The Simple Home

This episode is all about toys.

If you have kids you can probably relate with the toy overload that creeps into your house. Whether you purchase the toys or they come home from another well meaning individual, they seem to just keep coming.

In this episode I’ll tell you how to choose the very best toys for your kids and how to keep the toys to a manageable level. It can feel nearly impossible to know which toys to allow into your house and what to try and keep out so we’ll also discuss a few questions you can ask yourself when choosing these toys.

Your child(ren) will benefit from having fewer things to play with as they grow.

Play is super important in development and by no means do I want you to disregard this, but curating your toy space can help your children get the most out of their playtime and keep you from losing your mind every time you go into that space.

Key takeaways

• I give you questions to think about as you start to design your playspace (it doesn’t have to be a whole room devoted to toys. I’m talking about any area you decide to keep toys, including just a simple toy box or shelf.)
• I talk you through how to decide what toys to include in your new space.
• I tell you what I keep in my house for our kids to play with. (All 3 of my kids play with the same toys and have for several years).
• We talk briefly about mindset so you can keep it up and stay intentional about your toy space.
• I tell you how I handle the little trinkets that come home from birthday parties, the dentist or doctor’s office, and everywhere else we go.

Getting meals on the table can consume your thoughts and your time. 

In this episode I simplify the meal planning process and help you gain control over meal times without feeling stressed or frantic.

Forget the Pinterest meals and make meals that take less time and meals your family will actually eat. 

I've tried and failed at numerous meal planning guides. It felt harder to make a plan than just to get something on the table, but then I realized it wasn't because of the planning part. It was because of my expectations and all that goes into planning and making meals that I was failing at.

In this episode we're going to talk about six tips to simplifying the whole process so you can get meals on the table with less effort and more enjoyment. One of the tips is to plan, but  I'll walk you through the planning process I finally succeeded with and trust me, it's super simple. Make sure to download the meal planning bundle that goes along with this episode. It's free, so grab it now. 

Key Takeaways

• Six tips that will help you get meals on the table easier.
• My complete planning process that makes meal planning easy and less time consuming.
• I'll tell you the breakfast and lunch options I rotate for my family.
• I encourage you to let go of the expectations you have set for yourself.

Links for this episode

Free Meal planning bundle

Declutter challenge

As a mom there are many daily tasks that, if given no attention, quickly become unmanageable. In order to keep the overwhelm at bay we need to attend to them daily and be consistent. But that's sometimes what the hardest part is, being consistent. 

Creating routines and systems around these repetitive tasks and moments of the day can lighten your load tremendously.

In this episode, I go through 8 different monotonous aspects of motherhood and the routines I've put into place to make our days run smoothly.

Routines I go over in this episode:

• Laundry routine
• Too small clothes
• Making meals
• Packing lunches for school age or younger kids
• Morning routine
• After school/after nap routine
• Sunday basket
• Cleaning routine

Links from this episode

• Meal planning bundle
• Declutter challenge
• Meal planning post
• Bento box link

Do you look around and feel completely overwhelmed by the clutter in our house?

That's how most people feel and it's the reason many people opt to just keep living the way they're living.

But not you. You're going to make a change.

You're going to make your life simpler and your home a more relaxing place to be. In today's episode I give you 10 tips to get you started with decluttering. Well also talk about different methods of decluttering so you can choose what works best for you and take action today. I don't want the overwhelm to keep you from starting. 

If this is resonating with you, listen to today's episode so I can help you get started.

Key Takeaways

• I take you through 10 steps to decluttering your home.
• You’ll learn several different methods for decluttering so you can choose the one that fits best with your lifestyle.
• I will give you applicable tips to declutter with kids.

Links from this episode of The Simple Home Podcast

• Sign up for The Simple Home Declutter Challenge. If you've been meaning to get started or you just don't know where to start, I created this challenge just for you. 

Clutter has major impacts on your child

Clutter can negatively impact your child's behavior, focus, creativity, development, and more. As you start to minimize the clutter in your life, you will see the benefits it's having on you as well as the many benefits for your kids.

In this episode, we'll talk about 10 important benefits minimalism provides for kids. Allowing your children to do less and have less will make for happier and healthier kids. 

Key Takeaways

• We discuss 10 benefits of minimalism for kids.
• I give you 3 questions you can ask your kids periodically to find out what's important to them and how they view their lives right now. 
• You get a few action steps to do today so you and your kids start to feel the benefits of living simpler.

Links from this episode

• The Simple Home Declutter Challenge- sign up for this free 5 day challenge to get the ball rolling on your simple-living journey. 
• For more resources, tips, and tricks, for simplifying and enjoying motherhood, visit athomewithkids.com.

Does your home feel more like a zoo than a sanctuary? There are so many benefits of minimalism for parents, especially moms. Living a simpler life starts with making changes to your home, your schedule, and your mindset. 

It takes time and patience to minimize the clutter in your life, but the benefits are immediate. In this episode I talk about 10 benefits you'll start to feel right away as you declutter your space and your mind. There are countless others, and as soon as you start seeing the positive impact minimalism has in your life you'll be inspired to keep going. 

Key Takeaways

• We'll talk about 10 benefits you'll feel from simplifying your life and clutter. 
• I'll tell you the number one reason I don't think you can wait to start living a simpler life. 
•  You'll learn the thing I learned this year that has changed the way I handle my kids disagreements and other stressful situations. 

Links from this episode of The Simple Home Podcast

• Sign up for The Simple Home Declutter Challenge. If you've been meaning to get started or you just don't know where to start, I created this challenge just for you. 
• For more resources, tips, and tricks, for simplifying and enjoying motherhood, visit athomewithkids.com

Simple living has been a journey for me. A journey I'm still on. What I've learned so far is that every time I make something simpler, get rid of clutter, or remove excess from my life in some way, I feel lighter and happier. 

Being a minimalist and living simply are both possible with a family. Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to feel overwhelmed, crazy, exhausted, or run down. You can enjoy motherhood and the time with your kids.

I'm not saying every single moment will be pure bliss, but once you begin to simplify your life, you'll have more time to breathe, slow down, and enjoy. 

If you're feeling like you can't keep up and you have no time to do the things that really matter to you, then The Simple Home Podcast is for you. 

In this week's episode I give you 3 easy things you can do right now to get started on your journey to simpler living. 

Key Takeaways

• I tell you my pre-baby picture of motherhood and why it was unrealistic.
• I talk about why I don't consider myself a minimalist.
• I give you 3 actionable tips you can use today to make life simpler.
• We'll talk about how to keep your counters clear.
• I tell you where to start with getting rid of clutter.
• We discuss a strategy I call experimental decluttering.

Links from this episode of The Simple Home Podcast

• The Jumpstart Guide for Simple Living- These 9 tips will get you moving towards simpler living and give you practical solutions for getting rid of the overwhelm of getting started. 
• The Simple Home Decluttering Challenge- Sign up for this FREE 5 day challenge and be on your way to a lighter, more enjoyable home. 
• For more resources, tips, and tricks, for simplifying and enjoying motherhood, visit athomewithkids.com