The September recap

It's been an eclectic month.

This monthly recap was a hit last month, so I am making it a regular features to share what’s been happening on (and off) LIVING SMALL each month.

Snaps from a favorite September walk.

This September LIVING SMALL has been full with great stories:

1. We kicked off the month with our third installment of Small Takes with Whitney Leigh Morris of Rightsizing, who told us how her family of four lives in a 900 square-foot house in Florida. Up next: A studio apartment in New York City.

2. Most-read post: My conversation with interior designer Shamika Lynch, the founder of Maximizing Tiny, was full of smart advice for small spaces. My favorite tip: Examine what’s inside your big pieces of storage furniture—do you really need it?

3. I got so many funny emails from friends after I sent out How I Shop at Costco While Living Small, including one friend who told me she took their shrimp cocktail camping! As a bonus, paid subscribers got a peak at my personal Costco grocery list.

4. My essay on embracing bartering and other alternate forms of trade got shared widely, and readers’ lovely comments inspired me so much. Please chime in with your thoughts, if you haven’t yet!

5. Big news: I’m spinning off my gardening content into its own newsletter, Living Landscapes. I hope that many of you will subscribe (it’s free!). I’ve also put all the existing Living Landscapes content there to give you a taste of what’s to come. Sign up here.

From the archive Here’s an older essay that I took the paywall off to share with you:

All I really need to know, I learned in wood shop

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🎁 Giveaway!

I am conducting my first-ever reader survey. To entice you to participate (takes about 3 minutes) every subscriber who completes the survey will be entered in a giveaway of a lifetime subscription to LIVING SMALL, copies of my two books, and your choice of any book that has been featured in the newsletter. Complete it before October 1 to be entered to win:

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🔗 The most-clicked link this month was to this link to a paper bag basketry tutorial, but I didn’t actually say what I was linking to, so this is not an accurate indication of your interests :)

🏠 The most-clicked small space was my friend

Shira Gill

’s minimalist home tour.

💸 The best things I bought this month were a case of these delicious Big Spoon nut butter bars and a lucky thrift store find: an extra-small insulated water bottle that fits in my cross-body purse—so handy!

📌 Things I pinned this month: A beautiful laundry hamper, the perfect (but pricey!) foyer bench, a fall pasta bake, an intriguing way to build DIY furniture, and a whole mess of camping gear.

One last thing: A tiny-but-super-colorful London apartment (gift link!)

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My writing elsewhere

While I love writing the LIVING SMALL newsletter, I still spend a lot of time writing articles for other people. Here are a few that I think you might enjoy:

🌿 For Gardenista, I reported on why it’s so hard to find organic bulbs. I also got to write about native vines and a cool new book on midcentury modern landscape design.

♻️ I regularly write about the intersection of the interior design industry and sustainability for The Business of Home; this month I wrote about two brands collaborating and all the latest sustainable home news.

📩 Finally, two new newsletters I became a subscriber to this month are both food-related. I signed up for The New Family Table by

Hillary Dixler Canavan

: I can’t wait to see what she does here on Substack. I also subscribed to Mama Eats by

Amanda Leigh

, whom I’ve followed on Instagram for a while but I didn’t realize had a newsletter! I love seeing what she’s planning to cook each week.

In everyday life, I’ve been trying to get back into the school-year groove, spending time with visiting family, and planning a trip to London for later this fall. Tell me if there’s anything I should add to my London list in the comments!