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Thank you for watching!! Get a 7-day free trial and 25% off Blinkist Annual Premium by clicking: bit.ly/TheMinimalMomMar24 or scanning the QR code! Have a great day! Love, Dawn
I found Blinkist through you and I love it!
Did you get the meal planning pages (what's for dinner) on Amazon? I didn't see them on your affiliate link.
Hi Dawn. Have you considered interviewing Don Aslett in your podcast? He's the original "declutter first" before you organize or clean person.
Can you do a video, or if you have share the link, on how to organize & maximize space in a smaller bathroom that has a pedestal sink (no cabinet)? I really need it, & you’re amazing with minimalist solutions! I’ve been minimizing what we have in the bathroom to help need less storage. I also got a medicine cabinet mirror & a separate medicine cabinet over the toilet. Storage products are kept somewhere else as well to make sure we leave more space in the bathroom.
I've simplified my daily routine and I love the difference that I created
I love how you kept repeating "in this season.". It's so important to remember that if something stops working it's ok to change it.
Yesss I agree! Helps my ❤ so much
My Mom put squishy comforters on all our beds and taught us to "make snow angels" when we wake up to smooth out the covers and roll out. Plop, plop, four little kids dropping out of our perfectly made beds. When I had kids I taught them the same trick and even adults can do it. My Mom always said that "done is good enough" and I try to live that way. She only lived to be 41 so I am glad she did not take life too seriously and was happy.
Love this
How do you make "snow angels"?
@@chrys77cross As kids when we would lay down in the snow and spread our arms and legs back and forth it looked like and angel in the snow when we got up.
Danke für deinen Kommentar!
Schön, dass deine Mutter liebende Spuren hinterlassen hat.
I wish I could convince my husband of that. He thinks all my new tricks are just craziness
Dawn, I’ve developed a Pavlovian response to your voice. 😅 I put on your videos and I IMMEDIATELY get up and start organizing, cleaning, or decluttering! You could sing the alphabet and I’d likely do the same. 😉 Thank you 😊
Same!!
Haha, that’s great!
SAME 😂🎉❤
Same 😂
On the other hand, if I watch one of those hoarder episodes I'm not 10 minutes into it before I jump up and find things to get rid of!😂
One year the kids arrived for a birthday party and I had not finished decorating the yard. The kids were thrilled
to blow up balloons and race around with crepe paper. The y told me it was the most fun thing and we agreed to let that be the opening activity for future parties too.Sometimes the things we worry about are missed opportunities for fun!
I kid you not.... I am not a cake decorator. One year I iced a white two layer cake for my daughter. (8 or 9 years old) Her friends sat down at the dining table and I placed icing bags and sprinkles and such on the table. Each girl got one minute to add something to the cake. They passed the cake from girl to girl at least three times. It came out super cute and they were thrilled.
After spending too much for a fancy cake one year -- it looked better than it tasted -- I changed the birthday practice: I made a load of cupcakes, bowls of white and tinted frosting and many jars of colored decorations. Put a colorful sheet on the picnic table and let the kids go at it. Each guest decorated one to eat and made another one to take home. They had more fun and ate everything they decorated. So much more rewarding and less costly for a better outcome.
@bonniestearns2965 great idea 😊
I take care of 3 sisters and when it was one girl’s bday the other two (along with a friend who was over) went to our basement and decorated the whole place with crepe paper and made cards and a pin the tail on “her favorite stuffy”. It was the best. They spent about an hour working on it and the sister was so thrilled to be in the limelight when they walked her downstairs
Brilliant!
I've automated and simplified by buying 7 pairs of the same socks. Laundry: I don't have to sort or pair (I put them in a tiny bin). And in the morning, I grab any 2 socks.
Yes!I did this too with socks, also went to black pants, saves so much time.
@@lucystrider728I also went with the black pants and took it another step with a long sleeve white ladies tee during the week. During the winter I wear it with a zippered hoodie and during my gardening season I wear a worn men's long sleeve dress shirt (brother is an attorney and had lots). The white reflects the heat (tip from my daddy). I get to dress up for church on Sunday and going out ♥
Same!
Love this! I hadn't fully acknowledged it to myself yet but I hate sorting socks, haha! Will definitely plan for this when buying new socks soon 😃
😂 I did this and I still pair, what's wrong with me 🙈
Deciding once to have sugar just on holidays and special occasions helped FREE me from a lifelong sugar addiction once my brain chemistry reset. I started naturally craving more vegetables and healthy foods and effortlessly lost over fifty pounds without dieting! Huzzah! 😃
I could do that with all the sweet stuff I comfort it reward myself with to weigh less
That’s awesome!
This is brilliant!
I want this freedom! But it's hard for me to stop consuming sugar...😓
Yes 🙌🏻 I need this philosophy
“I just made [my bed] because you were coming over today.” Aww 🥰
😅
I know ❤ melt!
Decluttering for me has involved a lot of difficult decisions about family heirlooms, some of them worth a lot. (I'm almost 80, and many things from my grandparents go back to the late 19th and early 20th century, so no I can't replace any of it for $20 and some not at any price!😆) When a grandchild is getting married I let them choose their wedding gift from a selection of items. I love seeing the empty spot where the treasure used to be stuffed into the curio cabinet, knowing that a family member starting out will enjoy it and hopefully pass it along.
That is soooo cool!
This is precious.
I love this idea of passing on heirlooms!!
Perfect!
Beautiful!
Very fun video! I love houseplants but they are so much work! I decided that I would only water my plants once a week on Mondays. Any plants that didn't like the routine were composted...no exceptions. Now, when people come over they think I have a green thumb!😊
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I Water the garden on Wednesday and Weekends. Before adopting this rule I was drowning my tomatoes!
I want to get into gardening a little bit this year. My husband would like for us to have a few more indoor plants too. These tips really help.
❤
My day is Sunday.
For me, making my bed, as soon as I get up, starts the tone of the day.
I have lots of routines, I’m 76, so I’ve had lots of time to curate them, and I live alone after raising 4 kids. When I get up, I turn around and make the bed. Then I get dressed for the day, in the clothes I put out the night before. Breakfast and ready to move on with the day. I have a planner, I know if there are appointments, or things I need to do. I also tidy and do any dishes. I take great pride in my simplified home. At night I settle down to relax around 8 pm. Then before bed I tidy, get out my clothes for the next day. I don’t even think about it. Auto pilot!
I love your idea for the birthday cards. I think I’ll work on that.
❤
thank you for sharing, Linda!
Sounds like a very calming plan. On my birthday cards, I write the date to be mailed in the corner where the stamp goes, then it is cleverly covered by the stamp.
We've simplified life by having pizza, salad, and apples every Sunday night. I love it! No brain power needed.
For years, Sunday dinner was noontime, so supper in the evening was popcorn and ice cream -- easy peasy!
For us, Mondays are always breakfast foods for dinner.
Same for us, but on Fridays. I like the apple addition and we'll start that this week!
For Christmas I did auto subscriptions from Amazon. My son gets a bag of his favorite coffee beans and my daughter-in law gets her favorite candle EVERY MONTH. They don’t need anything but seem to enjoy getting a little something every month that they enjoy. I think it may have a lot to do with someone thinking about them. I’m going to do the same thing this Christmas because they are impossible to buy for.
I looooooove that. Such a sweet idea, it's something they enjoy and that's the best feeling for the giver ! 😊
Love this idea!!
That's so sweet! That's great on so many levels. A) It's fun to get packages in the mail b) it takes away a job for them (remember to buy coffee beans)!
Genius 😂
Love this idea! More personal than a gift card, yet something that they actually want and use! And no wrapping or shipping required.
What a great concept! I remember when I was a teacher. I came across the idea of deciding once when it came to kids and drugs. I told my students that this is a decision they only need to make one time in their life, even if they are asked multiple times if they would like to try a substance.
❤
Thank you! I will use this concept at my Sunday Bible class
You are planting a seed of knowledge.
I’m not sure if this exactly fits this theme, but my husband and I have “business” meetings every weekend, usually a Saturday morning after breakfast, where we go over our calendar and budget. We make decisions about attending upcoming events together and things outside of the norm to our budget. That way, we can decide together and are on the same page with our priorities. Then we are also not making decisions when we are tired or in any kind of frenetic way. If someone invites us to something, I let them know we will talk about it over the weekend and get back to them. I add those things to our google calendar event description so that I don’t forget them by the time the meeting comes. It has been such a lifesaver to our communication and we usually make better more thoughtful decisions!
We just returned from vacation and stayed in several hotels. I didn’t take any small shampoo bottles!!! 😊
I think the most important thing you said, amongst many wonderful points was "automate the things that DONT MATTER to YOU." Perfect.
When I was your age, I came to the same realization about products. I like “X” brand so that’s what I buy. No second guessing. Then I read an article explaining how advertisers don’t even factor in anyone over 40 because “they have already made up their minds”. 😮I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Suddenly I felt old and wise 😂
Love that!
That made me laugh ! 😅😅
I love this explanation. I have witnessed it. There is a certain level of confidence and resolution in older generations, and I can testify to it in comparison to younger generations. I think marketing has an underlying ‘doubt’ thread. Everyone is waiting on the next great thing. Technology is advancing after all (insert eye roll). Someone once told me that it’s (advertising, ads, demos, etc) like a traveling salesman. Some people lock the front door and others invite them in. Many are gimmicks. Before anyone comes at me, none of those things are inherently bad, nor is trying something new because you actually need a better product. We can be resolved though, and we can be confident in our decisions. A good example is skin care. I’ve been using the same moisturizer for twenty-three years. I used to be sort of ashamed that I had not found anything new. Someone even gifted me some last year. I used it, but I’m not going to rebuy. It’s three times the price of my old fave. I’m confident that what I have works. Older generations did that; they found something that worked and stuck with it.
@@creceyvarney6767 Exactly. Why anyone falls into the "buy this, it is the latest and greatest" new product that has been around for decades and works I have no idea.
Sadly the same brand isn't always the same quality. I have bought Jockey brand panties for years. But new ones are sometimes duds. They have a taller rise than anything else I have tried.
My daughter is 4 and in her first year at school and is constantly being invited to parties for the whole class, I went online during the sales, and bought about 25 items for a couple of pounds each (we are in the uk) and a pack of 30 birthday cards from Amazon - the gifts are now all wrapped, when she has a party she just picks one at random and choose a card and we are ready to go, when she starts making closer friends and knows more about people's likes and dislikes I will come up with a new system but I feel so much less stressed not having to rush around buying a gift last minute and inevitably spending far too much.
When my kids were in preschool and early elementary school I stockpiled gifts: books, coloring books, stickers, markers and other art supplies and solid color gift bags and stored them all together on my “gift shelf”. When my kids got an invitation, they would select the gifts from the shelf and they would also decorate a gift bag. It was a fun art project for them and no shopping, cards or wrapping needed.
I did this as well
I would be nuts attending all of those parties! My kids prefer to stay home. Thank goodness! Lol!
I make very few decisions in my daily life. It's freeing. I alternate everything, including my jewelry, my clothes, my meals. I only have things I like and just use the next one everyday. I alternate 10 dinners, 2 breakfasts and 3 lunches that I love. I am flexible if something comes up. Life is busy enough without having to decide these things daily. I save decisions for the big things! xo
Brillant
Now, I want to know what your ten dinners are to see if I could borrow any of those ideas. Feel free to share.
@@plum_colored_dahlia 1. lo-cal Stouffer's meal 2. pasta/meat sauce 3.soup/fish sticks 4. steak/sweet potato 5. chicken nuggets 6. ravioli/cranberry sauce 7. take-out/restaurant 8.chicken/broccoli/ziti 9. scrambled eggs/toast 10. hot dog
@@plum_colored_dahlia I alternate these 10 dinners in 14 days in this order: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 then 1,8,9,10,5,6,7.
(9 is actually hot dog and 10 is scrambled eggs/toast. I mixed them up :)
@@joannecalcutt6724 Thank you xo
Starting with my husband's grandmother's 99th birthday I give her a family photo and a photo of her great grandchildren (our little family of 4) from the past year. We live a few hours away so usually only get to see this part of the family once or twice a year. This way she still gets a little something special without cluttering her space. For her 100th birthday along with photos I did gift her a small photo album to collect the photos into. She loves it. She is currently 102 years. I figured I'd share in case someone else has a dear elderly family member they want to gift. Love your videos Dawn. Thank you for all the tips. Wishing everyone a blessed life. ❤
This is such a lovely idea ❤
When the kids were little, I accidentally automated bedtime 😅
I was able to simply say “5 things” and they’d scamper off getting them done.
1. Vitamin
2. Drink of water
3. Brush teeth
4. Potty
5. PJ’s
Made evenings so much easier!
I am adult and I have my 6 things at night too! Meds, water, skin care, shower, jammies, prayer.❤
Kids love structure ❤
❤
YAY, that is what we call our first thing in the morning routine "5 things"--one for each finger on one hand. Room Day on Saturday has 5 things too.
Ours is "Jammies, potty, teeth." Unfortunately, they won't do it unless we stay on top of them the entire time... But at least we know the checklist.
For high school graduates I like to write a check for the year they graduate. Last year I wrote a check for $20.23. The graduates love the clever acknowledgement!
My one decision is YOU are the only lifestyle youtuber I listen to! ❤
Buy a vase! Newlyweds are at their most romantic, buying flowers, but forgetting that they need a vase.
Thanks Dawn!! Love your hair. ❤
Same! Lol
ABSOLUTELY!!
My entire wardrobe fits in two drawers. Everything fits and I like everything😊
Wow, that's really minimal! I'm down to a 36 in. Closet. 😊
I have automated regular medical appointments. Dentist, optometrist, GP, etc are set for my birth month. Then 6 months later for those needed. Also the 15th of every month I check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, dog’s meds, furnace filter, rotate mattress, etc. i do not have to write it on a calendar or try to remember when it was done last. Dawn, I do the monthly menu and it is posted on the fridge. Anyone can start dinner.
Doing the appointments in your birth month is a great idea!
I ALWAYS make my bed. I was not taught to do that, but as an adult I’ve made it a habit. It makes me feel happy when I walk into my bedroom.
I no longer fold and arrange underpants in a drawer. I have a large glass canister in my closet and it keeps them all. Lift the mass to put the clean pairs at the bottom. I can easily pull out the pair I want. I don't care if they aren't folded... and no one else seems to mind.
I have underwear in a drawer, and take from the front to wear, insert clean ones at the rear.
I recently decided to stack all panties flat on top of each other (no folding) and I flip the pile every time I do laundry.
When I had my first child I came up with a weekly routine that I still stick to 28 years later. If it is Monday, I do laundry and tidy up the main bedroom and ensuite, etc, right to Friday, when I clean the floors, do paperwork and filing. The weekends used to be the boys’ hockey, now I help hubby with a chore and Sunday we rest. Not for everyone but it’s worked for me. Do I miss days? Sure. I don’t beat myself up I just get to it on the next go round. 😊
I’ve only been watching you for 1 yr now, but this is BY FAR one of the BEST organized, CONTENT PACKED, well presented vids I’ve seen. Bravo!!
My cousin heard that I was about to tackle my shed's storage and she showed up with hanging hooks, plastic containers, the whole deal. And we went through and had it whipped into shape (90%) in a couple hours. It took me looking at things and going 'haven't use that in x amount of time, or...it's rusty, and I don't want to bother cleaning that all up for something I don't even use' and pitched it. She got to decide if her husband could use anything, which made it even easier to let go for me. I've got things on pegboards, so I can actually see what's there. Guys, I had those hooks for the pegboard in a box for months, just didn't want to face doing all that. It wasn't that bad, once started. I'm a guy, so sure, I have 4 sets of tools, but one's in the house, one's in the vehicle and a couple are a mishmash of whatever from 1989, because...reasons. But just having it all lined up, let me decide that yeah, I really don't need a 4th copy of a small screwdriver I probably got from an auto parts store because I spent so much there, they knew they could pay the rent on the building that month. One large cardboard box went out to the trash, along with a construction bag full of junque. Sounds better if I spell it like that. It's better to know what I have, than have two or more tools 'somewhere'. That way I can keep up on things and take care of them better.
It feels wonderful, doesn't it? You should be super proud. And what a great cousin you have!
"I have 4 sets of tools.....because...reasons." Made me laugh because my husband is the same. When we simplified the garage he let go of old off-brand duplicates thank goodness, but he will not let go of duplicates and triplicates that are the brands he likes. 🤷♀
Your writing style is both funny and articulate. I think you could have your own youtube channel on decluttering and organizing workshops, tool sheds, garage, etc. Mostly "guy stuff." 😄 P.S.While cleaning out the garage I found 17 screwdrivers in one drawer, I kid you not!🙄
I'm right now stuck with decluttering tools. Turns out that's the hardest area to get rid of stuff for me. I had no idea that I love tools so much😂
As a teacher I always appreciated any gift but my favorites were personal notes from the student or parent. I reread them from time to time. They still bring a smile to my face.
❤
I have a poster frame in my room of various notes and pictures over the years, it's one of my favorite items.
Thank you for sharing this great idea.
I only buy one type of underwear. I know it probably doesn't make a big difference to some folks, but never having to make a decision about what underwear to wear brings so much simplicity to my mornings. I buy the same style of no-show panties from Soma, 8 in black and 4 in nude. And the same style bras, 2 in black and 2 in nude. I buy them all at once when there's a sale, and they last about 3 years for the undies and 2 years for the bras. Then I just replace them when they're worn out, again all at once.
My rules for the kitchen that keep it clean almost all the time:
- no dirty dishes in the sink unless something needs soaking before washing
- the dishwasher is either empty or has dirty dishes so it can be started anytime. As soon as I empty it, I add the pod so it’s always ready to be run.
- nothing on the countertop except a (standing)cutting board, oils, and a few beautiful decorative souvenirs that mean a lot to me. It’s eye candy and always perks me up
- before bed, everything is wiped down, so I actually look forward to seeing the kitchen in the morning
- clean up any messes (almost) immediately
❤
Funny because what has been working for me is the opposite. I would rather open the dishwasher once to put ten things in than open it ten times to put one thing in.
Being a night person, during the day I put any dishes in my deep single basin sink. The counter doesnt look messy.
Then, trying to avoid rinsing, I load the entire thing at night and run whatever I have in there, whether it's full or not. (Sometimes I do every other night)
This has been working for 4 months. Plus as an ADHD person I can try more to race to get them all in the dishwasher as fast as possible.
You sound like not an adhd person, and I'm jealous of that.
@@lauralaforge558ADHD vs OCD, pick your poison 😂. Neither one is fun.
@@vra6759 if you are actually dx OCD, that sucks.
I forget to run the dishwasher. I will have it loaded and my husband gets home between 11pm and midnight so I’m waiting on his dishes he took to work. Then I fall asleep and forget the whole thing until the next morning. Not every day but more here lately for some reason.
I decide once where to park my car for basically all the places I go to.
I park in the same row and enter by the Toys R Us regardless of where I'm going inside a local mall. At a different mall, I always park underground near this specific elevator. At Walmart, I always take the first spot that has no one on either side in this one row, past the last cart return. And so on and so forth.
It allows me to expand zero brain power deciding where to park but more crucially, I never forget where I parked when it's time to leave.
I do this too, mostly at the grocery store.
Genius!!😊
I do this at Home Depot - I park in the exit lane.
For some reason Home Depot’s parking lot was very confusing to me. This solved my confusion.😊
As a vendor rep I have had up to 18 different Home Depots I had to visit once every week or two, and I have a favorite parking spot for all of them.
I automated meals as best I could. Every 7 weeks or so I make a list of 20 meals. It's usually the same 20 meals. Each week I pick the 3 I'm going to make and load the ingredients into my Walmart pickup. I have made most of these meals so am y times that I have perfected it and it's really easy. Now I have an 8 year old who wants to help cook so she picks a few each month she will help with and then I have her make those each time they come up so eventually she can take over the meal for that night. My plan is to eventually have a kid make a meal once a week once they are 12 or 13 so they are learning a few easy meals. This system has made my most hated part of my day so easy.
Ingenious! Ingenious for improving your own day and making your daughter a part of your day (incorporating teaching her how to make her own meals for future).
My car- every evening when I am home for the day the CAR gets emptied of everything. Fridays are my shortest day in my office and in the way home I get a car wash & vacuum.
I'm a mom of three very young kids and I agree with a weekly wash/vacuum!!! It's awesome
I do the birthday card thing too! Cards from dollar store, stickers inside, address the envelopes ahead of time. Since I am more “paper based”, I paper clip them into my planner on the week I need to mail them. It makes my planner a little chunky, but it helps remind me as well as giving me the dopamine hit when I feel my planner get thinner throughout the year! 😆
That's a great idea about putting the cards into your planner!
I decided once on my breakfast. I do not have any mental capacity in the morning to decide what to eat
Me too! Same breakfast for years now. I do berry oatmeal during the work week and eggs & tortillas with salsa on the weekends. If I get a craving for other breakfast foods, like waffles or french toast, I'll make it for dinner.
Same here! I've eaten the exact same breakfast for probably six years and I'm still not tired of it. Makes mornings so much easier.
Me too! Oats every morning..grew up with it every morning growing up, now I have it still and change it up by adding fruits or nuts or cinnamon or whatever
Same for me! I have two fried eggs & two pieces of toast every morning...with water & coffee. I eat whatever fruit/veggies I have on hand to go with it, such as strawberries (today^^) or green beans. It's actually brunch for me since I don't eat again until around 4 p.m. It's nice not thinking too hard about breakfast.👍 And I haven't gotten tired of this in over 7 years so far...~.~
Though naturally messy, during high school I began making my bed daily--made the room look tidier than it actually was! Now I still pull up the sheets and duvet after getting up, (no fancy stuff!) and voila! After a long day, there's our nice welcoming bed. It's a gift to self, not a chore!
I accidentally started doing this with the food I buy when I learned that Gluten makes me sick. I have very specific foods in specific brands that I buy for myself, and I never deviate from them. It means I don’t have to stress over the food I eat, and I rarely get sick anymore or even worry about it.
We do this as well. My husband recently figured out he has very bad reactions to pea and fava bean proteins which is popping up all over the place and I have an allergy to cassava flour which is in a lot of gluten free foods. I have decided to buy the same items on repeat. It is the easiest way to go. I don’t spend hours reading every label and can still be sure we are ok.
I love this idea because you don't have to spend extra time reading labels on all your food products while in the store
It’s so hard at first, when you go GF! Grocery shopping seems to take forever. But I’m thankful that it gets so much easier.
Hubby and kids have Celiac so I keep a GF household. At first it was daunting reading all the ingredient labels, now I only buy those brands that bear GF mark. I don’t even go down the bread aisle. I basically perimeter shop, which is where all the fresh stuff is anyway. It keeps me from being tempted by highly processed stuff. We decline bread when eating out. Being forced to limit to a certain diet has actually turned out to be liberating.
I view our bed as the largest flat surface in our house, besides the floors. Making the bed each day puts our little house on a good trajectory for the day.
🛏️ ✅
I have a very sm wardrobe. All clean shirts are hung on the right of closet bar. Every morning I wear whatever is on the left end. 2 kinds of pants go with any of it. All my pjs are rolled into a horizontal basket. Same thing. Clean on the right. Grab whatever's on the left every night. All my clothes are cycled through. If I don't like anything enough to keep it on for a whole day, I toss it.
Love this ❤
My husband does that! He says that he is an equal opportunity wearer. Everything gets its time to be worn.
In the season when all my four children were still home, I had a 2 week meal plan that I just kept repeating. (I'm 70 now...does a homemaker ever retire? :) ) There were some meals that we used each week as they were favorites. I had read that many families use only about 12 meals regularly which validated this plan for me. It made shopping lists so easy, and I agree that it lifted a mental burden.
I love your birthday card excitement. Yes! It's so fun to be on top of celebrating others. And being the chicken taco person. I am the salmon person. It's 20 min on 400 and it's always great. I have 6 different toppings options (almond/pecan crusted, mustard crusted, etc) all made similarly, just super simple and my go-to. My mom used to apologize that she always made the same thing when I'd visit and I said "But, for me, it's mom food. YOU are the one who does those recipes/meals." She no longer apologizes. Own your specialty in every area of your life. It's so much simpler.😢
I made the decision to recycle all marketing mail I receive without looking at it. This includes coupons and grocery store sale flyers. Straight into the recycling bin. I make my grocery list online, and I can check out the sales on there. Since I make the same dishes repeatedly, I know which ingredients I need to check prices on.
For years I’ve been buying my niece and nephews books for their birthdays and Christmas presents. I enjoying picking out books that match their interests and reading levels, but I don’t have to try to find a toy that they don’t already have.
One thing that we’ve done to fix the frozen meat problems is to prep it all when we buy it.
For example- when we buy bulk chicken or ground beef from Costco, I will decide how we intend to use it- not what specific dish I’m making but will it be ground, stir fried, used as cutlets, etc. I do all my cleaning, cutting, and portioning before it goes in the freezer. I will also pre cook some of it with basic seasoning. I package it as flat as I can so that it can be thawed out in about 30 minutes. This has helped so much on busy weeks because the hard part is already done.
I buy meat to freeze. The best store is a bit far away, so I buy once for the month. I make a list of what is missing before going. When I come back I cut, portion, bag, squish the bag to its flatest possible, write date and content and freeze. When I go to the freeze, I have my chicken here, beef there. I pick meat for lasagna/bolognesa, or for stew, or for roasting. It works for me. I get the correct bag the night before, let it defrost, and the next day I have the right portion, cut the right way, ready to be cooked. It's a developed habit.
@@mffmoniz2948 💯. It makes life so much easier and I love having an organized freezer with an assortment of options.
In fact I literally just finished packaging up a fresh supply of chicken! 🐔😃
I am using up all the moisturizers for face and body this winter/spring! Focusing on using up any extra things in bathroom/kitchen as well! Saves a lot of time and money! 😊
Yeees, ditto! And the ones I don’t like I use on my feet at night 😂
I’ve been doing this with shampoos and conditioner.
@@kraichellecurren7892 I take mine to work (school) and let the students use them or leave them in the staff bathroom to be used.
Me too 🎉
Some years I have chosen the same gift for everybody but in a different form. One year at Christmas I bought everybody gloves. I have chosen books as a theme. A food item. An experience. I think you will get the idea. I found it did simplify things a lot.
Got nice pillows on sale for my family.
In the before times, I bought 3 black tshirts and 3 pairs of nice quality black leggings with pockets. It's been great and I've purchased 3 more of each since then. It's my home uniform, I don't have to think about it, it's comfy but nice enough to dash out the door, and I'm about to buy more.
I decided that I would have all my grocery shopping delivered twice per month. I have a favourite's list on the site that I just scroll through and tick. Extra stuff gets written on a list on the fridge door (as I think of it), and I consult it before finishing my grocery order. I also have a rule that says that with toiletries I have one item in use and one in backup. As soon as I open the backup item I replace it in my next shop.
LOVE this video!!!
I didn't realize how many routines we have in our home until my son and his wife came for a week long stay. We had to tell them the house alarm sets itself at 9PM, so don't open the door, our string lights are on timers, our Alexa (sleep sound) comes on at 10PM and sets the volume to 3. My boyfriend and I wear the same socks (all one color, one style). I hang tops and jackets on the same hanger so I can set it out the night before without thinking about what goes with what.
On a different note, in an effort to declutter food and personal care stuff, we are forcing ourselves to use up what we have before we get new stuff. That has been the biggest challenge :)
The birthday cards thing is genius! I am always beating myself up for being a forgetful auntie…I am going to delegate the task of shopping for cards in bulk to my 11yo who loves cards, & we will make it a nice trip into town during the next holidays. With you there’s always a takeaway! ty x
I really like your idea with having gift cards already on hand ready for occasions. That’s a lot less stress and running around!
❤
I did the same for all my family's growing up years. Now, at 82, we tend to phone or text.😇
I hate gift cards. They pretty much say “I didn’t want to put any effort in.” Plus, when everyone is giving each other gift cards you’re basically just swapping the same things back and forth only some people end up with the stingier dollar value.
I just take the gift cards I get and save them for Christmas shopping.
I give VISA cards rather than Amazon or retail specific cards. This allows the recipient a broader range of purchase options.
Check if the card requires a 20% hold...I was gifted two of those Visa cards recently and cannot use the last $32 as it keeps getting denied, tried 3 different websites. :(
@@jrmarcaro I usually use the visa cards to buy a gift card to a place I want to spend it because there’s no tax and then I don’t get stuck with that random bit at the end that can’t be used
My kids have been gifted Visa cards and they are difficult to use! They would prefer cash, makes life much simpler.
Dawn, I love your idea of a get ready bin. I used to have stuff in the bathroom categorized by type. But this meant I was opening almost every drawer and cabinet to get ready. Now I have a morning get ready drawer of stuff and a separate drawer for getting ready for bed at night.
But Dawn, forgetting to defrost the meat is my eating out excuse. 😂
Yeah, but they’d probably have to travel an hour to find a restaurant.
haha good one!
😂😂😂
Automating some bill payments has been tremendous for the mental health - mortgage, insurance, phone/ internet, heating. So huge not having to figure or worry if they have been paid. I sleep so much better the less I have to think about money.
Decide once has been a game changer. I started a while ago with The Organised Mum Method (TOMM) who essentially uses the principle to decide once about cleaning by cleaning certain rooms certain days. I loved it so much that i used it to TOMM (i made a verb, yes) my laundry. Then the algorythm threw Kendra's kitchen book at me, and i "TOMM'd" dinners by type (i.e Mondays - stir fries, Tuesdays - Pastas, Wednesday - mince...Fridays - favourite OR try new, etc). Recently "TOMM'd" breakfast in a similar way...and currently thinking about TOMMING lunches one day...do i stick to it religiously? NOP!! And that's why it works!! I fall of the train but all i have to do is ask "what day is it today?" And boom! Back on track!
I decided several years ago that my go-to Christmas gift wrap is brown kraft paper and red and white bakers twine. For envelopes I use plain brown kraft paper envelopes. Occasionally I use red washing tape, usually all I have is clear tape.
I love how old fashioned the gifts look and the bakers twine is so cute.
Washi** tape, lol
I am retired. What you said about not having frozen meat is spot on. When I worked I always forgot to get it out of the freezer. I used fresh. Not that I am retired, I buy meats in bulk and freeze. I take it out each morning to thaw. I love being retired!
Linda, I'm retiring May 31st, and CAN'T WAIT to be able to 'eat out of freezer' and clean out my closet of my work wardrobe! I've been on this simplifying journey for quite a while as well, but have SO MUCH more to do once I can finally have more time to finish what I've started! Dawn has been a HUGE help in my journey!
I always cook ground beef when I get home & put a pound into freezer bags (I live alone so that's plenty for me) so I can pull out a bag to defrost and not have to brown it to make dinner. Same with chicken - cook it until just done and put the meat into freezer bags for quick soup or casserole later.
Aargh. Learn to thaw. Takes half an hour. Freeze in vacuum bag one layer, sit in water in sink. Takes no time flat. Way less than a trip to the store.
These are great ideas. My mom would write the mailing date on the corner of the card where the stamp goes. For years, my great-grandmother would buy us magazine subscriptions, and she would pay for the long-distance call from the Washington family to the California family. Those traditions wouldn't work today, but spending the day with my daughter baking Christmas cookies or New Year's Eve with my great-grandmother are definitely examples of memories.
"The magic is in the motion, not the potion" love it
Yes, this is such wise advice! Women especially, can overthink so many things. We are also inundated with options everywhere on everything. Decide and move on!
I have automated graduation gifts (give one of these four books-Your Money or Your Life, The Total Money Makeover, or Adulting 101, volumes 1 & 2 by J. Burnette), wedding gifts (an oil lamp and a bottle of lamp oil-both romantic and practical), and baby gifts (a handprint/footprint kit and a water temperature sensor rubber ducky).
These are great ideas!!
I absolutely love this idea. Gotta copy it. ❤
Wow, those are all GREAT ideas!!!!!
Love the wedding gift idea
❤
Drop zones! Everyone has a drop zone. This is where backpacks go, where coats hang and where shoes/boots sit. I also put baskets in the drop zone for hats and gloves. I made sure the zone is near an outlet so that when the school devices come home they are also easily plugged in, while sitting in the backpack, so that they return to school with full charge and are not forgotten in the zone. Oh, and the chargers in the zone stay in the zone. They do not move around the house.
as someone in education, I love you for this! Fully charged laptops at the start of the school day are chef's kiss lol
I made sure to buy an upright freezer a decade ago since I need to be able to see everything at a glance. I knew from my mom’s experience, that if I got a chest freezer, stuff would get buried.
“I just made the bed because you were coming over today”
1. You are so nice and so relatable and
2. It’s nice to know that you can be different from everyone else and still keep a tidy house!
Entertaining. I have learned to entertaining in an imperfect house. my home is clean, fairly organized, but I used to think I had to deep clean and literally freak out preparing for company. It was exhausting. Now I spend more time with my guest, not in a kitchen preparing. We often just order pizza,make a salad, and brownies. As a pastor’s wife we have a lot of people in and out. I have learned to keep brownie mixes and a few other easy recipe ingredients on hand, just in someone pops in.
I like that. I don’t try to worry too much about prepping the house for guests either. I think they are there to see you, not your house!
I love this! I have missed so many opportunities to have friends over because I would worry about everything being perfect. I hope I can change this now I’ve been away from my home for a while taking care of my parents and my dad is going to move in with us. ❤
I love the pre-set gift plan. I would do cash in a cute mini envelope instead of gift cards after having read about the billions (!) of dollars in unspent gift cards. A $20 bill was good enough for my Grama! 😊
I'm a cash over gift card giver as well. I don't like to restrict where the recipient can use my gift. Cash is king!
I do cash too. Hate when people misplace their gift cards or don't use them.
Same here. Cute little cards from Dollar Tree that are blank inside (a pack lasts a good long time) so I can write what I want, and always cash.
No free unused gift card money for the corporations, and the recipients can spend it anywhere they want.
I learned cash is better than gift cards when my kids graduated from high school. Well-intentioned friends gave gift cards that I ended up buying off my kids so they’d have the of flexibility of cash as they headed off the college. Then I had to remember to shop at those businesses & redeem the cards. Just give cash
Yes! Gift cards tend to be a stressor for me as I can never remember how much is on them and I often forget I have them until I've already made a relevant purchase! Checks get cashed right away, cash gets put right into my wallet, and I have the flexibility to wait and save as long as I want 😊
We automate our movie going…if we’re going to an actual theater to see one it HAS to be the first showing of the day (the least expensive AND the freshest snacks)…
I also do the birthday cards at the beginning of the year and because I am elderly, if anything unexpected comes up (hospital, etc) the birthday gift is always ready to go ♥
I do the same
I’ve decided Friday nights we have pizza. After a long week of homeschooling, I know I don’t have to worry about Friday dinner. This helps me focus on other projects and getting the house in order and ready for the weekend.
We have done the same thing. Years ago my husband would ask me Friday morning, “what’s for dinner”. By the end of the week I had brain fatigue. We decided that my husband is always responsible for Friday dinner. It has been wonderful!
We do pizza on tuesdays because its nextdoor to my daughters dance class.
Friday is always fish and chips! To the air fryer from the supermarket, my night off from cooking.
Another easy meal to add to the rotation (& well liked in our family) is good old grilled cheese sandwiches & of course the mandatory tomato soup. Add favorite seasonal fruit as your "side" and there you go!
I have also super simplified cleaners. Spray bottle with dish soap and water for everything including glass and mirrors. I use old towels for cloths and a scrub pad for tough stains. I use baking soda for scrubbing sinks etc. I don't use a special floor, bathroom or toilet cleaner. I think it's just advertising that tells us they're necessary. If I had hard water I might need more products.
Yes, I do same, also spray bottle of vinegar, on in kitchen, one in bathroom. Great for mirror, produce, etc
🌕I have 30 identical soft/stretchy T-shirts, 10 identical pair of jeans, and 100 identical pair of socks.
- I wear the same thing EVERYDAY. And I love it.
- Laundry is EASY. Once a month my tops are all washed in one load. Once a month my socks are washed, then dumped into my sock drawer-no folding, no pairing.
- I wear my jeans two or three times, so I only have to wash my jeans once a month as well.
- My day to day clothes are nice enough for most activities (just add a necklace and voila!).
- BUT I do keep a few lovely outfits set aside for fancy restaurants or parties.
- This way I have the functionality of my generic wardrobe, but I don’t miss out on getting to dress up when occasions arise. (And I’m not wearing out my good clothes while doing dishes and gardening.)
- I know it’s not the standard “minimalism,” but the internationality is the same: simplicity in living❤
I get gift cards for everyone. As a teacher I prefer gift cards. My students know that I don’t like clutter and I can get what I need if they give me a gift card.
Impressed a your birthday card - gift card process. SO many wonderful hints. You are amazing!
We automated seating for our six kids. They have assigned seats at the dinner table and in the car. No more bickering about who sits where!!
This was the way I grew up.😊
I love your idea to only shop at a couple stores. I'm petite. I know things from Anthropologie Petites (online), Anne Taylor, and Banana Republic fit and wear well. It saves so much time when needing to shop! Even if I could find it cheaper elsewhere, my searching time isn't worth it!
The gift ideas are truly life changing . I have a set amount for grandkids also buy ALL the birthday cards in January and i actually put the cash in the envelopes . We dont exchange gifts between aunts uncles or adult siblings , strickly kids under 18 . Its wonderful .
For grandkids I do all the cards in January, put the money in them, and seal. Been doing this for a few years and it has keep me from missing bdays. I also buy a few gift cards every month for Christmas stockings. Just gives me a jump start on Christmas and takes away some stress.
Wow, you packed in so much good stuff I think I’ll need to watch this video twice!
I just did and took notes! 😆
So I love this. My problem is is I do all the work of setting up a system and then it sits unused for years only to be found again. I think I’ve realized I need to declutter a lot and THEN set up things like this one at a time as I become consistent in using them.
When my husband and I would move to a different location every two weeks, I lived in packing cubes and absolutely loved it. Now that we have elderly parents that live in a different country, I’ve adapted that idea so that if the time comes, we’re ready to pack our bags and leave at a moment’s notice. Being a minimalist, I have a Fall/Winter uniform and a Spring/Summer uniform. I live that way all the time and I love how easy it is to get things done and to find my belongings.
Yeah, or at least an emergency bag. My father who lived about a 12-14 hour drive away from me died at a time when I was doing weekly business trips. I got a call he wasn’t doing well, I already had a week’s worth of stuff in my suitcase in my car, so I was able to just take off immediately and stay down there. Didn’t even stop at home first. (Missed my dad by a couple hours, but still.)
So good love your info! I’m just constantly reminded here about the importance of contentment. Everything around us is constantly screaming more more and here it’s a nice breather to hear that the pursuit of more is often burdening our hearts and our homes
Like many of us, I've watched a gazillion videos trying to "get my life together" and everything seems fantastic on screen but doesn't end up being applied to my life. I found this video today (you got a new subscriber!) and it instantly clicked with my personality, my life and our family differences. Most minimalist videos focus on getting rid of everything, but you have a beautiful, ordered, minimal house WITH THINGS! That's right up my alley!
The tweaks I've made to fit my lifestyle are:
1) Makeup: I only use sunscreen, eyeliner, and lipstick.
2) Living in a warmer climate, fresh meat equals spoilt meat, even in the fridge. The horizontal freezer, Crock Pot, and food processor are my best friends.
3) My cleaning supplies are: both powdered and liquid Roma detergent (another Mexican brand similar to the famous Zote), white vinegar, and baking soda. That's it!
Everything else you've set out here will start being applied in my house this very weekend! Thanks!
I have a "home uniform" for each day. I am retired and donated all of my work suits. If I have a special occasion, I choose between 3 dresses. I condensed my jewelry down to my favorites and gave the rest to my nieces and nephews. My dinner menus are comprised of frozen make-ahead meals I cook every month. By making several automatic decisions daily, I feel more relaxed. I have several daily routines that some say are constricting but I disagree. Some people claim they can't live with automatic decisions but they don't see the daily routines in their lives.
I do most of these things, too. I always thought I was considered boring, but I love automated things. Putting no thought or very little makes life so much easier.
We automated taking out trash and recycling. Sounds small but has made a huge difference in keeping the kitchen and doorway area clean and clutter free
I have automated meal planning. I have close to 5 weeks of recipes/meal ideas (including a pizza night/leftover night) that I rotate and write down in my planner that everyone can see. If you don’t like what I’m making, figure it out yourself. All my kids still home but are adults. Also, I absolutely hate cooking so this works great for me. Now to figure out my cleaning schedule. I haven’t figured out one I really like that I follow on the regular.
I for a long time wanted to have a meal plan/menu but for what ever reason I didn’t or couldn’t get myself to do it. But I finally decided about a month or two ago to do one for the week and we just repeat it every week until we get bored of it. I have two young kids and man it has really freed up my mind. I’m no longer finding myself at 4 pm thinking what should I make for dinner tonight. It is so freeing. Thank you for all you videos they have help me so much to free up time, space and energy. 💕
I have been decluttering and it feels good to have less stuff to manage! My attic is empty and only have stuff that I need.
Empty attic? You're living my dream!
Thank you so much for your content! As I am typing this now, a local church is picking up an entire room of things that my mom finally decided to let go. She’s so excited to move on from these things after years of feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed. What helped? Ketamine therapy! It absolutely works for people who are dealing with overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation, so that they can gain the clarity and executive function to make changes in life.
💚💚💚💚
Dawn, you don't know how much you have changed my life for the better! I still don't have everything decluttered the way I want to but I am working on it and have been layer by layer for a while but I want to let you know that you have been so instrumental in helping me get my life together and I can't thank you enough for your videos!
I never understood meal planning but recently started planning the week while I'm at the store. I jot down what I already have and any basics I need, then as I'm going through the store, everything I put in my cart gets written in a spot for which day that week we're going to have it. Less waste later, fewer decisions in front of the fridge when I'm starving after work.
Im semi retired I run a small business from home. I don't do well with routines (any more). I like super slow mornings. But I have to let the dogs out, and feed them first thing. I always try to have my coffee set up so I just have to turn it on before the dogs get fed. Once I have my coffee I can face the rest of the day.
I have several "automatic" things I do, but my favorite is "coffee ready" before bed so all I have to do is hit the button when I get up in the morning. Even the cats know not to ask for their breakfast before the coffee button is done. lol
I retired last Summer. I find I slow roll inThe mornings too. For 30+ years I was up around 5;30-6 and out the door by 7-8. I decluttered a couple of years ago… but I’m ready to do it again.
I have decided that I meal plan on Sundays and grocery shopping on Mondays so ideally I decide once what we eat all week and shop once.
I also decided that I am doing my make up the same way everyday. I used to like a variety of eyeshadow colors but all those eye shadow palettes clutter up my make up bag. Now I just use the same one every day to simplify and I don’t get a new eye shadow until I have used up my current one.
I also do money for the age they're turning. Easier than trying to find a gift of what they're into. Set up a meal plan (chicken on Mondays, beef or pork Tuesdays, etc) and i have written 5 recipes for each theme. Leftovers/whats in the freezer on 2 nights. Still working on other areas!
In winter I wear either one of 5 flannel shirts or one of several long-sleeved t-shirts under a hoodie. Either style of top is paired with pants, all one brand and style that I have in several colors. In summer i have one style of shorts in five colors and a selection of short-sleeved shirts in various colors, all from one brand. They all fit, they are all washable and they last.