Podcast
Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom
Hosted by Deanna Yates | Professional Organizer, Decluttering Coach, Wannabe Minimalist · EN
Ready to finally calm the overwhelm and create a home and life you actually enjoy? The Wannabe Clutter Free podcast is here to help you clear the clutter, simplify your routines, and find freedom in the life you’re building. I’m Deanna Yates, a busy mom who knows what it’s like to juggle family, career, and the never-ending piles of stuff. From selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler, to managing the daily chaos of running a home with a school-aged kid, I’ve learned that living with less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about creating more space, more peace, and more joy. Each week, I share real-life stories, simple decluttering strategies, and mindset shifts that make it easier to let go of what’s weighing you down. You’ll also hear from inspiring guests who share practical tips and fresh perspectives on minimalism, home organization, intentional living, and building habits that last. If you’re tired of feeling buried in clutter and crave a home that feels calm, welcoming, and easy to manage, this show is for you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress, freedom, and finding space for what truly matters to you.
47episodes
Episodes
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Why Your Routines Never Stick & The 3-Word Fix with Monica Packer (Ep 319)
3d ago00:58:28Tap to summarizeIf you struggle to stick to your routines, create new habits, or find perfectionism running your life, this episode is for you.I'm sitting down with Monica Packer, host of the top-rated About Progress podcast and author of the upcoming book Sticky Habits, for a conversation that completely reframes why habits feel so hard for busy moms.Monica opens up about her own journey with perfectionism, and then walks us through something surprising: almost every popular habit book was written by and tested on lives that look nothing like a mother's. Most of us carry an insane amount of invisible labor every day. So when the standard advice doesn't stick, we blame ourselves, when really the method was never built for us.Here's what we get into:Why perfectionism is really a misplacement of identity, and what it quietly costs usThe invisible labor research that explains why habit advice keeps failing womenHow to redefine consistency so it's actually possible on your worst daysThe four qualities that make a habit stickyMonica's simple WTA formula (When, Then, After) for habits that finally holdThis is warm, validating, and full of the kind of slow, messy, sustainable growth we love around here. It pairs perfectly with the decluttering work you're already doing.The thing Monica most wants you to know? You can change. Everyone can.Resources mentioned: About Progress podcast Sticky Habits by Monica Packer, pre-order at stickyhabitsbook.com Fair Play by Eve RodskyConnect with Monica: Instagram: @aboutprogress Book and bonuses: stickyhabitsbook.comLet's connect: Instagram: @wannabeclutterfree Show notes: wannabeclutterfree.com/319If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, share it with a friend who's been beating herself up about her habits, and leave a quick review so more moms can find us.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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How a 5 Minute Daily Tidy Beats One Big Weekend Declutter (Ep 318)
1w ago00:24:58Tap to summarizeYou have probably said it at least once: “I’ll do the whole house this weekend.” And then Saturday came, and you either didn’t start, or you started and made things worse, or you finished and watched it fill right back up within a week. Today I’m explaining exactly what’s happening, and introducing the habit that finally breaks it.The Lightning Tidy is five minutes a day. Same time, same routine, every day. I’m walking you through the neuroscience of why it works when every other approach hasn’t, including a deep dive into what happens in your brain with every unfinished task in your home, why large sessions create decision fatigue before you even begin, and why the Lightning Tidy is specifically designed to work for ADHD brains in a way that conventional tidying advice never has.I’m also sharing what comes next: the weekly Mighty Tidy, a 30-minute deep dive into one specific area of your home, and why the daily Lightning Tidy is the thing that makes the Mighty Tidy actually possible.In this episode you’ll learn:The Zeigarnik effect: why every pile of clutter is an open loop draining your brainHow unfinished goals degrade cognitive performance (2011 Masicampo & Baumeister research)Decision fatigue and why the Lightning Tidy bypasses it completelyTask initiation aversion and why it hits ADHD brains differentlyExactly what a Lightning Tidy looks like (with the family math that makes it powerful)Peggybacking: how to attach the Lightning Tidy to something you already doThe identity-based habit shift from James Clear’s Atomic HabitsThe 66-day research on habit automaticity (and why it’s less daunting than it sounds)The Mighty Tidy: 30 minutes once a week for real decluttering progressMentioned in this episode:Atomic Habits by James ClearEffortless Home: DAILY Edition: wannabeclutterfree.com/effortless-home-dailyNext week: Monica Packer joins me to talk about habits. If you listened to this thinking, great, but I can’t keep habits, that episode is for you. Subscribe so you don’t miss it.After that: the next solo episode goes deep into the neuroscience of why your cluttered home is affecting your mental health at a biological level. It’s some of the most important context I’ve ever shared on this podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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The Shocking Reason Your Home is Cluttered & the 30-Day Fix with Ashlee Piper (Ep 317)
2w ago01:10:01Tap to summarizeHave you ever decluttered your home only to watch it slowly fill right back up? This episode is for you.Ashlee Piper is a sustainability expert, speaker, and author who has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN, and in Vogue, the New York Times, and Newsweek. She created the No New Things Challenge in 2013. What started as a personal 30-day experiment turned into nearly two years of not buying anything new. The result? She saved over $36,000, paid off $22,000 in debt, reclaimed her time, and completely rewired her relationship with shopping. Her new book, No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity, guides readers through the same challenge.In this conversation, Ashlee and Deanna dig into what she calls conditioned consumerism, the history of how post-WWII America reprogrammed an entire society from resourceful people into reflexive shoppers, and how that programming is the real reason your home keeps filling up no matter how many times you declutter.In this episode you will learn:Why the urge to buy new things is not a personal failing but a historical and marketing constructThe SUPER System: five ways to get your needs met without buying anything newHow to use a trigger-tracking journal to discover the real emotions driving your shopping impulsesThe 2-7 minute rule and why riding it out changes everythingHow the challenge builds creativity, community, and connection as unexpected side effectsWhy Ashlee says women are the most powerful purchasing cohort on the planet and what that means for your householdPick up No New Things wherever books are sold. You can also find it secondhand at ThriftBooks.Find Ashlee on Instagram: @ashleepiperLearn more at: ashleepiper.comFull show notes: wannabeclutterfree.com/317Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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The Hidden Digital Clutter Draining Your Day and the 15-Minute Fix (Ep 316)
3w ago00:24:54Tap to summarizeHave you ever spent a Saturday morning deep cleaning your entire house, and by noon you still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and a little annoyed at everything? Your house looks great. You should feel amazing. But you don’t.That’s not you being a perfectionist. It’s the sneaky kind of clutter that almost nobody in the decluttering world ever talks about.Calendar clutter (or the mental load of keeping everything running)In this episode I’m bringing it to light and giving you a real system to clear it. You’ll learn the two distinct forms calendar clutter takes (an overbooked calendar full of other people’s priorities, and the quieter weight of undone decisions with no home), the weekly capture method that gets everything out of your head and onto paper, and why protected blank space is not wasted time, it’s the time that makes everything else work.This is the finale of my four-part series on the invisible weight of clutter, the stuff that doesn’t pile up on your counters but piles up in your mind instead.In this episode you’ll learn:Why a clean house doesn’t always feel like a calm houseThe two kinds of calendar clutter (most people only ever deal with one)How to build a “vision filter” so you stop saying yes out of guiltThe weekly capture method for clearing undone decisions out of your headWhy blank space on your calendar is not wasted spaceA simple script for saying no without feeling like a flakeMentioned in this episode:Effortless Home: DAILY Edition (use code EPISODE316 for $10 dollars off, 48 hours only): https://wannabeclutterfree.com/dailyFair Play by Eve Rodsky: https://amzn.to/4wpuSwFNiksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing: https://amzn.to/4weJL4EAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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How to Declutter With Kids Without the Power Struggles with Dana K. White (Ep 315)
Jun 2400:52:54Tap to summarizeYour kid won't get rid of anything. You know their room has too much stuff. But every time you try to do something about it, it turns into a battle. What if you never had to be the bad guy again?Dana K. White is the creator of the No Mess Decluttering Method, the blogger behind A Slob Comes Clean, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life. She has spent 17 years teaching overwhelmed, messy people how to get their homes under control without shame or perfection. And now she has taken everything she knows and put it into her very first children's book, Winnie's Pile of Pillows.In this episode, Dana shares how to use a picture book as an actual decluttering tool, why her container concept works even better on kids than it does on adults, and how to get through a decluttering session with your child without convincing them of anything. This one will change how you approach your kid's stuff.Covered in this episode:How to use Winnie's Pile of Pillows as more than a bedtime storyWhy the container concept makes the space the bad guy instead of youThe five-minute pickup test that tells you if your child has too many toysWhat to say when your kid insists they need to keep everythingHow to declutter with your child without starting a power struggleWhy you should never start with your kid's roomThe age when kids can really start to grasp the concept of having enoughHow to pass on a no-shame, no-guilt relationship with stuff to your kidsIf you are fighting the toy clutter battle and losing, this episode is for you. Hit play, grab the book, and go find that trash bag.LEARN MOREWinnie's Pile of Pillows by Dana K. White: https://amzn.to/4afYyDHA Slob Comes Clean: https://www.aslobcomesclean.comLenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room by Deanna Yates: https://amzn.to/4gDSp89Show notes: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/315CONNECTDana K. White on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aslobcomesclean/Deanna Yates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/LISTENApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfreeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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How to Declutter With Kids Without the Power Struggles with Dana K. White (Ep 315)
Jun 2400:52:54Tap to summarizeYour kid won't get rid of anything. You know their room has too much stuff. But every time you try to do something about it, it turns into a battle. What if you never had to be the bad guy again?Dana K. White is the creator of the No Mess Decluttering Method, the blogger behind A Slob Comes Clean, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life. She has spent 17 years teaching overwhelmed, messy people how to get their homes under control without shame or perfection. And now she has taken everything she knows and put it into her very first children's book, Winnie's Pile of Pillows.In this episode, Dana shares how to use a picture book as an actual decluttering tool, why her container concept works even better on kids than it does on adults, and how to get through a decluttering session with your child without convincing them of anything. This one will change how you approach your kid's stuff.Covered in this episode:How to use Winnie's Pile of Pillows as more than a bedtime storyWhy the container concept makes the space the bad guy instead of youThe five-minute pickup test that tells you if your child has too many toysWhat to say when your kid insists they need to keep everythingHow to declutter with your child without starting a power struggleWhy you should never start with your kid's roomThe age when kids can really start to grasp the concept of having enoughHow to pass on a no-shame, no-guilt relationship with stuff to your kidsIf you are fighting the toy clutter battle and losing, this episode is for you. Hit play, grab the book, and go find that trash bag.LEARN MOREWinnie's Pile of Pillows by Dana K. White: https://amzn.to/4afYyDHA Slob Comes Clean: https://www.aslobcomesclean.comLenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room by Deanna Yates: https://amzn.to/4gDSp89Show notes: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/315CONNECTDana K. White on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aslobcomesclean/Deanna Yates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wannabeclutterfree/LISTEN TO MOREApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfreeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Digital Declutter: Clean Up Your Email, Phone, and Brain for Good (Ep 314)
Jun 1700:35:27Tap to summarizeDigital clutter doesn’t pile up on your counter, but it absolutely piles up in your brain. Every unread email, every unused app, every notification going off every eight minutes is quietly draining your focus and your energy. In this episode I’m giving you three moves for your inbox, three moves for your phone, and a simple weekly habit that keeps all of it under control going forward. In this episode you’ll learn: The one reframe that changes how you think about email forever How to cut your inbox in half this week without losing anything important The 30-day app audit (and why you don’t have to fully delete things to get them out of your way) The Favorites list trick that lets you protect your peace without missing important calls The three-habit digital maintenance system that takes under 15 minutes a week Resources mentioned: Unroll.me (mass email unsubscribe tool) Clean Email (email management tool) Digital Declutter Challenge course: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/digital-declutter-challenge If this episode resonated with you, share it with one person who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you have two minutes, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts makes a real difference. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Digital Clutter 00:29 Understanding the Impact of Email Clutter 03:44 Reframing Your Email Inbox 05:03 Unsubscribing and Archiving Emails 07:45 The Archive Bomb: Cleaning Out Old Emails 11:49 Organizing Your Email Folders 14:30 Addressing Phone Clutter 16:42 The 30-Day App Audit 18:29 Resetting Notifications for Clarity 21:31 Creating a Favorites List for Important Contacts 22:29 Simplifying Your Phone's Home Screen 24:14 Establishing a Digital Maintenance Habit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Digital Declutter: Clean Up Your Email, Phone, and Brain for Good (Ep 314)
Jun 1700:31:48Tap to summarizeDigital clutter doesn’t pile up on your counter, but it absolutely piles up in your brain. Every unread email, every unused app, every notification going off every eight minutes is quietly draining your focus and your energy. In this episode I’m giving you three moves for your inbox, three moves for your phone, and a simple weekly habit that keeps all of it under control going forward. In this episode you’ll learn: The one reframe that changes how you think about email forever How to cut your inbox in half this week without losing anything important The 30-day app audit (and why you don’t have to fully delete things to get them out of your way) The Favorites list trick that lets you protect your peace without missing important calls The three-habit digital maintenance system that takes under 15 minutes a week Resources mentioned: Unroll.me (mass email unsubscribe tool) Clean Email (email management tool) Digital Declutter Challenge course: https://www.wannabeclutterfree.com/digital-declutter-challenge If this episode resonated with you, share it with one person who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you have two minutes, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts makes a real difference. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction to Digital Clutter 00:29 Understanding the Impact of Email Clutter 03:44 Reframing Your Email Inbox 05:03 Unsubscribing and Archiving Emails 07:45 The Archive Bomb: Cleaning Out Old Emails 11:49 Organizing Your Email Folders 14:30 Addressing Phone Clutter 16:42 The 30-Day App Audit 18:29 Resetting Notifications for Clarity 21:31 Creating a Favorites List for Important Contacts 22:29 Simplifying Your Phone's Home Screen 24:14 Establishing a Digital Maintenance Habit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Declutter for Real Life: Flexible Minimalism Tips for Families with Desirae Endres (Ep 313)
Jun 1000:57:28Tap to summarizeHave you ever looked at a "minimalist" home on Instagram and thought, well, that is never going to be me. My kids alone would destroy that in four minutes? Or convinced yourself that your clutter-free journey isn't working because your house just doesn't look the part? You are not alone. And this conversation is for you. **************** RESOURCES Get the transcripts and more at wannabeclutterfree.com/313 Episode with Joshua Becker The Minimalists Documentary Previous episode with Desirae Connect with Desirae: Minimal-ish Website Minimal-ish on Instagram Minimalish Podcast: Search "Minimalish" wherever you listen Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on: Instagram Website Effortless Home: DAILY Edition - 5 Steps to Run Your Home Like Magic **************** Desirae Endres is the host of the Minimalish podcast, and her decluttering journey started in 2018 when she sat down as a brand new mom and watched a documentary that completely changed the way she thought about her stuff, her home, and her identity. Since then she has built an entire community around the idea of "minimal-ish" living, not a perfect aesthetic, not a stark white capsule home, just a real and intentional life with less in the way. In this episode, Desirae gets honest about the postpartum anxiety that made her desperate for a calmer home, what it felt like when her husband said their house no longer looked minimal-ish, and the beautiful shift she had about what this whole journey is actually for. We also dig into how to get your kids involved in decluttering without it turning into a battle, and the single most powerful thing you can do to raise kids who genuinely understand how to let go. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: What "minimal-ish" means and why it has nothing to do with how your home looks The real connection between clutter and mental health Why letting go of stuff is really about letting go of past versions of yourself How to involve your kids in decluttering without forcing it What age kids can meaningfully participate (and when it is okay to just do it yourself) The one thing you can do today that quietly teaches your kids to let go TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:59 Desirae's origin story: the documentary that changed everything 5:37 Why changing your nature is harder than changing what you own 9:21 How decluttering helped manage postpartum anxiety 11:37 Letting go of clothes and letting go of past versions of yourself 15:02 Baby stuff, the "what if" fear, and letting go anyway 20:20 Feeling like an imposter when your home does not look minimal 22:45 The minimalist aesthetic vs. the minimalist mindset 24:56 Accepting certain areas of clutter in your current season 32:43 Teaching kids to declutter: where to start 37:21 The power of narrating your own decluttering out loud 43:28 What age should kids start participating? 47:07 What Desirae wishes someone had told her at the very beginning 49:13 Decluttering as a gateway to bigger life changes 50:09 Rapid fire questions **************** Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com **************** 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 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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Declutter for Real Life: Flexible Minimalism Tips for Families with Desirae Endres (Ep 313)
Jun 1000:54:04Tap to summarizeHave you ever looked at a "minimalist" home on Instagram and thought, well, that is never going to be me. My kids alone would destroy that in four minutes? Or convinced yourself that your clutter-free journey isn't working because your house just doesn't look the part? You are not alone. And this conversation is for you. **************** RESOURCES Get the transcripts and more at wannabeclutterfree.com/313 Episode with Joshua Becker The Minimalists Documentary Previous episode with Desirae Connect with Desirae: Minimal-ish Website Minimal-ish on Instagram Minimalish Podcast: Search "Minimalish" wherever you listen Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on: Instagram Website Effortless Home: DAILY Edition - 5 Steps to Run Your Home Like Magic **************** Desirae Endres is the host of the Minimalish podcast, and her decluttering journey started in 2018 when she sat down as a brand new mom and watched a documentary that completely changed the way she thought about her stuff, her home, and her identity. Since then she has built an entire community around the idea of "minimal-ish" living, not a perfect aesthetic, not a stark white capsule home, just a real and intentional life with less in the way. In this episode, Desirae gets honest about the postpartum anxiety that made her desperate for a calmer home, what it felt like when her husband said their house no longer looked minimal-ish, and the beautiful shift she had about what this whole journey is actually for. We also dig into how to get your kids involved in decluttering without it turning into a battle, and the single most powerful thing you can do to raise kids who genuinely understand how to let go. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: What "minimal-ish" means and why it has nothing to do with how your home looks The real connection between clutter and mental health Why letting go of stuff is really about letting go of past versions of yourself How to involve your kids in decluttering without forcing it What age kids can meaningfully participate (and when it is okay to just do it yourself) The one thing you can do today that quietly teaches your kids to let go TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:59 Desirae's origin story: the documentary that changed everything 5:37 Why changing your nature is harder than changing what you own 9:21 How decluttering helped manage postpartum anxiety 11:37 Letting go of clothes and letting go of past versions of yourself 15:02 Baby stuff, the "what if" fear, and letting go anyway 20:20 Feeling like an imposter when your home does not look minimal 22:45 The minimalist aesthetic vs. the minimalist mindset 24:56 Accepting certain areas of clutter in your current season 32:43 Teaching kids to declutter: where to start 37:21 The power of narrating your own decluttering out loud 43:28 What age should kids start participating? 47:07 What Desirae wishes someone had told her at the very beginning 49:13 Decluttering as a gateway to bigger life changes 50:09 Rapid fire questions **************** Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com **************** 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 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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