The List | 2025
A sentimental minimalist shares items & ideas that fortify a life with less.
To read
To listen
To do
To audit
To remember
NOVEMBER
1.
Diane Keaton Loved This Unexpected Art Form
House Beautiful
I’m still mourning the death of an icon. In the many pieces I’ve read about her lately, this one delighted me most. She collaged, just like Meghan Barich, who uses collage for our Keepsake Collection - a service that turns your memory bins into albums & artwork. Diane Keaton turned to collage throughout her entire life. A lifetime craft companion.
Art as comfort; I love that.
2.
To listen
In the summer, Our Family Album interviewed me. I loved our conversation. Unfortunately, there are serious issues with the audio, so I’ve hesitated sharing. You’ve been warned! But I stand by everything I said.
3.
To do
Organizing December.
If you haven’t started prepping for the holidays, here is your invitation. Remember The Why for starting early. We start early so we, too, can enjoy ourselves.
Here is the blog post that goes into a bit more detail.
Here is the READ-ONLY Excel spreadsheet, so you must save it to your computer (or your Google Drive) to then make it your own.
4.
To audit
Toiletries.
This month, I audit all my serums and potions, soaps and shampoos. Even floss. In a couple of weeks, I’ll take advantage of Black Friday deals to make a one-time purchase for the coming year’s skincare basics. By auditing prior to purchasing, I get real honest about what I use and what I don’t. By auditing, I don’t buy more if I don’t need to. (Pro-tip: Make sure you look in ALL the nooks & crannies. You may uncover a stash you’d forgotten about…)
5.
To remember
Once a month, we declutter and organize our photos & videos from last month. We do not - I repeat, we do not - make a mountain out of a molehill. We tend to the monthly molehill so it doesn’t become a mountain!
OCTOBER
1.
To read
Pro Organizers Say “Adult Kid Junk” Is a MAJOR Problem - Here’s How to Tackle It, House Beautiful
Do you still store sentimental items in your parents’ home?
Stop it, you guys.
There. I said it.
2.
To listen
Like me, have you relied on paper calendars and paper to-do lists your entire life? I didn’t just rely on them; I got great satisfaction from checking things off. I love a list. This very newsletter is a list, m’kay?
But last year, in a dramatic departure from the only reality I knew to exist, I started tiptoeing into the digital world of time management. The idea might never have occurred to me were it not for Kelly Nolan’s The Bright Method Podcast.
Does this all sound blasphemous, yet is curiosity piqued? Been there. Start with this 19-minute intro. Or, to get a sense of it in real time, listen to a recent episode: Halloween: A great example of mental load & how a calendar can help.
3.
To do
I didn’t just quit paper calendaring cold turkey. But I was overwhelmed and dropping balls, and I don’t like either of those things.
When I downloaded the Google Tasks app to my phone and synced it with my Google Calendar(s), something shifted.
Since then, I’ve created different task lists for different areas of my life - home, Less is Maura, travel hacking (more on my fave hobby soon!), etc.
I can assign a date and time for a task if I need to.
I can even make tasks recurring.
Google Tasks is my assistant, and I love her.
I still get the same satisfaction when checking things off as I did when I used paper and pencil. I didn’t think it was possible.
What do you do to stay on top of things?
4.
To audit
Annual audits keep the clutter at bay.
I like to audit cool weather clothes in the fall because, if they’re no longer right for me but still in great condition, thrift and secondhand stores will be accepting them. If I wait til the spring, I need to hold on to them til next fall anyway. Boo. Let it go.
Add it to your tasks this month.
5.
To remember
Once a month, we declutter and organize our photos & videos from last month. We do not - I repeat, we do not - make a mountain out of a molehill. We tend to the monthly molehill so it doesn’t become a mountain!
SEPTEMBER
1.
To read
What Professional Organizers Know About Our Lives, The New Yorker
This piece dives deep into anthropologist Carrie M. Lane’s research on professional organizers. The message is a tale as old as… modern America. Lane “has found people across the class strata who are overworked, and underwhelmed with what they have to show for it. They are not just too busy to organize their things; they are too busy to live their lives. Instead of writing a novel, they buy a moleskin. Instead of traveling, they accrue travel points. They acquire books on decluttering that collect dust-somewhere.” This is my Super Bowl. Highly recommend.
2.
To do
We lost a beloved family member. With that comes endless, complicated, never ending tasks of wrapping up a life well lived. I don’t want my husband or daughter to have to make so many decisions while grieving. So I got @lawmotherco’s Sorry I’m Dead Now What kit. Spreadsheets, checklists, and an annual update of everything - I will be prepared, come what may. And so will they.
3.
To note
I must acknowledge a bummer of a price increase. Microsoft announced yesterday that OneDrive (Microsoft 365 Personal) is increasing in price from $69.99 to $99.99. This is my photo storage solution of choice. Am I going to keep paying for it? Yes. Am I disappointed at such a steep hike in price? Yes. Please let me know what you think, guys.
4.
To complete
FINAL CALL to place all holiday album orders! How do you place an order? Simply fill out an Intake Form.
5.
To remember
Once a month, we declutter and organize our photos & videos from last month. We do not - I repeat, we do not - make a mountain out of a molehill. We tend to the monthly molehill so it doesn’t become a mountain!
