Clutter Free January Playlist --> th-cam.com/play/PLZ-AWUEixtg3vmYMK-qfWmiQanHACkT0i.html Thank you for watching and I hope you find some new friends through our month long series, too!! Have a great day!!! Dawn
@@Simply.Mariela that's what I want to know too! I can't tell if this is open collab or just specific by invitation. I caught The Daily Connoisseur's post yesterday and nearly jumped for joy. Never seen her collab with Dawn. Saw the Minimal Mom through Cas/Clutterbug who then found Erica Lucas through. Also discovered The Daily Connoisseur via Flylady Kat who I found through Diane in Denmark, whose 30day babysteps were ONLY time I ever completed them all despite fluttering since adolescence lol.
My biggest 2 breakthroughs since decluttering my kitchen and house: 1. A church friend popped over without prior warning and I didn’t die of shame, and 2. I can now fold my laundry on my kitchen counter. SUCCESS!!
Years ago, I found Fly Lady and her great suggestions, one of which was to clean and shine your kitchen sink every night so you would wake up to a clean kitchen. It makes a difference!
@@johannakunze3300 Yes, I was wondering about the same, I thought all pans and dishes are washed during preparing and after the meal has been eaten. A part of the food preparation cycle. The same as washing, drying, sorting and ironing if necessary and then putting away clothes
Me and my husband decided on getting rid of ONE BIG CLUTTER...debt! we became completely debt-free 2 years ago.Being clutter-free spills over in many areas of life;)
I learned that small kitchens are actually a blessing, less area to clean and less stuff to store. When I had a small kitchen I always thought a bigger kitchen would be wonderful. But now that I have a big kitchen, I want my small kitchen back! Also, doing my dishes every day has been wonderful and I even went a step further by donating my dish drainer because it made my counter look messy with piled up dishes. I eliminated that step and now everything just gets scrubbed and goes in the dishwasher. Love it!
We put the fruits in the livingroom,where everybody is afternoon.So while we are watching to a movie it is easier to get a fruit.And when you smell an orange or something you have to eat one too :) We snack too,but this way our family eats more fruit.
Love the living room idea! We keep ours on the kitchen table. Our boys eat fruit like it's going out of style! LOL so they know that anything in the fruit bowl is up for grabs. But the living room idea is great too! I might try that in the evenings when we're watching family movies.
I hate any dirty dishes in the sink! I never leave them. I also wipe my sink out almost every time I am finished with a meal clean up or general use. It’s mind freeing and keeps each meal distinct. Kitchen looks good!
The dishes thing changed our house! We each have a plate, a bowl, and a set of silverware that's unique to each person in our house. That way, each person is responsible for their own dishes and there is no pile up in the sink. There's also no question about who isn't doing their dishes :)
Go Tom! Too true. I feel like if the kitchen is clean then I have a handle on life - as with the bedroom. Somehow making the bed makes the room tidy. I may still have junk everywhere, but I FEEL that junk if the bed isn’t made.
Love, love, LOVE! I hear the closet equivalent of "my kitchen is too small" from my clients... I remind them that their closet is just fine, it's too many clothes that is their problem! After moving every three years, you learn to adapt to any home you find.
I love the idea of a quarantine bin and Dana's approach for letting containers be the "boss." For paperwork, the OHIO method-Only Handle It Once is my preference. The Sunday basket seems like a setup for delayed decisions and another thing to let pile up. I don't want another thing to maintain.
I got myself into a daily cleaning routine like doing dishes and doing a load of washing every single day. First it felt hard but now I love it because the house feels so much easier to keep up with.
My mom is from the old school. You do the dishes after every meal and you especially do the dishes before bedtime.... some emergency could happen in the middle of the night and you wouldn't want family or EMT seeing a dirty kitchen! Ha!
I agree, I have been doing dishes everyday before I go to bed and it’s great to see clean kitchen in morning. It’s been 3 yrs now and except once when I was literally too sick in bed to get up I have done my dishes every day! I like quarantine box too. Only pulled out one item for my husband once and after using it he agreed, nope we don’t need it!
I just went down to one set of dishes. Thanks to the quarantine box I just jumped since I know I can go back if I totally hate it. I’ve also decided to get rid of the glasses, we will use mugs. We drink tons of tea and hot chocolate so we need mugs, they work just fine for water too.
I have a plastic box, with extra "cooking utensils" in it, so when we go to family gatherings/cookouts/dinners, I take the extras not my good items. That way, 1) I don't have to worry if they get left behind, and 2) my father-in-law is a widower, so he NEVER has all the things we need. We've tried getting him his own items, but they "grow legs and walk off," so I just have it if its needed. They are only brought out when we're going for gatherings. If I get new, the currents go in the box. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
Great idea!! A lot of people already do this concept with camping cooking supplies, so it makes sense to expand it to this too. I do something similar with hotpads and the like. On a given day, I only need 2 at most. But “WHAT ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?!” I have like 5 or 6 festive ones that I keep with the festive decor. When the decor comes out, so do the holiday potholders, ready for the big feast. Then after the holiday, they get packed back up for next year.
Farm wife , mother of 5 here - never have had a dishwasher but always , always have washed dishes after every single meal - unless it looked like rain & I had to get to the garden or something of that nature , but even then I’d usually quickly grab that 15 - 20 mins . It’s like making the beds in our home - it just makes everything feel better ! Thank you for another great video !!!💕💕💕
For everyone who wants to do dishes everyday but is feeling really overwhelmed: first, ignore the comments about this, please don’t feel ashamed. ❤️ second: Dawn’s advice is great, but obviously if you’re too overwhelmed to get started with this habit right now, it’s still okay to start with decluttering first and then form your habits! Also, maybe a real hardcore approach, but if you want a clean slate and have the possibility and storage space to do so, a reverse method might work. Like pack up your kitchen stuff and only get out what you need. What’s left, can be donated. It could be just the reset you need to see things clearly and feel what all the space can do to you. 😊 No matter what approach, once again, please don’t feel ashamed if you don’t do the dishes everyday!! You will get there in time 😊 one step at a time!!
Good advice! I love when I get the dishes done in the evening but it’s ok life happens and once in awhile you don’t 🤷♀️ it’s ok. Something that helps me is when I make a cup of hot tea, I steep it for 3 minutes and that’s my stop watch for loading and unloading the dishwasher and clear out the sink, and wipe down the counter. It gives perspective realizing these tasks aren’t as time consuming as we think! Dawn did you get a new refrigerator?😁 I have that kind also with freezer on bottom. Would love a video on keeping that clutter free! Thanks for all you help!
It was a new fridge... think its called a French door style in the US...? 🤔 but I don’t think D&T are very keen on it 😬 It’s been mentioned in a couple of Dawn’s videos x
I do my dishes as I cook, when I worked full time I was happy to get the dishwasher loaded, clothes washed and a sweep once a week. We are all in different places in our lives. Cut yourself some slack.
Great tips! My great grandma always said "your house isn't presentable unless the bed is made and the dishes are done". I hear her in my head all the time. She was right... and you are too Dawn. It makes it seem better when they're done. Like I can then tackle the rest of my day.
Kitchen is the heart of your house, keep it clean, free of clutter and most of your house will seem healthier. ❤ Sending love and positivity to all. Good luck on your de-cluttering journey. ❤❤❤❤
I have been on a minimalist journey for a while and I kind of hit a plateau. Then I found your channel very recently and have been pouring over the videos. Can I tell you over the last two weeks your inspiration has got me off the plateau and I am so happy with my space. Just what I needed. Thank you!
I am loving all your tips! I have been slowly practicing minimalism for the past couple years and the older I get the more I realize I don’t need all this stuff and you definitely feel less stress with less stuff so now I’m trying to help my five grown children incorporate minimalism into their daily life❤️ thanks again !
Hooray for dishes done every day! We have a dishwasher which gets run every single night after dinner. Then it gets emptied either before bed or while coffee brews in the morning. That makes the machine available to hold dirty dishes we create throughout the day (we have more dishes than Dawn does - & that’s alright! 😃). Who wants to handle dirty dishes twice? (once to put in sink, then later to place in dishwasher). Bonus: it’s one less decision to make during my day! Nice series, ladies❤️
I always did my dishes immediately after meals, and my kitchen is the area that never feels out of control- light bulb moment here. My bads are the storage areas. Out of sight out of mind 😂
What a wonderful awakening on the psychological aspect of touching something again. That’s why we bought that thing in the first place, we touched it and we felt good about it. Much more impelling to keep it than just the visual. Put in the cardboard box also lessens the value of it. Genus. Thanks.
I’ve been on a Minimalism journey since 2017. There have been highs and lows; however, I have made a lot of progress but stuff creeps back in. Now with the possibly of moving later this year, I am making another pass through my house. Your videos have given me the encouragement and motivation to keep going!
Hi Dawn, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this collab. I enjoyed your tips! It's true we don't need to keep fruit out. We go through fruit so fast that my kids will find it no matter where I put it, haha. Much love and I'm looking forward to the rest of the videos in Clutter-free Jan. Love, Jennifer
Love the don't touch it again thing! when I worked in retail that was something we were taught- get the product into their hands. When you touch something, you feel more connected to it, and are more likely to want to keep it/buy it!
I need to thank you for your videos. I started watching them on TH-cam just after Christmas. My husband and I needed to quarantine due to COVID contact and I had time on my hands. They intrigued me since I struggled to put away the crockpot after the holiday dinner. I watched a number and they got me motivated. My plan is not to become a minimalist at this time, but I want to take control of the things that seem to cause stress in my life. I started in the kitchen with a goal to be able to put dishes away without struggles. The process was a bit slower than you may recommend, but as I went through my cookbooks, I took time to look at any that had marked pages and made a photocopy of the recipes I tried and liked. Oddly enough, there were many that I had never used except to read /look at the pictures. One had a favorite cheesecake recipe, but in over 20 years, that was the only recipe made. Very enlightening. I was able to get rid of 2/3 of the cookbooks at this first pass. Now I love putting dishes away! It is a great start..
OMG... you've been in my kitchen. Today as I am declutter in the kitchen and looking for any inspiration I can find on TH-cam. *I find you* as I stand here telling myself, if I did the dishes everyday, I wouldn't need all these storage containers and 12 plates and *I'm single!* and then you said the same thing thank you for the affirmation *I think I can do this!*
For me adding a dishwasher has been CRITICAL to my success! ☺️. I gave up one of my few cupboards and drawers in my small kitchen... but you know what? I had decluttered so much I didn’t need that extra storage space! Now my dishes are continually done and my counters are clear... it even inspired me to finally discard my big bulky toaster oven that rarely got used but took up a chunk of counter space... win win win! 🤩
Washing the dishes every day and making the bed every morning are 2 things that set the tone and just make me feel so much better about my home. I liked the insight about making the quarantine box a “donatable” box so you don’t have to touch the items again and start second guessing yourself. That’s genius!! Thx as always for your great tips and encouragement!
I not only clean up my kitchen at night but as I am preparing meals. It makes dishes so much lighter if you clean as you go. Then clean after each meal if possible. This makes you feel much better. 🤗
When COVID is history you’re going to have to schedule more Panera meet n greet like you did back in 2019. I’d drive quite a ways to be in the audience. And yes I love this series, and hearing it over and over with all of the various personalities is a real plus. Thanks to all. Schedule another later this year, please. Blessings.
Thank you, Dawn, for creating "A Clutter Free January". I love the variety of ideas, methods and personalities on this channel. Please don't stop after January!
Hi love this - we do our dirty dishes after finishing eating 🍽 never leave a pile up - I also never had a dishwasher out of choice & had 7 kiddies - we managed just fine
So huge fan, even got the hubby listening to some of the videos. I'm probably your mom's age. I was blessed to have a very organized & minimalist mom. In our family of 7, I was the only girl for 12yrs. So much of my basic homemaking skills come naturally to me from her mentoring even though no one knew I was dyslexic & ADHD. Those issues challenge me but her examples are etched in my brain... Praise God 😇 One thing that's surprising to me is some folks not doing dishes &/or kitchen cleaning daily. I'm sure, however, that there are things that I do or don't do they'd find strange. At my age though, I've come to realize how much of our personal lifestyles are connected to regional & hereditary influences. My Northeast & European roots play into that Tidy Home thinking. My hubby, from Ft Wayne, has somewhat different perspectives. It's all good though 😌 . We all bring different things to our relationships with lots of room to learn and grow. Keep up the wonderful work. 😍 kj
1st I want to thank you. Ive been trying to declutter for a couple years. I would start. Got rid of some stuff. Then really didn't get rid of much. I just reorganized and moved things to different places. I have an older house without adequate kitchen storage. In October I wanted to really make progress. Ive been watching some organizing videos. I like the minimalist "rules". I don't plan on minimalism. Just less stuff. And be ok with it. My 1st thing i did was set up a quarenteen box. In November, I never opened it before donating. It was a little scarry. But, I got over it. Mostly Tupperware, mugs, utensils and serving and cookware sets. You suggested to set your table like a holiday gathering to see what you actually use and get rid of the extras. Perfect idea. I couldn't just have 1 place setting per person. But, I do run the dishwasher every night. I threw out things that I shouldn't donate. I have done sections. One a week to not get overwhelmed. Got rid of things I haven't used or seen in years. Your tips about setamental stuff was a huge help. My last step in my kitchen is a huge set of stoneware we got when we got married. 33 years ago. I haven't used it in many years. It can't go in the dishwasher. I hate hand washing dishes. Its just a lot of work. So, its on my dining room table ready for donation. So, my kitchen is actually decluttered. Cabinets are spacious. I now know what I have.
Well, I decluttered a whole paper grocery bag of mugs and travel water bottles. Then, I finally went to Target and bought your favorite mug! It’s so pretty and perfect size. Thanks for being so faithful with your videos!
This has been so helpful. I cleaned out my plastic storage containers. Could not believe how many I had with NO covers. So kept only ones ones with covers and I really use. Just cleaned out 2 yes 2 drawers of potholders, towels and dish cloths! Have a trash size bag full of not needed anymore things!
Decluttering is so addictive! I literally started decluttering my kitchen about 2 weeks ago, and I love the simplicity. I had crockery in there from 8 years ago that was gifted to me as a wedding present. And I never ever ever used it. In my head it was: “oh you’ll use these beautiful tea cups and saucers when you entertain”, but whenever I entertained, I picked my other tea set which I loved more. So that huge set cleared up like 2 shelves worth of space. My hubby is kinda peeved though because I made him build us an extra cupboard 2 years back, and now we have all this empty space :) I love it
I LOVE the quarantine box! We've been at our house for almost 3 years, and my project this winter is to re-evaluate our kitchen and dining room storage areas to ensure we are keeping things we need, use a lot, or use seldom, and making sure they are stored in areas that reflect their usage. I'm oddly excited about this!
I live the wash dishes as you go. I have taken it a step further and if I don't have time to let them air dry then I towel dry and put them away. I never leave the house with dishes out. I do not go to bed with dishes out. I love it. No I do not have children now bit I did this even back in the day. Lol. Thank you Dawn for every single video!!!!!
I have started a Quarantine box for my kitchen! Thank you! So glad I signed up for your course. My Dad told me that he can count on 1 hand the number of times dishes were left over night. I am still learning!
Just watched a video on another channel on decluttering. The comment was made that it can often be helpful to do a quick decluttering at the start, then get into organizing, sorting , grouping like with like. That lets you see where your surplus is to get rid of. Made sense to me. Love the quarantine box idea.
Doing the dishes everyday also boosted - boosts - my confidence. But in terms of a place to start - the first habit to develop that moves the needle - I agree with dishes.
You have inspired me to simplify this year. We’ve gone through a bedroom, living room and kitchen. I am shocked at how much “stuff” living in the same house for a decade has brought. Thank you!
I have been watching you and chipping away at years of clutter during quarantine! I never asked my family to get rid of their own stuff. I just continued to tell them how excited I am to feel like we have a clean home. The Friday before Christmas my husband started cleaning up the hall. In our home it consists of a 9’ x 20’ (think 120 year old home). We took two loads to GW and sold four massive bookcases on marketplace that night! Last night my son had friends over and our greatest joy was not having to clear the clutter before letting people in! Lol This morning my husband walked up to me and said he was limiting his t-shirt collection (no harassment from me)! My joy is overflowing! Thank you!
Great video great tips. I love how my kitchen looks and feels. I love being a minimalist. I love empty counters. It’s so much easier to cook bake now because I don’t have extra stuff in my kitchen. I made my kitchen cabinets the bad guy. I do dishes every day. I get tired and I think I will do it tomorrow. Then I rest for a little while and then clean everything up. When I come into my kitchen in the morning to start my coffee I want a clean kitchen. It makes me feel happy.
I've watched this video a few times now for inspiration and what stood out to me this time was when you said to choose your favorites first and put the rest in quarantine...such a simple concept, and yet we struggle with this. I've been working on decluttering for a while now & always rewatch your videos while I am decluttering. I just started thinking about this in relation to every category and the truth of the matter is, no matter what it applies to, as creatures of habit we continually reach for our favorites 1st! Don't know why that took so long to sink in, but boy, what a breakthrough! Has totally made a HUGE difference in how I declutter now. So, Thank YOU for sharing these videos. You have made a difference in my life. 💝
Dawn you are a woman after my own heart. I will do dishes late at night almost always before going to bed. I won't however work on a sewing project late at night. That is why I often leave my dishes till later. I see the benefit of what youre saying though and have to admit that I NEVER, EVER regret getting the dishes done. I recommended "Take your house back" to my sis in law. She said it has been an answer to her prayers!!! Please pass that on to Cas and Dana. I wanted to take the course but my husband felt that I was doing well enough just with youtubers help like you and Dana. I recently listened to her book on audible thanks to you.
I finally got our whole kitchen decluttered and it feels so much better. I worked on it whenever I could. I got rid of coffee cups first. It probably took me a couple of months as I have twin 6 year olds and take care of my 84 year old mom. I did quarantine 1 tote but I don’t think we will need it. I feel like maybe we could get rid of some more but we will see. The right side of my sink counter only has the microwave and one cookie jar! I still have the dish rack and fruit bowl and mixer on the other side for now. Thank you 🙏 Dawn , Joesph Becker, Cas and Natalie
*Dawn you're so kind and humble inviting all these TH-cam women to help us clean organize, declutter already I followed you since you started, Cas, Steph I'll ck the other ladies, just wanted to thank you for been such a wonderful person*
The kitchen is the first room I spend time in each morning. What a joy it is to enjoy my coffee in a clean and tidy space! I put dishes away while coffee is brewing. Love the quarantine tip. I quarantined 2 drawers and 3 crocks of cooking utensils when I decluttered my kitchen. I only recovered one item before donating the box 2 months later. Thanks for the tips and encouragement.
I also like that when you do the dishes everyday then you realize your space limitations in your cabinet. Cause if you have stuff in sink, dishwasher, counters ect you don’t realize how much you have
Some really good ideas - thanks. I particularly like the cardboard "quarantine box". With dishes and storage containers though - you need to take into account occasional fluctuations in usage. We have way more dishes than my husband and I could use in a week. However, being the grandparents who host the holiday dinners, the extra dishes come out of the back of the hard-to-reach, very deep cupboard over the fridge and get USED (the pie server gets used then too - haha) at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The next day I unload the dishwasher and put them right back up in the cupboard where they stay out of sight for another year. Also, we tend to make soups and stews in large batches and use about a ka-billion plastic containers to freeze them, 2-portions per container. We have a freezer in the garage where we store them and actually maintain a list of what's in there. It's great to be able to just pull something out and stick it in the microwave when you've had a long day and don't want to cook or go pick up an order from somewhere. (healthier and cheaper too!) So there are exceptions to your general tips but when you do make an exception, it needs to be intentional and for a very good reason. I'm looking forward to watching the playlist for the declutter series!
Love your videos, Dawn! I agree with Dana! Do the dishes every day for crying out loud! 😂 I say do the dishes after every meal if at all possible. Dirty dishes on the counter ARE CLUTTER! 😄 I think that getting rid of the clutter on your counter is a priority to the clutter in your cupboards and drawers!
I’m truly amazed at the change in my home now! Since starting our MINIMAL JOURNEY- I can SEE the progress and it FEELSA GREAT! And YES to dishes EVERY DAY- It makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE!!!
I have to tell you that your videos changed my life! I have gotten rid of tons and tons of stuff (maybe 50 bags between the garbage, donations and bulk waste). I have tried out new recipes, I have developed a new love for my house, my kids make fun but even the teenagers are pleased and compliment me on the new empty counters!! Just last night, my oldest asked for help decluttering her closet and the middle child spent all weekend in her room getting rid of stuff. They get it!! I feel I get better each time I do it and I am able to discern what can be passed on much more easily. My cleaning ladies too are thrilled! the house is easier to clean AND they got a ton of hand me downs! thank you!!!
It helped me to organize my kitchen into four zones; Prep, Cook, Serve, and Store. So, for example, our utensils were divide based on what they do. We have one utensil holder on the counter between the refrigerator and stove where we do our prep work, one utensil holder next to the stove for cooking, silverware and serving utensils in the serving zone. There are two of each utensil (except silverware) one black and one red (red for my gluten-free cooking). Silverware is also divided into red and black. For storage, we use glass containers a set of red and a set of black. The black ones get one small drawer and the red ones get two small drawers. Red (Pyrex) cup containers and lids fit inside two cup containers and the rectangle ones (3 of them) fit inside each other with the lids on top. Because of my health, I do most of my cooking one day a week, divide in single-serve portions (usually a cup container), and freeze. The black ones are a nesting set and used less often. I have decluttered my kitchen to the point I have three households worth of kitchen items in my kitchen. We have it color-coded by person. Red for me, black for my younger (adult) son who lives with me. and green for my older son who we store his items below the prep area. Plus I have two sets of china on the top shelves of my kitchen. We don't use it but when my sons (or their wives/girlfriends) are ready for it it will be there.
You are incredibly sincere and very practical in your advice. I also appreciate your touches of humor, that makes you very relatable. Keep the good tips coming! You have motivated me and I am often cynical in these matters.
I LOVE the idea ofthe sunday-basket! Paperwork/paperclutter for me is way the hardest part! I also love the bad-guy-boundary! Thank you so much for all your tipps and tricks. ☆♡☆
Doing my dishes everyday changed everything! I have been doing this for a month and a half now. Not sure why it took me 25 years of feeding my family to get to this. 🙂
I love your. videos Dawn! I thoroughly enjoy your sunny personality and interactions with your husband and your sister. You are a bright spot and so inspiring. Keep it up! I do have one question when I hear you talk about decluttering the kitchen...the dishes! We are a family of 5 and because I homeschool and my husband and I both work from home, we eat all of our meals at home. I know about dishes! We use our dishes, silverware and glasses throughout the day and put the dirty ones in the dishwasher, then we turn it on before we go to bed and unload the clean dishes in the morning. We don't have dishes in the sink and there is zero drama. What I'm legitimately curious about is how dishes become a clutter problem?
Quarantine cardboard box is a great 👍🏻 idea. I’m already on top of my dish washing. I cannot leave a dish unwashed . OCD Drives my family mad but the sink is always clear. So many wonderful suggestions and lm keen to see the rest of the videos. Less clutter will mean less l can clean, l hope.
The quarantine box and the sole reason that I can now declutter my kitchen!!! Otherwise I would just sit there and put it back and think about it because I don’t wanna get rid of it just yet.. thank you so much Dawn!
Thank you for this Dawn. I cleaned out my "baking shelves" after watching Work Life Glue and Clutterbug. I used small bins I already had in the basement. Now I can see what I have vs need to get for my 7 layer cookies and my pecan pie which is really what I bake most often. No more double buying what I don't need and running out of what I do!
Thank you so much for this playlist. I started in Feb and just finished watching all 24 videos, while enjoying a snow day and decluttering my kitchen. ❤️
The Flylady has the same concept. “Shine your sink “ everyday. For me to clean my sink I need to do the dishes or run / load / unload the dishwasher everyday. This keeps the kitchen clean and tidy.
@@amymiller3740 I heard it from a TH-camr that dishwashers are smart nowadays like washing machines & only use the water they need for the amount in the appliance or at least there is a "quick cycle" or a "refresh" cycle option. However I live in the UK and don't have to pay for water, so I haven't had to do any significant research on this. An other option is to switch on ur dishwasher every other day even. Good luck.
@@lynseymoffett9656 that may be. Our dishwasher is original to the house though so for now we are running it full. When kids are old enough to do their dishes, I may switch to hand washing most things.
Definitely on doing the dishes every day!! I have been (basically) doing this as I listen to Dana for about 2 months. One day, as I was putting away small glass bowls, I realized I like the Pyrex round ones and use them more, and these oval round ones I've had and used for a while, I just don't reach for. They were hindering me to get at some of the ones I really use often, and I decided (with your help too Dawn!) that I could definitely live without them. Such a small win. But big step in the mind-shift game!!
10:49 Plastic bags - my favorite tip here is to use an empty face tissue box. Keeps bags contained, limited and neat. I have 3 boxes: one for the size that fits my garbage bin, one for smaller (to pick up cat puke etc), and one for larger bags (like the ones from Bed Bath & Beyond etc). And put these tissue boxes full of plastic bags in that drawer instead. Once the box is full, I don't save plastic bags anymore.
*I absolutely agree if the kitchen is clean everything is under control, a year ago you made a kitchen declutter and tried it, I don't own a dishwasher for environment issues my dishes have been cut in half sure after each meal they get washed but the kitchen stays clean*
Yes totally. Ive done this for about a year or so. It makes it so much easier in the morning for me & most probably my boyz too. I ❤ that privet group with you 3 lovely ladys!!! Cant wait to get the rest of my house decluttered!!! Xx
Love this series -- Decluttered kitchen 6 months ago and need to use all these tips to check on things -- I know there are more things I can donate. My mom taught me it is better to have someone use something, than to sit in your home unused. THANK YOU
Such a good idea to make a playlist of all of you discussing the same topic, showing us different options so we can find storage solutions that work for our home. Lots of inspiration and knowledge to gather! Thanks
I wash the fruit after shopping and put it in a a fruit basket and fruit bowl in the fridge at eye level. I love the look when I open the fridge. It is inspires healthy eating habits. The bananas are kept on the counter in a tray with a small glass bowl of tomatoes, one of the very few things on my counter.
Thank you so much for offering the CFJ program with so many likeminded TH-camrs! This, together with the TYHB course which I’m loving, is making a HUGE difference to my house, my family and my Life! Thank you 🙏🏼
With everyone at home so much, I have found that we do dishes after every meal, sometimes waiting afterwards to run the dishes so we can sneak the snack time dishes in there as well. We are a family of 8, so missing a meal or two adds up to a lot of dishes very quickly. Doing the dishes after each meal has helped us all stay on top of this and definitely familiarizes me with what we legitimately use on the regular and what never even gets pulled out of the drawers and cabinets.
Hi Dawn I totally agree putting stuff in a cardboard box or recycle a bag to get rid of the whole thing, I've started doing this, so on the same wave length 😉xxx
What a great idea.....getting all of the great minimal u tubes together and getting the best tips from all of them. You should do this with other topics as well.
A friend just recommended your videos to me and I really think that you can inspire me to be more of a "Minimalist"! I have struggled with clutter and disorganization my entire adult life and it has caused me feelings of guilt, anxiety and depression. I have a new live-in boyfriend and he hates how cluttered my house is and the fact that there is currently no space for him to call his own. I definitely want to change and become more organized, but I constantly feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, especially if I don't have a lot of time to devote to sorting / purging / donating. Wish me luck!
THANK YOU!!!!! I am one minute and 10 seconds into your video and just subscribed to everyone of those youtube channels and hit the notification bell. I'm having a blast doing your class online and reading through the private facebook group. I'm shaping up and shipping a bunch of stuff OUT. This is exactly what I needed as exactly 8 months ago I moved out of a 3,000 square foot home into a 1050 square foot condo and I'm loving less to take care of (not to mention the financial savings and additional time in my schedule.) It has taken SO MUCH WORK and totally drained my emotions and energy to get to this point. Most people would feel my home is totally fine and clean enough, but I really want to keep about 20-25% of my posessions and have an absolute space for everything. I know retirement is a long ways off (10 years), but when it's time to retire, I'm moving into a van for a couple years to travel and downsizing to a 400-750 square foot cabin, which will be home until it's time to go into the "home." The last thing I want is to have a ton of stuff to go through at that time - might as well start now! and.....back to the video :) I'm back - 12 1/2 minutes and you mentioned Lisa from Organized 365......another subscription and notification bell thank you so very much.
Clutter Free January Playlist --> th-cam.com/play/PLZ-AWUEixtg3vmYMK-qfWmiQanHACkT0i.html Thank you for watching and I hope you find some new friends through our month long series, too!! Have a great day!!! Dawn
Thanks for sharing. ❤️
Hey Dawn! Would it be possible to add my latest video to the playlist 🙂
@@Simply.Mariela that's what I want to know too! I can't tell if this is open collab or just specific by invitation. I caught The Daily Connoisseur's post yesterday and nearly jumped for joy. Never seen her collab with Dawn. Saw the Minimal Mom through Cas/Clutterbug who then found Erica Lucas through. Also discovered The Daily Connoisseur via Flylady Kat who I found through Diane in Denmark, whose 30day babysteps were ONLY time I ever completed them all despite fluttering since adolescence lol.
@@mrslvw lol same!
Love this! And your dish rack! Can you link it plz? I keep looking but never see it in the goodies list in the description. thanks
My biggest 2 breakthroughs since decluttering my kitchen and house:
1. A church friend popped over without prior warning and I didn’t die of shame, and
2. I can now fold my laundry on my kitchen counter.
SUCCESS!!
Years ago, I found Fly Lady and her great suggestions, one of which was to clean and shine your kitchen sink every night so you would wake up to a clean kitchen. It makes a difference!
Waking up to a shiny sink even if it's just a tiny light spot in a kitchen of cluttered despair does feel better
*LOVE these tips, Dawn. YES for doing the dishes every. dang. day! Thanks for asking me to be part of this series. So fun!*
Love both your channels. Love that you guys know each other!
I have never heard of anyone not doing their dishes immediately or once a day! What is the alternative? Is this an American thing?
@@johannakunze3300 Yes, I was wondering about the same, I thought all pans and dishes are washed during preparing and after the meal has been eaten. A part of the food preparation cycle.
The same as washing, drying, sorting and ironing if necessary and then putting away clothes
Me and my husband decided on getting rid of ONE BIG CLUTTER...debt! we became completely debt-free 2 years ago.Being clutter-free spills over in many areas of life;)
So true!
I learned that small kitchens are actually a blessing, less area to clean and less stuff to store. When I had a small kitchen I always thought a bigger kitchen would be wonderful. But now that I have a big kitchen, I want my small kitchen back! Also, doing my dishes every day has been wonderful and I even went a step further by donating my dish drainer because it made my counter look messy with piled up dishes. I eliminated that step and now everything just gets scrubbed and goes in the dishwasher. Love it!
We put the fruits in the livingroom,where everybody is afternoon.So while we are watching to a movie it is easier to get a fruit.And when you smell an orange or something you have to eat one too :) We snack too,but this way our family eats more fruit.
Such a great idea! I always keep fruit exposed too, that way when the children want a snack they usually ask for what they see
Love the living room idea! We keep ours on the kitchen table. Our boys eat fruit like it's going out of style! LOL so they know that anything in the fruit bowl is up for grabs. But the living room idea is great too! I might try that in the evenings when we're watching family movies.
No way! That is so unconventional and amazing, i love this idea!!!
Even when I say I'm too tired to do the dishes I end up doing them. Feels good when you wake up and have a clean kitchen.
I hate any dirty dishes in the sink!
I never leave them. I also wipe my sink out almost every time I am finished with a meal clean up or general use.
It’s mind freeing and keeps each meal distinct. Kitchen looks good!
100% when the kitchen is clean, the house, my family and life in general is under control.
The dishes thing changed our house! We each have a plate, a bowl, and a set of silverware that's unique to each person in our house. That way, each person is responsible for their own dishes and there is no pile up in the sink. There's also no question about who isn't doing their dishes :)
I thought about it, but as I know my kids they would steal each other silverware and dishes so they can say it's not their mess 😂
@@palacinkasmarmeladou lol, same
@@palacinkasmarmeladou Yep, my boy's too! LOL
Go Tom! Too true. I feel like if the kitchen is clean then I have a handle on life - as with the bedroom. Somehow making the bed makes the room tidy. I may still have junk everywhere, but I FEEL that junk if the bed isn’t made.
Honestly Dana has the best methods out there. I’ve watched a lot of her old not great quality videos but I’m telling you solid gold info!
Love, love, LOVE! I hear the closet equivalent of "my kitchen is too small" from my clients... I remind them that their closet is just fine, it's too many clothes that is their problem! After moving every three years, you learn to adapt to any home you find.
I love the idea of a quarantine bin and Dana's approach for letting containers be the "boss." For paperwork, the OHIO method-Only Handle It Once is my preference. The Sunday basket seems like a setup for delayed decisions and another thing to let pile up. I don't want another thing to maintain.
I got myself into a daily cleaning routine like doing dishes and doing a load of washing every single day. First it felt hard but now I love it because the house feels so much easier to keep up with.
My biggest goals everyday is clean the kitchen at night to wake up with a clean kitchen
Me as well
Agreed! I hate waking up to a dirty kitchen.
My grandpa used to do that and I've been following his lead. I love coming down to a clean kitchen in the morning.
Yesssss
My mom is from the old school. You do the dishes after every meal and you especially do the dishes before bedtime.... some emergency could happen in the middle of the night and you wouldn't want family or EMT seeing a dirty kitchen! Ha!
I agree, I have been doing dishes everyday before I go to bed and it’s great to see clean kitchen in morning. It’s been 3 yrs now and except once when I was literally too sick in bed to get up I have done my dishes every day!
I like quarantine box too. Only pulled out one item for my husband once and after using it he agreed, nope we don’t need it!
I just went down to one set of dishes. Thanks to the quarantine box I just jumped since I know I can go back if I totally hate it. I’ve also decided to get rid of the glasses, we will use mugs. We drink tons of tea and hot chocolate so we need mugs, they work just fine for water too.
I have a plastic box, with extra "cooking utensils" in it, so when we go to family gatherings/cookouts/dinners, I take the extras not my good items. That way, 1) I don't have to worry if they get left behind, and 2) my father-in-law is a widower, so he NEVER has all the things we need. We've tried getting him his own items, but they "grow legs and walk off," so I just have it if its needed. They are only brought out when we're going for gatherings. If I get new, the currents go in the box. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.
Good tip, I'm going to employ it as I clean out my kitchen
We do this for camping stuff too. I keep a set of camping utensils that are also the ones we take to thanksgiving if another family member is hosting
Great idea!! A lot of people already do this concept with camping cooking supplies, so it makes sense to expand it to this too. I do something similar with hotpads and the like. On a given day, I only need 2 at most. But “WHAT ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS?!” I have like 5 or 6 festive ones that I keep with the festive decor. When the decor comes out, so do the holiday potholders, ready for the big feast. Then after the holiday, they get packed back up for next year.
Farm wife , mother of 5 here - never have had a dishwasher but always , always have washed dishes after every single meal - unless it looked like rain & I had to get to the garden or something of that nature , but even then I’d usually quickly grab that 15 - 20 mins . It’s like making the beds in our home - it just makes everything feel better ! Thank you for another great video !!!💕💕💕
For everyone who wants to do dishes everyday but is feeling really overwhelmed: first, ignore the comments about this, please don’t feel ashamed. ❤️ second: Dawn’s advice is great, but obviously if you’re too overwhelmed to get started with this habit right now, it’s still okay to start with decluttering first and then form your habits!
Also, maybe a real hardcore approach, but if you want a clean slate and have the possibility and storage space to do so, a reverse method might work. Like pack up your kitchen stuff and only get out what you need. What’s left, can be donated. It could be just the reset you need to see things clearly and feel what all the space can do to you. 😊
No matter what approach, once again, please don’t feel ashamed if you don’t do the dishes everyday!! You will get there in time 😊 one step at a time!!
Amen, sister! ❤️
Good advice! I love when I get the dishes done in the evening but it’s ok life happens and once in awhile you don’t 🤷♀️ it’s ok.
Something that helps me is when I make a cup of hot tea, I steep it for 3 minutes and that’s my stop watch for loading and unloading the dishwasher and clear out the sink, and wipe down the counter.
It gives perspective realizing these tasks aren’t as time consuming as we think!
Dawn did you get a new refrigerator?😁 I have that kind also with freezer on bottom. Would love a video on keeping that clutter free! Thanks for all you help!
@@patsavinda1703 - Same! I use the time it takes my kettle to boil - I’m learning to also turn on the dishwasher every night - empty or full.
It was a new fridge... think its called a French door style in the US...? 🤔 but I don’t think D&T are very keen on it 😬 It’s been mentioned in a couple of Dawn’s videos x
I do my dishes as I cook, when I worked full time I was happy to get the dishwasher loaded, clothes washed and a sweep once a week. We are all in different places in our lives. Cut yourself some slack.
I ALWAYS clean the dishes right then. A spotless sink makes everything better!!!! 🌞
Great tips!
My great grandma always said "your house isn't presentable unless the bed is made and the dishes are done". I hear her in my head all the time. She was right... and you are too Dawn. It makes it seem better when they're done. Like I can then tackle the rest of my day.
I’ve enjoyed finding new friends to watch on TH-cam! Great collaboration!
Erica, I watched your meal planning video last night.great idea!!!
@@wendymann5075 thank you Wendy! Let me know if you try it out.
Kitchen is the heart of your house, keep it clean, free of clutter and most of your house will seem healthier. ❤ Sending love and positivity to all. Good luck on your de-cluttering journey. ❤❤❤❤
I have been on a minimalist journey for a while and I kind of hit a plateau. Then I found your channel very recently and have been pouring over the videos. Can I tell you over the last two weeks your inspiration has got me off the plateau and I am so happy with my space. Just what I needed. Thank you!
I am loving all your tips! I have been slowly practicing minimalism for the past couple years and the older I get the more I realize I don’t need all this stuff and you definitely feel less stress with less stuff so now I’m trying to help my five grown children incorporate minimalism into their daily life❤️ thanks again !
Hooray for dishes done every day! We have a dishwasher which gets run every single night after dinner. Then it gets emptied either before bed or while coffee brews in the morning. That makes the machine available to hold dirty dishes we create throughout the day (we have more dishes than Dawn does - & that’s alright! 😃). Who wants to handle dirty dishes twice? (once to put in sink, then later to place in dishwasher). Bonus: it’s one less decision to make during my day!
Nice series, ladies❤️
I always did my dishes immediately after meals, and my kitchen is the area that never feels out of control- light bulb moment here. My bads are the storage areas. Out of sight out of mind 😂
What a wonderful awakening on the psychological aspect of touching something again. That’s why we bought that thing in the first place, we touched it and we felt good about it. Much more impelling to keep it than just the visual. Put in the cardboard box also lessens the value of it. Genus. Thanks.
I’ve been on a Minimalism journey since 2017. There have been highs and lows; however, I have made a lot of progress but stuff creeps back in. Now with the possibly of moving later this year, I am making another pass through my house. Your videos have given me the encouragement and motivation to keep going!
Hi Dawn, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this collab. I enjoyed your tips! It's true we don't need to keep fruit out. We go through fruit so fast that my kids will find it no matter where I put it, haha. Much love and I'm looking forward to the rest of the videos in Clutter-free Jan. Love, Jennifer
@Michigan Minimalist bananas can be in the fridge, just because the peel goes brown faster does not harm the fruit.
Love the don't touch it again thing! when I worked in retail that was something we were taught- get the product into their hands. When you touch something, you feel more connected to it, and are more likely to want to keep it/buy it!
I need to thank you for your videos. I started watching them on TH-cam just after Christmas. My husband and I needed to quarantine due to COVID contact and I had time on my hands. They intrigued me since I struggled to put away the crockpot after the holiday dinner. I watched a number and they got me motivated. My plan is not to become a minimalist at this time, but I want to take control of the things that seem to cause stress in my life.
I started in the kitchen with a goal to be able to put dishes away without struggles. The process was a bit slower than you may recommend, but as I went through my cookbooks, I took time to look at any that had marked pages and made a photocopy of the recipes I tried and liked. Oddly enough, there were many that I had never used except to read /look at the pictures. One had a favorite cheesecake recipe, but in over 20 years, that was the only recipe made. Very enlightening. I was able to get rid of 2/3 of the cookbooks at this first pass. Now I love putting dishes away! It is a great start..
OMG... you've been in my kitchen. Today as I am declutter in the kitchen and looking for any inspiration I can find on TH-cam. *I find you* as I stand here telling myself, if I did the dishes everyday, I wouldn't need all these storage containers and 12 plates and *I'm single!* and then you said the same thing thank you for the affirmation *I think I can do this!*
For me adding a dishwasher has been CRITICAL to my success! ☺️. I gave up one of my few cupboards and drawers in my small kitchen... but you know what? I had decluttered so much I didn’t need that extra storage space! Now my dishes are continually done and my counters are clear... it even inspired me to finally discard my big bulky toaster oven that rarely got used but took up a chunk of counter space... win win win! 🤩
Washing the dishes every day and making the bed every morning are 2 things that set the tone and just make me feel so much better about my home. I liked the insight about making the quarantine box a “donatable” box so you don’t have to touch the items again and start second guessing yourself. That’s genius!! Thx as always for your great tips and encouragement!
Donatable donate boxes, and the container method have been life changing for me. I know that sounds melodramatic, but it really is true.
I not only clean up my kitchen at night but as I am preparing meals. It makes dishes so much lighter if you clean as you go. Then clean after each meal if possible. This makes you feel much better. 🤗
When COVID is history you’re going to have to schedule more Panera meet n greet like you did back in 2019. I’d drive quite a ways to be in the audience. And yes I love this series, and hearing it over and over with all of the various personalities is a real plus. Thanks to all. Schedule another later this year, please. Blessings.
Thank you, Dawn, for creating "A Clutter Free January". I love the variety of ideas, methods and personalities on this channel. Please don't stop after January!
Hi love this - we do our dirty dishes after finishing eating 🍽 never leave a pile up - I also never had a dishwasher out of choice & had 7 kiddies - we managed just fine
I know...I don't get the concept of NOT doing the dishes. (???)
Gold star for you
I have followed dawn for years and find myself re-watching many of her videos. I feel like I know her and all of her family personally. LOL!
So huge fan, even got the hubby listening to some of the videos. I'm probably your mom's age. I was blessed to have a very organized & minimalist mom. In our family of 7, I was the only girl for 12yrs. So much of my basic homemaking skills come naturally to me from her mentoring even though no one knew I was dyslexic & ADHD. Those issues challenge me but her examples are etched in my brain... Praise God 😇
One thing that's surprising to me is some folks not doing dishes &/or kitchen cleaning daily. I'm sure, however, that there are things that I do or don't do they'd find strange. At my age though, I've come to realize how much of our personal lifestyles are connected to regional & hereditary influences. My Northeast & European roots play into that Tidy Home thinking. My hubby, from Ft Wayne, has somewhat different perspectives. It's all good though 😌 . We all bring different things to our relationships with lots of room to learn and grow. Keep up the wonderful work. 😍 kj
1st I want to thank you. Ive been trying to declutter for a couple years. I would start. Got rid of some stuff. Then really didn't get rid of much. I just reorganized and moved things to different places. I have an older house without adequate kitchen storage. In October I wanted to really make progress. Ive been watching some organizing videos. I like the minimalist "rules". I don't plan on minimalism. Just less stuff. And be ok with it. My 1st thing i did was set up a quarenteen box. In November, I never opened it before donating. It was a little scarry. But, I got over it. Mostly Tupperware, mugs, utensils and serving and cookware sets. You suggested to set your table like a holiday gathering to see what you actually use and get rid of the extras. Perfect idea. I couldn't just have 1 place setting per person. But, I do run the dishwasher every night. I threw out things that I shouldn't donate. I have done sections. One a week to not get overwhelmed. Got rid of things I haven't used or seen in years. Your tips about setamental stuff was a huge help. My last step in my kitchen is a huge set of stoneware we got when we got married. 33 years ago. I haven't used it in many years. It can't go in the dishwasher. I hate hand washing dishes. Its just a lot of work. So, its on my dining room table ready for donation. So, my kitchen is actually decluttered. Cabinets are spacious. I now know what I have.
Great job. Thanks for sharing.
Well, I decluttered a whole paper grocery bag of mugs and travel water bottles. Then, I finally went to Target and bought your favorite mug! It’s so pretty and perfect size. Thanks for being so faithful with your videos!
This has been so helpful. I cleaned out my plastic storage containers. Could not believe how many I had with NO covers. So kept only ones ones with covers and I really use. Just cleaned out 2 yes 2 drawers of potholders, towels and dish cloths! Have a trash size bag full of not needed anymore things!
The Quarantine Box!! Loved it. Also, your empty counters are so soothing to eyes.
Decluttering is so addictive! I literally started decluttering my kitchen about 2 weeks ago, and I love the simplicity. I had crockery in there from 8 years ago that was gifted to me as a wedding present. And I never ever ever used it. In my head it was: “oh you’ll use these beautiful tea cups and saucers when you entertain”, but whenever I entertained, I picked my other tea set which I loved more. So that huge set cleared up like 2 shelves worth of space. My hubby is kinda peeved though because I made him build us an extra cupboard 2 years back, and now we have all this empty space :) I love it
I LOVE the quarantine box! We've been at our house for almost 3 years, and my project this winter is to re-evaluate our kitchen and dining room storage areas to ensure we are keeping things we need, use a lot, or use seldom, and making sure they are stored in areas that reflect their usage. I'm oddly excited about this!
I live the wash dishes as you go. I have taken it a step further and if I don't have time to let them air dry then I towel dry and put them away. I never leave the house with dishes out. I do not go to bed with dishes out. I love it. No I do not have children now bit I did this even back in the day. Lol. Thank you Dawn for every single video!!!!!
I have started a Quarantine box for my kitchen! Thank you! So glad I signed up for your course.
My Dad told me that he can count on 1 hand the number of times dishes were left over night. I am still learning!
Just watched a video on another channel on decluttering. The comment was made that it can often be helpful to do a quick decluttering at the start, then get into organizing, sorting , grouping like with like. That lets you see where your surplus is to get rid of. Made sense to me. Love the quarantine box idea.
Doing the dishes everyday also boosted - boosts - my confidence. But in terms of a place to start - the first habit to develop that moves the needle - I agree with dishes.
You have inspired me to simplify this year. We’ve gone through a bedroom, living room and kitchen. I am shocked at how much “stuff” living in the same house for a decade has brought. Thank you!
I’ve been doing the dishes every day for a little over two weeks now, and it is LIFE CHANGING! Dishes math is real!
I have been watching you and chipping away at years of clutter during quarantine! I never asked my family to get rid of their own stuff. I just continued to tell them how excited I am to feel like we have a clean home. The Friday before Christmas my husband started cleaning up the hall. In our home it consists of a 9’ x 20’ (think 120 year old home). We took two loads to GW and sold four massive bookcases on marketplace that night! Last night my son had friends over and our greatest joy was not having to clear the clutter before letting people in! Lol This morning my husband walked up to me and said he was limiting his t-shirt collection (no harassment from me)! My joy is overflowing! Thank you!
Great video great tips. I love how my kitchen looks and feels. I love being a minimalist. I love empty counters. It’s so much easier to cook bake now because I don’t have extra stuff in my kitchen. I made my kitchen cabinets the bad guy. I do dishes every day. I get tired and I think I will do it tomorrow. Then I rest for a little while and then clean everything up. When I come into my kitchen in the morning to start my coffee I want a clean kitchen. It makes me feel happy.
I've watched this video a few times now for inspiration and what stood out to me this time was when you said to choose your favorites first and put the rest in quarantine...such a simple concept, and yet we struggle with this. I've been working on decluttering for a while now & always rewatch your videos while I am decluttering. I just started thinking about this in relation to every category and the truth of the matter is, no matter what it applies to, as creatures of habit we continually reach for our favorites 1st! Don't know why that took so long to sink in, but boy, what a breakthrough! Has totally made a HUGE difference in how I declutter now. So, Thank YOU for sharing these videos. You have made a difference in my life. 💝
Dawn you are a woman after my own heart. I will do dishes late at night almost always before going to bed. I won't however work on a sewing project late at night. That is why I often leave my dishes till later. I see the benefit of what youre saying though and have to admit that I NEVER, EVER regret getting the dishes done. I recommended "Take your house back" to my sis in law. She said it has been an answer to her prayers!!! Please pass that on to Cas and Dana. I wanted to take the course but my husband felt that I was doing well enough just with youtubers help like you and Dana. I recently listened to her book on audible thanks to you.
I finally got our whole kitchen decluttered and it feels so much better. I worked on it whenever I could. I got rid of coffee cups first. It probably took me a couple of months as I have twin 6 year olds and take care of my 84 year old mom. I did quarantine 1 tote but I don’t think we will need it. I feel like maybe we could get rid of some more but we will see. The right side of my sink counter only has the microwave and one cookie jar! I still have the dish rack and fruit bowl and mixer on the other side for now. Thank you 🙏 Dawn , Joesph Becker, Cas and Natalie
*Dawn you're so kind and humble inviting all these TH-cam women to help us clean organize, declutter already I followed you since you started, Cas, Steph I'll ck the other ladies, just wanted to thank you for been such a wonderful person*
I never regret doing the dishes. 😀 Thank you for your inspiring videos, Dawn! ❤️
The kitchen is the first room I spend time in each morning. What a joy it is to enjoy my coffee in a clean and tidy space! I put dishes away while coffee is brewing.
Love the quarantine tip. I quarantined 2 drawers and 3 crocks of cooking utensils when I decluttered my kitchen. I only recovered one item before donating the box 2 months later.
Thanks for the tips and encouragement.
I have such a small kitchen. Your fruit in the cabinet trick is going to change my life! I never considered this as an option 🤦😯
I also like that when you do the dishes everyday then you realize your space limitations in your cabinet. Cause if you have stuff in sink, dishwasher, counters ect you don’t realize how much you have
Some really good ideas - thanks. I particularly like the cardboard "quarantine box". With dishes and storage containers though - you need to take into account occasional fluctuations in usage. We have way more dishes than my husband and I could use in a week. However, being the grandparents who host the holiday dinners, the extra dishes come out of the back of the hard-to-reach, very deep cupboard over the fridge and get USED (the pie server gets used then too - haha) at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The next day I unload the dishwasher and put them right back up in the cupboard where they stay out of sight for another year. Also, we tend to make soups and stews in large batches and use about a ka-billion plastic containers to freeze them, 2-portions per container. We have a freezer in the garage where we store them and actually maintain a list of what's in there. It's great to be able to just pull something out and stick it in the microwave when you've had a long day and don't want to cook or go pick up an order from somewhere. (healthier and cheaper too!) So there are exceptions to your general tips but when you do make an exception, it needs to be intentional and for a very good reason. I'm looking forward to watching the playlist for the declutter series!
Thanks for the inspiration. I was minimal before but then had another baby and got lost in stuff. We just cleared out 3 van-loads of stuff!
I decluttered sooo much over the holiday. I feel sooo much better!
Thanks for putting this together and introducing us to other creators that never come up in our feed.
Love your videos, Dawn!
I agree with Dana! Do the dishes every day for crying out loud! 😂
I say do the dishes after every meal if at all possible. Dirty dishes on the counter ARE CLUTTER! 😄
I think that getting rid of the clutter on your counter is a priority to the clutter in your cupboards and drawers!
I’m truly amazed at the change in my home now! Since starting our MINIMAL JOURNEY- I can SEE the progress and it FEELSA GREAT! And YES to dishes EVERY DAY- It makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE!!!
I have to tell you that your videos changed my life! I have gotten rid of tons and tons of stuff (maybe 50 bags between the garbage, donations and bulk waste). I have tried out new recipes, I have developed a new love for my house, my kids make fun but even the teenagers are pleased and compliment me on the new empty counters!! Just last night, my oldest asked for help decluttering her closet and the middle child spent all weekend in her room getting rid of stuff. They get it!!
I feel I get better each time I do it and I am able to discern what can be passed on much more easily. My cleaning ladies too are thrilled! the house is easier to clean AND they got a ton of hand me downs! thank you!!!
It helped me to organize my kitchen into four zones; Prep, Cook, Serve, and Store. So, for example, our utensils were divide based on what they do. We have one utensil holder on the counter between the refrigerator and stove where we do our prep work, one utensil holder next to the stove for cooking, silverware and serving utensils in the serving zone. There are two of each utensil (except silverware) one black and one red (red for my gluten-free cooking). Silverware is also divided into red and black. For storage, we use glass containers a set of red and a set of black. The black ones get one small drawer and the red ones get two small drawers. Red (Pyrex) cup containers and lids fit inside two cup containers and the rectangle ones (3 of them) fit inside each other with the lids on top. Because of my health, I do most of my cooking one day a week, divide in single-serve portions (usually a cup container), and freeze. The black ones are a nesting set and used less often. I have decluttered my kitchen to the point I have three households worth of kitchen items in my kitchen. We have it color-coded by person. Red for me, black for my younger (adult) son who lives with me. and green for my older son who we store his items below the prep area. Plus I have two sets of china on the top shelves of my kitchen. We don't use it but when my sons (or their wives/girlfriends) are ready for it it will be there.
You are incredibly sincere and very practical in your advice. I also appreciate your touches of humor, that makes you very relatable. Keep the good tips coming! You have motivated me and I am often cynical in these matters.
I LOVE the idea ofthe sunday-basket!
Paperwork/paperclutter for me is way the hardest part!
I also love the bad-guy-boundary!
Thank you so much for all your tipps and tricks.
☆♡☆
Doing my dishes everyday changed everything! I have been doing this for a month and a half now. Not sure why it took me 25 years of feeding my family to get to this. 🙂
I love your. videos Dawn! I thoroughly enjoy your sunny personality and interactions with your husband and your sister. You are a bright spot and so inspiring. Keep it up! I do have one question when I hear you talk about decluttering the kitchen...the dishes! We are a family of 5 and because I homeschool and my husband and I both work from home, we eat all of our meals at home. I know about dishes! We use our dishes, silverware and glasses throughout the day and put the dirty ones in the dishwasher, then we turn it on before we go to bed and unload the clean dishes in the morning. We don't have dishes in the sink and there is zero drama. What I'm legitimately curious about is how dishes become a clutter problem?
When the kitchen is clean and I know what we are having for dinner is when so feel like I am doing ok!👍🏻😊
Quarantine cardboard box is a great 👍🏻 idea. I’m already on top of my dish washing. I cannot leave a dish unwashed . OCD Drives my family mad but the sink is always clear. So many wonderful suggestions and lm keen to see the rest of the videos. Less clutter will mean less l can clean, l hope.
The quarantine box and the sole reason that I can now declutter my kitchen!!! Otherwise I would just sit there and put it back and think about it because I don’t wanna get rid of it just yet.. thank you so much Dawn!
Thank you for this Dawn. I cleaned out my "baking shelves" after watching Work Life Glue and Clutterbug. I used small bins I already had in the basement. Now I can see what I have vs need to get for my 7 layer cookies and my pecan pie which is really what I bake most often. No more double buying what I don't need and running out of what I do!
Thank you so much for this playlist. I started in Feb and just finished watching all 24 videos, while enjoying a snow day and decluttering my kitchen. ❤️
Many years ago the fly lady got the clean sink through to me. It is such a game changer! Papers are my challenge!
The Flylady has the same concept. “Shine your sink “ everyday. For me to clean my sink I need to do the dishes or run / load / unload the dishwasher everyday. This keeps the kitchen clean and tidy.
I definitely don’t run daily if not full because I feel like water bill will significantly increase?
@@amymiller3740 I heard it from a TH-camr that dishwashers are smart nowadays like washing machines & only use the water they need for the amount in the appliance or at least there is a "quick cycle" or a "refresh" cycle option. However I live in the UK and don't have to pay for water, so I haven't had to do any significant research on this. An other option is to switch on ur dishwasher every other day even. Good luck.
@@lynseymoffett9656 that may be. Our dishwasher is original to the house though so for now we are running it full. When kids are old enough to do their dishes, I may switch to hand washing most things.
@@amymiller3740 - my dishwasher only uses a tiny bit more water than a sink full.
Definitely on doing the dishes every day!!
I have been (basically) doing this as I listen to Dana for about 2 months.
One day, as I was putting away small glass bowls, I realized I like the Pyrex round ones and use them more, and these oval round ones I've had and used for a while, I just don't reach for.
They were hindering me to get at some of the ones I really use often, and I decided (with your help too Dawn!) that I could definitely live without them.
Such a small win. But big step in the mind-shift game!!
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Plastic bags - my favorite tip here is to use an empty face tissue box. Keeps bags contained, limited and neat.
I have 3 boxes: one for the size that fits my garbage bin, one for smaller (to pick up cat puke etc), and one for larger bags (like the ones from Bed Bath & Beyond etc). And put these tissue boxes full of plastic bags in that drawer instead.
Once the box is full, I don't save plastic bags anymore.
*I absolutely agree if the kitchen is clean everything is under control, a year ago you made a kitchen declutter and tried it, I don't own a dishwasher for environment issues my dishes have been cut in half sure after each meal they get washed but the kitchen stays clean*
Yes totally.
Ive done this for about a year or so.
It makes it so much easier in the morning for me & most probably my boyz too.
I ❤ that privet group with you 3 lovely ladys!!!
Cant wait to get the rest of my house decluttered!!! Xx
Love this series -- Decluttered kitchen 6 months ago and need to use all these tips to check on things -- I know there are more things I can donate. My mom taught me it is better to have someone use something, than to sit in your home unused. THANK YOU
Such a good idea to make a playlist of all of you discussing the same topic, showing us different options so we can find storage solutions that work for our home. Lots of inspiration and knowledge to gather! Thanks
I wash the fruit after shopping and put it in a a fruit basket and fruit bowl in the fridge at eye level. I love the look when I open the fridge. It is inspires healthy eating habits. The bananas are kept on the counter in a tray with a small glass bowl of tomatoes, one of the very few things on my counter.
Thank you so much for offering the CFJ program with so many likeminded TH-camrs!
This, together with the TYHB course which I’m loving, is making a HUGE difference to my house, my family and my Life!
Thank you 🙏🏼
With everyone at home so much, I have found that we do dishes after every meal, sometimes waiting afterwards to run the dishes so we can sneak the snack time dishes in there as well. We are a family of 8, so missing a meal or two adds up to a lot of dishes very quickly. Doing the dishes after each meal has helped us all stay on top of this and definitely familiarizes me with what we legitimately use on the regular and what never even gets pulled out of the drawers and cabinets.
Hi Dawn I totally agree putting stuff in a cardboard box or recycle a bag to get rid of the whole thing, I've started doing this, so on the same wave length 😉xxx
What a great idea.....getting all of the great minimal u tubes together and getting the best tips from all of them. You should do this with other topics as well.
Cardboard box makes sense. Out of sight, out of mind 👍
A friend just recommended your videos to me and I really think that you can inspire me to be more of a "Minimalist"! I have struggled with clutter and disorganization my entire adult life and it has caused me feelings of guilt, anxiety and depression. I have a new live-in boyfriend and he hates how cluttered my house is and the fact that there is currently no space for him to call his own. I definitely want to change and become more organized, but I constantly feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start, especially if I don't have a lot of time to devote to sorting / purging / donating. Wish me luck!
THANK YOU!!!!! I am one minute and 10 seconds into your video and just subscribed to everyone of those youtube channels and hit the notification bell. I'm having a blast doing your class online and reading through the private facebook group. I'm shaping up and shipping a bunch of stuff OUT. This is exactly what I needed as exactly 8 months ago I moved out of a 3,000 square foot home into a 1050 square foot condo and I'm loving less to take care of (not to mention the financial savings and additional time in my schedule.) It has taken SO MUCH WORK and totally drained my emotions and energy to get to this point. Most people would feel my home is totally fine and clean enough, but I really want to keep about 20-25% of my posessions and have an absolute space for everything. I know retirement is a long ways off (10 years), but when it's time to retire, I'm moving into a van for a couple years to travel and downsizing to a 400-750 square foot cabin, which will be home until it's time to go into the "home." The last thing I want is to have a ton of stuff to go through at that time - might as well start now! and.....back to the video :) I'm back - 12 1/2 minutes and you mentioned Lisa from Organized 365......another subscription and notification bell thank you so very much.