Clutter Free Academy

Have you ever made progress on your decluttering journey only to stop when something unexpected and unwelcome happens? Maybe you have a loved one going through hard times and you want to help, but don't know where to begin. This week, Kathi chats with Niki Hardy, author of Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart, about what to do in difficult seasons.

In this episode, you'll learn tons of practical wisdom about what you can do in hard times, whether you or someone you love is directly affected. You'll hear about how to:

• Ask for and accept help from others when you need it.
• Offer help in a way that blesses those in hard times.
• How taking care of your future self is crucial in tough seasons.

If you're curious about the Enneagram after hearing Niki mention it, click here.

You can order your own copy of Niki's book Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart on Amazon today.

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Do you long for a cozy home that feels like your happy place? This week, Kathi chats with Liz Marie Galvan, designer and author of the best-selling book, Cozy White Cottage: 100 Ways to Love the Feeling of Being Home. Kathi and Liz discuss how to begin creating the cozy, beautiful home you’ve always wanted.

In this episode, you’ll learn the connection between decluttering and creating a home you love. You’ll also hear how:

• Decluttering allows the “cute” and “cozy” to shine in your home
• You can appreciate decor ideas, yet leave them at the store
• To get a better sense of your personal style

If you want to learn more about cultivating a home you love, you can order a copy of Liz’s book Cozy White Cottage on Amazon.

Kathi’s purple chair

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This week, Kathi chats with special guest prolific author Tricia Goyer about Tricia’s new book, The Grumble-Free Year. We’ll learn how her family’s year-long experiment giving up grumbling had an impact on the whole family and the way they interacted with one another.

In this episode, you’ll also discover how our physical space can have an impact on our emotions. Clutter free really can work, even for a family of 11! You’ll find tips to help you:

• reduce your tendency to grumble, even when times are hard
• set a grumble-free tone for your whole family and get your kids on board with less grumbling
• cultivate a greater sense of peace in your home

Click here to download Chapter One of Tricia’s book The Grumble-Free Year. If you like what you read, you can order your copy of The Grumble-Free Year on Amazon.

If you’re inspired to write a book of your own, check out Tricia’s Write That Book group for tips and coaching to make your dream a reality.

We would love to stay connected.

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If you are overwhelmed trying to make life Pinterest-perfect, you are in good company! This week, Kathi chats with comedian and self-proclaimed Hot Mess for Jesus, Kerri Pomarolli. Kathi and Kerri discuss what it means to find grace right where you are today, in the midst of a messy, busy life.

In this episode, you’ll laugh along with Kathi and Kerri as you learn:

• What it means to be a Proverbs 32 woman, AKA a Hot Mess for Jesus.
• How to figure out what level of decluttering works for you
• Who are the people you need to have around you in your life

For Kathi’s family stuffing recipe, click here.

To hear Sebastian Maniscalco’s bit about company coming over, click here (warning: some language is inappropriate for children).

Order your copy of Kerri’s book, Confessions of a Proverbs 32 Woman: How I Went From Messed Up to Blessed Up Without Changing a Single Thing from Amazon today.

We would love to stay connected.

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When you hear the word “relentless,” does it have a positive or negative connotation for you? Some of us hear it and think of persevering, continuing no matter what is in our way. Others of us think of wave after wave of challenges in our lives.

In this week’s episode, Kathi sits down with Michele Cushatt, one of her besties and author of Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves, to discuss how to hold onto hope when life feels relentless in its difficulties.

Kathi and Michele give real-life examples of ways life can feel relentless and how we try to cope with that chaos. In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Two unhelpful extremes that we try to “fix” chaos in our lives and two helpful ways to cope.
• How we can find an anchor outside ourselves and our circumstances to keep us from being tossed about.
• How relentless challenges and God’s relentless presence can coexist.

If you want to go deeper in learning about how to hold on to hope, check out Michele Cushatt’s book Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves, available on Amazon.

We would love to stay connected.

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This week, Kathi finishes her three-part series of Clutter Free Basics with Tonya Kubo, fearless leader of Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group. Kathi and Tonya discuss the three totes and two bags system. When combined with space boxing and time boxing, this system leads to a sustainable clutter free home.

In this episode, you’ll learn how:

• each technique discussed in Clutter Free Basics harmonizes to help you get and stay clutter free.
• the three totes and two bags system makes decluttering easy and fun for the whole family.
• you have what you need at your home to get moving towards a clutter free home today.

If you’re ready to use what you’re learning in this Clutter Free Basics podcast series, be sure to head over to the Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group. There, you’ll find more tips and a community of friends to encourage you on your journey. Join us today!

We would love to stay connected.

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Have you ever noticed how time-consuming decluttering can be? Perhaps you’re caught in an endless cycle of decision fatigue and shame about clutter. You need time boxing!

This week, Kathi and Tonya Kubo, fearless leader of Clutter Free Academy on Facebook, continue their series on Clutter Free basics. In this episode, they discuss time boxing, a technique that leads to a decluttered home over time in just 15 minutes a day.

Using time boxing will help you live a sustainable, clutter free life. No more long days of decluttering and exhaustion, no kidding. You’ll also learn how time boxing helps you:

• Avoid distractions that derail you
• Involve your whole family in decluttering
• Stay motivated and moving forward in your clutter free journey.

If you want to hear part 1 of Clutter Free Basics, click here.

Don’t miss next week’s third and final episode of Clutter Free Basics! Subscribe to have Kathi’s podcasts delivered to you every week.

If you want more support on your clutter free journey, check out Clutter Free for Life.

Kathi’s book, Clutter Free Home: Making Room for Your Life will be released next February. You can learn more and pre-order your copy on Amazon today.

We would love to stay connected.

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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If you get overwhelmed at the thought of decluttering an entire room, this week’s episode is just what you need! Kathi and Tonya Kubo, founder of the Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group, discuss the first of three Clutter Free basics: space boxing. This technique makes decluttering go faster, feel more doable and more satisfying.

In this episode, you’ll learn what space boxing is and hear real-life examples of how to use this tool in your home. You’ll also hear how space boxing:

• Helps you to stay focused when decluttering
• Empowers your kids to declutter their space
• Leads to greater function and a sense of peace in your home.

Kathi’s book, Clutter Free Home: Making Room for Your Life will be released next February. You can learn more and pre-order your copy on Amazon today.

To learn more about MOMcon, click here.

We would love to stay connected.

To share your thoughts:

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Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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Have you ever noticed that money is a tender spot in a lot of relationships? Maybe it even causes tension for you. In this week’s podcast, Kathi chats with very special guest Ron Deal of Family Life Today about ways to successfully resolve some of the conflicts related to spending and have a stronger, more unified family.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Some key questions to ask when strong emotions come up related to money
• Contributing factors that make merging finances particularly difficult for blended families
• How a togetherness agreement can help you build a strong foundation financially and relationally

If you would like more information about how to merge finances well, check out Ron’s book, The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning. You can order it on AMAZON now.

In case you missed the verse reference, Ron quoted Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have for He has said ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'”

As a special treat we are giving away some copies of Ron’s book, The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning: Money Management Before and After You Blend a Family! Enter below by commenting and letting us know:

What would it look like to start spending money with intention instead of emotion in your family? What impact would that have on your relationships

We would love to stay connected.

To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.

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In this week’s episode, Kathi sits down to chat with Amanda Hope Haley, author of Mary Magdalene Never Wore Blue Eye Shadow, about how to grow in wisdom every day. They invite us to take a journey of rediscovering who God is as we strip off mistaken ideas that can clutter our understanding and read the Bible with fresh eyes.

You’ll learn from Amanda’s journey of unlearning some of her preconceived notions about the Bible. You’ll also learn how we can grow in wisdom through:

• Approaching the Bible boldly, with fresh eyes
• Pressing into uncomfortable and confusing passages
• Allowing the Living Word to teach us something new

To start your own journey of rediscovery, get your copy of Mary Magdalene Never Wore Blue Eye Shadow on Amazon today.

We would love to stay connected. To share your thoughts:

• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

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.