Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

Does 10 minutes really work when your whole house is a disaster? This week I'm trying something new and answering your questions about 10-minute tidying.
In this episode:
What my home looked like before, with weekend marathon cleaning sessions
Why I really do want you to stop when the timer goes off
How I clean a bathroom in two 10-minute chores
Why a 30-minute Mighty Tidy beats a whole weekend of decluttering
The leaky boat, and why decluttering doesn't stick
Tidying when you're exhausted, working full time or raising toddlers and teens
Why I built Sm'ores, the small chores dealt out like cards
What 10 minutes a night adds up to (about 5 hours a month)
The one thing to do tonight

Want the reminder and the timer done for you? Try Tindy free at https://tindy.app
Have a question I didn't answer? Email me at deanna@wannabeclutterfree.com.
Show notes: wannabeclutterfree.com/335
Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
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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'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:
Why the person who notices the mess ends up doing the work
Wanting someone to parent me, and why handing off the reminder helps so much
Why 10 minutes works better than 5 (hello, underpromise and overdeliver)
How a nightly tidy turned us into a team against the house
The night we finished in 4 minutes and 38 seconds
3 steps to hand off the nightly reset, starting tonight
Tonight'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'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: Tindy.app

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
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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'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't been opened since moving day and won'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'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'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'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. @wannabeclutterfree
Show notes: wannabeclutterfree.com/333

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
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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:
How clutter and burnout feed each other
Why Megan wants moms to put themselves first
Why balance is BS, and why alignment and harmony work better
What losing 98% of her belongings in a house fire taught her about calm
Her three phases of change: awareness, decide, practice
Minimal viable actions, the smallest steps that build momentum
What clutter free means to Megan
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: https://tindy.app
The ROCKSTAR Mom Summit starts Tuesday, October 27, and it's free. I'm one of the speakers! Grab your free ticket: https://wannabeclutterfree.com/rockstar
Connect with Megan
Website: https://megancaldwellpdx.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megancaldwellpdx/
The ROCKSTAR Mom podcast: https://therockstarmom.buzzsprout.com/
Connect with Deanna
Full show notes: https://wannabeclutterfree.com/332
Tindy app: https://tindy.app
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/
Thanks to our sponsors:
Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code 1800gotjunk.com for a great deal: https://www.1800gotjunk.com
Check out BetterHelp and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
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Boo. It's October.
Thanksgiving is only six weeks away. Christmas is only ten.
Deanna shares the four things she's doing right now so December feels calm, cozy, and intentional instead of frantic. This is her family'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'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'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'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't specific to any religion. December is a full month for everyone.
Resources Mentioned:
Clutter Free Holiday Blueprint: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/clutter-free-holiday-blueprint
Try the Tindy App
Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code 1800gotjunk.com for a great deal: https://www.1800gotjunk.com
Check out BetterHelp and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com

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