And just like that, the last month of 2025 is here. Along with a summary of my writing activity last month, my November 2025 blog roundup has terrific posts on the wisdom of age, an updated Christmas don’t want list, the value of a vision board, and rethinking our approach to post-secondary education.
Say NO to Black Friday and YES to Buy Nothing Day
Are you ready for the silly season to kick into high gear? Black Friday is coming up next week. This day best known for retail mayhem is also Buy Nothing Day—an opportunity to rethink out-of-control consumerism. Today, I look at the origins of Buy Nothing Day, and offer alternatives to heading to the malls on Friday.
Frugal living tips to simplify your life and save money
November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada and this week is Talk Money Week in the U.K.—a terrific time to dive into the advantages of frugality, and share a roundup of frugal living tips to simplify your life and save you money!
7 areas you may overlook when decluttering
When you begin decluttering, it makes sense to start with the most obvious areas—places you can see or things that will have an immediate impact. Once the low-hanging fruit is out of the way, many more opportunities to declutter and simplify remain. Today’s post looks at 7 areas you may overlook when decluttering.
Understanding the Diderot Effect can simplify your life
Are you familiar with the Diderot Effect? Even if you don’t have a name for it, you’ve likely experienced its effects. It’s a common side effect of a consumer culture that conditions us to want new things, even when our old things are perfectly fine.
Read on to learn about the Diderot Effect and get tips on how you can control its impact on your life.
Choose the right influencers for your life
Who do you allow to influence you? In our consumption-driven society, the term influencer has become synonymous with consumerism and keeping up with the Joneses Kardashians.
Today’s post explores the rise of influencer marketing, and how you can reject it and choose the right influencers for your life.
10 super easy decluttering and organizing tips
Regular readers know I’ve been decluttering on and off for several years. Through two rounds of the 52-Week Decluttering Challenge, I’ve purged thousands of items, yet there’s always more to do. Today’s post is a roundup of my top 10 decluttering and organizing tips.
Mindful shopping tips – Save money and simplify life
Our consumer-driven world conditions us to always want more. But you can simplify life and save money by taking a more thoughtful approach to shopping. What does mindfulness have to do with shopping? Read on for mindful shopping tips to save you money and declutter your life.
Book review: Refocus on “Things That Matter”
In the first edition of The Sunday Spark for the year, I revealed intentionality as my theme for 2025. To start the year off right, I set a goal for January to reread Things That Matter – Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life by Joshua Becker. In today’s post, I review the book and share how I’m planning to use what I learned in my life.
Decluttering challenge – Week 48 – Toys & games
Christmas is coming and children are counting the sleeps until Santa’s arrival. This is the best time of year for decluttering toys and games. You will free up some space for any new items you receive at Christmas. And it’s an excellent time to donate toys to charity shops, or try to sell them, as parents may be looking for bargains.