Simple Farmhouse Life – Episode 311

Title: Create a Home That Works for You, Not Against You | Simplifying Motherhood with Sarah Therése
Host: Lisa Bass
Guest: Sarah Therése
Date: October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Lisa Bass is joined by returning guest Sarah Therése—mom of five, minimalist, and YouTuber—to discuss creating a home that serves your life and family rather than causing overwhelm. Together, they explore how intentional minimalism, personalized routines, and realistic expectations can help mothers manage larger households and busy lives with more grace and less stress. The conversation is honest, practical, and rich with actionable tips and encouragement for homemakers in any season of motherhood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Minimalism for Mothers

• Accidental Beginnings: Sarah's journey with minimalism began out of necessity when she and her husband lived with three small children in a 700 sq. ft. mobile home, forcing her to constantly evaluate what was truly needed.

  “Once you get five people in a 700 square foot, one-bedroom home, you can't just live willy nilly and stocking up. You really have to think through everything that you have and realize, like, okay, does this benefit me? Does this not benefit me?” — Sarah (13:48)

• Translating Small-Space Lessons: When her family upgraded to 1,800 sq. ft., she kept the minimalist mindset, intentionally not filling space simply because there was more.

  “It's the idea of I want my space to work for me and not against me.” — Sarah (15:11)

Minimalism vs. Minimalist Aesthetic

• Both Lisa and Sarah clarify that minimalism doesn’t mean stark, empty spaces. Instead, it’s about reducing management tasks, not visual interest.

  “I don't like a minimalist aesthetic. I like a lot of decor... But then I don’t want the things that we all can get into, that we need to manage on a daily basis.” — Lisa (18:18)

• Color, pattern, and art are used instead of excessive objects; cozy, personalized spaces are emphasized without extra clutter.

Practical Systems in a Large Family

Wardrobes & Laundry

• Adults: A minimized wardrobe simplifies mornings and limits decision fatigue.

  “Getting dressed in the morning, for me, is one of the hardest things I can do in my day...when I minimize my wardrobe...my mornings were simplified.” — Sarah (19:07)

• Kids: Each child has a “grow-in” bin with next-sizes-up; daily laundry keeps drawers minimal and manageable; independence is encouraged.

  “If this is the size drawer you have been given for your shirts, we don't go beyond that drawer.” — Sarah (27:00) “We do a load of laundry every day and you will always have something to wear.” (25:59)

• Clothes Wearing Out: Lisa finds that a minimal wardrobe means clothes get heavily worn and need replacing more often, which is embraced as a positive of maximum use.

  “That's amazing though. Like, for me, that's using the clothes all the way...Let’s destroy these clothes.” — Sarah (29:18)

Child Involvement & Independence

• Kids help sort and shop for their own wardrobe needs; older kids assist younger.
• Small, accessible bins or small drawers allow little kids autonomy in dressing themselves.

Minimalism in Homemaking Tools

• Kitchen: Both emphasize multi-use appliances over specialty gadgets.

  “My priorities in food can be properly addressed and made through just, I guess you would say larger ticket items...my bread machine...my Vitamix.” — Sarah (49:14) “You don’t have to go all in on tools before you learn something...I don’t have all the things that you need because you truly, clearly don’t need them.” — Lisa (51:48)

• Experimentation and adaptability (“put everything in a funnel”) help determine which tools stay.

Mindset Shifts for Homemaking

Avoiding Overwhelm

• Awareness Over Stuff: Knowing what you own and where it is provides ease.

  “We don’t realize how lost we are...we don’t realize the items that we have. We don’t realize the clutter that is actually taking up space.” — Sarah (36:57)

• Daily Rhythms: Laundry, cooking, and cleaning are folded into the daily flow, not seen as separate, overwhelming events.

  “I have never felt overwhelmed with laundry...because of how we do one load a day, keep our laundry area extremely minimal. And then my kids from a young, young, young age have always had a hand in it.” — Sarah (32:35)

Housework & Mom Guilt

• Integrated Presence: Kids are involved or nearby during homemaking tasks; time together isn’t just face-to-face activities.

  “The cool thing about minimalism is that it pulls back my time with my items so I can put more time towards my children.” — Sarah (37:00) “It doesn't only count if you are sitting there one on one, playing a game... By the question, 'do you feel like housework gets in the way of time with your kids?', I think this person is asking that because they do feel like that.” — Lisa (38:53) “The ability to call out into the house, one name, two names—come here and be with me while I’m making food, or come here and read me that homeschool book...it’s beautiful.” — Sarah (40:58)

Comparison & Embracing Individuality

• Don’t compare your motherhood to others; your children, partner, and circumstances shape what kind of mom you are meant to be.

  “Each of us moms have been created to be a cookie cutter based on our kids...My kids have shaped me as a mom.” — Sarah (55:24)

• Comparison should be used as encouragement, not discouragement.

Delegation & Getting Help

• Admitting when extra help is needed—hiring cleaning help, outsourcing video editing, or asking for support—is healthy and reflects confidence, not failure.

  “That's not a sign of weakness. That's a sign of actually a heart that's like...I'm confident, I know what I need, I know who could help me.” — Sarah (64:38) “If it helps me, it helps my kids, it helps my husband, it helps my home. And it just keeps going and going.” (65:13)

Managing Mental Energy

• Much of “overwhelm” is mental; experience helps reset what feels like a big deal and recognize that a little focused effort resolves it.

  “Cleaning takes more emotional and mental energy than physical energy. The first step...I can just do this. This bathroom will actually take me less than 10 minutes.” — Sarah (68:09)

• Perspective—trusting that chaos can be tamed quickly with action—makes all the difference.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Minimalism and Mental Ease

• “If I have less stuff, less stuff I have to serve, I can serve better in other ways.” — Sarah (34:37)
• “My space needs to work for me, not against me.” — Sarah (15:11)

On Housework and Raising Kids

• “The ability for a mama to go about her day and still reach out to her kids and include them even in the small things, that's like...something that presses on your kids’ hearts and stays there for a long time. These are life skills.” — Sarah (44:11)

On Comparison and Mothering

• “Our kids shape us and mold us to be the mom that we need to be...I have to go, okay, I am this way because my child has made me become like this so I can love them in this way.” — Sarah (56:53)

On Getting Help

• “The woman is...she's a delegator. She's not doing all this work, all the things, right? She's delegating...She is, in a lot of ways, a commander.” — Sarah on Proverbs 31 (65:02)

Key Timestamps

• 03:09 — Sarah talks about YouTube breaks and work-life balance
• 11:46 — How minimalism began by necessity in a tiny mobile home
• 16:08 — Resisting the urge to fill bigger spaces & using color for coziness
• 19:06 — The impact of wardrobe minimalism for parents
• 25:35 — Managing kids’ clothing and laundry routines
• 34:22 — Does housework/baking take away from time with the kids?
• 36:57 — On the mental clarity afforded by minimalism in the home
• 49:14 — Minimizing kitchen tools and making do with essentials
• 54:24 — How to avoid unhealthy comparison as a mom
• 61:04 — Areas of overwhelm and why delegation isn’t a failure
• 68:09 — On perspective shift and managing mental vs. physical load in cleaning

Resources & Where to Find More

• Sarah Therése’s YouTube & Instagram: @SarahThereseCo
• Recipe website: Sarah Therese Co
• Lisa Bass’ Courses:
  • Simple Sourdough: bit.ly/farmhousesourdocourse
  • Create Your Blog, Dream & YouTube Success Academy

Final Takeaways

• Minimalism is about a mindset and function, not décor, and it’s deeply linked to mental and emotional ease for busy families.
• Building routines and systems helps large families operate with less stress. Start small, streamline wherever possible, and empower kids for independence.
• Housework can be an act of love and togetherness, not a burden that steals from family relationships.
• Comparison to other moms is inevitable but should only serve as inspiration or motivation, never a source of discouragement.
• Asking for help is an act of wisdom and stewardship, not a sign of inadequacy.

This episode offers an honest, encouraging, and practical look at motherhood, homemaking, and minimalism, suitable for any listener seeking less stress and more intentionality at home.