I’m starting this episode with a hot take. I recently shared a post on Instagram with 3 hot takes, including one about Disney, and people had thoughts. It got me thinking about why travel feels joyful for some and exhausting for others.

Here’s the core idea: Not all vacations are meant to give us the same thing.

Some trips are about amusement, fast-paced, full, distracting.

Some trips are about a muse, slower, quieter, and inspiring.

Neither is wrong, but different seasons of life can call for different kinds of travel.

In this episode, we talk about:

* The simple framework our family uses to plan trips without burning out:

WHY → WHO → WHEN → WHERE → HOW → WHAT

* We start with WHY, because when the intention is clear, everything else gets easier.

* I walk through how this framework shapes our travel decisions, from family trips across Europe to a largely decision-free February cruise booked by my very thoughtful past self.

* We pack light, in carry-on bags only! These duffel bag backpacks are our favorite, and they set us up with code TIDYDAD to share for a 15% off discount.

Tidy Takeaway:

If travel planning feels overwhelming, it’s usually not the destination, it’s the missing intention. Start with the WHY, and the rest gets lighter.

Important Links:

📚 Order my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times: tidydad.substack.com

📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad

In this episode of Tidy Tidbits, Tidy Dad talks with Kate Strickler, the creator of the Instagram account Naptime Kitchen, and the author of the book “I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen: And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy (Small Habits and Mindset Shifts to Find Contentment and Joy in Life)”.

Together, we explore the mindset shifts needed as we move into February, when the “new year, new you” energy of January often fades and self-doubt creeps in. This conversation focuses on finding the middle ground, breaking free from all-or-nothing thinking, and building sustainable habits that actually stick.

If you’ve ever felt like you “failed” a New Year’s resolution, this episode offers practical reframes and gentle strategies to help you reset without starting over.

In this episode, we talk about:

* Why January should be viewed as a starting line, not a pass/fail test

* The importance of the middle ground—and why progress still counts

* How to rethink “failure” by asking better, more curious questions

* What to do when a goal feels too big or unsustainable

* Why consistency matters more than motivation

* How to identify one small, doable step to get back on track

* Letting go of the all-or-nothing mindset

Tidy Takeaway

Sustainable change isn’t about perfection, it’s about adjusting, learning, and choosing small actions you can repeat.

—

Reel mentioned by @No.Food.Rules, about the “all or nothing” mindset”:

Important Links:

👀 Follow Kate Strickler on IG: @naptimekitchen

🌟 Kate’s book: “I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen: And Other Lies I Think Will Make Me Happy (Small Habits & Mindset Shifts to Find Contentment and Joy in Life)

📚 Order my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times: tidydad.substack.com

📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad

In this episode of Tidy Tidbits, Tidy Dad sits down with Kyshawn Lane, the home maintenance expert behind Weekly Home Check, who’s built a community of almost 2 million followers on Instagram by helping people care for their homes.

Together, they unpack why ignoring maintenance can lead to expensive surprises, and why doing one task a week is often more effective than tackling everything at once. Home maintenance doesn’t have to feel overwhelming and a simple, weekly system can save time, money, and stress. If you’ve ever thought, I should really deal with that… but then didn’t, this episode is for you. You don’t need to be “handy” to feel confident in your space. You need an approachable plan that makes maintenance manageable.

In this episode, we talk about:

* Why home maintenance feels overwhelming and how systems make it manageable

* The cost of ignoring small issues until they become big repairs

* How Kyshawn learned home maintenance as a first-time homeowner

* The power of a 52-week, one-task-a-week maintenance checklist

* How learning your home builds confidence and connection, not just savings

Important Links:

👀 Follow Kyshawn Lane on IG: @weeklyhomecheck

🌟 Sign up for Kyshawn’s FREE 52-Week Home Maintenance Checklist

📚 Order my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times: tidydad.substack.com

📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad

Cooking isn’t just about food. It’s about confidence, creativity, and learning how to make decisions in real time.

In this episode, Katie Kimball and I get into the real skills beginners need in the kitchen, from knife skills and reading recipes to planning meals, managing grocery budgets, and thinking on your feet. We also talk about why cooking is such a powerful life skill for teens and young adults. Cooking builds independence and problem-solving, and shared meals build confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging.

Wondering how to actually get your teens in the kitchen? Teens Cook Real Food is a comprehensive cooking course designed specifically for teens and young adults.

It’s a self-paced online cooking course, teaching over 70 skills like how to read recipes, knife skills, how to boil water, how to make salads, cook veggies on the stovetop and in the oven, how to incorporate herbs, spices, acid, and sauces, how to cook meat and eggs, how to bake bread, and tips for meal planning, grocery shopping, and sticking to a food budget. And MORE! It includes real-food demos, chef talks and kitchen science via professionally filmed video lessons. It’s massively epic.

They’re also offering a FREE 3-video series for parents, including a 15-minute workshop on the mindset shift needed for parenting teens. You can start there!

If you’ve ever wished your teen could confidently make a meal, this is worth your time.

👀 Follow Katie Kimball on IG: @raisinghealthyfamilies

🌟 Check out Teens Cook Real Food + sign up for the FREE 3-video series for parents

📚 Order my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times: tidydad.substack.com

📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad

In this episode, Tidy Dad reflects on his own journey of adjusting his sleep schedule to wake up early. He outlines his current morning routine that allows for self-care and productivity before the chaos of the day begins. He encourages listeners to find what works for them, rather than trying to replicate his exact routine.

Three key principles that guide his morning routine:

* I give myself the first fruits of the day, before I’m “on.”

* I look for progress I can repeat, not perfection I can’t sustain.

* I rely on a simple sequence of tasks, not an overwhelming set of rules.

He shares specific details about his morning activities, from gentle yoga and cleaning to preparing breakfast and engaging with his children. But this conversation isn’t about waking up earlier. It’s about deciding when YOU get to be a person. You don't need a perfect routine. You need one that fits YOUR season of life. What fuels you?

Follow Tidy Dad on Instagram!

In this engaging conversation, inspired by National Quitters Day, that moment when most people quietly give up on their resolutions, Tidy Dad and Jo Piazza explore the theme of quitting as a form of self-empowerment and personal growth. They discuss the importance of letting go of toxic relationships, the societal pressure to optimize every aspect of life, and the joy of embracing simplicity in wardrobe choices.

Jo shares her insights on the significance of having a nemesis and the courage it takes to quit things that no longer serve us. The conversation encourages listeners to reflect on what they can let go of in the new year to make space for joy and authenticity.

👀 Follow Jo Piazza on IG and Substack: @jopiazzaauthor and Over the Influence

🌟 Check out Jo’s books: The Sicilian Inheritance, Everyone is Lying to You (my favorite fiction read of 2025), and The Parisian Heist (coming in July 2026!)

📚 Want more tips like these? Check out my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times: tidydad.substack.com

📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad

Resolution season often comes with pressure: big goals, rigid rules, and quiet guilt when things don’t go as expected. In this episode of Tidy Tidbits, Tidy Dad sits down with Patty Morrissey, Director of KonMari Club and collaborator with Marie Kondo (yes, that Marie Kondo), to explore a lighter, curiosity-driven approach to starting something new.

I’ve known Patty for years, interviewed her for my book Tidy Up Your Life, and even included this idea in the Routines chapter, because her concept of 30-day experiments completely changed how I approach resolution season and how I start each month. Instead of rigid promises, this framework offers permission to try, notice, and decide, without burnout.

30-day self-care experiments are a way to try out new habits without turning them into lifelong promises. Together, we talk about curiosity over perfection, giving to your life instead of taking away, and how small experiments can quietly reshape routines, self-care, and connection.

If traditional resolutions leave you burned out by mid-January, this episode offers a calmer way forward.

What You’ll Learn

* What a 30-day self-care experiment is

* Why experiments work better than resolutions for habit building

* How curiosity replaces guilt when motivation dips

* How to reflect at the end of 30 days and decide what stays

* Why “giving to your life” creates more lasting change than restriction

Resources:

* Free Monthly Experiment Calendar by Tidy Dad - A simple thought-catcher with a guiding word for each month to make starting feel lighter and more doable

* 30-Day Self-Care Experiments Article from Patty Morrissey

Links:

🌟 Check out Patty on IG: Patty Morrissey

👀 Check out KonMari Club: KonMari Club

📚 Check out my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Follow Tidy Dad on Substack: The Tidy Times

📸 Follow Tidy Dad on IG: @Tidy Dad

Every January, the urge to declutter kicks in, but most challenges fall apart fast. Not because we lack motivation, but because we’re asked to declutter things we don’t fully control: shared spaces, other people’s stuff, and emotional or sentimental categories.

In this episode, Tidy Dad introduces a different approach: a 31-day decluttering experiment focused only on decluttering your own categories of items.

No negotiating. No family meetings. Just your stuff.

Each day features one small, specific category you can tackle in 10 minutes or less, using the same four-step process: Clear, Sort, Assess, Plan.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s momentum. Small wins that build decision-making muscles and help you make space for the life you’re living now.

👇 Grab the FREE January Decluttering Calendar and start with one small win.

We’re also nearing the one-year anniversary of Tidy Up Your Life. If jumping into decluttering feels overwhelming, the book is a great place to start. It focuses on function over aesthetics and offers strategies that apply to your home, habits, routines, and life. It’s available in hardcover, or ebook, or audio book (read by me)!

📚 Check out my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Follow Tidy Dad on Substack: The Tidy Times

📸 Follow Tidy Dad on IG: @Tidy Dad

A Tidy Take with Shannon Leyko, host of the Paring Down podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Leyko, who recently made a huge life move, relocating her family from Florida to Alaska. (Yes. Alaska. ❄️)

We talk about what it’s really like to move through big transitions—whether that’s a cross-country move, a new job, or a season of loss, and why flexibility and mindset matter more than having a perfect plan. Shannon shares how choosing enthusiasm (even when things feel messy or uncertain) can change the way we experience change.

We also dig into the “fresh start effect.” That moment when a big shift gives you permission to rethink what you want, what you need, and how you want your life to feel. It’s especially timely as we head into that New Year, New You energy.

Shannon reflects on how transitions invite self-discovery, and why creating a living space that supports your energy and happiness isn’t just nice, it’s essential.

If you want a grounding, encouraging listen for a season of change, this one’s for you.

Takeaways:

* Flexibility is crucial during transitions.

* Transitions offer opportunities for fresh starts.

* Mindset plays a key role in handling change.

👀 Follow Shannon on IG: @paring_down

📦 Check out Shannon’s podcast: Paring Down

📚 Want more tips like these? Check out my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Follow Tidy Dad on Substack: The Tidy Times

📸 Follow Tidy Dad on IG: @Tidy Dad

Just because you’re capable doesn’t mean you have the capacity. Tidy Dad and organizing expert Shira Gill talk boundaries, intentional living, and how to protect your time, energy, and family connection, especially during the holidays.

In this episode, Shira and Tidy Dad unpack the difference between capability and capacity, especially during the high-demand holiday season. We talk about setting boundaries, choosing what actually matters, avoiding performative “doing it all,” and checking in with your family to make intentional decisions instead of defaulting to overwhelm.

🌟 Check out Shira’s books: Minimalista, Organized Living, and LifeStyled

👀 Follow Shira on Substack: The Life Edit

📸 Follow Shira on IG: @shiragill

📚 Check out my book: Tidy Up Your Life

🗞️ Follow Tidy Dad on Substack: The Tidy Times

📸 Follow Tidy Dad on IG: @Tidy Dad