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Um... I always by stuff on sale, I look out for the items I wanted in season but couldn't afford to buy full price. For example, I just got back from camping and I've made a list of things I need to buy when it's out of season.
What does that mean exactly? There are plenty of things I can't afford and therefore would never buy full price. If and when it happens to go on sale I will absolutely buy it then. A better quote would be "if someone handed you the cash to buy this at full price, is this what you would spend it on?" If you would rather spend that money on something else then don't buy it, even if it's on sale.
I almost NEVER pay full price for anything!!! It's a waste of money and living on disability I can't afford to.......so that statement is not a good one.....unless you're wealthy and don't care how much you spend! Going by that statement, I'd never be able to buy anything I need!
For those of us who are very frugal the trial and error concept can be really difficult. It feels kind of like failure, and that hurts. I prefer to think of it as a consumption fee. It's like when we go to the movies or pay an entrance fee to a museum. We don't beat ourselves up when we walk out of these places because we understand the fee was so we could enjoy it for a limited time. The same idea can be applied to our stuff. There's no need to beat myself up over that crockpot I haven't used in two years. Accept the $40 as a use fee for the year I did use it and move on.
Brilliant thinking. It’s also a very good shopping deterrent - how many times do I have to use this for the “fee” to feel acceptable? I was on the verge of buying a juicer a few years ago, but it only seemed like a good idea until I realised I’d have to make like 100 liters (26 or so gallons) of juice for it to come near what I pay for good, freshly squeezed juice from the store... and that was for the juicer only, not all the fruits and veggies that I’d need to buy to make all that juice. Instantly decided a juicer wasn’t for me after all.
I so appreciate this perspective!! I feel like it's crossed my mind for certain items, but I haven't thought to intentionally apply it to everything -- thank you for sharing!!
Oh my goodness… While I was watching this video, my husband came out with all of his shirts, so I had to pause this, while he proceeded to try them all on to decide which he would keep and which to donate! Now you are making my husband a minimalist! It’s a miracle… Thanks Dawn!
YAY! I celebrate with you as my husband also randomly donated several t-shirts one day after he got home from work -- it was very a very exciting surprise 😂
Tomorrow is my 46th Birthday. I think I will be by myself so today I am decluttering and loading my pickup to donate items. Then I am taking myself out to lunch amd go to the nursery to buy new plants because I would rather fill my yard than my house now.
We just bought a new house and I stumbled across you a few months ago at the perfect time! With my new house and your words of direction I have been VERY intentional about what made 'the cut' to go in our new home. I got rid of many things from my grandmother I was only keeping "because Granny gave me that". Most of it I found I didnt like it to start with and only kept it out of guilt. Our new home is a guilt free place! I am loving it and it truly only has things I love in it!! Thank you.
Same here! We bought a house recently, and bc. of Dawn for the first time in life I'm looking forward to moving, because I know, she has my back! ♡ I'm going to declutter soo much, and that'll be the the perfect time/opportunity.. ☆
We are in the process of packing and moving right now to a temporary place. Don't know the final landing spot yet, but I look forward to emulating you when we find our next home!
Kitchen stuff !!! I was a chef and had a catering business for 30 years. Along came Covid.... During quarantine I realized I was probably not going to much catering anymore. So I opened all my cabinets and sat in the middle of my floor and decided what would go and what would stay. It was hard...my commercial stand mixer . My son gave me this several years ago, I tried to justify keeping it. I have a huge kitchen and plenty of space for it, but I don't use it. So I donated it along with tons of other equipment. I prayed that whoever received it would be blessed by it It makes so much difference, I donated a lot of my serving pieces to my church. I have been so relieved and much less stressed about my inventory. Love the colored shirt , but agree with you wearing mostly black !
Trouble is, I love to cook, so I literally use all my pots and pans and appliances. However, I’ve made sure that they each have a place or home in my kitchen. I was able to do this by never buying sets of anything, just knew exactly what I needed and have that. Most people, for ex, do not need a set of knives, just a chef’s knife and a paring knife. I keep mine in a drawer because I find knife blocks on the counter are just dust collectors.
I've had two knives ever since I first moved out. They were wedding gifts and are really nice. I've never needed a new one as they're still in near perfect shape. The husband is gone, but the knives stayed. I made the right choice. Lol
I agree sets are garbage. I don’t need your crap spatulas! lol I just replaced my falling apart wedding set skillets with individual pioneer woman pans and love them. (Her set is trash too but the individuals are great!)
I think that’s the point. If you are using it, keep it! I love cleaners. I love every cleaner I have. I have a lot. I use them. I’m keeping them! Lol. 🤣
I have a giant Cuisinart food processor with all the attachments in a fancy case. It was a wedding gift 10 years ago... I have used it once in 10 years... It is time.
Well, if you anticipate having a few(more?) kids or begin gardening and/or canning, I would keep it. I use mine seasonally. I also use it to make my homemade laundry soap.
Man I have been trying to get one! The one I have is small and it's hard to make baby food in, the blender just is not working! Someone will be very happy you are getting rid of yours I'm sure :-)
I was thinking of my food processor too... I don't have a fancy case... But i am not doing a lot of cooking at one time I just don't like that it makes a mess. I like using my knife and cheese grader. I did use it for baby food but my son is 5 now. :) and that makes me want to pass it on to someone else. :)
I read this: “The mistake was buying it, not getting rid of it.” I figure with makeup and hair stuff, if I liked it, the bottle would be empty anyway and I would have thrown it out already.
I find decluttering clothes so stressful! But I’ve had great success just leaving a trash bag for donations right next to my closet. So every time I go to get dressed and I put something on that I don’t like or doesn’t feel good it goes straight in the bag and then when it’s full I drop it off!
Yep! I use a Pretty Shopping Bag. When bag gets full, I dump it into the Black Trash bag, then it goes to donate. I like to thrift shop, if I buy a new top, I need to get rid of a top. Much easier to part with things.
I did this when my kids were little, I had a bag in their closet that I would pit things in as soon asI saw it didn't fit. Even better was that my friends son was just a bit smaller than my son so she would take all my clothes and pass on what she didnt want😉
So nice to have a cheer leader saying, "Be nice to yourself." & "You get a free pass on guilt free decluttering." Dealing with "emotional attachment" to stuff is the worst! But it takes over as loved ones pass. Or you become empty nesters. This is a timely new way to look at "all the things" and guilt free is a game changing idea.
I love everything about this. Especially the part about you want your house to feel good and not have a bunch of reminders around that don’t do that. Thank you so much.
The whole idea of trial and error really has me thinking differently. I only found your channel a couple of weeks ago and I did room by room first purge. Having all your wisdom (hello silent list!!!!) our first round of purging was massive!!! Thanks for informing and inspiring me.
Our trial and error should focus on trying things out that are not brand new. For example, looking for an air fryer at a thrift store or borrowing from someone else first to try it out. This North American practice of purchasing new then disposing, purchasing new then disposing is so wasteful and harmful to the earth.
@@kalanlynn2067 Exactly! My sister-in-law brought over her instant pot for me to borrow for a week. After that, I knew it would more than pay for itself making yogurt and hard boiled eggs. Everything else I make in it is just a bonus. Try before you buy! When possible it'll save us so much time, money, and guilt.
@@kalanlynn2067 Agreed! I buy almost everything used (small appliances, sports equipment, games, many toys, and definitely furniture!). That way, if it doesn't work for me, I can either re-sell it for about what I paid for it (Free Trial!), or I can donate it and I don't feel bad about the sunk cost, bc it wasn't that big.
With 5 boys in the house, instead of trial and error it's more like I try it ... and they break it! You've really helped me to 1. Realize the less I have in the house, the less there is for them to wreck, and 2. To not get so attached and then angry when the inevitable happens to stuff I spent money on. I love your channel, Dawn. Thanks for continuing to "do you!"
Dawn, you really are a life coach! For sure you are a decluttering coach. I love the mindset shifts that I get from listening to you. Thank you for offering me freedom in my home and in my mind! Love it when you wear color too! I don’t see the timer as a joke! I will take any help to give me the freedom to let go! I am going to use it!
My kids don't remember many of the "special toys" I saved from their childhood. You're right, I ended up saving them for ME! Wish I could have learned that sooner. As for shoes, I love your reference to "one hour shoes"--I have some of those! Often bought for a special event, like a wedding, to coordinate with a new dress. I've learned to bring a backup pair of comfy flats to put on after the photos are taken (if I'm in the wedding party) or after dinner, for mingling & dancing. Why do we do this to ourselves in the first place, though e.g. buy heels that are higher than we're really comfortable with, etc.? It's got me thinking....Perhaps I'll pare down to the one pair of nude heels from the last wedding, that could probably go with anything in the future.
I kept some measurement cups that my daughter gave me and I couldn't part with them. I reminded her that she gave them to me and she didn't even remember so that got me thinking yes we do for US. After that it wasn't so hard to part with
Kids toys are my weakness. I have found it so difficult to get rid of them because a lot of them were gifts or just really expensive. They end up all over the floor, not because my kids are using them and enjoying them, but because they dump them out looking for the toys they actually want to play with. 🤦♀️ I think it's time to part with them. Thank you for the motivation and permission!
You can always start with the quarantine method as step one. Store toys out of site for 6 months or so or even a year if you have space and it “sits” better with you. If your kids haven’t inquired about anything then release them to other children that would be thrilled by them 💝
What I did with the toys was keep one toy that had a special memory for each child and store it with the Christmas decorations. I place them under the tree and the kids always have something to say about. Mostly positive, except the ones about Susie the nearly 50 year old doll with really bad hair. ;)
So funny you posted this. I am off from work and packing for my son to go to college. While packing, I am purging clothing, his and mine. I’m encouraged to keep going.
I love how encouraged I am to let go of what I dont need by watching your videos. I can basically pick up each room in my house in 5 minutes or less its wonderful
that green top brings out the green in your eyes-very pretty! I decluttered and now my house has more stuff and I have to go through it again. This is just the spark I needed to start all over.
Like your tan shoes, I call them my “church” shoes. Because I don’t want to wear them any longer than a church service would be, and I’m sitting down for the most part. 😅
Thank you, Dawn! This is my favorite video out of all the great videos you’ve done. Love the idea that I want my home to feel good. Absolutely! I want my home to be a haven and place of comfort. No guilt. No invisible to do’s.
Another awesome video, Dawn. You have such a way with words that make me think of my clutter differently. Trial and error! Of course! Why dont we let ourselves off the hook when something we purchase just isn't up to snuff. Love this. And no, I dont want anything in my house making me feel bad either. Cant wait to do another pass through my home with these ideas in mind. Thank you Dawn!!
Thanks for doing these Dawn, they're really helping people 🙂 Discussing how unused items can "mock" and "harass" you NAILED it, and that we're worthy NOT to be treated like that, not just by other people but from inanimate stuff and even ourselves (!). I think we need to realize HOW MUCH God loves us, how far Jesus went to redeem us back to Himself, and then live receiving His love for us & acting towards ourselves (and others) in that light!!! Thank you again!! ☺️🤩
Oh, Dawn... I've been watching your videos for ages and I've been a minimalist for 10 years. But it never ceases to amaze me how you continue to inspire us all with meaningful, timely, encouraging content. You are such a blessing to us all!! Thank you for your humour and wisdom in so many areas of life.
Both my Multi cooker and my spaghetti pot came with steamers. I used to have to take them out of the pots to use them everytime and then put them back after the pot was washed. It was such a relief to get rid of them and stop having to do that extra step.
Thank you for this video! Actually, the guilt-free timer is an awesome idea. 😄 Thank you for the reminder that we deserve to feel good in our own homes and don't need to allow anything unkind to stay! ☀️
I really enjoyed this video! Thank you so much for making time for your channel, because A LOT of people are benefitting from it. I would also like to add: We (especially the frugal ones among us) should give ourselves the permission to ditch something that we simply WANTED….and really wanted. Trial and error….sometimes it’s not until you have something that you realize you don’t like it as much as you thought you would. It’s easy to feel extra guilty about the unnecessary things because you spent money on something that you thought you’d really like, and now you realize you don’t. But we don’t have to hang onto those things either! Put it in “File 13”, as my mom used to say.
LOVE the guilt-free concept. Please consider doing an episode on not buying stuff, e.g., how to maintain what you have instead of replacing, how to get family to agree to not buy gifts for family older than 12, or how to keep a list of what we really need and buy when it's on sale vs. seeing a sale and buying just in case we might need it.
🙋🏼♀️ I use all my appliances! I LOVE to cook and try new recipes. Now on the other hand there’s things like spoons and spatulas I need to sort through. Dawn I’ll take your air fryer 😂🤣
@@karinurdinola4282 like they use the air fryer? I haven’t watched Dawns videos in a long time. How silly she showed it in her decluttering video making me think she didn’t like it 😅😂
My husband taught me the value of not buying sets, then there is no stress if one gets broken, or as you say you want to donate. Now we all get a plate/bowl/mug/etc. that we love if ours gets broken, or we donate and want to change it up. Life changing for me. Thank you Dawn for your wisdom and many blessings x
I let my kids pick what they want to give away, it always amazes me what they are willing to give away. I have had to pull some sentimental items for the future in the past. I also have a TON of shoes I hate but refuse to purge. Going to try some of these tips.
So, I started cleaning out my old textbooks and stuff from my earlier life and my wife asked; "What are you doing"? I said I was moving out. I said it as a joke, but the truth is, I really did move out. I began moving out my "old self". The person I used to be and in some cases, the person I wanted to be but I'm just not. It's hard accepting who we really are sometimes.
I love this because I had face scrub and toner. That comes with face treatment I purchase. I always bought the package because it’s a deal but I don’t love scrub and toner. It felt so good to junk, and now I just order the cream because that’s all I want.
Signed up for Blinkist, immediately started listening to a book and then remembered I needed to come back and finish your video 🤣 multitasking to the fullest durning nap time 😅
I really needed this today. After a water leak, we finally got all our contents back that have been stored in a friend’s garage for over a year. I realised that it was a perfect “quarantine” of our stuff, that helped me realise how much stuff I had that I actually didn’t miss. HOWEVER, I am also surprised by how many things I am now second-guessing myself on, regarding what to keep and what to donate. This video has helped me refocus, and I think I’ll be getting rid of lots more of the stuff I was hesitating over. Thanks, Dawn!
Oh my goodness! I've been doing a ton of decluttering and I started going through my kids' baby boxes. I saved way too much!! I have five kids and three of them are adults now. They've all loved looking at their things over the years but they want almost nothing from them and I get it, the generations have totally changed regarding stuff. Today I'm getting rid of my adult kids' nursery lamps and decorations that I had saved. I got rid of their nursery bedding a while back. Man! This stuff is hard! It does feel good though. Thanks for your encouragement, Dawn! 💗
Thank you for your inventive and clever ideas that always get the ball rolling - and you know why, because your ideas get to the heart of the matter - our feelings and how we get to know ourselves as we go through our lives. Thank you Dawn for staying up nights coming up with your ideas. Perhaps you are an inventor. 👏
So true about trial and error! We make the best decision with the information we have at the time. It can be hard not to be down on ourselves but ultimately if it didn't work or wasn't what we hoped it would be, there's no point continuing to deal with it :-)
You’re doing so great at looking at the camera, thank you! It really makes a difference and i feel so much more connected to you. I know you’ve been working on it so just wanted to say what a difference it was!!
That's my favorite shirt of yours ❤️ I've followed you for years and continue to be re-inspired and encouraged. Continued blessings for you and your family!
Dawn watching and decluttering the whole time!!! Thanks because for me this minimal journey is taking a while but all so worth it, guilt free because what you get is so much better!!! Calm and easier cleaning- yay!!!
3 great expressions that make you feel good inside. 1. Guilt free timer, didn't use today but rearranged some kitchen spaces today, got rid of only one item - wow, the effect I felt 😊😊😊 2. Colour, you look great and cheerful, probably more appreciated once in a while rather than every day, made me feel good seeing you in colour, it's infectious. 3. HAVEN, that is a word I often use about my home, not just home my haven ❤😊❤😊❤. Real feel good video today ❤
I really like what you said here. I even love the guilt free timer idea. Many people have a standard egg timer and wouldn't need one. You could create an add on like you had here and probably sell a bunch. I'm very visual, so even knowing the concept, having a visible reminder is huge.
We just recently moved and I'm still unpacking. I just pulled out 3 full totes of toys that we're packed away in storage. They have been in storage for 3months and the kids have no idea they exist. I was going to lug them up to my attic to "quarantine" them but after watching this, they've been in quarantine for 3months already! Its time to donate so someone else can enjoy them. Thank you Dawn for being super awesome! This is my first time commenting but I love your channel and so does my husband! He knows I'm about to declutter something when he hears your voice 😂 God bless you and your family ❤ 🌺Anna🌺
I know I'm late to the party with this comment but maybe taking the jewelry to a jewelry designer and having them take the gemstones and reset them into jewelry more suited to your style.
I feel that. I'm not a jewelry wearer in general besides basic earrings and maybe, maybe a simple necklace. I need to get the memo out to my husband, family, and friends, ha! The way to my heart is a massage and money for books, lol.
Several years ago, or more, I asked my husband to buy me a bread maker for Christmas. I have never used it and doubt I ever will. It cost a couple hundred dollars and so I haven't been willing to part with it!
One of the main reasons why your videos get me off the couch is because you excel at targeting the psychological blocks that stop us from claiming control of our homes! Your videos are all fantastic combinations of that as well as actual knowledge and techniques. You lead by inspiring example. Last but not least, your genuine wish for us to have the peace of mind and ease of home management by having clean and tidy homes free from clutter, shines through every video. God bless and thank you for all you do and share with us.🙏🙂
The pots and pans declutter was a plus for me. I was using the same ones over and over why keep so many ? You have helped me enormously in my down sizing of my "inventory ".
Decluttering is my full-time summer job! Today I sorted, cleaned up, took inventory of seasonal house decor. It feels so good to have that item checked off and tidy. I found a box of old photo frames and easily took the photos out, tossed the 80's style frames and let go! Feels so good Diana, thank you for being such a weekly encouragement.
Dawn, I've been watching your channel for some time, and I agree with you about not saving all kinds of stuff. I sew, and I had a lot of small scraps. I watched a channel that said to sew them together and eventually make a small quilt. I had all these scraps in a box, some sewn together and some not. "Waste not, want not", right? But I figured I was never going to make a quilt with these, so today I threw them all out. I feel so much better. I don't have to save every little scrap of fabric! Thanks!
Your video is PERFECT timing!!!! I was in the middle of stressing over decluttering kids toys and thinking about going through the shoes. It’s overwhelming and really pretty HARD. I’m still struggling, but I will take a breath and drop the guilt so I can get things in order.
Thanks for these videos. I realized I've been fairly combative about your video advice, (despite you being one of my favorite UA-camrs and I, having been watching your channel for years now), and the holy ghost told me to find something positive, listen, and try. So I re-watched this week's video about ten things to declutter, saw you start with the bathroom, so I went to the bathroom. Then, while cleaning, I watched an older video I'd missed - 80/20 rule. I felt like I use most things I own. I've decluttered all categories in my house 3x now, (except paper is still on 1st pass), but I did find a few things that I don't currently use. However, I recognized this time that it was making me feel guilty or "what if" panicky. And I took a breath, and put it in the donation pile. Pretty sure that would have taken you about 20-30 minutes took me 3 hours. It just takes me a lot of mental energy and time to think about and fine tune my decluttering efforts. But I finished my half of the bathroom. Woot! My husband says he'll work on his half later this week.
I love this idea of not keeping anything in our home that makes us feel bad. You are so right about the "Trial and Error" concept. I've never thought of it like that. These are great ideas and will make "letting things go" easier!
When I give something away to someone I know, I seem to still have an emotional attachment to it. I feel bad when they don't like it or use it...or appreciate it! Isn't that nuts? Because that's just why I got rid of it! Just realized that! Wow!
I’m amazed at how much guilt we carry around on a daily basis. When you said clothes. Yup 👍🏻 that’s me. You said kitchen appliances. Yup 👍🏻 that’s me. As you went, I kept saying that’s me. Where did I get all this guilt? Better question is: how would I feel if I got rid of the stuff and guilt? I’m willing to bet that my energy would feel better and I would love being in my home more. You’re amazing Dawn. Much love all the way from South Africa 🌼thank you for sharing how we can drop the guilt
Thank you so much for this post. I’m not sure why I have felt that I needed permission to let go of certain things, but apparently I did. I LOVE the concept of a Guilt Free Timer. There are so many things which nag, mock and send me negative messages in my home which I keep because of the guilt I feel for the money I spent on it. This is soooo freeing. 🙏💗
Love this video. Thank you for verbalizing it’s okay to make mistakes buying items. It’s almost the natural process of things. And so, it’s then okay to get rid of the ones that didn’t work. Needed that.
Dawn, I literally just did this! So my sister in law called me and she was telling me about how “things” were stressing her out and I brought up how to declutter and not feel bad about it. This sister in law and her little girl had gifted me a tea set. I had only used it once and then it went into the cupboard. It was literally stressing me out every time I saw it in the cupboard. As I shared this she caught on and gave me remission to part with it. She got it! She totally understood how this cute thing was causing issues. Decluttering does not have to be difficult. So glad that I came across you so many months ago! ❤️
I recently bought an expensive skincare gadget that definitely falls into the fantasy self category. It’s not too late to return it and I’m doing it today. Also I own a ridiculous amount of lipstick that I haven’t worn in ages due to masks. I’m going to keep maybe 4 and let go of the rest ( it can go bad anyway right?). Dawn says it’s guilt free so I can’t feel bad about it!
Makeup actually does have the expiration stamped on it usually! It will say something like 6M or 12M, that means it expires 6 months or 12 months from opening, same thing for hair and skin care products
I've been watching your videos for 3 years Dawn....WHY DID I NOT SEE THIS GENIUS INVENTION SOONER!?! The added bonus of this is its an invention I DONT have to purchase! If you have a timer, a phone or even just a clock you can benefit. If you haven't patted yourself on the back for this one do so now. Thank you.
Your type of personality and face work really well with bright cheerful colors. Black is not for everyone, even though some say it is. Black can add dark shadows to a happy face. Or it can enhance other types of faces (and personalities). I wear a lot of black, but I am quite different from you. Anyway, just a thought. Don't mean to put you down at all!
I totally “get it” about the black wardrobe - I love heather gray - and I can’t have too much of it! I don’t want to have to make decisions about what to wear and if I want to dress it up with a scarf or over shirt it’s easy!!!
Absolutely love your videos! They are so useful. I find it so hard to apply some of these methods since I feel like my life is just starting off, but I took a lot of items off my wedding registry because I watched your video and realized I won't want to manage half the items and the gifts we have are already so overwhelming to go through and find a home for in our apartment.
Dawn, thank you so much for validating the "just don't know" aspect of buying and acquiring things. I've been thinking the same thing for years and because everyone else was telling me the opposite I'd agonize over purchases for ages! Then I really would miss out on the right thing and then spend more on a bunch of cheap substitutes that just didn't.
That guilt free timer could be used for so much - what a great idea! I think we could even practice giving ourselves a set amount of time to not feel guilty in general. No matter what happens in the next 30 minutes or an hour - I’m not allowed to feel guilty!
For years and years I wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer and when I finally got it I never pulled it out and used it because I was so used to using just a bowl and a mixing spoon and my hands and it was faster and easier, so I took it back and save my 300 something dollars! :)
I have a pot that is small that I love using but it didn't come with a lid. So I went to the thrift store knowing the size I needed, I actually found one and now I use the pot a lot more. It's the perfect pot for making boiled eggs when you only need four. I use the pot for other things too. 💗
Trial and error. I just love that. Yes, we are fed into believing something is so amazing, but it likely might not be. I have to go after my books!! NO! LOL. J/K. I have gotten rid of so many books that I bought 20 years ago and never opened them. Less guilt for sure!
I went through my books a month ago and found some I don't even remember buying. For sure my interests have changed over the past couple decades so I passed them along. When I thought "Oh, but I SHOULD read this." I answered myself "Sez who?" And put it in the giveaway box.
I love having the lids on my plastic containers. And if I get an extra one, I use it for sharing home cooked foods with a shut in, sick friend or busy person who hates cooking AND I dont worry about the nice container. Yay
Thank you for watching!! Try Blinkist for one week FREE here www.blinkist.com/theminimalmom and receive 25% off the annual membership price if you continue. My Favorite Books on Blinkist:
- Essentialism
- Atomic Habits
- The 5 Second Rule
- Eat That Frog
- Boundaries
- The Four Tendencies
- Fast. Feast. Repeat.
- Raising a Secure Child
Do you have a specific reason you use Blinklist rather than Kindle? I don’t purchase books to reduce clutter so my books are on Kindle.
@@AmaTXLori my understanding is that Blinkest is only a summary of the book.
I don't see a list or links to all your favorite "must-reads." I was specifically looking for the helpful one on intermittent fasting. 💕
@@jennylhenry78 Just added them, THANK YOU for pointing that out!!!
@@AmaTXLori Good question, Blinkist offers a summary, or just the main points of the books :)
Great quote from Tim Gunn: "If you wouldn't buy it at full price, don't buy it on sale." It's saved me a lot of poor purchases.
Um... I always by stuff on sale, I look out for the items I wanted in season but couldn't afford to buy full price. For example, I just got back from camping and I've made a list of things I need to buy when it's out of season.
What does that mean exactly? There are plenty of things I can't afford and therefore would never buy full price. If and when it happens to go on sale I will absolutely buy it then.
A better quote would be "if someone handed you the cash to buy this at full price, is this what you would spend it on?"
If you would rather spend that money on something else then don't buy it, even if it's on sale.
@@searose6192 It's the same thing
I almost NEVER pay full price for anything!!! It's a waste of money and living on disability I can't afford to.......so that statement is not a good one.....unless you're wealthy and don't care how much you spend! Going by that statement, I'd never be able to buy anything I need!
Why his quote hit home with me is that I was a sale shopper and would purchase things I didn't need/want just because it was on sale.
For those of us who are very frugal the trial and error concept can be really difficult. It feels kind of like failure, and that hurts. I prefer to think of it as a consumption fee. It's like when we go to the movies or pay an entrance fee to a museum. We don't beat ourselves up when we walk out of these places because we understand the fee was so we could enjoy it for a limited time. The same idea can be applied to our stuff. There's no need to beat myself up over that crockpot I haven't used in two years. Accept the $40 as a use fee for the year I did use it and move on.
Brilliant thinking. It’s also a very good shopping deterrent - how many times do I have to use this for the “fee” to feel acceptable? I was on the verge of buying a juicer a few years ago, but it only seemed like a good idea until I realised I’d have to make like 100 liters (26 or so gallons) of juice for it to come near what I pay for good, freshly squeezed juice from the store... and that was for the juicer only, not all the fruits and veggies that I’d need to buy to make all that juice.
Instantly decided a juicer wasn’t for me after all.
That’s a really interesting perspective, 🤔 I’ll be using it.
It's also how I justify library late fees to my husband. It's just a use fee - still cheaper than buying all the books. 😁
I like this perspective!
I so appreciate this perspective!! I feel like it's crossed my mind for certain items, but I haven't thought to intentionally apply it to everything -- thank you for sharing!!
Oh my goodness…
While I was watching this video, my husband came out with all of his shirts, so I had to pause this,
while he proceeded to try them all on to decide which he would keep and which to donate!
Now you are making my husband a minimalist! It’s a miracle… Thanks Dawn!
YES!!! This is awesome!!!!!!!
YAY! I celebrate with you as my husband also randomly donated several t-shirts one day after he got home from work -- it was very a very exciting surprise 😂
Tomorrow is my 46th Birthday. I think I will be by myself so today I am decluttering and loading my pickup to donate items. Then I am taking myself out to lunch amd go to the nursery to buy new plants because I would rather fill my yard than my house now.
Great ideas -- Happy Birthday! Treat yourself well.
Hallie Nelson, Happy Birthday. Hope you have a lovely day.🍰☕🍽🎉🪴
Enjoy your birthday! Lunch out and a trip to a nursery sounds like a very good plan for your day.
happy (early) birthday!
That is a great gift to yourself! Happy birthday! Enjoy!!
We just bought a new house and I stumbled across you a few months ago at the perfect time! With my new house and your words of direction I have been VERY intentional about what made 'the cut' to go in our new home. I got rid of many things from my grandmother I was only keeping "because Granny gave me that". Most of it I found I didnt like it to start with and only kept it out of guilt. Our new home is a guilt free place! I am loving it and it truly only has things I love in it!! Thank you.
Same here!
We bought a house recently, and bc. of Dawn for the first time in life I'm looking forward to moving, because I know, she has my back!
♡
I'm going to declutter soo much, and that'll be the the perfect time/opportunity..
☆
My time is coming!! We plan on moving in a couple of years and we need to face the music!! My husband is a pack rat and I tend to clutter. Joy…😂
We are in the process of packing and moving right now to a temporary place. Don't know the final landing spot yet, but I look forward to emulating you when we find our next home!
Oh Sister!! I feel ya!! I go to her home page and listen while I I’m cleaning!! Binge watch it’s the best!!!!! Congrats on your new home ❣️
Kitchen stuff !!!
I was a chef and had a catering business for 30 years.
Along came Covid....
During quarantine I realized I was probably not going to much catering anymore. So I opened all my cabinets and sat in the middle of my floor and decided what would go and what would stay.
It was hard...my commercial stand mixer . My son gave me this several years ago, I tried to justify keeping it.
I have a huge kitchen and plenty of space for it, but I don't use it.
So I donated it along with tons of other equipment.
I prayed that whoever received it would be blessed by it
It makes so much difference, I donated a lot of my serving pieces to my church.
I have been so relieved and much less stressed about my inventory.
Love the colored shirt , but agree with you wearing mostly black !
Trouble is, I love to cook, so I literally use all my pots and pans and appliances. However, I’ve made sure that they each have a place or home in my kitchen. I was able to do this by never buying sets of anything, just knew exactly what I needed and have that. Most people, for ex, do not need a set of knives, just a chef’s knife and a paring knife. I keep mine in a drawer because I find knife blocks on the counter are just dust collectors.
I've had two knives ever since I first moved out. They were wedding gifts and are really nice. I've never needed a new one as they're still in near perfect shape. The husband is gone, but the knives stayed. I made the right choice. Lol
I agree sets are garbage. I don’t need your crap spatulas! lol I just replaced my falling apart wedding set skillets with individual pioneer woman pans and love them. (Her set is trash too but the individuals are great!)
I think that’s the point. If you are using it, keep it! I love cleaners. I love every cleaner I have. I have a lot. I use them. I’m keeping them! Lol. 🤣
I agree! We were given a knife block when we got married. It's gone. For the longest time it was a glorified book end for my recipe books.
I have my knives on a magnetic strip on the wall. This way I don’t have a wooden knife block on the worktop.
I have a giant Cuisinart food processor with all the attachments in a fancy case. It was a wedding gift 10 years ago... I have used it once in 10 years... It is time.
Well, if you anticipate having a few(more?) kids or begin gardening and/or canning, I would keep it. I use mine seasonally. I also use it to make my homemade laundry soap.
Man I have been trying to get one! The one I have is small and it's hard to make baby food in, the blender just is not working! Someone will be very happy you are getting rid of yours I'm sure :-)
Yes it’s time☀️
I have a fondue pot that we got for our wedding....13 years ago. We've never used it. 😶
I was thinking of my food processor too... I don't have a fancy case... But i am not doing a lot of cooking at one time I just don't like that it makes a mess. I like using my knife and cheese grader. I did use it for baby food but my son is 5 now. :) and that makes me want to pass it on to someone else. :)
I read this: “The mistake was buying it, not getting rid of it.”
I figure with makeup and hair stuff, if I liked it, the bottle would be empty anyway and I would have thrown it out already.
Like that reasoning.
Yes! That has helped me with many of my older products especially! I just pretend that I used it, lol
Good point on, “if I liked it the bottle would be empty. “ Headed to my bottles of foundation.
That is so true , if o needed the beauty stuff it would be empty , I will be wizzing out tommorow
@@christinebeames2311 I think I’d enjoy the process of getting anither one if I actually needed it when I buy a new one.
There’s nothing else you can buy that can give you more freedom , but there are things that you can get rid of that will
Thank you for that!!
Wow, thanks for that quote. Going to tell my husband 🥰🤞😅
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💐💐💐🤩
THAT is a life statement right there!! 👊🏼🤩🎉
I’m a quote maker by day . Lol . I’ve told I need to be one but I figure I already am .
The four tendencies IS life changing! Lol. Great video Dawn, I'm inspired!
Yes, I enjoy your book.
I loved atomic habits, that you both suggested. I think I have to listen to it again to really soak it all in
@@clairewillow6475 I got the Audible version too and listen to it over and over.
I find decluttering clothes so stressful! But I’ve had great success just leaving a trash bag for donations right next to my closet. So every time I go to get dressed and I put something on that I don’t like or doesn’t feel good it goes straight in the bag and then when it’s full I drop it off!
Yep! I use a Pretty Shopping Bag. When bag gets full, I dump it into the Black Trash bag, then it goes to donate. I like to thrift shop, if I buy a new top, I need to get rid of a top. Much easier to part with things.
@@Hremo_158 put a small trash bag in the nice tote and just pull it out when full, that way you dont have to see again what is leaving....
I did this when my kids were little, I had a bag in their closet that I would pit things in as soon asI saw it didn't fit. Even better was that my friends son was just a bit smaller than my son so she would take all my clothes and pass on what she didnt want😉
So nice to have a cheer leader saying, "Be nice to yourself." & "You get a free pass on guilt free decluttering." Dealing with "emotional attachment" to stuff is the worst! But it takes over as loved ones pass. Or you become empty nesters. This is a timely new way to look at "all the things" and guilt free is a game changing idea.
I love everything about this. Especially the part about you want your house to feel good and not have a bunch of reminders around that don’t do that. Thank you so much.
The whole idea of trial and error really has me thinking differently. I only found your channel a couple of weeks ago and I did room by room first purge. Having all your wisdom (hello silent list!!!!) our first round of purging was massive!!! Thanks for informing and inspiring me.
That's so cool! WAY TO GO!!!
Our trial and error should focus on trying things out that are not brand new. For example, looking for an air fryer at a thrift store or borrowing from someone else first to try it out. This North American practice of purchasing new then disposing, purchasing new then disposing is so wasteful and harmful to the earth.
@@kalanlynn2067 Exactly! My sister-in-law brought over her instant pot for me to borrow for a week. After that, I knew it would more than pay for itself making yogurt and hard boiled eggs. Everything else I make in it is just a bonus. Try before you buy! When possible it'll save us so much time, money, and guilt.
@@kalanlynn2067 Agreed! I buy almost everything used (small appliances, sports equipment, games, many toys, and definitely furniture!). That way, if it doesn't work for me, I can either re-sell it for about what I paid for it (Free Trial!), or I can donate it and I don't feel bad about the sunk cost, bc it wasn't that big.
I got ALL excited when I saw that timer: I thought I was going to set it for 15 minutes and just do NOTHING--- and not feel guilty🤣🤣🤣🤣 ⏰
With 5 boys in the house, instead of trial and error it's more like I try it ... and they break it! You've really helped me to 1. Realize the less I have in the house, the less there is for them to wreck, and 2. To not get so attached and then angry when the inevitable happens to stuff I spent money on.
I love your channel, Dawn. Thanks for continuing to "do you!"
I cook a lot. But amazingly, I don't possess that much equipment. We don't need that much. What we really need is free time to cook...
Well said! Great chefs use very few items, right? :)
@@TheMinimalMom Absolutely!
Just got back from the donation center with my first round of decluttering…from my high impact decluttering! ❤️
Nine months later - how are you doing. I am listening, planning to start. 😊
Dawn, you really are a life coach! For sure you are a decluttering coach. I love the mindset shifts that I get from listening to you. Thank you for offering me freedom in my home and in my mind! Love it when you wear color too! I don’t see the timer as a joke! I will take any help to give me the freedom to let go! I am going to use it!
My kids don't remember many of the "special toys" I saved from their childhood. You're right, I ended up saving them for ME! Wish I could have learned that sooner. As for shoes, I love your reference to "one hour shoes"--I have some of those! Often bought for a special event, like a wedding, to coordinate with a new dress. I've learned to bring a backup pair of comfy flats to put on after the photos are taken (if I'm in the wedding party) or after dinner, for mingling & dancing. Why do we do this to ourselves in the first place, though e.g. buy heels that are higher than we're really comfortable with, etc.? It's got me thinking....Perhaps I'll pare down to the one pair of nude heels from the last wedding, that could probably go with anything in the future.
I kept some measurement cups that my daughter gave me and I couldn't part with them. I reminded her that she gave them to me and she didn't even remember so that got me thinking yes we do for US. After that it wasn't so hard to part with
Green is your color! Looking forward to a video on the bathroom vanity cabinet makeover!
Green is your color to declutter.
Kids toys are my weakness. I have found it so difficult to get rid of them because a lot of them were gifts or just really expensive. They end up all over the floor, not because my kids are using them and enjoying them, but because they dump them out looking for the toys they actually want to play with. 🤦♀️ I think it's time to part with them. Thank you for the motivation and permission!
You can always start with the quarantine method as step one. Store toys out of site for 6 months or so or even a year if you have space and it “sits” better with you. If your kids haven’t inquired about anything then release them to other children that would be thrilled by them 💝
What I did with the toys was keep one toy that had a special memory for each child and store it with the Christmas decorations. I place them under the tree and the kids always have something to say about. Mostly positive, except the ones about Susie the nearly 50 year old doll with really bad hair. ;)
You give me confidence that I can declutter and get rid of useless things in my house and not feel guilty! Working on this one step at a time.
So funny you posted this. I am off from work and packing for my son to go to college. While packing, I am purging clothing, his and mine. I’m encouraged to keep going.
I love how encouraged I am to let go of what I dont need by watching your videos. I can basically pick up each room in my house in 5 minutes or less its wonderful
that green top brings out the green in your eyes-very pretty! I decluttered and now my house has more stuff and I have to go through it again. This is just the spark I needed to start all over.
I love that you're a christian, homeschool mom, foster mom, thrift store shopper! Makes it so much easier to identify with.
Like your tan shoes, I call them my “church” shoes. Because I don’t want to wear them any longer than a church service would be, and I’m sitting down for the most part. 😅
I was thinking the same thing 😂
@@katiesoderling3596 I was thinking chuck em
😂🤣😂
I literally have shoes like that, haven't had much use in lockdown.
My mom and I say the same, haha!
@5:00 really resonated with me. A peaceful environment is worth so much more than anything. ❤️
The guilt free timer needs a Velcro wrist strap so you remember to take it to the next room! 🤣🤣
Love your work, thanks Dawn.
Lol, right!?!! Or a fanny pack ;)
@@TheMinimalMom I had a fanny pack but I decluttered it!
Lol!! 😂🤣😂
Thank you, Dawn! This is my favorite video out of all the great videos you’ve done. Love the idea that I want my home to feel good. Absolutely! I want my home to be a haven and place of comfort. No guilt. No invisible to do’s.
Another awesome video, Dawn. You have such a way with words that make me think of my clutter differently. Trial and error! Of course! Why dont we let ourselves off the hook when something we purchase just isn't up to snuff. Love this.
And no, I dont want anything in my house making me feel bad either. Cant wait to do another pass through my home with these ideas in mind. Thank you Dawn!!
Thanks for doing these Dawn, they're really helping people 🙂 Discussing how unused items can "mock" and "harass" you NAILED it, and that we're worthy NOT to be treated like that, not just by other people but from inanimate stuff and even ourselves (!). I think we need to realize HOW MUCH God loves us, how far Jesus went to redeem us back to Himself, and then live receiving His love for us & acting towards ourselves (and others) in that light!!! Thank you again!! ☺️🤩
Oh, Dawn... I've been watching your videos for ages and I've been a minimalist for 10 years. But it never ceases to amaze me how you continue to inspire us all with meaningful, timely, encouraging content. You are such a blessing to us all!! Thank you for your humour and wisdom in so many areas of life.
Both my Multi cooker and my spaghetti pot came with steamers. I used to have to take them out of the pots to use them everytime and then put them back after the pot was washed. It was such a relief to get rid of them and stop having to do that extra step.
Thank you for this video! Actually, the guilt-free timer is an awesome idea. 😄 Thank you for the reminder that we deserve to feel good in our own homes and don't need to allow anything unkind to stay! ☀️
I love this! “I don’t want anything in my house, making me feel bad about myself.”
I really enjoyed this video! Thank you so much for making time for your channel, because A LOT of people are benefitting from it. I would also like to add: We (especially the frugal ones among us) should give ourselves the permission to ditch something that we simply WANTED….and really wanted. Trial and error….sometimes it’s not until you have something that you realize you don’t like it as much as you thought you would. It’s easy to feel extra guilty about the unnecessary things because you spent money on something that you thought you’d really like, and now you realize you don’t. But we don’t have to hang onto those things either! Put it in “File 13”, as my mom used to say.
LOVE the guilt-free concept. Please consider doing an episode on not buying stuff, e.g., how to maintain what you have instead of replacing, how to get family to agree to not buy gifts for family older than 12, or how to keep a list of what we really need and buy when it's on sale vs. seeing a sale and buying just in case we might need it.
🙋🏼♀️ I use all my appliances! I LOVE to cook and try new recipes. Now on the other hand there’s things like spoons and spatulas I need to sort through. Dawn I’ll take your air fryer 😂🤣
Me too and I love my air fryer use it more than the stove now. Also I need all my spatulas use most of them daily.
😂😂 it actually worked for them 😊
@@karinurdinola4282 like they use the air fryer? I haven’t watched Dawns videos in a long time. How silly she showed it in her decluttering video making me think she didn’t like it 😅😂
My husband taught me the value of not buying sets, then there is no stress if one gets broken, or as you say you want to donate. Now we all get a plate/bowl/mug/etc. that we love if ours gets broken, or we donate and want to change it up. Life changing for me. Thank you Dawn for your wisdom and many blessings x
I let my kids pick what they want to give away, it always amazes me what they are willing to give away. I have had to pull some sentimental items for the future in the past. I also have a TON of shoes I hate but refuse to purge. Going to try some of these tips.
So, I started cleaning out my old textbooks and stuff from my earlier life and my wife asked; "What are you doing"? I said I was moving out. I said it as a joke, but the truth is, I really did move out. I began moving out my "old self". The person I used to be and in some cases, the person I wanted to be but I'm just not. It's hard accepting who we really are sometimes.
I love this because I had face scrub and toner. That comes with face treatment I purchase. I always bought the package because it’s a deal but I don’t love scrub and toner. It felt so good to junk, and now I just order the cream because that’s all I want.
Post it on your neighborhood community page. There might be someone that always wanted to try a product you have but couldn't. Even if it's open 🙂
Dawn, you are absolutely precious and I love your enthusiasm! You make me smile!
Signed up for Blinkist, immediately started listening to a book and then remembered I needed to come back and finish your video 🤣 multitasking to the fullest durning nap time 😅
I use vinegar and water to clean counters and baking soda with vinegar in my toilet! Cheap, easy to use and it's already in my house!!
I really needed this today. After a water leak, we finally got all our contents back that have been stored in a friend’s garage for over a year. I realised that it was a perfect “quarantine” of our stuff, that helped me realise how much stuff I had that I actually didn’t miss. HOWEVER, I am also surprised by how many things I am now second-guessing myself on, regarding what to keep and what to donate. This video has helped me refocus, and I think I’ll be getting rid of lots more of the stuff I was hesitating over. Thanks, Dawn!
Oh my goodness! I've been doing a ton of decluttering and I started going through my kids' baby boxes. I saved way too much!! I have five kids and three of them are adults now. They've all loved looking at their things over the years but they want almost nothing from them and I get it, the generations have totally changed regarding stuff. Today I'm getting rid of my adult kids' nursery lamps and decorations that I had saved. I got rid of their nursery bedding a while back. Man! This stuff is hard! It does feel good though. Thanks for your encouragement, Dawn! 💗
I love this video I worked with you and paused to declutter each item. More like these please.
Thank you for your inventive and clever ideas that always get the ball rolling - and you know why, because your ideas get to the heart of the matter - our feelings and how we get to know ourselves as we go through our lives. Thank you Dawn for staying up nights coming up with your ideas. Perhaps you are an inventor. 👏
I am totally here for it! It's raining today so we are going to get a good declutter done!!!
So true about trial and error! We make the best decision with the information we have at the time. It can be hard not to be down on ourselves but ultimately if it didn't work or wasn't what we hoped it would be, there's no point continuing to deal with it :-)
You’re doing so great at looking at the camera, thank you! It really makes a difference and i feel so much more connected to you. I know you’ve been working on it so just wanted to say what a difference it was!!
You always do fine. Be yourself.
You have encouraged me to keep decluttering. I have gone through my closet THREE times & am still editing jewelry and purses I haven’t worn in years!
That's my favorite shirt of yours ❤️
I've followed you for years and continue to be re-inspired and encouraged. Continued blessings for you and your family!
Thank you so much Melinda!!!! :)
Yes!!! You are very inspirational and that shirt is your color, Dawn! Totally agree with you, Melinda!
Dawn watching and decluttering the whole time!!! Thanks because for me this minimal journey is taking a while but all so worth it, guilt free because what you get is so much better!!! Calm and easier cleaning- yay!!!
Definitely going through another round of decluttering at our house. Hoping to make significant progress before the end of the year ☺️
3 great expressions that make you feel good inside.
1. Guilt free timer, didn't use today but rearranged some kitchen spaces today, got rid of only one item - wow, the effect I felt 😊😊😊
2. Colour, you look great and cheerful, probably more appreciated once in a while rather than every day, made me feel good seeing you in colour, it's infectious.
3. HAVEN, that is a word I often use about my home, not just home my haven ❤😊❤😊❤. Real feel good video today ❤
I really like what you said here. I even love the guilt free timer idea. Many people have a standard egg timer and wouldn't need one. You could create an add on like you had here and probably sell a bunch. I'm very visual, so even knowing the concept, having a visible reminder is huge.
We just recently moved and I'm still unpacking. I just pulled out 3 full totes of toys that we're packed away in storage. They have been in storage for 3months and the kids have no idea they exist. I was going to lug them up to my attic to "quarantine" them but after watching this, they've been in quarantine for 3months already! Its time to donate so someone else can enjoy them. Thank you Dawn for being super awesome! This is my first time commenting but I love your channel and so does my husband! He knows I'm about to declutter something when he hears your voice 😂 God bless you and your family ❤
🌺Anna🌺
I was really hoping you would include the category “jewelry and other things my sweet husband has given me that I just don’t like” 😂😭
I know I'm late to the party with this comment but maybe taking the jewelry to a jewelry designer and having them take the gemstones and reset them into jewelry more suited to your style.
I feel that. I'm not a jewelry wearer in general besides basic earrings and maybe, maybe a simple necklace. I need to get the memo out to my husband, family, and friends, ha! The way to my heart is a massage and money for books, lol.
Several years ago, or more, I asked my husband to buy me a bread maker for Christmas. I have never used it and doubt I ever will. It cost a couple hundred dollars and so I haven't been willing to part with it!
I needed this today because I have two closets in a guest room that are marked to go through TODAY! Thank you for the inspiration.
One of the main reasons why your videos get me off the couch is because you excel at targeting the psychological blocks that stop us from claiming control of our homes! Your videos are all fantastic combinations of that as well as actual knowledge and techniques. You lead by inspiring example. Last but not least, your genuine wish for us to have the peace of mind and ease of home management by having clean and tidy homes free from clutter, shines through every video. God bless and thank you for all you do and share with us.🙏🙂
The pots and pans declutter was a plus for me. I was using the same ones over and over why keep so many ? You have helped me enormously in my down sizing of my "inventory ".
Decluttering is my full-time summer job! Today I sorted, cleaned up, took inventory of seasonal house decor. It feels so good to have that item checked off and tidy. I found a box of old photo frames and easily took the photos out, tossed the 80's style frames and let go! Feels so good Diana, thank you for being such a weekly encouragement.
Dawn
Sorry Dawn- That's embarrassing!
@@barbararyba734 you can edit. Lol
Click on the 3 dots.
I needed a lid and got it at goodwill.... was so happy to find it!
Dawn, I've been watching your channel for some time, and I agree with you about not saving all kinds of stuff. I sew, and I had a lot of small scraps. I watched a channel that said to sew them together and eventually make a small quilt. I had all these scraps in a box, some sewn together and some not. "Waste not, want not", right? But I figured I was never going to make a quilt with these, so today I threw them all out. I feel so much better. I don't have to save every little scrap of fabric! Thanks!
Your video is PERFECT timing!!!! I was in the middle of stressing over decluttering kids toys and thinking about going through the shoes. It’s overwhelming and really pretty HARD. I’m still struggling, but I will take a breath and drop the guilt so I can get things in order.
Thanks for these videos. I realized I've been fairly combative about your video advice, (despite you being one of my favorite UA-camrs and I, having been watching your channel for years now), and the holy ghost told me to find something positive, listen, and try. So I re-watched this week's video about ten things to declutter, saw you start with the bathroom, so I went to the bathroom. Then, while cleaning, I watched an older video I'd missed - 80/20 rule.
I felt like I use most things I own. I've decluttered all categories in my house 3x now, (except paper is still on 1st pass), but I did find a few things that I don't currently use. However, I recognized this time that it was making me feel guilty or "what if" panicky. And I took a breath, and put it in the donation pile.
Pretty sure that would have taken you about 20-30 minutes took me 3 hours. It just takes me a lot of mental energy and time to think about and fine tune my decluttering efforts.
But I finished my half of the bathroom. Woot! My husband says he'll work on his half later this week.
I love this idea of not keeping anything in our home that makes us feel bad. You are so right about the "Trial and Error" concept. I've never thought of it like that. These are great ideas and will make "letting things go" easier!
When I give something away to someone I know, I seem to still have an emotional attachment to it. I feel bad when they don't like it or use it...or appreciate it! Isn't that nuts? Because that's just why I got rid of it! Just realized that! Wow!
What a wonderful way of thinking about decluttering. Thanks Dawn 👏🏽
This idea of "Trial and Error" really helped me let go of some of the guilt of poor purchases. Thank you!
I've watched and "liked" your videos for a long, long time. However, this is my FAVORITE yet. Thank you Dawn. LKMH
Thank you so much!!!
I agree!!
I’m amazed at how much guilt we carry around on a daily basis. When you said clothes. Yup 👍🏻 that’s me. You said kitchen appliances. Yup 👍🏻 that’s me. As you went, I kept saying that’s me. Where did I get all this guilt? Better question is: how would I feel if I got rid of the stuff and guilt? I’m willing to bet that my energy would feel better and I would love being in my home more. You’re amazing Dawn. Much love all the way from South Africa 🌼thank you for sharing how we can drop the guilt
I needed this! Both the reminder what my house is meant to feel like and I can say no to guilt
Thank you so much for this post. I’m not sure why I have felt that I needed permission to let go of certain things, but apparently I did. I LOVE the concept of a Guilt Free Timer. There are so many things which nag, mock and send me negative messages in my home which I keep because of the guilt I feel for the money I spent on it. This is soooo freeing. 🙏💗
I love the idea of storing containers with the lids on… I have started doing this and agree it is so much easier to keep tidy
It's amazing that you send your video with the correct subtitles. Thank you so much!!
Love this video. Thank you for verbalizing it’s okay to make mistakes buying items. It’s almost the natural process of things. And so, it’s then okay to get rid of the ones that didn’t work. Needed that.
Dawn, I literally just did this! So my sister in law called me and she was telling me about how “things” were stressing her out and I brought up how to declutter and not feel bad about it. This sister in law and her little girl had gifted me a tea set. I had only used it once and then it went into the cupboard. It was literally stressing me out every time I saw it in the cupboard. As I shared this she caught on and gave me remission to part with it. She got it! She totally understood how this cute thing was causing issues. Decluttering does not have to be difficult. So glad that I came across you so many months ago! ❤️
I recently bought an expensive skincare gadget that definitely falls into the fantasy self category. It’s not too late to return it and I’m doing it today. Also I own a ridiculous amount of lipstick that I haven’t worn in ages due to masks. I’m going to keep maybe 4 and let go of the rest ( it can go bad anyway right?). Dawn says it’s guilt free so I can’t feel bad about it!
Makeup actually does have the expiration stamped on it usually! It will say something like 6M or 12M, that means it expires 6 months or 12 months from opening, same thing for hair and skin care products
I've been watching your videos for 3 years Dawn....WHY DID I NOT SEE THIS GENIUS INVENTION SOONER!?! The added bonus of this is its an invention I DONT have to purchase! If you have a timer, a phone or even just a clock you can benefit. If you haven't patted yourself on the back for this one do so now. Thank you.
Love this, Thank you!! I can hardly sit still to read a book anymore, blinkist might be good.
Nooo! Your timer is NOT a joke, it works!!! Please, keep giving this idea in your video...it is a gift to all of us! Love you too! :))
Your type of personality and face work really well with bright cheerful colors. Black is not for everyone, even though some say it is. Black can add dark shadows to a happy face. Or it can enhance other types of faces (and personalities). I wear a lot of black, but I am quite different from you. Anyway, just a thought. Don't mean to put you down at all!
I totally “get it” about the black wardrobe - I love heather gray - and I can’t have too much of it!
I don’t want to have to make decisions about what to wear and if I want to dress it up with a scarf or over shirt it’s easy!!!
Absolutely love your videos! They are so useful. I find it so hard to apply some of these methods since I feel like my life is just starting off, but I took a lot of items off my wedding registry because I watched your video and realized I won't want to manage half the items and the gifts we have are already so overwhelming to go through and find a home for in our apartment.
You are a smart girl! Don't ever let it come in the house to start with. Congratulations! @mandykid16
Love the cardboard garage your son made...best kind of toys are those with some planning and hands on work.
Dawn, thank you so much for validating the "just don't know" aspect of buying and acquiring things. I've been thinking the same thing for years and because everyone else was telling me the opposite I'd agonize over purchases for ages! Then I really would miss out on the right thing and then spend more on a bunch of cheap substitutes that just didn't.
That guilt free timer could be used for so much - what a great idea! I think we could even practice giving ourselves a set amount of time to not feel guilty in general. No matter what happens in the next 30 minutes or an hour - I’m not allowed to feel guilty!
For years and years I wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer and when I finally got it I never pulled it out and used it because I was so used to using just a bowl and a mixing spoon and my hands and it was faster and easier, so I took it back and save my 300 something dollars! :)
I have a pot that is small that I love using but it didn't come with a lid. So I went to the thrift store knowing the size I needed, I actually found one and now I use the pot a lot more. It's the perfect pot for making boiled eggs when you only need four. I use the pot for other things too. 💗
Trial and error. I just love that. Yes, we are fed into believing something is so amazing, but it likely might not be. I have to go after my books!! NO! LOL. J/K. I have gotten rid of so many books that I bought 20 years ago and never opened them. Less guilt for sure!
I went through my books a month ago and found some I don't even remember buying. For sure my interests have changed over the past couple decades so I passed them along. When I thought "Oh, but I SHOULD read this." I answered myself "Sez who?" And put it in the giveaway box.
I love having the lids on my plastic containers. And if I get an extra one, I use it for sharing home cooked foods with a shut in, sick friend or busy person who hates cooking AND I dont worry about the nice container. Yay
Just love your content! Thank you!!