The Simple Home

Latest Episodes:

017: How to FINALLY get organized Aug 29, 2019

Show notes

I used to organize and then reorganize and then organize some more. I can't tell you how many countless hours of my life I've spent organizing stuff.

Even when I was little, I remember trying to organize my room. I used to collect everything. I was very attached to the things I had and never got rid of anything. I would get new tubs to put my things in and stack them up in a new way. I'd reorganize my bookshelf to include my new things. I'd fill every inch with stuff. I considered it organized if similar stuff was in the same bucket. It didn't matter if the stuff was hard to get to or stacked on top of each other or even if I used it. I thought I was organized, but I couldn't figure out how to get organized for good!

After years of doing this, I finally realized what was keeping me from actually staying organized.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast I tell you what I was missing in the process and why I kept failing even though I owned a million tubs.

We'll discuss 3 steps you can take if you find yourself on the same organization roller coaster.

Key Takeaways

The 3 steps that need to be followed in order to get and stay organized.
Why clutter is keeping you from creating organization that lasts.
The step most people forget to take after organizing that's essential for lasting success.

Links from the episode

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.

016: How To Set A Budget, Stick To It, And Avoid Common Mistakes Aug 22, 2019

Show notes

Do you know how much money you make each month or how much you spend? If not, you’re not alone. Setting a budget and sticking to it might be one of the hardest tasks we have as adults, especially if we’re raising a family.

In this week’s episode of The Simple Home Podcast we talk about how to set a budget and stick to it so you can be in charge of your money. Now if you’re running away screaming at the idea of budgeting, stick with me. If you’re serious about living a simpler life, being free of money stress is an integral part of the journey. It may seem painful at first, especially if you’ve been living beyond your means for a while now. But it gets easier. As soon as you know how much money you have coming in and your current spending habits, it’ll be easier to create a budget that works for you.

There are several different ways to set a budget, but I want you to keep things simple. That’s why, in this episode, I give you 4 easy steps to follow to get started with a budget so you see the success right away.

Key Takeaways

We discuss how budgeting can help set you up for financial freedom.
I give you 4 simple steps I follow each month to create and stick to a budget.
We go through several mistakes most people make when it comes to budgeting so you can avoid them.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I may receive a small commission. I will never recommend a product or service I don’t use and love myself.

Links from the episode

Manual Mode Made Simple- Free photo course
Dave Ramsey- Financial Peace and Total Money Makeover are my favorite books
David Bach- Smart Women Finish Rich and Latte Factor are excellent
Spending Habits Workbook
Republic Wireless- The Phone company that saves my family hundreds
Episode 8: How To Change Your Mindset About Money And Your Spending Habits

015: 8 Difficult Areas To Declutter And How To Get Started Aug 15, 2019

Show notes

Have you ever started decluttering your home and found yourself completely stuck right away? You may be trying to declutter an area that is just too hard in the beginning stages of the process. In this episode we talk about 8 difficult areas to declutter and I give you some tips on how you can get started so you no longer feel stuck.

Give yourself some grace as you listen to this episode, but also challenge yourself to get rid of things you’re having a hard time with. Allow yourself to let go of these things so you no longer have the stress of having excess stuff around you.

I also want you to remember that you don’t have to get rid of everything. The purpose of decluttering should be for you to get to a place where you love being in your home and you’re able to enjoy and use the things you have. If you have a hobby that takes up a lot of space, but love everything about that hobby, then feel free to keep the items necessary for that hobby.

The goal is not to own nothing. The goal is to put less importance on the physical items you own and more importance on the life you’re living.

Key Takeaways

We talk about 8 difficult areas to declutter.
I give you several tips for each area that will help you declutter the hardest areas of your house.
I talk about examples from my own life and how I’ve overcome areas that were difficult for me.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of my links, I may receive a small commission. I will never recommend a product or service I don't use and love myself.

Links from the episode

014: Easy Ways to Save Money Every Month Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

Having kids means you're probably spending more money and it can be hard to find ways to save money every month. But having some left over money each month can ease your stress greatly.

If you've made the decision to live a simpler life, then saving money should go hand and hand with getting rid of excess stuff. Getting your finances in order is about giving yourself freedom and the peace that comes with it. As you declutter your things and your time, your money will naturally get easier to handle, but having ways to save money every month will only boost your progress towards financial freedom.

In this episode I'm going to give you 44 easy ways you can save money. Just choosing a couple of the ideas could add hundreds in your pocket each year. Not all of them will resonate with you, but it's my hope that many of them will. Don't forget to download your checklist with the ideas I talk about in the episode, plus a few extras!

Key Takeaways

44 money saving ideas you can try today.
Resources that will help you get started with many of the ideas.
Recommendations that work for anyone, even large families.

Some of these links are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links I may receive a small commission. I will never recommend a product or service I don't use and love myself.

Links from this episode

checklist of savings ideas you can print
Republic Wireless- the phone company that saves us hundreds each year.
Ebates
Budget post
My favorite Dave Ramsey book
Audible- Get 2 free audio books when you sign up for a 30 day free trial with audible. (Dave Ramsey and other financial books are available!)
Natural cleaners for your whole house
Target red card
Meal planning bundle
Meal planning podcast episode
Meal planning post

013: How To Keep Your House Clean Using Anchors And Routines Aug 01, 2019

Show notes

Do you struggle to keep your house clean, but just haven't found the right system yet?

I've tried every cleaning schedule I could find on Pinterest and have failed at 99% of them. Something happens to me when I put restraints on myself. If I mess up once, I can't get myself back on track.

You may have unreasonable expectations on yourself when it comes to keeping your house clean, especially if you're trying to raise a family at the same time.

This episode is not about maintaining a perfecting clean home. It's about finding ways to implement your main cleaning tasks into your day with little thought.

In my opinion, cleaning should be a family activity. If everyone enjoys the comforts of the home, then everyone should participate in keeping it nice. Of course this will look different in different stages of your children's lives, but starting them early will help you tremendously later.

In this episode I'll tell you how I finally found a system that worked for keeping my house clean. I'll teach you how to use anchors to make these tasks a part of your day rather than an extra task you have to complete.

Key Takeaways

The big thing that's making cleaning your house much harder.
How to create anchors that will help you get your daily cleaning tasks done with little thought.
Why it's important to involve your kids at every age.
How to cut down the amount of time you spend on each task tremendously.

Links from this episode

Email me (jenna@athomewithkids.com) to set up a quick consultation- We'll set up a plan to get you decluttered and organized for good.

010: How To Get More Time In Your Week Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

Not having enough time in a day is probably the biggest complaint I hear from moms and parents in general.

How are you supposed to get everything done and still have time to be present with your kids?

Why are your kids growing so fast and why does it feel like you’re missing it all?

I’m going to give you some tough love here. What it often comes down to is how we spend the time we have. The only way to take a good look at how your time is spent is to get really honest with yourself about where that time is going. We all get exactly the same amount of time in a week. Yet some people seem so at peace with their time and others are constantly rushing through life.

In this episode we’ll talk about how you can get time back every week and use it intentionally. Stop frantically trying to finish your to-do lists and start being in control of how you spend your time.

Key Takeaways

The way you spend your time comes down to 2 things.
I’ll give you strategies to change the way you spend your time.
I’ll take you through a process for analyzing your time and allocating your flexible time to your true priorities.
We’ll talk about the importance of white space on your calendar every day.

Links from this episode

012: How To Parent With Less Stuff And Less Stress With Denaye Barahona Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

Motherhood can feel a wee bit exhausting at times. With all there is to do and manage, finding the space to enjoy our kids can be nearly impossible.

That's why I find such value in today's conversation with Denaye Barahona. She gives amazing insight into how to parent with less stuff and less stress. Her practical advice is both easy to listen to and easy to implement into your day to day life.

Just like many things in life we often overcomplicate parenting. But when you're deep in the clutter that often comes with kids, the never ending activities and obligations, and the tantrums and boogers, it's hard to see a way out.

This episode of The Simple Home Podcast will give you a new perspective and a little more compassion for yourself.

Key Takeaways

Denaye shares her journey to helping families live simpler and parent with more joy.
We talk about how busyness and clutter can have a negative impact on us and our kids.
We discuss the benefits of boredom and getting kids involved in the day to day tasks.
Denaye shares her wisdom for us about handling sibling rivalries and so much more.

Links from this episode

009: The Mental Load Of Having Too Much Stuff Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

Clutter can have a negative impact on your brain and the way you are living your life. This is one of the most important reasons to take a look at the excess in your life and decide if it’s time to make a change.

There are so many reasons why we have a tendency to accumulate ‘stuff’. It’s different for everyone and so is our tolerance level of how much stuff we can have around before being impacted.

Science is pretty conclusive that the amount of physical items we have and the amount of mental clutter we have is taking a toll on our well-being.

If you’ve ever felt anxious or stressed when you walk in your door or you feel like you can’t keep up, your clutter may be the cause. You may also notice these same things in your kids. Perhaps they get irritable towards the end of the day or can’t seem to focus on one thing. Your home should be your place of rest and calm at the end of a busy work day.

In this episode we dive into the impact too much stuff has on our mind and how getting rid of the clutter in our homes can decrease our mental load.

Key Takeaways

We talk about how we get attached to physical things and what marketers do to make this happen at the store.

I go through different kinds of clutter that creeps up on us and impacts our mental load.

We discuss some science behind this.

I give you easy steps you can decrease the clutter in three different areas of your life so you can find more peace in your day to day life.

Links

Research https://unclutterer.com/2011/03/29/scientists-find-physical-clutter-negatively-affects-your-ability-to-focus-process-information/

011: How To Manage Stress And Anxiety In Motherhood Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

Do you ever feel like you’ve been “on” all day with your children and just don’t have anything left? You feel exhausted, irritable, and overwhelmed.

You’re not alone. Stress and anxiety can sneak up on you and affect the way you feel and the way you parent.

Learning how to manage the stress that naturally builds up throughout the day and weeks is crucial to living your best life and thriving in motherhood.

In this episode we’re going to talk about how to manage stress and anxiety in motherhood. There are many different levels of anxiety and you may be struggling with anxiety periodically as you parent, or you may be completely overtaken with anxiety. If you’re experiencing the latter, I encourage you to seek professional help. (Please note that neither myself nor my guest are experts or doctors ad want you to get the help that you need should it be necessary).

There is so much on your plate as a mom. So many worries, so many to-do’s, so many questions to answer and messes to clean up. It’s easy to fall into a dark place. Either for a moment, a day, or longer.

Inez Bayardo from For The Love Of Mom, talks with us today about her struggle with anxiety, why she feels it’s so important for moms to deal with their own anxiety and stress, and what you can do to recognize your anxiety as well as ways to manage it .

Her insight is so inspiring and you are going to love this episode!

Key Takeaways

Inez shares with us her personal struggle with anxiety.

We talk about why the presence of stress and anxiety can be detrimental in motherhood.

Inez shares some signs we should look for to let us know if we may be anxious or overly stressed.

We learn easy ways to help reduce the anxiety we may be feeling.

Links from this episode

Inez Bayardo on IG

For The Love Of Mom

Helpful articles we talked about today:

008: How To Change Your Mindset About Money And Your Spending Habits Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

Money is a sensitive topic and I know it may be one you don't love to talk about.

However, I don’t think you can ever fully live the life you want if you don’t have a handle over this part of your life.

As you begin to simplify your possessions, money is an aspect of your life you should give attention to. One of the great things about having and wanting less material stuff is the positive aspect it will have on your spending habits.

However, we live in a society (especially if you live in the US) that urges constant consumerism. Because of this we often spend more than we make and make mindless purchases.

This episode will get you thinking about how you view money and what you want your money picture to look like. I am not a financial expert and in no way want you to make all your financial decisions off this one episode. What I want is for you to find peace with your money so you can start to use it purposely, in a way that gets you closer to the life you want to live.

Key Takeaways

We’ll talk about mindset and 4 different uses of money.
I tell you how you can start to change your spending habits by asking yourself 4 questions before you buy anything.
I give you several action steps you can start today to get your spending and saving on the right track.

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