Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

Your clutter isn't a personal failing. It's the intended result of a system that profits from your overwhelm. Episode 300 is about opting out -- and taking back your power.

Resources Mentioned:


No New Things by Ashlee Piper


"Sit Still Look Pretty" by Daya


Wannabe Clutter Free on Instagram (30-day declutter series)

⁠⁠Deanna's Best Decluttering Resources⁠⁠

Three hundred episodes. When I started this show, I thought decluttering was about getting rid of stuff. And it is. But it's not only that.

The more I've done this work, the more I've realized the stuff was never really the problem. The problem is what keeps creating the stuff. For episode 300, I finally go there.

Your clutter is not an accident. It is not a personal failing. It is, in significant part, the intended result of a trillion-dollar industry that profits from your overwhelm, your insecurity, and your desire to feel better right now.

Desire is manufactured. Algorithms aren't showing you what you love -- they're showing you what you're most likely to buy. The "treat yourself" culture is a sales strategy. And the chaos that keeps you too exhausted to pay attention? Worth money to the people selling it.

But here's where it gets good: once you see it, you can't unsee it. And that's where your power starts.

Buying less is not deprivation. It's defection. Every time you walk past a sale and keep walking, you are opting out of a system that is counting on you not to. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in.

In this episode I cover:

Why clutter keeps coming back no matter how often you declutter

How desire gets manufactured (and the Stanley cup is a perfect example)

The $44 billion self-storage industry and what it says about all of us

Why voting with your dollars is one of the most direct forms of civic participation

The mental clutter side: what short-form content is doing to your sense of enough

5 low-lift ways to start opting out this week

If this episode resonated with you, share it with one person who needs to hear it. Text it to a friend who's been drowning in stuff and can't figure out why. The message that clutter is not your fault (and that you have more power than you think) deserves to reach more people. You're how it gets there.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you have two minutes, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts makes a real difference. Thank you for 300 episodes.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 -- Welcome + 300 episodes milestone

2:38 -- The story that changed how I see everything (the Amazon tab moment)

5:46 -- How desire is manufactured (ads, algorithms, "treat yourself" culture)

9:36 -- Why your overwhelm is worth money to someone

11:27 -- No New Things by Ashlee Piper + the reframe

12:42 -- Not buying is not deprivation. It's voting with your dollars

16:10 -- Feeling smaller and disconnected -- and what's still in your control

18:36 -- Mental clutter: what short-form content is doing to your sense of enough

19:57 -- The highlight reel fallacy

22:17 -- 5 practical experiments to start opting out

26:24 -- The hole in the boat: why decluttering without stopping the inflow never works

27:30 -- 300 episodes: what I actually believe

28:37 -- My one ask for episode 300
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How do you get dinner on the table every night without losing your mind? Melissa Griffiths shares her monthly meal planning system, how to get kids helping in the kitchen, and how to lighten the mental load around food.

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⁠RESOURCES⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/299⁠

Pro tip from Melissa: Add "-AI" to your recipe searches to filter out AI-generated recipes!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Melissa Griffiths:

⁠Melissa's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What if meal planning didn't have to feel like another thing on your endless to-do list?

Melissa Griffiths is the founder of Bless This Mess, a food blog she has been growing for over 13 years to help busy moms put simple, nourishing meals on the table. As a mom of five who recently moved her family from Utah to Vermont, Melissa knows what it takes to feed a family through every season of chaos.

In this conversation, Melissa shares her monthly meal planning system, including the master list method and how theme nights can take the decision fatigue out of dinner. We dive into getting kids involved in the kitchen and her "launch list" concept for life skills she wants her kids to have before they leave home.

Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn. Melissa opens up about her family's cross-country move after losing a family business, what it was like to downsize by two-thirds, and how to ask your partner for real help with the mental load.

Whether you are drowning in dinnertime decisions or just want a simpler approach to feeding your family, this episode will leave you with practical strategies and a fresh perspective.

In this episode, you will learn:

The master list method for monthly meal planning

How to get kids involved without it becoming a chore for mom

How to handle picky eaters without shame or food battles

Why smaller spaces can actually simplify your life

How to ask for help and share the mental load

Time Stamps:

0:00 Introduction
1:54 Meet Melissa Griffiths
6:23 The monthly meal planning system and master list method
9:12 Theme nights and delegating meal choices to kids
15:49 Getting kids involved in the kitchen without the guilt
20:03 The "launch list" of life skills for kids
23:43 Moving from Utah to Vermont after heartbreak
26:12 Downsizing by two-thirds and why smaller is simpler
35:35 The mental load and sharing invisible labor
42:25 Handling picky eaters with grace

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Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After losing both in-laws within months of each other, life coach Amy Slenker-Smith shares what she learned helping them downsize and the conversations she wishes more families would start sooner.

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RESOURCES


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/298⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Amy Slenker-Smith:


Amy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Are you dreading the day you'll have to clear out your parents' home while grieving? In this powerful episode, Amy Slenker-Smith shares her deeply personal experience of losing both in-laws within two and a half months of each other, and what she learned helping them downsize years before.

Amy walked her in-laws through a massive transition: from 3,400 square feet to a 1,200 square foot apartment. Because of that work, clearing their belongings after they passed took just 3-4 days instead of months. She's sharing exactly how you can give that same gift to YOUR family.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why proper downsizing takes 1-2 years (and what to do if you're already in crisis mode)

The first thing to abandon when your timeline is short (hint: it's selling)

How the "category by category" method makes decisions easier

Why the things your family wants are NOT what you'd expect

How to start conversations even when parents won't talk about "someday"

The phrase "I'll let my kids deal with it" and why it's so devastating

Whether you're in the sandwich generation juggling kids and aging parents, starting to think about your own legacy, or already facing a home cleanout, this conversation offers both practical strategies and emotional permission to begin.

Amy's reminder that "more is caught than taught" offers a hopeful path: even if your parents won't budge, you can still lead by example in your own home.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
1:36 Amy's background
6:05 Losing both in-laws within months
10:47 Why hospice is a gift
14:07 The first downsize: 3,400 to 1,200 sq ft
22:43 Why you need more time than you think
26:36 Tips for tight timelines
29:58 Category by category (17 side tables!)
35:53 What your family actually wants
43:30 "I don't want to do this to my kids"
57:05 How to start the conversation
1:00:35 Rapid fire questions

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Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your teen's bathroom doesn't need 20 products. Double board certified dermatologist and mom of three Dr. Angela Casey breaks down the only steps tweens and teens actually need, the ingredients to avoid, and why simplifying skincare is one of the best habits you can give your kids.

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RESOURCES

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/297⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Episode 292 with Tracy McCubbin - https://wannabeclutterfree.com/292

Connect with Dr. Angela Casey:

Dr. Angela's Website⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What if the secret to a clutter-free bathroom and healthier skin for your teen came down to doing less, not more?

Deanna Yates sits down with Dr. Angela Casey, a double board certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon, and mom of three teen and tween daughters, to talk about why skincare is healthcare and how families can simplify their routines for better results. Dr. Casey is also the founder of Bright Girl, a dermatologist-created skincare line designed specifically for young skin.

Whether you're a mom trying to guide your teen through the overwhelming world of skincare or looking to simplify your own routine, this conversation will help you cut through the noise and focus on what actually works. Plus, Deanna shares a personal connection to skin cancer prevention that makes this episode hit close to home.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

the truth behind the Sephora kids trend

the only steps tweens actually need morning and night

the popular ingredients (like retinols and exfoliating scrubs) that can actually harm developing skin

how to tackle bathroom clutter

some shocking statistics about skin cancer and prevention

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction 2:09 Meet Dr. Angela Casey 4:35 The Sephora kids trend: good or bad? 7:17 The bare basics every tween needs morning and night 8:30 Ingredients tweens and teens should avoid 10:45 What "clean beauty" actually means (hint: nothing official) 16:56 Decluttering the bathroom through simpler routines 18:26 Why too many products can make skin worse 20:29 The three-month rule for testing skincare 25:32 How to know if your products work well together 28:36 Makeup advice for tweens and teens 35:32 Habit stacking your sunscreen 36:14 Skin cancer statistics every parent needs to hear 43:48 How to respond when your teen brings home a trending product 50:19 Where to find Dr. Angela and Bright Girl

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Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does minimalism actually look like for a busy family in a small home? Bestselling author Shira Gill shares her 15-minute win strategy, the simple question she asks before buying anything, and how to stop clutter from creeping back in.

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RESOURCES

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/296⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shira's Books: LifeStyled, Organized Living, and Minimalista

The #30Wears Movement by Livia Firth

No New Things by Ashlee Piper - https://www.ashleepiper.com/

Connect with Shira Gill:

⁠⁠Shira's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What if the key to a clutter-free home isn't following someone else's formula, but creating one that fits your real life?

Shira Gill is the bestselling author of Minimalista, Organized Living, and LifeStyled, and has spent 15+ years helping families declutter and simplify. Her work has been featured by Good Morning America, Oprah Daily, Architectural Digest, and The New York Times.

Together we dig into what minimalism looks like in a busy household (Shira raises two teens in a 1,200-square-foot bungalow with almost no storage). We explore why everything you bring through the front door becomes your responsibility, why organizing systems should be simple enough for a five-year-old, and her 15-minute win strategy for anyone too overwhelmed to start. Shira also shares how she handles sentimental items, the shoebox test, and why her experience with billionaires confirms that stuff never delivers the happiness we expect. Plus, a fourth book announcement!

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why minimalism is not about restriction and how to customize it for your season of life

The one question Shira asks before buying anything new

Why your organizing systems keep failing and how the five-year-old test can fix that

How seasonal maintenance moments and a Sunday basket ritual keep clutter from creeping back

Shira's shoebox test for sentimental items and why keeping less makes what you keep more valuable

Timestamps:

(01:26) Meet Shira Gill: from in-home organizer to bestselling author (plus a fourth book announcement!)

(03:20) How writing three books on minimalism changed Shira's own relationship with stuff

(06:37) Adapting minimalism for real life with kids, work, and full calendars

(10:40) Why everything you bring through the front door becomes your responsibility

(13:39) Navigating guilt, waste, and the "fewer, better" approach

(20:08) The #30Wears movement and breaking disposable culture

(21:11) The biggest misconception about what "organized" really means

(27:31) Shira's daily uniform: white shirt, jeans, and the power of decision-free mornings

(30:45) The 15-minute win: a game-changing strategy for anyone who feels too overwhelmed to start

(35:31) Why clutter keeps creeping back and seasonal maintenance moments that prevent it

(40:48) The emotional side of letting go: guilt, sentimental items, and inherited collections

(44:13) The shoebox test and keeping one token from a collection

(45:53) Minimalism, privilege, and what working with billionaires taught Shira about "enough"

(51:20) Where to find Shira and her books

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Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices