Clutter Free Academy

Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo have been decluttering their own homes and teaching others to do the same for many years. But there are always new things to learn! In this two-part series, this decluttering duo discusses what they have been learning this year about their clutter and about themselves.

Listen in and learn:

• What kind of language can we use to talk about clutter with those we live with?
• How can we focus on our own stuff without building up resentment toward others?
• Ways to discover if your stuff problem is really a relational or personal issue, and what to do about it.

Come back next week for the rest of the conversation, when Kathi and Tonya talk about how to trust yourself and how to know yourself when it comes to your clutter. Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the next episode is released.

Clutter Free For Life

Clutter Free books and resources

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

The Clutter Free for Life annual membership is on sale right now for $118 (regular price is $299 or $24.99 per month) from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8. It returns to its regular price on Dec. 9, so join here today!

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Do you feel like there is too much to do and not enough time to do it during the holidays?

You are not alone, friend!

Kathi Lipp and her favorite elf Deanna Day Young talk about strategies to keep your holidays less stressful so you can take care of the future you. In Part 2 of a three-part series, they lay out ten time-saving and preplanning tips to keep you moving and merry during this season when time is a valuable commodity.

Listen in as Kathi and Deanna each share five of their favorite holiday hacks such as:

• How do they plan their holiday outfits? Hint: It keeps things clutter-free!
• How to keep holiday gift-giving manageable.
• And they share their favorite holiday recipes with us! Check those out below.

Have you listened to 591 Your Holiday Gameplan When You're Low on Space? Click here.

Next week Kathi and Deanna will continue the holiday theme as they discuss what to do when you’re low on money. (And who isn’t?)  Sign up here to be notified when the next episode is released.

Do you find the Clutter Free Academy podcast helpful? Would you consider reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Each review helps us share the word about this podcast and reach more listeners with the Clutter Free message. We would be so grateful for your recommendation.

Baked Mac & CheeseIngredients:1 Box of Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese 1 cup milk ½ cup sour cream 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• Prepare Mac & Cheese as directed on package. Add milk and sour cream. Mix well. Spoon into 8"x8" baking dish. Top with cheese.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and lightly browned.

**This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9"x13" baking dish. Increase bake time to 45 minutes.

S'mores BarsIngredients: ½ c. butter, softened ½ c. sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ c. graham crackers, crushed or graham cracker crumbs ¾ c. all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 3 regular size Hershey bars 7 oz jar of marshmallow creme

• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add crushed graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs, flour, salt and baking powder; beat until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl. Put a layer of aluminum foil down in the 8"x8" pan and grease the foil. This will allow you to lift the dessert out of the baking pan to cool after baking and allow for easier cutting into bars.
• Spoon half of the dough into a greased 8"x8" baking pan and spread evenly. Break chocolate bars into pieces and arrange over the dough. Spread a layer of marshmallow creme over the chocolate. Flatten the remaining dough and lay over marshmallow creme. The remaining dough may not cover the entire layer of marshmallow creme but place sporadically over the marshmallow creme layer.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Lift foil out of baking pan and place on cooling rack. Allow dessert to cool and cut into squares.

Honey Bun CakeMix together: 1 box yellow cake mix 8 oz. sour cream 2/3 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs

• Pour half of batter in greased 9x13 pan.
• In separate bowl, mix together:
  • 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup of brown sugar

• Sprinkle cinnamon/brown sugar mixture over batter.
• Pour remaining batter on top.
• Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes
• Poke holes in cake with a fork while hot and pour the following mixture over cake: 2 ½ cups powdered sugar ½ cup milk 1 tsp vanilla

Artichoke DipServings 8 people Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients: 8 oz cream cheese 1 c. Parmesan cheese – shredded 1 c. mayonnaise low-fat or fat-free is acceptable (pantry) ½ t. dill weed 1 clove garlic crushed 1 can artichoke hearts drained and chopped (pantry)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Cream the cream cheese, add the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed  and garlic. Mix well. Fold in the chopped artichoke hearts and then spoon mixture into a 9×9 pan.

• Bake for 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes: Serve with crackers, toasted baguettes, or toasted pita points. Serves 8 as an appetizer

Overnight Sausage, Egg, and Hashbrown Breakfast CasseroleIngredients:1 pound breakfast sausage, crumbled 6 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed 12 large eggs 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the crumbled breakfast sausage until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a 9x13-inch baking dish, evenly spread the thawed shredded hashbrowns. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk or half-and-half, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until well combined.
• Stir in the cooked sausage, diced onion, diced red bell pepper, chopped fresh parsley, and both shredded cheeses until well mixed.
• Pour the egg mixture evenly over the hashbrowns in the baking dish. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press the mixture down, ensuring that the hashbrowns are well-covered.
• Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
• The next morning, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before baking.
• Remove the cover and bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the top is golden brown. To check for doneness, insert a knife in the center of the casserole; it should come out clean.
• Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve with your favorite hot sauce, salsa, or ketchup, if desired.

Kathi and her guest Deanna Day Young love decorating for Christmas, but what do you do when you are low on space? Kathi and Deanna both have experienced living in small spaces, and in today’s podcast they share ten ideas for decorating for the holidays, no matter how much room you have to work with.

Listen in and hear some helpful tips, including:

• What to consider when decorating for each season.
• Deanna’s trick for making cleanup extra easy!
• The best color choice for decorating a holiday table.
• How to keep your gifts clutter-free.

Next week Kathi and Deanna will continue the holiday theme as they discuss what to do when you’re low on time. (And who isn’t?)  Sign up here to be notified when the next episode is released.

Do you find the Clutter Free Academy podcast helpful? Would you consider reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Each review helps us share the word about this podcast and reach more listeners with the Clutter Free message. We would be so grateful for your recommendation.

Deanna Day Young

Custom Stamp (Kathi is using for Christmas tags)

Samaritan’s Purse Gift Catalog

Barnes and Noble

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

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To share your thoughts:

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You might have heard of the Circle of Life but how about the Circle of Thrift?

In this part 2 episode, Kathi interviews full-time Pinterest employee and thrifting enthusiast Erin Handley. Erin and Kathi both have a love for a great thrift find and share personal stories about how thrifting has been a real benefit to them and their families through the years. Listen in as she and Kathi laugh and discuss some tips and tricks they have learned about thrifting, such as:

• There are times of year when people donate certain items. Kathi and Erin share when those times are!
• How to develop your personal style while thrifting.
• What is the Circle of Thrift?

Bonus: Erin shares her super secret thrifting tip of where, when, and how to find those special items you’re looking for!

Haven’t listened to 589 Thrifting with Purpose: Tips and Strategies for Finding Gems and Reducing Clutter - Part 1? Click here.

Join the free Clutter Free Academy group on Facebook! 

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Erin Handley on the Leading Bold Podcast

Erin Handley on Instagram

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Can thrifting and staying clutter-free go hand in hand?

Kathi Lipp and our podcast guest today say YES YOU CAN!

Meet Erin Handley: San Francisco Bay Area resident, full-time Pinterest employee, and long-time thrifting enthusiast. Kathi and Erin discuss how thrifting is not acquiring a bunch of items you don’t need. Thrifting gives us a chance to give something a new life or at least a second look. Join them as they dive into three questions to ask before you purchase that thrift store treasure that you have in your cart.

1. Where will it go?
   • Sucker for cool art? Even if it’s cheap or you have to store it long term, say no.
2. What is it for?
   • Need it for a project? Say yes, but is it going to happen in the next 60 days?
3.  What does it improve?
   • Found a vase you love? Okay, but is there a vase you can part with at home?

Erin Handley’s house rule: if one thing comes in, one thing goes out.

Join the free Clutter Free Academy group on Facebook! 

Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the next episode is released.

Erin Handley on the Leading Bold Podcast

Erin Handley on Instagram

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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What is Kathi’s favorite thing in Clutter Free Academy? The 30 Day 1K! What is the 30 Day 1K, you may ask? It is a challenge to eliminate 1000 pieces of clutter over 30 days. If this sounds daunting, listen in as Clutter Free Academy queen Tonya Kubo answers common objections to the 30 Day 1K. 

Do any of these resonate with you?

• There’s no way I have 1000 things in my house to get rid of.
• I have so much clutter that 1000 things won’t even make a dent!
• I don’t have time to declutter 1000 things.
• November is so busy. I can’t possibly tackle this challenge then.

Tonya also shares her secret to making the 30 Day 1K work in her home.

How do you join the challenge? Easy - join the free Clutter Free Academy group in Facebook! In November, group members will receive a printed action plan for the month with simple tasks, weekly live coaching workshops, and the encouragement of nonjudgmental friends. This is going to be a life changing 30 days, and we hope you will join us as we get control of our stuff together!

Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the next episode is released.

Tonya Kubo

Deanna Day Young

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Can our spaces be organized and look great at the same time?

Yes, they can! Clutter Free Academy's own Deanna Day Young joins Kathi Lipp today in this continuation of last week's episode. (Haven't listened to Episode 586 Unlocking the Power of Organization: Expert Tips from Deanna Day Young yet? Click here! ) This week is all about the Double-A: accessibility and aesthetics. Meaning it is easy to access but looks pretty sitting. Deanna and Kathi chat and laugh their way through the Three Steps to Organization 101. Kitchen ideas? It's in here. Organizing with things you already have? It's in here. What do do with bathroom towels? It's in here, too.

Listen in as Deanna  and Kathi share the Three Steps to Organization 101 plus so many real-life examples:

1. Decluttering
   • You don't need to buy a new item. Kathi uses books as a pedestal to elevate cherished items!
2. Putting things where they make sense
   • Deanna has drawer pulls for her silverware drawer that looks like silverware!
3.  Labeling
   • Laundry soap can be aesthetically pleasing

Deanna Day Young

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

The Clutter-Free Home

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

• Cabinet Pulls Spoon Knife Fork Shape Door Handles Hole Center 3" Silver
• Quart Compact Stackable Plastic Storage Drawer
• 18 Gallon Holiday Storage Containers, Durable Latching Lids, Clear Bins, Red Lids/Green Handles

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Several years ago, Deanna Day Young joined Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy. Deanna felt pretty confident about her organizational skills, but she realized there is always more to learn and thought she could learn some good strategies for organization. However, what she actually realized is that she had previously been trying to organize a bunch of clutter! Since then, Deanna has strengthened her decluttering muscles, and on today’s podcast Kathi asks Deanna to share her best advice for someone who is starting out on their decluttering and organization journey. 

Listen in as Deanna shares:

1. What is the most important thing to do first?
2. Three simple steps to organize any space.
3. When to be creative, and when to keep it simple.

Next week, Deanna and Kathi will return and dive deeper into aesthetics. How can we be organized and still make it look great at the same time? 

Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the next episode is released.

Deanna Day Young

Angela Sue Garvey

Proverbs 31 Ministries

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

The Clutter-Free Home

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Welcome to Part 3 of the Abundant Home Conference series! In this segment, Kathi and her guest Amy Betters-Midtvedt talk about having a neurodiverse family and how having a brain that processes differently affects how people declutter. Together they discuss:

• The process of body doubling: helping someone complete a project like decluttering by completing pieces of that project for them while training them to take over the entire process eventually
• Why it's important to decide on systems like organization and decluttering as a team
• Chaotic creativity and why not everything needs to be special all the time

If you missed Part 1 of their conversation, Why Just in Case Is a Trap or Part 2 Fear, Finances, and Finding Peace: Decluttering Your Mind and Home, click the link. Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the next podcast episode drops.

This conversation is a small excerpt from the Abundant Home Conference - a half-day conference held exclusively for members of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free for Life membership community. Are you ready to take the next step in your decluttering journey? The step-by-step plan inside Clutter Free for Life can guide you, and the community you find there will encourage you to keep going. It’s time to change the way you think about your home and your stuff! Click here to learn more and join us today, for only $24.99 per month.

Amy Betters-Midtvedt website

Amy Betters-Midtvedt on Instagram

Amy Betters-Midtvedt on Facebook

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

The Clutter-Free Home

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe to our newsletter now.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Abundant Home Conference series! In this segment Kathi and her guest Amy Betters-Midtvedt face the fears and hidden perfectionism that often sabotage our decluttering efforts. Together they discuss:

• How can you avoid a scarcity mindset and start to think differently about your stuff?
• How do you combat the feeling that the things you have are not enough?
• How can you challenge the idea that your stuff is protecting you and instead realize that it is limiting you?

If you missed Part 1 of their conversation, you can find it here: Why Just in Case Is a Trap. Be sure to sign up here and be notified when the third part of this three-part conversation releases next week.

This conversation is a small excerpt from the Abundant Home Conference - a half-day conference held exclusively for members of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free for Life membership community. Are you ready to take the next step in your decluttering journey? The step-by-step plan inside Clutter Free for Life can guide you, and the community you find there will encourage you to keep going. It’s time to change the way you think about your home and your stuff! Click here to learn more and join us today, for only $24.99 per month.

Amy Betters-Midtvedt website

Amy Betters-Midtvedt on Instagram

Amy Betters-Midtvedt on Facebook Harry Styles Zipper Bag - Orange

Learn more about Clutter Free for Life

Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group

The Clutter-Free Home

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe to our newsletter now.