The Simple Home

We often go about our day on autopilot.

We want to make changes, work towards goals, and become a better version of ourselves, but we do the same things everyday without giving much thought to how we’re spending our time.

Let’s talk about how you can create daily habits that will simplify your day and give you more time for the things that are important to you.

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t get out the door on time in the morning, or why the bedtime routine takes forever, or why you can’t find 15 minutes to read your bible each day, it likely comes down to the habits you’ve created. 

I’m a big believer in the power of routines for parents and kids. 

Routines are made up of small habits you do regularly, in a specific order, that maintain a good flow. The beauty of habits is, once you have a habit developed, you no longer have to think through each step, allowing you more time to focus on other things. 

This week on The Simple Home Podcast, we talk about the importance of habits and how to use them to transform your day. 

Key takeaways

• Why habits can be both beneficial and harmful.
• How habits can help you think less throughout the day, and get more done.
• What habit stacking is and how it can help you manage your daily routine.
• How to start building good habits.
• How to use this method to help your kids develop kids too.

Links from this episode

• Audible- Sign up for a FREE 30 day trial and get Atomic Habits or any other book of your choice for FREE.
• Benefits of Minimalism for Parents and Why It's So Important
• Daily Routines to Simplify Motherhood
• Clutter Free With Kids- Why Family Minimalism Is So Important (Interview with Joshua Becker)
• Paper Clutter And Kids- What To Do With Schoolwork, Artwork, And Other Kid Papers
• How to Handle Active Spaces, Drop Zones, and Paper Clutter

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 are problem areas in every house.

Areas where you constantly drop items instead of putting them away. Areas where you and your family are coming in and out of frequently. Areas that collect items quickly and haphazardly.

I like to refer to these areas as active areas and drop zones. 

Active areas and drop zones can be the hardest to declutter because the clutter just keeps building up.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast we’re going to tackle these difficult areas so you can create systems that take away the frustration of active areas and drop zones. 

There is also nothing more stressful than a pile of unsorted papers. Paper often ends up on our counters and is the biggest problem in drop zones or active areas in your home. For this reason, we’ll also discuss how you can manage the paper that comes into your house. It’s easier than you think.

Key Takeaways

• Learn how to identify active areas and drop zones in your house.
• Create systems to keep clutter out of your most used areas.
• Relocate homeless clutter so it no longer clutters your counters and other busy areas in your home. 
• Learn how to manage the never ending paper that comes into your home and takes up valuable space.

Links From This Episode

• The Simple Home Decluttering Challenge- Sign up. It’s FREE!
• Paper Clutter And Kids- What To Do With Schoolwork, Artwork, And Other Kid Papers
• Welcome + 3 Easy Steps to Simple-Living
• 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.

Learning how to make time to declutter is the first step to gaining the momentum you need to declutter your house. 

Getting started with decluttering can be very difficult.Decluttering takes time and time is something most people are lacking. 

No matter how excited you might be to declutter your house, you will likely get stuck, not knowing when to get it done. 

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, we’ll talk about 9 different ways to find time to declutter. Making time for decluttering may seem daunting, but one of the main benefits of living in a clutter free space is getting more time back. Investing the time needed in the early stages will pay you back greatly in the future. 

I know it feels hard. It’s no easy task to decide to simplify, but you can do it and you’re going to love having less stuff, so don’t give up!

Use these tips to find a few extra minutes to declutter your house. As soon as you do, you’ll have more time to do the things you really want to do. 

Key Takeaways

• Why you need to get started sooner than later with decluttering your house.
• How to find the time you don't think you have.
• 9 ways to make time for decluttering your house.

Links from this episode

• Decluttering Challenge- Get signed up now. It's FREE!
• Jump Start Guide to Simple-Living
• Clutter Free with Kids- Why Minimalism is So Important for Families
• How to Get Started with Decluttering
• 6 Phases of Successful Decluttering and Organization

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.

As you look to the new year, you’re likely setting goals and dreaming of what the new year will bring. 

It’s always fun to have a fresh start and the excitement can help you accomplish a lot. But setting goals for the new year is more than just coming up with the ideas.

How do you create a life you love and set goals that help you get closer to that life? It all starts with getting clear on what that life looks like for you. The 6 different things we talk about in this episode of The Simple Home Podcast will help you find clarity and set goals for the new year that move you closer to a home and life you love. 

Key Takeaways

• We dive into 6 areas that will help you design a home and life you love in the new year. 
• You’ll learn how to set goals that keep you motivated rather than leave you feeling hopeless. 
• We’ll talk about the mindsets that will get in your way so you can move past them and do amazing things. 

Links From This Episode

• You Tube Video- Christmas Presents
• Decluttering Challenge
• How to Get Started with Decluttering Without the Overwhelm
• The Goal Setting Process That Gets You Results

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.

Simplifying your house and your life is a journey that takes time.

It’s like peeling an onion. You can do it layer by layer. As you get rid of the first layer, you get more confident and are able to try the next layer. 

Over the past few years we’ve been working hard to simplify our house and make our lives feel lighter and more intentional. We’ve decluttered a lot of our stuff, down sized our home, created routines and rhythms that make for a smoother day and more. I’ve learned so much along the way and realize that each step has created a snowball effect that makes every other area feel more manageable. 

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I walk you through 15 areas I simplified this year, and how you can streamline the same areas in your house. 

Key Takeaways

• 15 things I’ve simplified that you can simplify as well.
• How simplifying these areas has helped the rest of my life feel lighter.
• I talk through each thing and the process I went through.
• Some of the areas we talk about: Cleaning, laundry, toys, paper clutter, wardrobes, gifts, and so much more. 

Links in this episode

• Jump Start to Simple Living FREE Guide
• FREE Meal Planning Bundle
• How to Feed Your Picky Eater
• Take the Stress out of Getting Meals on the Table for Your Family
• Paper Clutter and Kids: What to do with the schoolwork, artwork, and other kids papers
• How to Curate Your Toys and Create the Perfect Play Space
• Create a Lighter Holiday Season
• Create a Capsule Wardrobe in Motherhood
• Let’s connect on Instagram

Perfectionism and comparison in motherhood is a common struggle.

Mom guilt can rob you of the true joy of being a mom and paralyze you from growing into the mom and woman you're made to be.

Jamie Weisler, from Divinely Equipped, shares her story with this struggle and how she got to the other side on The Simple Home Podcast today. She shares how she found herself to be frustrated, overwhelmed, yelling and nagging, and this became her normal. 

Now Jamie supports other moms as they find their identity in motherhood and learn to live without the guilt, perfectionism, and comparison that motherhood often brings. 

If you’ve ever felt like everyone else has it all together and you’re the only one who can’t keep up, this episode is for you. This conversation with Jamie will encourage you in your journey. You are enough and the perfect mom for your kids!

She also reminds us how important it is to take care of ourselves so we’re more capable of taking care of others without feeling completely defeated. 

Key Takeaways

• How to get passed the feeling of not measuring up
• How to be present in each area of your day.
• How to find your own identity in motherhood. 
• Why you are the perfect mom for your kids.

Links from this episode

Divinely Equipped- Don’t forget to sign up for the FREE giveaway!

Connect with Jamie on Instagram!

FREE meal planning bundle

26 Bible Verses That Will Change Your Day

Daily Routines That Will 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.

Do you ever get to the end of the holiday season and feel like you missed it all?

• You spent too much money,
• said yes to too many obligations,
• packed in too many activities,
• brought mounds of new items into your home and can't find a place for them,
• and you feel exhausted.

Rather than a simple holiday season with family and friends, you ended up running the rat race with everyone else. 

This year, let's change that. 

Let's create a lighter holiday season that leaves us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated heading into the new year. 

Let's make space for the things we want to do and say no to everything else. 

Much of the stress of the holidays comes from gift giving and shopping. The traditional view of Christmas is a tree over flowing with toys on Christmas morning. But what usually happens is these gifts are enjoyed in the moment of opening and then discarded for the next thing and everyone's left feeling a bit deflated. 

If you wish you could make gift giving (especially to your kids) easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful as well as keep your holiday season filled with joy, not stress, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Get through the season without debt.
• Create the season you want and will most enjoy.
• Learn how to slow down and say no.
• Buy and give gifts in a way that works for you.
• Let go of traditions that don't serve you and create traditions that do.
• Most importantly, don't miss the good stuff and start the new year exhausted and in debt.

Links From This Episode

• Educational Gifts Kids Will Love
• Gifts for Your Little Princess
• Simple Gifts for Minimalist Moms
• Theresa Haddow On Family Time, The Importance Of Art, And An Amazing Non-Toy Gift For Kids
• Create And Maintain A Clutter Free Toy Space
• Clutter Free With Kids- Interview With Joshua Becker

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.

We’ve all heard the saying, “I was a really good mom before I had kids.”

Balancing motherhood and life is hard and can often feel overwhelming.

You’re trying to take care of your kids, manage a house, get meals on the table, take care of yourself, be present, be a good wife, be a good friend, be a good mom, and on and on. It’s no wonder that many of us feel like we’re failing and can’t keep up. 

It’s easy to feel defeated when you look at the highlight reel on social media.

You wonder why everyone else seems to have it all together and you can’t seem to balance motherhood and life. You’re not alone. I promise, if you talk to any mom, you’ll find we all feel the same way. 

But you were made for this job. You were made to be a mom to the kids you have and you are equipped to do so. 

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• You’re own personal ‘stuff’ doesn’t go away just because you have kids.
• How to put non-negotiables in your life to give you a sense of control.
• It’s okay to ask for help.
• The only time managing tip you’ll ever need
• How to “be where your feet are”

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase anything through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. 

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Hello Beautiful Chaos
• The One Thing By Gary Pappasan- Listen to it free on Audible

Other Episodes You’ll Love:

• Paper Clutter And Kids- What To Do With Schoolwork, Artwork, And Other Kid Papers
• The 6 Phases Of Successful Decluttering And Organization
• How To Break Your ‘Busy’ Habit- 20 Smart tips For Becoming Less Busy

More about Shanna from Hello Beautiful Chaos

I help overwhelmed moms remember their worth and find hope amidst the chaos through faith, mindset and community!

I’m an expert encourager & busy mama with a mild coffee obsession. I’m also the survivor of a broken past, lost identity, misplaced trust and forgotten self-worth.

Its my passion to help busy mamas journey through the beautiful chaos and become who you are called to be!

Instagram: @Shannaalonge

Join the community on Facebook Community: Hello Beautiful Chaos Group

Website: www.hellobeautifulchaos.com

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.

I think we would all agree that the reason we want to simplify our lives is to enjoy more quality time with the people we love, doing the things we want to do. But we look at Pinterest and Facebook and see all the activities we’re supposed to be doing, that even family time feels overwhelming. It’s impossible to keep up and do it all. 

With that said, you probably do want to enjoy a few crafts or other activities with your children from time to time.

• You just don’t know how to fit it in.
• You don’t know how to come up with a meaningful craft,
• get it all set up,
• collect the materials,
• and still enjoy the process with your child.

I get it. I’ve had that experience where I find the perfect craft online, I spend hours getting it all ready, I think I’m going to have a blast with my kids, but instead we’re all frustrated by the end and the whole experience is a mess. 

This week on The Simple Home Podcast, my guest Theresa Haddow, the founder of The Create Kit, talks about her monthly subscription box that makes crafting with kids easy and fun. She had these same struggles, but knew she wanted to craft with her kids as they grew. She knows the value in arts and crafts from an early age and wanted to simplify the whole process for herself and other parents struggling with the same thing. 

One of my favorite parts of her subscription is what an amazing non-toy gift this would make for any child or mother in your life.

I love finding gifts that are meaningful and that don’t add one more toy to our house, and this one is perfect. It comes in the mail, is incredibly reasonably priced, and there are many different packages available to suit your needs. If you also love to give (or get) non-toy gifts for your kids, you’ve got to check these out. 

If you’ve ever wished you could include arts and crafts in your child’s life, more regularly, but can’t seem to find the time, this episode is a must. 

Key Takeaways 

• Theresa shares the developmental benefits of her craft boxes for your children
• She tells how you can easily use them to fill gaps of open time rather than spending hours getting things set up.
• She talks about why she started this business and how she was able to pursue this passion while raising a young child.
• She gives you all the details about what comes in each box and what you can expect.
• As a thank you, she gives a special bonus for those who sign up for a membership

Links

• More information about The Create Kit 
• Ready to get the create kit for someone you love? Click here!
• Other Gift Ideas I Love
• Educational Gifts Your Kids Will Love
• Clutter Free With Kids- Interview With Joshua Becker
• The Secret To Getting Your Time Back (As A Busy Mom)

Find this episode

I know I'm not the only parent who gets piles of papers from my kid's school every week. From notes to fliers, to artwork, and school work. It is a constant source of paper clutter that I'm battling daily. 

Even if you don't have school age kids yet, I bet you get paper from the library, the dentist or doctor, artwork your child does, stuff from daycare, and more. The paper clutter that comes into our homes from our weekly mail is a lot, but add on the paper that comes from our kids and it can quickly get overwhelming.

On this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, we're going to conquer the paper clutter.

You'll learn how to manage the endless stream of clutter and curate a few special pieces for your children as they grow. 

Instead of keeping boxes of schoolwork, you'll learn an easy system for keeping the memories in a simple way that will allow you and your kids to enjoy them.  

No more piles of papers on your counter and your desk top, begging for your attention.

Instead, put systems in place that make piles unnecessary and easy to handle. 

Key Takeaways

• How to store the paperwork and what to keep.
• What to do each time papers enter your home.
• An easy way to display the drawings and other creations your kids make daily.
• My exact process for dealing with paper and keeping mementos for my kids.

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

Links 

• Routines To Simplify Motherhood
• Jumpstart guide to simple living
• Everything you've ever wanted to know about ebates
• Ebates sign up link
• Clutter free with kids
• Shutterfly
• Mixbooks
• Chatbooks

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.