THANK YOU for watching, subscribing and sharing with your friends and family-- it means more than you know! We are GRATEFUL!!! Here is last week's video that I mentioned: th-cam.com/video/9pQuc_6LvM0/w-d-xo.html and you can find some fun Holiday links in the description (if you're ready to think about that! If not, that's totally ok ;) - Dawn
Hi, I'm in the UK and I love watching your videos. Having something something other than Covid to focus on is great and thanks to your good influence I am sorting through areas of my home that I have put off for a long time. I now have a minimal and organised towels and bedding collection( My kids had 14 sets of bedding between then and I only have two kids!) Garage has been organised and I went through mine and the kids entire wardrobes and donated what was not absolutely going to be worn. Like you say it feels like a weight is being lifted. I recommend it to anyone! Your outlook on life is an inspiration and perks me up on the days when my anxiety is just at peak level. Thank you, thank you, thank you x
Something I want to ask you for your advice on is how do you feel about clothes that your older kid grew out of that your younger would eventually fit. There is a 6 year age gap between the 2 and I've been storing them for years for when the time comes. My husband thinks it's not worth it and we can just rebuy when the time comes but I feel like that's a waste of money if we already have it. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Dawn, I love the metal strainer you showed!! I am getting so frustrated cleaning the mesh one we have, and I have a habit of melting plastic ones, LOL! Runs in the family! Thanks so much for all your advice! It has been so inspiring and motivating!!
At age 66 I’ve just started my journey of seriously decluttering and am working on the minimalism concept. Having been raised by two parents who grew up during The Great Depression it’s a total mindset change. Three trips to donation centers in the past 3 weeks plus 6 huge bags of clothes to a friend and her daughter, and two sets of dishes gone. Eating the elephant one bite at a time. Your videos are an inspiration and are helping to teach this old dog new tricks.
@@mweinheim7911 I am just getting a good start on things. We have a large house and won’t be downsizing anytime soon. It’s on acreage which is a rare find for our area. I have gardens, chickens, a goat, and ducks. HOAs frown upon those things. 🤣
I too am 70 and now deep into decluttering. Just spent two days going through over 450 cd's of music. Have it down to 205. Hard to make those choices and 205 is still way too much, but as I use those cd's this year, I will keep decluttering in mind. I tried to think in terms of categories ie I don't need 5 cd's of quiet harp music to fall asleep to, but 2 will do. Keep truckin'
@@michelinebeattie7789 that’s fantastic! I have found myself just doing quick decluttering where the decisions are easy. For example going through my closet. I lost about 40 pounds in the last year. My too big clothes have been donated off and on throughout that year, but last week I went in Major cleanout mode. i didn’t take the time to try all the remaining clothes on. I have a bin set up so that as I try on clothes I can immediately weed out those that don’t fit. I know I do need to take time to try on much of what is still in my closet.
I’m 53, and really loving streamlining our home. Some duplicates I’m storing for when our oldest moves into a place of her own but other than that, it feels good and peaceful.
Dawn: no more inventory management, no more remembering unnecessary inventory. Thank you for this being your mantra!! Life is too short to be encumbered by "things I forgot I have."
Dawn, I've been a minimalist all my life -- yes, even as a child! My Mom was, too (she grew up very poor and had little), so we never ever had clutter around our home. In my own home, I have empty shelves in my pantry and empty drawers in my furniture. However, after watching some of your videos, I decided that I could de-clutter even more, as I don't want to leave my brother with a lot of things to decide upon should I pass before him. So, I went through my closet and pulled clothing that I hadn't worn in five years (business suits and office clothes -- now that I'm partially retired, I don't need them). I'll give them to Goodwill. I also went through drawers and found two trash-cans' worth of things to simply toss. Ah. That feels so good.
My husband likes the benefits of a simplified space, but the process of decluttering is really stressful for him, so we play a similar game. I take things out of his closet that I don't think he uses anymore. Then if he can name any of them, he gets them back. All the forget items find new homes (he gets the final say of course). It works well for him because he only has to decide to keep things not to get rid of things which is hard for him.
I love decorating for each season and/or holiday. I have four large totes which I've labeled, Spring/St Pat's, Summer/4th of July, Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving, and Winter/New Year's/Valentine's Day. My Christmas totes are stored in a different area, because of the sheer volume of decorations. In the 4 seasonal totes, I put everything that pertains to the season, such as placemats, tablecloths, florals, throw pillow covers, pictures, figurines, and etc. into that tote. This way, I only need to pull out one tote for each season, spring, summer, fall, or winter. I know that I still have too much stuff, but I've pared it down from 3 or 4 totes, per season, to 1! That to me is a win. As I continue to declutter, the amount of stuff I keep will probably become less with each passing season. Thanks for your inspiration, Dawn! ~Margie
You go! I have got my decorations down to one bin for all seasons and am pretty excited. Except for Christmas. That was pared down from 6 totes to 3 so I am getting there. Will see what I use this year and make some tough decisions. Having less to manage and more space in my life is truly awesome and so liberating.
I can relate to this!! I began with one tote for each season/ holiday YEARS ago when my daughter (now 33, married, expecting second child) was very young. Just two years ago I could not resist a few new Halloween things because technology has made things that move and talk for home use! So every year I have added just one or two new things while raising her that now have overwhelmed me. I have begun to sort and share with family which to me is fun. Hoping it will feel less cumbersome a couple of years from now. But I also still LOVE decorating for holidays 🙂🌷🍁🎄🎉
I switched to clear too!! I struggle a little bit with the VISUAL clutter of them, since I don't have a storage space like a basement or am attic... But it does help motivate me to keep them organized and not keep more than I really need to!
Me too, I found some sturdy ones at Bauhaus. I write what's in it and put the paper on the inside. I store a lot of fabric. When all the living spaces are emptier I can use a pile of old jeans to make a rug for my daughters room.
You’ve motivated me to clean out my pantry & basement on this dreary, rainy day. I’m going to write “use it or lose it” on the top of my hand before I start. Thank you, Dawn!
*Literally just shared about this method in a video I filmed YESTERDAY! Haha turns out I didn't invent it* 🤪 this is such an effective method for going through my Christmas decor totes!
Re: memory & 'mommy brain'. When u were a college student, ie. before children, you only had to remember stuff for you! Then getting married/committing to partner you take on helping look after them, so say 20% of brain power devoted to partner. Then children come along - you are looking after 100% of babies' needs... soall of a sudden you have to operate at 100 + 20 + 100 = 220% !! NO mother should EVER apologise for 'forgetting' anything!! We are remember ALL KINDS OF THINGS for our families & homes ALL THE TIME. Professionals at paid employment with less responsibility than Mothers have ASSISTANTS to do aal the thing we do FOR FREE.
Yup same hear, as a teenager I would tell my regulars to jusr show me a thumbs up if they were ordering the usual and by the time they got to the register the food was ready. Now I have to WRITE EVERYTHING down because my memory is horrible. Awww those young days
That's such a cool idea for a thumbs up while in line! I would have loved to be one of your regulars :) I would put tips in the jar for you ! LoL Was it at a fast food type chain ? If so, kids these days won't have much of a chance to do that anymore due to the electronic order stations I think.
Try Balance of Nature it really has helped my energy and memory. I was a sceptic, but hey it works, all fruits and veggies. I don't sell this or anything, I just really believe, which is rare for me.
You are an inspiration, Dawn! If you can declutter the cute stuff that you've forgotten about, I should definitely declutter the ugly stuff that I have forgotten about (or even the ugly stuff I haven't forgotten about)! I heard a great quote the other day about our brains being terrible for storage but being better for processing--like a computer!
Over the last few years, I have been transitioning to being an "empty nester." The biggest affect seems to be in my kitchen! Your videos are so upbeat and encouraging and have really helped me think through my current needs! Thank you!
Great tips. Another tip - take pictures of what’s inside each container, that way it’ll be easier to remember what’s inside them. When Americans say bin I keep thinking that they’re going to throw those items away, as a bin in the UK is something we put rubbish into.
Girl same! I managed a subway for 5 years and I remembered my regulars customers I'd see them in the parking lot and get their order started before they walked in the door. But now I can't remember what day my doctor's appointment is 🤣
This exact thing happened to me today, I was going through my tools and I found an outdoor light that I brought a couple of years ago and never put up even though we really need one and my partner was only saying yesterday that we really should buy one - I had absolutely no memory of the light until I came across it today and I was like oh yeah I'd totally forgotten that this was here! I went to put it back in the box and I thought I really should take it out and put it up otherwise I might forget it's here again and we might end up unnecessarily spending money on another one. So not only did it have no value sitting in a box, it probably would have cost us money if I'd left it there, so I took it out and put it up. It just goes to show that what you were saying is so true 😊
You all have been able to clear out a lot of extra stuff the past couple months! I’m almost jealous because now that I’m really down to just what we use I don’t have much of anything left to declutter. I miss that feeling of satisfaction 😁
I've always had a terrible memory for details. I tried waitressing and on my second day I overheard a customer (my only one) tell his girlfriend that I was the worst server he had ever encountered. I walked up to him, apologized, told him he was absolutely right, finished his order and then quit. I think I startled him! Ha ha. I do love your upbeat attitude Dawn. Even when my house is perfect I'll still watch you!
During the 6 weeks my school was closed, I started watching many youtube videos. Your videos are some of my favorite! My hubby and I are almost empty nesters, and so we are being ruthless with ourselves in getting rid of things. We are also dealing with 50+ years of things from my parents house. My mom, loves Santa's, and had one entire room that was decorated with them every Christmas. I kept one for myself a 2" pewter Santa and I kept an additional Santa that I take to decorate her room each Christmas. It truly does feel good to get rid of all the extra stuff!
Gosh Dawn, do we ever think alike! I realized that most of the things that I have donated, etc are bc they were hard to clean! Go you!! The recent things I've donated ( this week ) are things I'd also forgotten about! "Out of sight-Out of mind-Out of here!" P.S. I had those same attachments and I decluttered them...along with the mini food processor😂 I used to dream of a "Cadillac" food processor; today it's called a knife and cutting board & I'm SO much happier🤗Hugs from SW Missouri🤗
@@deb9806 You might be surprised - as long as the label/manual stays with them to indicate which model the parts go to, they'll be useful. My mom has done that multiple times because she has had parts on hers break - she didn't want a whole new food processor because the one she has works fine, but she needed a new attachment.
Yes, a food processor was one gadget I never wanted. My mom gave me hers when she downsized. It’s been two years and I’ve never used it, so I’m passing it on. It’s taking up valuable real estate in my small kitchen.
@@daisybuchanan5378 I put my big stand mixer in the basement and never used it again (3 years) I bake but my hand mixer is fine and takes up much less room. I feel bad my hubby spent so much on the big one but maybe a gift for daughter's one day. It also weighs a ton
I'm watching this after you redecorated the open shelving in blue and thought "dang, that gravy boat sure would have matched!" ..... BUT you didn't need it at that time and you had no intentions of changing your decor color. You found the perfect number of items that matched and even though it would have worked, you found something else that served the purpose and I'm sure you weren't kicking yourself for getting rid of the gravy boat. Given that you even remembered you had it at any point!
You make your viewers feel normal as we all have stuff packed away that we have forgotten about. I recently found my graduation gown from 1978 in a box and pitched it. No I did not tell my 92 year old Mom.
Hello from Seattle. I am a paper, magazine, etc., storer. As a serious Bible student, I have a lifetime literature library, plus ones that I had planned to share with others. Last week while I was sorting a box of such I found a single GLOVE. I have saved several orphaned gloves to be used around the house or in case I found their matches. The match to the one in the box is one. Lol. 😃 By the way, the magazines in the box are dated 2014!!! So, I saved one glove for 6 years; I am sure that I thought that I had dropped it somewhere in my apartment, so I kept it. One of the few time doing this makes sense. 😊
You are so inspiring, I decluttered my boys room today, donated 60 books to my kids school and 1 full tote to Goodwill and 2 garbage bags. This didn’t even cover their clothes which I left for another day. Mostly toys and books.
I happened to be in the right frame of mind and decluttered 15 boxes of photos and memory stuff down to 4 and I’ll be taking that down to 3 shortly. Feels fantastic.
Clutter is such chaos, you’re such a great example, Dawn!! Stuff holds you down...everything you have should have a purpose or brings joy to your life!
Minimalism saved me a huge headache recently. A massive leak under the kitchen sink was only a minor inconvenience because I had already decluttered that space and so it was able to be emptied out in no time so that repairs could get started asap.
😂😂 I worked in a fast paced ice cream parlor with 48 flavors and was totally able to guess what people would like! Now I can't even remember yesterday 🤦♀️
What happens to our memories and it reminded me when going to ice cream shop that I usually chose vanilla...Many would look at me and say REALLT. Yep still my favorite flavor.
I'm so enjoying reading through the comments that I just had to comment 😁 You're very inspirational Dawn. Thank you for all your videos. Many times I've been inspired to do more decluttering after watching one of your videos and this one is no exception! Awesome mantra - use it or lose it
I love that your version of minimalism is pretty accessible. You are right, some folks won't be willing to go that far, like 3 years ago I had this facebook post I've put below. I assume this might stress you out. But when you are showing your wardrobe with a workweek's worth of shirts, I just feel like its less intimidating, and more helpful than many minimalist videos. the post: Occasionally I go looking for some silly guidelines to simplify life, yet always find myself wondering why everything has to be done in extremes. For example- I need to clean out my closet, and I struggle because I like all my stuff but I can recognize when too much exists. It'd be easier for me to reduce if I was following a rule. Google such things and you'll find "the answer is 1 be a minimalist". Ya'll, I don't want to do laundry multiple times a week. I'm just not that girl. I might even skip a week every now and then because I like to have fun- and I don't like wearing something twice without washing it. I'm not Susie homemaker, I can live with that. I need a "you are crazy if you own more than 20 sweaters" list. They aren't cats. My house isn't going to stink if I own 20 sweaters, ya hear me? Like what if I keep enough to cover every work day for 2 weeks, x2 so I can have light and heavy ones for different seasons? Can we get to "not insane" quantities before considering minimalism? I'm pretty much happy if I dodge hoarder, OK?
I used to have an excellent memory. My first job was at chick fil a and I could remember all the combo totals and also if they got sized up fries and drinks without being at my register. Then I had kids and now I can't remember my own name.
Hi Dawn, I am writing you from Germany. I love your content and your videos motivate my family and me on our journey to a nice and peaceful home. Thank you for sharing your ideas and experience. I love your way, very authentic, articulated and so cheerful. Steady so! Although in Europe we do have a different perception of space and dimensions, but still consumerism is unfortunately present here like elsewhere in a developed world. At the moment I am reading D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley and this passage struck me. Lady Chatterley discovers a room full of beautiful things from the family of her husband: "A black japanned box, excellently and ingeneously made some sixty or seventy years ago, and fitted with every imaginable object. On top was a concentrated toilet set, ..., underneath came a sort of escritoire outfit, ..., and then a perfect sewing-outfit, ..., a little medicine store. ... The thing was wonderfully made and contrived, excellent craftsmanship of the Victorian order. But somehow it was monstrous. Some Chatterley must have felt it, for the thing had never been used. It had a peculiar soullessness. Yet Mrs Bolton (a servant) was thrilled. 'Look what beautiful brushes, so expensive, even the shaving brushes, three perfect ones! No! and those scissors! They're the best that the money can buy. Oh, I call it lovely!' 'Do you? said Connie (Lady Chatterley). 'Then you have it!' 'Oh no, my Lady!' 'Of course! It will only lie here until Doomsday. Do have it!' Lady Chatterley was good at decluttering sentimental items, maybe because it was her husband's ;-) but still it makes a point. Have a nice day, Dawn!!!
Thank you for your tips and advice on how to pair down quickly! I have learned so much! A friend and I have recently been talking about our “minimal mom marathons”. Y’all are the best! Diana too! :):) love your wisdom and grace, given to us all with busy mom lives! ❤️
Love this use it or lose it concept! I've often said to my husband....if we really love this, we'll bring it upstairs and use it, it's not being appreciated down in a box in the basement. As far as your server days, my husband doesn't eat beef but he's always been a big guy. We would go out and I'd order a burger (since I didn't cook it at home) and he would get chicken or a turkey burger. Server switched it every time! It got to be comical😂 Thanks for your videos! You've really got our family thinking about Christmas this year so thanks for those especially.
That is a great tip! If you don’t remember is there, you don’t need it! I am also continuously tossing and donating stuff I don’t use and it’s always so rewarding!
I just donated about 1/2 of my wardrobe and 1/2 of the clutter in our basement that I no longer wanted. Now I just have to look through the remainder with more precision to get rid of whatever else I “no longer use”. Thank you for that tip.
I’ve worked in retail over the years and doing inventory is a DRAG! I’m so thankful you’ve told us about inventory in our homes Dawn !!!! I do not want to manage all this stuff !! Last week i dropped off eight boxes to the donation center and have a bunch of clothes that will go next - I’m so excited i found your videos for encouragement in our home and for my faith !!!!!!!!! Good is good all the time for sure !!!!!
Just recently started watching your channel. I actually have cleared out a 4 drawer file cabinet loads of shredding done and cabinet is gone. Tysm for your motivation.❤️ had planned to do that years ago.
We don’t have a basement but have shelves in the garage. I need to go through the totes there as I don’t remember what all is in them! Thanks for the inspiration and the easy way to decide to let it go! You did a great job in your basement.
What you say about your memory is so recognizable. Before we had children, I could memorize everything. I had a lot of appointments per week and no agenda. No problem. Now I can't remember anything and I have to write everything down. Nowadays I forget what someone just asked me, a dentist appointment or if my daughter has to go to gymnastics ... I blame the kids ;-) It has gotten worse with each pregnancy. And after that you have to remember everything not only for yourself but also for them.
The strainer cracks me up because I have been following your kitchen declutter videos and I just donated 2 strainers - but kept that exact one you hated BECAUSE of the fine mesh 😆 ...I used it most often for sifting!
I’ve just done a declutter in the kitchen and found several things I had forgotten at the back of the cupboard. It’s all gone to the charity shop. Great advice 👍
I am going to start doing this when going through stuff with husband and kids. The amount of times I hear my kids say “oh I forgot we had this” when cleaning out different rooms in the house drives me crazy. Now I can say “use it or lose it” and I might even set a time period on it too. If it isn’t used in 6 months then we are donating it. One of a few things will happen 1) they will donate instantly 2) they will use it and remember they like it or hate it (and then donate it) 3) it will sit in their room for 6 months and we will donate it then. My kids and I do so much better with a plan. That’s for the idea for another great plan
Thank u so much for the use it or lose it tip. I had fallen off the wagon bc well, life. I finally started doing some decluttering of my kitchen. I dropped off a box to Goodwill today. I did keep some things that I hadn’t used EVER, in the event that I might need it. Your video definitely confirmed that that stuff has gotta go. Thank u😁
Haha! I did the same thing! It was a great way to work through college. I always thought holding a pad and pen was cheesy looking. So I got really good at remembering orders.
My daughter took my mesh strainer, just like yours, outside to strain rocks in. We have some big rocks in our backyard that crumble away and have crystals inside them so she puts the bigger rocks in the strainer and washes them up and crumbles out the crystals. LOL! I totally get what you're saying about how our memory changes. When I was in college, all I would have to do is rewrite my lecture notes or write paragraphs from my textbook and when I went to take a test, I could see the words in my mind!! Thirty years have passed now and I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast! LOL! Great video! Thanks for sharing! I'm heading downstairs to work on some bins right now. :-)
Julie Wright ,, took French in hs and the only way I could remember how to spell+ conjugate 30 new words a week was by repetitively writing each one some 15 times. It’s made me wonder about the act of writing by hand, as opposed to typing, in relation to memory retention. When you rewrote notes or text, was it hand written or typed if you don’t mind me asking out of curiosity.
Just found you a few weeks ago. I have not started yet but watching and learning is my first step. Literally in tears thinking of how much better it is going to be and how much more I will be able to breath. Watching last weeks vid next bc... THAT is my number one hang up, and I know it. Peace to you, and thanks for sharing.
I guess not having basements in FL and most anything you put in the attic gets destroyed by heat, forces you to to either keep in your space or immediately get rid of it. I use my guest room as a temporary spot to put things to get rid of or ponder. I did find some very nice curtains in my office closet a while back that I never put up and had forgotten about. Always love your videos.
Thank you so much!!! I’ve gotten a few comments that my house is like a show home or it’s too empty. I told them they can go to their house and enjoy their clutter. I’m loving it!
This is a great topic and one I'm going to sit with and think deeper on. My first thought was that I didn't keep long term storage stuff at all, but when I thought about it I realized that I was just *forgetting* what was in my garage. You're absolutely right that there's significant mental energy used in maintaining all that inventory in your memory. Reduce the inventory and get some of your mental space back as well as the physical space!
That’s what I ended up doing, too. If I hadn’t even thought about something in months, I got rid of it. I had to do that a few times with some things before I decided I really was never going to use it. 😀
I have to thank you for your idea of a quarantine box. I was going through my winter clothes and putting away summer. I have several things I’m not ready to let go. Instead of putting them back in a drawer I got out a tub and filled it up. At the end of winter if I haven’t worn it, it’s gone. This took so much stress off of me. I really understand what you mean by managing inventory. Now to the next declutter.
Dawn, I’m so so thankful I found your channel! I’m trying my best to just do what you did in your life! My parents had a ton of stuff I had to go through and I don’t want our boys to have to go through the struggle of that. I’m an only child and it was so hard!They kept everything and I’m still after ten years going through there things! My husband and I are in our 60 and I just want to get rid of all of our things we don’t use! ❤️
Thank you thank you. I have two little kids yrs and 7mnths. I am an older mom(41) and sometimes I feel like I am going crazy because I forget stuff. This made me feel so much better about my extra stuff. Also want to say thank you for saving I love you. Not sure why you started saying it but with everything that is going on it is nice to hear.
Dawn, you are a very natural teacher. You are very good at drilling down the "noise" to what the essential message is and what the key takeaways are! ☺️
I have that towel that you had in your donate bin. We use our extra towels to wipe up spills in the garage. I hesitated to keep them, but we actually ended up needing them, so I'm glad I did. We are VERY minimal so I rarely have anything to donate anymore, but I really enjoy watching these videos, because they help motivate me to stay the course.
This is your newest upload, I figure you might read these comments before older posts? Been binge watching your videos more lately as we are preparing our too small (800 sq. ft) house for our family of five to sell. Hoping to find a home with a sweet spot of 1,300-1,800 sq. ft. and lots of land. We hope to be in a place one day to foster and adopt as well. Living with less still requires some space. First, THANK YOU and your family for making minimalism "not weird", beautiful, and teaching us all we have permission to live a wonderful and simple yet meaningful life. Have you heard of Brene' Brown? Recently someone suggested her to me (had my own moment of overwhelm), her books and podcasts/interviews could easily be seen through the lens of minimalism. She is a professor that researches and teaches about shame, vulnerability, and connectedness. I am blessed God is teaching me through you, her, and other women. You've changed my life and how I see my things, my kids, my husband and you telling us we have permission to feel great about ourselves, get rid of it if its not working? Finally...YES!! if we all we're into "less is more" our earth , ourselves, would be healthier for it. Please don't stop! And come to western NC soon. :)
Mold has taken a toll on my memory: I used to be able to figure out exactly what time - down the to fraction of a minute - I would get somewhere based on the speed limit, mile marker, and time... in my head, while driving at 70 mph, on a no-shoulder 2-lane highway, with 50mph cross winds, while listening to the radio; nowadays, I can't even read a physical book because my brain can't handle the strain - I have to have it read out loud. *However,* be careful with saying that "oh, *that's* where it was!" is a signal that something isn't needed, because it doesn't necessarily mean that it was forgotten about - I've done that with plenty of things that I knew I had somewhere and had looked for because I needed to use them but couldn't find them, but that doesn't mean I should get rid of those things: I had put them in places that made sense at the time.
Yes, I don't get rid of it just because I forgot it was there...that might work for some but that means I need to find a better place for it. I also would never get rid of appliance attachments...too many times if/when I decide to upgrade then I can sell the old with all attachments. It seems wasteful to throw attachments out when they might be needed later. I don't have that much stuff that I wouldn't remember it or where it was when I go to sell it. :)
@@abigayleestep8076 Dawn needs to take the time to read up on those attachments! I know one of them is great at shredding cheese! It's much cheaper to shred it yourself for a recipe then buying it pre-shredded!
@@sallydavidson4471 Yes, cheaper and better for you! I believe she also discarded something that belonged on her fridge...I don't mind keeping something so that when I upgrade all the parts are ready to go with it! :) You can be minimal and still store items you could need down the road. We are all different in our ways.
murdered. Recently did the same thing. There was a book I knew I had and was looking for it. I almost bought it again bc I needed it. I was so sure I already owned it though so I didn't buy it. Then last week I found it 🙂. I was so happy with myself bc I was correct. I did own the book, I just forgot where I had put it.
@@abigayleestep8076 However Dawn did say that the attachments haven't been used in 10 years. Obviously her item is getting plenty of use and by the time she decides to upgrade (because the old one may be expensive or difficult to repair) it won't be in shape enough to give away hence the attachments won't matter. So it's case by case for each person. I believe that the idea is if you find yourself saying any of those words you should think twice about the item and that maybe if your memory isn't so great that you forgot it once (not that you misplace it) that you may forget it again.
Thanks for the motivation to clear out my storage unit. I have no idea what is in it so that tells me I don't need any of it. Great way to save money. I'm so looking forward to emptying out that stupid thing and saving the money we are paying every month on it!
I love it! Definitely a more fun approach! I still have a couple of boxes to unpack, a month and a half since we moved in 😅 Don't know how I ever remembered a round of 20 drinks and twirled around the bar pouring them all rather gracefully like a dance... Those were good times 💗 4.5yrs a mum now; the toughest job I've ever done. Kudos to you with your kids!!!
Hey Dawn! This was such a fun reasonable video. You are absolutely right that those phrases should be a trigger that we didn't need it unless we were actively in the process of looking for it when we proclaim , "That is where that was." Thank you for all your effort and work to create a kind, supportive community of like-minded people. I love your channel!
Thank you so much for these videos! You gave me the "permission" I didn't even know I was looking for to get rid of several bins of sentimental items that haven't been touched in 17 years! I even listed an antique bedroom set that has been in storage for that same amount of time. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my mind!
I understand your point about the mesh strainer, but my first thought was to use it as a fresh fruit bowl to snack from because it has better air flow/ventilation than a regular solid bowl used for produce outside the fridge.
That’s too funny! That’s exactly what I used mine for. When she found it in the bin and held it up, I laughed and said, “Hey! She’s got a fruit bowl just like mine!”
You could definitely tell what people are going to order after serving for a while. You can tell, for the most part, who is getting what when you're handing out dishes to someone else's table. I haven't served for over a year, but I actually enjoyed the fast paced environment and joking with coworkers.
Makes me want to buy tubs to store my stuff so I can see how much I forget! LOL! But wait I have boxes I can go through instead! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you SO much for your continual help in dejunking and simplifying my life! I've been praying for about 2 years now to be able to do that, (so we can feel His Spirit more fully in our home, and it can be a TRUE respite/haven from the world) Its a challenge, for sure! I'm a VERY creative type, and I can ALWAYS see the potential in MOST junk! 😜 Plus I do a LOT of decorating for church functions, weddings, etc. Well, I USED to.. 🙄 Anyway, I want you to know that you are definitely one of the many answers to prayer I feel I've received to be able to DO THIS THING! 😊 It's a process for sure! But, I'm definitely making progress!! And, keeping my end purpose in mind has helped me to keep improving! Thank you for what you do. 😘
I had that problem too. But once you pare things down, you get such freedom amd peace that no amount of decor could be worth it. Now that I have a "home" for everything with space around it, I feel like I've moved to a larger apartment. Lol
“Use it or loose it” is my chosen motto for 2020! I say it all the time as I go through every closet, drawer, and storage area. Thank you for ALL your hard work and inspiration! You are a FANTASTIC part of my week!!!♥️♥️♥️
We moved to our new house in Dec 2015 and prior to moving we had a storage unit so we could declutter our old house to get ready to sell. Well, here it is 2020 and we still have a storage unit where I have no idea what is still in there. Also the totes and boxes in our basement or in a couple of closets from when we moved where stuff just got shoved in. I have no idea what that stuff is. We also have my husband’s parents house where his sister lived after they passed away. She passed away last year and was a hoarder. So we have all her trash (literally-trash!) and his parents stuff to go through. He has gotten the majority of the trash out. So we have left his parents stuff and It is so overwhelming and so mentally exhausting going through stuff not knowing what we “should” keep or just get rid of. Today we were talking about downsizing...but first we have so much to get rid of. I would love to minimize like you have!
THANK YOU for watching, subscribing and sharing with your friends and family-- it means more than you know! We are GRATEFUL!!! Here is last week's video that I mentioned: th-cam.com/video/9pQuc_6LvM0/w-d-xo.html and you can find some fun Holiday links in the description (if you're ready to think about that! If not, that's totally ok ;) - Dawn
Hi, I'm in the UK and I love watching your videos. Having something something other than Covid to focus on is great and thanks to your good influence I am sorting through areas of my home that I have put off for a long time. I now have a minimal and organised towels and bedding collection( My kids had 14 sets of bedding between then and I only have two kids!) Garage has been organised and I went through mine and the kids entire wardrobes and donated what was not absolutely going to be worn. Like you say it feels like a weight is being lifted. I recommend it to anyone!
Your outlook on life is an inspiration and perks me up on the days when my anxiety is just at peak level.
Thank you, thank you, thank you x
Something I want to ask you for your advice on is how do you feel about clothes that your older kid grew out of that your younger would eventually fit. There is a 6 year age gap between the 2 and I've been storing them for years for when the time comes. My husband thinks it's not worth it and we can just rebuy when the time comes but I feel like that's a waste of money if we already have it. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Dawn, I love the metal strainer you showed!! I am getting so frustrated cleaning the mesh one we have, and I have a habit of melting plastic ones, LOL! Runs in the family! Thanks so much for all your advice! It has been so inspiring and motivating!!
Form a no buy project fb group in your local area!!! I love it in my community!!!💖💖💖
@@thestayathomewife1318 what’s that?!
At age 66 I’ve just started my journey of seriously decluttering and am working on the minimalism concept. Having been raised by two parents who grew up during The Great Depression it’s a total mindset change. Three trips to donation centers in the past 3 weeks plus 6 huge bags of clothes to a friend and her daughter, and two sets of dishes gone. Eating the elephant one bite at a time. Your videos are an inspiration and are helping to teach this old dog new tricks.
Happy to see another 66 year old following Dawn. I too am diving into decluttering!
@@mweinheim7911 I am just getting a good start on things. We have a large house and won’t be downsizing anytime soon. It’s on acreage which is a rare find for our area. I have gardens, chickens, a goat, and ducks. HOAs frown upon those things. 🤣
I too am 70 and now deep into decluttering. Just spent two days going through over 450 cd's of music. Have it down to 205. Hard to make those choices and 205 is still way too much, but as I use those cd's this year, I will keep decluttering in mind. I tried to think in terms of categories ie I don't need 5 cd's of quiet harp music to fall asleep to, but 2 will do. Keep truckin'
@@michelinebeattie7789 that’s fantastic! I have found myself just doing quick decluttering where the decisions are easy. For example going through my closet. I lost about 40 pounds in the last year. My too big clothes have been donated off and on throughout that year, but last week I went in Major cleanout mode. i didn’t take the time to try all the remaining clothes on. I have a bin set up so that as I try on clothes I can immediately weed out those that don’t fit. I know I do need to take time to try on much of what is still in my closet.
I’m 53, and really loving streamlining our home. Some duplicates I’m storing for when our oldest moves into a place of her own but other than that, it feels good and peaceful.
Dawn: no more inventory management, no more remembering unnecessary inventory. Thank you for this being your mantra!! Life is too short to be encumbered by "things I forgot I have."
Dawn, I've been a minimalist all my life -- yes, even as a child! My Mom was, too (she grew up very poor and had little), so we never ever had clutter around our home. In my own home, I have empty shelves in my pantry and empty drawers in my furniture. However, after watching some of your videos, I decided that I could de-clutter even more, as I don't want to leave my brother with a lot of things to decide upon should I pass before him. So, I went through my closet and pulled clothing that I hadn't worn in five years (business suits and office clothes -- now that I'm partially retired, I don't need them). I'll give them to Goodwill. I also went through drawers and found two trash-cans' worth of things to simply toss. Ah. That feels so good.
My husband likes the benefits of a simplified space, but the process of decluttering is really stressful for him, so we play a similar game. I take things out of his closet that I don't think he uses anymore. Then if he can name any of them, he gets them back. All the forget items find new homes (he gets the final say of course). It works well for him because he only has to decide to keep things not to get rid of things which is hard for him.
I love decorating for each season and/or holiday. I have four large totes which I've labeled, Spring/St Pat's, Summer/4th of July, Fall/Halloween/Thanksgiving, and Winter/New Year's/Valentine's Day. My Christmas totes are stored in a different area, because of the sheer volume of decorations. In the 4 seasonal totes, I put everything that pertains to the season, such as placemats, tablecloths, florals, throw pillow covers, pictures, figurines, and etc. into that tote. This way, I only need to pull out one tote for each season, spring, summer, fall, or winter. I know that I still have too much stuff, but I've pared it down from 3 or 4 totes, per season, to 1! That to me is a win. As I continue to declutter, the amount of stuff I keep will probably become less with each passing season. Thanks for your inspiration, Dawn! ~Margie
You go! I have got my decorations down to one bin for all seasons and am pretty excited. Except for Christmas. That was pared down from 6 totes to 3 so I am getting there. Will see what I use this year and make some tough decisions. Having less to manage and more space in my life is truly awesome and so liberating.
I can relate to this!! I began with one tote for each season/ holiday YEARS ago when my daughter (now 33, married, expecting second child) was very young. Just two years ago I could not resist a few new Halloween things because technology has made things that move and talk for home use! So every year I have added just one or two new things while raising her that now have overwhelmed me. I have begun to sort and share with family which to me is fun. Hoping it will feel less cumbersome a couple of years from now. But I also still LOVE decorating for holidays 🙂🌷🍁🎄🎉
You're right. One tote per season is plenty.
Keep the empty totes for foster kiddos to send with them with their things
Jim N Linz Vlogs Great idea!
In addition to decluttering I have switched to all clear bins. Helps know at a glance what is in each bin.
And until you can do that, I've started putting a big label on the outside and listing what's inside. Saves a lot of time digging inside.
I just wish the clear bins were more sturdy. I have yet to find strong ones
I switched to clear too!! I struggle a little bit with the VISUAL clutter of them, since I don't have a storage space like a basement or am attic... But it does help motivate me to keep them organized and not keep more than I really need to!
Me too. Clear bins!
Me too, I found some sturdy ones at Bauhaus. I write what's in it and put the paper on the inside. I store a lot of fabric. When all the living spaces are emptier I can use a pile of old jeans to make a rug for my daughters room.
Memory problems? Honey just wait for menopause! 🤯
Great video! It makes me want to go through my storage room! Lol
Me too! I haven't been inside my storage locker in 3 years. I'm sure I dont need 99% of it.
My working memory sucks! I could never be a waitress.... Half the time I forget what I ordered. 😂
I do that all the time. Sometimes I it arrives and I think oh I thought I ordered the other thing hahaha
@@NoodlesMusings 😂 yep. Glad I am not alone. Keeps life interesting. 😉
My working memory is failing too.
That is super funny 😂😂😂
Your kids behave so age appropriate.. nothing less nothing more.. I love the way you are bringing them up. It’s very good for them😊
Good comment🌻
You’ve motivated me to clean out my pantry & basement on this dreary, rainy day. I’m going to write “use it or lose it” on the top of my hand before I start. Thank you, Dawn!
Nice, Kristina! That's a great idea! 🖊🖐
Another good one is this question; Is this serving its purpose?
@@NdnUrbanCat good point!
Oh that's smart.
I always leave your channel feeling so encouraged!
*Literally just shared about this method in a video I filmed YESTERDAY! Haha turns out I didn't invent it* 🤪 this is such an effective method for going through my Christmas decor totes!
Nice to see you here! I'm 🤪 too.
Lol, that's awesome!!
It was a true mark of my decluttering progress when I sold the bins/totes that were empty after I sold and donated the stuff previously in said bins!
Having children robs our memory. Loss of sleep, exhaustion, hormonal changes, and that excessive inventory. Ugh.
Yup, my brain is mush since I first got pregnant and it's only getting worse. 🙈
Re: memory & 'mommy brain'. When u were a college student, ie. before children, you only had to remember stuff for you! Then getting married/committing to partner you take on helping look after them, so say 20% of brain power devoted to partner. Then children come along - you are looking after 100% of babies' needs... soall of a sudden you have to operate at 100 + 20 + 100 = 220% !! NO mother should EVER apologise for 'forgetting' anything!! We are remember ALL KINDS OF THINGS for our families & homes ALL THE TIME. Professionals at paid employment with less responsibility than Mothers have ASSISTANTS to do aal the thing we do FOR FREE.
Yup same hear, as a teenager I would tell my regulars to jusr show me a thumbs up if they were ordering the usual and by the time they got to the register the food was ready. Now I have to WRITE EVERYTHING down because my memory is horrible. Awww those young days
That's such a cool idea for a thumbs up while in line! I would have loved to be one of your regulars :) I would put tips in the jar for you ! LoL Was it at a fast food type chain ? If so, kids these days won't have much of a chance to do that anymore due to the electronic order stations I think.
Try Balance of Nature it really has helped my energy and memory. I was a sceptic, but hey it works, all fruits and veggies. I don't sell this or anything, I just really believe, which is rare for me.
You are an inspiration, Dawn! If you can declutter the cute stuff that you've forgotten about, I should definitely declutter the ugly stuff that I have forgotten about (or even the ugly stuff I haven't forgotten about)! I heard a great quote the other day about our brains being terrible for storage but being better for processing--like a computer!
That 's the problem with my slow process of decluttering - I don't have a sweet little helper like Corbin -
Haha! Sometimes I forget what I’m wearing if I close my eyes!
😀😁😂😂😃😄😅😆
Over the last few years, I have been transitioning to being an "empty nester." The biggest affect seems to be in my kitchen! Your videos are so upbeat and encouraging and have really helped me think through my current needs! Thank you!
Great tips.
Another tip - take pictures of what’s inside each container, that way it’ll be easier to remember what’s inside them.
When Americans say bin I keep thinking that they’re going to throw those items away, as a bin in the UK is something we put rubbish into.
Yeah, we have rubbish BINS in Australia too.
Girl same! I managed a subway for 5 years and I remembered my regulars customers I'd see them in the parking lot and get their order started before they walked in the door. But now I can't remember what day my doctor's appointment is 🤣
“Use it or Lose it!!” Easy to remember….thanks Dawn! This mantra will help with my memory overload! 😊😂❤
"To have even less to keep track of and to take care of and to remember that it's there, it feels so good" YES
This exact thing happened to me today, I was going through my tools and I found an outdoor light that I brought a couple of years ago and never put up even though we really need one and my partner was only saying yesterday that we really should buy one - I had absolutely no memory of the light until I came across it today and I was like oh yeah I'd totally forgotten that this was here! I went to put it back in the box and I thought I really should take it out and put it up otherwise I might forget it's here again and we might end up unnecessarily spending money on another one. So not only did it have no value sitting in a box, it probably would have cost us money if I'd left it there, so I took it out and put it up. It just goes to show that what you were saying is so true 😊
You all have been able to clear out a lot of extra stuff the past couple months! I’m almost jealous because now that I’m really down to just what we use I don’t have much of anything left to declutter. I miss that feeling of satisfaction 😁
Thank you so much for being an inspiration to me. I have found your channel at a time in my life when I absolutely need you.
I've always had a terrible memory for details. I tried waitressing and on my second day I overheard a customer (my only one) tell his girlfriend that I was the worst server he had ever encountered. I walked up to him, apologized, told him he was absolutely right, finished his order and then quit. I think I startled him! Ha ha. I do love your upbeat attitude Dawn. Even when my house is perfect I'll still watch you!
During the 6 weeks my school was closed, I started watching many youtube videos. Your videos are some of my favorite! My hubby and I are almost empty nesters, and so we are being ruthless with ourselves in getting rid of things. We are also dealing with 50+ years of things from my parents house. My mom, loves Santa's, and had one entire room that was decorated with them every Christmas. I kept one for myself a 2" pewter Santa and I kept an additional Santa that I take to decorate her room each Christmas. It truly does feel good to get rid of all the extra stuff!
Gosh Dawn, do we ever think alike! I realized that most of the things that I have donated, etc are bc they were hard to clean! Go you!! The recent things I've donated ( this week ) are things I'd also forgotten about! "Out of sight-Out of mind-Out of here!" P.S. I had those same attachments and I decluttered them...along with the mini food processor😂 I used to dream of a "Cadillac" food processor; today it's called a knife and cutting board & I'm SO much happier🤗Hugs from SW Missouri🤗
But if she gets rid of only part of it, will it be useful to someone else?
@@deb9806 You might be surprised - as long as the label/manual stays with them to indicate which model the parts go to, they'll be useful. My mom has done that multiple times because she has had parts on hers break - she didn't want a whole new food processor because the one she has works fine, but she needed a new attachment.
Yes, a food processor was one gadget I never wanted. My mom gave me hers when she downsized. It’s been two years and I’ve never used it, so I’m passing it on. It’s taking up valuable real estate in my small kitchen.
@@daisybuchanan5378 I put my big stand mixer in the basement and never used it again (3 years) I bake but my hand mixer is fine and takes up much less room. I feel bad my hubby spent so much on the big one but maybe a gift for daughter's one day. It also weighs a ton
I can't wait to get rid of more 'stuff'! Love you Dawn!
I'm watching this after you redecorated the open shelving in blue and thought "dang, that gravy boat sure would have matched!" ..... BUT you didn't need it at that time and you had no intentions of changing your decor color. You found the perfect number of items that matched and even though it would have worked, you found something else that served the purpose and I'm sure you weren't kicking yourself for getting rid of the gravy boat. Given that you even remembered you had it at any point!
You make your viewers feel normal as we all have stuff packed away that we have forgotten about. I recently found my graduation gown from 1978 in a box and pitched it. No I did not tell my 92 year old Mom.
Your baby Corbin is a doll!
Hello from Seattle. I am a paper, magazine, etc., storer. As a serious Bible student, I have a lifetime literature library, plus ones that I had planned to share with others. Last week while I was sorting a box of such I found a single GLOVE. I have saved several orphaned gloves to be used around the house or in case I found their matches. The match to the one in the box is one. Lol. 😃 By the way, the magazines in the box are dated 2014!!! So, I saved one glove for 6 years; I am sure that I thought that I had dropped it somewhere in my apartment, so I kept it. One of the few time doing this makes sense. 😊
You are so inspiring, I decluttered my boys room today, donated 60 books to my kids school and 1 full tote to Goodwill and 2 garbage bags. This didn’t even cover their clothes which I left for another day. Mostly toys and books.
I happened to be in the right frame of mind and decluttered 15 boxes of photos and memory stuff down to 4 and I’ll be taking that down to 3 shortly. Feels fantastic.
Clutter is such chaos, you’re such a great example, Dawn!! Stuff holds you down...everything you have should have a purpose or brings joy to your life!
Minimalism saved me a huge headache recently. A massive leak under the kitchen sink was only a minor inconvenience because I had already decluttered that space and so it was able to be emptied out in no time so that repairs could get started asap.
😂😂 I worked in a fast paced ice cream parlor with 48 flavors and was totally able to guess what people would like! Now I can't even remember yesterday 🤦♀️
Or what the heck I went upstairs for.....
Same on forgetting things!!! As for knowing what people who older, that's some serious intuition😮👍
What happens to our memories and it reminded me when going to ice cream shop that I usually chose vanilla...Many would look at me and say REALLT. Yep still my favorite flavor.
@@pameehanson3866 not many people ordered plain vanilla 😅
@@cassondrahuff I wish I could have ordered with you or Dawn ! I would so like to see if you would get it right 😂
I'm so enjoying reading through the comments that I just had to comment 😁
You're very inspirational Dawn. Thank you for all your videos. Many times I've been inspired to do more decluttering after watching one of your videos and this one is no exception! Awesome mantra - use it or lose it
I totally agree with this. If you didn't know you had it, then you didn't need it, and you didn't miss it!
I love that your version of minimalism is pretty accessible. You are right, some folks won't be willing to go that far, like 3 years ago I had this facebook post I've put below. I assume this might stress you out. But when you are showing your wardrobe with a workweek's worth of shirts, I just feel like its less intimidating, and more helpful than many minimalist videos.
the post:
Occasionally I go looking for some silly guidelines to simplify life, yet always find myself wondering why everything has to be done in extremes.
For example- I need to clean out my closet, and I struggle because I like all my stuff but I can recognize when too much exists. It'd be easier for me to reduce if I was following a rule.
Google such things and you'll find "the answer is 1 be a minimalist".
Ya'll, I don't want to do laundry multiple times a week. I'm just not that girl. I might even skip a week every now and then because I like to have fun- and I don't like wearing something twice without washing it. I'm not Susie homemaker, I can live with that.
I need a "you are crazy if you own more than 20 sweaters" list.
They aren't cats. My house isn't going to stink if I own 20 sweaters, ya hear me? Like what if I keep enough to cover every work day for 2 weeks, x2 so I can have light and heavy ones for different seasons?
Can we get to "not insane" quantities before considering minimalism? I'm pretty much happy if I dodge hoarder, OK?
I used to have an excellent memory. My first job was at chick fil a and I could remember all the combo totals and also if they got sized up fries and drinks without being at my register. Then I had kids and now I can't remember my own name.
I love that Pineapple!
Thank you for sharing Dawn.
Much love,Carol
Hi Dawn, I am writing you from Germany. I love your content and your videos motivate my family and me on our journey to a nice and peaceful home. Thank you for sharing your ideas and experience. I love your way, very authentic, articulated and so cheerful. Steady so! Although in Europe we do have a different perception of space and dimensions, but still consumerism is unfortunately present here like elsewhere in a developed world.
At the moment I am reading D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley and this passage struck me. Lady Chatterley discovers a room full of beautiful things from the family of her husband: "A black japanned box, excellently and ingeneously made some sixty or seventy years ago, and fitted with every imaginable object. On top was a concentrated toilet set, ..., underneath came a sort of escritoire outfit, ..., and then a perfect sewing-outfit, ..., a little medicine store. ... The thing was wonderfully made and contrived, excellent craftsmanship of the Victorian order. But somehow it was monstrous. Some Chatterley must have felt it, for the thing had never been used. It had a peculiar soullessness. Yet Mrs Bolton (a servant) was thrilled.
'Look what beautiful brushes, so expensive, even the shaving brushes, three perfect ones! No! and those scissors! They're the best that the money can buy. Oh, I call it lovely!'
'Do you? said Connie (Lady Chatterley). 'Then you have it!'
'Oh no, my Lady!'
'Of course! It will only lie here until Doomsday. Do have it!'
Lady Chatterley was good at decluttering sentimental items, maybe because it was her husband's ;-) but still it makes a point.
Have a nice day, Dawn!!!
Thank you for your tips and advice on how to pair down quickly! I have learned so much!
A friend and I have recently been talking about our “minimal mom marathons”. Y’all are the best! Diana too! :):) love your wisdom and grace, given to us all with busy mom lives! ❤️
Love this use it or lose it concept! I've often said to my husband....if we really love this, we'll bring it upstairs and use it, it's not being appreciated down in a box in the basement. As far as your server days, my husband doesn't eat beef but he's always been a big guy. We would go out and I'd order a burger (since I didn't cook it at home) and he would get chicken or a turkey burger. Server switched it every time! It got to be comical😂 Thanks for your videos! You've really got our family thinking about Christmas this year so thanks for those especially.
Dawn, I admire you so much! You really really inspire me to be a better person, not to mention a minimalist. Thank you! ❤
Thanks for the decluttering inspiration. I have an additional tip. Get rid of the empty totes. 😀
Thumbs up for how you keep me engaged. The ratio of talking to the camera and other footage is 👌
That is a great tip! If you don’t remember is there, you don’t need it! I am also continuously tossing and donating stuff I don’t use and it’s always so rewarding!
I just donated about 1/2 of my wardrobe and 1/2 of the clutter in our basement that I no longer wanted. Now I just have to look through the remainder with more precision to get rid of whatever else I “no longer use”. Thank you for that tip.
I’ve worked in retail over the years and doing inventory is a DRAG! I’m so thankful you’ve told us about inventory in our homes Dawn !!!! I do not want to manage all this stuff !! Last week i dropped off eight boxes to the donation center and have a bunch of clothes that will go next - I’m so excited i found your videos for encouragement in our home and for my faith !!!!!!!!! Good is good all the time for sure !!!!!
Thank you. After our son moves out, I am going to tackle our attic space and will have you in my head....
Just recently started watching your channel. I actually have cleared out a 4 drawer file cabinet loads of shredding done and cabinet is gone. Tysm for your motivation.❤️ had planned to do that years ago.
We don’t have a basement but have shelves in the garage. I need to go through the totes there as I don’t remember what all is in them! Thanks for the inspiration and the easy way to decide to let it go! You did a great job in your basement.
I am definitely using your idea of having 'inventory' - so helpful, if I have stuff that isn't on my active inventory, then it probably can go! 🥰
What you say about your memory is so recognizable. Before we had children, I could memorize everything. I had a lot of appointments per week and no agenda. No problem. Now I can't remember anything and I have to write everything down. Nowadays I forget what someone just asked me, a dentist appointment or if my daughter has to go to gymnastics ... I blame the kids ;-) It has gotten worse with each pregnancy. And after that you have to remember everything not only for yourself but also for them.
The strainer cracks me up because I have been following your kitchen declutter videos and I just donated 2 strainers - but kept that exact one you hated BECAUSE of the fine mesh 😆 ...I used it most often for sifting!
I’ve just done a declutter in the kitchen and found several things I had forgotten at the back of the cupboard. It’s all gone to the charity shop. Great advice 👍
One of you best videos ever! To the point for those of us with memory problems. Use it or lose it! Have a great day!
I am going to start doing this when going through stuff with husband and kids. The amount of times I hear my kids say “oh I forgot we had this” when cleaning out different rooms in the house drives me crazy. Now I can say “use it or lose it” and I might even set a time period on it too.
If it isn’t used in 6 months then we are donating it.
One of a few things will happen 1) they will donate instantly 2) they will use it and remember they like it or hate it (and then donate it) 3) it will sit in their room for 6 months and we will donate it then.
My kids and I do so much better with a plan. That’s for the idea for another great plan
Great phrase! Use it or lose it! I think I can remember that.😍
Thank u so much for the use it or lose it tip. I had fallen off the wagon bc well, life. I finally started doing some decluttering of my kitchen. I dropped off a box to Goodwill today. I did keep some things that I hadn’t used EVER, in the event that I might need it. Your video definitely confirmed that that stuff has gotta go. Thank u😁
Haha! I did the same thing! It was a great way to work through college. I always thought holding a pad and pen was cheesy looking. So I got really good at remembering orders.
My daughter took my mesh strainer, just like yours, outside to strain rocks in. We have some big rocks in our backyard that crumble away and have crystals inside them so she puts the bigger rocks in the strainer and washes them up and crumbles out the crystals. LOL! I totally get what you're saying about how our memory changes. When I was in college, all I would have to do is rewrite my lecture notes or write paragraphs from my textbook and when I went to take a test, I could see the words in my mind!! Thirty years have passed now and I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast! LOL! Great video! Thanks for sharing! I'm heading downstairs to work on some bins right now. :-)
thank God it isn't just me!!!! 😀
Same here. Except I only had to read it. Didn’t even write notes.
I miss my wonderful memory!
Julie Wright ,, took French in hs and the only way I could remember how to spell+ conjugate 30 new words a week was by repetitively writing each one some 15 times. It’s made me wonder about the act of writing by hand, as opposed to typing, in relation to memory retention. When you rewrote notes or text, was it hand written or typed if you don’t mind me asking out of curiosity.
@@williebarker5986 Handwritten. I totally believe there is a correlation.
Just found you a few weeks ago. I have not started yet but watching and learning is my first step. Literally in tears thinking of how much better it is going to be and how much more I will be able to breath. Watching last weeks vid next bc... THAT is my number one hang up, and I know it. Peace to you, and thanks for sharing.
I guess not having basements in FL and most anything you put in the attic gets destroyed by heat, forces you to to either keep in your space or immediately get rid of it. I use my guest room as a temporary spot to put things to get rid of or ponder. I did find some very nice curtains in my office closet a while back that I never put up and had forgotten about. Always love your videos.
Thank you so much!!! I’ve gotten a few comments that my house is like a show home or it’s too empty. I told them they can go to their house and enjoy their clutter. I’m loving it!
This is a great topic and one I'm going to sit with and think deeper on. My first thought was that I didn't keep long term storage stuff at all, but when I thought about it I realized that I was just *forgetting* what was in my garage. You're absolutely right that there's significant mental energy used in maintaining all that inventory in your memory. Reduce the inventory and get some of your mental space back as well as the physical space!
I’m slowly Dawnifiying 🥰 my home. It feels great and I’m feeling better and better with each item that’s heading out the door 💖
That’s what I ended up doing, too. If I hadn’t even thought about something in months, I got rid of it. I had to do that a few times with some things before I decided I really was never going to use it. 😀
Already thinking of things I can donate. Thanks for the motivation to be more minimal and intentional.
I have to thank you for your idea of a quarantine box. I was going through my winter clothes and putting away summer. I have several things I’m not ready to let go. Instead of putting them back in a drawer I got out a tub and filled it up. At the end of winter if I haven’t worn it, it’s gone. This took so much stress off of me. I really understand what you mean by managing inventory. Now to the next declutter.
Dawn, I’m so so thankful I found your channel! I’m trying my best to just do what you did in your life! My parents had a ton of stuff I had to go through and I don’t want our boys to have to go through the struggle of that. I’m an only child and it was so hard!They kept everything and I’m still after ten years going through there things! My husband and I are in our 60 and I just want to get rid of all of our things we don’t use! ❤️
Thank you thank you. I have two little kids yrs and 7mnths. I am an older mom(41) and sometimes I feel like I am going crazy because I forget stuff. This made me feel so much better about my extra stuff. Also want to say thank you for saving I love you. Not sure why you started saying it but with everything that is going on it is nice to hear.
Dawn, you are a very natural teacher. You are very good at drilling down the "noise" to what the essential message is and what the key takeaways are! ☺️
I have that towel that you had in your donate bin. We use our extra towels to wipe up spills in the garage. I hesitated to keep them, but we actually ended up needing them, so I'm glad I did. We are VERY minimal so I rarely have anything to donate anymore, but I really enjoy watching these videos, because they help motivate me to stay the course.
As a native Minnesotan living in the South... I just love to listen to you talk! 😂♥️
This is your newest upload, I figure you might read these comments before older posts? Been binge watching your videos more lately as we are preparing our too small (800 sq. ft) house for our family of five to sell. Hoping to find a home with a sweet spot of 1,300-1,800 sq. ft. and lots of land. We hope to be in a place one day to foster and adopt as well. Living with less still requires some space. First, THANK YOU and your family for making minimalism "not weird", beautiful, and teaching us all we have permission to live a wonderful and simple yet meaningful life. Have you heard of Brene' Brown? Recently someone suggested her to me (had my own moment of overwhelm), her books and podcasts/interviews could easily be seen through the lens of minimalism. She is a professor that researches and teaches about shame, vulnerability, and connectedness. I am blessed God is teaching me through you, her, and other women. You've changed my life and how I see my things, my kids, my husband and you telling us we have permission to feel great about ourselves, get rid of it if its not working? Finally...YES!! if we all we're into "less is more" our earth , ourselves, would be healthier for it. Please don't stop! And come to western NC soon. :)
Dawn, It’s such a beautiful lesson that even YOU are still decluttering....after 6 YEARS!
It’s an ongoing “game” that I’m learning to ♥️♥️♥️
Mold has taken a toll on my memory: I used to be able to figure out exactly what time - down the to fraction of a minute - I would get somewhere based on the speed limit, mile marker, and time... in my head, while driving at 70 mph, on a no-shoulder 2-lane highway, with 50mph cross winds, while listening to the radio; nowadays, I can't even read a physical book because my brain can't handle the strain - I have to have it read out loud. *However,* be careful with saying that "oh, *that's* where it was!" is a signal that something isn't needed, because it doesn't necessarily mean that it was forgotten about - I've done that with plenty of things that I knew I had somewhere and had looked for because I needed to use them but couldn't find them, but that doesn't mean I should get rid of those things: I had put them in places that made sense at the time.
Yes, I don't get rid of it just because I forgot it was there...that might work for some but that means I need to find a better place for it. I also would never get rid of appliance attachments...too many times if/when I decide to upgrade then I can sell the old with all attachments. It seems wasteful to throw attachments out when they might be needed later. I don't have that much stuff that I wouldn't remember it or where it was when I go to sell it. :)
@@abigayleestep8076 Dawn needs to take the time to read up on those attachments! I know one of them is great at shredding cheese! It's much cheaper to shred it yourself for a recipe then buying it pre-shredded!
@@sallydavidson4471 Yes, cheaper and better for you! I believe she also discarded something that belonged on her fridge...I don't mind keeping something so that when I upgrade all the parts are ready to go with it! :) You can be minimal and still store items you could need down the road. We are all different in our ways.
murdered. Recently did the same thing. There was a book I knew I had and was looking for it. I almost bought it again bc I needed it. I was so sure I already owned it though so I didn't buy it. Then last week I found it 🙂. I was so happy with myself bc I was correct. I did own the book, I just forgot where I had put it.
@@abigayleestep8076 However Dawn did say that the attachments haven't been used in 10 years. Obviously her item is getting plenty of use and by the time she decides to upgrade (because the old one may be expensive or difficult to repair) it won't be in shape enough to give away hence the attachments won't matter. So it's case by case for each person. I believe that the idea is if you find yourself saying any of those words you should think twice about the item and that maybe if your memory isn't so great that you forgot it once (not that you misplace it) that you may forget it again.
Love your earrings in this video ... The wood or cork with gold flecks 👌
Thanks for the motivation to clear out my storage unit. I have no idea what is in it so that tells me I don't need any of it. Great way to save money. I'm so looking forward to emptying out that stupid thing and saving the money we are paying every month on it!
I love it! Definitely a more fun approach! I still have a couple of boxes to unpack, a month and a half since we moved in 😅 Don't know how I ever remembered a round of 20 drinks and twirled around the bar pouring them all rather gracefully like a dance... Those were good times 💗 4.5yrs a mum now; the toughest job I've ever done. Kudos to you with your kids!!!
Hey Dawn! This was such a fun reasonable video. You are absolutely right that those phrases should be a trigger that we didn't need it unless we were actively in the process of looking for it when we proclaim , "That is where that was." Thank you for all your effort and work to create a kind, supportive community of like-minded people. I love your channel!
I think writing on a index card and attaching on bin is very helpful.😀 great video.💕
Thank you so much for these videos! You gave me the "permission" I didn't even know I was looking for to get rid of several bins of sentimental items that haven't been touched in 17 years! I even listed an antique bedroom set that has been in storage for that same amount of time. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my mind!
I love this. If you dont remember...you probably don't need it.❤
I understand your point about the mesh strainer, but my first thought was to use it as a fresh fruit bowl to snack from because it has better air flow/ventilation than a regular solid bowl used for produce outside the fridge.
This is a great idea! I'm going to put it into use this afternoon. Thank you so much!
I was thinking the kids could use it in the new sandbox... unless it would just get rusty too quickly.
That’s too funny! That’s exactly what I used mine for. When she found it in the bin and held it up, I laughed and said, “Hey! She’s got a fruit bowl just like mine!”
It also makes a great dry ingredient sifter when baking.
Actually, I agree with Dawn totally for just getting rid of it instead of re-purposing it. It is still inventory if you keep it. :)
Omg out of all this video all of have to say is that you’re baby boy is adorable! 😍🥰🥰
You could definitely tell what people are going to order after serving for a while. You can tell, for the most part, who is getting what when you're handing out dishes to someone else's table. I haven't served for over a year, but I actually enjoyed the fast paced environment and joking with coworkers.
Makes me want to buy tubs to store my stuff so I can see how much I forget! LOL! But wait I have boxes I can go through instead! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you SO much for your continual help in dejunking and simplifying my life! I've been praying for about 2 years now to be able to do that, (so we can feel His Spirit more fully in our home, and it can be a TRUE respite/haven from the world) Its a challenge, for sure! I'm a VERY creative type, and I can ALWAYS see the potential in MOST junk! 😜 Plus I do a LOT of decorating for church functions, weddings, etc. Well, I USED to.. 🙄 Anyway, I want you to know that you are definitely one of the many answers to prayer I feel I've received to be able to DO THIS THING! 😊 It's a process for sure! But, I'm definitely making progress!! And, keeping my end purpose in mind has helped me to keep improving! Thank you for what you do. 😘
You are such an inspiration to me. I have tons of extra decor, books, and blankets. I need some will power. Please pray for me!
I had that problem too. But once you pare things down, you get such freedom amd peace that no amount of decor could be worth it. Now that I have a "home" for everything with space around it, I feel like I've moved to a larger apartment. Lol
“Use it or loose it” is my chosen motto for 2020! I say it all the time as I go through every closet, drawer, and storage area.
Thank you for ALL your hard work and inspiration!
You are a FANTASTIC part of my week!!!♥️♥️♥️
I am going to add that one for 2021 as I have been at this long enough.
We moved to our new house in Dec 2015 and prior to moving we had a storage unit so we could declutter our old house to get ready to sell. Well, here it is 2020 and we still have a storage unit where I have no idea what is still in there. Also the totes and boxes in our basement or in a couple of closets from when we moved where stuff just got shoved in. I have no idea what that stuff is. We also have my husband’s parents house where his sister lived after they passed away. She passed away last year and was a hoarder. So we have all her trash (literally-trash!) and his parents stuff to go through. He has gotten the majority of the trash out. So we have left his parents stuff and It is so overwhelming and so mentally exhausting going through stuff not knowing what we “should” keep or just get rid of. Today we were talking about downsizing...but first we have so much to get rid of. I would love to minimize like you have!