When Enough is Enough–the Truth About Getting Unstuffed

Hi friends,

One July morning, my husband and I had the worst fight we’ve ever had. It was a knock-down, drag-out battle, one I was pretty sure meant the end of our marriage.

The cause of all the anger?

Stuff.

More specifically all the stuff that I kept dragging home from Target. And Old Navy. And Pottery Barn. And Amazon.com.

My spending was out of control, and as I slowly emptied our bank account, I was literally filling our lives—and our home—with a whole lot of stuff we didn’t need.

And so I started writing a little blog called Living Well Spending Less, not because I had all the answers, but because I didn’t have any, and I needed some way to hold myself accountable as I attempted to take back my life from the stuff that was consuming me.

It’s a journey I’ve been on ever since, one full of ups and downs. I’ve made so many mistakes and failed so many times, but in the process, I’ve also learned some really important lessons along the way.

And those hard-fought, hard-won lessons are the same lessons I share in my book Unstuffed, which is available in bookstores everywhere.

Because here’s the thing–I’m not a decluttering expert or a professional organizer. I don’t have some crazy unattainable ideal of what our homes should be, or what our schedules should look like. I’m a mom, wife, daughter, friend, and business owner who is busy trying to juggle all the pieces of an often chaotic life.

Just like you.

And that’s why I know you’re not just feeling overwhelmed by the physical clutter that has been filling up your home. You’re also stressed out by an overbooked schedule that sometimes feels out of your control. You’re frustrated by trying to live up to other people’s expectations of what your home is supposed to be. You’re tired of the guilt and exhausted by relationships that seem to suck the life out of you.

And the last thing you want is a book that will make you feel worse about yourself, or one that hands you another massive list of things to do.

Believe me, I totally get it.

But Unstuffed isn’t that kind of a book, because quite frankly, I am the last person who should be throwing stones. And the truth is that if you are looking for a book written by an “expert,” this probably isn’t it.

Instead, it is the kind of book that walks beside you, offering encouragement and advice based on my own experience and mistakes, along with simple but practical ideas for taking back your life from the stuff that is weighing you down.

More importantly, it offers permission to NOT do it all, and much-needed relief from the constant pressure to perform and keep up. It’s room for your soul to breathe, and I truly can’t wait to share it with you, because I think it is a message all our hearts need to hear.

Launching a book is always a little bit terrifying because you are literally putting your heart & soul out there for the world to trample on. And so while I am feeling more than a little bit anxious this morning, I also know that it is out of my hands now. I’ve done my job. I’ve run this particular race and seen it through to completion. How God decides to use it is up to him, not me.

My hope and prayer for this book is that the message will be heard by those who need it most, by those who are longing for permission to not be perfect. And if you are that person? Well, then my prayer is that it will set you free—free from guilt, free from overwhelm, and free from the expectations of a world consumed by STUFF.

Happy Unstuffed Day!

xoxo, Ruth