The Simple Home

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received is to commit to the 2 minute rule.

This simple switch has changed the way I look at daily chores and helped me create consistent habits and routines that simplify day to day life.

On this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, you'll learn how to implement the 2 minute rule in your life so you can get things done with less effort and enjoy more time to do the things you really want to do.

I also discuss my method for keeping my schedule on track throughout the week and how I'm using that method as I homeschool my kids as we stay home during the coronavirus outbreak. You can download your FREE time blocking workbook with homeschooling bonus pages with this link. 

Finding the time to make intentional choices about your day is nearly impossible when you're trying to get to work, get kids to school, manage your house, get food on the table, and run from one place to another.

Being stranded at home because of Covid-19 may not be ideal (and I pray that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy right now), it does provide us with time. Time that we usually only dream of having.

In this short bonus episode I talk to you about using that time with intention to set up new routines that could serve you better when life gets back to normal. Rather than fighting the busy, use this slower time to put good routines in place.

I also talk about one of my favorite resources for engaging my kids in reading during this time, Epic!.This online reading library is filled with tens of thousands of popular books and all 3 of my kids LOVE it! If this sounds like something your kids would like, especially without access to the public library right now, you can get 30 days free by visiting athomewithkids.com/epic.

I am an affiliate for Epic and may receive a small compensation if you sign up under my link. I will never recommend a product or service I do not use and love myself. 

I bet you’ve heard the quote, “The days are long, but the years are short.” from a well meaning person reminding you just how fast your kids will grow up.

There are days when I can’t wait to lay my kids down to bed so I have some “me” time, but as soon as I do, all I can think about are the precious moments of the day and just how quickly they’re flying by. 

No matter what season you’re in, taking care of your family, there’s no doubt that life is busy. But running from one mess to the next and living in survival mode is not how it’s meant to be.

Motherhood is not easy. The day-to-day can feel mundane and unimportant. The routines consist of cleaning, folding, cooking, and serving others. 

But the true beauty of motherhood lies just underneath all of this. 

You have to uncover it. 

You have to lighten your load and make room for what really matters. 

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I tell you 12 things you can do to lighten your load in motherhood.

Key Takeaway 

• 12 simple things you can do to lighten your load. Take action with one or more of these things today!

Links From This Episode

• 10 Things in 20 Minutes- 10 things you can do every night for easier mornings
• Resource Page- Find exactly what you need in this season
• Free Meal Planning Bundle- Meal plan in 30 minutes or less per month
• This Organized Life Podcast
• How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe for Motherhood
• Morning Routines, Nightly Routines, and Daily Resets
• Daily Routines to Simplify Motherhood

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

• If you find yourself running through the days on autopilot, 
• going from one cleaning task to the next, 
• and exhausted at the end of every day, 

then this episode is for you. 

Learning how to slow down and be intentional with your days will get you out of survival mode and back to a place where you can enjoy the little moments with your kids. 

I used to feel a big burden with all the many tasks of being a mom. The cooking and cleaning and managing my house. I was missing out on the sweetest parts. Rather than focusing on what really mattered to me, I was rushing around getting ‘all the things’ done. 

I know I’m not the only one who’s felt this way because everywhere I go, I hear the same thing from moms;

Me: How are you?

Other mom: Good...busy...tired.

Do the conversations you have with your mom friends start this same way? Or are you answering this way?

It’s no secret that motherhood is challenging and takes a LOT of mental and physical energy. But it can also be full of joy. And I don’t want you to miss that part!

On this episode of The SImple Home Podcast, I give you 3 steps to get you out of survival mode so you can start focusing on the better stuff...the people!

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• How to stay present more often, even if this has been a major struggle for you.
• How and what to plan ahead for simpler days.
• Why I use time blocking and how to get started.
• Why it's important to enjoy the process.
• How to allow yourself to let things go.

Links From This Episode

• Time Blocking Workbook- Download this FREE workbook and get started with time blocking today!
• 10 Things in 20 Minutes- 10 Things to do every night for easier morning

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

There’s so much information out there about the toxins that are in our everyday products. 

• The products we use to clean our house, 
• our personal products, 
• our beauty products. 

But like everything, it’s hard to know what information to listen to and where to start if you want to make some changes and live a toxin free (or less toxin) life.

On this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I talk to an expert on the topic of creating a toxin free, healthier home for your family.

Megan Mikkelsen from Detox by Design teaches women how to make changes in their daily life that will lead them to a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle.

She breaks it down into super simple, digestible, chunks so making healthier choices for you and your family won’t feel overwhelming or stressful. 

She provides insightful information about marketing of big companies and how to read labels and make the best choice.

I left this interview with so much applicable wisdom and the confidence to create a healthier home for my family. 

Whether you want to make small changes, do a major overall, or just want more information on living toxin free, this episode is for you. 

Key Takeaways

• What is Greenwashing and why is it bad?
• Where to start if you’re brand new to toxin free living and want to make one change.
• How living toxin free can minimize the amount of products you own and simplify your daily routines.
• Advice for moms feeling like this is just one more thing to worry about in an already busy life.
• The cleaning products and beauty products Megan uses and why.

Links from this episode

Simply Earth- Essential Oils and other helpful household products to help get you started with toxin free living.

Use your special coupon code: THESIMPLEHOMEFREE to get a free bonus box with your first months box and a $40 gift card to use on your next purchase!

• Megan’s Website: Detox by Design 
• Detox by Design Facebook Group- A wealth of knowledge and supportive community lead by Megan.
• Learn more about Megan’s Course
• Free Resource- Free Guide to Toxin Free Living
• Megan’s Safe Swaps Guide
• Find out more about Crunchi and the products Megan uses.

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

The first time we flew with all three of our kids, we had a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and an infant. We thought we needed car seats, diapers, a pack in play, snacks, clothes, strollers, a baby carrier, and all the other things. I remember thinking, are we sure about this? Traveling with kids might just be too hard. Maybe we should just wait until they get bigger. 

But we knew this would be the only time we’d be able to take our family of 5 somewhere and only pay for 3 tickets (kids 2 and under were considered lap children and didn’t require a ticket), so we went for it.

We’ve always tried to travel light and didn’t want that to change just because we had kids, so we had to make a few changes. 

Here’s a few things we did to travel light with young kids:

• Checked with hotels and vacation rentals to see who had cribs available so we didn’t have to bring one.
• Chose locations where we could walk to the things we wanted to see so we didn’t have to rent a car. This saved us money and allowed us to leave car seats at home. 
• Planned on doing laundry so we could pack fewer clothes.
• Packed one bag per person that would fit under the seat so we didn’t have to check bags or haul large suitcases through the airport. 
• Checked our strollers at the gate to help us get through the airport. 

As our kids have grown, some things have gotten easier, but we still need to keep things simple in order to enjoy our vacation. 

That’s why on this episode of The Simple Home Podcast we talk all about traveling with kids. 

Key Takeaways from this episode of The Simple Home:

• How to pack light so you don’t have so much to carry.
• How to plan what you see and do on your trip to keep things more enjoyable.
• How to set and stay on a budget when you travel with your family.
• Why you don’t have to worry about doing the ‘big things’ on your trip.
• How to get started no matter what age your kids are.

Links from this episode

• Packing video
• Resource Page- Tons of great freebies!
• Why Minimalism important for Parents.
• Benefits of Minimalism for Kids
• 10 Things to do every night for simple mornings

Enter the Giveaway-

1. Subscribe to The Simple Home Podcast
2.  Leave a Rating and Review (just scroll down to “add a review” and click the stars for the rating)
3. Take a screenshot listening to the podcast and tag @jennaarvidson on Instagram and write “I subscribed”. (This contest is in no way sponsored by Instagram.)
4. I’ll choose a random winner on February 27, 2020. (If it’s past that date then this contest has ended.) 

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

• The one change to make to your home so you can finally stay organized.
• 4 steps to be successful with organizing.
• Types of organizers so you can figure out your organizational style.

• 6 phases of successful decluttering and organization
• Jumpstart Guide to Simple-Living
• Clutter Bug Ted Talk
• Getting Started with Decluttering Without the Overwhelm
• *Plastic folders I use and love for visual reminders of paperwork to do
• Active Spaces, Drop Zones, and Paper Clutter
• Resource Page- Tons of great freebies!
• Follow me on Instagram

1. Subscribe to The Simple Home Podcast
2.  Leave a Rating and Review (just scroll down to “add a review” and click the stars for the rating)
3. Take a screenshot listening to the podcast and tag @jennaarvidson on Instagram and write “I subscribed”. (This contest is in no way sponsored by Instagram.)
4. I’ll choose a random winner on February 27, 2020. (If it’s past that date then this contest has ended.)

Kids don’t need a super long list of things to do. Instead, think of kids chores as a way to help teach kids routines and consistency, as well as self discipline and time management. 

I like to include daily and weekly chores into our regular routines to build good habits in each of us. I'll teach you how to do exactly that in this episode. 

Key Takeaways from this episode of The Simple Home Podcast:

• I walk you through how chores look in our house.
• How it’s changed over the years.
• What we do about allowance.
• How to get started no matter what age your kids are.
• Ideas for how to keep them on track.

The topic of kids chores comes up often with moms that I work with. It can feel like one more thing to add to your already impossible to-do list, but adding chores into your daily rhythms and creating easy routines for your kids will make everything else easier. Plus the sooner you get started, the sooner you can delegate some of your tasks, making your to-do list lighter.

Links from this episode

• Chore Chart and Age Appropriate Chores for Kids PDF
• The Simple Home Declutter Challenge
• How to Get Started with Decluttering Without the Overwhelm
• Clutter Free with Kids- Interview with Joshua Becker
• Daily Rhythms and Routines for Moms

Enter the Giveaway-

I'm Giving away one of my favorite things that has helped me tremendously in my simplifying journey andI'l send it to you through the mail! Who doesn't love a little surprise in their mailbox? Enter by following the steps below!

1. Subscribe to The Simple Home Podcast
2.  Leave a Rating and Review (just scroll down to "add a review" and click the stars for the rating)
3. Take a screenshot listening to the podcast and tag @jennaarvidson on Instagram and write "I subscribed". (This contest is in no way sponsored by Instagram.)
4. I'll choose a random winner on February 27, 2020. (If it's past that date then this contest has ended.)

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

Being an intentional mom doesn’t mean you have to be present every moment. 

It’s not about perfection. It’s about finding ways to make the most of each season so you can enjoy your kids as they grow. It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in a daily struggle, trying to keep your house managed, raise your kids, and keep it all together, but most moms are feeling the same stresses. 

Today I talked to Desirae Endres from The Minimalish Podcast about what minimalism means to her and why she was so drawn to the concept. She talks about her overwhelm as a new mom and the mental shifts and physical shifts she’s made to allow herself the space to be a more intentional mom. 

What I love about Desirae and this conversation is her honest look at motherhood and focusing on what really matters while giving yourself grace in each different season.

Learning to live intentionally, finding contentment with what you have, and focusing on what matters, will change how you handle motherhood stress and daily to-do’s. 

You’re going to love this episode!

Key takeaways

• How to use a morning routine to set yourself up for a better day.
• Desirae’s journey to decluttering and simplicity.
• Why she went down the path of simplifying.
• Her number one tip for moms. 
• What a day in Desirae’s life looks like with a toddler and her own business.
• What she thinks about routines and some she uses right now.
• Why it’s not just about getting rid of your possessions.
• Why does minimalism even matter...or does it?

Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. 

Links

• Desiraeendres.com
• Minimalish Podcast
• Desirae’s Simple Morning Lists Journal

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.

There’s no doubt that you’ll get stuck when you’re decluttering your possessions. You might start out super excited and realize that the task feels massive and you don’t have enough time or the stuff is just too hard to part with. 

So, what do you do when you get stuck decluttering and how can you push through the tough spots to get to the finish line?

First, you have to identify the reasons you get stuck. Once you understand what’s hard for you, you’ll be more likely to get through it.

Then you can encourage yourself with several easy tactics that will keep you moving forward, one step at a time.

Decluttering is hard and getting through all the stuff you’ve accumulated is overwhelming and exhausting.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, we’ll go over 11 ways to break through this barrier and get to the end of your decluttering goals. 

Key Takeaways

• Identify the reasons you get stuck when decluttering your things.
• Know your purpose and get yourself motivated again to get rid of the clutter.
• I’ll give you 11 ideas to get you moving again so you don’t stay stuck.

Links From This Episode

• How to get started with decluttering without the overwhelm
• The Simple Home Decluttering Challenge
• The Jumpstart Guide to Simple Living

You can live clutter free. I’m rooting for you friend and I know you’re going to love living with less stuff. So don’t give up yet!

Find this episode of The Simple Home Podcast and others you’ll love on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn! Remember to subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode.