Are you tired of moving your clutter from one surface to another in your home? Tired of feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff? I get that. And you’re not alone.
The age-old question of “where to begin” plagues many of us. That’s why I recorded a live training on my Facebook Page this week that tells you where start when you don’t know where to begin.
Confession time: I have not always lived free from clutter.
This journey has been a process and it’s one that is ongoing. Clutter is never one and done. But the good news is that you can find freedom from your clutter. And you don’t have to do it alone.
I have created a free group that surrounds you with others committed to finding freedom from clutter. It’s on Facebook and it’s called Clutter Free Academy. This is the kindest corner of the internet. There is no shame in our game. Here you will find others seeking to tackle their cluttered chaos and find freedom from clutter in your head, your heart, and your home.
For those ready to go deep and get truly accountable and committed, we’ve created a private membership group called Clutter Free for Life – Members Only. Watch the video above for details on that or click this link to find out more.
If the idea of finding freedom from clutter is still new to you and you just want a first step, that’s okay too. You can join thousands of others on the clutter free journey by joining Clutter Free Academy on Facebook here.
On today’s bonus episode, Kathi welcomes back Myquillyn Smith, author of Cozy Minimalist Home. Myquillyn shares her best tips for shifting your mind, house and habits for going from cluttered to cozy.
On today’s info-filled show you’ll learn:
Why you need designated empty surfaces and décor surfaces in your home
How to properly use storage spaces
Myquillyn’s favorite storage items
Why having some white space on your walls is essential
Plus Myquillyn shares some great tips for renters.
Cozy Minimalist Home releases on October 23, 2018!
Enter to Win!
Head over to Tuesday’s post to enter to win a copy of Myquillyn’s book!
To share your thoughts:
• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
To help out the show:
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe now.
Meet Our Guest
Myquillyn Smith
For the last ten years, Myquillyn Smith, known online as “The Nester,” has encouraged women to embrace their homes – imperfections and all. In Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff (Zondervan), Myquillyn helps readers see their home’s hidden potential and create beautiful, functional spaces they love.
Myquillyn is a self-taught, design school dropout who took a week-long course so she could be a certified home stager and redesigner. She and her family have lived in 13 different houses, apartments and condos and spent plenty of time getting real world design experience. Millions of women have been inspired by Myquillyn’s blog, The Nesting Place and her home has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies’ Home Journal, Cottages and Bungalows and the Charlotte Observer. Christianity Today named her one of 20 Creative Innovators of 2016. Her first book, The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful, released in 2014.
Do you struggle with wanting to live clutter free but also wanting to create a warm and inviting feel to your home?
On today’s show, Kathi sits down with Myquillyn Smith to talk about her book, Cozy Minimalist Home. Myquillyn shares her insights into what it means to be a “cozy minimalist,” one who wants the most amount of style with the least amount of stuff.
Kathi and Myquillyn also discuss what it looks like to go from a “stuff manager” to a “home curator.” And Myquillyn shares the one thing you can do today to start your journey towards a cozy, minimalist home. You don’t want to miss this fun and informative interview!
Cozy Minimalist Home releases on October 23, 2018!
Enter to Win!
Enter to win a copy of Myquilln’s book!
Two lucky winners will win a copy of Cozy Minimalist Home
Enter by answering in the comments, “Which room do you struggle with the most when it comes to being a cozy minimalist?”
To share your thoughts:
• Leave a note in the comment section below.
• Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
To help out the show:
• Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
• Subscribe on iTunes or subscribe now.
Meet Our Guest
Myquillyn Smith
For the last ten years, Myquillyn Smith, known online as “The Nester,” has encouraged women to embrace their homes – imperfections and all. In Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff (Zondervan), Myquillyn helps readers see their home’s hidden potential and create beautiful, functional spaces they love.
Myquillyn is a self-taught, design school dropout who took a week-long course so she could be a certified home stager and redesigner. She and her family have lived in 13 different houses, apartments and condos and spent plenty of time getting real world design experience. Millions of women have been inspired by Myquillyn’s blog, The Nesting Place and her home has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies’ Home Journal, Cottages and Bungalows and the Charlotte Observer. Christianity Today named her one of 20 Creative Innovators of 2016. Her first book, The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful, released in 2014.
Welcome to The Mom Project. For the next few weeks, we’ll be launching my book The Mom Project by hosting several mom friends who have tried it out for themselves. They read the book, completed a project from the book with their kids, and wrote all about it. And these are real moms. Busy moms. Unsure-of-themselves moms. Single moms. Special needs moms. Working moms. Stay-at-home moms. They do the hard working of mommyhood every day, and have found fun ways to connect with their kids in the simple activities found in The Mom Project. Read on to hear their experience:
The Project
“I have an idea.” This is one of my favorite lines that my family hears me say right before I introduce a new plan. I’m sure over the years those words have evoked concern to some and excitement to others since my ideas tend to be outside the box and usually require some work. Like the time I said, “Hey Brian, I have an idea. I want to be a surrogate and carry other people’s babies.” That story is for another time, but more recently, about 3 years ago I had the idea to downsize and become a part of the “Tiny Home Movement.” My family was quickly on board. We decided we wanted to have a tiny home so we could have more time for our family (instead of maintenance on our things), to keep our current house as an investment/rental and most importantly to make financial changes so I could work towards being a part time WAHM (Work At Home Mom) so I could have more time and energy for our family. Despite the close quarters with 2 teen girls and the love-hate relationship with a tiny home that has brought, we have loved the “easy-ness” of simplifying our lives and being able to have more time to make memories as a family. As a part of this season of life, I’ve been reading The Mom Project and have loved all the fun and simple ways it gives to connect and make family memories. So now I have an idea! I’m going to share with you how I did one of the projects from the book with our girls. Welcome to our world.
The Plan
Since our girls are both in the phase of wanting to re-decorate their rooms, the project “Add a Few Creature Comforts” is perfect. They both literally have printed out inspirational photos from Pinterest in their rooms of how they want their rooms to look. If only we would be chosen for Fixer Upper, we would all be in heaven! (We only live a couple hours from Chip and Joanna Gaines, so if any of you have a connection, hook me up!) For the project, I am going to take the girls to the store to have them pick something special that will help make their tiny space more of their own and more enjoyable for them. To start off I had to choose the time and the place. Since we live outside of town and the girls go to a charter school, I get to drive into town and pick them up every day from school, so I chose a day that we didn’t have anything scheduled after school. I also chose Hobby Lobby since it is located in between school and our home, has lots of home decor and styles to choose from and I had a gift card! That’s a triple win in my book. I also let the girls know ahead of time what we would be doing since they are at the age that they tend to make plans in their head for their own lives and time and always appreciate a heads up.
Results
I picked the girls up from school and reminded them we were going to the store so they could pick out something for their rooms. They had forgotten, so they both were excited for this after school fun shopping trip. After some time wandering around the store checking out all the options, they both fairly quickly made great decisions. Trinity chose a black storage box and a white wooden organizer. Selah chose a metal organizer and two storage boxes (probably for all her homemade slimes).
What I Learned
I was surprised that both girls chose storage and organizational items! I thought they would choose more “fun” decor pieces like a mirror, wall hanging, pillow or candle. I loved that they chose pretty, yet practical pieces that would help them stay organized and keep their rooms and stuff under control. When given the option to make decisions for themselves, our girls often surprise me with mature decisions. Sometimes we as parents, just don’t give our kids enough opportunities to choose for themselves or we don’t allow them to have the natural consequences of their choices, good or bad.
Extra Tips
To add to the fun and challenge, I gave both of our girls a $15 limit. This meant they had to do the math to figure out the cost of what they wanted (since a lot of decor items were 50% off) and they had to stay within budget. These are everyday life skills that we all need and that I like to throw into the girls lives as much as I can. Also, don’t forget to take pictures when you are making memories. Don’t overdo it though. Make sure you find the balance of being in the moment and taking pictures to help keep that moment forever. Enjoy our pics!
Hope you loved this peek into our tiny world. For more ideas on connecting with your kids, check out “The Mom Project.”
“Ready for your chance to win a copy of The Mom Project? To be entered into the drawing, just comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win. *Only US readers are eligible to receive the free book.”
Bio: Written by Tiffany Jo Baker, a mom who has birthed 7 children, but only 2 of them were her own. This 3x Surrogate, now Couples Life and Fertility Support Coach, continues to help couples birth their dreams and thrive thru infertility. Are you “Thriving Thru Infertility?” Free Quiz Here.
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