I wasn’t always a fan of minimalism.

Oh, sorry…what is minimalism you ask?

Simply the act of living with less.

When I was a little girl I wanted the big house with the big yard because I thought that was the thing to do.

My husband and I bought our first house 13 years ago. It was a 2 bedroom house with a huge yard. We only had one child at the time so we didn’t necessarily need a lot of living space. Over the years we ended up with three children all still living in that house. I wanted nothing more than to get up out of there and expand our living space.

Well we did. We ended up moving into a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom house. We rented the bigger house while we rented out our 2 bedroom house.

You would have thought living in the 5 bedroom house would make me happy, or at least happier.

And it did…for a little while.

Then the effects of that house started wearing off. The space was so big we really didn’t spend much time together as a family. And more money was spent trying to fill the empty space with more stuff. Stuff that we didn’t even need, but felt it was what you do when you have a bigger house.

Long story short, we moved out of that 5 bedroom and came back to the 2 bedroom. It actually was a relief to do so in more ways than you can imagine. And guess where all of our junk is? Yep, in the basement, a little back house behind our house, and in storage, collecting dust.

Now my husband and I are working to clear all of our clutter. We completed the kids’ rooms and are going to continue from there. It might take us a while, but it’ll be worth it.

If you feel the same as me and want to declutter your life, then here are 13 minimalism blogs that will help you do just that:

1. Be More With Less with Courtney Carver

“Be more with less means: Be more you. Give yourself all the space, time and love to remember who you are. Living with less clutter, busyness, and stress will help you make the room to do what you need to do. Simplifying my life gave me the space, time, and love to be more me, and the following practices led me back.”

2. Miss Minimalist with Francine Jay

“I believe that minimalism isn’t about emptiness for the sake of emptiness—but rather making room to move freely, think clearly, and open ourselves to the beauty and wonder of life.”

3. The Minimalist Mom with Rachel Jonat

“In September of 2010 my husband and I decided to become Minimalists. What does this mean? We want to live a life free of clutter – both physical and mental. We want to own fewer things and do more.”

4. Nourishing Minimalism with Rachel Jones

“As a mother of 6, and a recovering “messy” I personally know the struggle that clutter can bring into a person’s life and how learning to “let go” can bring an amazing amount of freedom.”

5. Ivanna Marie with Ivanna Marie

“When I first decided to embrace a more minimal lifestyle I thought there would be some set in stone rules to follow. What I’ve found with more and more research is there is not. Everyone’s definition of minimalism is different and everyone practices minimalism in a different way.”

6. Minimalist Beauty with Dawn Michelle

“Minimalist Beauty was born after realizing my $20,000 in debt (now completely paid off) was mainly from beauty and style consumerism. I knew there was a better way to live an eco-friendly, glamorous, and healthy life without the ridiculous price tag.”

7. Becoming Minimalist with Josh Becker

“Becoming Minimalist quickly became a place to encourage others to embrace minimalism. It does not boldly require anyone to become minimalist overnight—nor does it specifically define the word for you. Instead, it encourages each reader to discover their own journey and the far-reaching benefits that come from owning less.”

8. 5 Kids 1 Condo with Adrian Cook

“I started 5Kids1Condo to share the unique benefits of raising children in an urban environment. I’m passionate about creating strong family bonds, achieving life/work balance, and living sustainably.”

9. Smallish with Evelyn & Dan

“Maybe you’re feeling like something in your life just isn’t adding up. You’re working too hard for little return. You’re not spending time on the things which matter to you most. You’re spending way too much time organizing and cleaning only to find the same area a mess a week later. You’re frustrated, overwhelmed, and tired of the clutter.”

10. The Minimalist Plate with Zoe Kim

“Minimalism is a vehicle (and philosophy) that helps you recognize what adds value to your life, so you can let go of what doesn’t. It gives you the opportunity to see and use your ‘blessings’, and innate privilege to lift others up.”

11. The Minimalists with Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

“Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.”

12. Allie Casazza with Allie Casazza

“Minimalism is less cleaning, it’s the joy of always being ready for company to drop by without stressing out, it’s more free time to focus on your priorities, it’s enjoying your home rather than being owned by it, it’s being able to be a mom who plays rather than a mom who’s always cleaning up, it’s being a happier person.”

13. The Afro Minimalist with CP Patrick

“I’ve come across some sage advice on my minimalist journey and I am particularly fond of mantras. “Don’t carry more than you can hold” is one of my favorites.”

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What does minimalism mean to you?