Lessons From a 16-Year-Old Austrian Exchange Student

A tote bag is sitting on a counter next to bottles of cleaning supplies.

A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

By Margaret Arnold • May 17, 2025

When my four children were in elementary and middle school, an annual Christmas card and letter that arrived each year gave me a glimpse of the life stage that awaited our family. I recall the usual family news but what struck me about this particular holiday update was the amount of moves her four children made in those college and post-college years and the loving assistance she provided. Little did she know she was modeling how I wanted to be, and have been, for my children these past 13 years and 18+ moves (counting three for my husband and me). From college dorm room to first apartments and now to first homes, I have had the joy of helping my kids settle into their spaces. What an exciting time it is for them! A key role I’ve played during these move-ins and occasional move-outs has been that of a cleaner. I like to clean – I mean I really like it. Not only do I enjoy the physical work I especially like the mental and organizational challenge and doing this domestic task better, deeper and, in the last three years, more sustainable. A KEY ROLE I'VE PLAYED DURING THESE MOVE-INS ... HAS BEEN THAT OF CLEANER.

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

By Margaret Arnold • April 26, 2025

Earth Day has significant meaning for me. Beyond falling during my wedding anniversary week (4.23), this global day has involved cleaning ditches with my children and outdoor spring projects. It's ideal for honoring Earth's wonders as nature awakens in Minnesota. For a third year, my gift to Earth is a forest management project first shared last year on LinkedIn . My husband and I have tackled buckthorn eradication , transforming our woods to reveal 300-year-old oaks, black cherry, cedar trees and the land's natural contour. While I attempt to embrace simplicity, this conservation project isn't simple! Eradicating this invasive shrub (and larger old trees) from our forest will take a decade or more. It demands physical work and resources, but the rewards extend beyond restoring native habitats in my corner of the world. my gift to the earth is a forest management project ...

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

By Margaret Arnold • April 13, 2025

Last Sunday, three friends and I celebrated spring birthdays with a long walk and brunch. Though still brisk walkers as former "runner girls," we paused to appreciate the beautiful spring morning as we wound through streets, a wooded trail with frozen ground, and finally a shared-use path. Greeting passing runners reminded me of my younger self, but I've grown content with my natural walking habit. Four years ago, I retired from decades of running for a consistent walking routine. I no longer feel compelled to justify my walking routine against running and have fully embraced this new habit and discovered unexpected treasures beyond the well-known health benefits. EACH WALK OFFERS BRILLANT SUNRISES, UNIQUE CLOUD FORMATIONS, CHATTERING BIRDSONGS ...

Warranty Wisdom: A Mother’s Lesson

By Margaret Arnold • March 30, 2025

While I'm not an expert on warranties, I am the daughter of a mother who took advantage of them for small home products. With three daughters in the house, she purchased a few blow dryers especially when her three teenagers cared enough to wake up early and style our hair. I remember our mother packaging up a non-operating Conair blow dryer and shipping it to take advantage of the product warranty at the time (today it’s three years). Decades before the internet, there is no doubt she kept the product literature to reference the important warranty and shipping information. In her last months of life, she once instructed me to look up warranty and replacement information on her favorite Ottlite sewing lamp she had in her office that wasn’t working. She loved this lamp and was determined to have it in use again. I remember lovely conversations with the customer service person explaining the issue, what we should do next and even a friendly follow-up email! In that spirit, and with the ease of the internet, I have taken advantage of a few product warranties. My research and approach are based on my love of the product itself and doing a quick cost-benefit analysis, including product quality, time and shipping costs. However, I have found the first step is to create a simple warranty tracking system for my favorite products – whether through browser bookmarks, email folders or paper files – just as I’m sure our mother did with her product literature as there wasn’t a piece of paper she won’t hold on to “just in case.” "A Customer is never out of warranty, even if his product is." Seth Godin

Repairing Gear is Cool (even for a boomer)

By Margaret Arnold • March 22, 2025

On a downhill ski trip this winter, I skied with three fellow boomers. One of the skiers was sporting the same lightweight puffer jacket I’ve worn and treasured for years. As we compared notes, we realized all three of us had the exact jacke t (color, style) circa early 2000s. We laughed about our shared attachment to our well-worn piece, each telling stories on why we wear the jacket today – a warm layer with a shell, a light work jacket, etc. While all of our trusty puffers had seen better days (a total of 70 years of use or more), we weren’t giving up on them. Back at home, I sent these women a picture of my own jacket with it's repairs. Using patches, I’ve given my puffer a new life and a new look – and have created a few stares. The shapes, representing the outdoors, perfectly adhere to the tears to prevent the jacket from further disrepair. ... outdoor enthusiasts were keeping, repairing, and proudly wearing their well-worn gear ...

Baggies to Batch Cooking: One Mom's Simple Living Secrets

By Margaret Arnold • March 8, 2025

While texting back and forth about The Silver Thread , I invited my friend Rita Meyer to write a guest post. Rita and I met when our children were classmates at Saint John's Preparatory School, but I knew of her life before then through her monthly column in our Catholic newspaper. Her approachable writing about home life, daily running routine, and adventurous spirit had always resonated with me. Before we met, I also learned about Rita and her husband Marv's impressive feat of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. After we became friends, I watched in admiration as their family of six embarked on a summer adventure, living in a motorhome in Alaska from the end of one school year to the start of the next. Leaving behind her home, gardens, and routine to capture precious time with her family exemplified living intentionally and simply. Rita is a baker and cook extraordinaire for family, fundraisers, and events, a dedicated volunteer, and a kindred spirit. I'm delighted to share her perspective with you today. Dear Silver Thread Readers, I can so relate to trying to live a simpler life. A more sustainable life. A life of less stuff and more peace. Margaret has come to embrace what her mother taught by both word and action. I think our moms could have been besties, such similar values. The more I read Margaret’s posts, the more I realize that I too have adopted a lot of my Mom’s ways and I am proud of this simpler lifestyle. Oh sure, my kids sometimes get on my case for reusing Baggies (for lunch pail packing, they definitely can be used more than once depending on the contents) or Ziplocks (didn’t know about the cool-looking wooden stand Margaret featured last week; I just put mine over water bottles sitting on the countertop) or even perfectly good containers (I buy the Quaker Oats at Sam’s Club and then pour it from the bags into the saved round containers from earlier days). Know what though? I think my kids get it and are replicating what they have seen and heard as they start flying out of the coop. Our moms could have been besties ...

From Mangle Irons to Modern Methods: Embracing Sustainable Laundry Practices

By Margaret Arnold • March 1, 2025

Growing up as part of a large family meant heaps of laundry. As the daughter of a home economist (now called family and consumer sciences), our home often felt like a laboratory. While some of our mother’s laundry practices remain with me today, others no longer suit modern lifestyle. After doing laundry for my family of six — before becoming an empty nester seven years ago — I've developed sustainable practices that extend the life of fewer, high-quality clothing items. Patric Richardson , Minnesota-based author of Laundry Love and House Love and host of The Laundry Guy TV show, advocates investing in quality essentials year-round and adding a few seasonal pieces instead of fast fashion. He notes: “If you really love your garments, both classic and trendy, you’ll be more motivated to take care of them and make them last. In sum, you’ll be buying both more thoughtfully and less.” I've learned ... laundry is more than just cleaning clothes — it’s about sustainability, simplifying life ...

Styled for Simplicity: A Closet Edit to Let Go

By Margaret Arnold • February 22, 2025

Downsizing our family home in 2021 meant "editing" my wardrobe for a year shuffling between temporary housing, an overcrowded office, and storage space. To protect and move my wardrobe, I invested in quality storage bags that I still use today — just fewer of them! Our new closet is one-third the size of our previous one. Despite initial downsizing, I still had work to do after leaving a long career, adapting to lifestyle changes, and holding onto special pieces too long. The final step in organizing my closet was a virtual styling session with my niece Krysta, a professional stylist ( Styled x Krysta ). Thanks to Krysta my closet contains only items I truly want to keep. This Closet editing journey taught me there's often more to let go ...

A Sustainable Practice Full of Memories

By Margaret Arnold • February 15, 2025

I have written about my mother’s everyday routines – quiet, small practices, some taught and some untaught. My father, a physician, had grand, energetic routines centered around gardening, travel and 35mm photography. I particularly remember his gardening this time of year as he waited for spring to arrive. His gardening was prolific, with multiple flower and vegetable gardens at his different properties. For decades, until his early 90s, he planned more gardens, more bulbs to plant, more supplies to get and more ornamental and water features to place. A master gardener, his unceasing drive to create colorful views and conduct gardening tours for friends and family (and a reason to have a party) was unmatched. He made plans this time of year inspired by travels and by attending the spring Bachman’s Flower Show . While his gardening wasn’t simple, a greenhouse he added at our family home was remarkably sustainable – saving and protecting plants year after year instead of replacing them. In a picture recently used for my younger sister’s milestone birthday, the greenhouse setting (see pictures below) perfectly captures those memories: fall crisp nights digging up plants, the humid greenhouse air with geranium scent, and the anxiety of freeze alarms during our parents’ travels. ... a greenhouse ... was remarkably sustainable ...

Humble Helpers: Six Kitchen Tools for Simple Living

By Margaret Arnold • February 8, 2025

At a recent social event, I met a woman who helps families downsize their parents' homes. We clicked instantly over our shared passion for simple living. Our brief conversation confirmed what we both knew: the kitchen is where simple living often begins — eliminating duplicate storage containers and saying no to large gadgets because of space, etc. That conversation made me reflect on my own kitchen essentials – the simple tools that I use every day. I’ve discovered that humble little tools, not fancy hard-to-store gadgets, are the extraordinary helpers for simple, sustainable living. Many were inspired by, or came from, family and friends, and I treasure them, not only because of their purpose, but their small size and mighty reuse. The kitchen is where simple living begins ...

A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

Warranty Wisdom: A Mother’s Lesson

Repairing Gear is Cool (even for a boomer)

Baggies to Batch Cooking: One Mom's Simple Living Secrets

From Mangle Irons to Modern Methods: Embracing Sustainable Laundry Practices

Styled for Simplicity: A Closet Edit to Let Go

A Sustainable Practice Full of Memories

Humble Helpers: Six Kitchen Tools for Simple Living

her perspective on sustainable living ... has influenced my daily habits ...

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A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

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