The Minimal Mom – Details, episodes & analysis

WOW your family with a decluttered house! Join Take Your House Back for just $84 through Monday night! https://urlgeni.us/TYHB Today I'll answer YOUR questions! If you'd like to leave a voicemail with your own question, you can do so here: https://www.speakpipe.com/MinimalMom

IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 Answering your questions 

0:48 I don’t have storage spaces - what are my options? 

4:39 How do you organize all your chicken eggs? 

9:26 I’m attracted to beautiful things, but I want to be a minimalist! 

14:08 Tell me more about memory boxes! 

21:03 How to keep a minimal wardrobe when your weight changes?

25:34 The stuff is gone - but now I feel empty.

Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

350,000 churches. 400,000 kids in the foster system. Listen in as Dawn talks with Trisha and Eric Porter of Backyard Orphans on their vision of how the church can solve this problem!

IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 - Intro 

1:06 - How Eric and Trisha started Backyard Orphans 

8:07 - How Backyard Orphans provides support for families wanting to foster 

10:40 - How to take the stigma out of foster care 

13:34 - Success stories 

19:16 - Four ways to get involved in foster care 

24:00 - Getting churches connected to agencies 

33:50 - The best way to get involved in foster care 

ABOUT TRISHA AND ERIC: Eric Porter is the founder and CEO of Backyard Orphans. This 501c3 interdenominational ministry is focused on engaging and equipping the church to care for hurting children in their own backyard. Since 2012, Eric and his wife Trisha have been in full-time orphan care ministry with the vision to train Church leaders to develop a foster care, adoption, and support ministry.

LINKS: 

Check out Backyard Orphans: https://backyardorphans.org/

Backyard Orphans IG: https://www.instagram.com/backyardorphans/

Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

Today I'll answer your questions like: How do I stop feeling overwhelming fear and guilt when letting go of things people have gifted me, even though I don’t want them anymore? I’m a homesteader, do I keep EVERYTHING in hopes of using it “someday?” My 3 kids share a room. Is there a better way to manage toys for older kids so the youngest doesn’t get into everything (or do I need to be reminded this is just a season)?

If you'd like to leave a voicemail with your own question, you can do so here: https://www.speakpipe.com/MinimalMom

In this episode: 1:30 I’m a homesteader, do I keep EVERYTHING? 4:58 How do I know when to stop decluttering a room? 7:58 Hoarder, feeling fear and guilt when letting go of things 14:46 What’s the longest amount of time you’ve gone without cleaning? 18:38 Decluttering with special needs 22:57 My 3 kids share a room. Is there a better way to manage toys for older kids so the youngest doesn’t get into everything (or do I need to be reminded this is just a season)?

Resources mentioned:

Natalie Hoffman Podcast Episode

A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

Laurie from Simply B Organized Podcast Episode

What are some of the biggest design mistakes? What is the #1 design tip? How can you avoid making this $10,000 design mistake? Today Dawn visits with Melanie Zaelich, an interior designer and owner of Home Stylist - a company that uses the power of design to bring more happiness to people. Melanie shares insights on how to avoid the biggest design mistakes and how she got started in design after being on HGTV.

IN THIS EPISODE:

1:18 Melanie's start on HGTV

3:37 Conventional vs. unconventional design

4:48 Biggest designs mistakes

5:00 #1 Design tip (get rid of your stuff!)

5:43 Save $10,000 with this one tip

12:21 Bring life into your space

14:58 Architectural Design vs. Minimalism

18:24 How do I discover my own style?

23:35 Get an outside perspective 

24:05 Newest design trends

Resources

Plant watering globes

ABOUT MELANIE:

Melanie is the owner of Happy Place Interiors. She loves seeing people light up when they enter a space that has been transformed. Melanie believes that your environment impacts your well-being and it can bring joy to your life and allow you to spend your time and energy on the things that are important to you — like, life. Happy Place Interiors puts a fresh spin on what you’d expect from an interior design company. Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a happy home, our flexible and collaborative consultation-based, à la carte business model keeps high-quality interior design accessible. Learn more here: https://www.homeismyhappyplace.com/

Is my child addicted to video games? How do I know? What is a healthy amount of video game playing? Today Dawn visits with Dr. Alok Kanojia, also known as Dr. K, to discuss practical steps for preventing video game addiction. Dr. K, a former gaming addict and Harvard-trained psychiatrist, shares insights from his book "How to Raise a Healthy Gamer" on how to identify and manage gaming addiction in children.

How to Raise a Healthy Gamer Book: https://amzn.to/3x3zJdP

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 Welcome Dr. Alok Kanojia 01:13 Can we REALLY raise a "healthy" gamer? 03:58 What about gaming addiction? 04:59 How have video games changed over time? 10:00 Sense of virtual identity 13:46 Are there actually benefits to playing video games? 15:47 Practical steps to getting video games under control 16:50 Get on the same team 22:09 25% rule 24:52 Can kids learn to manage video games on their own? 26:20 Ideal age to start playing 31:06 What if my spouse is the addicted gamer? 33:15 Do first person shooter games desensitize kids to real life? 36:04 Is there hope if I feel like I've ruined my child?

MORE ABOUT DR. K:

Follow Dr.K's podcast HealthyGamerGG https://open.spotify.com/show/6VaJwyS2KXxiXqR77jqzmP

Healthy Gamer Website https://www.healthygamer.gg/

- Instagram: @healthygamergg

- X: @dralokkanojia

- YouTube: @HealthyGamerGG

- TikTok: @healthygamer.gg

ABOUT THE MINIMAL MOM:

Hi, I'm Dawn, if we haven't met before, I'm married to Tom and we have four kids ages 8-13. We live outside of the Twin Cities in MN and have called ourselves minimalists for 8 years now. We got rid of 85% of our stuff and don't miss ANY OF IT! If you'd like to see more instructional videos about minimalism and decluttering, be sure to check out my YouTube channel!

Our Summer Declutter Challenge kicks off on Monday! Find full details here: https://www.theminimalmom.com/mentorship-group

Today I'll answer YOUR questions! If you'd like to leave a voicemail with your own question, you can do so here: https://www.speakpipe.com/MinimalMom

In this episode:

00:50 How do I solve my “Monica” closet? 06:27 My husband and I can't agree on this, help? 11:25 How do I push further without feeling guilty? 15:90 How do I get out of the comparison trap? 17:50 Decluttering with ADHD and no motivation, how do I get going? 23:30 How do I let go of perfectly good things?

Resources mentioned:

Summer Declutter Challenge: Refresh & Re-Home begins soon! Find full details HERE!

Do you or someone you love struggle with decluttering due to chronic illness? 

Listen in as Dawn talks with Sarah, a professional organizer and decluttering expert who also deals with chronic illness. She shares five tips to help those with chronic illness overcome hurdles in decluttering and simplify their lives.

 IN THIS EPISODE:

0:00 Top tips for surviving and thriving with chronic illness 01:05 Sarah’s Story 3:10 Planning for sickness 5:50 Ask for help how you need in the way YOU need 11:24 How to help others 14:20 Recognizing the mental load 17:26 Encouragement for those with chronic illness 18:46 Simple doesn’t mean bad 26:48 Weird but it works 28:37 Not all jobs are equal 36:34 Convenience sometimes is survival  

ABOUT SARAH McDonald

Sarah is a declutter expert, professional organizer, minimalist and simple living enthusiast; embracing simplicity, one change at a time.  She came from a family of hoarders, but Sarah broke free and is now on a mission to help others do the same! She believes that less is more and she loves sharing my experiences, tips, and tricks to make life easier and more meaningful.

LINKS: 

Find Sarah on IG: https://www.instagram.com/smallchangestv/ Find Sarah on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallChanges My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom

Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace

(I have the gold in 18") Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

“How do I help my kids declutter when they are attached to EVERYTHING?  I don’t want the pressure of minimizing our stuff to lead my kids into hoarding!” Listen in as Dawn speaks with Laurie, a professional organizer, about her personal experience raising a neurodivergent child, helping kids declutter, and her learnings along the way. 

IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 Intro

4:35 - Personal experience of Laurie 

7:26 setting healthy boundaries with kids and treasures 

18:42 - (GEM) “But will I turn them into hoarders?” 

24:49 - When your kids are ready to move on, and you’re not  

26:36 - setting up your kids for success

37:42 - reach out to Laurie

ABOUT LAURIE: 

Laurie is the founder of Simply B Organized (SBO) where she writes, teaches, and works with people of all ages helping them to declutter and work smarter. She also hosts This ORGANIZED Life, a weekly podcast where she chats with awesome guests about life, work, parenting, and the role that organization has in their lives.

LINKS: Laurie’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/simplyborganized/

Podcast episode with Logan: https://simplyborganized.com/2019/08/01/ep-138-podcast-on-parenting-with-special-guest-logan-palau/

Logans followup episode: https://simplyborganized.com/2023/06/22/ep-341-navigating-college-with-adhd-tips-and-insights-from-logan-palau/

Lauries podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-organized-life-organizing-tips-for-busy-moms-to/id1193014252

My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom

Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace

(I have the gold in 18")

Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

What do two polar opposite, yet identical twins unanimously praise as the most impactful elements of their upbringing by their incredible mom (and dad, too!)?

Listen in as Dawn and Dianna share about the benefits of growing up with little and the wonderful way it has shaped them.

0:00 Catching Up 

8:50 Dawns new mothers necklace and wanting more kids? 

11:05 Parenting tips that we learned from our mom

11:58 Tip #1 - Be realistic about what the family can handle and afford 

22:33 Tip #2 Celebrate well 

23:22 Tip #3 Don’t draw attention to the difference in families 

27:28 - Tip #4 Love unconditionally 

LINKS:

Pink Sweater I'm wearing on repeat: https://amzn.to/3UVdW15

Color block shirt I love: https://amzn.to/4drUYWW

My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom

Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace (I have the gold in 18") Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

My kids want to keep everything - how do I help them declutter? I want clear counters, but where do I put the stuff? My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once - HELP! Listen in as Dawn answers from listeners on these topics and more!

Want to record a decluttering question? You can do so here: https://sayhi.chat/MinimalMom

1:05 - How do I navigate kids with an age gap sharing room? 4:13 - I want clear counters, but where do I put the food? 7:26 - How do I get rid of my kids sentimental items? 13:49 - My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once! 19:19 - Do I include my kinds in decluttering? 24:28 - How do I handle a partner who wants to keep piles of stuff? 

Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn