Ready to finally calm the overwhelm and create a home and life you actually enjoy? The Wannabe Clutter Free podcast is here to help you clear the clutter, simplify your routines, and find freedom in the life you’re building. I’m Deanna Yates, a busy mom who knows what it’s like to juggle family, career, and the never-ending piles of stuff. From selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler, to managing the daily chaos of running a home with a school-aged kid, I’ve learned that living with less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about creating more space, more peace, and more joy. Each week, I share real-life stories, simple decluttering strategies, and mindset shifts that make it easier to let go of what’s weighing you down. You’ll also hear from inspiring guests who share practical tips and fresh perspectives on minimalism, home organization, intentional living, and building habits that last. If you’re tired of feeling buried in clutter and crave a home that feels calm, welcoming, and easy to manage, this show is for you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress, freedom, and finding space for what truly matters to you.

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Does 10 minutes really work when your whole house is a disaster? This week I&#39;m trying something new and answering your questions about 10-minute tidying.In this episode:<ul><li>What my home looked like before, with weekend marathon cleaning sessions</li><li>Why I really do want you to stop when the timer goes off</li><li>How I clean a bathroom in two 10-minute chores</li><li>Why a 30-minute Mighty Tidy beats a whole weekend of decluttering</li><li>The leaky boat, and why decluttering doesn&#39;t stick</li><li>Tidying when you&#39;re exhausted, working full time or raising toddlers and teens</li><li>Why I built Sm&#39;ores, the small chores dealt out like cards</li><li>What 10 minutes a night adds up to (about 5 hours a month)</li><li>The one thing to do tonight</li></ul> Want the reminder and the timer done for you? Try Tindy free at <a href="https://tindy.app" rel="nofollow">https://tindy.app</a> Have a question I didn&#39;t answer? Email me at <a href="mailto:deanna@wannabeclutterfree.com" rel="nofollow">deanna@wannabeclutterfree.com</a>.Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/335" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/335</a>Check out BetterHelp and use my code <a href="http://betterhelp.com" rel="nofollow">betterhelp.com</a> for a great deal: <a href="https://www.betterhelp.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.betterhelp.com</a>Check out Vinted: <a href="https://www.vinted.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.vinted.com</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Weekend marathon cleaning used to eat my Saturdays. Now I tidy 10 minutes a night. Here are my answers to your biggest questions about 10-minute tidying, from bathrooms to toddlers to teenage eye rolls.

What a 10 Minute Tidy Can Actually Do (Ep 335)

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Are you the only one in your house who notices the mess, and the only one who asks for help cleaning it up?In this episode, I&#39;m sharing how I stopped feeling like the nag in my own home. My family is great and happy to help. The hard part was carrying the remembering and the asking every single night. After our unexpected move into a much bigger house this summer, I knew something had to change.In this episode:<ul><li>Why the person who notices the mess ends up doing the work</li><li>Wanting someone to parent me, and why handing off the reminder helps so much</li><li>Why 10 minutes works better than 5 (hello, underpromise and overdeliver)</li><li>How a nightly tidy turned us into a team against the house</li><li>The night we finished in 4 minutes and 38 seconds</li><li>3 steps to hand off the nightly reset, starting tonight</li></ul>Tonight&#39;s homework: pick your reset spots, set a 10-minute timer and ask your family to join you for just 10 minutes.Want the reminder and timer done for you? Try Tindy free at tindy.app. You&#39;ll also get every episode of this show ad-free inside the app. The price goes up on November 10, so this is the week to try it.Resources Mentioned: <a href="https://tindy.app" rel="nofollow">Tindy.app</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

I was tired of being the only one who noticed the mess and the only one who asked for help. Here's what changed in our house, plus 3 steps to hand off the nightly reset starting tonight.

How to Get Your Family to Tidy Without Nagging (Ep 334)

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Six weeks ago Deanna said she was doing a Packing Party. Everything stays in boxes, you only take out what you need.She quit.In this episode she gives you the real numbers, walks you through the entire declutter pile, and tells you the part she didn&#39;t see coming: she and one of her family members traded methods without ever discussing it.The numbers: 42 boxes and bins unpacked. Six still packed. One of them hasn&#39;t been opened since moving day and won&#39;t be for six months.What she was actually after: margin. Open space on purpose in every drawer, on every shelf, on every flat surface. A drawer with margin still has your things in it. There&#39;s just air around them. Start at 5% if you have to.Margin in your calendar, your budget, and your brain too.Also in this episode: why she&#39;s keeping four rolls of Scotch tape on purpose, the 16 IKEA mirrors that never got hung in two different garages, a listener tip about electronics recycling, and an honest conversation about the hardest room in her house and the mom guilt underneath it.Your challenge: Pick one drawer. Take out enough that you can see space around your objects. Close it. Open it tomorrow and notice how it feels.Mentioned: Tindy at tindy.app, Dana K. White&#39;s container concept, Dawn at The Minimal Mom on margin.Coming this week on YouTube: Deanna empties her pause box on camera, item by item. @wannabeclutterfreeShow notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/333" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/333</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Six weeks, 42 boxes, and the decluttering method I gave up on. Here is what my family actually did, and the thing I was really after the whole time.

The Decluttering Method I Gave Up On After 6 Weeks & 42 Boxes (Ep 333)

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Do you feel exhausted and overwhelmed, even when everything looks fine on the outside? Your home might be feeling it too.Megan Caldwell is a mom of three, a two-time burnout survivor, and the creator of the ROCKSTAR Mom Method. She joins me to talk about why balance is BS, why moms need to put themselves first, and how the tiniest actions lead to real, lasting change in your life and your home.In this episode, we talk about:<ul><li>How clutter and burnout feed each other</li><li>Why Megan wants moms to put themselves first</li><li>Why balance is BS, and why alignment and harmony work better</li><li>What losing 98% of her belongings in a house fire taught her about calm</li><li>Her three phases of change: awareness, decide, practice</li><li>Minimal viable actions, the smallest steps that build momentum</li><li>What clutter free means to Megan</li></ul>Your minimal viable action for your home: a 10-minute tidy tonight. Tindy gives you a nightly 10-minute Lightning Tidy with a timer and streaks. Try it free: <a href="https://tindy.app/" rel="nofollow">https://tindy.app</a>The ROCKSTAR Mom Summit starts Tuesday, October 27, and it&#39;s free. I&#39;m one of the speakers! Grab your free ticket: <a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/rockstar" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/rockstar</a>Connect with Megan<ul><li>Website: <a href="https://megancaldwellpdx.com/" rel="nofollow">https://megancaldwellpdx.com</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megancaldwellpdx/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/megancaldwellpdx/</a></li><li>The ROCKSTAR Mom podcast: <a href="https://therockstarmom.buzzsprout.com/" rel="nofollow">https://therockstarmom.buzzsprout.com/</a></li></ul>Connect with Deanna<ul><li>Full show notes: <a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/332" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/332</a></li><li>Tindy app: <a href="https://tindy.app/" rel="nofollow">https://tindy.app</a></li><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/</a></li></ul>Thanks to our sponsors:<ul><li>Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code <a href="http://1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">1800gotjunk.com</a> for a great deal: <a href="https://www.1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.1800gotjunk.com</a></li><li>Check out BetterHelp and get 10% off at <a href="https://betterhelp.com" rel="nofollow">BetterHelp.com</a></li></ul> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Megan Caldwell, mom of three and two-time burnout survivor, shares why balance is BS and the tiny steps that help busy moms feel calm at home again.

Tiny Steps Out of Brutal Mom Burnout with Megan Caldwell (Ep 332)

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Boo. It&#39;s October.Thanksgiving is only six weeks away. Christmas is only ten.Deanna shares the four things she&#39;s doing right now so December feels calm, cozy, and intentional instead of frantic. This is her family&#39;s first holiday in a brand new house, and her goal is to buy as little as possible.1. Decisions before decor. Decide how you want your home to feel, then ask what the minimum is to get there. Most of what makes a home cozy is already in it. Plus: why holiday decor should leave your house by the end of October, while a thrift store can still sell it and someone else can still use it.2. Create your holiday zones. A spot for incoming packages and hidden gifts. A surface for wrapping, crafting, and card writing. Clear counters for baking. And a dining table that isn&#39;t buried when people show up.3. Start the gift conversations. Declutter outgrown toys before new ones arrive, why Thanksgiving is better timing than Christmas for moving them out, and the mindset shift that frees you from gift guilt. Also: how Deanna&#39;s family uses a Secret Santa exchange, and why experience gifts are her favorite workaround.4. Calendar the season now. In pencil. Including asking everyone in your house for their top three must-dos, so you stop doing the things nobody actually enjoys.Your challenge this week: Spend 30 minutes with your decoration bins. If that&#39;s too much, set a timer for ten and open one box. Then come tell Deanna what you found on Instagram @wannabeclutterfree.These tips aren&#39;t specific to any religion. December is a full month for everyone.Resources Mentioned:<ul><li><a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/clutter-free-holiday-blueprint" rel="nofollow">Clutter Free Holiday Blueprint: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/clutter-free-holiday-blueprint</a></li><li><a href="https://tindy.app/" rel="nofollow">Try the Tindy App</a></li><li>Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code <a href="http://1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">1800gotjunk.com</a> for a great deal: <a href="https://www.1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.1800gotjunk.com</a></li><li>Check out BetterHelp and get 10% off at <a href="https://betterhelp.com" rel="nofollow">BetterHelp.com</a></li></ul> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Thanksgiving is six weeks away and Christmas is ten. Here are four things to do in October so December feels calm and cozy instead of frantic.

October Holiday Prep: 4 Ways to Make December Feel Calm (Ep 331)

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Deanna moved from a 1969 single level house into a home with a second floor and three full bathrooms. Standing in the new kitchen, her first thought wasn&#39;t &#34;look at all this space.&#34; It was &#34;how am I going to keep up with all of this?&#34;After a few days she realized she wasn&#39;t behind on anything. She had been treating four completely different jobs like one job.The four jobs:<ul><li>Decluttering is deciding what leaves. All decisions, and it takes your whole brain.</li><li>Tidying is putting things back where they already live. No decisions at all.</li><li>Cleaning is dirt. It has nothing to do with how much you own.</li><li>Organizing is deciding where things live. Zones and containers, and it does not have to be pretty.</li></ul>Three ways mixing them up backfires: you start cleaning the kitchen and end up frozen over a mug. You buy bins before decluttering and end up with organized clutter. You tidy every single night and it never holds, because tidying can&#39;t fix a decluttering problem.You are not bad at this. When you don&#39;t name the job, your brain picks for you, and it usually picks the hardest one.Also in this episode: how to look at a room and diagnose which job it needs, how Deanna&#39;s family splits 21 ten-minute cleaning tasks across the week so it doesn&#39;t all fall on her, why she&#39;s treating her moving boxes like drawers, and the app she had her husband build so the reminders don&#39;t live in her head.Your challenge: Say out loud which job you&#39;re doing before you start. Set a timer to match. Ten minutes to tidy, 30 to declutter. If you switch jobs mid-task, put the mug down and finish what you started.Mentioned: Tindy at <a href="https://tindy.app" rel="nofollow">tindy.app</a> (Lightning Tidy, Mighty Tidy, and the new Sm&#39;ores), Dana K. White&#39;s container concept, episode 329.Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/330" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/330</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Standing in a kitchen with three bathrooms to keep up with, I realized I had been treating four different jobs like one. Here is how to tell them apart and stop feeling like you failed.

The 4 Jobs We Call "Cleaning" and Why That's the Problem (Ep 330)

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Two weeks into a new house, Deanna is still living out of boxes on purpose.She&#39;s running a Packing Party, and while she unpacks, she&#39;s doing something that matters more than where the dishes go. She&#39;s deciding how this house will work before it fills up.After 17 moves, she knows a house decides how it works in the first few weeks whether you&#39;re paying attention or not. So this episode is the three house rules she&#39;s putting in place, all built on one framework: if this, then that.A real rule has two parts. A trigger you&#39;ll actually notice, and one action. &#34;Be tidier&#34; isn&#39;t a rule. It&#39;s a wish with a stern voice.Rule 1, for the no: If you pick something up and know you don&#39;t want it, it goes straight into the donation bin. No setting it back down and deciding all over again next week.Rule 2, for the surfaces: If you have a flat surface, put a container on it. A tray, a bowl, a basket. The surface isn&#39;t the problem. A surface with no boundary is the problem.Rule 3, for the maybe: If you hesitate, it goes in the Pause Box, with a date on it. One to three months. And check the box before you buy anything new so you don&#39;t rebuy what you already own.Also in this episode: why willpower fails exactly when you need it, why your cluttered house is a decision problem and not a caring problem, where Deanna&#39;s donation bins live while they unpack, the console tray, the entry bin, the fruit bowl, and how house hunting got her family on board with clear surfaces.Your challenge this week: Pick one to three rules. Write them as if this, then that. Say them out loud at dinner tonight and let everyone add one.Then come tell Deanna your house rules on Instagram @wannabeclutterfree.Packing Party results coming at the end of October.Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/329" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/329</a>[Next week: decluttering, tidying, cleaning, and organizing are four different jobs] Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Willpower runs out exactly when you need it, so I set house rules instead. Three if this, then that rules for the no, the surface, and the maybe, from our first two weeks in a new house.

The 3 House Rules I'm Setting Before This House Fills Up (Ep 329)

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Five nights into a brand new house, Deanna is recording from a room full of boxes.The furniture is up. A few kitchen things are out. Everything else is still packed. And all three members of her family are about to unpack in completely different ways.In this episode:<ul><li>Method 1: The Packing Party (Deanna&#39;s). From Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists. Whatever is still in a box stays there until she reaches for it. She&#39;s giving it one month.</li><li>Method 2: The Traditional Way (her husband&#39;s). Open the box, decide on every item, finish it, move on.</li><li>Method 3: The Pause (her daughter&#39;s). Unpack what you love now, put the maybes in a box, and revisit them at the end of November.</li></ul>Also in this episode: why moving feels so heavy even when you own less than most people, how Deanna searched every box she owns in about an hour, the sentimental things that earn their place without being useful, and why she and her husband are ready to pare down even further.Your challenge this week: Pick the method that sounds most like you and try it on one space. Packing Party: box up a category and only take out what you need for two weeks. Traditional: empty one drawer and decide on every item. The Pause: put away what you love, box up the maybes, and date the box.Then come tell Deanna which one you picked on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">@wannabeclutterfree</a>.Results episode coming in about a month.Mentioned: <ul><li>Tindy, the nightly 10-minute reset app, at <a href="https://tindy.app/" rel="nofollow">tindy.app</a></li><li>Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code <a href="http://1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">1800gotjunk.com</a> for a great deal: <a href="https://www.1800gotjunk.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.1800gotjunk.com</a></li><li>Check out Omaha Steaks and use my code BEEF for a great deal: <a href="https://www.omahasteaks.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.omahasteaks.com</a></li><li>Check out BetterHelp and get 10% off at <a href="https://betterhelp.com" rel="nofollow">BetterHelp.com</a></li></ul> Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/328" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/328</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

We moved in five nights ago and every box is still sitting here. My husband, my daughter, and I are each unpacking a completely different way. Here is the experiment, and how to try it without moving.

My Family Is Running a Decluttering Experiment (Ep 328)

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Deanna Yates thought the hardest part of moving would be the packing.It wasn&#39;t.Nine weeks ago, her landlord told her family she was selling the house they had rented for almost five years. It was the longest they had lived anywhere, and everyday there felt like winning the lottery. Now they&#39;re packing up the whole house in less than a week.In this solo episode, Deanna shares six mindset shifts from one of the hardest seasons her family has had in a long time. Not one of them is about her closet.In this episode:<ul><li>Shift 1: It&#39;s never really about the stuff. Why her uneasiness came from feeling out of control</li><li>Shift 2: Same reach, different bag. How the donation bag and the Add to Cart button come from the same place</li><li>Shift 3: You can&#39;t declutter a feeling. What a waiting season teaches someone who likes to take action</li><li>Shift 4: &#34;Just in case&#34; is just fear. The crowded Labor Day showing that flipped her into scarcity mode</li><li>Shift 5: Stop chasing, start trusting. The late-night Zillow message that turned into keys four days later</li><li>Shift 6: Clutter free starts in your head. Let go, create space, release your grip</li></ul> Plus the question her family is asking about every item they pack.Try this week: Pick one drawer. Pull everything out. For each item, ask: would I unpack this?Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.katymilkman.com/book" rel="nofollow">How to Change by Katy Milkman</a><a href="https://tindy.app/" rel="nofollow">Tindy, the 10-minute nightly tidy app: tindy.app</a>Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/327" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/327</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">@wannabeclutterfree</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Our landlord is selling our dream rental, and I thought packing would be the hardest part. It wasn't. Here are six mindset shifts from nine hard weeks, and why none of them are about my stuff.

The Clutter Wasn't in My House (Ep 327)

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My clutter threshold broke this year.I am a decluttering expert. Our house is not cluttered. And I still hit a wall, because we are in the middle of an unplanned move, my husband had back surgery, and I am 46 and doing most of the lifting myself.That is the exact season I was in when Amy Nesbitt came back on the show, and I am so glad she did.Amy is a full time corporate working mom of two boys, the creator of the This Japanese American Life YouTube channel, and the host of the Whole Wellness Mamas Summit, now in its fourth year. She is also the person who got me into summits in the first place.This year she built the summit around four Japanese concepts, and they reframed how I am thinking about my own home.In this episode:<ul><li>Why the popular Venn diagram version of Ikigai misses the point, and what it actually means</li><li>Ma, the concept of intentional empty space, explained through the pause in a song</li><li>Why your empty counter is not wasted space, and why we fight so hard to fill it</li><li>The two minutes you sit in your car before walking in the door, and why that counts</li><li>Kaizen, and why going smaller than feels impressive is the thing that actually sticks</li><li>Kintsugi, the art of gold in the cracks, and why your hardest chapters are not the ones to hide</li><li>How to bring your family into something without becoming the household nag</li><li>Amy&#39;s answer for how she does it all, which starts with four words: it does not have to be you</li></ul> Amy and I are both speaking at the Whole Wellness Mamas Summit, September 14 through 17. It is completely free, completely virtual, and you can watch in whatever you slept in. My session is How to Face the Challenge of Midlife Decluttering, which I am currently living in real time.<a href="https://www.wholewellnessmamas.com/summit2026?sa=sa0111025513e16198388446977d0bb8f5d225d771" rel="nofollow">Grab your free seat</a>Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/326" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/326</a>Find Amy: Instagram and TikTok: @wholewellnessmamas YouTube: This Japanese American Life Books: AmyNsReadsFind me: Instagram: @wannabeclutterfree Website: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

My clutter threshold broke this year. Amy Nesbitt shares four Japanese concepts that are helping me make room again: Ikigai, Ma, Kaizen, and Kintsugi.  ##

This Japanese Concept Changed How I See Clutter with Amy Nesbitt (Ep 326)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/2/7/2ff66c6e-e1de-4526-a4f9-e21eda57e239_clutter_like_you_re_moving_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

You will get rid of more in two weeks of packing than in five years of living in the same house.Not because you tried harder. Because the rules changed.Deanna Yates has moved 16 times as an adult, and number 17 is happening right now, unplanned and unwanted. In this episode she breaks down exactly what moving does to your brain, and how to steal that effect without touching a single roll of packing tape.On a normal day, everything you own is already in your home. Every item has a spot. So when you try to declutter, each thing has to argue its way OUT, and if you cannot find a good reason, it stays. That is why decluttering feels like a fight. It is why so many decisions end with &#34;well, I have room for it.&#34;When you move, everything comes out. And now every item has to argue its way back IN.Same stuff. Same you. Opposite default.Deanna hands you the one question that flips it: Would I unpack this?In this episode:<ul><li>The real reason moving makes you ruthless (it is not motivation)</li><li>Why &#34;I have room for it&#34; is the sentence that kills most decluttering sessions</li><li>How to use the unpack question on your kid&#39;s artwork without feeling like a bad mom</li><li>What that box you never opened from your last move is actually telling you</li><li>Why show ready and move-in ready are not the same thing, and which one you deserve</li><li>The five minute photo exercise that will show you exactly what feels off in a room</li></ul> Plus, Deanna is taking a small group through her move-in method in real time as she packs up her own home. Six years of helping families declutter, a background in property management, and 17 moves worth of lessons. Waitlist link below.You do not have to move to declutter like you are moving.Homework this week: Stand in the doorway of one room. Take a wide angle photo like it is a real estate listing. Then look at it the way you would scroll past it on Zillow. It will click.Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/325" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/325</a> Join the move-in method waitlist: <a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/move-in-waitlist" rel="nofollow">https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/move-in-waitlist </a>Come say hi on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">@wannabeclutterfree</a>Next week: Amy Nesbitt on wellness, energy, and how to be a whole mom when your time is completely constrained. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Moving makes you ruthless, but you don't have to move to get the benefit. One question flips your default from keeping everything to choosing what actually earns a spot in your home.

How "Would I Unpack This?" Changes Decluttering Forever (Ep 325)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/26/6/d4053b11-63cf-4d62-a969-8ff110498f0e_p_324_wannabe_clutter_free_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

If you&#39;re decluttering the chances are that there is a bag in your trunk right now, isn&#39;t there?You did the hard part. You went through the closet, you made a hundred decisions in a row, you got everything bagged up and loaded in the car. And then you drove past the donation center. Twice.The problem is that there are two decisions inside every declutter, and almost nobody warns you about the second one.In Episode 324, Deanna is answering this question in real time. Her house is selling, her family is moving, and she is decluttering 500 items right now while her husband recovers from back surgery. Some of it is going to Buy Nothing. Some of it is going on Vinted. Some of it is going in the trash. None of it is happening perfectly, but it is happening.She is also going to tell you the truth about where donated items actually end up, because she thinks you can handle it, and because knowing is going to make you feel better instead of worse.In this episode:<ul><li>The two decisions inside every declutter, and which one stalls you out</li><li>What percentage of your donations actually make it onto a thrift store shelf</li><li>Where the rest of it goes, including the millions of garments that arrive regularly in Ghana</li><li>How to tell in 30 seconds whether a parking lot donation bin belongs to a real charity</li><li>The 1938 labor law behind the unease people feel about big box thrift chains, and how to research your own local one in two minutes</li><li>Why the guilt you are carrying is not keeping a single item out of a landfill</li><li>The donation Deanna found while volunteering that made her want to throw her hands up</li><li>Five places your decluttered stuff can go, ranked in the order you should try them</li><li>The new Target Textile Drop Spot that takes stained and torn clothing in every California store</li><li>Where to send shoes, makeup empties, electronics, and batteries</li><li>Full permission to throw away actual garbage</li><li>Why we need a lot of people doing this imperfectly instead of a few people doing it perfectly</li></ul> FREE RESOURCE: <ul><li><a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/guilt-free-exit-plan" rel="nofollow">The Guilt-Free Exit Plan</a> One page that tells you where anything goes, a short vetted list instead of forty links, and the 30 second donation bin check. Comment the word TRUNK on Instagram to get it, or <a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/guilt-free-exit-plan" rel="nofollow">grab it here.</a></li></ul>LEARN MORE<ul><li>Show notes and free resource: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/324" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/324</a></li><li>The 19 for $19 Ultimate Decluttering Bundle: <a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/19-for-19" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com</a></li><li>Go to <a href="https://OmahaSteaks.com" rel="nofollow">https://OmahaSteaks.com</a> and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.</li></ul>CONNECT<ul><li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">@wannabeclutterfree</a></li></ul>LISTEN<ul><li>Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251" rel="nofollow">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251</a></li><li>Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10" rel="nofollow">https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10</a></li><li>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfree</a></li></ul> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

5 Ways to Donate Smarter Without Fueling the Landfill (Ep 324)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/19/4/f6653900-f322-42ac-bc55-d231ff30a2a2_utter-free_ep_323-myquillyn_smith-deanna-yates.mp3

Your house isn&#39;t cluttered. It&#39;s loud.That single reframe changed how I look at my own home, and it comes from Myquillyn Smith, known online as The Nester.Myquillyn has spent over twenty years helping women create homes they actually want to use. She&#39;s the author of Cozy Minimalist Home and House Rules, and her new book House Hushing is out now.Here&#39;s what makes her different. She&#39;s a decorator, not a decluttering coach. She is not going to tell you to give up everything beautiful. She&#39;s going to show you how to turn the volume down first and let the room tell you what it actually needs.In this episode she walks through backwards decluttering, her method that takes about twelve minutes a room and requires zero hard decisions up front. You clear the visible layer, you live in the quiet room for 48 hours, and then you only bring back what you genuinely missed. No willpower required. The room does the convincing.We also get into why we fill up whatever space we&#39;re given, what to do about the closets you&#39;re not touching yet, and how to hush a kid&#39;s room without breaking their trust.And I got honest with her about where my own home is right now, in a hard season, drifting. What she said back to me is the reason I&#39;m keeping this episode close.In this episode:<ul><li>Why &#34;loud&#34; lands when &#34;cluttered&#34; doesn&#39;t</li><li>The photo trick that cures house blindness instantly</li><li>All the steps of backwards decluttering</li><li>Why the 48 hour wait does the deciding for you</li><li>Stuff threshold vs clutter threshold</li><li>When to finally open the closed storage</li><li>Hosting without keeping every extra just in case</li><li>How to hush a kid&#39;s space collaboratively</li><li>Experiencing a season through your five senses instead of storing decor eleven months a year</li></ul>Your quick win from Myquillyn: clear off your coffee table and let it be naked.Connect with Myquillyn: <ul><li>Website: <a href="http://thenester.com/" rel="nofollow">thenester.com</a> </li><li>Instagram: @thenester </li><li>House Hushing is available everywhere books are sold.</li></ul>Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/323" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/323</a>Come say hi on Instagram @wannabeclutterfree and tell me which room you&#39;re hushing first.Happy decluttering. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Myquillyn Smith says your house isn't cluttered, it's loud. We talk about her House Hushing method, why homes fill up to fit the space, and how to quiet a room in about 12 minutes without getting rid of a thing.

Your house isn&#39;t cluttered. It&#39;s loud.

That single reframe changed how I look at my own home, and it comes from Myquillyn Smith, known online as The Nester.

Myquillyn has spent over twenty years helping women create homes they actually want to use. She&#39;s the author of Cozy Minimalist Home and House Rules, and her new book House Hushing is out now.

Here&#39;s what makes her different. She&#39;s a decorator, not a decluttering coach. She is not going to tell you to give up everything beautiful. She&#39;s going to show you how to turn the volume down first and let the room tell you what it actually needs.

In this episode she walks through backwards decluttering, her method that takes about twelve minutes a room and requires zero hard decisions up front. You clear the visible layer, you live in the quiet room for 48 hours, and then you only bring back what you genuinely missed. No willpower required. The room does the convincing.

We also get into why we fill up whatever space we&#39;re given, what to do about the closets you&#39;re not touching yet, and how to hush a kid&#39;s room without breaking their trust.

And I got honest with her about where my own home is right now, in a hard season, drifting. What she said back to me is the reason I&#39;m keeping this episode close.

In this episode:
- Why &#34;loud&#34; lands when &#34;cluttered&#34; doesn&#39;t
- The photo trick that cures house blindness instantly
- All the steps of backwards decluttering
- Why the 48 hour wait does the deciding for you
- Stuff threshold vs clutter threshold
- When to finally open the closed storage
- Hosting without keeping every extra just in case
- How to hush a kid&#39;s space collaboratively
- Experiencing a season through your five senses instead of storing decor eleven months a year

Your quick win from Myquillyn: clear off your coffee table and let it be naked.

Connect with Myquillyn: 
Website: https://thenester.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenester 
House Hushing is available everywhere books are sold.
Show notes: https://wannabeclutterfree.com/323

Come say hi on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree and tell me which room you&#39;re hushing first.

Happy decluttering.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The 12 Minute Method That Quiets Any Room with Myquillyn Smith

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/12/5/3f265dda-9b35-4c97-b2b7-460f127e0e9f_ep-322-decluttering-plan-didnt-want-to-make.mp3

I host a decluttering podcast, and my house is full.Not messy. Full. And I know exactly how it happened, because I have done it before.Our landlord is selling our house. My husband is in surgery the day this episode goes live. My mom is in another round of chemo. My daughter just went back to school and does not know about the move yet.I did not choose any of this. So I am choosing the one thing I still control.For the next 20 days, I am radically simplifying every single thing I own. Not my husband&#39;s. Not my daughter&#39;s. Mine.This is not the plan I wanted to make. It is the one I have. And I would love for you to make it with me.In this episode I share:<ul><li>Why my home quietly filled back up after I sold 85 to 90 percent of what we owned</li><li>The reason I am not touching anyone else&#39;s belongings, and why going first works better than asking</li><li>My five rules for the 20 days, including why the maybe box has to go</li><li>The four phase plan: the warm up, the drift zone, papers and pixels, and the hard things</li><li>My goal of 500 items in 20 days, or 25 items a day if you want it simple</li><li>The reframe that changed everything for me the week I found out we had to move</li></ul> I have been told you are not supposed to share until you are through to the other side. I cannot do that.So I am showing you the whole thing, in real time, starting today.Want the tracker? DM the keyword 20 on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree</a> and I will send you the 500 Item Declutter Challenge tracker so you can count right alongside me.Before you do anything else today: find five things that are yours. Just five. Put them in a bag by the door. That is day one, and you are already in it.Next week I am talking with Myquillyn Smith, The Nester, about her new book House Hushing. I recorded that conversation standing in the middle of this very full house, and I asked her things I would not have asked a year ago.Full show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/322" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/322</a>Follow along daily: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">@WannabeClutterFree</a>Listen and subscribe: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251" rel="nofollow">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10" rel="nofollow">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfree" rel="nofollow">YouTube</a>Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Our landlord is selling. My husband is in surgery. My mom is in chemo. So I am giving myself 20 days to declutter everything I own. This was not my idea, and I would love for you to do it with me.

The 20 Day Declutter Plan I Never Wanted to Make (Ep 322)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/5/7/03bf444c-ec5f-46da-a0b7-a42c246b5fa4_clutter-free-312-megan-sumrell-time-management.mp3

You have decluttered your closets. But have you decluttered your calendar?In this episode, Deanna sits down with Megan Sumrell, time management expert and founder of The Pink Bee, to talk about why reclaiming your time is the piece of living clutter free that most people skip. Megan spent over 20 years in corporate IT before she realized traditional time management systems were never built for women&#39;s lives, and she has spent the years since building something that actually works.In this episode you&#39;ll learn:<ul><li>Why living clutter free has to include your calendar, not just your closets</li><li>The single biggest time thief most women never notice</li><li>How to set up your phone so you&#39;re only interrupted for what actually matters</li><li>Why invisible work is real work, and how to make it visible to your family</li><li>Why a to-do list is not a plan, and what to build instead</li><li>How a decluttered home and a decluttered schedule work together</li><li>Why rest is not a reward, it&#39;s required</li></ul> If your schedule feels just as cluttered as your closet used to, press play.Connect with Megan Sumrell:Podcast: Work + Life HarmonyApp: The Pink Bee (App Store &amp; Google Play, free training inside)Instagram: @megansumrellConnect with Deanna:Instagram: @wannabeclutterfreeShow notes: wannabeclutterfree.com/321Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Time expert Megan Sumrell joins Deanna to show how reclaiming your time is the missing piece of living clutter free, and where to start this week.

How to Reclaim Time and Live Clutter Free with Megan Sumrell (Ep 321)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/28/19/7062f28d-0293-4547-b42a-c483b3c58edb_ep-320-family-command-center-solo.mp3

Who has soccer at 5:15? Did the permission slip go back? Is there anything defrostable for dinner? Are we out of milk again?If every one of those answers lives in your head and nowhere else, you do not have an organization problem. You have a bottleneck problem, and the bottleneck is you.In this episode I am sharing the session I presented at the Chaos to Calm Summit on building a family command center. It is one of my favorite things I have ever taught, because it is not about being more organized. It is about not being the only person in your house who knows what is going on.We cover both versions, physical and digital, so you can build the one that actually fits your family instead of the one that looks good on Pinterest. I walk you through the components every command center needs, the extras that solve specific problems like the school paper avalanche, and the five steps to get yours set up this week. And with the school year and every activity schedule coming back at once, this is the week to do it.In this episode:<ul><li>Why a family command center works as the brain of your home, and what it actually fixes</li><li>The three components every command center needs, physical or digital</li><li>The one physical addition that finally solves permission slips and school papers</li><li>Why location matters more than how pretty it looks</li><li>Why I love my Skylight calendar, and the three features to look for in any digital system</li><li>How color coding creates instant ownership so nobody has to ask you</li><li>Why I use a hybrid of physical and digital, and where each one earns its keep</li><li>The five setup steps, including the fifteen minute weekly sync that holds the whole thing together</li><li>Three bonus tips to make it stick past week two</li></ul>Your next step: Pick one component. Just one. Set it up today.Grab my free Doable Dozen guide with the 12 tasks I run every week to keep our home running, including my Daily Magic Five: <a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/doabledozen" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/doabledozen</a>Want the rest of the Chaos to Calm Summit? All 35 sessions are available here: <a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/summit" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/summit</a>Next week I am talking with Megan Sumrell about time management, and it is the perfect follow-up to this one.If this episode helped, would you tap follow and leave a quick rating? It genuinely helps other tired moms find the show.Connect with me on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/</a>Full show notes: <a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/podcast" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/podcast</a>Go to <a href="https://OmahaSteaks.com" rel="nofollow">https://OmahaSteaks.com</a> and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply.  Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Tired of being the only one in your house who knows what is happening? A family command center fixes that. Here are the five steps to set one up, physical or digital, before the school year swallows you.

5 Steps to Stop Being Your Family's Human Calendar (Ep 320)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/22/6/40b635a5-df1e-4be8-9494-6955820022cf_clutter_free_monica_packer_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

If you struggle to stick to your routines, create new habits, or find perfectionism running your life, this episode is for you.I&#39;m sitting down with Monica Packer, host of the top-rated About Progress podcast and author of the upcoming book Sticky Habits, for a conversation that completely reframes why habits feel so hard for busy moms.Monica opens up about her own journey with perfectionism, and then walks us through something surprising: almost every popular habit book was written by and tested on lives that look nothing like a mother&#39;s. Most of us carry an insane amount of invisible labor every day. So when the standard advice doesn&#39;t stick, we blame ourselves, when really the method was never built for us.Here&#39;s what we get into:<ul><li>Why perfectionism is really a misplacement of identity, and what it quietly costs us</li><li>The invisible labor research that explains why habit advice keeps failing women</li><li>How to redefine consistency so it&#39;s actually possible on your worst days</li><li>The four qualities that make a habit sticky</li><li>Monica&#39;s simple WTA formula (When, Then, After) for habits that finally hold</li></ul> This is warm, validating, and full of the kind of slow, messy, sustainable growth we love around here. It pairs perfectly with the decluttering work you&#39;re already doing.The thing Monica most wants you to know? You can change. Everyone can.Resources mentioned: <ul><li>About Progress podcast </li><li>Sticky Habits by Monica Packer, pre-order at <a href="http://stickyhabitsbook.com/" rel="nofollow">stickyhabitsbook.com</a> </li><li>Fair Play by Eve Rodsky</li></ul> Connect with Monica: Instagram: @aboutprogress Book and bonuses: <a href="http://stickyhabitsbook.com/" rel="nofollow">stickyhabitsbook.com</a>Let&#39;s connect: Instagram: @wannabeclutterfree Show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/319" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/319</a>If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, share it with a friend who&#39;s been beating herself up about her habits, and leave a quick review so more moms can find us. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Do you struggle with routines ? Habit coach Monica Packer explains why almost every habit book was built for a life that looks nothing like yours, and how to build habits that actually stick.

Why Your Routines Never Stick & The 3-Word Fix with Monica Packer (Ep 319)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/15/5/b01cd6e9-df36-4876-b412-c388353ab974_-_lightning_tidy_-_podcast_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

You have probably said it at least once: “I’ll do the whole house this weekend.” And then Saturday came, and you either didn’t start, or you started and made things worse, or you finished and watched it fill right back up within a week. Today I’m explaining exactly what’s happening, and introducing the habit that finally breaks it.The Lightning Tidy is five minutes a day. Same time, same routine, every day. I’m walking you through the neuroscience of why it works when every other approach hasn’t, including a deep dive into what happens in your brain with every unfinished task in your home, why large sessions create decision fatigue before you even begin, and why the Lightning Tidy is specifically designed to work for ADHD brains in a way that conventional tidying advice never has.I’m also sharing what comes next: the weekly Mighty Tidy, a 30-minute deep dive into one specific area of your home, and why the daily Lightning Tidy is the thing that makes the Mighty Tidy actually possible.In this episode you’ll learn:<ul><li>The Zeigarnik effect: why every pile of clutter is an open loop draining your brain</li><li>How unfinished goals degrade cognitive performance (2011 Masicampo &amp; Baumeister research)</li><li>Decision fatigue and why the Lightning Tidy bypasses it completely</li><li>Task initiation aversion and why it hits ADHD brains differently</li><li>Exactly what a Lightning Tidy looks like (with the family math that makes it powerful)</li><li>Peggybacking: how to attach the Lightning Tidy to something you already do</li><li>The identity-based habit shift from James Clear’s Atomic Habits</li><li>The 66-day research on habit automaticity (and why it’s less daunting than it sounds)</li><li>The Mighty Tidy: 30 minutes once a week for real decluttering progress</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/atomic-habits-an-easy--proven-way-to-build-good-habits--break-bad-ones_james-clear/19493521/" rel="nofollow">Atomic Habits by James Clear</a></li><li>Effortless Home: DAILY Edition: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/effortless-home-daily" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/effortless-home-daily</a></li></ul> Next week: Monica Packer joins me to talk about habits. If you listened to this thinking, great, but I can’t keep habits, that episode is for you. Subscribe so you don’t miss it.After that: the next solo episode goes deep into the neuroscience of why your cluttered home is affecting your mental health at a biological level. It’s some of the most important context I’ve ever shared on this podcast. Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

If a big weekend declutter has failed you in the past, you are not alone. I’m breaking down the Zeigarnik effect, decision fatigue, and task initiation aversion, and teaching you the 5-minute Lightning Tidy that gets you a tidy home the easy way.

How a 5 Minute Daily Tidy Beats One Big Weekend Declutter (Ep 318)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/11/1/64321918-cd8e-4970-9048-8c65bf64dd89_erside_ep_317_ashlee_piper_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

Have you ever decluttered your home only to watch it slowly fill right back up? This episode is for you.Ashlee Piper is a sustainability expert, speaker, and author who has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN, and in Vogue, the New York Times, and Newsweek. She created the No New Things Challenge in 2013. What started as a personal 30-day experiment turned into nearly two years of not buying anything new. The result? She saved over $36,000, paid off $22,000 in debt, reclaimed her time, and completely rewired her relationship with shopping. Her new book, No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity, guides readers through the same challenge.In this conversation, Ashlee and Deanna dig into what she calls conditioned consumerism, the history of how post-WWII America reprogrammed an entire society from resourceful people into reflexive shoppers, and how that programming is the real reason your home keeps filling up no matter how many times you declutter.In this episode you will learn:<ul><li>Why the urge to buy new things is not a personal failing but a historical and marketing construct</li><li>The SUPER System: five ways to get your needs met without buying anything new</li><li>How to use a trigger-tracking journal to discover the real emotions driving your shopping impulses</li><li>The 2-7 minute rule and why riding it out changes everything</li><li>How the challenge builds creativity, community, and connection as unexpected side effects</li><li>Why Ashlee says women are the most powerful purchasing cohort on the planet and what that means for your household</li></ul>Pick up No New Things wherever books are sold. You can also find it secondhand at ThriftBooks.Find Ashlee on Instagram: @ashleepiperLearn more at: <a href="http://ashleepiper.com/" rel="nofollow">ashleepiper.com</a>Full show notes: <a href="http://wannabeclutterfree.com/317" rel="nofollow">wannabeclutterfree.com/317</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Your kid won't get rid of anything. Dana K. White is here to change that. She shares her container concept and No Mess process for decluttering with kids without the power struggles, the guilt, or the tears.

The Shocking Reason Your Home is Cluttered & the 30-Day Fix with Ashlee Piper (Ep 317)

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/7/11/1/8913a253-e725-4dfa-abeb-1a1025e6d85c_riverside_ep_316_deanna_yates_s_stud.mp3

Have you ever spent a Saturday morning deep cleaning your entire house, and by noon you still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and a little annoyed at everything? Your house looks great. You should feel amazing. But you don’t.That’s not you being a perfectionist. It’s the sneaky kind of clutter that almost nobody in the decluttering world ever talks about.Calendar clutter (or the mental load of keeping everything running)In this episode I’m bringing it to light and giving you a real system to clear it. You’ll learn the two distinct forms calendar clutter takes (an overbooked calendar full of other people’s priorities, and the quieter weight of undone decisions with no home), the weekly capture method that gets everything out of your head and onto paper, and why protected blank space is not wasted time, it’s the time that makes everything else work.This is the finale of my four-part series on the invisible weight of clutter, the stuff that doesn’t pile up on your counters but piles up in your mind instead.In this episode you’ll learn:<ul><li>Why a clean house doesn’t always feel like a calm house</li><li>The two kinds of calendar clutter (most people only ever deal with one)</li><li>How to build a “vision filter” so you stop saying yes out of guilt</li><li>The weekly capture method for clearing undone decisions out of your head</li><li>Why blank space on your calendar is not wasted space</li><li>A simple script for saying no without feeling like a flake</li></ul>Mentioned in this episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/daily" rel="nofollow">Effortless Home: DAILY Edition (use code EPISODE316 for $10 dollars off, 48 hours only): </a><a href="https://wannabeclutterfree.com/daily" rel="nofollow">https://wannabeclutterfree.com/daily</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4wpuSwF" rel="nofollow">Fair Play by Eve Rodsky: https://amzn.to/4wpuSwF</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4weJL4E" rel="nofollow">Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing: https://amzn.to/4weJL4E</a></li></ul> Our Sponsors: * Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com * Check out Vinted: https://www.vinted.com Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

You can have a perfectly clean house and still feel buried. It’s not in your head, it IS your head. Calendar clutter is real, and today I’m giving you the system to finally clear it.

The Hidden Digital Clutter Draining Your Day and the 15-Minute Fix (Ep 316)

Ready to stop the overwhelm and start enjoying your life more? This podcast will help you declutter the piles of stuff, organize the things you want to keep, and learn to let go of the rest with positive mindsets and encouragement.   As a busy mom who's been there, done that, I share stories of the crazy - like selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler to the mundane - like having to run a home now that our kiddo's in school. Living with less is not about deprivation - just the opposite! Decluttering can open you up for a life of freedom you never knew was possible.   And you won’t hear it just from me - there are amazing guests too! It’s practical, doable, and simple for those of us that wannabe clutter free.

Ready to finally calm the overwhelm and create a home and life you actually enjoy? The Wannabe Clutter Free podcast is here to help you clear the clutter, simplify your routines, and find freedom in the life you’re building.

I’m Deanna Yates, a busy mom who knows what it’s like to juggle family, career, and the never-ending piles of stuff. From selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler, to managing the daily chaos of running a home with a school-aged kid, I’ve learned that living with less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about creating more space, more peace, and more joy.

Each week, I share real-life stories, simple decluttering strategies, and mindset shifts that make it easier to let go of what’s weighing you down. You’ll also hear from inspiring guests who share practical tips and fresh perspectives on minimalism, home organization, intentional living, and building habits that last.

If you’re tired of feeling buried in clutter and crave a home that feels calm, welcoming, and easy to manage, this show is for you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress, freedom, and finding space for what truly matters to you.