For me the best benefit of minimalism is less time wasted managing all the stuff. I would often loose things in the sea of clutter and spend hours looking for them. Now I know exactly what I have and where to find it.
Yup, I used to have to deal with problems like an avalanche of stuff falling down when I went to get out a cookbook, but now I've minimized my space to be very functional. I know where everything is, and it's all easy to access.
Have watched you since the beginning and so happy you are still on this journey; your beauty and calmness are now visible beyond the clutter... kudos to you for your perseverance....
I've been wanting to tell you this...when your husband was coming home to stay, and you showed you and the kids getting ready to greet him, my 3 yr. old grandson was watching with me. When you curled your hair, he looked in awe and said , "she looks just like Moana!" That was a big compliment!
Sure, you wash the same amount of landry, but it's game-changing how easy it is to put the landry away in a minimalist storage environment. It used to really get on my nerves to have to make it fit on the shelves with all the other clothes that I stopper wearing years previously. Now it's nice, I once again have clothes for the next 2 weeks 😁
I agree my home is much easier to clean. Yesterday a friend of mine I thought might stop by. She has not seen my apartment since I got rid of a lot of stuff. It took me maybe five minutes to get my apartment in order and I was so happy. I love being a minimalist. A friend asked me if it was hard to get rid of stuff. I said no. I was really happy doing it. Someone else will be happy with the stuff I donated. I am also happy. Cleaning is so much easier when you don’t have to move everything around to clean it. I am so happy.
Chang your mindset on laundry, decide you LoVE it and it’s easy. Keep saying it! Pull clothes that are hung straight out of the dryer and put on a hanger. Then take the hangers and hang immediately. Fold the rest...which will be just a small load. One towel per person per week/ swim too (air dry). Wash one load of towels 1-2 times a week.
It might sound strange, but I wish my Mom had us do chores. She did everything herself. On the rare occasion she asked for help, we would of course help, but we didn't have anything that we understood to be OUR responsibility. Eventually, she would get overwhelmed and yell. I kind of had to figure it out myself as an adult. She meant well. She wanted her kids to just be able to be kids, but your job as a parent is to prepare your children for adulthood. Some light chores can go a long way towards that.
I had every intention to have my kids do "chores" I just didn't know how to go about it and didn't try hard enough to establish a routine. 1) I should have started them younger. 2) I should have lowered my standards. The point is they did it, so what if the towels look sloppy! 3) trying to get older children to suddenly start helping out was frequently a battle and I was tired of it. They did learn to do their own laundry, wash dishes (no dishwasher), cook for themselves and shop for bargains. The boys are grown and the DIL's haven't complained that they are total slobs so lucked out there. My daughter is moving out to her first apartment next month. We'll see how she does with household chores soon enough I guess. 🤞
@@CheleBoxy This. My kids are still young and at home, so I still have time...but they are in school all day and I'm at home. So I could sit on my butt and do nothing all day so that they can learn how to do it when they are home from school or I can "earn my keep" so to speak and do it myself. I know there's a happy medium in there somewhere, me not being a lazy slob while still teaching them how to do things for themselves, but I haven't figured it out yet.
that's good to hear, our 10 year old son has to unload the dishwasher, cut the grass with the ride on tractor and take the garbage out. the rest my husband and I do.
Jennifer Gunter - it’s hard, just start with stuff that’s truely their impact - make the bed (to a level - pull the covers up smooth) dirty clothes in the hamper, towels on the rail after a bath, a regular put away of their stuff straight after school and after dinner. Everybody participates in after dinner clean up.... admittedly it takes longer then lol! keep the bathroom benches clear (toothbrushes and hairbrushes away) and if there is a big mess made with toothpaste spots etc then need to clean it up with mum to understand that’s not normal cleaning, as they get older more stuff can split up. I still vividly remember mum sitting us down and explaining there were four adults in our household once we were 17/18 and that we needed to be part of the team of running the household. Your “keep” if they’re old enough for school can be more proper cleaning, but they can understand to keep things they impact tidy as part of the Team.
Organizing clutter 😩 that’s me. I do not really want to be a minimalist but I do want to get rid of what’s not important to me. And get rid of clutter. This was a good video for me. Thanks.
I think people focus on the having less instead of not having extra. My minimal will be different to everyone else and that's ok, so long as it's not causing stress. Either by too much stuff or not enough.
We used command hooks inside our closet doors for clothing that has been worn but isn't ready for the laundry yet. It has really helped, there aren't clothes in view in the bedroom anymore. I was raised with having to go to the laundromat, so I grew up with wearing clothes more than once, being assigned a towel, and keeping the pajamas under the pillow. :) Now I think of it as saving water, electricity, and detergent!
I did that when my kids were little. As long as clean clothes were contained in their places, that was good enough for me😊 Now that they are older and I have time to actually fold clothes, I see folding as a luxury💕 I get to fold, yay💕
I have been there just a year and a half before. I resonate with everything you say!! EVERYTHING!!!! OMG!! How much owning less has changed my mental & physical energy towards my family! I play with my kids often now! I NEVER thought that would be possible before. I sit down & relax now! I'm enjoying every bit of it!
Children feel emotional detachment from home if they do not participate in home care. The side benefit is you sre growing good citizens. Great job mom and dad.
Ironically, I’m watching this while putting away laundry LOL. 😂 I really like the list at 2:12... I vastly prefer laundry over organizing LOL. I like to declutter, but not so much organize. 🤔
Don’t beat yourself up of what you did in the past and congratulate yourself on the life you are living in the now, you have done and are still doing an amazing job Erica, and lovely to see your husband participates in house cleaning, I am 67 I have always had to manage the house, and it’s hard work.
The biggest perk I've found was less dusting. I really hate dusting but now I can do the whole house (including ceiling fans) in 20 minutes once a week.
@@EricaLucasLoves I can clean my whole house (3br/2b) in an hour and a half on Saturday morning but I don't have kids. I have all my tools together and wear an apron with deep pockets.
Through the months that I've been watching you, i see such a huge difference in your home. Simple, and clean. What you have serves a purpose, or is special to you all. Great change for your whole family.
We are a family of 6. I do about 3-4 loads a week. One is bedding, one white, one black and one colored. Now. I used to have more. My daughters (8 and 6) like dress up and change their outfit 4 times a day. And they would throw them in a wash. It is clean! So I made them to fold and put it away. Now I have only that 3-4 washes a week beacuse they started thinking about how much work they will have if they are not careful.
@@EricaLucasLoves it took a year of asking them and one evening of screaming at them after I washed a full load in a 8kg washer of their clean clothing 😬
I recommend a bin or basket for clothes that can be worn again. That worked for my family when we were kids. Less laundry for you and she can still play with her clothes.
You can be so proud of yourself. I started fallowing you from the moment you’ve started to declutter. You’ve come so far!! 🎉🎉🎉 And look at your face now and then. What a difference. Great job, and I love your dark blue and purple dress, very nice 👍😍
Firstly, you look amazing! Secondly, I love that your kids do chores and that you give them responsibilities. I think far to many parents don’t realise how important it is to teach their children to help as a part of a family unit. Thirdly, I don’t know how anyone can dislike your videos! Your videos are awesome!
Happy to see the journey you are on. I would love to see more about the impact of this journey on the kids. Maybe a comparison with how it was and the transition and their perception of the change. How you talk to them about it and so on. It would be very interesting.
Not related to the title of the video, but you look amazing! You have been working hard on your health and it shows! You look so beautiful wearing clothes that are still modest but show your efforts in more form fitting clothes. Well done! 👏🏼🙌🏼💪🏼
Laundry simplifying life hack: Change towels to thin, quick drying material. Can be either natural material (like hammam towels) or synthetic (like a nice smooth microfiber sports towel). It’s thinner/smoother than terry cloth but we got used to it very quickly. We wash used ones every evening along with (coloured) laundry that has accumulated during the day. They take up so little space that I can easily store 12 of them (3 for each person in my household) in my bathroom drawer and they are dry after just a few hours. And I use the same ones for swimming, vacation, etc. Along with doing laundry every evening (short cycle), it’s been a game changer for sure!
Washing towels and clothing less often is absolutely part of minimalism. You are simplifying your life, minimizing time doing laundry, minimizing water use, detergent use and wear on your items.
Thank you so much Erica for sharing this journey. I always feel inspired and encouraged when I watch your videos. The possibility that I could lead a more peaceful life without clutter is a hope and a vision. I never feel like I am too far gone to make it happen. Thank you for all your step by step advice. I have rewatched more of your videos, as I'm decluttering, than any other youtuber. I wish they had a reward for you for repeated likes. That way every time I watch I could "like" it again. Blessings
💐 Erica, It’s such a joy to continue to watch your journey! I love the fact that you face facts about yourself. It’s the only way we can improve ourselves through life. Two videos that are my favorites on organizing, (and I’ve spent most of my life studying it) are from My Intentional Life 2 years ago on organizing the pantry, and another on organizing the linen and medicine closet. I’m about to tackle my own medicine cupboards today using her ideas. You’re doing GREAT!!! Keep it up. I’m also very envious of your gorgeous hair!! 😊❤️👏👏👏👍👍🌸
Great job Erica! Especially love how you are making sure your kids are getting to learn how to be good homemakers. I have done the same since mine were very young. Not only does it teach them responsibility, it gives them confidence and realization that they are capable and needed in the family. When they are grown it will make their own homemaking so much simpler since they will know what needs to be done and how to do it. ❤️
Very methodical, I liked how you divided into it up and addressed each aspect separately. The outline of kids chores is good too, something I'm working on - make your own bed would be a good addition for us. If I can fit it into the morning before the school run. We are readjusting , this is their 2nd full week of school here in the UK.
I call the clothes that were only worn for a short time and not ready to be laundered -- half dirty- and hang them on a hook on my closet door until ready to be cleaned. I now sort of treat washable clothing like I did my suits that I had to have dry cleaned,and spend lots of money on - I always wanted red those a couple of times if not dirty. It really saves the fabrics and is an additional approach to zero waste, in addition to the saving of time and water resources. We are empty nesters. We have a laundry basket that holds one load of laundry and that gets done every day - I love not having a big pile!
I would say that mindfulness is a big part of my journey - which is similar to yours Erica. I too aim for "minimalish"! Example of mindfulness: For months (be honest: years!) I have had an issue with kitchen hand-towels (not tea towels - the hand-towels you use to wipe your hands on.) Lots of worn out ones, ones I didn't like, etc. In my sewing stash I had "stuff" to make new ones. Did I do it? No! So - here is where the mindfulness comes in. First I recognised I needed to purge - so I did. Second, I recognised that, despite my "good intentions" I was NOT going to make those kitchen hand-towels. Third, I found a craftsperson who made them at a reasonable price, and bought three new ones. Yes it cost me money. But, it was less than thirty dollars. The hand-towels are beautiful - doubled over, and in colours that go with my kitchen! And because I am being more mindful of spending, it was not an issue making a decision to buy these.
Thanks a lot for this great structured and honest video. I can fully agree with you on all points. Cleaning, money and hospitality have changed the most with minimalism - for the better. I have so much more time and money that I have fulfilled a dream. I am studying alongside my job again. I am looking forward to a Budget Video from you.
I love this video! So true, there's still all the stuff to do but it's the feeling around it that changes 😄 Kids are far more capable than people give them credit ❤ x x x
Erica, you look gorgeous! How about a video about your fall/ winter wardrobe? Are you still doing the capsule wardrobe? I really like that I don’t have to pick up before we clean, we can go straight to vacuuming AND we have time to dust nowadays, that used to be my most hated chore but it’s so easy to keep up now.
I am a new follower of you our channel but find myself watching all of your videos as soon as they are uploaded. I don’t really have a messy house (I’m married to a neat freak😜) but I find all of your content inspiring to make it even better and more organized than it already is. I love organizing and you inspire me. You seem like someone who it would be fun to have a cup of coffee with!
Yes, not only is there less but it is easier too! For instance, before we keep all our appliances on the counter all the time which lead to them getting greasy and dusty. Now, only our microwave is on the counter, so the other, less frequently used items are always cleaner when we take them out. They use need a wipe instead of a scrub!
Omg keep your hair pinned this way! Ive been on a journey myself. Only buying what we need. Decluttering, reusing and selling. I have more money , not spending it and makingit. The chores are there but its just more faster and enjoyable now. I can find things faster.
Thank you for sharing! I'm 100% not a minimalist hahah. But just moving into a new house and having almost no furniture in certain rooms, there's something nice about not having to manage any of that stuff for now...
About the only thing I do differently, we always use a clean towel after each shower/bath. When we dry our “ personal” areas I cant stand the thought to use the towel on my body again before it gets washed. Ive been cleaning our main garage before cold weather sits in and I got rid of /donated 4 medium sized boxes of “ stuff” we don’t need or use. Have a blessed day, week , life🥰👍🏻
READ THIS FOR LAUNDRY TIPS!!! Ive heard the tip before that if you have just say, 5 members in your household, pick a day of the week to launder just their hamper. Its waaaay less time wasted sorting. You know exactly where each load belongs after. And it eliminates walking all over the house depositing each members clean pile to them. Assign a day for each member. The extra day can be for sheets and towels etc. Also, I insist on tiny hampers for each kid. If you are doing the combined member laundry. If it just holds enough that cumulatively from all hampers equals one load, than it Never gets out of hand. The hampers cant fit more dirty things. Hope these help!!! THEY WORK, We have 6 in our household and it NEVER gets to be too much.
I agree with so much of what you are saying!!!! And same with laundry!!! My son finally wears the same clothes until they are dirty but my Girls don’t yet!
Your daily and weekly chores list for the children seems really well structured. I was in charge of laundry as a kid (age 10+). I hated it then, but don't mind laundry at all now.
loved this! and i love the approach with the ipad, especially since you mentioned you are watching tv and of course they are using computers for school, so they still learn computer skills and get to wind down while watching tv, but not on the ipad all the time!
Good evening Erica, you might want to have a look at the clipboard system for kids from Jordan Page. Basically, everyday you write on a clipboard the chores, work ... etc... the children need to accomplish if they want to earn some screen time. I guess that in your case you could have a weekly schedule. Raising capable kids 👍🏻😊🙏🏻 Blessings from the UK 🇬🇧
I think life is easier and more enjoyable because I can tidy on auto pilot and so can my family because there’s a place where things belong. I can put on a podcast or music and dance around putting things away. Way more fun than trying to decide where to shove all the objects each and every time.🥰
Just starting the video, but before I decluttered my clothes, there was always a mount washmore. I downsized my clothes about the same time my dryer broke, I hang dry all my clothes and laundry still gets done faster.
It’s gotten a little bit easier to clean because I’m doing less stuff shifting. I’m getting better at being more on top of stuff because I can actually see the surfaces and spaces
I’ve been thinking about hanging a hook or two for the kids to hang up their clothes at the end of the day (if they haven’t gotten them dirty) to put on the next morning. Actually, I think I should hang hooks for my husband and I as well. That way there are no clothes on the nightstand, across the chair, on the floor, etc.
Strangely laundry has never been an issue for me. My issue is cooking/cleaning up (ie dishes). I don't have a dish washer, so it's all done by hand. I hate it. My approach to cooking is to try to use as few pots/pans/dishes as possible so I have less to wash up. I need to work on this (and maybe look into getting a dishwasher when I can afford it).
People are even commenting on my videos saying how much easier it is for me to clean now after getting rid of so much compared to how I used to have to clean in the beginning of my TH-cam journey!
You have put everything soo nicely. Wonderful video! O how I wish I would be somewhere near !! I hope to be someday because your calmnes is contageus and so attractive! Thank you Erica!
I've done the incredible years parenting course, and my kids have special needs, so in my house we use devices for an Instant reward. They get a couple of hours on their tablets, Nintendo DS', or switch every day after their chores are done, and once a week, if they've done their chores consistently, they get a set amount of pocket money. Tidying and cleaning up after themselves, they do for free, because that's how life goes, I keep the rewards for the jobs that help me, like unloading/loading the dishwasher, vacuuming high traffic areas, folding and putting away their washing, cooking a meal. And of course those jobs are delegated according to age, development, and ability of each child. My 16 year old with high functioning autism and ADHD, is capable of doing more things than my 9 year old with global developmental delays, so their weekly allowance reflects this. I miss the days when I could use sticker/stamp charts as the instant reward, and devices as the weekly reward lol, but my eldest child is 20 now, he moved out of home last year, those days are long behind me now! There comes a stage where the rewards have to evolve as they grow up lol
Do your kids have lists for the home? Can you do a specific kids chore / household responsibility video That would be really helpful to see how you do it. I would like my kids to be able to pitch in as a family with things but me not being an organized person myself I struggle for implementing or enforcing things. Also have your kids always done these types of things or is it just in the past year that you have retrained them to do it?
I would argue that my laundry is easier for me! I no longer have nearly as special care items bc I realized I prefer simple jeans and tshirts so I no longer do a load of whites, hand wash etc
I just wrote a post about this. ow ever motivated go getter person i know has an organized clean house, i dont know a simgle go getter determined person who has a cluttered house. I think its the common theme among the high youbers too, they are all very minimal
Would Hanging a hook in kid’s bedroom for clothes that they only wear for a few hours make it easier then picking them off floor? Mine would tend to get new ones. Even try on a few outfits I know how you feel.
In our room, we have a basket for dirty and a basket for "clean" (rewearable). It does pile up a little, if we forget to reach into the bin first or don't want to wear the same shirt twice in a row, but to deal with the basket, we just dump it on the bed and fold. Not a big deal.
I got a coat tree thing from Ikea that I hang my “wear again” clothes. Works great! It’s a narrow teepee shape. I could see littles hiding in the middle!
I am happy for you that your life is easier! I had to do it all, Good organization and planning made it all possible. A minimalist life makes emergency prep easier as well, especially if emergency evacuation is imminent! What is really important to us?
For me the best benefit of minimalism is less time wasted managing all the stuff. I would often loose things in the sea of clutter and spend hours looking for them. Now I know exactly what I have and where to find it.
Yup, I used to have to deal with problems like an avalanche of stuff falling down when I went to get out a cookbook, but now I've minimized my space to be very functional. I know where everything is, and it's all easy to access.
Exactly
Have watched you since the beginning and so happy you are still on this journey; your beauty and calmness are now visible beyond the clutter... kudos to you for your perseverance....
Exactly my thoughts. It’s remarkable how much calmer you seem. Well done.
Thank you! ❤️
I've been wanting to tell you this...when your husband was coming home to stay, and you showed you and the kids getting ready to greet him, my 3 yr. old grandson was watching with me. When you curled your hair, he looked in awe and said , "she looks just like Moana!" That was a big compliment!
Sure, you wash the same amount of landry, but it's game-changing how easy it is to put the landry away in a minimalist storage environment. It used to really get on my nerves to have to make it fit on the shelves with all the other clothes that I stopper wearing years previously. Now it's nice, I once again have clothes for the next 2 weeks 😁
In my opinion the Less I own , the easier my life is....the less toys/ clothes and STUFF the better!😊
It’s starting to feel that way!
I agree my home is much easier to clean. Yesterday a friend of mine I thought might stop by. She has not seen my apartment since I got rid of a lot of stuff. It took me maybe five minutes to get my apartment in order and I was so happy. I love being a minimalist. A friend asked me if it was hard to get rid of stuff. I said no. I was really happy doing it. Someone else will be happy with the stuff I donated. I am also happy. Cleaning is so much easier when you don’t have to move everything around to clean it. I am so happy.
Chang your mindset on laundry, decide you LoVE it and it’s easy. Keep saying it! Pull clothes that are hung straight out of the dryer and put on a hanger. Then take the hangers and hang immediately. Fold the rest...which will be just a small load. One towel per person per week/ swim too (air dry). Wash one load of towels 1-2 times a week.
It might sound strange, but I wish my Mom had us do chores. She did everything herself. On the rare occasion she asked for help, we would of course help, but we didn't have anything that we understood to be OUR responsibility. Eventually, she would get overwhelmed and yell. I kind of had to figure it out myself as an adult. She meant well. She wanted her kids to just be able to be kids, but your job as a parent is to prepare your children for adulthood. Some light chores can go a long way towards that.
I had every intention to have my kids do "chores" I just didn't know how to go about it and didn't try hard enough to establish a routine.
1) I should have started them younger. 2) I should have lowered my standards. The point is they did it, so what if the towels look sloppy!
3) trying to get older children to suddenly start helping out was frequently a battle and I was tired of it.
They did learn to do their own laundry, wash dishes (no dishwasher), cook for themselves and shop for bargains.
The boys are grown and the DIL's haven't complained that they are total slobs so lucked out there. My daughter is moving out to her first apartment next month. We'll see how she does with household chores soon enough I guess. 🤞
I wish my husbands mom had had him do chores... 😬
@@CheleBoxy This. My kids are still young and at home, so I still have time...but they are in school all day and I'm at home. So I could sit on my butt and do nothing all day so that they can learn how to do it when they are home from school or I can "earn my keep" so to speak and do it myself. I know there's a happy medium in there somewhere, me not being a lazy slob while still teaching them how to do things for themselves, but I haven't figured it out yet.
that's good to hear, our 10 year old son has to unload the dishwasher, cut the grass with the ride on tractor and take the garbage out. the rest my husband and I do.
Jennifer Gunter - it’s hard, just start with stuff that’s truely their impact - make the bed (to a level - pull the covers up smooth) dirty clothes in the hamper, towels on the rail after a bath, a regular put away of their stuff straight after school and after dinner. Everybody participates in after dinner clean up.... admittedly it takes longer then lol! keep the bathroom benches clear (toothbrushes and hairbrushes away) and if there is a big mess made with toothpaste spots etc then need to clean it up with mum to understand that’s not normal cleaning, as they get older more stuff can split up. I still vividly remember mum sitting us down and explaining there were four adults in our household once we were 17/18 and that we needed to be part of the team of running the household.
Your “keep” if they’re old enough for school can be more proper cleaning, but they can understand to keep things they impact tidy as part of the Team.
Organizing clutter 😩 that’s me. I do not really want to be a minimalist but I do want to get rid of what’s not important to me. And get rid of clutter. This was a good video for me. Thanks.
Living with less is more my jam than purely minimalist. :)
I think people focus on the having less instead of not having extra. My minimal will be different to everyone else and that's ok, so long as it's not causing stress. Either by too much stuff or not enough.
But that's exactly what minimalism is 😂
I love that you recognized you were "organizing clutter". Such a profound realization. 😊
We used command hooks inside our closet doors for clothing that has been worn but isn't ready for the laundry yet. It has really helped, there aren't clothes in view in the bedroom anymore. I was raised with having to go to the laundromat, so I grew up with wearing clothes more than once, being assigned a towel, and keeping the pajamas under the pillow. :) Now I think of it as saving water, electricity, and detergent!
The perfect balance is having to take care of ONLY what you really need and what you really love if it isn’t a necessity.
I suggest Minimalist Mom Dawn’s and the Secret Slob’s streamlined laundry routine-no folding. I hate folding most from the laundry routine, too.
I love both of their channels! secret slob is the best!
I can’t bring myself to not fold clothes! That would stress me more😊
I did that when my kids were little. As long as clean clothes were contained in their places, that was good enough for me😊 Now that they are older and I have time to actually fold clothes, I see folding as a luxury💕 I get to fold, yay💕
I have been there just a year and a half before. I resonate with everything you say!! EVERYTHING!!!! OMG!! How much owning less has changed my mental & physical energy towards my family!
I play with my kids often now! I NEVER thought that would be possible before.
I sit down & relax now!
I'm enjoying every bit of it!
This is wonderful!
Meal planning helped me save time so I could squeeze in decluttering.
Your hair is gorgeous 😍
Thanks! 😍
Seriously , every video I’m all 😍
Children feel emotional detachment from home if they do not participate in home care. The side benefit is you sre growing good citizens. Great job mom and dad.
Ironically, I’m watching this while putting away laundry LOL. 😂 I really like the list at 2:12... I vastly prefer laundry over organizing LOL. I like to declutter, but not so much organize. 🤔
I like to organize, but not declutter. Lol
I like cleaning and organizing. The rest ... eh. 😂
Erica Lucas 😂 we can’t have it all I guess.
Agreed! I love laundry!
CeitidhD It’s like meditating to me! 😌 Or I watch TH-cam and catch up while doing it, which is what happened with Erica‘s video LOL.
Don’t beat yourself up of what you did in the past and congratulate yourself on the life you are living in the now, you have done and are still doing an amazing job Erica, and lovely to see your husband participates in house cleaning, I am 67 I have always had to manage the house, and it’s hard work.
You inspire me to do better each time I watch your channel.
Thank you for sharing your growth with us.
Wonderful!
The biggest perk I've found was less dusting. I really hate dusting but now I can do the whole house (including ceiling fans) in 20 minutes once a week.
Do you do all the dusting one day or do you clean one room a day? I want to get to a weekly routine.
@@EricaLucasLoves I can clean my whole house (3br/2b) in an hour and a half on Saturday morning but I don't have kids. I have all my tools together and wear an apron with deep pockets.
Through the months that I've been watching you, i see such a huge difference in your home. Simple, and clean.
What you have serves a purpose, or is special to you all. Great change for your whole family.
We are a family of 6. I do about 3-4 loads a week. One is bedding, one white, one black and one colored. Now. I used to have more. My daughters (8 and 6) like dress up and change their outfit 4 times a day. And they would throw them in a wash. It is clean! So I made them to fold and put it away. Now I have only that 3-4 washes a week beacuse they started thinking about how much work they will have if they are not careful.
Yes! My daughter changes her clothes that many times during the day. How did you get them to make that change?
@@EricaLucasLoves it took a year of asking them and one evening of screaming at them after I washed a full load in a 8kg washer of their clean clothing 😬
I recommend a bin or basket for clothes that can be worn again. That worked for my family when we were kids. Less laundry for you and she can still play with her clothes.
You can be so proud of yourself. I started fallowing you from the moment you’ve started to declutter. You’ve come so far!! 🎉🎉🎉 And look at your face now and then. What a difference. Great job, and I love your dark blue and purple dress, very nice 👍😍
At least 1 load of laundry and one load of dishes for us per day. If I skip even just one day it’s chaos.
Right?! Like pure chaos.
Boop it’s waaaaay too much for me.
Yes! I have 4 kids. If we are out for a day and can't do laundry and stuff the house goes CRAZY. Crazy! Gotta keep on top of it everyday!
Firstly, you look amazing!
Secondly, I love that your kids do chores and that you give them responsibilities. I think far to many parents don’t realise how important it is to teach their children to help as a part of a family unit.
Thirdly, I don’t know how anyone can dislike your videos! Your videos are awesome!
I love love love that you teach your kids to be responsible. I also love that they don't get iPad time if they don't help. Way to go mom.
Happy to see the journey you are on. I would love to see more about the impact of this journey on the kids. Maybe a comparison with how it was and the transition and their perception of the change. How you talk to them about it and so on. It would be very interesting.
Not related to the title of the video, but you look amazing! You have been working hard on your health and it shows! You look so beautiful wearing clothes that are still modest but show your efforts in more form fitting clothes. Well done! 👏🏼🙌🏼💪🏼
Thanks!! I actually give care to what I wear now.
When you talk about your kids...who you are now and how they respond.....💕 better focus and teamwork concept is so valuable.
Great video, as always! Just love your channel and journey. It is so inspiring! Living more simply just changes lives.
It’s getting your space under control...it’s just more simple with less...clean house,clean mind...x
Laundry simplifying life hack:
Change towels to thin, quick drying material. Can be either natural material (like hammam towels) or synthetic (like a nice smooth microfiber sports towel). It’s thinner/smoother than terry cloth but we got used to it very quickly.
We wash used ones every evening along with (coloured) laundry that has accumulated during the day. They take up so little space that I can easily store 12 of them (3 for each person in my household) in my bathroom drawer and they are dry after just a few hours. And I use the same ones for swimming, vacation, etc. Along with doing laundry every evening (short cycle), it’s been a game changer for sure!
Washing towels and clothing less often is absolutely part of minimalism. You are simplifying your life, minimizing time doing laundry, minimizing water use, detergent use and wear on your items.
Thank you so much Erica for sharing this journey. I always feel inspired and encouraged when I watch your videos. The possibility that I could lead a more peaceful life without clutter is a hope and a vision. I never feel like I am too far gone to make it happen. Thank you for all your step by step advice. I have rewatched more of your videos, as I'm decluttering, than any other youtuber. I wish they had a reward for you for repeated likes. That way every time I watch I could "like" it again. Blessings
Your comments about being a better mom were touching. I can so relate.
💐 Erica, It’s such a joy to continue to watch your journey! I love the fact that you face facts about yourself. It’s the only way we can improve ourselves through life. Two videos that are my favorites on organizing, (and I’ve spent most of my life studying it) are from My Intentional Life 2 years ago on organizing the pantry, and another on organizing the linen and medicine closet. I’m about to tackle my own medicine cupboards today using her ideas. You’re doing GREAT!!! Keep it up. I’m also very envious of your gorgeous hair!! 😊❤️👏👏👏👍👍🌸
Oh I will check it out. Pantry is on my list!
Erica Lucas
💐😊 Great!!! She has good ideas.
Great job Erica! Especially love how you are making sure your kids are getting to learn how to be good homemakers. I have done the same since mine were very young. Not only does it teach them responsibility, it gives them confidence and realization that they are capable and needed in the family.
When they are grown it will make their own homemaking so much simpler since they will know what needs to be done and how to do it. ❤️
Very methodical, I liked how you divided into it up and addressed each aspect separately. The outline of kids chores is good too, something I'm working on - make your own bed would be a good addition for us. If I can fit it into the morning before the school run. We are readjusting , this is their 2nd full week of school here in the UK.
I call the clothes that were only worn for a short time and not ready to be laundered -- half dirty- and hang them on a hook on my closet door until ready to be cleaned. I now sort of treat washable clothing like I did my suits that I had to have dry cleaned,and spend lots of money on - I always wanted red those a couple of times if not dirty. It really saves the fabrics and is an additional approach to zero waste, in addition to the saving of time and water resources.
We are empty nesters. We have a laundry basket that holds one load of laundry and that gets done every day - I love not having a big pile!
You've come a long way, Baby!
I would say that mindfulness is a big part of my journey - which is similar to yours Erica. I too aim for "minimalish"! Example of mindfulness: For months (be honest: years!) I have had an issue with kitchen hand-towels (not tea towels - the hand-towels you use to wipe your hands on.) Lots of worn out ones, ones I didn't like, etc. In my sewing stash I had "stuff" to make new ones. Did I do it? No! So - here is where the mindfulness comes in. First I recognised I needed to purge - so I did. Second, I recognised that, despite my "good intentions" I was NOT going to make those kitchen hand-towels. Third, I found a craftsperson who made them at a reasonable price, and bought three new ones. Yes it cost me money. But, it was less than thirty dollars. The hand-towels are beautiful - doubled over, and in colours that go with my kitchen! And because I am being more mindful of spending, it was not an issue making a decision to buy these.
Thanks a lot for this great structured and honest video.
I can fully agree with you on all points. Cleaning, money and hospitality have changed the most with minimalism - for the better.
I have so much more time and money that I have fulfilled a dream. I am studying alongside my job again.
I am looking forward to a Budget Video from you.
Soon!! Hope to sell the house at the end of Sept. fingers crossed!
I remember watching your earlier videos you were stressed overwhelmed now you are happier and calmer well done
I love this video! So true, there's still all the stuff to do but it's the feeling around it that changes 😄 Kids are far more capable than people give them credit ❤ x x x
Erica, you look gorgeous! How about a video about your fall/ winter wardrobe? Are you still doing the capsule wardrobe?
I really like that I don’t have to pick up before we clean, we can go straight to vacuuming AND we have time to dust nowadays, that used to be my most hated chore but it’s so easy to keep up now.
Yes I am! I will make one for fall!!
Erica Lucas Yay! 😄
I am a new follower of you our channel but find myself watching all of your videos as soon as they are uploaded. I don’t really have a messy house (I’m married to a neat freak😜) but I find all of your content inspiring to make it even better and more organized than it already is. I love organizing and you inspire me. You seem like someone who it would be fun to have a cup of coffee with!
“Folding it in to”, that is a great visual of adapting habits.
You have come so far in all aspects of your life! You seem much happier. So proud of you.
❤️
I also love The Food Nanny. She talks about menu planning with theme night.
Guess that's my problem: I'm expecting to have less to do... But it's only "easier" (and sometimes faster?) to get it done.
Yes, not only is there less but it is easier too! For instance, before we keep all our appliances on the counter all the time which lead to them getting greasy and dusty. Now, only our microwave is on the counter, so the other, less frequently used items are always cleaner when we take them out. They use need a wipe instead of a scrub!
I don't usually comment on people's looks on youtube, but that purple shirt looks AMAZING on you, Erica! :)
Omg keep your hair pinned this way! Ive been on a journey myself. Only buying what we need. Decluttering, reusing and selling. I have more money , not spending it and makingit. The chores are there but its just more faster and enjoyable now. I can find things faster.
Thank you for sharing! I'm 100% not a minimalist hahah. But just moving into a new house and having almost no furniture in certain rooms, there's something nice about not having to manage any of that stuff for now...
Oh also, super proud of you. I know it was a stuggle in the beginning. You did a great job!
Thank you for this video. It is inspiring me to declutter my kitchen which is a hot mess right now!
You sound so content in this video - need not say more than that - Bravo on your journey!
About the only thing I do differently, we always use a clean towel after each shower/bath. When we dry our “ personal” areas I cant stand the thought to use the towel on my body again before it gets washed.
Ive been cleaning our main garage before cold weather sits in and I got rid of /donated 4 medium sized boxes of “ stuff” we don’t need or use. Have a blessed day, week , life🥰👍🏻
This is probably my favorite video of yours because it's how u want to feel.
Also u look gorgeous in that dress Erica!
I do enjoy you talking through your process and thinking - it's always interesting and entertaining.
Her hair looks great in this!
READ THIS FOR LAUNDRY TIPS!!! Ive heard the tip before that if you have just say, 5 members in your household, pick a day of the week to launder just their hamper. Its waaaay less time wasted sorting. You know exactly where each load belongs after. And it eliminates walking all over the house depositing each members clean pile to them. Assign a day for each member. The extra day can be for sheets and towels etc.
Also, I insist on tiny hampers for each kid. If you are doing the combined member laundry. If it just holds enough that cumulatively from all hampers equals one load, than it Never gets out of hand. The hampers cant fit more dirty things.
Hope these help!!!
THEY WORK, We have 6 in our household and it NEVER gets to be too much.
You are becoming one my absolute favorite TH-camr. ❤️❤️
I agree with so much of what you are saying!!!! And same with laundry!!! My son finally wears the same clothes until they are dirty but my
Girls don’t yet!
Your daily and weekly chores list for the children seems really well structured. I was in charge of laundry as a kid (age 10+). I hated it then, but don't mind laundry at all now.
loved this! and i love the approach with the ipad, especially since you mentioned you are watching tv and of course they are using computers for school, so they still learn computer skills and get to wind down while watching tv, but not on the ipad all the time!
I love this too! I’ve been slacking on iPad time so much recently because we’re packing to move. I can’t wait to get back to a normal routine!
Good evening Erica, you might want to have a look at the clipboard system for kids from Jordan Page. Basically, everyday you write on a clipboard the chores, work ... etc... the children need to accomplish if they want to earn some screen time. I guess that in your case you could have a weekly schedule. Raising capable kids 👍🏻😊🙏🏻 Blessings from the UK 🇬🇧
I think life is easier and more enjoyable because I can tidy on auto pilot and so can my family because there’s a place where things belong. I can put on a podcast or music and dance around putting things away. Way more fun than trying to decide where to shove all the objects each and every time.🥰
Just starting the video, but before I decluttered my clothes, there was always a mount washmore. I downsized my clothes about the same time my dryer broke, I hang dry all my clothes and laundry still gets done faster.
Love watching your transformation.
It’s gotten a little bit easier to clean because I’m doing less stuff shifting. I’m getting better at being more on top of stuff because I can actually see the surfaces and spaces
I’ve been thinking about hanging a hook or two for the kids to hang up their clothes at the end of the day (if they haven’t gotten them dirty) to put on the next morning. Actually, I think I should hang hooks for my husband and I as well. That way there are no clothes on the nightstand, across the chair, on the floor, etc.
Strangely laundry has never been an issue for me. My issue is cooking/cleaning up (ie dishes). I don't have a dish washer, so it's all done by hand. I hate it. My approach to cooking is to try to use as few pots/pans/dishes as possible so I have less to wash up. I need to work on this (and maybe look into getting a dishwasher when I can afford it).
Biggest thing I did was reduce the plates in the cupboard as my partner would use every single pot in the house now he has to wash them
Great analysis of how minimalizing & decluttering has changed your homemaking life. New subscriber here. I need to learn from you!
I have really been enjoying your channel. We are gradually packing up stuff and decluttering.
People are even commenting on my videos saying how much easier it is for me to clean now after getting rid of so much compared to how I used to have to clean in the beginning of my TH-cam journey!
I love this so much!!!
I love your honesty here. I can relate so much.
I love She’s In Her Apron. ♥️🌿
You have put everything soo nicely. Wonderful video! O how I wish I would be somewhere near !! I hope to be someday because your calmnes is contageus and so attractive! Thank you Erica!
Try adding some McCormick’s Salad Supreme seasoning on your pasta salad! Makes it extra great!
I like the IPad as a reward, I have to work that one on myself
Let’s be honest Erica, you were a hoarder not near hoarder 😂 I love you and your videos, keep on keeping on mama!
I disagree, she was like most North Americans and had way to much of most things. Real hoarding is on a whole different level.
Thank you for sharing I love your honesty!
I’ve been using Dropps for a few years now and I’m really happy with them.
Thank you
I've done the incredible years parenting course, and my kids have special needs, so in my house we use devices for an Instant reward. They get a couple of hours on their tablets, Nintendo DS', or switch every day after their chores are done, and once a week, if they've done their chores consistently, they get a set amount of pocket money. Tidying and cleaning up after themselves, they do for free, because that's how life goes, I keep the rewards for the jobs that help me, like unloading/loading the dishwasher, vacuuming high traffic areas, folding and putting away their washing, cooking a meal. And of course those jobs are delegated according to age, development, and ability of each child. My 16 year old with high functioning autism and ADHD, is capable of doing more things than my 9 year old with global developmental delays, so their weekly allowance reflects this. I miss the days when I could use sticker/stamp charts as the instant reward, and devices as the weekly reward lol, but my eldest child is 20 now, he moved out of home last year, those days are long behind me now! There comes a stage where the rewards have to evolve as they grow up lol
You inspire me to be more minimal.
Do your kids have lists for the home? Can you do a specific kids chore / household responsibility video That would be really helpful to see how you do it. I would like my kids to be able to pitch in as a family with things but me not being an organized person myself I struggle for implementing or enforcing things. Also have your kids always done these types of things or is it just in the past year that you have retrained them to do it?
Such insightful thoughts!
I would argue that my laundry is easier for me! I no longer have nearly as special care items bc I realized I prefer simple jeans and tshirts so I no longer do a load of whites, hand wash etc
When my 3 kids were younger (they're all grown now), I did at least 1 load of laundry a day. If I didn't, it would really stack up for a family of 5!
Same amount of homemaking, "just" more satisfying.
I'm wondering how you handle art supplies now?
I just wrote a post about this. ow ever motivated go getter person i know has an organized clean house, i dont know a simgle go getter determined person who has a cluttered house. I think its the common theme among the high youbers too, they are all very minimal
Would Hanging a hook in kid’s bedroom for clothes that they only wear for a few hours make it easier then picking them off floor? Mine would tend to get new ones. Even try on a few outfits I know how you feel.
Oh I like that idea!
In our room, we have a basket for dirty and a basket for "clean" (rewearable). It does pile up a little, if we forget to reach into the bin first or don't want to wear the same shirt twice in a row, but to deal with the basket, we just dump it on the bed and fold. Not a big deal.
I got a coat tree thing from Ikea that I hang my “wear again” clothes. Works great! It’s a narrow teepee shape. I could see littles hiding in the middle!
I am happy for you that your life is easier! I had to do it all, Good organization and planning made it all possible. A minimalist life makes emergency prep easier as well, especially if emergency evacuation is imminent! What is really important to us?
You’ve come a long way 🎉🎉🎉
Great video 😁