Thank you so much for watching, your support means the world to us!!! Also, here is that other video I mentioned-- Make the Boundaries the Bad Guy Video (more on using "containers" in your home!): ruclips.net/video/R1YOP0Cuelo/видео.html We hope you have a great day!!! - Dawn
Dawn PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I love ur channel so much and I’m so into it !!! I NEED HELP finding the video of u and ur brother cleaning ur couch. I am doing that project and looking for the product ur brother used ! Thanks 🙏 so much ! Meg
Dawn!!!!! Help!!!! I’m looking for the video of ur brother helping u with ur couch ! I need that product he used but I need to see the video to get the name of the product !! Thanks so much !!!! Meg
I have an idea for your plastic bag drawer. If you flatten them out length ways you can fold them until it’s a finger length long. Then start at the end and you can start making little triangle shape folds until you have what looks like a small size of triangle. At the last fold you can tuck in the “handle part of the bag so it folds into itself. I hope this makes sense and that it is helpful for you. 🤗@The Minimal Mom
I use an old jean pant leg. They are the cut offs of the cut offs! I even make a loop by cutting a slit at the thigh, and hang the loop on a hook in the closet. I miss the plastic bags due to the bag ban. I had to buy garbage bags for the first time last year.
Just an observation from an old person: unless someone has a particular attachment to pot holders or oven mitts [or has a special medical need of something that serves them particularly well], many professional cooks/chefs do not use oven mitts at all -- they grab a thick kitchen/dish or hand drying towel [often slung over their shoulder or tucked into a waistband or belt] and protect themselves from a hot handle or baking pan by using a towel. Thus the pot holder/towel drawer could be reduced, with only a couple of towels and dishrags between laundry cycles is all that is needed comfortably/practically. Rather than just count or container as the decision-maker, I first evaluate based on function and other restrictions - in this house it is disability that drives what we have, why, and how many which looks nothing like most homes, and we have suffered severe judgment and ridicule for over 40 years. I pray for those folks that they get to live a continued Teflon life of challenges; mine's always been a Velcro life of problems. As for the saving plastic grocery bags, I stopped that addiction decades ago. After having to dismantle elderly relatives' apartments at the ends of their lives, I never wanted to see another entire drawer/cabinet full of partially disintegrating plastic bags, dusty paper bags, or accumulated rotting rubber bands EVER!!! I know, some were young adults during WWI and some were children during the Great Depression, or teens in WWII; those memories and habits die hard and being frugal is never a terrible thing -- if those supplies are actually utilized, not just saved and hanging around for decades, unused. During current lockdown some stores near me demanded plastic bags, no cloth or reusables allowed -- cashiers refused to even touch them [seriously?], and I had to bag my own groceries from the conveyor belt [hard to do from a low wheelchair] for a short time while they got over their paranoia, so a very few plastic ones are repurposed around the house as dry wastepaper basket liners. Otherwise, the total number of thin hole-y plastic store bags went to zero a long time ago after switching to cloth/launderable grocery bags from home. My fabric bags have been used over ten years and washed and dried after every use as this is a house of serious special medical needs for decades.
I love my reusable shopping bags and my fabric cooler! I always take them with me shopping! Not only do they save on waste, they hold more and make getting groceries inside much easier once I get home! Thank you for sharing!
chef/towel concept has been our running theme for some time. I do keep one potholder for hubby, he prefers that to towel and siSTAR you often visits prefers pot holder, they can share, lol. good tips. I was led to Dawn 16 months ago- 1/2023 and have purged 80% of our belongings. I am Fine Tuning now, he mentorship group has been vital in my success.
The container concept has helped me more than words can say! It doesn’t matter if I might be able to use it one day or if I still kind of like it... if the designated space is full of the favourites, I don’t need the ones that don’t fit. Period. Permission to donate guilt free!
Hey Dawn @theminimalmom - you realise that if you put all those makeup items into a gift basket and gave them (back) to Diana she’d be over the moon right?!?
Eh, this comment seems off-topic, seeing as this video is talking about deciding how to choose the number of necessary items, such as plates, bath towels, etc.
I find that’s the easy stage. But when you decided you do need it, how many? If I need it, eventually I would have to replace it because of wear and tear. So a backup would be nice right? Or 2. Or 3. So this video was really helpful to me
@AngelaCross So profound! Spot on. I remember a few years ago absolutely stunning myself when I was trying to figure out the best way to organize all the magazines in the house and how many to keep and where to put them and I suddenly, shockingly realized I didn't Want ANY! I love how you phrased that 🤗
I am a lifelong clutter bug and the son of a clutter bug who was a young woman during the great depression. I'm still struggling with this but improving. The most important thing for me, about what you're doing and saying, is that you are inserting new thoughts into my awareness - new ideas which I'd never have come up with myself. New ways of looking at things and situations. You even affected me with the "3 things, be gentle on yourself" video, though I'm a guy. You (and others like you) are beginning to have an impact on me. I am grateful. Bless you.
Count vs container - there are 5 in my family, so at any given time we can only eat 5 bowls of cereal, SO we keep 5 bowls. However, we somehow manage to go through 20 spoons and that still isn’t enough, so as long as it fits in the spoon container, we keep as many as we can 🤣😂
Me too! I bundled a bunch up in the end and offered them free on Facebook market place. There are people out there who do a lot of selling so will gladly use them!
I keep one extra sheet set in a small basket under my bed. This allows me to change out just the fitted sheet or pillow case if I spill something on them. It works very well for this full-time working mom!
I keep one extra sheet set (folded over once) under the mattress. When I strip a bed, I immediately pull it out from under the mattress and remake the bed. No more bare beds at bedtime.
I do keep extra sheets in our linen closet. When our children, who are grown with families of their own, all come home for holidays… Extras sheets are needed because every bed in the house is occupied as well as pull out couches and even our teardrop camper. Christmas 2019 my husband and I slept in our teardrop in the driveway because our father-in-law was also here as well as our three children and their spouses and seven grandchildren… it was glorious. The memories lingered well into this past Christmas which was much quieter.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing! I think I'll try this! I had sheets in the linen closet in plastic tubs with lids for so long the elastic along the sheet edges disintegrated! Perfect reason to have 1 and a spare!
@@dhall1421 Walking into my bedroom at 9 pm and seeing a bare bed and then remembering that the sheets are still in the washer - I’ve done that so many times. And you feel utter despair when it happens! 🤦♀️
I really relate to a lot of what you say. I’m at a very different point in my life in a lot of ways, and the same point in others. I’m 44 years old, divorced, no children (3 dogs) and live alone. So when you talk about walking around the house and having to clean up it makes me laugh because I don’t ever have to worry about that, but I do still have a lot of the same decluttering challenges. I guess I just wanted to share that even at different points in life we are still more the same than different :)
Reminds me of when we offer my husband's mother (who lives in another country) a coffee when we are making a round when we ring her - actually, she started it by piping up that she'd like a coffee too when I offered my husband one!
I only keep one sweatshirt and one coat at the front door for each kid. They also have one pair of tennis shoes, boots, and sandals under the shoe bench.
I love, love, love your channel. I’m a borderline hoarder and I’m trying so hard to accomplish what seems like the IMPOSSIBLE task of getting our home to a state where we could have company-but more importantly, just come home to find peace. Your methods are wonderful and although I’m sure I’ll never be a minimalist, I get so much positive energy from your calming words and helpful suggestions that I finally feel like there may be light on the horizon. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart!
These two concepts have been game changers for us! I am so sentimental - even about meaningless “stuff” sometimes (I literally “feel bad” for the things I get rid of 🤨). But making the boundary the bad guy, whether it’s the container or the count, takes the guilt off of me! So helpful, and I’ve come SO FAR using this approach! ❤️
Took me YEARS to Not feel bad about letting things go...important to say a "goodbye" to the item...yeah weird...BUT it works. Tell the item "thank you",throw it in a box. Don't look back. I have NO regrets. Good luck❣
I feel guilty/sad sometimes too! Especially if it’s my children’s toys! We do the container method, even tho at the time, I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing, but it still gets to me... When it actually leaves, it seems easier. I also give the toys or clothes to family if they need/want them first, this definitely helps. The other thing that helps, is to take it to a store that gives a credit for the items. Then I can use the credits towards clothing that will currently fit my children.
These tips really simplify things. Well done. No toilet paper under the sink? We have two sheet sets for each bed, one for summer and one flannelette set for winter. That Clinique foundation is so much nicer if you mix it half and half with moisturizer. It just spreads like a dream then disappears, simply evening out your skin tone without looking like a mask. Has SPF, so protects your skin.
I have a cabinet where I keep things that people have given me over time, mementos from trips I have taken, various keepsakes, and so on. Anything like that goes in that cabinet so that the "things" are not spread all over the house. That cabinet (or container) is full now; so, when I get some other "treasure" that goes in that cabinet, an existing one must move on to make room for the new piece. I don't buy another cabinet or container.
You are so inspiring. Have three bags of stuff to give away. Finally giving away a bag of quilting fabrics I just don't have time for. Been holding onto it for 20 years!
When my elderly Mum lost her sight we started to help her more and more, she complained there weren’t enough drawers in her her kitchen, she actually had 6, 4 of which were full of plastic bags! Bless xx
I don't know how I ever got by before I discovered your videos. My worst problem spots were my clothes and under my bathroom sink. Thank you a million times for helping me detach...i don't miss a damn thing I've donated or tossed.
ah I know what you mean, under the bathroom sink is such a dumping ground for me! I have got rid of so many things there that I didnt even look at for like a year! haha. xxx
I’m so happy that I found you this morning‼️ I have been able to minimize pretty easily since we have just purchased a much smaller home. However ……….. when it comes to keepsakes that belong to my parents, I have hit a sentimental wall. We have no one to inherit these precious items, so they will all just get thrown into a dumpster, when I die, so maybe I should just donate everything now. I loved your video about the value of the cup/endowment effect which gave me a new perspective. I’m sorry to be such a downer, but lots of retired folks are facing these same issues.
Lol! When I read your comment I thought you said your problem was ‘all your clothes under your bathroom sink’ and I 😂 laughed and thought Wow! You really need a hamper! Hahaha but then I re-read it and now I can totally relate!
I bought 2 metal utensil containers, put them in a bin so my curling iron can still be put away while it's hot. I keep the blow dryer and it's accessories in the bin along with the heat styling products and a double sided mirror. That was 2 years ago and you were the inspiration. Thanks ❤️.
Thank you for the container thought 🙏🏼 It really made the difference for my husband. I don’t have problems with getting rid of “stuff”, but he’s really struggling, but the container theory really made the difference. “I can’t fit more into the boxes, and there’s no more room for more boxes, but if you want to make room for more storage, we can keep it” 😊 And out it goes 😄
I received some mugs. Hubby wanted me to move my tea up on the high shelf to fit everything. I said, no this is the mug shelf. I will purge a few to fit them. It worked!
I started watching your videos in 2019 and began going through my house pretty aggressively. Jump to earlier this month and we started to prepare for our international move and I seized on my chance to truly go as minimal as I could. Well they packed and weighed our house and between when we arrived in Germany to now (3 years) I decluttered 1,000 pounds!! I didn’t even know I had 1,000 pounds to declutter! Thanks for all your great tips and advice. I enjoy watching your channel.
My tip on sheets (especially with kids, and ESPECIALLY with kids who may wet the bed) is to double sheet the bed! Having an extra waterproof mattress cover and fitted sheet under the top sheet has saved us many a night, and eliminates the need to store the sheets.
With our one child, we seemed to be changing her sheets at 2AM at least once every few months. She has stomach issues and vomits more than normal. So it was important to have at least 2-3 sets of sheets. One went into the washer, the next one on the bed so she could crawl back in, and occasionally, repeat in an hour or two! (Glad those days are over!) 😏
I really like how you put it in simple terms to help me let go of stuff my container or count. I just want to stop feeling like my stuff owns me it's everywhere! I really enjoy your videos and advice ☺!
I am an avid tosser of something I “haven’t used” only to find the week, month, year after I tossed it; I stinking needed it 😑🤦🏽♀️ Never fails. Every time. Lol
I figured out if I only used something every 6-12 months, its okay to purge those things. I make do using something else in it’s place. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to declutter 50% or more of my throwaway pile or donations. Instead I declutter in stages a bag or two at a time so I don’t regret my decisions.
If you needed something a YEAR later, you really DIDNT need to keep it. You plan to borrow one or thrift one very cheap, or improvise. But if you use it once a year, it’s clutter. Also, if you might actually need to use something monthly or semi frequently, don’t necessarily donate it, just keep it in a bin in a less accessible area that isn’t in your daily work space. For example, the bread machine you use every month or two...don’t keep it on your counter or daily cabinets. Fancy night out makeup shouldn’t be with your everyday makeup if you only go out once every couple weeks or less. It should be in its own bag elsewhere, but not in your daily bathroom or vanity workspace. I had a lemon juicer I kept for years and I used it once. I donated it and then got a wild hair to make lemon bars 😂 I borrowed my neighbors and then gave it back that afternoon. Haven’t made anything with fresh lemon since. Still glad I donated it.
Oh my...I am a mirror image of a Minimal Mom video 🤣...8 yrs ago, I became a single girl. I was left with 2 10x15 storage units full of "stuff"...(3 bd home, mower, etc...)you got the picture...so I got rid if everything! Now happily in an 1 bd apt, I only have what I need! 3 cooking pans, 1 tea glass, 1 coffee mug, a couple of small plates...Yada 😋
Dawn, regarding boxes and their allure: I used to keep boxes that just looked like I could use them again. Until I read somewhere that BOXES are INSECT magnets! So I no longer keep boxes OR padded envelopes that come in the mail.
I love Sleeping Queens! Invented by a six year old but still fun enough that adults don't get bored. If you don't have King of Tokyo or Ticket to Ride get those!
Thank you for your many helpful suggestions on how to declutter. Your videos pull together information that actually works. Your down-to-earth and very practical approach is working for me. I’m finding that simple suggestions like bringing a donation box into the room where I’m working made a huge difference. Using a quarantine or “think about it” box with handle cut outs or dated giveaway box in the room also helps. Please know that you never come across as the somewhat insincere self-righteous if-I-can-do it, you-can-too sort of person” who inevitably implies: “what’s keeping you, what’s wrong with you?” I’m a very tired senior and doing this work with little support. I am very grateful. Again, many thanks.
Your systems for decluttering and organization have been absolutely transformational for my home, and I am so very grateful! Thank you for ALL that you do! ❤️
Isn’t your towel dry by the next day though when you use it again? If not, you should be spreading it out to dry on the towel bar or using the span of 2 hooks to create some air flow for it to dry properly.
I'd consider one sheet set per bed but I have smaller kids and when they get sick or, have toilet accidents then they no longer have something to lay on while I wash their sheets. So I feel extra sheets are necessary right now, we only have enough though for one extra set per bed. So I know if one has had an accident I have to wash it immediately. I love this count vs container approach
@@MyOver50 I really think the two sheet per bed method works for us because then if it's just one kid getting sick and none of the others are and I need even more sheets I'm still good, and then they don't take up my entire tiny linen cabinet that we have. My kids are also 9, 8, 5(almost 6) and 4
One lady who posted said she puts another set of sheets UNDER the waterproof mattress cover and voila! when top are soiled the next are in place...genius!
My favorite method is enough to last the week. It works well for laundry, since Ilike to do laundry one day per week, shopping once a week, etc. If we have extra of anthing after 8 to 10 days, it's time to pare down.
I try to make laundry items to what I use in one week also. Except towels! I have always had 4 and I want to get to at least 2. I'm trying to set the other 2 aside to experiment with it. That's what I did with sheets before I officially donated my second set.
I wish you could teach your easy-going attitude. You just make decisions, I stress about them. Gosh if the drawer works for your plastic bags, go girl. Dawn you are always so helpful
I spend time every day rolling up plastic bags into little knots as we use them in every waste basket in the house! We store the ‘extras’ at the bottom of the baskets so there’s always a new one ready when you need it. Dawn: I just gave you another empty drawer in your kitchen-and you do NOT have to roll them up! I just like doing it. 😂😂
@@karenhoward8542 I do this too, takes up much less space. I get my family to tie up their rubbish this way too; crisp packets etc means the bin doesn't fill up quite so quickly.
It's easy to stress about decisions when we believe there is a "should" and "shouldn't" or "right" and "wrong", it gets easier for me when I remind myself that. And in our home we banned the word "should" and "shouldn't"
LOL Maybe a quaint tea shop could use them during the summer time. If they don't make iced teas, it might give them incentive to do so! You can always ask.
I had 2 iced tea spoons and 2 round "sugar" spoons and was perfectly content. Then I found another iced tea spoon -- whoa! Unbalanced, 3 is too many, lol!
When you were talking about kids toys it reminded me of something funny. My kids are grown now, but when they were little, I had set up a little container to collect little odds & ends toys that came into the house (ie Happy Meal toys, birthday party trinkets, etc). It made the kids so mad because I had labelled it "Junkie Little Toys". Haha. They were so insulted that I referred to it like that!
I have been using these two methods for the last year. And not buying new containers to fit more junk into. Works really well. Great video, puts a name to the method, and is so helpful in decluttering items by category, and keeping it under control.
Your videos have changed my life. I look forward to each one and learn a little something every time. The video on how things talk to you was such an eye opener. You are a natural in front of the camera and also cute as a button!
Love banana bread:) I love when the kids can start making it, too❤️ I recently found you on here when I was feeling down and out about my home that I've been working at decluttering for YEARS! During this stay home pandemic, with all 9 of us (mom, dad, 7 kids) home at all times, I realized how much unused and unnecessary stuff we hold that either gets tossed from one place to another or gets impractically used (like all of the cups and mugs we had, each kid would take a new one out each time they wanted a drink! Talk about frustrating and overwhelming to do dishes! I can't keep my eye on them 24/7 to be the cup monitor) Anyway, I was working towards the count method with dishes when I found you but wasn't quite sure how to implement it. Something just clicked! My kitchen is almost clean all the time thanks to your videos, even in the midst of a thousand children 😂 I'm still working in the rest of the house little by little, but slowly it's coming together. I watched your other video about taking small moments to declutter instead of setting yourself up for failure with big chunks. I used to do that, get regularly discouraged, and then fall behind. I still get discouraged, but your videos come at just the right time and get me motivated again. I love you guys and appreciate what you do!!! ❤️❤️ God bless you
I want to become more minimalist, I really do.. However I can Feel that I am not ready.. I get anxiety thinking that I will get rid of many items that I will need later on. I have too many gardening tools/pots etc but they make me so happy having an abundant amount of things that bring me so much joy, just like tons of crafting stuff (junk). One day. I'll start with tiny baby steps ❤️ thank you for your videos!!
I started my journey and your videos are very helpful and inspiring. I also love the Sunday ones with your sister and bible messages. Puts me in the mood for the week xx
Putting both concepts together has really helped me with figuring things out for my space a little easier! And the examples you used helped a lot as well!
Simple storage idea for plastic store bags is using the smaller cube size empty tissue box. Of course you need a deeper drawer or place in a cabinet. It’s amazing how much you can stuff in these boxes. I’ve been using the same boxes (I also save the clear produce bags if clean) for more than 20 years. It just works well.
I'm definitely sharing this video! The container concept has been such a huge help in working on simplifying my home!💜 This video makes implementing that idea even easier.... Thank you!!
I use counts for towels even though I have room for way more in my linen closet. 2 towels each, plus 2 for guests. Because we now have only one set of sheets for each bed as well, the linen closet now has 2 shelves to collect items we're decluttering!
Yes. On sheets. I have two sets total ones on the bed. The other one is folded up ready to be changed once a week. And it really is useful. And it makes you feel like happy time
I own white every day dinner plates, then white 'having guests for dinner' nice plates for spring/summer...then I have nice beige with burgundy rim dinner plates for 'having guests for dinner' nice plates...but for fall/Christmas... then I have Melamine plates for having dinner out on the deck as we don't do glass around the pool....and these are all just the DINNER plates... then I have the small dessert plates as well... I guess I'm not minimalist! lol! (Oh, and I also have dinner sized Paper Plates...)... and dessert sized of those as well...
Great advice thank you 😊 A Little tip I learned for your putting your curling irons and hairdryer away is to wrap the cord in a figure 8 around it ..... it’s quicker and stops premature wearing on the cord. This extends the life of your products so much and when you get the knack of it and the habit it’s quicker than going around and around and around with the cord 🤗
I love your point about having th space for more plates and cups and pots but not wanting to have to deal with the mess if they’re all pulled out. I think this is why so many Americans struggle with clothes - because our closets are (often) so big we figure we have plenty of space for more pieces, more than we can actually wear in a year. I think more in terms of how many pieces I need between laundry days. Same for sheets and towels. I actually want to buy a 2nd set of white towels because I don’t have enough whites to make a load at least once a week and so I need more dish towels to get me through to laundry day, but my dish towel container is too small to fit more. (depends a lot on how you wash laundry).
I just love your videos and sometimes I think of stuff or I have questions about minimalism and then usually within a couple days you post about that exact topic. Crazy coincidence but I love it and it's so helpful. Thanks for the great content!
I have already decluttered but am addicted to the videos. However I can still get ideas. The idea I got from this one is the storage of electric hair styling items. I’m going to do it too.
I would love a video about more advanced minimalism. Like really getting down past the “we don’t need this” to the “can we live without this” phase. I’d love to know what things I can pare down that most people wouldn’t think to live without but works
@@laura24590 Great place to start, especially now that it has passed the "boob tube" stage and landed solidly in the "fear everything and everyone" propaganda stage.
My friend got rid of her microwave. It broke and they tried just not replacing it. It’s been 5 years and they’ve never gotten another one. She warms things up on the stove. Like if her coffee gets cold, she dumps it into a small sauce pan and heats it that way. My mom sweats through the summer by hardly utilizing her ac in her car. My father in law sits in the dark at home every night and afternoon in the winter when it gets dark early bc he doesn’t want to pay for electricity. No thanks for me. Some things are worth the convenience and comfort to me in life. To me, those things = camping. Not a lifestyle.
I'm so excited to finally be sitting down this week to watch this. Currently, our laundry situation means going to a laundry mat a few blocks away or using a mobile washer/air dry. Soooo, some clothing items/bedding etc we haven't felt comfortable whittling down on. The new apartment we are moving to though has a washer/drying in the unit! It feels so amazing to think we can throw a load in every night not have to keep so much! It's going to feel so much freer when we declutter for the move.
Just a tip, Dawn - but if you roll the kitchen towels up like a jelly-roll - it saves lots of space in the drawer AND you can see ALL of them when you open the drawer! 👍🙋♀️🥰 Thanks so much for all your tips! 🤗💐
I have a wooden box with a handle that I keep all my bottles of craft paint. It fits in a kitchen cabinet and the handle makes it easy to bring out for craft projects and them put right back. Every once in a while you need to throw out old or dried up hobby paints anyway.
I could tell that when you were talking about the cosmetics that your sister gave you that maybe you were struggling with really not wanting to keep some of them but that old guilt about getting rid of gifts from loved ones crept out. We know you too well Dawn, you can’t fool us. Donna, Mike’s wife.
This video made me stop and think about my linen closet. There are only two of us in the household and I had to ask myself how many towel and wash clothes we actually need. I have cut it down to two each, so I have a clean one and one dirty one in the next load of wash. I find your videos really make me stop and think about our home. Thanks for all you ideas.- Norma
I was able to donate several towels, but my husband objects to our getting rid of more. So, now we have probably 16 towels, plus a half-dozen beach towels, for a household of 2.
@@cindywilkinson1610 My limit is how many to make a full load of laundry? I don't mind doing a load at any time, but for one person, it can take awhile to have enough for a full load.
Would love to see more videos of container vs count around the whole house. I’m still trying to figure out how you all use just one towel per person and have time to wash it before someone needs it.
I was thinking the same! We would have to have two per person or else we might be sunk, lol...but maybe we'll remember things like that more easily when we have less stuff 😆
@@smokeandmirrors111 most people don’t use wash cloths anymore. They are kind of an outdated thing of the past. Most people use those plastic mesh loofa things, so a wash cloth would be rarely utilized. Not everyone uses a washcloth for their face either. Sometimes I just slather soap on my face and rub it around with my fingertips in the shower and rinse. If I need a little exfoliant, I have a little glass shaker of baking soda in the bath and I shake just a little onto my fingers and gently swirl it around on my skin. If you use washcloths daily, then yeah you would need a weeks worth for sure.
I fold the plastic bags 😀I don’t like to waste time shuffling around in the bags to get what I want. They fit in a very small container and I quickly can grab the one on top.
I don't own a hair dryer so showering is two towels every time. Then hang and reuse. As for sheets, I'm working on having one cotton set and one flannel or jersey set for each bed -- summer/winter. The off-season ones can act as spares. I don't have a linen closet at all, but having the kids grown and out of the house, I can now keep the upstairs linens in one of the upstairs dressers where clothes used to be.
My sock and underwear drawer was majorly overflowing. I didn't even want to open it! So I used the container concept to declutter it. I had trouble before getting rid of socks that I wasn't wearing or socks that I would wear, (but probably wasn't because I just had SO MANY socks), because I thought "these are nice socks" or "what if I run out of socks and don't have time to do laundry and these are the ONLY socks left and I NEED them?" It was so freeing to the let the container decide for me. That was a few months ago and that drawer needs another little decluttering session, but it isn't nearly as bad as it had been!
I love how you make it so easy to purge and declutter. I've been struggling to get more stuff out of my house. Dana K White's container system makes sense, but putting these two thought processes together really helps me. Thank you for getting me motivated again! ❤
Dawn: Just when I think you couldn't possibly have anything more to say about decluttering, you come up with a fresh new take on it! Thanks for clarifying an issue I didn't even know how to ask about!
I'm so glad that I found your channel. Im wat hing every single one and putting a thumbs up on them all. I watch ur videos and it gives me such motivation!!!! Thank you. You're doing a great job!!!
I’ve taught my girls the container method in their rooms. A few weeks ago we got dollar store containers and put them in their dresser drawers and night stand. My youngest who has rock collections, bouncy ball collection and chapstick collection now has a limit on them (what fits in container) and can find them easier as they aren’t all pushed back in the drawer. Older daughter has an organized spot for scrunchies and lotions. Love the container method! It so easily helps keep boundaries and also makes things “findable”.
Girl, you have made minimalism so enticing! I had such a distorted view of what taking that plunge meant. My mom would throw things my things away that she found on the floor as a kid and it made me over centimental and even insecure but I'm slowly gaining more peace and control in my overwhelming home by surrounding myself with only mine and my families favorite things, guilt free, there is such an appreciation gained from using everything that you own. Thank you Dawn for sharing such a personal part of your life with us. ❤❤❤
I do that as a mom too. BUT I warn my kids. I will tell them ONCE to pick it up. If they choose not to, I say “If I find your toys still on the floor outside of your room in 15 mins, it means you don’t care for it and I will take care of it for you.” (And when I take care of it, it means I throw it away.) And then I do. Theyve learned not to carry toys all over the house now and it’s generally not an issue.
My mom did the same thing to me. She would warn me, but I struggled with doing boring tasks (ADHD), and she'd throw away all my stuff. It was horrible as a kid. It turned into me holding onto everything, being overly sentimental, and hoarding tendencies. I'm now trying to declutter and free myself of all the stuff that has weighed me down for so many decades. Most of it is in storage units, not in my house, but there is SO much, and it has cost me so much to store it. It feels lovely to free myself from it finally.
I tend towards containers more than numbers. I do numbers for sheet sets and some kitchen items, but I keep numbers in mind even while using containers to make sure I don’t get carried away with keeping to much.
Just a tip for hair accessories. I bought a hanging shoe organizer and put my hair gadgets and anything that will fit comfortably in the pockets and hang it in my closet. Nice and handy and out of sight.
I live with Butterflies, so containers help shift the "blame" off me and refocus it on personal editing. I can say to my little ones " You can keep the dolls/cars/crafts you want, as long as it fits in this space". Then they can problem solve themselves. I think it's a softer limit sometimes than counts. I think my personal hang up can be the container itself. Not always one you purchase but something like cabinetry, for example. "If I install an organizer or if the space was used better...I could store what I 'need' or if I organize things better... But the fact remains, too much stuff will never be managed without major effort or more stress than is needed.
I have used both methods thanks to you I was already sort of implementing that kind of organization but it wasn't in every area so once I discovered your channel I realized I could make some minor adjustments throw out or donate a lot of great things and throw out the useless things but it is a work in progress
Great video! Thanks Dawn! I'm almost 100% using the container method. I feel at ease and less emotional on what I can and can't keep. It has changed my life!
Thank you so much for watching, your support means the world to us!!! Also, here is that other video I mentioned-- Make the Boundaries the Bad Guy Video (more on using "containers" in your home!): ruclips.net/video/R1YOP0Cuelo/видео.html We hope you have a great day!!! - Dawn
Dawn PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I love ur channel so much and I’m so into it !!! I NEED HELP finding the video of u and ur brother cleaning ur couch. I am doing that project and looking for the product ur brother used ! Thanks 🙏 so much ! Meg
@@megfrank8372 here you are! ruclips.net/video/bfDt4F2nR8Y/видео.html
Dawn!!!!! Help!!!! I’m looking for the video of ur brother helping u with ur couch ! I need that product he used but I need to see the video to get the name of the product !! Thanks so much !!!! Meg
@@TheMinimalMom thank u so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have an idea for your plastic bag drawer. If you flatten them out length ways you can fold them until it’s a finger length long. Then start at the end and you can start making little triangle shape folds until you have what looks like a small size of triangle. At the last fold you can tuck in the “handle part of the bag so it folds into itself. I hope this makes sense and that it is helpful for you. 🤗@The Minimal Mom
Tip: keep reusable grocery store bags inside an empty tissue box. A lot fit in and they poo right up as needed!
I use an old jean pant leg. They are the cut offs of the cut offs! I even make a loop by cutting a slit at the thigh, and hang the loop on a hook in the closet. I miss the plastic bags due to the bag ban. I had to buy garbage bags for the first time last year.
Great idea!
Just an observation from an old person: unless someone has a particular attachment to pot holders or oven mitts [or has a special medical need of something that serves them particularly well], many professional cooks/chefs do not use oven mitts at all -- they grab a thick kitchen/dish or hand drying towel [often slung over their shoulder or tucked into a waistband or belt] and protect themselves from a hot handle or baking pan by using a towel. Thus the pot holder/towel drawer could be reduced, with only a couple of towels and dishrags between laundry cycles is all that is needed comfortably/practically.
Rather than just count or container as the decision-maker, I first evaluate based on function and other restrictions - in this house it is disability that drives what we have, why, and how many which looks nothing like most homes, and we have suffered severe judgment and ridicule for over 40 years. I pray for those folks that they get to live a continued Teflon life of challenges; mine's always been a Velcro life of problems.
As for the saving plastic grocery bags, I stopped that addiction decades ago. After having to dismantle elderly relatives' apartments at the ends of their lives, I never wanted to see another entire drawer/cabinet full of partially disintegrating plastic bags, dusty paper bags, or accumulated rotting rubber bands EVER!!! I know, some were young adults during WWI and some were children during the Great Depression, or teens in WWII; those memories and habits die hard and being frugal is never a terrible thing -- if those supplies are actually utilized, not just saved and hanging around for decades, unused.
During current lockdown some stores near me demanded plastic bags, no cloth or reusables allowed -- cashiers refused to even touch them [seriously?], and I had to bag my own groceries from the conveyor belt [hard to do from a low wheelchair] for a short time while they got over their paranoia, so a very few plastic ones are repurposed around the house as dry wastepaper basket liners. Otherwise, the total number of thin hole-y plastic store bags went to zero a long time ago after switching to cloth/launderable grocery bags from home. My fabric bags have been used over ten years and washed and dried after every use as this is a house of serious special medical needs for decades.
Thank you! Function is so often overlooked!!
I love my reusable shopping bags and my fabric cooler! I always take them with me shopping! Not only do they save on waste, they hold more and make getting groceries inside much easier once I get home! Thank you for sharing!
chef/towel concept has been our running theme for some time. I do keep one potholder for hubby, he prefers that to towel and siSTAR you often visits prefers pot holder, they can share, lol. good tips. I was led to Dawn 16 months ago- 1/2023 and have purged 80% of our belongings. I am Fine Tuning now, he mentorship group has been vital in my success.
The container concept has helped me more than words can say! It doesn’t matter if I might be able to use it one day or if I still kind of like it... if the designated space is full of the favourites, I don’t need the ones that don’t fit. Period. Permission to donate guilt free!
Hey Dawn @theminimalmom - you realise that if you put all those makeup items into a gift basket and gave them (back) to Diana she’d be over the moon right?!?
👍😆🤗🤑
😂
You’re so right!!
The most advanced stage of decluttering is when we ask ourselves “Do I even need one of these?”.
Exactly!
Eh, this comment seems off-topic, seeing as this video is talking about deciding how to choose the number of necessary items, such as plates, bath towels, etc.
@@username00009 Zero is a number.
I find that’s the easy stage. But when you decided you do need it, how many? If I need it, eventually I would have to replace it because of wear and tear. So a backup would be nice right? Or 2. Or 3. So this video was really helpful to me
@AngelaCross So profound! Spot on. I remember a few years ago absolutely stunning myself when I was trying to figure out the best way to organize all the magazines in the house and how many to keep and where to put them and I suddenly, shockingly realized I didn't Want ANY! I love how you phrased that 🤗
I am a lifelong clutter bug and the son of a clutter bug who was a young woman during the great depression. I'm still struggling with this but improving. The most important thing for me, about what you're doing and saying, is that you are inserting new thoughts into my awareness - new ideas which I'd never have come up with myself. New ways of looking at things and situations. You even affected me with the "3 things, be gentle on yourself" video, though I'm a guy. You (and others like you) are beginning to have an impact on me. I am grateful. Bless you.
Count vs container - there are 5 in my family, so at any given time we can only eat 5 bowls of cereal, SO we keep 5 bowls. However, we somehow manage to go through 20 spoons and that still isn’t enough, so as long as it fits in the spoon container, we keep as many as we can 🤣😂
There are always dirty spoons. What is it with spoons?
Yes, because we use spoons for so much more than just eating...stirring, scooping, etc....so we need more.
i had to laugh coz i too can sometimes spend minutes weighing up which (used) padded envelopes i should keep, and i literally never use any .. LOL ..
Me too! I bundled a bunch up in the end and offered them free on Facebook market place. There are people out there who do a lot of selling so will gladly use them!
I keep one extra sheet set in a small basket under my bed. This allows me to change out just the fitted sheet or pillow case if I spill something on them. It works very well for this full-time working mom!
I keep one extra sheet set (folded over once) under the mattress. When I strip a bed, I immediately pull it out from under the mattress and remake the bed. No more bare beds at bedtime.
Keeping the sheets in the bedroom where they go has been a big help.
I do keep extra sheets in our linen closet. When our children, who are grown with families of their own, all come home for holidays… Extras sheets are needed because every bed in the house is occupied as well as pull out couches and even our teardrop camper. Christmas 2019 my husband and I slept in our teardrop in the driveway because our father-in-law was also here as well as our three children and their spouses and seven grandchildren… it was glorious. The memories lingered well into this past Christmas which was much quieter.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing! I think I'll try this! I had sheets in the linen closet in plastic tubs with lids for so long the elastic along the sheet edges disintegrated! Perfect reason to have 1 and a spare!
@@dhall1421 Walking into my bedroom at 9 pm and seeing a bare bed and then remembering that the sheets are still in the washer - I’ve done that so many times. And you feel utter despair when it happens! 🤦♀️
I really relate to a lot of what you say. I’m at a very different point in my life in a lot of ways, and the same point in others. I’m 44 years old, divorced, no children (3 dogs) and live alone. So when you talk about walking around the house and having to clean up it makes me laugh because I don’t ever have to worry about that, but I do still have a lot of the same decluttering challenges. I guess I just wanted to share that even at different points in life we are still more the same than different :)
On my way for some bread and a visit. 😂🌻
Reminds me of when we offer my husband's mother (who lives in another country) a coffee when we are making a round when we ring her - actually, she started it by piping up that she'd like a coffee too when I offered my husband one!
Dawn I absolutely love learning from you and hearing your wisdom. It is so helpful, I have takeaways from every single video!!! 👏🏻❤️
I only keep one sweatshirt and one coat at the front door for each kid. They also have one pair of tennis shoes, boots, and sandals under the shoe bench.
I watch your channel too 😄
I love, love, love your channel. I’m a borderline hoarder and I’m trying so hard to accomplish what seems like the IMPOSSIBLE task of getting our home to a state where we could have company-but more importantly, just come home to find peace. Your methods are wonderful and although I’m sure I’ll never be a minimalist, I get so much positive energy from your calming words and helpful suggestions that I finally feel like there may be light on the horizon. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart!
These two concepts have been game changers for us! I am so sentimental - even about meaningless “stuff” sometimes (I literally “feel bad” for the things I get rid of 🤨). But making the boundary the bad guy, whether it’s the container or the count, takes the guilt off of me! So helpful, and I’ve come SO FAR using this approach! ❤️
Took me YEARS to Not feel bad about letting things go...important to say a "goodbye" to the item...yeah weird...BUT it works. Tell the item "thank you",throw it in a box. Don't look back. I have NO regrets. Good luck❣
I feel guilty/sad sometimes too! Especially if it’s my children’s toys! We do the container method, even tho at the time, I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing, but it still gets to me... When it actually leaves, it seems easier. I also give the toys or clothes to family if they need/want them first, this definitely helps. The other thing that helps, is to take it to a store that gives a credit for the items. Then I can use the credits towards clothing that will currently fit my children.
The quarantine bin helps me with this. Once I see it in the box it starts being "stuff" again. Just stuff in a box that has nothing to do with me (:
Oh my goodness, someone else who feels bad for the things we get rid of, I thought it was just me. Hello and best wishes to a kindred spirit!
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who admitted this…I am the same way!! Honestly think it is part of ocd/anxiety for me 😅 but I commiserate.
These tips really simplify things. Well done. No toilet paper under the sink?
We have two sheet sets for each bed, one for summer and one flannelette set for winter. That Clinique foundation is so much nicer if you mix it half and half with moisturizer. It just spreads like a dream then disappears, simply evening out your skin tone without looking like a mask. Has SPF, so protects your skin.
You can donate expired makeup to the funeral home or at least the one in our town takes used or expired makeup😅
I do NOT want expired makeup on me when i'm laid out! hahahaha! but no, that IS really cool. (I love makeup)
Great idea.
:o
Oh man, that just kind of creeped me out! 😬
Wow, so cool! Never thought of that. Thanks!!
I have a cabinet where I keep things that people have given me over time, mementos from trips I have taken, various keepsakes, and so on. Anything like that goes in that cabinet so that the "things" are not spread all over the house. That cabinet (or container) is full now; so, when I get some other "treasure" that goes in that cabinet, an existing one must move on to make room for the new piece. I don't buy another cabinet or container.
You are so inspiring. Have three bags of stuff to give away. Finally giving away a bag of quilting fabrics I just don't have time for. Been holding onto it for 20 years!
When my elderly Mum lost her sight we started to help her more and more, she complained there weren’t enough drawers in her her kitchen, she actually had 6, 4 of which were full of plastic bags! Bless xx
Why do we all prioritize saving those darn bags???? 🤣
@@TheDriftwoodlover They may come in handy someday!
In Germany you have to pay for each bag...
That's funny.
@@stefaniemarterer4043 same in Canada lol
I don't know how I ever got by before I discovered your videos. My worst problem spots were my clothes and under my bathroom sink. Thank you a million times for helping me detach...i don't miss a damn thing I've donated or tossed.
ah I know what you mean, under the bathroom sink is such a dumping ground for me! I have got rid of so many things there that I didnt even look at for like a year! haha. xxx
Agreed, it started with under the sink and went ahead and threw out the whole house 😆
@@NursePati87 lol
I’m so happy that I found you this morning‼️ I have been able to minimize pretty easily since we have just purchased a much smaller home. However ……….. when it comes to keepsakes that belong to my parents, I have hit a sentimental wall. We have no one to inherit these precious items, so they will all just get thrown into a dumpster, when I die, so maybe I should just donate everything now.
I loved your video about the value of the cup/endowment effect which gave me a new perspective.
I’m sorry to be such a downer, but lots of retired folks are facing these same issues.
Lol! When I read your comment I thought you said your problem was ‘all your clothes under your bathroom sink’ and I 😂 laughed and thought Wow! You really need a hamper!
Hahaha but then I re-read it and now I can totally relate!
I bought 2 metal utensil containers, put them in a bin so my curling iron can still be put away while it's hot. I keep the blow dryer and it's accessories in the bin along with the heat styling products and a double sided mirror. That was 2 years ago and you were the inspiration. Thanks ❤️.
Thank you for the container thought 🙏🏼 It really made the difference for my husband. I don’t have problems with getting rid of “stuff”, but he’s really struggling, but the container theory really made the difference. “I can’t fit more into the boxes, and there’s no more room for more boxes, but if you want to make room for more storage, we can keep it” 😊 And out it goes 😄
This was very helpful! I’m never sure when enough is enough.
I count items when I am picking up. I try to get to 50. It gets me going. This was a helpful video.
I love seeing those two items on your counter! It real family life!
So true, when you put your favorites in first- it made it much easier to get rid of the rest! Thanks Dawn for another AMAZING video!
It’s just me but I have at least 12 to 15 bath towels, hand towels & wash cloths. I will definitely be donating some of them!
For 2nd set of sheets and pillow cases. I can put the 2nd one between mattress & base to save space.
Ironic that most often I watch/listen to you while washing a giant pile of dishes 😬
Me too🤔🤣
Me literally right now!
Same here always!
Yay get those dished done with Dawn (the Mom 😂)
lately while doing dishes I hum: "this is the job that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend" ....
I received some mugs. Hubby wanted me to move my tea up on the high shelf to fit everything. I said, no this is the mug shelf. I will purge a few to fit them. It worked!
I started watching your videos in 2019 and began going through my house pretty aggressively. Jump to earlier this month and we started to prepare for our international move and I seized on my chance to truly go as minimal as I could.
Well they packed and weighed our house and between when we arrived in Germany to now (3 years) I decluttered 1,000 pounds!!
I didn’t even know I had 1,000 pounds to declutter! Thanks for all your great tips and advice. I enjoy watching your channel.
Have you and Diana ever considered doing a podcast? I personally would love it!!!! ❤️
This tip helped me with how many vases I keep. I decided to keep the two prettiest ones and got rid of the other five that I never use. Thanks!
My tip on sheets (especially with kids, and ESPECIALLY with kids who may wet the bed) is to double sheet the bed! Having an extra waterproof mattress cover and fitted sheet under the top sheet has saved us many a night, and eliminates the need to store the sheets.
Great idea!!!!
Yes! I do this too! It's a game changer!
I did that, and my kid peed on the edge of the mattress and got everything soiled 😂
I store extra blankets on the beds under the fitted sheet, makes the beds feel nice, too.
With our one child, we seemed to be changing her sheets at 2AM at least once every few months. She has stomach issues and vomits more than normal. So it was important to have at least 2-3 sets of sheets. One went into the washer, the next one on the bed so she could crawl back in, and occasionally, repeat in an hour or two! (Glad those days are over!) 😏
I really like how you put it in simple terms to help me let go of stuff my container or count. I just want to stop feeling like my stuff owns me it's everywhere! I really enjoy your videos and advice ☺!
I am an avid tosser of something I “haven’t used” only to find the week, month, year after I tossed it; I stinking needed it 😑🤦🏽♀️ Never fails. Every time. Lol
I literally just thrifted some stuff, and then needed them this weekend...it's all good, I improvised 🤔🤣
I figured out if I only used something every 6-12 months, its okay to purge those things. I make do using something else in it’s place. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to declutter 50% or more of my throwaway pile or donations. Instead I declutter in stages a bag or two at a time so I don’t regret my decisions.
If you needed something a YEAR later, you really DIDNT need to keep it. You plan to borrow one or thrift one very cheap, or improvise. But if you use it once a year, it’s clutter. Also, if you might actually need to use something monthly or semi frequently, don’t necessarily donate it, just keep it in a bin in a less accessible area that isn’t in your daily work space. For example, the bread machine you use every month or two...don’t keep it on your counter or daily cabinets. Fancy night out makeup shouldn’t be with your everyday makeup if you only go out once every couple weeks or less. It should be in its own bag elsewhere, but not in your daily bathroom or vanity workspace. I had a lemon juicer I kept for years and I used it once. I donated it and then got a wild hair to make lemon bars 😂 I borrowed my neighbors and then gave it back that afternoon. Haven’t made anything with fresh lemon since. Still glad I donated it.
Oh my...I am a mirror image of a Minimal Mom video 🤣...8 yrs ago, I became a single girl. I was left with 2 10x15 storage units full of "stuff"...(3 bd home, mower, etc...)you got the picture...so I got rid if everything! Now happily in an 1 bd apt, I only have what I need! 3 cooking pans, 1 tea glass, 1 coffee mug, a couple of small plates...Yada 😋
Dawn, regarding boxes and their allure: I used to keep boxes that just looked like I could use them again. Until I read somewhere that BOXES are INSECT magnets! So I no longer keep boxes OR padded envelopes that come in the mail.
I used to use nice boxes to store things. No more, since I learned bugs like boxes!
I read somewhere that people on boats ditch all boxes before bringing groceries on board due to the bugs.
I still keep them. But they're stored in huge clear plastic ziplock bags. And then hung up on hooks by the handle.
I love Sleeping Queens! Invented by a six year old but still fun enough that adults don't get bored. If you don't have King of Tokyo or Ticket to Ride get those!
Thank you for your many helpful suggestions on how to declutter. Your videos pull together information that actually works. Your down-to-earth and very practical approach is working for me. I’m finding that simple suggestions like bringing a donation box into the room where I’m working made a huge difference. Using a quarantine or “think about it” box with handle cut outs or dated giveaway box in the room also helps. Please know that you never come across as the somewhat insincere self-righteous if-I-can-do it, you-can-too sort of person” who inevitably implies: “what’s keeping you, what’s wrong with you?” I’m a very tired senior and doing this work with little support. I am very grateful. Again, many thanks.
Great tips. I am getting ready to redo my craft room & I want to use these tips. It's just taking me time to get started. 😆
Your systems for decluttering and organization have been absolutely transformational for my home, and I am so very grateful! Thank you for ALL that you do! ❤️
You could create a video montage of your house with calm music playing and I would sit and watch that on the regular. so peaceful with the clarity.
YES !!! Soooo true ! Now I want Dawn to do that ! I would WATCH. Dawn, your home is so relaxing & inspiring !
Fantastic idea!
Thank you for walking us through your home and decision making process
I hate using wet towels, so I have so many extras. I also want to do a full load when I do kitchen cloths and towels.
Isn’t your towel dry by the next day though when you use it again? If not, you should be spreading it out to dry on the towel bar or using the span of 2 hooks to create some air flow for it to dry properly.
I'd consider one sheet set per bed but I have smaller kids and when they get sick or, have toilet accidents then they no longer have something to lay on while I wash their sheets. So I feel extra sheets are necessary right now, we only have enough though for one extra set per bed. So I know if one has had an accident I have to wash it immediately. I love this count vs container approach
I hear You! I'm just sorting thru the twin sheets & trying to keep a reasonable # & kids are now 26 &28... lol
@@MyOver50 I really think the two sheet per bed method works for us because then if it's just one kid getting sick and none of the others are and I need even more sheets I'm still good, and then they don't take up my entire tiny linen cabinet that we have. My kids are also 9, 8, 5(almost 6) and 4
@@tiffanybramlette6998 absolutely! Better having them in their own bed anyway... #BraveMom & I say that with the out most respect.
@@MyOver50 oh yeah! I need my rest and I cannot get it with older kids in my bed! Plus theirs has plastic on the mattresses and mine does not.
One lady who posted said she puts another set of sheets UNDER the waterproof mattress cover and voila! when top are soiled the next are in place...genius!
My favorite method is enough to last the week. It works well for laundry, since Ilike to do laundry one day per week, shopping once a week, etc. If we have extra of anthing after 8 to 10 days, it's time to pare down.
I'm with you on this. Math is magic.
I try to make laundry items to what I use in one week also. Except towels! I have always had 4 and I want to get to at least 2. I'm trying to set the other 2 aside to experiment with it. That's what I did with sheets before I officially donated my second set.
I have two pairs of sheets for the beds. I have a cool weather and a warm weather pair
I wish you could teach your easy-going attitude. You just make decisions, I stress about them. Gosh if the drawer works for your plastic bags, go girl. Dawn you are always so helpful
I spend time every day rolling up plastic bags into little knots as we use them in every waste basket in the house! We store the ‘extras’ at the bottom of the baskets so there’s always a new one ready when you need it. Dawn: I just gave you another empty drawer in your kitchen-and you do NOT have to roll them up! I just like doing it. 😂😂
My bags are rolled too! It's my pet peeve, apparently. And once youve done it it's hard to undo 😅
@@karenhoward8542 I do this too, takes up much less space. I get my family to tie up their rubbish this way too; crisp packets etc means the bin doesn't fill up quite so quickly.
It's easy to stress about decisions when we believe there is a "should" and "shouldn't" or "right" and "wrong", it gets easier for me when I remind myself that. And in our home we banned the word "should" and "shouldn't"
Hahaha 😂 I have the space, but do I really need 40 iced tea spoons?? True story!
LOL Maybe a quaint tea shop could use them during the summer time. If they don't make iced teas, it might give them incentive to do so! You can always ask.
I love iced tea spoons! I have one that was from my mom’s silverware set when I was growing up. Happy memories. Now my daughter loves using it!
I'll take a couple! 😂
I had 2 iced tea spoons and 2 round "sugar" spoons and was perfectly content. Then I found another iced tea spoon -- whoa! Unbalanced, 3 is too many, lol!
I do too and I’m not getting rid of them. I use them for everything!
When you were talking about kids toys it reminded me of something funny. My kids are grown now, but when they were little, I had set up a little container to collect little odds & ends toys that came into the house (ie Happy Meal toys, birthday party trinkets, etc). It made the kids so mad because I had labelled it "Junkie Little Toys". Haha. They were so insulted that I referred to it like that!
We called those type of items "landfill toys" 😂!
I have been using these two methods for the last year. And not buying new containers to fit more junk into. Works really well. Great video, puts a name to the method, and is so helpful in decluttering items by category, and keeping it under control.
Your videos have changed my life. I look forward to each one and learn a little something every time. The video on how things talk to you was such an eye opener. You are a natural in front of the camera and also cute as a button!
Love banana bread:) I love when the kids can start making it, too❤️ I recently found you on here when I was feeling down and out about my home that I've been working at decluttering for YEARS! During this stay home pandemic, with all 9 of us (mom, dad, 7 kids) home at all times, I realized how much unused and unnecessary stuff we hold that either gets tossed from one place to another or gets impractically used (like all of the cups and mugs we had, each kid would take a new one out each time they wanted a drink! Talk about frustrating and overwhelming to do dishes! I can't keep my eye on them 24/7 to be the cup monitor) Anyway, I was working towards the count method with dishes when I found you but wasn't quite sure how to implement it. Something just clicked! My kitchen is almost clean all the time thanks to your videos, even in the midst of a thousand children 😂 I'm still working in the rest of the house little by little, but slowly it's coming together. I watched your other video about taking small moments to declutter instead of setting yourself up for failure with big chunks. I used to do that, get regularly discouraged, and then fall behind. I still get discouraged, but your videos come at just the right time and get me motivated again. I love you guys and appreciate what you do!!! ❤️❤️ God bless you
You are so good at verbalizing what I didn't even realize I was already doing. 👍🤗
The beauty of “container or count” is if the system one chose isn’t working, one can always make a different choice! It’s just a decision!
I want to become more minimalist, I really do.. However I can Feel that I am not ready..
I get anxiety thinking that I will get rid of many items that I will need later on. I have too many gardening tools/pots etc but they make me so happy having an abundant amount of things that bring me so much joy, just like tons of crafting stuff (junk).
One day. I'll start with tiny baby steps ❤️ thank you for your videos!!
I started my journey and your videos are very helpful and inspiring. I also love the Sunday ones with your sister and bible messages. Puts me in the mood for the week xx
Putting both concepts together has really helped me with figuring things out for my space a little easier! And the examples you used helped a lot as well!
Sarah ~ Right?!! Both concepts combined 🤯
Simple storage idea for plastic store bags is using the smaller cube size empty tissue box. Of course you need a deeper drawer or place in a cabinet. It’s amazing how much you can stuff in these boxes. I’ve been using the same boxes (I also save the clear produce bags if clean) for more than 20 years. It just works well.
I'm definitely sharing this video! The container concept has been such a huge help in working on simplifying my home!💜 This video makes implementing that idea even easier.... Thank you!!
I use counts for towels even though I have room for way more in my linen closet. 2 towels each, plus 2 for guests. Because we now have only one set of sheets for each bed as well, the linen closet now has 2 shelves to collect items we're decluttering!
Yes. On sheets. I have two sets total ones on the bed. The other one is folded up ready to be changed once a week. And it really is useful. And it makes you feel like happy time
I own white every day dinner plates, then white 'having guests for dinner' nice plates for spring/summer...then I have nice beige with burgundy rim dinner plates for 'having guests for dinner' nice plates...but for fall/Christmas... then I have Melamine plates for having dinner out on the deck as we don't do glass around the pool....and these are all just the DINNER plates... then I have the small dessert plates as well... I guess I'm not minimalist! lol! (Oh, and I also have dinner sized Paper Plates...)... and dessert sized of those as well...
Great advice thank you 😊
A
Little tip I learned for your putting your curling irons and hairdryer away is to wrap the cord in a figure 8 around it ..... it’s quicker and stops premature wearing on the cord. This extends the life of your products so much and when you get the knack of it and the habit it’s quicker than going around and around and around with the cord 🤗
I love your point about having th space for more plates and cups and pots but not wanting to have to deal with the mess if they’re all pulled out. I think this is why so many Americans struggle with clothes - because our closets are (often) so big we figure we have plenty of space for more pieces, more than we can actually wear in a year. I think more in terms of how many pieces I need between laundry days. Same for sheets and towels. I actually want to buy a 2nd set of white towels because I don’t have enough whites to make a load at least once a week and so I need more dish towels to get me through to laundry day, but my dish towel container is too small to fit more. (depends a lot on how you wash laundry).
I just love your videos and sometimes I think of stuff or I have questions about minimalism and then usually within a couple days you post about that exact topic. Crazy coincidence but I love it and it's so helpful. Thanks for the great content!
I have already decluttered but am addicted to the videos. However I can still get ideas. The idea I got from this one is the storage of electric hair styling items. I’m going to do it too.
I would love a video about more advanced minimalism. Like really getting down past the “we don’t need this” to the “can we live without this” phase. I’d love to know what things I can pare down that most people wouldn’t think to live without but works
@@laura24590 Great place to start, especially now that it has passed the "boob tube" stage and landed solidly in the "fear everything and everyone" propaganda stage.
@@amybee40 Smart TV to watch RUclips and Netflix. Lols I do most of that on my phone or laptop anyway.
My friend got rid of her microwave. It broke and they tried just not replacing it. It’s been 5 years and they’ve never gotten another one. She warms things up on the stove. Like if her coffee gets cold, she dumps it into a small sauce pan and heats it that way. My mom sweats through the summer by hardly utilizing her ac in her car. My father in law sits in the dark at home every night and afternoon in the winter when it gets dark early bc he doesn’t want to pay for electricity. No thanks for me. Some things are worth the convenience and comfort to me in life. To me, those things = camping. Not a lifestyle.
I'm so excited to finally be sitting down this week to watch this. Currently, our laundry situation means going to a laundry mat a few blocks away or using a mobile washer/air dry.
Soooo, some clothing items/bedding etc we haven't felt comfortable whittling down on. The new apartment we are moving to though has a washer/drying in the unit! It feels so amazing to think we can throw a load in every night not have to keep so much! It's going to feel so much freer when we declutter for the move.
Just a tip, Dawn - but if you roll the kitchen towels up like a jelly-roll - it saves lots of space in the drawer AND you can see ALL of them when you open the drawer! 👍🙋♀️🥰 Thanks so much for all your tips! 🤗💐
I have a wooden box with a handle that I keep all my bottles of craft paint. It fits in a kitchen cabinet and the handle makes it easy to bring out for craft projects and them put right back. Every once in a while you need to throw out old or dried up hobby paints anyway.
I am now just stuck wanting banana bread 😆.
I could tell that when you were talking about the cosmetics that your sister gave you that maybe you were struggling with really not wanting to keep some of them but that old guilt about getting rid of gifts from loved ones crept out. We know you too well Dawn, you can’t fool us. Donna, Mike’s wife.
And that IT CC Cream is $39!! Lol
And it's an AWESOME product!!
I’ve been wanting to try that IT CC cream because of the reviews and have used Clinique Even Better for years.
Use the unused products as channel giveaways!
@@midlife_minimalist I stay stocked up on the It foundation. It has fairly good coverage with SPF50.
This video made me stop and think about my linen closet. There are only two of us in the household and I had to ask myself how many towel and wash clothes we actually need. I have cut it down to two each, so I have a clean one and one dirty one in the next load of wash. I find your videos really make me stop and think about our home. Thanks for all you ideas.- Norma
I was able to donate several towels, but my husband objects to our getting rid of more. So, now we have probably 16 towels, plus a half-dozen beach towels, for a household of 2.
@@cindywilkinson1610 My limit is how many to make a full load of laundry? I don't mind doing a load at any time, but for one person, it can take awhile to have enough for a full load.
Would love to see more videos of container vs count around the whole house. I’m still trying to figure out how you all use just one towel per person and have time to wash it before someone needs it.
I was thinking the same! We would have to have two per person or else we might be sunk, lol...but maybe we'll remember things like that more easily when we have less stuff 😆
We just hang our towels up in the bathroom to dry and use them more than once.
I was thinking the same thing. We have 2 sets of towels per person, washed once a week. When 1 set is in the wash, we use the 2nd set.
Especially washcloths! One would Definitely have to do the wash everyday. You can't be reusing that sort of thing twice!
@@smokeandmirrors111 most people don’t use wash cloths anymore. They are kind of an outdated thing of the past. Most people use those plastic mesh loofa things, so a wash cloth would be rarely utilized. Not everyone uses a washcloth for their face either. Sometimes I just slather soap on my face and rub it around with my fingertips in the shower and rinse. If I need a little exfoliant, I have a little glass shaker of baking soda in the bath and I shake just a little onto my fingers and gently swirl it around on my skin. If you use washcloths daily, then yeah you would need a weeks worth for sure.
I fold the plastic bags 😀I don’t like to waste time shuffling around in the bags to get what I want. They fit in a very small container and I quickly can grab the one on top.
Folding them into triangles is really tidy and they don't unfold accidentally x
I roll them into balls and stuff them into a vase 🙂
I don't own a hair dryer so showering is two towels every time. Then hang and reuse. As for sheets, I'm working on having one cotton set and one flannel or jersey set for each bed -- summer/winter. The off-season ones can act as spares. I don't have a linen closet at all, but having the kids grown and out of the house, I can now keep the upstairs linens in one of the upstairs dressers where clothes used to be.
My sock and underwear drawer was majorly overflowing. I didn't even want to open it! So I used the container concept to declutter it. I had trouble before getting rid of socks that I wasn't wearing or socks that I would wear, (but probably wasn't because I just had SO MANY socks), because I thought "these are nice socks" or "what if I run out of socks and don't have time to do laundry and these are the ONLY socks left and I NEED them?" It was so freeing to the let the container decide for me. That was a few months ago and that drawer needs another little decluttering session, but it isn't nearly as bad as it had been!
I love how you make it so easy to purge and declutter. I've been struggling to get more stuff out of my house. Dana K White's container system makes sense, but putting these two thought processes together really helps me. Thank you for getting me motivated again! ❤
Dawn: Just when I think you couldn't possibly have anything more to say about decluttering, you come up with a fresh new take on it! Thanks for clarifying an issue I didn't even know how to ask about!
I'm so glad that I found your channel. Im wat hing every single one and putting a thumbs up on them all. I watch ur videos and it gives me such motivation!!!! Thank you. You're doing a great job!!!
I’ve taught my girls the container method in their rooms. A few weeks ago we got dollar store containers and put them in their dresser drawers and night stand. My youngest who has rock collections, bouncy ball collection and chapstick collection now has a limit on them (what fits in container) and can find them easier as they aren’t all pushed back in the drawer. Older daughter has an organized spot for scrunchies and lotions. Love the container method! It so easily helps keep boundaries and also makes things “findable”.
This is such a good idea!
"Findable" is a game-changer.
Yeah, for children really easy. We also use it but our containers are not full :)
This was great! You are so real, I love you too!
Girl, you have made minimalism so enticing! I had such a distorted view of what taking that plunge meant. My mom would throw things my things away that she found on the floor as a kid and it made me over centimental and even insecure but I'm slowly gaining more peace and control in my overwhelming home by surrounding myself with only mine and my families favorite things, guilt free, there is such an appreciation gained from using everything that you own. Thank you Dawn for sharing such a personal part of your life with us. ❤❤❤
I'm sorry that happened to you as a child and I'm glad you are also finding a community here to support you on the journey to peace 💕
I do that as a mom too. BUT I warn my kids. I will tell them ONCE to pick it up. If they choose not to, I say “If I find your toys still on the floor outside of your room in 15 mins, it means you don’t care for it and I will take care of it for you.” (And when I take care of it, it means I throw it away.) And then I do. Theyve learned not to carry toys all over the house now and it’s generally not an issue.
My mom did the same thing to me. She would warn me, but I struggled with doing boring tasks (ADHD), and she'd throw away all my stuff. It was horrible as a kid. It turned into me holding onto everything, being overly sentimental, and hoarding tendencies. I'm now trying to declutter and free myself of all the stuff that has weighed me down for so many decades. Most of it is in storage units, not in my house, but there is SO much, and it has cost me so much to store it. It feels lovely to free myself from it finally.
@@Awesomefulninja Oh that's so good, you should be very proud, it's a big mental and emotional hurdle to overcome. You deserve that peace 💛
@@sarahsuetopka4748 Thank you so much! You, as well 💜
I tend towards containers more than numbers. I do numbers for sheet sets and some kitchen items, but I keep numbers in mind even while using containers to make sure I don’t get carried away with keeping to much.
I use containers and shelves as boundaries, thanks to you!!
I’m a container only person. Quick and easy to determine how much I need.
I just LOVE your channel.
Just a tip for hair accessories. I bought a hanging shoe organizer and put my hair gadgets and anything that will fit comfortably in the pockets and hang it in my closet. Nice and handy and out of sight.
This is a HUGE help! Thank you.
I love this, because sometimes the container is much bigger than the amount of things you should actually keep! Keep giving permission to purge!🥰
I live with Butterflies, so containers help shift the "blame" off me and refocus it on personal editing. I can say to my little ones " You can keep the dolls/cars/crafts you want, as long as it fits in this space". Then they can problem solve themselves. I think it's a softer limit sometimes than counts.
I think my personal hang up can be the container itself. Not always one you purchase but something like cabinetry, for example. "If I install an organizer or if the space was used better...I could store what I 'need' or if I organize things better... But the fact remains, too much stuff will never be managed without major effort or more stress than is needed.
I have used both methods thanks to you I was already sort of implementing that kind of organization but it wasn't in every area so once I discovered your channel I realized I could make some minor adjustments throw out or donate a lot of great things and throw out the useless things but it is a work in progress
Thank you for sharing count I believe is better for me
This! Ive watched all your videos. Love them all. But this one. 🙌❤ This one clicked with me. Thank you.
Yay! So glad to hear!!
Great video! Thanks Dawn! I'm almost 100% using the container method. I feel at ease and less emotional on what I can and can't keep. It has changed my life!
Me too! Thank you Dawn and Dana! It makes such a difference in my drawers especially.
Do you think your daughter could do a video on her banana bread recipe? Now I'm hungry for banana bread...thank you.
I would watch that banana bread looked delicious.