I have always had minimalist tendencies, even before I really understood what it truly meant to live a minimalist lifestyle. I have always enjoyed de-cluttering, and re-organizing.
It is not uncommon for my husband to come home, and find the furniture re-arranged, or moved from one room to another. I am constantly going through our clothing to see what can be donated or thrown out. I always have a "Goodwill donation bag" going. I just love simplifying my life as much as possible!
It truly is cathartic to get rid of unnecessary items, and only hold on to what we need and what we actually use. I am not extremely sentimental when it comes to "things", although there are a few exceptions. It's perfectly OK to hold onto something that has an emotional value! But many of us just tend to collect more and more things we don't really need or use, and it makes it harder to get to what we do need and use.
That's where de-cluttering comes in. We have gradually downsized, with every home move, and our latest move to our tiny little cottage, has forced us to really keep only what we need. "Living Small" and "Minimalism" kind of go hand in hand. As a mama of three boys, I do whatever I can to keep calm. For me, less stuff equals less stress!