The Simple Home

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070: SHR Workshop Day 2- An Organized Home Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Having an organized home can change everything!
If you come home from the grocery store and don’t know where to put the items, it feels stressful. You may just shove things in where they’ll fit. Then you go to make dinner or create a meal plan and finding what you want or cooking in a crowded kitchen feels overwhelming. You continue to move things around, try different meal plans, but the whole process continues to be successful.

If you have a place for each item and room to spare in case you bring home extras and a system for putting it away, everything will be easier, including grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking meals. We often think the problem is getting dinner on the table each day, when in reality it’s all the stuff leading up to dinner that adds friction to planning and cooking the meals.

So as we talk about organization I want you to think of it as more than just creating pretty, organized space in your home and more about finding a home for everything and creating systems that work for you.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I’ll walk you through a few tips that will have a lasting impact on creating an organized home moving forward.

Links from this episode

069: SHR Workshop Day 1 - Conquer Your Stuff, Decluttering For Busy Moms Sep 11, 2020

Show notes

What’s your why for simplifying?

More time?
Money freedom?
Less stress?
All of the above?

I don’t believe that just getting rid of stuff will make your life simpler and more peaceful, but I do believe it’s the best place to start. Our belongings cover up the life we want. It takes up our time, our mental capacity, our finances. Stuff causes us stress and keeps us from thinking clearly and taking action on the things we want.

If you feel overwhelmed in your home, if you look around and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone!

Your stuff might be holding you back. There’s not an ideal number of belongings, like 5 pairs of socks, and 6 cups. It’s about finding the right amount for you.

How do you know what that amount is?

Ask yourself these questions:

How do you want your house to feel?
How much clutter can you have before you feel anxious or overwhelmed?
How much stuff can you and do you want to manage?
How big is your space?

Don’t think as much about how your home looks as you do about how it feels.

We live in a world where more is often seen as better.

We don’t just buy one Lego set, we buy tubs of legos on Craigslist.
We don’t buy a box of 24 crayons, we buy the mega box with 24 shades of blue.
We’re conditioned to buy 3 or something because the tag says 3 for 5.
We buy things because they’re on sale without giving any thought to why we need it.

On top of our consumption, we keep it all “just in case” we need it in the future. And it all just keeps piling up.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I talk through 3 things you can do today to make a big impact on your clutter situation.

Today, choose 1 of the three action steps to tackle, take a snap shot of you listening to this episode, tag me on IG (@jennaarvidson), and tell me which one you chose!

Links From this Episode

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Get More Done in Less Time With This Time Saving Strategy Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

You know those tasks you have to do every day or every week to keep your house running and keep your family alive?

Sometimes it feels like that’s all there’s time for.

A couple years ago, I learned a strategy in business that has helped me tremendously. Without it, I’d never be able to run this podcast, my photography business, and be mom to my kids.

This strategy has been equally beneficial in my personal life. Finding any extra time in the day or week is almost essential to slowing down and living intentionally.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast I’ll share this strategy with you and how you can use it to manage your home and take care of your family so you can find those extra hours each week.

Some of the links in this episode may be affiliate links. If you buy something through one of my links, I may receive a small commission. I will only recommend products or services I use and love myself!

Links from this episode

The Simple Home Reset
Time Blocking Guide
Meal Planning Bundle
Cook Once, Eat All Week- Best cookbook for simplifying weekly meals!

If this episode inspired you in some way, please take a minute to leave a rating and review on itunes. Use this link, click the 5 starts, and write a short review of the show!

067: Simplifying Your Life During Busy Times Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

Do you wish you could simplify your home and simplify your life, but just can’t figure out how you can make time for it?

You are not alone. Not having enough time is the number one obstacle I hear from people who want to simplify.

With everything else you have on your plate, I understand how this can feel impossible. However, if time is what you need more of, if life feels too overwhelming, then simplifying is what you need most. It’s the only way to get more time in your day.

Decluttering and organizing is a big time commitment upfront, but you’ll get so much time back when you have less stuff to manage and systems and rhythms in place to automate your routine tasks.

In today’s episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I walk you through my 5 step approach to simplifying for good. I don’t want you to live on the hamster wheel of busyness, organizing and reorganizing, and feeling burnt out at the end of every day.

Use the 5 steps in this episode to get your home and life in order once and for all.

If you’re committed to simplifying your home and your days then I want you to join The Simple Home Reset Mentorship Program. Together we’ll transform your home and the way you think about stuff. We’ll set up routines that make everyday feel lighter and give you back your time. If this sounds good to you, click here to sign up now!

Links from this episode

If this episode inspired you in some way, please take a minute to leave a rating and review on itunes. Use this link, click the 5 starts, and write a short review of the show!

066: How to Find Your Identity in Motherhood (Interview with Amanda Bennett) Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

The transition into motherhood is a life changing event. We all go into it with expectations that have likely been building based on what we've observed from other mothers our whole lives. Expectations that may not be realistic, but are very real.
Somewhere along the journey of becoming a mom, taking care of a house, working or staying home, you may have found yourself feeling overwhelmed, underwhelmed, elated, frustrated, sad, lost...and possibly like you're the only mother who doesn't have this thing called motherhood figured out. You may have lost your identity in motherhood.
Well, that's a lie that Instagram has been feeding into us. The reality is, every parent I've met has the same goal. To raise awesome kids and hope that their love trumps any mistakes they make along the way.
In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I chat with Amanda Bennett from the Gotcha Mama Podcast about finding your identity in motherhood, letting go of your pre-baby self and gracefully allowing yourself to be a new version of you. She gives us 3 practical steps to finding ourselves and stepping into our purpose in motherhood.
This episode was incredibly encouraging to me and I know you'll feel the same way!
Links From This Episode

Simple Home Workshop
www.gotchamama.com
Gotcha Mama podcast episode 32 "Creating the Marriage You Want with Michelle Purta"
TED talk with Dr. Alexandra Sack's on Matrescence
Gotcha Mama Facebook Community

If this episode inspired you in some way, please take a minute to leave a rating and review on itunes. Use this link, click the 5 starts, and write a short review of the show!

What to Do When You Just Don't Want to Get Rid of Something + Fun Things Happening Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Whether you're just starting to declutter your home or you've been doing it for a while, you'll definitely come across items you don't want to get rid of. These can be items that are sentimental, items you think you might need in the future, or items you just love having.
I'm sure you can think of items right now. Is it your craft supplies? Your cd collection? There's something in your house that you don't want to let go of.
I get this question all the time, "What do you tell people if they just don't want to get rid of something?"
I think my answer will surprise you!
In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, we're going to be talking about items you just love having and don't want to purge. Your collection of books, your hobby supplies, or something else you enjoy having around your house.
We'll discuss how to handle these items and questions to ask yourself to make the tough decisions. So if you ever find yourself stuck, this may be the episode for you.
You may also want to listen to:
Episode 47: How to Declutter Sentimental Items (Interview with Diane Boden)
Episode 38: What to do When You Get Stuck Decluttering
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I'll make a small commission if you purchase something through one of these links.
Links from this episode

Free Resources You'll Love
Get signed up for my brand new, FREE 4 day workshop: The Simple Home Workshop
I'm obsessed with my new planner- Get $10 off your Full Focus Planner with this link
Epic- an AMAZING online library for kids.

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064: Simplify Your Days by Opening and Closing Your House Like a Business Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

I used to work at a recreation center as a closing manager. Occasionally I would open as well. The person who trained me was a master of efficiency. She had it down to a science. She walked me through exactly what needed to be done each night in order to make it easier for the opening staff. She kept it simple and gave each department their own list. We could close down the entire rec center in under 20 minutes.
Think of your house in this way. How can you begin and end each day to make things run smoother? Imagine waking up to a clean, organized, welcoming space, instead of a messy kitchen, laundry piles, or misplaced items.
Putting simple routines into place each evening and morning will change your whole day. If your house was a business, what would you do to 'close' for the day? What would you do to 'open' for the day?
If you think about your routines in this way, you'll be able to create morning and evening routines that simplify your life rather than making it more complicated. You'll also be more likely to stick to your routines and enjoy the benefits of doing the same thing consistently.
In this episode of the simple home podcast, I'll talk to you about how we made this happen in the recreation center and how I've brought those same concepts into my home. I'll give you ideas to open and close your day and how to implement tasks throughout the day to make things easier.
Links from this episode
10 Things in 20 Minutes- 10 Things you can do each evening for easier mornings.
What Minimalism with a Family Really Looks Like
How to Create a Simple Home (Even if You're Busy)
Jumpstart Guide to Simple Living
If this episode inspired you in some way, please take a minute to leave a rating and review on itunes. Use this link, click the 5 starts, and write a short review of the show!

How to Help Your Kids Declutter (Interview with Deanna Yates) Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

I know I’m not alone when I say that helping kids declutter is hard. Toys accumulate and collections start to build without much effort. This can be a major stressor if you’re trying to declutter your home.

I saw this quote on Instagram from Zoe Kim from raising simple that said, “I’m not raising minimalist kids. I’m raising kids in a minimalist home.”

This has really helped me put my kids clutter in its place. It’s also helped me communicate with my kids the value in living with less clutter, but not force my habits on them. My goal in living a simpler lifestyle is to show the value of relationships and people over managing and accumulating stuff.

With that said, I also know the importance of my kids having less stuff for their sanity and mine. So, having a few tools to help kids declutter is valuable as they grow.

In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I chat with Deanna Yates from The Wannabe Minimalist Podcast. She gives us tips for how to help kids declutter that are doable and easy to implement. If you’ve ever wished you could get your kids on board with simplifying, this is the episode for you.

Links from this episode

What Minimalism is and Why it's About More Than Stuff Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

The word minimalism used to hold me back from pursuing a life with less stuff. I felt the pressure to get rid of everything and if I didn’t want to I felt a bit of guilt.
What I’ve come to realize is that Minimalism is about more than just getting rid of stuff and it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing approach.
You can still own things you love. You can keep your books, your over stuffed couch and your stand mixer.
It’s about being intentional about what you own and what you bring in. I find it best explained with this quote from Stephan Wright, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
Many people equate minimalism to sacrifice, not abundance. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned from letting go of physical belongs, it’s that have less clutter opens up a life of abundance.
In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I talk about what minimalism is, what it’s not, and how you can get started on designing the ‘minimalist’ lifestyle that suits you best.
Links From This Episode

061- How to Handle Your Photo Clutter Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

Most of us have hundreds, if not thousands of photos in our phones and on other devices creating overwhelming photo clutter.
Gone are the days when you had to be intentional about how many photos you took with film cameras. With the invention of digital cameras and the unbelievable tiny cameras we carry in our pockets, the number of photos you can take is basically limitless.
But photo clutter, both physical and digital, can take a toll on us. It's just like any other clutter in our lives, plus, it holds our most precious memories.

You may worry you'll lose the images if they're not stored properly.
You may have trouble finding photos when you need one.
You may have boxes and boxes of photos lying around that you haven't looked at in years.
You may feel overwhelmed and guilty for having these memories stored away on your devices and in your basement.

You're not the only one feeling the burden of your photo clutter. In fact, it's a very common problem and one I want to inspire you to tackle right now.
In this episode of The Simple Home Podcast, I'll walk you through my process for curating and organizing both digital and printed photos so you can enjoy them rather than store them away.
Say goodbye to your photo clutter, once and for all!
Links From This Episode

Free Photo Clutter Checklist
Curate And Cherish- Take a deep dive into your photo clutter and get all your photos organized for good.
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