Spring Break coming up quickly followed by summer, lots of you will be traveling and we’ve gotten many questions from listeners over the last few months about how to travel minimally. So we’re talking all things travel today….we’ll talk about the joy of traveling with less, our favorite travel hacks, and, of course, our challenges along the way.
This episode is perfect for you if you're interested in some manageable and practical tips for traveling lightly OR want to hear some funny stories about our challenges with travel!
Today we are chatting with guest Miranda Anderson! Miranda shares inspiration and handmade goods over on her blog, www.livefreecreative.co . She shares weekly stories, DIY tutorials, and unique handmade products in the shop. Miranda connects with people offline in regular craft and sewing workshops, because she believes in cultivating community and confidence through making. Miranda is also what we’d call a “creative minimalist” and shares about her minimalist experiments through her online community. She is a wife, mama of 3, and creative entrepreneur and we are thrilled to have her on the show today!
This conversation is lively, thought-provoking, and fun. We think you'll love this episode if you want to hear tips on living out minimalist values with kids, want to hear practical tips on creative living, are interested in some minimalist experiments to try, or, are simply interest in getting a peek at what it's like to be Miranda Anderson. Enjoy!
The long awaited Enneagram episode is here!! We are thrilled to have Leigh Kramer on the show and she’s going to walk us through an overview of The Enneagram and show you how you can use it to know yourself and others a little bit better. Leigh is a writer and administrative assistant currently living in Minneapolis with a background in social work. She also has passion for and expertise in the Enneagram and we are thrilled to have her on the show today!
If Minimalism is all about spending your time and resources on the things you most value and letting the rest go, then this takes a lot of self knowledge. This is where things like the Enneagram can really be helpful. There are a lot of personality testing systems but we love the Enneagram because of it’s flexibility and accuracy.
This episode is perfect for you if you love the Enneagram and want to gain a more in-debth understanding. You'll also enjoy this episode if you are new to the Enneagram and want to see what all the fuss is about. Either way, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed making it!
Today we are talking about something very vulnerable with you guys today and that is the topic of secrets. This topic was inspired by our guest Laura Parrott-Perry who said, “the story that you haven’t told could be the one that’s running your life.” This touched us both on a personal level and got us both thinking about the secrets we keep, how they effect our lives, where they can create mental clutter, and how to let them go.
This episode is perfect for you if you feel burdened with a secret big or small, if you want to hear some true confessions from us, or, if you are curious about how secrets have the power to weigh us down. Enjoy!
Hello wonderful friends! Today we have another TPM BONUS episode for you! Today we are chatting with our friend Casey Wiegand. Casey is a blogger, mama to 4, wife, artist, and essential oil lover. During our conversation she talks about everything from minimalism and miscarriage, to her serious financial struggles which ultimately led to financial freedom. After listening to today's bonus episode, you'll understand that living that blogger life isn't always what it seems, however, Casey's honest, raw and beautiful story is sure to leave you inspired and uplifted.
This episode is perfect for you if you are interested in a behind the scenes look at the life of a successful blogger, want to hear an uplifting story about achieving financial freedom, or simply want to get to know Casey Wiegand a little bit better. Enjoy!
We are back together, just the two of us today! Today we are talking about Comparison, when it can serve us, when it is harmful, how to be happy for other’s and tips on how to just do you. As always, we don’t have this all figured out, so we’ll share our challenges with growing in these areas.
Some of you might consider our guest today unconventional. You might listen to his story and back ground and think, how in the world can I relate to this guy? Well, Eryn and I have always felt like we’re a bridge between the "traditional" community and those that are interested in minimalism and intentional living but feel intimidated by living out of a backpack while traveling the world. If you’ve listed to us long enough, you know that we don’t think there’s one perfect recipe for minimalism or intentional living….it’s going to look different for everyone. However, just because someone IS living out of their backpack and traveling the world doesn’t mean they don’t have something special to offer the world even if that’s not your jam. So that’s why we’ve brought Rob on the show today. What he is doing is VERY unconventional, but we think you will find it interesting, inspiring and hopeful you’ll learn something from his story.
Today we welcome guest Jen Biswas to our show. Jen is a mama, wife, business owner and friend. Her business, Paisley and Sparrow, empowers at-risk women around the world. When you purchase from her shop you are giving a marginalized woman in India a hopeful future, someone in Ethopia a way to support her family, and a woman recovering from addition a second chance.
More and more, the minimalist community and people in general are interested in conscious consumption, and we loved the opportunity to bring someone on the show who is running a business with with a purpose. Not only that, Jen also shares some real-life struggles like comparison, the stress of new motherhood, and the pressure of being a work-at-home mom that so many of our listeners will relate to.
This episode is perfect for you if you are interested in hearing about a place where you can buy fair trade goods, are curious about what life's like behind the scenes for Jen Biswas, or you just want to hear some real talk about motherhood and self discovery. Enjoy!
We have another guest on the show today and it is with joy, honor, and great care that we share her with you. Laura Parrott-Perry is the founder and CEO of Say-It-Survior, a non-profit organization that helps encourage, foster, and facilitate the survivors of sexual abuse in telling and untangling their stories in a safe, compassionate, and loving environment. If you've been listening to our show long enough, you know that to us, Minimalism and life-on-purose living is just as much about letting go of the non-physical and emotional burdens (if not more) than it is the physical ones. This is why we felt compelled to connect with Laura and provide a platform for her to reach out to other survivors and those that know a survivor to convey the power and freedom of letting go of shame and telling your story.
This week we have having our first TPM BONUS episode! Lesley is a semi-retired blogger, mom, wife, and business owner. Today we are speaking with her about everything from motherhood, to what it's like being a full time blogger, to letting go of people pleasing to essential oils. We hope that this episode will feel like you're joining some girlfriends over coffee to talk about everything from what we're binge watching on Netflix to the things we're learning to let go of in order to live our best life.
You will love this bonus episode if you want to get in inside scoop into the world of a successful blogger, want to hear about some uses for essential oils, are interested in an hearing some of Lesley's personal struggles as working mom, or simply want to be a fly on the wall during a fun conversation. We hope you enjoy this BONUS episode!
We are doing our very first interview today and we have a very special guest on the show; Heather's husband Timothy. We wanted to bring him in for two reasons….1) To help you guys get to know us a little better 2) To Talk to someone about being married to a maximalist. We’ve had a ton of questions from listeners about what to do when you are ready to begin your minimalism journey, but your spouse, partner or family members are not. Eryn and I got to thinking….that’s us except we were on the other side of the coin! Our husbands were both closet minimalists and we thought it would be fun to get their perspective on life with a maximalist before we changes our ways! 3) Finally we thought it would be interesting to hear a male perspective on things like minimalism, career, flow and habits. Most of our audience female, but we thought it would spice things up to bring in a make perspective.
In today’s episode we'll be getting into the topic Minimalism Perfectionism. It's common to experience growth, joy, and contentment as you unburden your life of all the extra stuff and obligations. But what happens then? Do we "arrive?" If we're not careful Minimalism can just become another thing we're striving for in order to be happier. Additionally, comparison can come in and hinder our progress. Am I "minimalist enough?" Can I even call myself a minimalist? Does my home reflect my values enough to outsiders? These are just some of the questions we discuss in today's episode as we chat about Minimalism Perfectionism, how it's affected us, and how we are learning to find our groove in the process of having #freedomwithless
This episode is perfect for you if you find yourself in the comparison loop on social media, if you find yourself "chasing" minimalism, or you simply want to hear our thoughts and personal struggles on these issues. Enjoy!
Happy 2017! We are back in action and excited to welcome you to Season 2 of The Practical Minimalists! As the new year approaches everyone is talking about goals. People are motivated by their goals for the new year or they are abandoning their goals altogether. Today we are adding to that conversation and talking about how we've set and worked towards goals in the past, what we're letting go of in in that regard, and what we are doing differently as we move through the journey of intentional living.
This episode is perfect for you if you are motivated to make some changes this year but feel disconnected with traditional goal setting or if you simply want to hear about where our personal paths have taken us in the world of goals setting.
We are now on our Fourth and Final episode of our holiday series, and today we are talking about our Favorite Things. Don’t worry. This is not going to be a 30 minute commercial although we will give big shout outs to some of our favorite artists, creators, and small business owners in our recommendations portion of the show. On this episode favorite things means not only material things but memories, moments, advice and more. Today we’re reflecting back on the life of this podcast in 2016 as well as our own personal journeys
We are now on our third episode of our holiday series, and in today's episode, we are talking about gifts. This seems to be a hot button issue for budding minimalists. Even if you wouldn’t call yourself a minimalist, if you are listening to this episode, our bet is that you are looking for ways to have a more intentional or simple holiday season and gifts can definitely complicate things. Whether you are looking to buy less, get less or spend less, we think you’ll really enjoy this episode as we talk about our journeys, ideas and challenges when it comes to giving and receiving gifts.
This is our second episode in our holiday series and today’s we’re talking about “Hustle and Bustle." Whether it's holiday parties, family get-togethers, or school celebrations, the number of gatherings and obligations available are typically at an all-time high during the holiday season. We discuss ways we can manage, be more intentional about, or even minimize our schedules during the holiday season. So sit back and enjoy as we discuss our challenges around this topic and changes we’ve implemented in our own lives in order to make the holidays more joyful and meaningful.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, there’s an emphasis on tradition; whether it’s a widely accepted tradition Thanksgiving dinner, Santa Claus, the Festival of Lights or quirkier traditions specific to your family, there’s a lot to wade through during the holiday season. So listen in as we discuss the holiday traditions, how to be more intentional during the season when it comes to either honoring traditions or letting them go, and of course, our personal challenges with traditions during the season.
Be the light you want to see in the world. Shine your light.. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. These are things a lot of us grew up hearing. But what does that look like? How does it relate to minimalism and Unbecoming? If you are someone who struggles with feeling like a nag, wanting to control other people’s actions, or wanting to manipulate outcomes, this episode is for you. Or, if you are someone who feels like your inner light is dim, we think you’ll love this episode. Finally if you are feeling low on joy or peace, and want to hear a message of hope, we hope you’ll listen in and garner some encouragement and light through this episode. Join us as we discuss the topic of light and/or inner alignment, what it means to us, and challenges we’ve faced in our own lives when it come to “being the light.”
Are you someone who tends to push and work for results, experience, outcomes, or even balance but end up feeling tired, drained or unsatisfied? Do you ever feel like you're trying to force outcomes and then waiting for that feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment or fulfillment to come afterwards? We get it which is why today we're talking about a revolutionary concepts we've used in our own lives. We call it FLOW and it weaves in perfectly to our conversation on Unbecoming. Once we strip off our false selves and then surrender to our true selves, we now practice flow. Not making sense? That's ok. Tune in as we discuss this somewhat esoteric topic, some real-life examples of how it's transformed our lives and of course, our challenges along the way. If you are someone who has trouble letting go, are a control freak, or who simply wants to hear about a more intuitive way of living, this episode is for you.
This week we are diving into part 2 of our Unbecoming Series and the topic is surrender. Listen in as we discuss what it means to surrender, how practicing surrender has transformed our lives, and the hard things that come along with that practice. We also talk about our own minimalistic values and how they relate to surrender. If you are someone who finds yourself addicted to your planner, wanting to control outcomes, or who has trouble letting go of the uncontrollable, we think you'll like this one.
If minimalism is the intentional promotion of everything that matters and the removal of everything else, why is this process so hard sometimes? We believe it's because sometimes self knowledge and value development is not always clear. If we don't even know who we are or have a grasp on our personal values, we can get stuck in the minimalism process. This leads us into our new series, Unbecoming Part 1 on Minimalism and The Self. This series was inspired by Glennon Doyle Melton's latest book, Love Warrior. In her book she talks about how, after years of addiction and pretending, she had to "Unbecome" in order to discover her true self. This process is at the heart of everything we discuss here on the podcast, so this week we are digging deep into the concept of "true self," how to recognize when we are putting up facades, practical ways we can tap into our true selves, and, as always, our personal challenges along the way. You do not need to have read the book to enjoy the episode, but of course we'd recommend it! Join us as we get super-vulnerable and walk into a lot of truth-telling.
If you are someone who has struggled to define your personal values, don't know how to tap into what you want in life, has had trouble answering the question "who am I?" or simply wants to hear how we have struggled with theses processes personally, this episode is for you.
Kids today have an abundance of choices when it comes to technology. iPads, phones, tablets, Leap Pads, TV...the list goes on. How can we apply the values and concepts of living a minimalist lifestyle to the way our kids use technology? If you feel like your kiddos may need a technology reset or you are interested in hearing some tips for being more intentional about the way your kiddos consume their technology, check out this episode! We share some the ways in which we've changed our habits when it comes to kids and tech, and of course, the issues we've had and mistakes we've made along the way.
Love it, hate it or have mixed feelings, it looks like social media is sticking around. In a world where we have lot of decisions to navigate through when it comes to the time we spend on technology and what we consume, social media plays a huge role. So how does this relate to minimalism? How can we tap into whether or not social media is causing problems for our thoughts and actions? If you are curious about any of this, tune is as we discuss social media and the roles it's played in our lives, our experiments with social media detoxes, and our struggles and wins along the way.
Sometimes it's can be easy to identify the excess when it comes to the technology we are consuming, but it can become difficult to identify which technology tools and mediums we actually want to be using. How do we figure this out? Why does this even matter? How can changing your approach to the way we consume technology change your life? If you are someone who finds yourself spending more time that you want online, are curious about the challenges we've faced in this area, or want some fresh ideas on choosing technology, this episode is for you. Tune in for a special episode where Eryn and Heather are TOGETHER in the same room as they chat about intentional technology choice and their challenges along the way. Enjoy!
In this episode we take on the topic of technology. We are setting this up as a series because there is so much ground to cover when it comes to technology. This week will be part 1 and in this episode we’ll be dealing with digital excess, what that means, how we’ve identified and dealt with digital excess and our challenges along the way. Do you feel overwhelmed by technology? Do you feel like you spend more time that you'd like on your devices, but don't know how and where to cut back? If you answered yes to either of those questions or you are interested in hearing some of our stories on where we've run into excess with technology and how we dealt with it, this episode is for you.
In this episode we answer all your questions about kids, clutter, gifts, trophies, laundry, Friday Folders, and art projects. As always we go deeper into the whys behind these questions and speak on blending minimalist values with raising kids, the benefits of minimalist values for families and practical ways to simplify the stuff that comes along with raising kids so that you can experience more joy in parenthood.
In this episode we discuss how hanging on to sentimental items can become a roadblock in our journey to minimize and declutter. We also get into the deeper implications of clinging to sentimental items. If you struggle with letting things go because of attachments issues, want to know why we should care about addressing this these types of things, or simply want some tips to let go of some of the more sentimental "stuff" in your life, this episode is for you.
Ever struggled in a relationship? Do you find that you have tons of surface level relationships out of convenience or circumstance but struggle to make intentional deep connections? Maybe you are a loner and have trouble letting people in. No matter how you relate to people relationships are tricky but they are key to our existence and happiness. Join us as we dive deep into the topic of relationships. Even if you aren't into this minimalism thing, we think everyone could get something out of this episode. Because after all...relationships are a big part of what make the word go round.
In this episode, we tackle the tough topic of social engagements. Is your calendar filled with things you think you "should" do? Do you want to cut down on your social obligations but have a hard time figuring out when to say yes and when to day no? Does it get even more confusing when it comes to kids activities? If you answered yes to any of these questions or if any of this sounds interesting, this episode is for you. Listen as we dive deep into these questions and share what has helped us build a calendar that bring us joy.
In this episode Eryn and I discuss how to deal with the physical and emotional clutter that can result in minimizing possessions, obligations, activities, etc.
In this episode we introduce our selves and give you little slivers of our story and how we got on our own minimalism journeys. We also share our reason and hopes for this podcast.
In this episode, Eryn and I discuss our misconceptions on minimalism. We also dive share some things that helped us get started in making drastic reductions in the amount of stuff we own. Also we introduce 2 new segments of our show: Challenges and Wins, and Recommendations.