As a kid, I was a minimalist before I even knew what that word meant. I liked my space clean, simple, and free of anything that felt “extra.” One day I decided my room needed a full reset, not a deep clean, but a purge. I started small: a stack of old clothes, a blanket I never used, a few knick knacks I was suddenly over. It felt good, lighter. So naturally, I took it a step further… and set my sights on my couch.

My mom has a saying for everything, and one of her favorites is: “Haste makes waste.” Growing up, we’d hear it whenever someone rushed through their homework, tried to cook without reading the recipe, or basically did anything too fast without thinking it through. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, just another mom phrase. But on a ski trip to Mammoth one year, that saying hit a little too close to home.