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Jessica Sommerfield

Jessica Sommerfield is a Seattle-based freelance writer who has personal experience with the freedoms and challenges of tiny living. For the last five years, she’s been writing professionally on personal finance and consumer interests for web-based clients.

Living in a compact apartment within walking distance of work, school, and shopping, biking or using public transit, experiencing unique city culture and venues — these things characterize the urban lifestyle many people prefer. Although it’s unlikely to affect city dwellers’ enthusiasm for it, the urban lifestyle introduces unique pitfalls including the temptation to over-caffeinate, …

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Twelve years have passed since the middle of the housing boom, when President Bush proclaimed that owning a home was the realization of the American Dream. It would appear that is no longer the dream of Millennials, the current largest population group born between 1983 and 2000, who are increasingly flocking to the cities instead …

Read More about Why More People Are Preferring the Urban Lifestyle

Until recently, I didn’t know Friendsgiving was an actual term (it even has a definition in the urban dictionary) but I’ve participated in previous years without realizing it.  If you’ve never heard of Friendsgiving, you might be wondering when and where this trend got started. The majority of people seem to think it’s linked to …

Read More about Tiny Living Tips for Hosting a Successful “Friendsgiving”

With the biggest holiday season just around the corner, many people are preparing to make cross-country trips to visit extended family, or to receive visitors from out of state. This creates a unique challenge for those who’ve embraced tiny living: increasingly efficient construction and the absence of a second bedroom leaves little space for accommodating …

Read More about Overnight Guests in Tiny Spaces: Practice in Creative Hospitality

Everyone knows the health and fitness benefits of regular exercise, but excuses for not getting it in most commonly include a lack of time and energy. For apartment dwellers, the list also includes what seem like legitimate excuses: no space, the need to be quiet for close neighbors, and a lack of necessary equipment — …

Read More about Don’t Let Your Home Size Limit Exercise

Last week I had the chance to interview clutter guru Meryl Starr: Personal Organizer, author, and the past voice of the radio talk show “Let’s Get Organized with Meryl Starr.” With 23 years of ground-breaking experience in this growing industry, Meryl has a lot to offer on the topic of maintaining organization and cutting clutter …

Read More about Tired of Clutter? Let’s Get Organized with Tiny Home Tips from Meryl Starr

Cooking isn’t just a necessary part of life for many people: it’s an enjoyable hobby and creative outlet. If you love the culinary arts, you undoubtedly appreciate having a spacious kitchen to work in, but that’s not always a reality — especially if you live in a tiny apartment. Perhaps you used to enjoy cooking, …

Read More about 7 Cooking Tips for the Tiny Kitchen

Have you ever entered someone’s home and immediately felt relaxed and comfortable? What is it that makes the difference between homes that exude an immediate sense of welcome and hospitality, and those that reinforce the feeling that you’re not in Kansas anymore? Is it the home environment, or the hostess? In my experience, both play …

Read More about Ways to Make Your Tiny Home Feel Inviting