This is a landing page to help you get started with decluttering and minimalism in your home to SIMPLIFY YOUR HOME!
I think we are all craving it: Simplicity.
I hear more and more women talking about it, pinning it, sharing their ideas on it over coffee.
We want simplicity because we want less stress, more time, less cleaning, less work, more fun, less debt, more of all that we love. There are lots of ways to simplify: capsule wardrobes, meal plans, technology timeouts, house decluttering, homemade yogurt, marriage challenges…. All intentional efforts to bring all our attention and resources to things that bring us joy and the people that we love.
Books recommended here may include referral links to Amazon. If you click through and take action I will be compensated at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love or feel would benefit your simple, on purpose life.
I started my journey about four years ago. I had just read a book called the Joy of Less and thought minimalism was my new mantra. It has lead me to declutter my entire home and really evaluate my approach to living all together. It has inspired me to live my life ON PURPOSE
I think it’s inspiring, all this ‘purposeful’ living. It is so much more than how we manage and organize our physical possessions. When we purposefully strip away all the distractions (things of little use or joy), in the name of simplicity, we are left face to face an intimate view of each relationship. Relationships to our bodies, our spouses, our hearts, our homes, our things, our time, our kids, our money. Both the process of removing the excess and being left without the distractions begs thoughtfulness on all our relationships in terms what we avoid, neglect, nourish, hide, flaunt, attend to, ignore, use, adorn, and so on.
I’ve come to see that this isn’t an overnight thing. Especially if you want to be thoughtful about how you declutter and move stuff out of your home. Also, you’ve probably spent at least a decade building up this life, it can’t be dismantled and organized in a week.
So take your time and keep at it!
GETTING STARTED WITH SIMPLIFYING YOUR HOME
How to prepare your mindset for decluttering your home
This isn’t a checklist or challenge, it is some real talk to your brain and heart on getting started
How I Started Decluttering My Family Home (+ tips and insights)
Many people ask me how I started, so here it is. Also, some takeaways that will help you declutter your home
Til We Have Just Enough Stuff
Asking yourself about the home you grew up in, thinking of the way you have you accumulated as an adult, deciding that you want to live with
‘ENOUGH’
What Pinterest Doesn’t Tell You About Home Organization
A good mindset to start out with is how decluttering will help you with your approach to home organization
The Burden of Things
Having clutter in our home can have a genuine burden on our space, our wallets and our emotional well-being
The Habit of Consumption
Moving from the mindset of ‘consuming’ to the mindset of ‘creating and doing’
Great decluttering books that I have loved:
The Joy of Less by Francine Jay
Seven by Jen Hatmaker
A Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker
MINIMALISM MINDSETS THAT HELP YOU SIMPLIFY YOUR HOME
How a Minimalist Thinks
We can approach decluttering with ‘is it useful, beautiful or sentimental?’ but that falls flat of some deeper mindsets that most minimalists have
Real Reasons You Can’t Finish Decluttering
As you get further into decluttering you face some hard decisions. Knowing why you are making these decisions to keep or let go will help you with this process
Is Your Home a Suitcase?
We can view our homes as a storage space, or a suitcase. Which parts of your home are storage when they should be suitcase?
I Decluttered My Home For A Year, Here is What I Learned
I watched truckloads of my possessions leave my home, I spent a year feeling defeated, the inspired and so on. This is what I can reflect on from the past year of being a dedicated declutterer.
Hygge vs Minimalism
There is a lot of talk about HYGGE on the internets (and I do totally dig it!) here is how it stacks up to minimalism, IMO
(Other hygge posts: 30 Ways to Hygge When It Is Cold Outside and Three Mindsets to Bring Hygge Into Your Everyday Life
Six Types of Minimalists – I’ve come to see that there are many reasons to become and approaches to being a minimalist.
‘What If I Need this One Day?’ – this question is a hurdle for a lot of us when it comes to decluttering. We could question our need for the item, or we could shift this mindset and ask a different question.
STAYING MOTIVATED WITH DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME
Identity Clutter
This is the clutter of things we keep because maybe we were those things, or want to be those things or think we ‘ought to be’ those things. Here is how they hold us back from truly knowing ourselves and growing – and they keep us stuck in a scarcity mindset instead of letting go to embrace abundance.
Quotes for Minimalist Motivation
I find that motivation is what keeps my home decluttered. Here are some of my fave quotes that inspire me in minimalism
When You Feel Like You Suck at Minimalism, Remember This
At some point, our decluttering process and the expectations we had about minimalism will clash. We will lose steam and lose sight for the what minimalism is really about
Six Things I Didn’t Know About Garage Sales
I had a garage sale of all my decluttered items, it didn’t go super well. Here are some things I learned on how to make it worth your time
Minimalism is Not an End-Goal, It Is a Tool
Wait? what? That’s right! Declutter away but know that your end-goal will become so much bigger than a decluttered home. The ACTION of decluttering leads to so much more
Don’t Let Minimalism Ruin Your Marriage
If your spouse isn’t into it, here are some practical tips on how to ease into minimalism without blowing up your marriage
7 Eye-Opening Lessons I Learned from 200 Days of Buying Nothing New
A great guest post from Assya Barrett on her experience limiting her spending for almost a year
Why Minimalism Works at Changing Your Life
Minimalism doesn’t just give you a clearer living space, it is part of personal development in learning who you are and showing up better as that person.
READER STORY: Making Space For The Life That Matters.
I have the pleasure of hearing many of the reader’s stories about how decluttering has changed their lives. I asked this reader if I could share her story on the blog
How Minimalism Has Changed My Motherhood, Marriage, Homemaking and Life
I was asked to share how life looks different for us before and after minimalism. Here are 16 ways it looks different for me in terms of motherhood, marriage, homemaking and my life.
DECLUTTERING OUR HOME
DOCUMENTING THE JOURNEY
Umm..I Thought You Were Purging Your Home
When I wanted to show you amazing before and afters but it just isn’t happening yet
Basement Shame
An update on progress in the basement
Renovations with Kids
As we have converted the basement into a play space, we had to undergo renos with kids underfoot
Our ‘Minimalist Family’ Home Update (a year later)
They aren’t groundbreaking before and afters, but they are our real life and we are proud of the hard work we put into it
Five Common Mistakes Moms Make When Organizing their Homes
We went through a lot of work to declutter, but when it came time to organize and store things I found that we made some mistakes that made STAYING organized very difficult.
CREATING A SIMPLIFIED PLAYROOM
The Before and After
From decluttering to renos to building a playroom with a DIY fort in it
OUR KITCHEN OVER THE YEARS
I’m a Minimalist With a Full Kitchen, and Why I’m OK With That
As time went on, I began to see that our kitchen wouldn’t ever be ‘minimalist’ by current terms. This is why I’m all good with that!
Kitchen reno before and afters (split-level home kitchen to mid-century modern inspired kitchen)
Our most recent kitchen update, and an unpacking of what I have learned about decluttering the kitchen and learning to love my space over the years
KIDS’ TOYS AND SPACES
What Happened When I Took Away Half of My Kids’ Toys
An accidental toy purge led me to some really big insights into toys
Practical Advice for Purging Kid’s Toys
How we have approached decluttering toys with the kids
A Birthday Bedroom Makeover
For my daughter’s birthday, we redid her room with supplies we had on hand. We have since replaced the bed with a smaller one and built her a desk for the following birthday
Why We Declutter Our Kid’s Toys Without Them
We declutter with our kids and sometimes without them. Both are worth exploring.
CREATING A SIMPLER WARDROBE
What Is A Capsule Wardrobe and How to Start One
Purging the closet can be so emotionally freeing, as well as freeing up your personal space too!
Tips for the Simple Closet
How to sort through your closet and keep the things that are right for you
Six Unexpected Ways That Having Fewer Clothes Has Made My Life Easier
How could fewer clothes make your life easier? I was skeptical, but it is true
Five Ways We Justify Needless Shopping
Clothes shopping has been a weakness for me in the past. Here are some ways I’m getting a little real about why I buy clothes
Decluttering the Underwear Drawer
It’s pretty much free therapy
Style for the Reluctant Mom
This is a series all about learning your own style to help you create a simple wardrobe. Also see the #moms30for30 for the challenge of wearing 30 items of clothes for 30 days!
Latest Posts and Episodes
Kitchen reno before and afters (split-level home kitchen to mid-century modern inspired kitchen)
Hello friends, It has been a while since I last wrote a whole blog post, though I suppose I do that with every Simple Saturdays email (if you want that…
169. Moms Simplifying Q+A: Toddler MomLife, Procrastination and Decluttering
Answering decluttering, simplifying and momlife questions that were sent in through the Simple on Purpose community group. Covering topics including organization, procrastination, decluttering kids’ clothes, showing up well for momlife. …
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Get good at getting started
SATURDAY MORNING CHORES The other week my kids had Saturday Morning Chores and I went to check on how one of my kids was doing with cleaning their room. I…
161. Why having LESS matters, the benefits of decluttering and minimalism
Ever wonder if decluttering will be worth your time? Does minimalism really matter much? This question was asked in a recent survey I held and I thought it was so…
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157. How I tackled decluttering my office and kids craft drawers + how I handle the resistance to decluttering
This past week I decluttered a few spaces in the home, the kitchen craft drawers and the office closet. These are areas that had become unruly with stuff and clutter….
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124. How to love your home (when you wish it were different)
This is not the house I would have chosen to be my forever home, but over the years I have come to terms with us staying here – but how…
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Simple Easter Gifts for Kids
Easter is another Christian holiday that has become commercialized and is trending towards the excessive-gift-showering feel of Christmas. I love to give my kids gifts, but I also really want…
111. Decluttering decisions and guilt [Q+A]
Making decisions on what to declutter can be exhausting and often bring up emotions like guilt. I am offering my life coaching and decluttering advice on these topics as well…
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110. Our relationship with stuff, and other decluttering questions
A popular topic I life coach moms on is their relationship to their stuff and decluttering their home. I wanted to share a Q+A time for more questions about decluttering. …
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109. Decluttering and Motherhood with Elyse of Wholesome Mumma
Elyse is a mom of three in Australia and she has a heart for helping moms make things simpler in their lives. I asked her to come and share with…
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7 Eye-Opening Lessons I Learned From 200 Days Of Buying Nothing New
This is a guest post by Assya, who I met through a Facebook group. I read her article and I just couldn’t get it out of my head, I still can’t. I…
90. Declutter ‘what if I need it one day?’ items from your home with THIS shift
What if I need it one day? Ask this question can leave you holding onto a lot of items that you really don’t ‘need’ in your life. From old magazines,…
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Five Tips to Make Your Christmas Simpler and More Enjoyable
Christmas was likely a holiday that you adored as a child. You can smile and rattle off some treasured family traditions. Even if it was something strange and simple, like…
11 Ways to Simplify the Gift Giving
We just spent the week talking about gift giving. We talked about ways to make your gifts more thoughtful and ways to give kids gifts without it feeling like you…
Our Fave Minimalist and Clutter-Free Kid Gift Ideas
I say these gifts are clutter-free because they are something that we USE and enjoy – and we have decluttered the other stuff. But to some people, these gifts are…
Giving Experiences Instead of Gifts
Last Christmas I was strolling on Instagram and came across a post by a mom. She had created a ‘choose your own adventure’ book for her kids to do just…
How to transition to a minimalist family Christmas
This past month one of my dreams came true. My nerd colours are gonna shine through when I tell you about this. The colours you will see are white and…
5 ways to give your kids gifts without it feeling like you’ve been overrun with toys
We are coming off a year of ‘giving experiences not gifts’ so I’ve been approaching this Christmas with a smaller shopping list and big plans on how to ‘do things’…
Nine Ways to Make Your Gifts More Thoughtful
We all feel the tension. The commercialization versus the simple joy of togetherness. The presents versus the presence. Of course, I’d like to raise charitable kids over-entitled kids but I…
83. My Current Faves (things I’m loving & a reminder that you are never behind)
Hey friends! Let’s have a momfriend coffee date – grab a warm drink and sit with me, Your Nerdy Girlfriend and Life Coach. Well this, is a coffee date for…
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15 Practical Tips for Moms to GET STUFF DONE
Years ago I was standing in my cluttered basement [Related: Basement Before and After]. As I was standing around boxes and piles of thoughtless purchases and random items I had…
Six mindsets that help you become a minimalist
What is minimalism? Even though I had always heard the word floating around I assumed ‘minimalism’ had something to do with lots of white chairs, rich people and home appliances…
75. How to hygge when you are a busy mom (and it isn’t about socks and candles)
Have you heard of hygge? It is the Danish word that embodies the sentiments of being cozy, connected and content. If you look it up on Pinterest you will see…
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Three ways to bring hygge into your daily life
If you’ve been on Pinterest, you have seen the trend of hygge posts. Homes filled with candles, coffee mugs, cozy blankets and simple living areas with warm and rustic touches,…
72. When your spouse doesn’t want to declutter (but really, it’s marriage advice)
One question I get so often is “how to get my husband to get rid of all his crap?” I don’t have a magical formula to convince him to give…
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30 Ways to Hygge When It Is Cold Outside
If you are already plotting how to escape the frigid drudgery of Winter, perhaps you need to make a list of all the ways to add some HYGGE into these…
Hygge vs Minimalism
What is hygge? My bestie recently remodelled her kitchen and moved some furniture in her living room. I plunked down on her couch and shouted ‘your couch is hygge now!‘…
Home Made Lovely (book review)
This week I read the book Home Made Lovely by Shannon Acheson , creator of the Home Made Lovely site This book was right up my alley as I’ve been…
How Minimalism Changed My Motherhood, Marriage, Homemaking and Life
I happened upon ‘minimalism’ by accident. I didn’t even really know it was an option. I grew up in a home filled with stuff. Boxes of photos and books, piles…
How Simplifying Your Home Can Teach You Who You Are
There are a lot of views on what minimalism is. Some people think it is a disappointing form of depriving yourself of ‘stuff’, and shopping, and having things that you…
69. Will a simpler home bring me peace?
Will a clear and simple house bring me peace? There is a lot of evidence out there that decluttered, clutter-free home is a peaceful home. There are a lot of…
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7 steps to help your kids play with their toys (rather than just buying more)
Today, we’re going to talk about how to get your kids to play with their toys. About a week ago, our whole family gathered around my computer in my office,…
65. When your kids don’t play with their toys anymore
Why have toys if your kids aren’t playing with them? Sure an option is to declutter the toys they don’t enjoy or seem to use. We can declutter the excess….
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Enjoying the simple pleasures (why it is hard and how to do it)
We all want to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. This is something I get emailed on often or something that comes up in coaching- particularly the ability to enjoy…
63. Why it is hard to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and what to do about it
We know there is power in enjoying the simple components that make up our day to day life. When we can enjoy these simple things, we have so much more…
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Minimalism is not an end-goal, it is a tool
I have been practising minimalism for about five years now BUT if you came to my house you wouldn’t assume I was a minimalist. My kitchen is full of craft…
How to do the chores you constantly avoid
How I life coached myself to do the dishes It is one thing to be tidy, it is another to keep up on chores. Most of my adult life…
Handling kid chores without losing your mom sanity
I was asked to share some advice on getting kids to do chores. I’m gonna talk about allowance and chore charts and tips that have worked for us. BUT, before…
Minimalist Kid Bedroom Renovations
We live in your typical split entry home, aka BC box as it is called here in British Columbia. By all accounts, our home is big enough for us, we…
The Piles of Clutter: how to deal
Sometimes my coaching clients ask for help with minimalism. This is a road I know well and I could talk about it all day. One hot topic is PILES OF…