It always blows my mind that people feel the need to tear down a total stranger to make themselves feel better. So disgusting. It has taken me a long time to truly not care what other people think. You two are amazing and inspirational. Thanks for all the content you provide.
I agree!! Marissa you are an amazing person. Ignore the haters. When you put your life out there for all to see, there will be haters. Focus on the positives!! You are an inspiration.
Yes, your husband is right. You are so incredibly brave, to show yourself so vulnerable on social media. I would not have the guts to do so. But exactly this makes your channel so valuable for me and many others. Let those people just talk and try not to let it through to your heart.
Sorry Marissa, I’m on the no rug team. When we renovated our house and changed from rugs to hardwood we realized how nasty they were. Hardwood is so easy to keep clean. I don’t mind the echoes at all, and love your spacious home. Love your videos too.
This needs more likes! Rugs are so terrible and Marissa does such a good job that I don't hear that much echo either (only a bit in the bathroom but that's not the place where she usually makes films).
I love your channel. I'm learning a lot, and you seems to be a very nice, funny and honest person. Bravo for the courage to make videos, knowing that some people will talk and judge you. You are a very charismatic and sweet person.
Marissa I am astonished that people are mean to you. They must be unhappy. You are a lovely couple and so well suited to each other. Thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable for us all!
My thoughts on meanies: it’s a THEM problem, not a ME problem! You’re amazing marissa - grouchy people love the comments section. Keep spreading all the good minimalist vibes!! 💫
You are my inspiration - never a failure. You have a beautiful family in beautiful home. I enjoy watching your channel and am a minimalist in progress.
Marissa I think the appeal is hearing from a husband who is on board with minimalism and you do really complement each other. Do you think he helped you overcome holding on to all that stuff?
A clean house with few furniture where we can hear an echo is my dream home. It is so easy to fill a house with all kinds of unnecessary stuff, but it requires very strong self-discipline to maintain a minimalist house. The less emotional attachment to materials, the more emotional freedom I have. Interestingly, when I was in my 20s I was a poor student, but I wanted to have a lot of stuff. Now I have no interest in buying anything that is not necessary. So, for me, minimalism is not just a way of life, it is also a philosophy of a way of life to pursue happiness.
Your house is not boring, you're not annoying. Screw the mean people. We LOVE you and your family🥰🥰🥰🥰You are a kind soul and a super star in our eyes🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Count me in for the no spend! You and Mr. Zen are such a cute couple. My heart melted when he said that your happiness is important to him...:) Please remember, only people who are damaged and unhappy in their own lives are hateful so please try to ignore the negative comments. You have a beautiful family.
I have found that my brothers children enjoy experiences over things as well. When I asked my niece what she wanted for her 5th birthday she said a dolls tea party. It didn't cost me anything & she loved it!!
There will always be “Haters” wherever you go….you are doing great!! They are not worth your time or energy just walk on by lovely lady. I love your vulnerability, emotionality and courage, You are so Real 🙏💖
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”. You are such an inspiration for all of us. You present yourself raw and that's amazing, because we can see a REAL person, who struggles and suffers and feels, we are here because we are trying to make a better version of ourselves and you are helping us with that, and for that I am really grateful with you. You are so generous and sweet, don't let the ugly comments stain your beautiful soul. Keep being you because you rock girl!
Your husband is so sweet, though. He really loves you so much even if he does not talk about it so often. You can see it, watching his body language. ❤ You are a great couple.
“You have limited time” such a golden nugget to keep in mind. Definitely helps with staying motivated. Keeps me on task when decluttering. Helps when eating that elephant 🐘 one bite at a time. If not now? When? I, however will always have time for your videos. I find a lot of value in them, they are a treat. It’s my reward after tackling a job.
I hope you enjoyed the video! Make sure to join next week for the no spend challenge - grab here if you haven't yet: shop.atozenlife.com/products/no-spend-challenge-bundle
In this time of digitalization, bullying moved on these kind of platforms and it is not acceptable. As everyone has the freedom to say what they want, you also have the right/freedom to delete and ignore these malice comments as it is your channel/your platform, you should not accept any bullying from anyone!
Yay! You answered my question! Thanks! You are brave to have your own TH-cam channel! It would be hard navigating negative comments. You handle it so well. Your worth is not determined on other people’s opinions of you. Thank you for sharing your heart and your life with the world! 💕
Thank you so much for sharing your story! It has been so encouraging for me. My mom passed when I was 11, and I was the only person (and am) that will take responsibility for her things. For years I had boxes and boxes that I would store and drag all over the place. I have never heard anyone else talk about their emotions dealing with these items - particularly the burden they can become for the bereaved. Your story gave me the courage to let go of some of that. Her trophies, and plaques from high school, and things like that. I know these items were important to her at one point, but I also know she wouldn’t want me to take the time and effort and emotional space to hang onto these things. My fiancé and I are now working on getting our home to work for us rather than working for it! Thank you so much for your advice and sharing 💕
You have a lovely and calming voice that I enjoy listening to. I don't understand why anyone would say they didn't like your voice- they are probably just jealous of you.
Haters going to hate, grudgers going too grudge, judgers going to judge, players going to play, luvers going to luv... you tubers going to keep calm and tube on...
It's too bad you didn't mention your husband's name! He seems like such a kind and caring individual. I understand your tears talking about when you had so many things when you were first dating, and I assume it's a little bit of embarrassment. I feel the same way if anyone wants to come to my house because it's sometimes overwhelming of the things I have, even though it's not necessarily messy it's just a lot of things that need to go! I wish I could give you a hug and it seems like you married a person who was a supportive and the right person for you❤
I would have a rug but we have too many kids so food manages to sneak out of the kitchen and people where shoes often too. So it’s so much easier to clean without a rug
This was a wonderful video. It's great to get to know you better, Marissa, and knowing your family better is a big part of that. Thank you and Mr. Zen for being so willing to share.
Fantastic video! I’m team rug. My neighbors have ruggables and toss them in the wash. Some of my childhood memories with my mom was spending a warm day hand washing our oriental area rugs outside with dish soap- pretty easy- good workout 😄 I find that they don’t get that dirty because we don’t wear shoes in the house and don’t eat outside of the kitchen/dining area.
You are beautiful, sweet, and have helped at least me and my life. Don't let other people's negative comments bother you. You are amazing! Thank you! (Also I am sure you don't stink, most people don't wash everytime.) ❤❤
You are very inspiring. We are down sizing in a year to a house that is 2/3 smaller. We have 3 levels currently so to prepare I cleared out the top floor. Anything we kept had to fit in the 2 lower floors. We hardly kept any of it. Our adult kids had to collect any stuff they stored or get rid of it. Not wanting to fill their own spaces with stuff ...things lost their emotional value fast and they decided to part with most of it. Seeing your home and hearing your stories guided me a lot.
Gracias Marissa , en realidad yo no sabía que era minimalista, me molestaba mucho, las cosas , ahorramos durante años, a pesar de las críticas de qué no teníamos los muebles y electrodomésticos de moda eran de 25 años , sin adornos yo pasaba depurando lo innecesario, era un hábito se compraba lo necesario únicamente , aún con el hijo , sus juguetes etc , hoy jubilados , tenemos una casa increíble y con sólo lo necesario , es limpia y tiene eco también, luz , y espacio, eres muy valiente , vivir diferente al resto es un reto hoy en día , sigue adelante ! Me gusta tu sinceridad y la de tú esposo e hijos , bendiciones !
I'm on the "no rugs" team! I think your house is just about perfect. Not too sparse, lots of space, and no clutter! I could definitely live in a space like this 😁👍👍
I’m definitely against rugs. It harbours dirt, dust, micro organisms and not to mention the extra cleaning that you have to do if food and drinks spill on it..🤦🏻♀️
No rugs in the kitchen or bathroom, the rest of my apartment is carpeted. I can’t stand maintain rugs and the dust drives me crazy. I’m looking into the ruggable option, for our next place, no rush.
By the way, I’m a new subscriber and I love your channel. You are not squeaky at all… well, you’re squeaky clean, but I call that a plus. When you show footage of your home I relax immediately. So peaceful. Thank you for putting yourself out there.
Seeing you getting tears in your eyes at the youtube part brought me tears in my eyes 😭 Marisa we just express our feelings! I needed to learn to accept that (can't watch any movie or series without tears lol - horror movies doesn't count) I totally love your bravery with the emotional parts in your videos
I love your channel so much, you have helped me lots, by being yourself and being honest about how hard it was it has enabled me to let go of stuff too, I find the criticism really sad, I get it’s not for everyone but then if if it doesn’t resonate don’t watch and move on, please keep being yourself, yourself is great xx edit- it’s your space so if you want a rug it’s up to you and if not that’s also your choice xx
I feel that being "told" to buy a rug because you have echo in your audio - is a personal problem of the person complaining. We did buy one rug for our living room because of echo, but that was OUR decision. Love your channel. Blessings to you and yours.
Thank you Bonita! In general I don’t worry, but I know my hard-of-hearing followers have trouble with the extra noise - as a former SLP, that’s sad for me to hear. I try to turn captions on but sometimes they don’t work. Thanks watching. ❤️
A No Rug Vote here. I agree that they are not worth the effort to keep them clean and know that they trap dirt and funk like carpet. I only appreciate them at the entry way or just outside the shower. The ideal rug is small enough to fit in the washing machine, made out of organic cotton, linen or hemp, is a neutral color and is reversible. I actually appreciate the echo:)
Believe me, not having a car is great! It saves money, it helps you to be more mindful and it is good for the environment. and you walk way more, so you improve your health. Keep it up!
The older I get the more strength I am getting at feeling more able to be myself and not allowing other people's judgement to dictate who I am. I am a highly sensitive person. Lots of people don't understand it. Thank you for being brave and being sensitive on screen :-). Your husband is so lovely with you :-). My other half is a rock and calmness in contrast to my sensitivity:-).
Team No Rug! It's just another thing to clean / maintain. If you get a light rug, everything shows up. You get a dark rug, you can't always see all the dirt. No go.
Thank you for all your videos Marissa! Boo to those mean people, bullies are never happy with anything in their lives sonthem want to spread the misery. You're amazing!
I enjoy you and your husband's take on why you keep or get rid of items and what and why you focus on cleaning or changing in your household setting. It stimulates me to do the same. I inherited my parents' home and moved back here when I retired. It's taken me years to finally let go of her possessions. My aha moment came when I finally cleaned out her huge Ethan Allan china cabinet and put my dinner set(which I'd left boxed for 15 years) in there. I realized that the cabinet itself had been a gift to her and was very valuable. But the dishes were just chinzy things she'd bought at thrift stores to fill the cabinet up! So probably really had little meaning to her. She never used them and many were impractical. Fragile coffee and tea cups that had handles that burned your hands etc. It's important to know the emotional "why " behind our connection to items and whether we let them go or hold on to them. I found it hard getting rid of things originally but, as I realize I don't miss or even remember most of it, it has become very freeing. 🤗
Not "more" - but "together"! I love your videos, your hacks, you talking about your background and your beautiful home. And I love the two of you together!
Marissa, I am new to your channel & I love your realness & rawness. You are so likeable & I very much appreciate your sense of humour! Mr Zen is such a gentle & calm presence & your boys are just adorable! It's unfortunate that some people feel the need to try & lift themselves up by tearing you down. It's pretty evident though that people who leave mean comments, deep down really aren't happy. 😊
You and your family are amazing! I love your home including the echos and all the empty space you have! Definitely not a boring home and who cares about what you wear as long as you feel good in them! Don’t change anything!
Love this video. Absolutely the never ending story. As a 10 year old I was traumatized for life over the horse dying. Your probably way healthier living in Germany rather than America!!
Definitely team no rug! With 2 cats and a toddler the maintenance was way too much work so after 1.5 years we removed the 2 we had. And it’s so much better for cleaning! And don’t really miss it for decor.
This is also EXTREME CUTENESS!!!! You two are absolutely ADORABLE together!! The production value on this video with the sound effects and the rapport between you...this is one of my favorite videos you've ever given us! 💕💕
My mom always said "Some people can't manage to feel good about themselves unless they're making someone else feel less than" I agree, and I try to keep that in mind whenever I realize that is what someone is likely doing. I'm willing to bet that belittling someone you personally don't know falls in this category. In another direction... I've been binge-watching your videos because I like them, you are pretty cheerful and likable, and very motivational. Thanks for sharing your family's minimalist journey so openly. I'm enjoying each one with my teenager while we are chugging along in our own.
I'm team No Rug!! It just seems like a lint compartment in a dryer to me. It traps everything in it and if you have allergies it's a nightmare. I think your house looks amazing and your hubby is a sweetie.
Team no rug! We had rug in three bedrooms for the longest time and our dog trapped flea and it was EVERYWHERE. Eventually we pulled all the rug out and changed to wooden floor and it’s soooo clean.
You have helped me so much with talking through the minimalism process with my mom. She's downsizing and is having massive difficulty letting go of sentimental items, but also understand the burden it will be if all of that stuff is left to my sister and I. You videos are helping me approach the subject with patience and understanding
I’m a rug person by a bed and a sofa even though I wear slippers only in my home. But they do need upkeep- vacuuming frequently and deep cleaning less often but can be expensive. Love your channel
I love your channel so much. Thank you for being so vulnerable with us and for answering so many questions. My favorite thing this: Most of the time, when I watch videos on youtube, I get this pressure to compare myself to the videos, to the life shown there and I feel like I need to live exactly this life or I will not be as happy/successful/relaxed as the person in the video. I get this overwhelming feeling of needing to own exactly what's shown in the videos and to change my life to mimic what I see. But when I watch your wonderful videos, I never feel like that at all. I don't compare my life to yours, I don't get the urge tu buy things to make my home look more like your beautiful beautiful home. Instead, I get inspired to think about my life, to be more honest with myself and to be brave enough to be vulnerable with others. I change things a little bit at a time to change my life in a way that feels meaningful and peaceful and happy for me. And I cannot thank you enough for that. You truly are an inspiration and I will never be able to express how much it means ❤. THANK YOU!
All of your videos are so inspiring! I grew up in a hoarder home and unfortunately my parents still live this way. I have been working on decreasing my possessions and have felt way less anxious with less things. Relating to rugs, My husband and I live in a studio apartment and we are in the process of getting rid of our area rug. Our space looks so much BIGGER and cleaner with it out of the way. So, we are Team No Rug!
The rugs!! Personally I LOVE that they collect the dust and you can just vacuum it up. I had always dealt with dust balls on the hardwood and hated the maintenance , sweeping and mopping. I keep shoes off in the bedrooms and get a bissell carpet cleaning machine rental once every 2-3 months for deep cleaning. There are services that will do this too.
That makes total sense about the rug. I've thought about the ruggable kind, too. Another echo-reducing option, if that matters to you, would be to hang a lovely tapestry or quilt.
I'm a newer follower. I wanted to say thank you for your channel. It helped me as I delcuttered, sold, and donated to move into a 5th wheel with my husband and 3 children. Your voice in the background gave me a calm during the times it felt so daunting. Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your story. 💓
Team rug! We tend to lean towards natural materials such as wool since it has wonderful natural properties that helps with ease of maintenance, warmth and insulation and it keeps the kids from slipping on hard floors. We also don’t wear shoes inside so it helps with managing the cleaning of it too.
I'm team NO rug. For a short while my living room was cleared out enough to have an echo. It made me think I was getting somewhere with my decluttering! It's part of the goal of the minimalism for me. In fact I've been thinking about getting rid of my bedroom rug (it needs to be cleaned big time) and bathroom rug except for the shower mat. I agree about the maintenance, but I actually like living room rugs. I've been moving furniture around so much that a rug is in the way.
I don’t think the echo is bad or distracting or any of that. I see (hear?) it as an audible picture of the decluttering you’ve done-to me it’s the soundtrack of minimalism, and I think it’s awesome. 😃 My house will never echo like that, and that’s okay, but it brings me peace of mind as I sit up in my cluttered craft room watching your videos. Thank you!
Hard to imagine anyone saying something negative about you…so sorry that happens. I think you are so fun and funny and so genuine. Sharing your story is really encouraging to me. I’m so glad you share your videos.
I think I may be one of the few people not a fan of the ruggable and in the end wound up removing the ones I had from my home. I found them to be a pain to reassemble after washing them and could never get them pieced together just right so they would flat where the corners didn’t curve in from tension. Also, the mat underneath attracted so much hair and filth with the static and Velcro it just frustrated me to no end, I couldn’t keep it clean as hard as i tried. With that said I do feel they have beautiful patterns and the concept is genius, I just didn’t find myself as satisfied as I thought. Just a personal review I thought I’d share. I absolutely love your channel and family, you are such an inspiration 💕
I am firmly on team no rug/carpet. It gets so goofy and cannot get clean enough for me. Our house has carpeted stairs, which I've kept on because I'm worried the kids will slip. But it got too gross! I just pulled up the carpet on two stairs this evening and the dirt underneath was horrifying.
Thank you Marissa! This is a great video. You really inspire a people. We live very similiar to you, and we are in Austria. Recetly we bought a rug, but a 100% wool rug and it's soo cool and cozy, we are even more on the floor now. 😂 And we ordered a floor sofa too. And last 2 years we haven't almost anything in living room. But more fun to our sons. All the best from heart! ⚘⚘⚘⚘
You and Joshua Becker have echos in your videos, but that's a sign of legit minimalism! You could change it up and do a video outside. That would be nice to see your surroundings, too. Great Q & A
That really sucks that ppl are so openly nasty and negative to you. You have a great voice, love your style, inspired by your unchaotic space, and appreciated your positivity/ openness/ advice.
To the viewer's comment about how to get over thrifting/buying...my advice, open a retail store like I did - you will get it out of your system really quick. It fulfills the need to shop and you can then make money on your shopping without the guilt!
I have accumulated/inherited several deceased family members’ things (added to my own), that I continue to downsize. Most of it WILL go, but it takes time to go through box after box of all the small things that were packed up and moved out of a person’s home Somehow, even though I buy very little but consumables, I have so much stuff here that even when I take bags and boxes out, it still seems to look like nothing has been removed. I don’t mind getting rid of things I’ll never use, but there are many things that I have kept because I see the “project” potential in them. I have a child’s rocker that I have had (just taking up space) so long, that I don’t even remember where it came from. It’s been in my garage workshop, occupying floor space and avoiding being tripped over for years…. in great shape for its age, except the joints need to be re-glued for stability and then I can donate it. . It’s about number 9000 on the “projects to do” list! Yesterday, I had decided that I was never going to get to it and that if somebody else wanted it, THEY could rehab it. We have a ”giving table” in the neighborhood (in a woman’s front yard), where people can donate things they no longer need OR pick up something that they want from the tables. I donate a lot there, but never stop to see what’s on the tables… I need nothing else to be brought into my house. I went out to my shop and picked up that little rocker to wipe the wood dust and a couple spiderwebs from it, before putting it in my car to take to “the tables” and immediately put it back down, telling myself “it won’t take long to re-glue the joints; why I donated in that condition?” At my advanced age, I think my first organizational tip is to choose a certain number of projects that I think I will reasonably get to and remove the rest. So maybe today, that rocking chair WILL get donated in unfinished condition. One thing I wholeheartedly agree with you guys on and I’ve always said, that rugs (in my case carpet), are disgusting! God only knows what all we have stepped down during the day that we pull into our house on our shoes, yet think that vacuuming and occasional steam cleaning are sufficient; we’d never wear the same clothes day after day for six months without washing them and THEY haven’t been drug across streets, lawns and (the worst) parking lots. As soon as I can get enough off the floor, the carpet comes out and the hardwood floors under it, get refinished.
I’ve had a Ruggable for several years now and I absolutely love it! Whenever it gets dirty, I just vacuum it, pull it off the backing and pop it in the washer. The only problem that I could see is the size of German washing machines. However, you could probably find a laundromat near soy somewhere. I think they’ve become a thing in big cities around Germany. Also… you do you!!! Meanies will always be mean, unfortunately. I personally admire you for all that you’ve accomplished and for how you live! I’m still on my decluttering journey and minimalism is a very individual thing. Nobody should feel the need to judge you for a lifestyle that makes you and your family happy 💗. So kudos to you and the rest doesn’t even matter 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My friend loves her Ruggable! They have a re-jute one that looks great. Her rugs fit in her machine and always look fresh, even with four kids and two huge dogs(both puppies).
Life is too short - live your life the way you want it! You will never please everyone, and nor should you. Just be your amazing selves! Thanks for the inspiring content!
Re: too much thrift shopping, I take a lot of my donations to our local animal support resale store.. Lately I just tap on the sliding glass door in back and the attendant comes out and carries my stuff in for me. That way I don't go in and am not tempted to buy things I don't need. 👍
It always blows my mind that people feel the need to tear down a total stranger to make themselves feel better. So disgusting. It has taken me a long time to truly not care what other people think. You two are amazing and inspirational. Thanks for all the content you provide.
Thanks so much Raven! 🙌 I think yours is the healthier habit.
I agree!! Marissa you are an amazing person. Ignore the haters. When you put your life out there for all to see, there will be haters. Focus on the positives!! You are an inspiration.
You’re an inspiration!!!
So well said❤ I know it's about a year late!! Totally agree!
Yes, your husband is right. You are so incredibly brave, to show yourself so vulnerable on social media. I would not have the guts to do so. But exactly this makes your channel so valuable for me and many others. Let those people just talk and try not to let it through to your heart.
Sorry Marissa, I’m on the no rug team. When we renovated our house and changed from rugs to hardwood we realized how nasty they were. Hardwood is so easy to keep clean. I don’t mind the echoes at all, and love your spacious home. Love your videos too.
This needs more likes! Rugs are so terrible and Marissa does such a good job that I don't hear that much echo either (only a bit in the bathroom but that's not the place where she usually makes films).
yes they r super nasty ...only 1% of people are able to keep it spikc n span ,,,that too mostly are single people or kidfree couples
I love your channel. I'm learning a lot, and you seems to be a very nice, funny and honest person. Bravo for the courage to make videos, knowing that some people will talk and judge you. You are a very charismatic and sweet person.
Marissa I am astonished that people are mean to you. They must be unhappy. You are a lovely couple and so well suited to each other. Thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable for us all!
My thoughts on meanies: it’s a THEM problem, not a ME problem! You’re amazing marissa - grouchy people love the comments section. Keep spreading all the good minimalist vibes!! 💫
That’s what I try to remind myself! ☺️ Thanks so much for watching and for the support.
Agree with that
It's really true. Anyone who says hateful things like that has a lot of pain and anger in them somewhere. It's not about you.
I agree! Like Deepak Chopra said, “ What other people think of you is not your business.“
You are my inspiration - never a failure. You have a beautiful family in beautiful home. I enjoy watching your channel and am a minimalist in progress.
Marissa I think the appeal is hearing from a husband who is on board with minimalism and you do really complement each other. Do you think he helped you overcome holding on to all that stuff?
Yes, I think he did, although I had to get past that mental barrier first myself! We help and compliment each other for sure. 🤗
A clean house with few furniture where we can hear an echo is my dream home. It is so easy to fill a house with all kinds of unnecessary stuff, but it requires very strong self-discipline to maintain a minimalist house. The less emotional attachment to materials, the more emotional freedom I have. Interestingly, when I was in my 20s I was a poor student, but I wanted to have a lot of stuff. Now I have no interest in buying anything that is not necessary. So, for me, minimalism is not just a way of life, it is also a philosophy of a way of life to pursue happiness.
Your house is not boring, you're not annoying. Screw the mean people. We LOVE you and your family🥰🥰🥰🥰You are a kind soul and a super star in our eyes🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
☺️🙏✨
Awww, your husband is so sweet and supportive! Love love love!!
I'm so sorry that people say such unkind things to you. It is so brave to be a person on the internet and I, personally, am so glad you do it anyway!
Count me in for the no spend! You and Mr. Zen are such a cute couple. My heart melted when he said that your happiness is important to him...:)
Please remember, only people who are damaged and unhappy in their own lives are hateful so please try to ignore the negative comments. You have a beautiful family.
I love your content! I've only discovered your channel in the last month and all your videos inspire me 🥰❤️
I have found that my brothers children enjoy experiences over things as well. When I asked my niece what she wanted for her 5th birthday she said a dolls tea party. It didn't cost me anything & she loved it!!
That is wonderful!
I truly appreciate you and like you, Marissa. Mr. Zen is adorable in his own way. That's why we like to see a glimpse of him, too.
He is handsome......and seems like a nice guy.
@@1_viewer i second that
There will always be “Haters” wherever you go….you are doing great!! They are not worth your time or energy just walk on by lovely lady. I love your vulnerability, emotionality and courage, You are so Real 🙏💖
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of”. You are such an inspiration for all of us. You present yourself raw and that's amazing, because we can see a REAL person, who struggles and suffers and feels, we are here because we are trying to make a better version of ourselves and you are helping us with that, and for that I am really grateful with you. You are so generous and sweet, don't let the ugly comments stain your beautiful soul. Keep being you because you rock girl!
Your husband is so sweet, though. He really loves you so much even if he does not talk about it so often. You can see it, watching his body language. ❤ You are a great couple.
“You have limited time” such a golden nugget to keep in mind. Definitely helps with staying motivated. Keeps me on task when decluttering. Helps when eating that elephant 🐘 one bite at a time. If not now? When? I, however will always have time for your videos. I find a lot of value in them, they are a treat. It’s my reward after tackling a job.
Thanks so much Yolanda, glad you enjoyed. ✨
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
Buddha
I hope you enjoyed the video! Make sure to join next week for the no spend challenge - grab here if you haven't yet: shop.atozenlife.com/products/no-spend-challenge-bundle
In this time of digitalization, bullying moved on these kind of platforms and it is not acceptable. As everyone has the freedom to say what they want, you also have the right/freedom to delete and ignore these malice comments as it is your channel/your platform, you should not accept any bullying from anyone!
Yay! You answered my question! Thanks! You are brave to have your own TH-cam channel! It would be hard navigating negative comments. You handle it so well. Your worth is not determined on other people’s opinions of you. Thank you for sharing your heart and your life with the world! 💕
Thanks so much for your question, and all the kind words and support Stephanie! Cheers. ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your story! It has been so encouraging for me. My mom passed when I was 11, and I was the only person (and am) that will take responsibility for her things. For years I had boxes and boxes that I would store and drag all over the place. I have never heard anyone else talk about their emotions dealing with these items - particularly the burden they can become for the bereaved. Your story gave me the courage to let go of some of that. Her trophies, and plaques from high school, and things like that. I know these items were important to her at one point, but I also know she wouldn’t want me to take the time and effort and emotional space to hang onto these things. My fiancé and I are now working on getting our home to work for us rather than working for it! Thank you so much for your advice and sharing 💕
Yes, I totally agree. You don’t have to be responsible for those memories of HERS for the rest of YOUR life. Hugs and healing to you my friend. ❤️🩹
That must be such a large and difficult task! All the best
coming here a month later to give you more encouragement! it’s a process and can take time. 😊
You have a lovely and calming voice that I enjoy listening to. I don't understand why anyone would say they didn't like your voice- they are probably just jealous of you.
Thank you, Hannah! 🙏
@@AtoZenLife My pleasure! 😀
Haters going to hate, grudgers going too grudge, judgers going to judge, players going to play, luvers going to luv... you tubers going to keep calm and tube on...
No rug needed. I have never noticed an echo. Your floors are beautiful.
I absolutely LOVE your home! It isn’t boring at all. It calms me just looking at it so I’m sure it’s an incredibly calming environment to live in!
It's too bad you didn't mention your husband's name! He seems like such a kind and caring individual. I understand your tears talking about when you had so many things when you were first dating, and I assume it's a little bit of embarrassment. I feel the same way if anyone wants to come to my house because it's sometimes overwhelming of the things I have, even though it's not necessarily messy it's just a lot of things that need to go! I wish I could give you a hug and it seems like you married a person who was a supportive and the right person for you❤
I would have a rug but we have too many kids so food manages to sneak out of the kitchen and people where shoes often too. So it’s so much easier to clean without a rug
This was a wonderful video. It's great to get to know you better, Marissa, and knowing your family better is a big part of that. Thank you and Mr. Zen for being so willing to share.
Fantastic video! I’m team rug. My neighbors have ruggables and toss them in the wash. Some of my childhood memories with my mom was spending a warm day hand washing our oriental area rugs outside with dish soap- pretty easy- good workout 😄 I find that they don’t get that dirty because we don’t wear shoes in the house and don’t eat outside of the kitchen/dining area.
What a special story, thank you for sharing with me! When you say it like that it sounds FUN. 😆
You are beautiful, sweet, and have helped at least me and my life. Don't let other people's negative comments bother you. You are amazing! Thank you! (Also I am sure you don't stink, most people don't wash everytime.) ❤❤
I have Turkish rugs which are beautiful. Family items. Keeps my bare feet warm at home!
I adore you Marissa and really appreciate the emotional side of you. It makes me feel like it's ok for me to let it out too!! 😘
You are very inspiring. We are down sizing in a year to a house that is 2/3 smaller. We have 3 levels currently so to prepare I cleared out the top floor. Anything we kept had to fit in the 2 lower floors. We hardly kept any of it. Our adult kids had to collect any stuff they stored or get rid of it. Not wanting to fill their own spaces with stuff ...things lost their emotional value fast and they decided to part with most of it. Seeing your home and hearing your stories guided me a lot.
Gracias Marissa , en realidad yo no sabía que era minimalista, me molestaba mucho, las cosas , ahorramos durante años, a pesar de las críticas de qué no teníamos los muebles y electrodomésticos de moda eran de 25 años , sin adornos yo pasaba depurando lo innecesario, era un hábito se compraba lo necesario únicamente , aún con el hijo , sus juguetes etc , hoy jubilados , tenemos una casa increíble y con sólo lo necesario , es limpia y tiene eco también, luz , y espacio, eres muy valiente , vivir diferente al resto es un reto hoy en día , sigue adelante ! Me gusta tu sinceridad y la de tú esposo e hijos , bendiciones !
I'm on the "no rugs" team! I think your house is just about perfect. Not too sparse, lots of space, and no clutter! I could definitely live in a space like this 😁👍👍
Rugs: one by an entryway, one by the shower bath, one at the kitchen sink. Hard floors are so easy to clean!
And they are homemade.
You’re not crazy! Minimalism is the best
Glad you are one of the commentators who agree 😆
I’m definitely against rugs. It harbours dirt, dust, micro organisms and not to mention the extra cleaning that you have to do if food and drinks spill on it..🤦🏻♀️
People have their own messed up stories. They're just not telling you. My story is messed up. We have to live for now and enjoy our lives.
Love you guys! Thanks for making videos that are like a warm hug of comfort and about what really matters in life. Time with our loved ones 🙂
No rugs in the kitchen or bathroom, the rest of my apartment is carpeted. I can’t stand maintain rugs and the dust drives me crazy. I’m looking into the ruggable option, for our next place, no rush.
By the way, I’m a new subscriber and I love your channel. You are not squeaky at all… well, you’re squeaky clean, but I call that a plus. When you show footage of your home I relax immediately. So peaceful. Thank you for putting yourself out there.
Seeing you getting tears in your eyes at the youtube part brought me tears in my eyes 😭
Marisa we just express our feelings! I needed to learn to accept that (can't watch any movie or series without tears lol - horror movies doesn't count)
I totally love your bravery with the emotional parts in your videos
I particularly enjoy your voice! When I am cleaning/de-cluttering my own house, I put your videos on because your voice is soothing to listen to.
I'm enjoying you being back! You both are a lovely couple and family!
Thanks so much for your kind words. 🤗
I love your channel so much, you have helped me lots, by being yourself and being honest about how hard it was it has enabled me to let go of stuff too, I find the criticism really sad, I get it’s not for everyone but then if if it doesn’t resonate don’t watch and move on, please keep being yourself, yourself is great xx edit- it’s your space so if you want a rug it’s up to you and if not that’s also your choice xx
I feel that being "told" to buy a rug because you have echo in your audio - is a personal problem of the person complaining. We did buy one rug for our living room because of echo, but that was OUR decision. Love your channel. Blessings to you and yours.
Thank you Bonita! In general I don’t worry, but I know my hard-of-hearing followers have trouble with the extra noise - as a former SLP, that’s sad for me to hear. I try to turn captions on but sometimes they don’t work. Thanks watching. ❤️
ET terrified me as a kid! I tried to watch it again as a preteen and regretted it. Still haven't tried to watch it again.
Lovely couple, beautiful home, thoughtful and generous content on a great channel. Thank you! 😊
A No Rug Vote here. I agree that they are not worth the effort to keep them clean and know that they trap dirt and funk like carpet. I only appreciate them at the entry way or just outside the shower. The ideal rug is small enough to fit in the washing machine, made out of organic cotton, linen or hemp, is a neutral color and is reversible. I actually appreciate the echo:)
Believe me, not having a car is great! It saves money, it helps you to be more mindful and it is good for the environment. and you walk way more, so you improve your health. Keep it up!
Team no rug. So much easier to dry mop/sweep the floor. Vs vacuuming and washing rugs
The older I get the more strength I am getting at feeling more able to be myself and not allowing other people's judgement to dictate who I am. I am a highly sensitive person. Lots of people don't understand it. Thank you for being brave and being sensitive on screen :-). Your husband is so lovely with you :-). My other half is a rock and calmness in contrast to my sensitivity:-).
Team No Rug! It's just another thing to clean / maintain. If you get a light rug, everything shows up. You get a dark rug, you can't always see all the dirt. No go.
Thank you for all your videos Marissa! Boo to those mean people, bullies are never happy with anything in their lives sonthem want to spread the misery. You're amazing!
I enjoy you and your husband's take on why you keep or get rid of items and what and why you focus on cleaning or changing in your household setting. It stimulates me to do the same. I inherited my parents' home and moved back here when I retired. It's taken me years to finally let go of her possessions. My aha moment came when I finally cleaned out her huge Ethan Allan china cabinet and put my dinner set(which I'd left boxed for 15 years) in there. I realized that the cabinet itself had been a gift to her and was very valuable. But the dishes were just chinzy things she'd bought at thrift stores to fill the cabinet up! So probably really had little meaning to her. She never used them and many were impractical. Fragile coffee and tea cups that had handles that burned your hands etc.
It's important to know the emotional "why " behind our connection to items and whether we let them go or hold on to them.
I found it hard getting rid of things originally but, as I realize I don't miss or even remember most of it, it has become very freeing. 🤗
Not "more" - but "together"! I love your videos, your hacks, you talking about your background and your beautiful home. And I love the two of you together!
Marissa, I am new to your channel & I love your realness & rawness. You are so likeable & I very much appreciate your sense of humour! Mr Zen is such a gentle & calm presence & your boys are just adorable! It's unfortunate that some people feel the need to try & lift themselves up by tearing you down. It's pretty evident though that people who leave mean comments, deep down really aren't happy. 😊
Your house looks simple, beautiful, and peaceful. You guys are an inspiration to me!👍😎💖
You and your family are amazing! I love your home including the echos and all the empty space you have! Definitely not a boring home and who cares about what you wear as long as you feel good in them! Don’t change anything!
I’m team EVERYTHING! Your children are so beautiful.
Thank you so much! ☺️
Love this video. Absolutely the never ending story. As a 10 year old I was traumatized for life over the horse dying. Your probably way healthier living in Germany rather than America!!
You guys are great! So glad you are back...love watching your videos!
Definitely team no rug! With 2 cats and a toddler the maintenance was way too much work so after 1.5 years we removed the 2 we had. And it’s so much better for cleaning! And don’t really miss it for decor.
So nice to see you and Mr Zen today. Thank you both for your sunny outlook and good luck with your project Mr Zen!
This is also EXTREME CUTENESS!!!! You two are absolutely ADORABLE together!! The production value on this video with the sound effects and the rapport between you...this is one of my favorite videos you've ever given us! 💕💕
My mom always said "Some people can't manage to feel good about themselves unless they're making someone else feel less than" I agree, and I try to keep that in mind whenever I realize that is what someone is likely doing. I'm willing to bet that belittling someone you personally don't know falls in this category. In another direction... I've been binge-watching your videos because I like them, you are pretty cheerful and likable, and very motivational. Thanks for sharing your family's minimalist journey so openly. I'm enjoying each one with my teenager while we are chugging along in our own.
I'm team No Rug!! It just seems like a lint compartment in a dryer to me. It traps everything in it and if you have allergies it's a nightmare. I think your house looks amazing and your hubby is a sweetie.
Team no rug! We had rug in three bedrooms for the longest time and our dog trapped flea and it was EVERYWHERE. Eventually we pulled all the rug out and changed to wooden floor and it’s soooo clean.
Liebe Marisa,
Thank you for being so brave and generous.
Love and Bliss to you and your family
You have helped me so much with talking through the minimalism process with my mom. She's downsizing and is having massive difficulty letting go of sentimental items, but also understand the burden it will be if all of that stuff is left to my sister and I. You videos are helping me approach the subject with patience and understanding
So glad to hear it, the process sure isn’t easy but it’s WORTH IT. Cheering 📣 you on!
I’m a rug person by a bed and a sofa even though I wear slippers only in my home. But they do need upkeep- vacuuming frequently and deep cleaning less often but can be expensive. Love your channel
Thank you for sharing. I love your bravery, creativity, and heart of your videos
I love your channel so much. Thank you for being so vulnerable with us and for answering so many questions. My favorite thing this: Most of the time, when I watch videos on youtube, I get this pressure to compare myself to the videos, to the life shown there and I feel like I need to live exactly this life or I will not be as happy/successful/relaxed as the person in the video. I get this overwhelming feeling of needing to own exactly what's shown in the videos and to change my life to mimic what I see. But when I watch your wonderful videos, I never feel like that at all. I don't compare my life to yours, I don't get the urge tu buy things to make my home look more like your beautiful beautiful home. Instead, I get inspired to think about my life, to be more honest with myself and to be brave enough to be vulnerable with others. I change things a little bit at a time to change my life in a way that feels meaningful and peaceful and happy for me. And I cannot thank you enough for that. You truly are an inspiration and I will never be able to express how much it means ❤. THANK YOU!
Thank YOU for your wonderful and insightful comment 🤗
All of your videos are so inspiring! I grew up in a hoarder home and unfortunately my parents still live this way. I have been working on decreasing my possessions and have felt way less anxious with less things. Relating to rugs, My husband and I live in a studio apartment and we are in the process of getting rid of our area rug. Our space looks so much BIGGER and cleaner with it out of the way. So, we are Team No Rug!
Thanks for chiming in and sharing your story, Jessica. 🤗
I love 💕 your channel. I’m shocked people say mean things. You have inspired me in many ways. Blessings to you & your family ☺️
The rugs!! Personally I LOVE that they collect the dust and you can just vacuum it up. I had always dealt with dust balls on the hardwood and hated the maintenance , sweeping and mopping. I keep shoes off in the bedrooms and get a bissell carpet cleaning machine rental once every 2-3 months for deep cleaning. There are services that will do this too.
That makes total sense about the rug. I've thought about the ruggable kind, too. Another echo-reducing option, if that matters to you, would be to hang a lovely tapestry or quilt.
I'm a newer follower. I wanted to say thank you for your channel. It helped me as I delcuttered, sold, and donated to move into a 5th wheel with my husband and 3 children. Your voice in the background gave me a calm during the times it felt so daunting. Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your story. 💓
I LOVE a peaceful echoey room, your home is wonderful… change nothing, it’s great as it is 👍🙏 Caroline 🇬🇧
Team rug! We tend to lean towards natural materials such as wool since it has wonderful natural properties that helps with ease of maintenance, warmth and insulation and it keeps the kids from slipping on hard floors. We also don’t wear shoes inside so it helps with managing the cleaning of it too.
I'm team NO rug. For a short while my living room was cleared out enough to have an echo. It made me think I was getting somewhere with my decluttering! It's part of the goal of the minimalism for me. In fact I've been thinking about getting rid of my bedroom rug (it needs to be cleaned big time) and bathroom rug except for the shower mat. I agree about the maintenance, but I actually like living room rugs. I've been moving furniture around so much that a rug is in the way.
I don’t think the echo is bad or distracting or any of that. I see (hear?) it as an audible picture of the decluttering you’ve done-to me it’s the soundtrack of minimalism, and I think it’s awesome. 😃 My house will never echo like that, and that’s okay, but it brings me peace of mind as I sit up in my cluttered craft room watching your videos. Thank you!
Hard to imagine anyone saying something negative about you…so sorry that happens. I think you are so fun and funny and so genuine. Sharing your story is really encouraging to me. I’m so glad you share your videos.
Ihr seid ein wunderbares Paar. Danke für die Offenheit!
Danke schön 🤗
I think I may be one of the few people not a fan of the ruggable and in the end wound up removing the ones I had from my home. I found them to be a pain to reassemble after washing them and could never get them pieced together just right so they would flat where the corners didn’t curve in from tension. Also, the mat underneath attracted so much hair and filth with the static and Velcro it just frustrated me to no end, I couldn’t keep it clean as hard as i tried. With that said I do feel they have beautiful patterns and the concept is genius, I just didn’t find myself as satisfied as I thought. Just a personal review I thought I’d share. I absolutely love your channel and family, you are such an inspiration 💕
I had the same experience. We have since replaced them. Was disappointed in their quality
I am firmly on team no rug/carpet. It gets so goofy and cannot get clean enough for me. Our house has carpeted stairs, which I've kept on because I'm worried the kids will slip. But it got too gross! I just pulled up the carpet on two stairs this evening and the dirt underneath was horrifying.
Thank you Marissa! This is a great video. You really inspire a people. We live very similiar to you, and we are in Austria. Recetly we bought a rug, but a 100% wool rug and it's soo cool and cozy, we are even more on the floor now. 😂 And we ordered a floor sofa too. And last 2 years we haven't almost anything in living room. But more fun to our sons. All the best from heart! ⚘⚘⚘⚘
Floor sofas are so fun! Thanks for watching. ❤️
I’m always excited to watch your videos. I embrace your messages and your emotions draw me closer to you. Don’t change I love you
I’m glad we can have a “tribe” like this - cheers!
You and Joshua Becker have echos in your videos, but that's a sign of legit minimalism! You could change it up and do a video outside. That would be nice to see your surroundings, too. Great Q & A
That really sucks that ppl are so openly nasty and negative to you. You have a great voice, love your style, inspired by your unchaotic space, and appreciated your positivity/ openness/ advice.
To the viewer's comment about how to get over thrifting/buying...my advice, open a retail store like I did - you will get it out of your system really quick. It fulfills the need to shop and you can then make money on your shopping without the guilt!
I have accumulated/inherited several deceased family members’ things (added to my own), that I continue to downsize. Most of it WILL go, but it takes time to go through box after box of all the small things that were packed up and moved out of a person’s home Somehow, even though I buy very little but consumables, I have so much stuff here that even when I take bags and boxes out, it still seems to look like nothing has been removed. I don’t mind getting rid of things I’ll never use, but there are many things that I have kept because I see the “project” potential in them. I have a child’s rocker that I have had (just taking up space) so long, that I don’t even remember where it came from. It’s been in my garage workshop, occupying floor space and avoiding being tripped over for years…. in great shape for its age, except the joints need to be re-glued for stability and then I can donate it. . It’s about number 9000 on the “projects to do” list! Yesterday, I had decided that I was never going to get to it and that if somebody else wanted it, THEY could rehab it.
We have a ”giving table” in the neighborhood (in a woman’s front yard), where people can donate things they no longer need OR pick up something that they want from the tables. I donate a lot there, but never stop to see what’s on the tables… I need nothing else to be brought into my house. I went out to my shop and picked up that little rocker to wipe the wood dust and a couple spiderwebs from it, before putting it in my car to take to “the tables” and immediately put it back down, telling myself “it won’t take long to re-glue the joints; why I donated in that condition?”
At my advanced age, I think my first organizational tip is to choose a certain number of projects that I think I will reasonably get to and remove the rest. So maybe today, that rocking chair WILL get donated in unfinished condition.
One thing I wholeheartedly agree with you guys on and I’ve always said, that rugs (in my case carpet), are disgusting! God only knows what all we have stepped down during the day that we pull into our house on our shoes, yet think that vacuuming and occasional steam cleaning are sufficient; we’d never wear the same clothes day after day for six months without washing them and THEY haven’t been drug across streets, lawns and (the worst) parking lots. As soon as I can get enough off the floor, the carpet comes out and the hardwood floors under it, get refinished.
I’ve had a Ruggable for several years now and I absolutely love it! Whenever it gets dirty, I just vacuum it, pull it off the backing and pop it in the washer.
The only problem that I could see is the size of German washing machines. However, you could probably find a laundromat near soy somewhere. I think they’ve become a thing in big cities around Germany.
Also… you do you!!! Meanies will always be mean, unfortunately. I personally admire you for all that you’ve accomplished and for how you live!
I’m still on my decluttering journey and minimalism is a very individual thing. Nobody should feel the need to judge you for a lifestyle that makes you and your family happy 💗.
So kudos to you and the rest doesn’t even matter 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My friend loves her Ruggable! They have a re-jute one that looks great. Her rugs fit in her machine and always look fresh, even with four kids and two huge dogs(both puppies).
Great couple. ❤
Life is too short - live your life the way you want it! You will never please everyone, and nor should you. Just be your amazing selves! Thanks for the inspiring content!
Re: too much thrift shopping, I take a lot of my donations to our local animal support resale store.. Lately I just tap on the sliding glass door in back and the attendant comes out and carries my stuff in for me. That way I don't go in and am not tempted to buy things I don't need. 👍