Diane Boden - Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with Simplicity

Praise for Minimalist Moms

Diane is a wealth of easy tips and hacks as well as mindset shifts that can help you rehaul your physical and mental clutter!

Felica Allen, host of Find the Mag ic podcast

Diane Boden takes a sledgehammer to the clutter in your life, giving you the freedom to focus on family, love, and all thats i mportant.

Ali Wenzke, author of The Art of Ha ppy Moving

Minimalist Moms is an elegant guide for those who are finding motherhood overwhelming. She walks you through the mindset shifts and practical steps needed to curate what truly matters so that you can regain the time and energy to be present in y our life.

Meg Nordmann, author of Have Yourself a Minimalist Christmas

Minimalist Moms is that book that needed to be written. Diane gives such practical, realistic advice that I truly believe every mother needs to read this book. As a professional organizer, I am constantly telling clients that they need to declutter the contents of their home. Diane really captures the physical process of decluttering and the emotional side of things and gives people a good picture of the reason for minimalism that can be done specifically for you, in your home. The word minimalism can be a scary thing for people but Diane really shows just how realistic the concept can and should be in y our home.

Rachel Rosenthal, professional organizer

If you want to address the physical and mental clutter that comes with the day-to-day experience of motherhood, this book is for you. An inspiring read that will help you scale back and enjoy motherhood to its fullest.

Robyn Conley Downs, author The Feel Good Effect and po dcast host

Minimalist Moms is an invaluable resource in this era of too much. Diane Boden cuts through the overwhelm and gives us a clear and simple path out of the clutter to a life filled with more peace and ease. With clear writing and an honest, relatable voice, this book is exactly what m oms need!

Hunter Clarke Fields, author of Raising G ood Humans

Diane has beautifully curated this book to train, encourage and simplify your life when it comes to consuming less. Minimalist Moms is a book you need to read now, and continually refer back to for the rest of your life. Has minimalism ever intimidated you? Made you feel anxious? Then you need this book. It is gracious and relatable on all levels. Fi ve stars!

Sarah Therese, YouTube influencer

Diane Boden transforms minimalist parenting from a pipe dream to a tangible lifestyle for readers seeking lives of intention. And because Boden aptly explains the why behind minimalism, mothers will find themselves enthusiastic about enacting her countless simplification st rategies.

Stephanie Marie Seferian, author of Sustainable Minimalism

Simplicity always sounds and looks so simple, but the journey there often requires laying a foundation first. Diane outlines the steps needed to prepare for a more simplistic approach to parenting, while also digging deeper with personal discussion questions throughout the book.

Eda Schottenstein, author of Sar ah Dreamer

minimalist
moms

Living and Parenting
with Simplicity

diane boden

Coral Gables

Copyright 2021 by Diane Boden

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover, Layout & Design: Morgane Leoni
Cover Photo: JP_3D / Adobe Stock
Photos: Diane Boden / Adobe Stock

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Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA

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Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with Simplicity

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2021930098
ISBN: (p) 978-1-64250-509-2, (e) 978-1-64250-510-8
BISAC category code FAM032000FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Motherhood

Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my children.

Without whom Id have a much cleaner home but fewer anecdotes for a book on m otherhood.

Contents

My original vision for Minimalist Moms was to create a community of mothers that encouraged one another to pursue a life with lessless clutter, less stress, less hurry. The contents and structure of this book were intentionally designed to help you achieve success with minimalism in your home, mind, and schedule. To achieve this in a realistic way, Ive organized things into a few areas of focus . At the end of each area of focus, I challenge you to pursue the theme on your own. It doesnt matter if that area of focus takes you one week or six months. Continue to pursue the thought until you feel youve mastered it, then come back and choos e another.

As I say throughout this book, slow steps add up to real change. You dont have to declutter every area of your home (and mind) before seeing changes. Stic k with it.

For those of you looking to slowly declutter your life, my suggestions to you would be:

1. After you read through the beginning of the book, step away for a day or so. Once youve read my story about the benefits of minimalist motherhood and learn why we become minimalists, really digest the information and decide whether or not minimalism is something you actually see yourself implementing. Its a lifestyle change. Therefore, its important to first take an assessment of your home with f resh eyes.
2. Cast your vision for minimalism onto your family. In what areas do you desire the most change? Your home? Your childrens activities? Your calendar? Your work-life balance? Toys? Writ e it down.
3. Figure out what would be the biggest game changers for you and ge t to work!
4. Choose one area of focus and challenge yourself each month (or week)whatever feels achievable right now.
5. After your initial decluttering/simplification of your home and schedule, continually pursue a life without excess. Come back to the areas of focus as needed.

This book is complemented by the Minimalist Moms Podcast with additional information and resources from guests in various areas of minimalist living. For more information, subscribe to the podcast or listen to the episode archive at www.minimalistmomspo dcast.com .

Lastly, Minimalist Moms are a community. I want you to find encouragement from women pursuing this lifestyle all around the world. It doesnt look the same for every one of us, but you may find similarities in another moms story. Share or mention the book on social media with the hashtag #minimalistmoms all ove r the web.

Minimalism. What was once a term among a niche of green-minded people is now a mainstream idea. Do a quick search and youll find hundreds of books on simplifying, decluttering, or the promise of life-changing magic. While I could write a step-by-step guide to decluttering your home, many before me have already done so (and quite well, I m ight add).

What I desired to provide when I began this book was more of a quick, daily reminder of the impact of minimalism. We moms are busy, so this is a book of inspirational guidance that you can dwell on daily. Minimalism is more of a way of life than a place one arrives at, after all. We need little reminders to keep that in perspective and focus on whats import ant to us.