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08/26 Minimal Monthly β I Still Get the Back-to-School Itch!
Published about 19 hours agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
August 2026
Minimal Monthly
Hello, hello!
It's back-to-school season, and even with no kids of my own, I always get some sort of itch this time of year that never quite goes away. An urge to buy fresh office and art supplies, a couple new pieces of clothing and a new pair of shoes. Something about September always just gets me excited about starting.
Picked up some new paint markers for my hobby art π¨
At this exact same time though, I've been doing another one of my closet purges and listing a batch of clothes on Vestiaire Collective and Vinted. So while one part of me wants to buy some new things, another part is still pretty busy getting rid of old stuff.
All these empty hangers? From stuff that already sold, yay πΈ
I've kind of advanced from the "one in, one out" rule to something akin to one in, three out. Woot. And maybe that's the better version of a fresh start: making room first.
Affiliate Corner
In the spirit of back-to-school, Amazon Prime has a great deal going for young people through the 9th of October. Get six months completely for free if you're a student between the ages of 18β24.
Mixed Bag 'o Links
Decluttering wins, household hacks and a dose of existential wonder: here's what stuck with me browsing the web and socials this past month:
Google took the liberty of installing a 4GB AI model on people's computers without any notification or permission. Over a billion devices already have it running in the background, with the ability to route what it processes straight to Google's servers. Not cool. This Insta post walks through five key settings everyone should check on their devices.
What if you traded corporate life for waitressing? This Reddit thread on r/simpleliving has some ideas if you've ever fantasised about a simpler, lower-stakes job.
βSaloon plays nothing but bangers from Indian barbershops where βΉ20 haircuts, simple styles and music can fix your soul. πΆ
βOrdinary Abundance is a beautifully done little scroll through a modern apartment that shows how nearly everything in it was once a miracle only a lucky few had access to.
This person's 92-year-old grandmother walks 2 miles a day and shares her thoughts and photos in a daily email. Staying in that habit of moving and noticing small things, day after day, sounds like its own longevity superpower.
If you're a hoarder of "read it later" links you never actually get around to read, Offprint turns them into a tangible printed magazine mailed to your door each month. In full colour, gloss cover and with your name on it. Super cool, and also makes a great gift!
A little fix for one of life's tiniest annoyances: say goodbye to the drawstring on your joggers disappearing into the waistband forever. π
For the anti-smartphone, digital minimalist crowd, the Minimal Phone 2 kickstarter is a modern QWERTY phone built to keep you off the endless scroll. I'm loving its design.
Helping you tidy up & live better with less | Once a month inspiration for home organisation, decluttering and lighter living π§Ί | Sign up below! π«
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