A Slob Comes Clean

I had a conversation with a friend who was going to be gone for a period of time and her goal is to make it as easy as possible for her home to stay under control while she’s not there. I loved what she said, and it makes me think about how it should always be our goal to make it easier for the other people living in our homes to keep it neat.

Those of us who struggle with clutter are interesting people who are interested in so many things! One of the most frustrating things about clutter and a home out of control is that it feels like it eats up so much time we’d rather spend doing other things.Today I’m talking about how much time was freed up by doing my dishes every day. By decluttering. It doesn’t make sense at first glance so let’s go deeper than a glance.

I've been thinking a lot about my husband's comment about what he regrets decluttering. Having a set method to declutter that allows me to make fact-based decisions about what stays and what goes makes such a difference in minimizing decluttering regret.Methodical vs. Maniacal blog post

We're heading into spring, so lots of people are thinking about cleaning. I'm answering questions about working cleaning into your routines. From deep cleaning to everyday cleaning, what matters and how to make it happen!

I get lots of questions about selling stuff vs donating, so today I’m answering some of them. From tips for having a good garage sale to navigating other people’s desire to sell instead of donate, we’ll cover it all. 

It’s episode 500, so my husband is joining me! We talked about how much better things function now in our home. I asked him if he had any decluttering regrets, and his answer led to a great conversation.

Today’s guest is a full-time caregiver living in a much smaller space than she once had. But holding on to things that represent a previous identity are making it hard to embrace the things that would/could give her joy in her current reality. We discussed how to focus on small successes to instead of big and daunting goals.Dana's new children's book - Winnie's Pile of Pillows - is HERE! Order now!Dana's new children's book - Winnie's Pile of Pillows - is HERE! Order now!

I’m a big fan of Realistic Positivity. That’s positivity that’s based in knowing what to do and how to do it. Positivity is powerful. But so is negativity. If your automatic reaction is negative, here’s how to recognize the impact of that negativity and what to do to move forward.477: Noncommittal ExperimentationDana’s new children’s book – Winnie’s Pile of Pillows – is HERE! Order now!

In this episode, we discuss:How you stay/get motivated to keep decluttering when you’re busy or tired.How to save memories from ancestors/family when you don’t think your kids will value them like you do.What to do with artwork done by family that you don’t have room to hang up in your smaller house.