Podcast - The Practical Minimalists

Today we are chatting with Erin Loechner! You may have heard of Erin from her popular blog, Design for Mankind or her wonderful newish book Chasing Slow. 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 that adding more can cause and our opinions and perspectives on the issue. 

This episode is perfect for you if you are a minimalist but struggling on the topic of when to add more or want to hear our take on this topic.

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 taking on the topic of media consumption. We have done an episodes on digital consumptions and choices before, but this episode in particular was created in the context of recent world events like the tragedy in Charlottesville Virginia. Today we are tackling big questions like how do I 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? ….and so much more. Bear with us audience. We know that to even discuss some of these things comes from a place of privilege. We try to be aware of that throughout this episode. BUT we still think these are conversations worth having. 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 a lot of 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.

If you’ve followed along with us for a while now, you know that we facilitate and online wellness community outside of the podcast. In our bonus episodes we expound upon that part of our lives and that is what we’re doing today. If wellness, essential oils, and a little bit of science isn’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.

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 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!

It's the season finale! can you believe it! Today Eryn and David Jones 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 about 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. This episode is perfect for you if you are interested in seeing how another family lives our their family values, are interested in what it looks like to sell all your possessions and start over, or, are simply interested in meeting Eryn's husband and getting a peek at their unconventional lifestyle!