Here are links mentioned in this video! Full Minimalism Basics Playlist: cli.re/BASICS Minimalism by the Numbers Printable: cli.re/Minimalism-Inventory My black shirt: amzn.to/3NNorjq Thank you so much for ALL of your support, I'm so grateful!!! - Dawn
Dawn recently said in order to keep the the kitchen table from collecting piles, it could be thought of as “hot lava,” meaning you can’t leave any incoming mail, clutter, bags, etc. on the table. I love that thought, it resonates with me. I just thought of another analogy/trick: I’m going to think of my breakfast bar as a “high tide” area - it’s okay to use it all day, but every night, if things are left there, the tide will carry them away (like your beach chairs by the ocean.)
Minimalism has blessed me in two surprising ways this week: last night, I was making a big pan of enchiladas and I was able to decide, on the spot, to invite a large family over to our house last minute. I knew my house was “10 minutes from tidy”! I also had a friend text me today last minute to ask if I could watch her daughter today. I could say yes because my house was under control. No worries over here! I used to have to say no to things like this because my house was too crazy to clean quickly.
Dear Dawn, I would like to thank you. I think I found you just at the right time. I had one small child and was at home a lot. I felt the need to have less stuff to take care of but didn't know how to begin. By watching your videos I learned a lot. By the time my second son arrived, I decluttered the whole house. We still have too many things but it is not overwhelming anymore. I am just calmly peeling my onion one drawer/cabinet at a time. Thank you very much for all you do. Sending love from Germany!
I have the same story. Found Dawn when I was home with first child and started on this journey. Now having a second child and things are way easier to manage. We hosted guests one week after his birth, and almost every weekend since. I even started the habit of baking recently, so carved our t dedicated spot for baking supplies to make things more efficient. Minimalism is the way to go, love it and highly recommend it to everyone!!!
YOU are the reason I felt I could get rid of my beloved colored Tupperware set because we never use it. Thank you for having only the dishes you actually use, its freeing
I also got rid of lots of pans that I never used. Moved the ones I only use occasionally to a cabinet it my basement. Same for all those extra utensils I wasn’t using.
I had to put our pots and pans in storage... mom didn't want to get rid of ANYTHING. So I have a building that if something happens to ma, I can literally haul it all off. I live with her and I'm the main caregiver/homemaker.
OMGosh! Food storage containers. You have no idea how much I fought you (and Cas, and Dana) on this. I keep ours in a kitchen drawer, and there was just NO WAY they would ever fit if I didn't nest them inside each other with the lids beside them. I was on board with so many other things; decluttered dishes/glasses etc twice, utensils gone, dishwasher every night. But lids on my food storage was impossible to imagine. I'm a little ashamed of this, but one day I decided to do it (sort of) to prove y'all wrong. Yep. Magic moment of humbling and joy for me. Now I share this little (huge!) tip with everyone I can.
i'm decluttering my parents' hoarder kitchen and we are half way thru and they are already seeing the benefits of having less and just simply finding stuff easier! functional kitchens make a huge difference!!!
Myself, son and nephew decluttered our kitchens. Each of us sold small appliances that we all had. So now there is 1 slow cooker, 1 insane pot, 1 large electric roaster, baking pans and food processor between us all. And when we need one of these, we just get it from the last person that used it. It's been great and never have we all needed the same appliance at the same time. 1 1/2 years and going strong. (We all live within a mile of each other)
Storing the Tupperware with lids on was life changing. The amount we have is manageable in the cabinet, and we never lose matching pieces. If the cabinet is looking sparse, it means there’s way too much food in the fridge that needs to be eaten.
My mother was an excellent cook and when she died and we had to clean out her house, we were absolutely amazed at how few kitchen items she actually had. You don't need all the gadgets to cook. Her cupboard and counter space was probably the size of the side of your kitchen that your fridge is on and in that included her double sink. That is all the cupboard and work space she had. I'm sure she would have loved more but she didn't complain and her food was so delicious!
Thank you for this video. Hubby and I are moving soon and I want to be very intentional on what comes into the new house, particularly the kitchen. I think many items may not get unpacked until I actually need them. At the end of the first year, whatever I have not yet brought into the house, goes into the car to be donated. We're turning 70 this year. I want my future years very simplified and minimal.
So, I just have to say thank you! I’m moving next week and when we moved into this house 5 years ago we had 2 kids, now we have 4. I was terrified of packing up 6 people but because of many of the purging and organizing tips I’ve gained from watching you and have implemented over the years, packing this go around is going so much more smoothly than it even did 5 years ago! Even with double the amount of kids! Pretty much every single thing in my home is something we use or love. It already has a specific place in our home, so the decision making process this time has been a breeze and packing is almost, dare I say, enjoyable! I’m so thankful I found you years ago when I searched for paper decluttering tips on RUclips 🥰 God bless you for what you do!
Dawn, You have no idea how much I appreciate you for always keeping me motivated to keep up with the house. I am a very tidy person but there have been times I lost control and just couldn't face life let alone my house and you have helped me tremendously to get back on track. I never miss tour videos and have been an ardent follower since you had probably 40k subscribers.
Dawn, I have been watching you for a few years now and have slowly been peeling back the onion. We are an Air Force family, and when we moved 2 yrs ago we felt comfortable down sizing since we had been decluttering. But let me tell you, we just moved again and are now in a house less than half the size of the home we started this decluttering journey. While having such a small house, was not really our choice this time it has been liberating to use your advice to let things go so we can fit into thus small house. Additionally, I wanted to thank you for giving me the permission to let go of my fantasy self. There is a lot of guilt as a working mom that I want to do all the crafts and holiday decorating, but I was just lugging it from house to house since I didn't have the time to actually use them. I had held on to the fantasy stuff for when I retire in a couple years, but your advice has helped me realize that it's not worth storing it when someone else can be enjoying it today. Thank you for making life so much easier! You are the best!
I love that you're referencing your Fantasy Self. I have this same problem, BIG TIME. I'm 52 and have been sick for 10+ years now. I have chronic pain and several conditions and diseases that are progressing. As a way of coping, I continue buying craft supplies and quilting fabric like I'm my old self. I dream up all these beautiful quilts I'm going to create to give to my loved ones... I HAVE to face the fact that it's never going to happen. All I've done is create more work for myself, spent money I didn't have, and now I'm literally surrounded by piles and piles and piles of fabric and supplies - a constant reminder of my mistakes and the things I can't do. Your comment has made me realize that I'm not alone in this, and that I was just trying to cope with a really crappy situation. It's time to face facts, ask for help getting this stuff under control and live a simpler, easier and happier life. Thank you for your honesty. You've really helped me. And thanks, Dawn, for getting us through this!!
Hubby & I decluttered around 400 items from our kitchen last summer, but while I was down during my back surgery, he's brought a few things back in. I've been trying this wk to go through & declutter a few things at a time to get us back on track. Great video, Dawn. 😊
It's nice that you have a basement for exercise equipment, food, tools and now the office/guest house you're able to spread out everything you own. I only have my house so I need to be way more mindful.
I really miss your more vlog type renovation/travel/family content 😢 find it hard to engage in this 'straight to business' content when that's all there is. Used to find it engaging when it was part of a bigger picture of content. I understand you needing to slim down the channel while working on other projects but hope you are able to bring it back in the future ❤
I have given myself through the end of November to reorganize and declutter my kitchen/dining/laundry areas. Already, what a difference. It feels good to just get the clutter out of my life.
I recently purchased an Otster Digital Oven. It has 10 functions, replacing the toaster, air fryer, dehydrator, broiler, and slow cooker. Because I live in Arizona, 110°F yesterday, I use this oven to cook pizzas, roast Sunday dinners, bake goodies in 9x12 pans, bake casseroles and cookies without heating up my BIG oven, using less electricity and air-conditioning. I have a large 6ft. wire rack full of small appliances and over-sized cooking pots and pans. (i raised 7 children and 5 step-kids.). I am going to move all of them to a shed that's near my kitchen door. If I need them, they can move back into the kitchen. (An extremely large. "Time will tell' bin). I am excited to see how much stuff this new appliance can replace. I love your vlog. Thanks ❤❤❤❤❤😊
My husband (the cook and the tidier one of us two) was very averse, at first, to try out your reduction of pots, pans, silverware etc. Now, however, we don't use any of the things we put into the basement for time will tell and he seems to be fine, even happy with that. Just after I decluttered, we took in a Ukrainian refugee student girl and her kitty-cat for what became a year and three months into our two-room apartment, and even then we didn't have to re-introduce any of these things into the kitchen. Thank you, Dawn ❤❤❤!!
When I moved into my current house (renting), the owner(landlord's elderly father)'s move out had been a bit stressful and rushed, so they left almost everything in the kitchen that had been in there. Because I had my own minimal selection of kitchen stuff (and with the landlord's permission), I basically went through the entire kitchen and (with the help of a friend) boxed up everything (silverware, utensils, small appliances, etc.) that I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to use, which included, among other things, 173 pieces of silverware (yes, 173, and that doesn't even include any of the sharp knives or other utensils! - I kept one fork), 5 silverware/utensil organizers (I have my own that I love and that fits all of mine perfectly), and 3 big drawer divider/holder things (there had been 8, and I used the other 5 for various things both in and out of the kitchen). I think the only things I kept in there from the previous owner were a food processor, a small mixing bowl, 4 of the drawer divider things (used the 5th elsewhere in the house), one fork (for sentimental reasons - it matches my parents' set), a scotchbrite scrub pad thing with a handle, a colander, a small stack of dinner plates, a partial roll of paper towels, and a partial package of napkins. I've since realized that I don't need the plates (almost 3 years and I still haven't touched them - I almost never have company, and when I do, it's only one or two people, and I have more than that on my company shelf (equivalent to the "company bin" that Dawn mentions) - so I've never had to use those plates), food processor (never used), fork (never used), and colander (it's a giant pain to clean - I use my big strainer instead). Which leaves me just the mixing bowl (use it all the time), the drawer dividers (all 5 are in use), and the scotchbrite scrubber; the paper towels and napkins were used up long ago. Can't wait to get those extra things I don't need out of the house.
I’ve been following your decluttering advice for years and have made major improvements in my kitchen. I live in a senior apartment, so there is no basement for ‘time will tell’ items. But I do have cabinets with a top shelf where seldom used items live. I’ve long since identified unused / duplicate items and donated them. Your influence is evident in my cupboards, drawers and under the sink. I live alone, my kitchen is so functional and easy to keep clean. I’m always happy to show visitors!
I live alone and have a "company shelf" that's one of the top cupboard shelves in my kitchen, and I have to stand on a chair in order to even see, let alone reach, what's up there - works the same as the bin, since I don't have any space anywhere else in the house to put them.
Dishes…at first thought, you think only having one place setting per person is going to make you feel like you’re washing dishes all the time…but when you think through it, you have to wash a dish for every meal a person eats anyway. For example, whether you wash 1 dish per person after every meal or 3 dishes per person at the end of every day, it’s still the same amount of washing that has to be done! Boom. Minimize the dishes. :)
"making your kitchen a more positive place to be".....I couldn't have said it any better myself!!!....thank you Dawn, for that profound statement....sooo true!!!...
I recently listened to your podcast with Cas about kitchen decluttering - of course whilst working in the kitchen. As I was looking around myself I kept saying to you both, “but what about these awkwardly sized cupboards in mine that just don’t hold anything?!!!” Shortly thereafter, I had a dream that you were both on your way to Florida and stopped for a cup of coffee ☕️. As you were leaving, I did say, “hold on a moment, PLEASE come into my kitchen and tell me how I can keep my counters clear (after decluttering) with these awkwardly shaped and sized cupboards 😂!” Unfortunately I was woken up by my 3 year old before I got the answer (it was a pleasure having you both for coffee though, even if it was just in my dream!) 😅
Been a minimalist for 10 months and I finished my entire apartment this month I say your videos have really helped me especially when it came to clothes for my kiddos. I could not be more happier with my space now I feel so light in my apartment.
Lol, the lemon juicer! My sister , my daughter and I all got them in our Christmas stockings one year. We all think they are the best thing ever and use them constantly.
You have inspired me. I have been purging unwanted things from my apartment a little at a time over the past year. It’s just me. I’m in a new *Season of Life*. Retirement. I don’t need all this stuff. I’ve pared down clothes-books-tchotch·kies-kitchen plates and glasses and mugs. Pots and pans. I’m going to go thru and pare down some more. I have a couple small appliances I don’t use anymore and gadgets in my kitchen drawer I don’t need. I’m so glad I discovered your RUclips’s 😁
I have completed my first round of decluttering. I’m about to start round 2. Lol. I’m hoping I can be ruthless. I know I have quite a bit of stuff I don’t use. ❤
I started reading your Decluttering devotional today, and am excited to go through it! My biggest hurdle is my chronic illness that leaves me without the physical or mental energy to do the decluttering, but when I do get a rare good day to tackle things, I do notice a big difference, even in the small areas.
Don't give up! I'm also chronically ill, and it's taken me about three years, but my house is finally under control (though I just took a donation bin to goodwill today; it seems I'm always still decluttering something!). Some days I can do nothing, some days five minutes, some days an hour. Just keep at it, and you'll get there!
Right! Don't give up. I have chronic physical issues that slow me down, too. I found The Minimal Mom about a year and a half ago... after my husband passed away. I had to deal with his things.. he was kind of a hoarder... So i decluttered the household stuff first. I had a big bin of his stuff from the nursing home that I couldn't even open for almost a year but I finally did and most of it has found it's way to new homes or Donation Centers. I have a lot of stuff in a bin that is sentimental items from my life with Doug and of other family who have passed away. Thank you Dawn for your encouragement to me and all of us on this journey.
My husband does all the cooking so decluttering is hard. He has finally been convinced to try. We got rid of some frying pans and utensils. I put some plates and bowls in a time will tell box to see if we miss them. It's a work in progress.
We are currently living with our friends (until our reno is completed) and I cannot stress enough how a simple kitchen can make life way easier! I would not say our kitchen was minimal (maybe free of overwhelming excess?), but having to manage so much inventory has been really overwhelming. With probably 2-3 times more stuff for a household of two, it has made cooking a bourden for me. Went from feeling cooking is a joy, a freetime activity to a chore I hate in probably a week. So if you you have not done it, do it, declutter the kitchen!! It truly makes difference.
We decluttered the kitchen for a few months this year. Let go of dishes we never used, appliances, and it is so much more manageable. No point in opening a cabinet and everything falls out everytime we cook. It is so much better.
I am in the middle of decluttering our kitchen. I ordered Correll dinner plates in white. I am putting away my heavy FiestaWare! Thank you for such great ideas! ~ Belinda
I’ve taken Dawns advice and got glass storage bowls. It means I can see what’s in every one in the fridge. All at eye level. Nothing gets wasted or missed now. It’s made a massive difference. 😊
We have 5 people and went to one set (1 plate, bowl, cup, and silverware set) per person when I watched your video about limiting dishes sometime ago. The system works great! I do have a china set if we have guests or we use paper plates, which is just once a year. Thanks DAWN!
I've simplified my kitchen and actually have empty shelves I'm shocked by that. I love it thou and I've come to realize we don't actually need all the stuff we did have.
To me it took a lot to realize that food inventory that I can manage is extremely low while I can manage an extremely high jewelry inventory. I can remember a ring that goes with an outfit that I had not wear for years and find it in less than a minute while forgetting the food that I put in the fridge yesterday, or even today. My priorities are inverted but that is me.
I have hoarder tendencies and have always had multiples of things in my kitchen BUT NOW thank you to you Dawn I have way less in my kitchen and I’m always looking at what I can get rid of. I don’t have a time will tell bin because I know myself I will start to second guess myself, so for me the easiest way to deal with clutter is get it out of my house as soon as possible.
Love this! Would you please make a video on simple emergency food? I really enjoy the way your emergency food feels - not too much or too little. Could you share your thought process on making that part of your life simple too? I think so many people would benefit from that. Thanks for your consideration! Keep shining your light 🌟💗
You'll gain momentum as you go! Just go at your own pace, and when you see how it feels to have less, you'll be more motivated to continue. It can take years, but it's worth it!
Every room in my house needs me to declutter it. Right now i had to get 2 Braman new beds and the 3rd grandsons will be here in 2 weeks. So it's a lot easier to declutter when the room is empty and only bringing back in what are the favorites. I'm in your group & TYHB group and i know Dana teaches us to devoured without making a mess but that is very hard for me. I have to have it all in front of me with my donation box time will tell bin and black trash bag. I'm limited with my back disability so it's hard standing and walking. The boys help out a great deal but i still have to be there. My cooking is very simple, quick, &easy and i know that will change when it gets decluttered more and functions better. Thank you for all your teaching me. I really do apperceive the time you take to do this.
I also don't enjoy cooking so I didn't have a huge inventory, but I did take extra items to the basement storage room. I gifted my large food processor (never used) to my future son-in-law and he was thrilled! The kitchen is so easy to clean and stays tidy now. Thank you Dawn!!!! ❤
I love that your Kitchenaid fits in a cupboard! I would totally take a power tool to a cupboard and fix that. Curse of living in the family home, it's as bad as a rental. Also I have no idea how you manage with only one 'flipper'!
Thank you Dawn for another great video! I like how you use the stove to determine how many pots and pans to keep, in a similar fashion bakeware. I found using the dishwasher as another guide to how many table settings to keep. Whatever fits into one load is all the inventory we keep.
LOL, I love to cook, and sometimes lots of dishes, so it's not unusual for me to have a pan on every eye on the stove - and another on the hot plate keeping warm! But cooking is a hobby for me, so I think that's different.
I recently started declutter and organization. I couldn't believe how much stuff I had to part with. Car loads and car loads to donation. Anyway, I am seeing how right you are. I can pull together our spaces in no time with it decluttered and organized. I am now going to be going back through for maintenance declutter and putting your principles to work to see what I still don't use.
I have an extra large kitchen and I thought I needed to fill up the drawers and cupboards. When Dawn suggested keeping them 50% full, it was an aha moment. I thought I was so organized with racks for the lids of my food storage containers but find it twice as easy to store the lids on the containers themselves. So many good tips!
For pots and pans I get away with a cast iron skillet, a soup pot, and a stock pot. For bakeware I get away with a bread pan, a caserole/cake pan (9x11), and a large sheet pan. I have 2 smaller sheet pans from the dollar store that I dont "need" anymore, but are also useful at times. I also have a muffin pan, and it rarely gets used because I started putting that kind of thing in a 9x11 pan and make squares instead.
Thank you so much for your videos. And thank you for being so real, so relatable. I have started decluttering over the last several months and the onion method is the one that resonates with me most. I have watched all of your videos and will now replay for motivation. I look forward to aTake Your House Back challenge, if it comes around again. My confidence is strong enough to invest in energetic guidance. Again, thank you for making this doable - 15 minutes at a time, one drawer at a time.
The time will tell bin was so helpful for me when I unpacked my kitchen in my new house. It made the process move forward quickly with way less stress. Thank you 🙏🏼
That’s good you keep emergency food though. Smart thinking! I need to have less grocery inventory my cabinets and fridge is packed and it’s hard to find stuff.
Love these tips!! The “time will tell” bin is genius. Need to try that. We’re quite minimal with kitchen items, but have limited kitchen storage as well, so I’m always thinking of ways to minimalist even more. 😊
What do you do when that emergency food expires? I used to keep emergency food in the basement, but I never used it because it wasn't the usual. I ended up throwing food away after many years. Now I only keep our usual staples (Peanut butter, oatmeal, canned beans and tomatoes, tea, etc) in the basement overflow pantry, just more of it. The overflow pantry is in the laundry room, so when I get low on peanut butter upstairs, it's no big deal to grab one with the laundry and carry it up. Even when my 3 children were young they knew to add an item to the grocery list any time they opened a new container. (Running out of ketchup would be disastrous! )
Thank you so much for your videos! My house feels so much better after finding you a few months ago! When you gave me permission to get rid of items I spent money on but regretted, it was so freeing. And also permission to throw away things I didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with otherwise. I’m so grateful and I love my simplified house (and kitchen!). ❤❤❤
Dawn thank you! All your videos has helped me a lot managing my kitchen. I have gotten rid of lots of items (that my husband and mom couldn’t understand in the beginning) now they see how easy things are. My mom is starting w her stuff. The managing of food items in the fridge was also the best thing I learned from you. We have seldom to no food waste now so yay savings! Thank you so much!
We have one spatula! No joke, and it is really great. My mother in law owns 13 spatulas. I was trying to help her set up her kitchen after she moved but I gave up. She is a hoarder and loves to live in chaos. At least that is my perception. She is in her 80's and when she dies my husband and I will be throwing out or donating so much crap! I feel like I'm a pioneer minimalist (in my mid 60's now). I was very poor in my 20's and 30's and this limited the amount of things I could own. So when most people were having families and collecting stuff, I was worried if I was going to be able to eat. Let alone own a pizza cutter. 😂 This lifestyle of owning less has been with me for a long time. I actually feel blessed to have the things I have now and not decades of accumulated crap!
My kitchen looks nothing like yours, but I use all of it including all 4 of my spatulas at the same meal. I'm impressed with your ability to cook for 6 with only the items remaining. Thanks for sharing.
Yah, I'm a very messy cook. I use every pot, pan, bowl, spatula, flipper, etc when I cook. It's ridiculous. I've tried to pare down but it's a weird thing I think runs in my family. Lol. I have basically got rid of almost anything that can't go in the dishwasher. When you use that many dishes every day, and doing dishes is your main nemesis as far as chores go, dishwasher safe is my priority. If it melts or cracks, it deserves to die.
Years ago when Pampered Chef was a home party company, I'd buy the small kitchen utensils. I had things I never used. They have since been donated so someone else can use and enjoy them.
Here, here....I am part of the club of donated Pampered Chef stuff😅 Really though, a few things of PC, I use sssooooo much. Garlic press, olive/cherry pitter, mini bar server/spatula, bamboo spoons, stoneware pans, covered knives. I have had most for about 15 years. Countless other odds and ends just off'ed somewhere or other😅
I'm 40, a mom of four, all under 7 yrs old, homeschooling too. I just cook whatever appears to be on the brink of spoiling. Lol! I throw it all in sometimes! My kitchen needs help. I'm coming out of newborn breastfeeding life and feel better and better. I think I'll get it under control this year.
OK, not being defensive here at all.😊 I promise! I have a great respect for what you practice and teach, especially in a culture that is so stuff oriented. You have helped many people, but I think you have to look at how your personality and home operates/what it is used for. I have moved our home (single, then marreid -before and with children/now an "empty nest") 18 times since 1987. That doesn't count college moves from which time I STILL have things I use! Truly! Do I have 5 colanders of different types on sizes? Yes. Why, because when I'm prepping a salad for 20-40 people at church; bringing in multiple things from the garden/canning etc., I USE them. Do I have two mixers and 4 mixing bowls, YES! So I can prep multiple large batches of cookie dough, cakes or whatever else is needed at once. Do I have more dish sets than I need, yes, but it was part of my parents' business AND I am slowly giving them to grown kids/couples as they get settled, then when I see no one wants/like some of it, i'll sell...AND Lord willing, at the best time to get a good price. And when we have groups from church or otherwise socially, I don't have to buy paper anything! I'm old enough to be your mama (older maybe!), and use things from across the decades as props for VBS, helping with a special event, or loaning out for others to use. Do I have several shelves in an storage room for Ebaying? YES, so I DO get rid of things, but I'll never be a true minimalist. Just not my DNA unless I get to where I can't function and use the things we have. Also inherited or received wedding gifts that were fancier than our lifestyle, BUT it's a joy to share some for others that have dressier events....and some await the best times to sell them (ALL things from clothes to dishes have trendier times for sure!). THANK YOU for what you do, but remember we are not all alike and others out there like me, young and old, need to realize it's OK to save things, too! My wardrobe is the most minimalist thing I have...keep it simple and what you feel the best and most comfortable in, SO SOME areas of your home may be more minimalist than others!
Great point! It's much easier for certain personality types to declutter than others, and how much you get rid of really depends on what kind of work you're doing in your home. A farm kitchen is going to need different and more tools than a suburban quick food family.
Dawn, thanks for all the great tips! I did this 2 summers ago bc of your help. 😊 I keep watching for added tips you have to share. Thank you so much! ❤
I’m currently doing another declutter, as I’m slowly getting rid of more and more. This round, I’m working through our bedroom first, it’s nearly done. One cupboard draw and the blanket box to go. Then the second room is the kitchen. It needs a massive go over. I’ve just been slowly getting rid of more and more stuff as I find what works for us.
@@TheMinimalMom You have shown the rack, but I don't recall seeing a video where you go over what it is exactly and how much of each item you have....I was just curious as I am not a prepper and don't really have any extra food for emergencies and was wondering about what things I should probably store extra of.
You've inspired me to let go sone more items from our kitchen to have more space for our cooking needs now. With a toddler, we are doing more quick meals than lengthy cooking. Thanks for continuing to share and being so generous in giving ideas and inspiration ❤
This is perfect timing! My year-long kitchen remodel is coming to an end and I should be moving into the space in two weekends. I really want avoid packing it full.
Here are links mentioned in this video! Full Minimalism Basics Playlist: cli.re/BASICS
Minimalism by the Numbers Printable: cli.re/Minimalism-Inventory
My black shirt: amzn.to/3NNorjq
Thank you so much for ALL of your support, I'm so grateful!!! - Dawn
We just got rid of 20 full trash bags of clutter! My 1800 sq ft home seems HUGE and there are 4 adults & 1 teen living in it 😊
Well done! ❤😊
That’s amazing! I bet you feel so much better 😊 every time I get rid of a bag of junk I feel lighter. Like it’s a little easier to breathe
I believe you !!! Because I just got rid of 5 and I see no difference. I’m still working on it. Can’t wait for that feeling !!!
Congratulations!! That is huge🎉
That's awesome, it's crazy how much "stuff" we accumulate in only a few years.
Dawn recently said in order to keep the the kitchen table from collecting piles, it could be thought of as “hot lava,” meaning you can’t leave any incoming mail, clutter, bags, etc. on the table. I love that thought, it resonates with me.
I just thought of another analogy/trick: I’m going to think of my breakfast bar as a “high tide” area - it’s okay to use it all day, but every night, if things are left there, the tide will carry them away (like your beach chairs by the ocean.)
I love that idea!
That is super adorable! Fun ways to think about it and highly imaginative! This will help me AND the kiddos!
Minimalism has blessed me in two surprising ways this week: last night, I was making a big pan of enchiladas and I was able to decide, on the spot, to invite a large family over to our house last minute. I knew my house was “10 minutes from tidy”!
I also had a friend text me today last minute to ask if I could watch her daughter today. I could say yes because my house was under control. No worries over here! I used to have to say no to things like this because my house was too crazy to clean quickly.
I hope to do these things, too!!!
Yes! I love that.
Are from USA I want to go 😭😭
Please I'm from Japan
Can you give me some money please only 100$
Dear Dawn, I would like to thank you.
I think I found you just at the right time. I had one small child and was at home a lot. I felt the need to have less stuff to take care of but didn't know how to begin. By watching your videos I learned a lot. By the time my second son arrived, I decluttered the whole house. We still have too many things but it is not overwhelming anymore. I am just calmly peeling my onion one drawer/cabinet at a time. Thank you very much for all you do.
Sending love from Germany!
I have the same story. Found Dawn when I was home with first child and started on this journey. Now having a second child and things are way easier to manage. We hosted guests one week after his birth, and almost every weekend since. I even started the habit of baking recently, so carved our t dedicated spot for baking supplies to make things more efficient. Minimalism is the way to go, love it and highly recommend it to everyone!!!
YOU are the reason I felt I could get rid of my beloved colored Tupperware set because we never use it. Thank you for having only the dishes you actually use, its freeing
I rid myself of tons of pots and pans from watching her. Don't miss a thing.
Seven baking pans gone so far! Don't miss anything!
I also got rid of lots of pans that I never used. Moved the ones I only use occasionally to a cabinet it my basement. Same for all those extra utensils I wasn’t using.
I had to put our pots and pans in storage... mom didn't want to get rid of ANYTHING. So I have a building that if something happens to ma, I can literally haul it all off. I live with her and I'm the main caregiver/homemaker.
Oh wow, I love the old colored Tupperware! I would've bought it from you and used it. Lol
OMGosh! Food storage containers. You have no idea how much I fought you (and Cas, and Dana) on this. I keep ours in a kitchen drawer, and there was just NO WAY they would ever fit if I didn't nest them inside each other with the lids beside them. I was on board with so many other things; decluttered dishes/glasses etc twice, utensils gone, dishwasher every night. But lids on my food storage was impossible to imagine. I'm a little ashamed of this, but one day I decided to do it (sort of) to prove y'all wrong. Yep. Magic moment of humbling and joy for me. Now I share this little (huge!) tip with everyone I can.
Same here!!! 😂
I tried it and it just made a disaster because I have seven kids and it’s just trashed. I need to go back to my container with lids and nestling again
i'm decluttering my parents' hoarder kitchen and we are half way thru and they are already seeing the benefits of having less and just simply finding stuff easier! functional kitchens make a huge difference!!!
Good work! That’s a lot of hard work, I’m sure!
Myself, son and nephew decluttered our kitchens. Each of us sold small appliances that we all had. So now there is 1 slow cooker, 1 insane pot, 1 large electric roaster, baking pans and food processor between us all. And when we need one of these, we just get it from the last person that used it. It's been great and never have we all needed the same appliance at the same time. 1 1/2 years and going strong. (We all live within a mile of each other)
Insane pot! I'm living the Insta pot regret myself. Now you have a way to laugh at it.
Storing the Tupperware with lids on was life changing. The amount we have is manageable in the cabinet, and we never lose matching pieces. If the cabinet is looking sparse, it means there’s way too much food in the fridge that needs to be eaten.
I like that too
My mother was an excellent cook and when she died and we had to clean out her house, we were absolutely amazed at how few kitchen items she actually had. You don't need all the gadgets to cook. Her cupboard and counter space was probably the size of the side of your kitchen that your fridge is on and in that included her double sink. That is all the cupboard and work space she had. I'm sure she would have loved more but she didn't complain and her food was so delicious!
My mother was the same as yours. When I think about what she pumped out of her kitchen, with limited space and minimal equipment, I am in awe!♥️
Thank you for this video. Hubby and I are moving soon and I want to be very intentional on what comes into the new house, particularly the kitchen. I think many items may not get unpacked until I actually need them. At the end of the first year, whatever I have not yet brought into the house, goes into the car to be donated. We're turning 70 this year. I want my future years very simplified and minimal.
So, I just have to say thank you! I’m moving next week and when we moved into this house 5 years ago we had 2 kids, now we have 4. I was terrified of packing up 6 people but because of many of the purging and organizing tips I’ve gained from watching you and have implemented over the years, packing this go around is going so much more smoothly than it even did 5 years ago! Even with double the amount of kids! Pretty much every single thing in my home is something we use or love. It already has a specific place in our home, so the decision making process this time has been a breeze and packing is almost, dare I say, enjoyable! I’m so thankful I found you years ago when I searched for paper decluttering tips on RUclips 🥰
God bless you for what you do!
Dawn, You have no idea how much I appreciate you for always keeping me motivated to keep up with the house. I am a very tidy person but there have been times I lost control and just couldn't face life let alone my house and you have helped me tremendously to get back on track. I never miss tour videos and have been an ardent follower since you had probably 40k subscribers.
Dawn, I have been watching you for a few years now and have slowly been peeling back the onion. We are an Air Force family, and when we moved 2 yrs ago we felt comfortable down sizing since we had been decluttering. But let me tell you, we just moved again and are now in a house less than half the size of the home we started this decluttering journey. While having such a small house, was not really our choice this time it has been liberating to use your advice to let things go so we can fit into thus small house. Additionally, I wanted to thank you for giving me the permission to let go of my fantasy self. There is a lot of guilt as a working mom that I want to do all the crafts and holiday decorating, but I was just lugging it from house to house since I didn't have the time to actually use them. I had held on to the fantasy stuff for when I retire in a couple years, but your advice has helped me realize that it's not worth storing it when someone else can be enjoying it today. Thank you for making life so much easier! You are the best!
All of this! We are a retired Navy family ❤
I love that you're referencing your Fantasy Self. I have this same problem, BIG TIME. I'm 52 and have been sick for 10+ years now. I have chronic pain and several conditions and diseases that are progressing. As a way of coping, I continue buying craft supplies and quilting fabric like I'm my old self. I dream up all these beautiful quilts I'm going to create to give to my loved ones... I HAVE to face the fact that it's never going to happen. All I've done is create more work for myself, spent money I didn't have, and now I'm literally surrounded by piles and piles and piles of fabric and supplies - a constant reminder of my mistakes and the things I can't do. Your comment has made me realize that I'm not alone in this, and that I was just trying to cope with a really crappy situation. It's time to face facts, ask for help getting this stuff under control and live a simpler, easier and happier life. Thank you for your honesty. You've really helped me. And thanks, Dawn, for getting us through this!!
As an aside, the black top/t shirt looks super chic and I’ve decided that in my maternity capsule wardrobe all t shirts will be black.
Hubby & I decluttered around 400 items from our kitchen last summer, but while I was down during my back surgery, he's brought a few things back in. I've been trying this wk to go through & declutter a few things at a time to get us back on track. Great video, Dawn. 😊
It's nice that you have a basement for exercise equipment, food, tools and now the office/guest house you're able to spread out everything you own. I only have my house so I need to be way more mindful.
I really miss your more vlog type renovation/travel/family content 😢 find it hard to engage in this 'straight to business' content when that's all there is. Used to find it engaging when it was part of a bigger picture of content. I understand you needing to slim down the channel while working on other projects but hope you are able to bring it back in the future ❤
I have given myself through the end of November to reorganize and declutter my kitchen/dining/laundry areas. Already, what a difference. It feels good to just get the clutter out of my life.
I recently purchased an Otster Digital Oven. It has 10 functions, replacing the toaster, air fryer, dehydrator, broiler, and slow cooker. Because I live in Arizona, 110°F yesterday, I use this oven to cook pizzas, roast Sunday dinners, bake goodies in 9x12 pans, bake casseroles and cookies without heating up my BIG oven, using less electricity and air-conditioning. I have a large 6ft. wire rack full of small appliances and over-sized cooking pots and pans. (i raised 7 children and 5 step-kids.). I am going to move all of them to a shed that's near my kitchen door. If I need them, they can move back into the kitchen. (An extremely large. "Time will tell' bin). I am excited to see how much stuff this new appliance can replace. I love your vlog. Thanks ❤❤❤❤❤😊
My husband (the cook and the tidier one of us two) was very averse, at first, to try out your reduction of pots, pans, silverware etc. Now, however, we don't use any of the things we put into the basement for time will tell and he seems to be fine, even happy with that. Just after I decluttered, we took in a Ukrainian refugee student girl and her kitty-cat for what became a year and three months into our two-room apartment, and even then we didn't have to re-introduce any of these things into the kitchen. Thank you, Dawn ❤❤❤!!
When I moved into my current house (renting), the owner(landlord's elderly father)'s move out had been a bit stressful and rushed, so they left almost everything in the kitchen that had been in there. Because I had my own minimal selection of kitchen stuff (and with the landlord's permission), I basically went through the entire kitchen and (with the help of a friend) boxed up everything (silverware, utensils, small appliances, etc.) that I knew for a fact that I wasn't going to use, which included, among other things, 173 pieces of silverware (yes, 173, and that doesn't even include any of the sharp knives or other utensils! - I kept one fork), 5 silverware/utensil organizers (I have my own that I love and that fits all of mine perfectly), and 3 big drawer divider/holder things (there had been 8, and I used the other 5 for various things both in and out of the kitchen).
I think the only things I kept in there from the previous owner were a food processor, a small mixing bowl, 4 of the drawer divider things (used the 5th elsewhere in the house), one fork (for sentimental reasons - it matches my parents' set), a scotchbrite scrub pad thing with a handle, a colander, a small stack of dinner plates, a partial roll of paper towels, and a partial package of napkins. I've since realized that I don't need the plates (almost 3 years and I still haven't touched them - I almost never have company, and when I do, it's only one or two people, and I have more than that on my company shelf (equivalent to the "company bin" that Dawn mentions) - so I've never had to use those plates), food processor (never used), fork (never used), and colander (it's a giant pain to clean - I use my big strainer instead). Which leaves me just the mixing bowl (use it all the time), the drawer dividers (all 5 are in use), and the scotchbrite scrubber; the paper towels and napkins were used up long ago. Can't wait to get those extra things I don't need out of the house.
I’ve been following your decluttering advice for years and have made major improvements in my kitchen. I live in a senior apartment, so there is no basement for ‘time will tell’ items. But I do have cabinets with a top shelf where seldom used items live. I’ve long since identified unused / duplicate items and donated them. Your influence is evident in my cupboards, drawers and under the sink. I live alone, my kitchen is so functional and easy to keep clean. I’m always happy to show visitors!
Company bin idea 💡 is so smart.
I live alone and have a "company shelf" that's one of the top cupboard shelves in my kitchen, and I have to stand on a chair in order to even see, let alone reach, what's up there - works the same as the bin, since I don't have any space anywhere else in the house to put them.
Dishes…at first thought, you think only having one place setting per person is going to make you feel like you’re washing dishes all the time…but when you think through it, you have to wash a dish for every meal a person eats anyway. For example, whether you wash 1 dish per person after every meal or 3 dishes per person at the end of every day, it’s still the same amount of washing that has to be done! Boom. Minimize the dishes. :)
"making your kitchen a more positive place to be".....I couldn't have said it any better myself!!!....thank you Dawn, for that profound statement....sooo true!!!...
Thanks to you, we store our containers with the lids on - and the lids are never lost nor do we need a hidious lid storage!
Thanks for the inspiration. Time to take another look at my own kitchen.
I am so glad that you are doing the basics of minimalism again. I need it, thank you so much!
I recently listened to your podcast with Cas about kitchen decluttering - of course whilst working in the kitchen. As I was looking around myself I kept saying to you both, “but what about these awkwardly sized cupboards in mine that just don’t hold anything?!!!” Shortly thereafter, I had a dream that you were both on your way to Florida and stopped for a cup of coffee ☕️. As you were leaving, I did say, “hold on a moment, PLEASE come into my kitchen and tell me how I can keep my counters clear (after decluttering) with these awkwardly shaped and sized cupboards 😂!” Unfortunately I was woken up by my 3 year old before I got the answer (it was a pleasure having you both for coffee though, even if it was just in my dream!) 😅
Been a minimalist for 10 months and I finished my entire apartment this month I say your videos have really helped me especially when it came to clothes for my kiddos. I could not be more happier with my space now I feel so light in my apartment.
Lol, the lemon juicer! My sister , my daughter and I all got them in our Christmas stockings one year. We all think they are the best thing ever and use them constantly.
Every new video from you lately looks more professional than the last
“Time capsule”. Holy cow truth! As a mom of 9 and grandma to 25 this really dinged my bell! Words of wisdom young lady. Thank you. 🌷
You have inspired me. I have been purging unwanted things from my apartment a little at a time over the past year. It’s just me. I’m in a new *Season of Life*. Retirement. I don’t need all this stuff. I’ve pared down clothes-books-tchotch·kies-kitchen plates and glasses and mugs. Pots and pans. I’m going to go thru and pare down some more. I have a couple small appliances I don’t use anymore and gadgets in my kitchen drawer I don’t need. I’m so glad I discovered your RUclips’s 😁
I have completed my first round of decluttering. I’m about to start round 2. Lol. I’m hoping I can be ruthless. I know I have quite a bit of stuff I don’t use. ❤
I started reading your Decluttering devotional today, and am excited to go through it! My biggest hurdle is my chronic illness that leaves me without the physical or mental energy to do the decluttering, but when I do get a rare good day to tackle things, I do notice a big difference, even in the small areas.
Don't give up! I'm also chronically ill, and it's taken me about three years, but my house is finally under control (though I just took a donation bin to goodwill today; it seems I'm always still decluttering something!). Some days I can do nothing, some days five minutes, some days an hour. Just keep at it, and you'll get there!
Right! Don't give up. I have chronic physical issues that slow me down, too. I found The Minimal Mom about a year and a half ago... after my husband passed away. I had to deal with his things.. he was kind of a hoarder... So i decluttered the household stuff first. I had a big bin of his stuff from the nursing home that I couldn't even open for almost a year but I finally did and most of it has found it's way to new homes or Donation Centers. I have a lot of stuff in a bin that is sentimental items from my life with Doug and of other family who have passed away. Thank you Dawn for your encouragement to me and all of us on this journey.
@@kimhouchins8653 I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for the encouragement. 💕
I've gotten people to help me that could you a couple extra bucks!! High school kid or young person
My husband does all the cooking so decluttering is hard. He has finally been convinced to try. We got rid of some frying pans and utensils. I put some plates and bowls in a time will tell box to see if we miss them. It's a work in progress.
We are currently living with our friends (until our reno is completed) and I cannot stress enough how a simple kitchen can make life way easier! I would not say our kitchen was minimal (maybe free of overwhelming excess?), but having to manage so much inventory has been really overwhelming. With probably 2-3 times more stuff for a household of two, it has made cooking a bourden for me. Went from feeling cooking is a joy, a freetime activity to a chore I hate in probably a week. So if you you have not done it, do it, declutter the kitchen!! It truly makes difference.
Good morning! 💜 Hi from Florida! 🌴
We decluttered the kitchen for a few months this year. Let go of dishes we never used, appliances, and it is so much more manageable. No point in opening a cabinet and everything falls out everytime we cook. It is so much better.
You are such a big help Dawn. I love your channel so much!!!❤
Thanks for all you do. Truly appreciate it!
Today I pulled 2 saucepans that I rarely use & stuck them in my donate box. Baby steps but progress nonetheless. Yay me!
Every bit counts! 👏🏻🎉
I am in the middle of decluttering our kitchen. I ordered Correll dinner plates in white. I am putting away my heavy FiestaWare! Thank you for such great ideas! ~ Belinda
I did the same thing. But one thing I dislike about Corelle is how hot they get in the microwave.
“Time capsule.” Love this. I refer to it as my archeological dig.
I’ve taken Dawns advice and got glass storage bowls. It means I can see what’s in every one in the fridge. All at eye level. Nothing gets wasted or missed now. It’s made a massive difference. 😊
We have 5 people and went to one set (1 plate, bowl, cup, and silverware set) per person when I watched your video about limiting dishes sometime ago. The system works great! I do have a china set if we have guests or we use paper plates, which is just once a year. Thanks DAWN!
I've simplified my kitchen and actually have empty shelves I'm shocked by that. I love it thou and I've come to realize we don't actually need all the stuff we did have.
To me it took a lot to realize that food inventory that I can manage is extremely low while I can manage an extremely high jewelry inventory. I can remember a ring that goes with an outfit that I had not wear for years and find it in less than a minute while forgetting the food that I put in the fridge yesterday, or even today. My priorities are inverted but that is me.
I have hoarder tendencies and have always had multiples of things in my kitchen BUT NOW thank you to you Dawn I have way less in my kitchen and I’m always looking at what I can get rid of. I don’t have a time will tell bin because I know myself I will start to second guess myself, so for me the easiest way to deal with clutter is get it out of my house as soon as possible.
This has to be one of my favorite videos fm you! Love your channel and info!!
Love this! Would you please make a video on simple emergency food? I really enjoy the way your emergency food feels - not too much or too little. Could you share your thought process on making that part of your life simple too? I think so many people would benefit from that. Thanks for your consideration! Keep shining your light 🌟💗
Really enjoying this series. I’m on the road to becoming a minimalist, but it can be hard. I’m gradually reducing inventory.
You'll gain momentum as you go! Just go at your own pace, and when you see how it feels to have less, you'll be more motivated to continue. It can take years, but it's worth it!
Support from Germany 🤗
Excellent information!! Simply freeing
Every room in my house needs me to declutter it. Right now i had to get 2 Braman new beds and the 3rd grandsons will be here in 2 weeks. So it's a lot easier to declutter when the room is empty and only bringing back in what are the favorites. I'm in your group & TYHB group and i know Dana teaches us to devoured without making a mess but that is very hard for me. I have to have it all in front of me with my donation box time will tell bin and black trash bag. I'm limited with my back disability so it's hard standing and walking. The boys help out a great deal but i still have to be there. My cooking is very simple, quick, &easy and i know that will change when it gets decluttered more and functions better. Thank you for all your teaching me. I really do apperceive the time you take to do this.
Aloha, you are wonderful. I’m already into Feng Shui yet still your videos are helpful. Thank you so much.
I also don't enjoy cooking so I didn't have a huge inventory, but I did take extra items to the basement storage room. I gifted my large food processor (never used) to my future son-in-law and he was thrilled! The kitchen is so easy to clean and stays tidy now. Thank you Dawn!!!! ❤
I love this series to refresh my mindset about the benefits of decluttering and how to go about it.
The "company bin" is changing my life, lol. TY!
I love that your Kitchenaid fits in a cupboard! I would totally take a power tool to a cupboard and fix that. Curse of living in the family home, it's as bad as a rental. Also I have no idea how you manage with only one 'flipper'!
Thank you Dawn for another great video! I like how you use the stove to determine how many pots and pans to keep, in a similar fashion bakeware. I found using the dishwasher as another guide to how many table settings to keep. Whatever fits into one load is all the inventory we keep.
LOL, I love to cook, and sometimes lots of dishes, so it's not unusual for me to have a pan on every eye on the stove - and another on the hot plate keeping warm! But cooking is a hobby for me, so I think that's different.
Your hair looks so good Dawn😊
I recently started declutter and organization. I couldn't believe how much stuff I had to part with. Car loads and car loads to donation. Anyway, I am seeing how right you are. I can pull together our spaces in no time with it decluttered and organized. I am now going to be going back through for maintenance declutter and putting your principles to work to see what I still don't use.
You are the greatest!! Thank you for the work you do.
I have an extra large kitchen and I thought I needed to fill up the drawers and cupboards. When Dawn suggested keeping them 50% full, it was an aha moment. I thought I was so organized with racks for the lids of my food storage containers but find it twice as easy to store the lids on the containers themselves. So many good tips!
You have really helped me with my efforts towards minimal/less overwhelming leaving. Thank you for being practical, real, and relatable
For pots and pans I get away with a cast iron skillet, a soup pot, and a stock pot. For bakeware I get away with a bread pan, a caserole/cake pan (9x11), and a large sheet pan. I have 2 smaller sheet pans from the dollar store that I dont "need" anymore, but are also useful at times. I also have a muffin pan, and it rarely gets used because I started putting that kind of thing in a 9x11 pan and make squares instead.
Thank you so much for your videos. And thank you for being so real, so relatable. I have started decluttering over the last several months and the onion method is the one that resonates with me most. I have watched all of your videos and will now replay for motivation. I look forward to aTake Your House Back challenge, if it comes around again. My confidence is strong enough to invest in energetic guidance. Again, thank you for making this doable - 15 minutes at a time, one drawer at a time.
Hello from beautiful Greece 💕
Γεια σας από την Αγγλία. Συμφωνώ απολύτως μαζί σας. Σε έξι εβδομάδες θα είμαι στην Ελλάδα για όλο το καλοκαίρι. Χαρούμενες μέρες ❤
The time will tell bin was so helpful for me when I unpacked my kitchen in my new house. It made the process move forward quickly with way less stress. Thank you 🙏🏼
Lots of helpful tips. Thanks for putting this together. I enjoy watching your videos and learning what you have found works.
Yey 4 huge bags .still away to go working on like to like.and rubbish.these video are so helpful .Ty !!! Life saver
That’s good you keep emergency food though. Smart thinking! I need to have less grocery inventory my cabinets and fridge is packed and it’s hard to find stuff.
Love these tips!! The “time will tell” bin is genius. Need to try that. We’re quite minimal with kitchen items, but have limited kitchen storage as well, so I’m always thinking of ways to minimalist even more. 😊
What do you do when that emergency food expires? I used to keep emergency food in the basement, but I never used it because it wasn't the usual. I ended up throwing food away after many years. Now I only keep our usual staples (Peanut butter, oatmeal, canned beans and tomatoes, tea, etc) in the basement overflow pantry, just more of it. The overflow pantry is in the laundry room, so when I get low on peanut butter upstairs, it's no big deal to grab one with the laundry and carry it up. Even when my 3 children were young they knew to add an item to the grocery list any time they opened a new container. (Running out of ketchup would be disastrous! )
Thank you so much for your videos! My house feels so much better after finding you a few months ago! When you gave me permission to get rid of items I spent money on but regretted, it was so freeing. And also permission to throw away things I didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with otherwise. I’m so grateful and I love my simplified house (and kitchen!). ❤❤❤
Dawn thank you! All your videos has helped me a lot managing my kitchen. I have gotten rid of lots of items (that my husband and mom couldn’t understand in the beginning) now they see how easy things are. My mom is starting w her stuff. The managing of food items in the fridge was also the best thing I learned from you. We have seldom to no food waste now so yay savings! Thank you so much!
My #1 reason:
My husband now empties the dishwasher! It's easy to find where things go.
love love love your hair!! Looks so pretty!
We have one spatula! No joke, and it is really great. My mother in law owns 13 spatulas. I was trying to help her set up her kitchen after she moved but I gave up. She is a hoarder and loves to live in chaos. At least that is my perception. She is in her 80's and when she dies my husband and I will be throwing out or donating so much crap!
I feel like I'm a pioneer minimalist (in my mid 60's now). I was very poor in my 20's and 30's and this limited the amount of things I could own. So when most people were having families and collecting stuff, I was worried if I was going to be able to eat. Let alone own a pizza cutter. 😂
This lifestyle of owning less has been with me for a long time. I actually feel blessed to have the things I have now and not decades of accumulated crap!
My kitchen looks nothing like yours, but I use all of it including all 4 of my spatulas at the same meal. I'm impressed with your ability to cook for 6 with only the items remaining. Thanks for sharing.
Yah, I'm a very messy cook. I use every pot, pan, bowl, spatula, flipper, etc when I cook. It's ridiculous. I've tried to pare down but it's a weird thing I think runs in my family. Lol. I have basically got rid of almost anything that can't go in the dishwasher. When you use that many dishes every day, and doing dishes is your main nemesis as far as chores go, dishwasher safe is my priority. If it melts or cracks, it deserves to die.
Years ago when Pampered Chef was a home party company, I'd buy the small kitchen utensils. I had things I never used. They have since been donated so someone else can use and enjoy them.
I’ve donated so much Pampered Chef stuff!!
Here, here....I am part of the club of donated Pampered Chef stuff😅 Really though, a few things of PC, I use sssooooo much. Garlic press, olive/cherry pitter, mini bar server/spatula, bamboo spoons, stoneware pans, covered knives. I have had most for about 15 years. Countless other odds and ends just off'ed somewhere or other😅
So many helpful tips!!!! Thanks!
I'm 40, a mom of four, all under 7 yrs old, homeschooling too. I just cook whatever appears to be on the brink of spoiling. Lol! I throw it all in sometimes! My kitchen needs help. I'm coming out of newborn breastfeeding life and feel better and better. I think I'll get it under control this year.
OK, not being defensive here at all.😊 I promise! I have a great respect for what you practice and teach, especially in a culture that is so stuff oriented. You have helped many people, but I think you have to look at how your personality and home operates/what it is used for. I have moved our home (single, then marreid -before and with children/now an "empty nest") 18 times since 1987. That doesn't count college moves from which time I STILL have things I use! Truly! Do I have 5 colanders of different types on sizes? Yes. Why, because when I'm prepping a salad for 20-40 people at church; bringing in multiple things from the garden/canning etc., I USE them. Do I have two mixers and 4 mixing bowls, YES! So I can prep multiple large batches of cookie dough, cakes or whatever else is needed at once. Do I have more dish sets than I need, yes, but it was part of my parents' business AND I am slowly giving them to grown kids/couples as they get settled, then when I see no one wants/like some of it, i'll sell...AND Lord willing, at the best time to get a good price. And when we have groups from church or otherwise socially, I don't have to buy paper anything! I'm old enough to be your mama (older maybe!), and use things from across the decades as props for VBS, helping with a special event, or loaning out for others to use. Do I have several shelves in an storage room for Ebaying? YES, so I DO get rid of things, but I'll never be a true minimalist. Just not my DNA unless I get to where I can't function and use the things we have. Also inherited or received wedding gifts that were fancier than our lifestyle, BUT it's a joy to share some for others that have dressier events....and some await the best times to sell them (ALL things from clothes to dishes have trendier times for sure!). THANK YOU for what you do, but remember we are not all alike and others out there like me, young and old, need to realize it's OK to save things, too! My wardrobe is the most minimalist thing I have...keep it simple and what you feel the best and most comfortable in, SO SOME areas of your home may be more minimalist than others!
Great point! It's much easier for certain personality types to declutter than others, and how much you get rid of really depends on what kind of work you're doing in your home. A farm kitchen is going to need different and more tools than a suburban quick food family.
And, also, it depends upon what phase of life you’re in…
Dawn, thanks for all the great tips! I did this 2 summers ago bc of your help. 😊 I keep watching for added tips you have to share. Thank you so much! ❤
All Complete Thanks to these Years with Your Guidance. Thank You So Much. 😊😊😊
Kitchen is where I started decluttering, so functional now and easy to clean, we cook so much more.
I’m currently doing another declutter, as I’m slowly getting rid of more and more. This round, I’m working through our bedroom first, it’s nearly done. One cupboard draw and the blanket box to go. Then the second room is the kitchen. It needs a massive go over. I’ve just been slowly getting rid of more and more stuff as I find what works for us.
Just wanted to share I went into 3 stores today and bought nothing - thanks for the ideas and inspiration!
Isn’t it great to go into a store and look at stuff as clutter? ❤❤❤
This basic series is so well done, Thank you.
Yay!! You are my favorite RUclipsr ever!!
Why are you calling me out on my Ninja like that Dawn? 😂 Great video as always. Love that blouse too!
What do you actually have as food for emergencies in your basement if all the food you use is up in your kitchen?
Good question! We keep emergency food storage in our basement, I’ve shown it on a few videos :)
@@TheMinimalMom You have shown the rack, but I don't recall seeing a video where you go over what it is exactly and how much of each item you have....I was just curious as I am not a prepper and don't really have any extra food for emergencies and was wondering about what things I should probably store extra of.
Thanks as always. And as an aside you look absolutely gorgeous
You've inspired me to let go sone more items from our kitchen to have more space for our cooking needs now. With a toddler, we are doing more quick meals than lengthy cooking. Thanks for continuing to share and being so generous in giving ideas and inspiration ❤
This is perfect timing! My year-long kitchen remodel is coming to an end and I should be moving into the space in two weekends. I really want avoid packing it full.