I'm so stoked cause I've been following Cass for so long and then found you! Had no idea until I saw Cass mention you that there might be something up and now I must find A slob comes clean too! Love seeing women/moms working together! 🥰
Awesome tip here from my engineer husband. We use no round containers. We use only clear so we can see what in it. We have the same size opening but different depths so lids are the same. That means containers nest and lids stack neatly. Love it.
Yes! And also get them from a brand where you can buy the lid and container separately so if a part is damaged you don't have to throw the entire thing
I threw out every mug I had and replaced it with _one_ set of identical, white mugs that have the same design as my plates. And everybody knows that I did this on purpose. Yet, people think they have to gift me "nice" or "funny" mugs, yet be hurt when I want to get rid of them.
Can really recommend to switch to glass storage containers for the day to day life. They also double as microwave bowls, mixing bowls, salad bowls and what not - despite not being a bowl. I also have oven proof version too so can cook in them, and after cooling it down just put the lid on and put it in the fridge. No more plastic containers!
Totally agree! I use my glass containers for everything. The smaller ones are great for mixing sauces or eating out of. Also when I’m cooking and cutting ingredients. Getting containers that can go in the microwave, oven and freezer makes them even more multi purpose.
We tried to do this, for environment/health, but found it easier to let some plastic back into our lives. Specifically when my husband carried his lunch to work, having glass containers for his 3 hour commute was noticeably heavier. Or for hiking. And glass has broken in the freezer on us more than once, even if lid was off to allow for expansion. So for traveling or freezing broth we use plastic again (no microwaving in it, of course!), but for everything else we use glass. :)
I like minimalism in most rooms of my house, but not in my sewing room and kitchen. I LOVE all the tools and I use them. It's what makes my cooking and sewing fun for me. I do love a minimalist style for my living room, dining room, and bedrooms.
I think I’m this way too. I cook huge relaxing Mexican meals and sometimes have all four burners going. Just to make chilaquilas, rice and beans; chilaquilas require a medium sized pot to cook the homemade chili in and a skillet that has at the minimum 3 inch walls where you will cook the dish when the chili has simmered for five minutes; meanwhile a skillet for rice which I start cooking first as it takes longer:; and a large pot for cooking the beans. When all is done I move everything to the kitchen island but need to put some of the cooked beans in a skillet and lightly smash them. So it takes many skillets and pots. But before even starting to cook I make fresh salsa as I will need about 3/4 cup for my rice. This is relaxing for me. I cleanup along the way. I keep a sink of hot sudsy water going. So I love to cook but I do see that some of my stockpots can go into shelving in the garage. I don’t use a food processor except to cut celery for potato salad. I do use a blender for the salsa.
@@luv3pugs having at least multiple spoons for amount of burners help especially when cooking on all of your burners 🤣. I can't stand having to wash a spoon to stir another side dish. Plus least 2 tongs (bbq), two spatulas (breakfast). My pet peeve is not having enough baking trays so least 4 the minimum (2 for savory meals and 2 for desserts. No one wants bake cookies on a tray you bake or roast meat on. Minimal is a silly thing if like cooking. Minimal for clothing, toys, things won't be missed.
Yes! I cleaned up my sewing stuff a lot because I don't have a whole room for it but I will not purge sewing things! Kitchen gadgets and storage containers need to be pared down (again!) Though!
Years ago I said goodbye to Tupperware. I bought several glass Pyrex dishes, and that’s what we use leftovers. Heating up is always easy, and there are only a few of them, so I rotate leftovers all the time. No more moldy foods! And they’re glass so I don’t want to throw them away, and they’re never stained with spaghetti sauce 😂
we received a set of pyrex containers and lids for our wedding 6 years ago and they have been such a great surprise! i hate looking at stained containers in the cupboard or the fridge and i like being able to see what’s in the containers. totally agree on the pyrex!
Something I’ve started doing as well as using glass jars for leftover storage. We have some widemouth glass jars that tomato sauce comes in here in Germany for example, and they are perfect for a bit of leftovers. And it’s easy to see what’s in them, easy to wash, the lids fit perfectly… and they don’t leak, if you put them in a bag to take with you to work. :-)
I also love glass for leftovers however, I have found sending glass to work/school means chipped and broken glass. So, I use glass for home storage - bpa free plastic for take away.
My first comment ever on RUclips. I recently got rid of a pot I had for 12 years that I didn’t like but I used. I now have a pot I enjoy that has a lid! Why did I wait so long! Huge fan by the way.
I've had items for years and years my mom gave me that I didn't like but felt an obligation to keep (and use-but definitely didn't like) I remarried a few years ago and in creating a new home, I've given myself permission to get rid of anything I don't love. I replaced some things with things I am excited to see in my home and use regualarly. It feels wonderful!!!
For a long time I thought of new pots and pans as "expensive" and I limped along with crappy wares. Then I noticed so much good quality stuff at discount stores like Ross!Farberware pot with lid $5...sweet
The one tip that truly stuck out to me was "set your table like it's Thanksgiving, and pass on the rest." What a good way to actually see what we need and don't need!
I have two pretty bowls that I use for mixing and serving. Meanwhile, my old seldom-used mixing bowls are taking up space in my cabinet. You are inspiring me to let them go (well maybe most of them).
I keep one full 8 pc set of dishes in my kitchen cupboards and keep 2 sets in my downstairs storage cupboard. We have a large family and lots of company for dinner. As Dawn has stated many times declutter to your lifestyle and use of items.
Here is a tip if you have extra dishes that are mismatched or you don’t use anymore, keep them in the basement and use them when bringing items to potlucks or school functions. That way if they get lost or damaged you don’t care. I also have larger gatherings with friends and family and often send leftovers home with people. I use those old plates to send away leftovers.
I went for years with 7 plates for our family of 4 cause it was all we had. I hated it. Like really hated it. Now I have service for 20 and am soooo much happier with the ability to set the table for a big thanksgiving meal with the whole family. I have cooked for 16-18 several times and regularly have 6-12. I keep service for 12 on lower shelves and put the other 8 settings on higher shelves since we don’t use that many pieces as often. So they don’t get used on the day to day stuff. I cook scratch meals daily and bake constantly. I used more then 4 pots just tonight! Lol.
Thank you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I LOVE to cook and bake and do so for myself and others all the time! And not enough to do so easily would drive me insane! But to each their own!! She said that herself and am glad she did!
We're a family of four, but we have six sets of dishes (not complete ones). We don't eat at restaurants, so it's nice to change the patterns to fit with the food we eat (e.g., Fiestaware for Mexican night, and all the plates are different colors), white ones for pale food (e.g., chicken cutlets and pasta), Coca Cola dishes for burgers or hot dogs, formal china for holidays, etc. I can never get rid of them.
I live alone, and after a recent kitchen remodel bought *more* dishes and flatware so I can completely fill my dishwasher and use it more efficiently. (I live in a drought-prone area where using water efficiency is a concern; hand washing is not very efficient.) Side benefit is I now have plenty of dishes and flatware for when I entertain.
Thank you again for being a real person! "We only have 3 burners, so we have 3 pots." I never have a 'keeping up with the Joneses' feeling after your videos... Just determination 💪🏻
This is what hit me. There are only 4 burners on my stove. I can't possibly use more than 4 pots at once. So why do I have so many? Why have I never looked at it that way? I even have a few that I never use! I'm off to purge right now.
@@JamieM470 I have many pots, but as an amateur cook (I am not a real chef) I use all the pots for various things, so that is one group of things I have a lot of that I really do use all of them, just not at the same time. Same goes for bakeware. But if you are a utilitarian cook, she's so right. You don't need all of the gadgets and cookware. Hint: if you go into Williams-Sonoma or Bed Bath Beyond and already have almost everything, you need to declutter.
@@anyat686 Yes! We have one wonky burner that is hard to light and I swear it doesn't heat well so I never use it. I met someone about years back who had the same stove with the same problem on the same burner.
I have lots of coffee mugs as I love all the designs.I have culled down to about 20 but only have 6 in use at any one time.About every 2 months or so I swap the 6 mugs around so I get the pleasure of using old favourites without getting rid of the others.I store the spares in the garage so I can get them easily if more than 6 guests descend on me for coffee!!! Works for me.
Love this idea! I've been struggling with this and still for a 2 person household have only been able to get down to 9 mugs + 3 travel mugs. TWELVE MUGS for two people!!! I will try the rotating idea, thank you!
Just want to jump on the bandwagon and join the others in saying what a great idea this is! My husband likes a mismatched assortment of mugs picked up here and there over the last 20 years whereas I like "matchy matchy" mugs, plus I have several girly "gift" mugs. You can imagine how many mugs there are between the two of us! And generally, only one mug a day gets used as I tend to drink coffee only on the weekends. Just as I typed this, I came to the part of the video where she addressed unused coffee mugs and getting rid of them so they can fulfill their purpose! I think I rather like the idea of rotating them better (maybe cull a few of the worst, first). Thanks for the idea!
I don’t ever comment on videos but I just want to thank you. I found you on RUclips 2 weeks ago and my house is almost completely de-cluttered. I LOVE IT! I’m so much happier, my house stays clean, and I actually enjoy cleaning my house now because it’s not stressful! You have changed my life, so thank you for your content, I really appreciate it!
I'm ignoring my bedroom dresser right now. It's full of mail,ie: bills medical bills all my docs info bills ,bills,bills insurance stuff oh it's cluttering my head just looking at it. Going to start chipping away at it but need to start dumping paperwork that is older I've had two surgeries in the past two years so there's a lot of paperwork some I need to keep much that needs to go I just got a new shredder so I'll be putting that baby to work soon I just need a push to go after it maybe just talking about it will help thanks for your encouragement many great ideas.
Wonderful to see your children washing their own dishes! I'm often aghast at what chores Mothers are still performing for their children w-a-y past the time when they're old enough to do them themselves.
The only problem with constant dish washing, especially when done by children as shown, is the high use of water. Using a dish washer saves water as well as sterilizes.
@@joanneperry8021 ... 😉 at least the kids hands ate getting washed in the process of washing dishes .. otherwise kids being kids their hands would never get washed. . So it's a win-win 😂
Yes!!! I started teaching music in a private school and when I mentioned chores to my kindergartners they ALL looked at me like I had two heads. One child said to me "WHAT? I'm not even ten yet!" 🙄
I gave my kids an additional birthday gift starting at age 3, the gift of learning something new, like washing dishes, loading the dishwasher, and advanced tasks as they grew up enough to learn them, such as ironing, sewing on buttons, etc. At 3, they were thrilled and it continued. When one of my boys was in bootcamp, he called & said thank you, because he was the only one who already knew how to iron & make a proper bed.
Great video! Enjoyed it immensely! As I don’t eat or make desert anymore, I found another use for a bundt pan. If you have a dog, and your dog goes outside to play in the yard occasionally, the Bundt pan makes an excellent outdoor water dish. Just drive a stake through the hole in the middle and the dog can no longer flip it over.
It's Christmas time, so maybe people could make a bunch of cookies, give them away in Tupperware containers, and tell people to keep the container. Then tell them that if they don't want to keep the container, they could make cookies and give it away to someone else.
I don't like the title of your course, it reminds me of that nasty piece of work who tried to get all those people to overthrow your government. "Take your country back ! " That's his rallying cry. I was tempted to say who's got it ? Where is it ? I know your course name is fine. Can't you tweak it ?
We also wash up every time, so there’s nothing on the sink except our current coffee cups. I have a dish washer, for the past 18 years, and we’ve used it once at a Christmas when the visitors decided to use it.
I love that distinction between visual and non-visual and macro and micro organizing personalities. I am an extreme visual person. Literally, if it is in a opaque container or behind a cabinet door, I completely forget it exists! One entire wall in my kitchen is a red pegboard with all of my pans and kitchen utensils hanging up. It still feels clean to me because my stove top is clear and my counter is clear and everything is in its place, even though it is a very busy look!
Use Bon-Ami to polish your stainless pan after each use. Stainless really doesn't get as clean as it needs to by hand washing or in a dishwasher. That will keep it from sticking. I've been cooking with stainless for 35+ years, same set and still looks new.
Yes…Bob Ami or BarKeepers Friend after every use. I’ve had some of the same stainless pots and pans for years & I acquired them so I wouldn’t have to buy the again!
@@marinemom70 Agreed. I have AllClad pans, and frankly never have a big problem with them being hard to clean, but if there's a layer of cooked-on gunk, a little Barkeeper's Friend makes quick work of it.
Totally had a lightbulb moment with your “the dishes don’t stack up philosophy,” because after we reduced our clothing I had way less laundry to do each Saturday. Only doing laundry once a week has been a game-changer for me and helps me feel more relaxed about my house-hold chores when i set a limit as to when i do each job.
I've been married for 18 years and still am not much of a cook. He's a foodie, though he hates the term, and I've learned to make do. I do okay, but he's a better cook.
The problem with getting rid of storage containers is that we like to cook things in very big batches and freeze multiple portions for later. So sometimes we'll have 40 containers in use and sometimes they're all in the cabinet. What has helped me is to replace all the assorted containers with only 2 kinds so they can be stacked and it never looks cluttered.
Thanks for the tip on 2 like style containers. I pre and freeze things and always use containers to pre fruits etc so I can’t store with lids on but I’ll try your tip
Yeah, the only way it’s possible to scale back this far is if you are buying a lot of processed foods. If you cook form scratch you have to have containers and jars to hold everything. I always have containers with shredded cheese, chopped lettuce and veg. That’s before we talk about left overs for grownup lunches and homemade fruit cups and pudding cups for kid lunches. You also need more than 3 pans. Lol
@@styleme3375 Agreed. We all have those 1-skillet meal nights, but I often use 5 different pans cooking one meal, especially when I’m entertaining - we have a large extended family. And I have storage containers in my pantry, freezer, & fridge because we primarily prepare our meals at home.
Agree completely. I deliberately purchase containers that can be nestled w/ different "depths" able to share lids. And Stasher bags. I love those, but some types of foods do 'store' better in traditional storage containers. But all of my meats are frozen in Stashers & I can marinate in them as well, along w/ other leftovers in fridge or freezer.
Thanks for the reminders! I find there are some items that I don't need all the time (like my food processor, extra mixing bowls and stock pot) but for the summer months these are crucial for canning and preserving. Anyone who has done large batches of pickles or peaches or tomato sauce knows the feeling of dread with running out of bowls. However, after purging my kitchen I decided to make a "canning" space elsewhere in the house to store these extras that I don't need day to day. Thanks for making me aware of being intentional with my space!
I had 3 coffee mugs, all somewhat different from each other, and I loved all 3 of them and used them all regularly. So I did an experiment. I used one of them and put the other two in the back of a cabinet. I was *shocked* (*shocked,* I tell you!) that I didn't miss those two. I prefer just using one because it gets washed right away. I never have the bit of milky coffee in the bottom of the mugs sitting around getting gross and then hard to clean. I decided to keep the two mugs I love because I've noticed over the years that I do drop and break things, so eventually those mugs I love will get used. One of them has pretty stripes, and the other is a pleasing shape. I feel happy whenever I happen to see them, so I feel good about keeping them.
@@joannethorne6709 my mom has 6 matching mugs in the back of a cabinet they are in a place where they're reachable for company, but not "handy" for cluttering up the sink. I've been thinking about putting 2 table settings in the convenient cabinet and the others stacked tight in the cupboard nobody opens. If people visit or I'm entertaining there they are, but the only way access is to the set for me and the fella.
The way to cook in heavy stainless to keep food from sticking is too heat it up until it’s hot, then put your oil in and immediately the food. It’s the way chefs cook. Just remember “hot pan, cold oil”.
am I doing it wrong this whole time? I put cold oil in cold pan and wait for oil to get hot enuf then throw in the food. it doesn't stick and the reason I do it this way it to not damage my pot by overheating it empty
You really inspired me with this one. I started going through my kitchen and, from only three shelves, I got rid of about 20 things that I never use anymore. Once I finish, I'll leave it for a few months, then go through again, and I bet I'll find more. It's so nice to be able to get to everything without moving anything!
I have come through watching so many of your videos lately. I’m a mom of 3, and pregnant. I was telling my husband I just want to spend more time with our kids. Intentional time and I hated cleaning all the time. So I decided to start decluttering where we have too much…. Which is everywhere. We probably have enough inventory for 10 houses. And I can’t keep up. But I also can’t thank you enough for your effort to educate us, in multiple different ways where we’ll understand. I appreciate you so much!!
While I have followed lots of your advice through the past year, I just had the rubber scraper discussion with my 3 teenagers. We have 11. 11 scrapers and we agreed we need them all - different sizes, some are scooped, some are narrow for small jars. On any given day we take 5-7 clean ones out of the dishwasher which we run every day. If there is anything that we can't live without in the kitchen with 5 cooks - breakfast, lunch, dinner, peanut butter on a bone for the dog - it's a scraper. Oh, and 5 pancake flippers. :)
This is so funny! I’m quite minimal in just about every area of the house. I have1 each of kitchen utensils but I have 5 rubber scrapers. I use all of them and honestly feel like I could stand a couple more. 😂 I’m thankful I’m not the only one. 💕
I'm with you guys on that... we have some that are strictly 4 cooking (i.e. heat) & others that are strictly 4 baking... LOL! And they go in separate areas of our kitchen bc of my daughter's disabilities. We actually have a baking corner where she does all baking away from the stove. I guess Minimalism isn't working 4 us either, but that's okay... we're still decluttering other stuff that's not a priority any longer for our family.
I too use the small ones .. I just store all the lids in a big container that doesn’t get used as often and stack the rest all put in a large drawer .. open n voila! Easy to find and easy to put away! Used to have them on a shelf n I found that’s what made it difficult n messy.
For a small household, small containers are great. They're perfectly sized to hold the extra 100g of pasta from the 500g boxes, or the half-cup of lemon sugar I keep around for cocktail glasses, etc. I find I'm always reaching for a smaller container rather than a larger one. But there's only two of us, so that's probably why. :)
I cook for four adults, and I use medium to small containers to store the last of the meat almost every meal a little taco meat doesn't need a giant container to occupy until I get around to making chili
We (2 adults) just went through our containers, literally kept all the small ones, the single-serving ones and a couple medium ones. The small ones get the most use, extra chopped onions, half fruit etc. And we have some that lock, we use those to take protein powder or snacks/nuts with us :)
The storage containers thing is so powerful. It’s also how you avoid getting weird science experiments in the fridge. If you genuinely get close to running out, there is probably something that needs to be eaten soon and cleaned out.
@@VelvetRedRoses I LOVE this! I get such joy from picking a mug each morning out of my little collection. And ZERO enjoyment from the matching set of boring mugs.
We got serving dishes for free since we had x amount of sets purchased from our wedding registry. They sat in our basement for years unused still in the box. Years later we got an invite to a wedding and the bride and groom registered for the same serving dishes we had sitting in our basement. We gave that as our gift. :)
OMGoodness, this is literally perfect timing. I have a HUGE plastic container filled with a TON of plastic storage containers that I NEVER use and also don't even like anymore...AND I thought to myself literally right before watching this that I really should get rid of all that. Thanks for the confirmation on that! I'm on my 4th or 5th round of decluttering in my kitchen because I just keep falling in love with all the extra space created by getting rid of stuff. I have discovered that I love.love.love the extra space so much more than having the extra stuff!!!
I had so many plastic containers, that they often fell out of the cupboard out onto the floor! Plus most of them were really old and horrible. Very pleased to get rid of them.
As someone who makes food ahead of time and uses the bigger sized boxes for my food to store in the freezer, I know I can't get rid of too many of the good size. The little size are good for portioning snacks. But I know I have too many of the little ones because every time I open that cabinet to get a big one, a stack of tiny ones falls on me. I LOVE the idea of storing with the lids on! SO WISE!
Dawn you are so sweet and have truly changed my life!! I always tear up a little when you say “I love you” at the end of all your videos cause I can tell you truly have a heart for your audience. Thank you so much and we love you too 🤍
My single friend stores lots of containers because when she has a dinner party she sends leftovers home with all her guests. So this is her thing that works good for her!
For big holiday dinners, I purchase a few extra dinner plates to send leftovers out on and a few close friends will just bring their own with them. Although I do buy sleeves of deli containers in various sizes and the lids actually fit all four sizes.
Dawn, out of all of the minimalist, you have been the one that best spoke to my heart. I absolutely love your take on minimalism and what to ditch. About 15 years ago my cousin came to visit and told me I did not have enough decor and furnishing. That was it, I started collecting decor and Knick knacks and it became the over ran mess that drove me nuts! I am so happy you have brought us the gift of you and your family. I love your channel, the Sunday’s with Diana and am looking to your class collab! Thank you for the inspiration!
I completely agree! Once I found this channel, I don't watch the others because 1) I love her cheerful, down-to-earth personality, 2) she really delivers the message in a way that motivates me every single time, and 3) GREAT USABLE TIPS !!!!
😂 My Bundt pan was 100% one of the only things I ever regretted getting rid of! When I realized I needed one to try making the cakes, I decided to borrow my brother in laws. Now we just share it!
I can attest to this being spot on advice. A decluttered kitchen is a joy. Having less of everything makes it easy to cook and makes clean up a breeze. I lost half our dishes, pots and pans, cook all the time and don't miss a thing. Also lost all plastic storage and exchanged for glass for health reasons. Storing with lids is something I've done for years to avoid frustration. Once you are decluttered stick with it for at least two years- you will love it! It takes time to undo your habits and replace them with helpful ones.
As for the storage containers, I use Rubbermaid Easy Find system. The lids are the same sizes and snap together. The bowls are all the same size, just different heights. I love them, and it does save space.
I decided yesterday, after watching this video, to declutter the utensils in my kitchen. I had a pretty good pile to donate in a short time. (Who needs 7 spatulas, 2 pizza cutters, 3 can openers, etc). However, my 22 & 20 year old sons and 17 year old daughter are working at home. They discovered what I was doing. We proceeded to have a hilarious session of each person trying to sell me on keeping their favorite utensils. I wished I had filmed it.
Haha! My husband and I have the same arguments about favorite utensils. I try to keep it small, but I also have been known to use all 7 spatulas in one day (heavy baking and cooking day) 🤣
My friend has started a box for each of her older kids. If there are dishes they like that she is willing to donate she puts it away in a box for them. That way when they move out they won't have to buy dishes.
DECLUTTERING our kitchen has made a WORLD of difference! I donated SO MUCH and it felt SO GOOD! It just feels SO NICE to walk into my kitchen and NOT SEE A MOUNTAIN PILED UP! THANK YOU for guiding us, teaching us and inspiring us all!
My only go to "maker" in my house that I use frequently is my rice cooker. I LOVE how the rice turns out and you can just push the button down and forget about it. I wouldnt ever want to go back to rice on the stove lol!
Me neither! I have had mine for years and I use it all the time! It is probably the number one thing I use all the time. I purchased a Zourichi rice cooker( not sure of spelling). Love it 😍
That’s a problem my ADD spouse has and it’s been driving me crazy for decades. Everything has to be front and center visible because God forbid looking behind or under for things, but then there’s just too much visible so everything is invisible anyway!
I struggle with this. I’ve stopped cooking because I cannot keep it all clean and functioning. Drives me nuts. I feel like this video was made specifically for me. Really spot on. Thank you so much! 😍
So cute seeing the kids washing their own dishes. I like the idea of getting rid of items you don’t like. I recently started keeping lids on my storage containers because pieces disappear & it’s time consuming to find a match. Much easier now.
Don't let her get rid of that old frying pan! The copper ones don't last very long at all! Just have her teach to heat up the pan and oil before putting in the food. 😊 love you Cass! and Dawn too of course!
I have always used a saucepan, never owned a rice cooker(too heavy/bulky) and I eat rice all the time! I like simplicity though, never cared to get stuff just because everyone else does.
One idea for the fridge is to have the front (doors) kept clear, and only put things on the side(s) of the fridge. That way, you can still collect magnets, display kids' drawings, etc. while keeping the clutter to a minimum & maintain a clean visual appearance in general.
I know everyone is different but we use A LOT of storage containers. And especially the little ones. I have two very young kids and I love pre-cutting veggies and fruit and cheese and such for easy to grab snacks so I do them up in the tiny containers. Also for road trips. Also, we do up large batches of things, put them in storage containers and put them in the freezer. So one day it will seem like we have a lot and the next day it seems like we have no containers at all.
I’m a grandmother and we have family sit down dinners at least once a month for 10 or 12 people. I like to set a pretty table with nice dishes and silverware. No way am I going to throw away my lovely dishes so I only have 2 sets to wash! And my frig has special artwork from our grandkids hung up for all to admire! I’m a long ways from being a minimalist! 🤣
Same here! Not as often for bigger gatherings, but they do happen, and I want my nicer dishes for those. Nothing on the fridge would drive me nuts. Definitely not a minimalist! I like my knick-knacks, too, and artwork or photos on every wall. Shelves loaded with books, a whole closet full of games, that we do play, etc.!
My mom, a brilliant cook, hosts special dinner parties for extended family. She has a fabulous dinner service for 12. After using it, she repacks it and puts it away until next time. She is almost 90 years old.
@@salishheights2320 Thanks! Just beginning to think seriously about these changes. Dawn is helping to open my thinking about seeing my stuff differently. I doubt I’ll ever be as minimal as her(that spare of a space makes me anxious), but I have a long way to go.
@@notavailable5911 Thank you, yes, good point. This whole minimalism idea is quite the paradigm shift for me and it’s taking a while to assimilate the new thinking, much less put it into practice, but I’m getting there. Thanks for the ideas and encouragement!
@@cynthiafisher9907 It's great for some, not so much for others. I appreciate that she doesn't claim her ideas are perfect for everyone. For your stuff, if you have the space, and appreciate it, no reason to get rid if those things. Something that doesn't have sentimental value, now, that is never used, isn't decorative, etc., can be tossed or given away more easily. Same for stuff we don't like. I like donating to a local thrift run by a church, that keeps prices low as a ministry.
@@LadyGreenEyes964 Thank you for your input. I do see some progress in myself already. I cleared out a lot of stuff in my downstairs living area before Thanksgiving and got used to the clean, organized look. Yesterday two of my daughters came over and brought out a lot of Christmas decoration boxes and put them in my dining room. It made me quite anxious just to have all that stuff piled up in my living space, so I think I am changing my thinking. I have way too much Christmas stuff that I don’t really use, so I am going to pare that down as we put the boxes back into storage, and get rid of it.
Thanks again Dawn, I love my paired down kitchen ! So much inventory was “for entertaining” that rarely happened. My kitchen and house is now for every day, not for Thanksgiving or a party !
Sometimes I sit on my couch, look around and think, "does a hoarder live here?" I swear I'm not a hoarder, but someone whose lived and accumulated stuff.
@Myrt Myrtle I'm doing good. It sunk in that my house isn't just one big storage unit. I don't want to store things anymore, I want to actively use what I have.
Same here and being told we have 7 weeks to move out (lease not being renewed due to the back tenants asked the landlords to buy the house to convert into a single family dwelling). Packing is a nightmare and found ourselves just pitching so much “stuff”. Down to the last 7 days to go and swear since we are buying this time finally it will never get this way again! My mom’s Christmas gift a dishwasher and installation finally!
We use a lot of food storage containers because leftovers get put away in single serving sizes which means 3+ containers per meal. The containers are freezer safe so some wind up in there so we can take those to work with pre frozen home made meals. My solution was to get Rubbermaid takealongs only. The two sizes I use have the exact same size of lid so they mix and match. I don't have to search for matching lids ever and I just have a lid stack, and two container stacks. And they all are in use at the same time on many occasions. I'm actually getting ready to refresh my whole stock and throw out the ones that are getting a bit old.
Meeting Dawn has explained in my brain why I could never keep a clean house. I followed ( or tried to follow ) the fly lady when my kids were kiddos, YET I just couldn’t do it, even as hard as I tried I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep up with it. I always felt like a failure. It was just really crummy. I just had too much stuff! WAYYYY too much stuff! If you are a mom with a young family or whoever you are, do yourself a favor and get rid of a huge percentage of your things, because you really don’t need them. Things are absolutely not what is important in life. I’ve known that. But, I STILL had a lot of things, anyway!
I have used most of this advice the containers I might have an issue I keep old containers that come with cream cheese or sour cream in it not to use but more when I have to drain off grease from hamburger or bacon so that I dont pour it down the sink I probably have way to many but that's how I dont damage our plumbing and make it so that the garbage leaks out grease
I am definately not a minimalist but my kitchen has been bothering me for a while. Your decluttering the kitchen videos is helping me want to change what's bugging me in the kitchen. Apparently I like having a minimal kitchen
I love dishes and being in the kitchen so I struggle with minimizing here. BUT, we moved this summer and it was revealing how much I wasn’t using. I purged so much and it felt good to free up space
Kitchen will be my struggle too--- just knowing I'll be getting to the kitchen at some point concerns me. I definitely use tons of kitchen gadgets to save time so it just might not be as Minimal like the rest of the home
I was literally just thinking this like 20 min before you posted this! How im sick of the mess in the kitchen, I want to simplify it ans be able to cook and clean easier without it always always always being a mess
I have tried these tips and the payoff is immediate and huge! If you only have energy for one thing, I also suggest minimizing dishes to one serving per person and see how it goes. It has cut my kitchen cleaning time down to 1/5 of what it was!
I store even my empty food containers in the freezer or in the fridge😂 So there's always the lid on them, there's space reserved in case I need to keep left overs, it saves energy and I don't have a mess in other drawers. Felt weird in the beginning but now it's great
Years ago Ikea did a set of round plastic containers that went down in size so that you could stack them inside each other and because they were going down in height as well, you could store the lids on top of each other on top of the stack of bowls... I bought a couple of sets and I'm still using them because they are so useful and they don't take up much room in your cupboards.
So excited that you have collab’d with Cass, I love her. I have been the “organizer” in my family for years. I’ve tried for years to help my Mom get organized and it never took. But I am a “cricket” micro organizer who likes everything hidden. My Mom is a macro organizer that is visual. Since watching her it has changed how I help my Mom organize and so far so good with getting the organization systems to stick.
The coffee mug not fufilling its purpose felt like a nod to Friends. 🤣 Where Ross tells Pheebs that the bike is dying because she isn't riding it. Lol. But this analogy is SOOO great, especially for kids. "Another kid would love to have that baby toy that you never play with anymore, lets pass it on so the baby can have it and the toy can do its job."
We have our church in our home every 4 weeks, and I am not a fan of disposables... SO, we have many dishes which I want to keep. However, I did move the extras to storage in the basement so there is less in our space that we use on a daily basis. I DID find that I had many things I had not used for several years since I got married and combined households... just loaded the back of our Explorer and took them to Love In Action. It felt great! This Vlog really motivated me to look at all of the extra and evaluate what I REALLY use freauently.
Tip for cleaning your pots without soaking: if food gets stuck on it, use some sort of acid: vinegar, wine, etc. (enough to cover the bottom) after you’ve finished cooking under low heat to clean the pot. Use a wooden spoon to help lift the stuck food and residue. Best cleaning tip! 🙌
I burned pasta years ago in a good pot. Thought i had ruined it. I kept boiling h20 & vinegar & it came out bright as the day i bought it ! 😄 Vinegar, baking soda, Dawn, salt & lemon juice are my go to favorites.
My husband and I ate dinner at the home of someone who had radically simplified their kitchen. There were 4 couple there. We had chicken breasts cooked on the grill, and they had simplified where they had only one place setting of silverware per person in their family of four. Therefore, everyone couldn't have a steak knife which we all desperately needed to cut the chicken breasts. It wasn't very enjoyable, and to tell you the truth, it didn't feel very hospitable. To each his own, I guess.
Yeah, this is definitely inadequate planning rather than a reflection on minimalism. No judgement either way (they could have gotten caught up with other things in life), but this kind of situation is exactly what a Buy Nothing or Freecycle group (or just borrowing from a friend or neighbor!) is for. 😊
Lol could imagine their invitation for a party. BYO plates, glasses and silverware 🤣. To me I calculate least my family and extended family visits the most. Which usually 12. Now silverware probably need get more. No one cares if they match the just want to be to eat. If a party usually plastic silverware and paper plates.
I took another load of stuff to the donation center today and dropped off three bags of kids clothes to a friend. When I got home I literally felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It feels so good! Great info in your video today. The kitchen is a tough spot and I use the do I love it question and do I actually use this question and it's helped a ton. I finally have an empty drawer in my kitchen😮. I didn't know that was possible 😆
A few of the kitchen supplies that I had multiples of I added to my child’s toy kitchen. It felt good saving money by not buying toy kitchen supplies. The rest of the items that I am not using or wanting to decrease the quantity I am getting rid of this week. I am excited to have a minimal kitchen! 😁
THANK YOU. EACH OF YOUR VIDEOS IS A LIGHTBULB FOR MY BRAIN. A GREAT REVALATION. IM ACTUALLY EXCITED TO CLEAR MY KITCHEN TOMORROW. ITS ALREADY 820 PM WATCHING THIS AND I MUST SLEEP SO TOMORROW EARLY IM GOING IN THE KITCHEN. HITTING THE STORAGE BIN WITH ALL THE ASSORTED SIZES OF STORAGE CONTAINERS AND MULTIPLE LARGE COOKING SPOONS. TOO MANY.
It is just my husband and myself in our home, but we have not decluttered our dishes. We put the dishes in the washer. When it is full, we run it. It doesn’t bother us to have more than we need for one meal. Plus when we are not living in a pandemic, we have dinner gatherings for friends.
Your ability to find new topics &/or angles to present previously covered material never ceases to amaze! You continually design new material even on the same topics (like decluttering the kitchen) while keeping it fresh. Thanks and God bless your Christmas!
Please make “take your house back” it’s own channel, website, and blog montage. I am not in a place where I can pay for the course but I love your channels and would love to see you all together
Great idea! One tip- I’ve had the same stainless steel frying pan for 30 years. And I can even make scrambled eggs in it. The trick is to polish it with comet every 10 uses or so. It’s like brand new.
Great tips! My tip with storage containers: get one easily rebuyable, freeze- and heatable system, whatever brand it is. And limit the amount to the minimum. Professional kitchens do that as part of their system, and it works like a charm. And you can roast a chicken standing up with a bundt cake pan.
What’s so neat and amazing for me is that the three of u “declutters” are the only ones whose decluttering videos I follow on a regular basis. To have the three of you together, will be not only helpful but fun. I’ve read many decluttering books over the years, but Dana's book is the only one that hit home for me (and the only one I didn’t declutter)!
Hi Dawn! Just wanted to say thanks for your videos. I’ve been watching them for a few weeks now. I’ve been decluttering during the pandemic and it has felt so purposeful and freeing to let go of things that aren’t really meaningful to our family and focus on the people inside it instead. I feel like we will emerge from the pandemic remembering that we made a life shift during this time and ready to make new memories and travel through life a little lighter. My favorite tips have been the encouragement to get through the sentimental items. I just ordered a shadow box for some wedding memorabilia that has been sitting under my bed for ten years and have a photo box of all my dad’s and husband’s letters up on a special shelf that I can now treasure. I have a box that I’ve been keeping in the closet for donation items now. I’ve gone through the first few layers of the onion and am getting to the deeper sort of strategizing now and its becoming really fun. Thank you so much!
I love your videos! They're changing my life! I've been overwhelmed for years by the lack of organization in my house. Now I realize, I have too much stuff! It's that simple! (and all this time I've been trying to find time and energy to do more housework or ways to organize the extra stuff better; like I assumed other better people did.) I've been taking this "Covid time off" to go through everything in my house and get rid of what I don't use, want, or need. I watch your videos for encouragement and inspiration. I find myself looking at things differently and feeling good about getting rid of things I previously didn't. Many people have tried to give me advice through the years, but they were organized people and just didn't really understand me, and their advice just didn't work for me. (They told me to make lists, organize and clean for hours every day, etc) But, you get me. You know I have too much stuff. I loved it when you said if you go to put something away in another room during cleaning you will get distracted and not come back to the original project, the paper piles are scary so when they get too big you want to avoid them, when you started you worried you'd get rid of something and regret it. I experience all of that. It's encouraging to hear your tips and tell us we'll learn to trust our decisions and it will get easier. I recently got 6 xerox boxes of paperwork down to 1 desk drawer (not even full). My desk is now usable and not piled with things. I can now fit all of my food in my pantry rather than having some of it on the counters. I can finally park 2 cars in my 2 car garage. I can find things when I need them. All the clothes, jackets, and shoes in my closet fit and I like them. I'm using up supplies that I have extra of (now that I can actually see that I have extra). I still have a way to go (there are boxes in the garage and the attic; and there is painting, deep cleaning, and repairs that need to be done), but it's truly amazing what minimizing my things has done. Easier home maintenance, less stress, more free time, more savings, better mood. My goal is to get it to a point when I feel great about inviting friends over. Thanks so much for sharing yourself with people like me.
Dawn, I am 67 and I love your videos and have learned some core concepts that a minimalizing Grandma really can use. I have a couple of thoughts to share. I would love to put so many bigger things away, but as a person with osteoarthritis and degenerative spinal disease I have to keep that stand mixer, etc, etc, on the counter. And at 4'9 and shrinking I am moving heavy and large items to lower shelving. Regularly used items have to be down low. BUT this also is helping to provide storage boundaries! We seniors encounter challenges and opportunities at every turn! Thank you so much for your introspective and practical observations.
This is a great video. I only keep my coffee pot on the counter. I like a few items on the fridge. And today I just got a new coffee mug as a gift from a student on my bus. My daughter loves it so I told her one in and one out. So now she has to give up one of the older mugs.
I can appreciate what she is saying but for people who do lots of cooking not much of this applies. I cook 3 meals a day and bake daily from scratch, if I didn’t have 6 spatulas, multiple pots, pans and dishes I would never leave the kitchen doing dishes all day, and even with all that I only use the dishwasher once a day.
I totally agree--- but keep in mind your kitchen may not be as minimized as the rest of your home. I also have tons of things to save me time in the kitchen because with 4 kiddos and homeschooling, I simply need them because I don't have time and that's ok!!!
@@TheBalancedMom Different strokes for different folks! I'd go nuts with that little amount of stuff. Even home schooling, we have used mostly books, so more "clutter" that I know would drive some people crazy.
No. If you bake and cook and make everything from scratch on a daily basis, not much in the kitchen here applies. I also donated Tupperware years ago, not liking the plastic taste that’s left behind. Dishwasher gets majority of the dishes, some needs hand washing. I love to bake and I love to cook. I also love a variety of tools and specialized ingredients and pans. I currently have 3 different flours on my counter in their canisters.....not to mention the other varieties in the canisters in the cupboard or those in the freezer. Don’t get me started on the different cocoa, sugars...etc I have....baking is joy 🤩 it’s fun! It’s love ❤️
Dawn made a point of saying several times to tailor these tips to your lifestyle. Some people are passionate about cooking and love having a variety of tools. But these are excellent tips for people who are more basic in their kitchen needs but have collected tons of stuff they think they need but never use. I get that it feels crazy to you to not have these tools handy. I feel that way about my art supplies. I need 3 different watercolor palettes and 10+ brushes. I actually use them all. For a family who prefers to color, my essential supply list looks like overkill. It's all about how we choose to live our lives.
Although I have a place setting for 8 and only 2 people, we always wash immediately after use, so it's not a problem, and I have dishes for when family comes over. When they come over, they also help wash dishes. It's truly not a problem. I do have an extra drawer of utensils that I could probably just dump out.
My grandson is looking to get his own place soon so I went thru all my kitchen stuff & gave him my extras. He will start out with a fully outfitted kitchen. As his finances improve, he can just toss & replace. He's thrilled.
I've totally been working on this for a few years. Why is it so hard to part with kitchen stuff?!?!? This right here motivated me even more to let go of more. I'm one of those that's like, well I already own it. If this breaks I won't have to go out and buy another. Also Watching how pared down you are, reminds me of "if I ever lived abroad". Those kitchens are TINY! So I'm going to play like it's setting me up for success in my future! Thank you & congrats on 300K!
Totally with you!! I watched it in hopes that in can convince me to part with kitchen things but my kitchen may just end up not quite bring minimal because I use so much in there when I cook 3 meals a day for us 6.
During COVID and being home so much sometimes I have to run mine twice a day but I would rather run it and unload it then have the dirty dishes sitting around. I just would hate that.
It's just hubs and me so dishes go right into the dishwasher and about every other day it's full enough to run. Never a dish in the sink or sitting around on counter. But so many of Dawn's tips have helped me elsewhere to make my home more managable. :) Well that and COVID...it's really been helping me to keep busy doing something that has worth.
Same. I did get rid of all the mismatched 'extra' dishes for 'just in case' but I don't like having a drying rack out and having to hand wash everything. I like having enough matching dishes for when we have company.
My daughter introduced me to your videos. Awesome! Married 39 yrs and 3 kids later we accumulated a lot. Just moved to a townhouse so I HAD to declutter. Feels so good. We put nonessential in storage before selling and didn't even miss the stuff. I feel like I have purged half my old house. Keep up the good training.
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It was truly a privilege to get to partner with Cas & Dana!! You find details for the Take Your House Back Course: takeyourhouseback.com/
@Melinda Bampfield Love it!!!! Can't wait for you!!!
How much does the course cost? I didn’t see it on the site, just the $20 off part. Thanks
Love you Dawn!!!!💗 thank you!
@@katie.r.vannuys It's $99, or $79 with the $20 off
I'm so stoked cause I've been following Cass for so long and then found you! Had no idea until I saw Cass mention you that there might be something up and now I must find A slob comes clean too! Love seeing women/moms working together! 🥰
Awesome tip here from my engineer husband. We use no round containers. We use only clear so we can see what in it. We have the same size opening but different depths so lids are the same. That means containers nest and lids stack neatly. Love it.
Oh my goodness, that is brilliant! Thank you for sharing!
That's a great idea!
Yes! And also get them from a brand where you can buy the lid and container separately so if a part is damaged you don't have to throw the entire thing
@@mtralyson4659 Can you tell us the brand please?
@@alexandracopeland7561 I have the ones from IKEA
I swear that coffee mugs have babies when I'm not looking...
LOL!
😂
Or get adopted by mother
So true
I threw out every mug I had and replaced it with _one_ set of identical, white mugs that have the same design as my plates. And everybody knows that I did this on purpose. Yet, people think they have to gift me "nice" or "funny" mugs, yet be hurt when I want to get rid of them.
Can really recommend to switch to glass storage containers for the day to day life. They also double as microwave bowls, mixing bowls, salad bowls and what not - despite not being a bowl. I also have oven proof version too so can cook in them, and after cooling it down just put the lid on and put it in the fridge. No more plastic containers!
Totally agree! I use my glass containers for everything. The smaller ones are great for mixing sauces or eating out of. Also when I’m cooking and cutting ingredients. Getting containers that can go in the microwave, oven and freezer makes them even more multi purpose.
Yup! It's way more versatile and more food safe.
This is what I do too!
@@SheenaRushBeauty my sister in law did that and I like it, may do that slowly budget you know
We tried to do this, for environment/health, but found it easier to let some plastic back into our lives. Specifically when my husband carried his lunch to work, having glass containers for his 3 hour commute was noticeably heavier. Or for hiking. And glass has broken in the freezer on us more than once, even if lid was off to allow for expansion. So for traveling or freezing broth we use plastic again (no microwaving in it, of course!), but for everything else we use glass. :)
I like minimalism in most rooms of my house, but not in my sewing room and kitchen. I LOVE all the tools and I use them. It's what makes my cooking and sewing fun for me. I do love a minimalist style for my living room, dining room, and bedrooms.
I think I’m this way too. I cook huge relaxing Mexican meals and sometimes have all four burners going. Just to make chilaquilas, rice and beans; chilaquilas require a medium sized pot to cook the homemade chili in and a skillet that has at the minimum 3 inch walls where you will cook the dish when the chili has simmered for five minutes; meanwhile a skillet for rice which I start cooking first as it takes longer:; and a large pot for cooking the beans. When all is done I move everything to the kitchen island but need to put some of the cooked beans in a skillet and lightly smash them. So it takes many skillets and pots. But before even starting to cook I make fresh salsa as I will need about 3/4 cup for my rice. This is relaxing for me. I cleanup along the way. I keep a sink of hot sudsy water going. So I love to cook but I do see that some of my stockpots can go into shelving in the garage. I don’t use a food processor except to cut celery for potato salad. I do use a blender for the salsa.
@@luv3pugs having at least multiple spoons for amount of burners help especially when cooking on all of your burners 🤣. I can't stand having to wash a spoon to stir another side dish. Plus least 2 tongs (bbq), two spatulas (breakfast). My pet peeve is not having enough baking trays so least 4 the minimum (2 for savory meals and 2 for desserts. No one wants bake cookies on a tray you bake or roast meat on. Minimal is a silly thing if like cooking. Minimal for clothing, toys, things won't be missed.
Yes! I cleaned up my sewing stuff a lot because I don't have a whole room for it but I will not purge sewing things! Kitchen gadgets and storage containers need to be pared down (again!) Though!
Kids are so cute washing their dishes! Good job Mom teaching your children responsibility.
Yeah, cause seeing one of them do it one time in the video is proof that they help all the time.
Years ago I said goodbye to Tupperware. I bought several glass Pyrex dishes, and that’s what we use leftovers. Heating up is always easy, and there are only a few of them, so I rotate leftovers all the time. No more moldy foods! And they’re glass so I don’t want to throw them away, and they’re never stained with spaghetti sauce 😂
we received a set of pyrex containers and lids for our wedding 6 years ago and they have been such a great surprise! i hate looking at stained containers in the cupboard or the fridge and i like being able to see what’s in the containers. totally agree on the pyrex!
Something I’ve started doing as well as using glass jars for leftover storage. We have some widemouth glass jars that tomato sauce comes in here in Germany for example, and they are perfect for a bit of leftovers. And it’s easy to see what’s in them, easy to wash, the lids fit perfectly… and they don’t leak, if you put them in a bag to take with you to work. :-)
Yep, healthier to get rid of the plastic. Costco has some nice sets, and they nest so don’t take up much space.
@@kathygann1180 also got rid of most of the plastic in our house and will never go back!
I also love glass for leftovers however, I have found sending glass to work/school means chipped and broken glass. So, I use glass for home storage - bpa free plastic for take away.
My first comment ever on RUclips. I recently got rid of a pot I had for 12 years that I didn’t like but I used. I now have a pot I enjoy that has a lid! Why did I wait so long! Huge fan by the way.
I've had items for years and years my mom gave me that I didn't like but felt an obligation to keep (and use-but definitely didn't like) I remarried a few years ago and in creating a new home, I've given myself permission to get rid of anything I don't love. I replaced some things with things I am excited to see in my home and use regualarly. It feels wonderful!!!
Laurie? Same here.... Dawn's Channel has been life-changing!
For a long time I thought of new pots and pans as "expensive" and I limped along with crappy wares. Then I noticed so much good quality stuff at discount stores like Ross!Farberware pot with lid $5...sweet
The one tip that truly stuck out to me was "set your table like it's Thanksgiving, and pass on the rest." What a good way to actually see what we need and don't need!
Yes, I totally feel the same. Today, I'm setting my table and passing along the rest.
I have two pretty bowls that I use for mixing and serving. Meanwhile, my old seldom-used mixing bowls are taking up space in my cabinet. You are inspiring me to let them go (well maybe most of them).
I keep one full 8 pc set of dishes in my kitchen cupboards and keep 2 sets in my downstairs storage cupboard. We have a large family and lots of company for dinner. As Dawn has stated many times declutter to your lifestyle and use of items.
Here is a tip if you have extra dishes that are mismatched or you don’t use anymore, keep them in the basement and use them when bringing items to potlucks or school functions. That way if they get lost or damaged you don’t care. I also have larger gatherings with friends and family and often send leftovers home with people. I use those old plates to send away leftovers.
I went for years with 7 plates for our family of 4 cause it was all we had. I hated it. Like really hated it.
Now I have service for 20 and am soooo much happier with the ability to set the table for a big thanksgiving meal with the whole family. I have cooked for 16-18 several times and regularly have 6-12.
I keep service for 12 on lower shelves and put the other 8 settings on higher shelves since we don’t use that many pieces as often. So they don’t get used on the day to day stuff.
I cook scratch meals daily and bake constantly. I used more then 4 pots just tonight! Lol.
Thank you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I LOVE to cook and bake and do so for myself and others all the time! And not enough to do so easily would drive me insane! But to each their own!! She said that herself and am glad she did!
Thank you for pointing out that we don't all have the same needs ! Sounds like you are well organized- we both know that is key!
We're a family of four, but we have six sets of dishes (not complete ones). We don't eat at restaurants, so it's nice to change the patterns to fit with the food we eat (e.g., Fiestaware for Mexican night, and all the plates are different colors), white ones for pale food (e.g., chicken cutlets and pasta), Coca Cola dishes for burgers or hot dogs, formal china for holidays, etc. I can never get rid of them.
I live alone, and after a recent kitchen remodel bought *more* dishes and flatware so I can completely fill my dishwasher and use it more efficiently. (I live in a drought-prone area where using water efficiency is a concern; hand washing is not very efficient.) Side benefit is I now have plenty of dishes and flatware for when I entertain.
@@sherrycohen1824you sound like you have the same obsession with dishes that I do 😂 Glad to know I’m not the only one that does this!
Thank you again for being a real person! "We only have 3 burners, so we have 3 pots." I never have a 'keeping up with the Joneses' feeling after your videos... Just determination 💪🏻
This is what hit me. There are only 4 burners on my stove. I can't possibly use more than 4 pots at once. So why do I have so many? Why have I never looked at it that way?
I even have a few that I never use! I'm off to purge right now.
exactly
@@JamieM470 I have many pots, but as an amateur cook (I am not a real chef) I use all the pots for various things, so that is one group of things I have a lot of that I really do use all of them, just not at the same time. Same goes for bakeware. But if you are a utilitarian cook, she's so right. You don't need all of the gadgets and cookware.
Hint: if you go into Williams-Sonoma or Bed Bath Beyond and already have almost everything, you need to declutter.
I know loads of people that only have 3 burners working. What’s with that? . Mine stopped working when I only had it a year or so.
@@anyat686 Yes! We have one wonky burner that is hard to light and I swear it doesn't heat well so I never use it. I met someone about years back who had the same stove with the same problem on the same burner.
I have lots of coffee mugs as I love all the designs.I have culled down to about 20 but only have 6 in use at any one time.About every 2 months or so I swap the 6 mugs around so I get the pleasure of using old favourites without getting rid of the others.I store the spares in the garage so I can get them easily if more than 6 guests descend on me for coffee!!! Works for me.
This is a great idea! I love coffee mugs as they make me happy but too many to realistically use. I’ll start to do this.
Great idea! Everyone deserves one vice. ;)
Love this idea! I've been struggling with this and still for a 2 person household have only been able to get down to 9 mugs + 3 travel mugs. TWELVE MUGS for two people!!! I will try the rotating idea, thank you!
Just want to jump on the bandwagon and join the others in saying what a great idea this is! My husband likes a mismatched assortment of mugs picked up here and there over the last 20 years whereas I like "matchy matchy" mugs, plus I have several girly "gift" mugs. You can imagine how many mugs there are between the two of us! And generally, only one mug a day gets used as I tend to drink coffee only on the weekends. Just as I typed this, I came to the part of the video where she addressed unused coffee mugs and getting rid of them so they can fulfill their purpose! I think I rather like the idea of rotating them better (maybe cull a few of the worst, first). Thanks for the idea!
Thats something I need to do too,thanks for the tip!
I don’t ever comment on videos but I just want to thank you. I found you on RUclips 2 weeks ago and my house is almost completely de-cluttered. I LOVE IT! I’m so much happier, my house stays clean, and I actually enjoy cleaning my house now because it’s not stressful! You have changed my life, so thank you for your content, I really appreciate it!
Joshua Becker is amazing too, if you haven’t checked him out you might want to
I'm ignoring my bedroom dresser right now. It's full of mail,ie: bills medical bills all my docs info bills ,bills,bills insurance stuff oh it's cluttering my head just looking at it. Going to start chipping away at it but need to start dumping paperwork that is older I've had two surgeries in the past two years so there's a lot of paperwork some I need to keep much that needs to go I just got a new shredder so I'll be putting that baby to work soon I just need a push to go after it maybe just talking about it will help thanks for your encouragement many great ideas.
Wonderful to see your children washing their own dishes!
I'm often aghast at what chores Mothers are still performing for their children w-a-y past the time when they're old enough to do them themselves.
The only problem with constant dish washing, especially when done by children as shown, is the high use of water. Using a dish washer saves water as well as sterilizes.
@@joanneperry8021 ... 😉 at least the kids hands ate getting washed in the process of washing dishes .. otherwise kids being kids their hands would never get washed.
. So it's a win-win 😂
Yes!!! I started teaching music in a private school and when I mentioned chores to my kindergartners they ALL looked at me like I had two heads. One child said to me "WHAT? I'm not even ten yet!" 🙄
I gave my kids an additional birthday gift starting at age 3, the gift of learning something new, like washing dishes, loading the dishwasher, and advanced tasks as they grew up enough to learn them, such as ironing, sewing on buttons, etc.
At 3, they were thrilled and it continued. When one of my boys was in bootcamp, he called & said thank you, because he was the only one who already knew how to iron & make a proper bed.
@@sldio1718 lol I make my kid least clean their room with me guiding them. So don't get distracted
Great video! Enjoyed it immensely!
As I don’t eat or make desert anymore, I found another use for a bundt pan. If you have a dog, and your dog goes outside to play in the yard occasionally, the Bundt pan makes an excellent outdoor water dish. Just drive a stake through the hole in the middle and the dog can no longer flip it over.
That's brilliant!!
@wildflower ?
It's Christmas time, so maybe people could make a bunch of cookies, give them away in Tupperware containers, and tell people to keep the container. Then tell them that if they don't want to keep the container, they could make cookies and give it away to someone else.
The 'Christmas Cookie Container' train!
I had to buy new pots as I'm finding my set of Le Creuset too heavy for me these days. Mynwrists are pretty week.
I don't like the title of your course, it reminds me of that nasty piece of work who tried to get all those people to overthrow your government. "Take your country back ! " That's his rallying cry. I was tempted to say who's got it ? Where is it ? I know your course name is fine. Can't you tweak it ?
You haven't seen the whole video.
Of dt on 1/6
Fewer dishes, pans, etc. is MAGIC! I don’t have a dishwasher, so I wash everything after each meal - and my kitchen stays clean and uncluttered.
We also wash up every time, so there’s nothing on the sink except our current coffee cups. I have a dish washer, for the past 18 years, and we’ve used it once at a Christmas when the visitors decided to use it.
I love that distinction between visual and non-visual and macro and micro organizing personalities. I am an extreme visual person. Literally, if it is in a opaque container or behind a cabinet door, I completely forget it exists! One entire wall in my kitchen is a red pegboard with all of my pans and kitchen utensils hanging up. It still feels clean to me because my stove top is clear and my counter is clear and everything is in its place, even though it is a very busy look!
Use Bon-Ami to polish your stainless pan after each use. Stainless really doesn't get as clean as it needs to by hand washing or in a dishwasher. That will keep it from sticking. I've been cooking with stainless for 35+ years, same set and still looks new.
Yes…Bob Ami or BarKeepers Friend after every use. I’ve had some of the same stainless pots and pans for years & I acquired them so I wouldn’t have to buy the again!
@@marinemom70 Agreed. I have AllClad pans, and frankly never have a big problem with them being hard to clean, but if there's a layer of cooked-on gunk, a little Barkeeper's Friend makes quick work of it.
Totally had a lightbulb moment with your “the dishes don’t stack up philosophy,” because after we reduced our clothing I had way less laundry to do each Saturday. Only doing laundry once a week has been a game-changer for me and helps me feel more relaxed about my house-hold chores when i set a limit as to when i do each job.
Kitchen is husband's domain. He refuses to minimize it. So I just focus on the rest of the house and enjoy the amazing gourmet cooking.
Lucky you!
Wish my husband did anything in the house
I've been married for 18 years and still am not much of a cook. He's a foodie, though he hates the term, and I've learned to make do. I do okay, but he's a better cook.
Lucky you
Lucky you♥️
Minimizing my kitchen over the past two and half years has completely changed my home in the best of ways. Thank you Dawn!
Same. 🌞
Love your channel. Thank you 🎅❤️
UK Nurse giving vaccine 'busted'
twitter.com/wookat1983/status/1336598555964956672?s=20
Yes!
I hope this is the start of a series on 15 things every room doesn’t need? 😁
Thats an awesome idea!
Yeh, that would be great! It's every other room that needs minimalizing, not just the kitchen.
Yessss
One can hope!!
Please
The problem with getting rid of storage containers is that we like to cook things in very big batches and freeze multiple portions for later. So sometimes we'll have 40 containers in use and sometimes they're all in the cabinet.
What has helped me is to replace all the assorted containers with only 2 kinds so they can be stacked and it never looks cluttered.
Thanks for the tip on 2 like style containers. I pre and freeze things and always use containers to pre fruits etc so I can’t store with lids on but I’ll try your tip
Yeah, the only way it’s possible to scale back this far is if you are buying a lot of processed foods. If you cook form scratch you have to have containers and jars to hold everything. I always have containers with shredded cheese, chopped lettuce and veg. That’s before we talk about left overs for grownup lunches and homemade fruit cups and pudding cups for kid lunches. You also need more than 3 pans. Lol
@@styleme3375 Agreed. We all have those 1-skillet meal nights, but I often use 5 different pans cooking one meal, especially when I’m entertaining - we have a large extended family. And I have storage containers in my pantry, freezer, & fridge because we primarily prepare our meals at home.
Agree completely. I deliberately purchase containers that can be nestled w/ different "depths" able to share lids.
And Stasher bags. I love those, but some types of foods do 'store' better in traditional storage containers. But all of my meats are frozen in Stashers & I can marinate in them as well, along w/ other leftovers in fridge or freezer.
Baggies for each 2 servings. You flatten them, then you are never freezing air.
Thanks for the reminders! I find there are some items that I don't need all the time (like my food processor, extra mixing bowls and stock pot) but for the summer months these are crucial for canning and preserving. Anyone who has done large batches of pickles or peaches or tomato sauce knows the feeling of dread with running out of bowls. However, after purging my kitchen I decided to make a "canning" space elsewhere in the house to store these extras that I don't need day to day. Thanks for making me aware of being intentional with my space!
I had 3 coffee mugs, all somewhat different from each other, and I loved all 3 of them and used them all regularly. So I did an experiment. I used one of them and put the other two in the back of a cabinet. I was *shocked* (*shocked,* I tell you!) that I didn't miss those two. I prefer just using one because it gets washed right away. I never have the bit of milky coffee in the bottom of the mugs sitting around getting gross and then hard to clean. I decided to keep the two mugs I love because I've noticed over the years that I do drop and break things, so eventually those mugs I love will get used. One of them has pretty stripes, and the other is a pleasing shape. I feel happy whenever I happen to see them, so I feel good about keeping them.
Yup!! I ended up just keeping my Wonder woman mug!!!! Hubby kept a mug with fish on it. Done!
What about when you have company??
Don't your friends or family ever visit?
@@joannethorne6709 my mom has 6 matching mugs in the back of a cabinet they are in a place where they're reachable for company, but not "handy" for cluttering up the sink.
I've been thinking about putting 2 table settings in the convenient cabinet and the others stacked tight in the cupboard nobody opens. If people visit or I'm entertaining there they are, but the only way access is to the set for me and the fella.
You could keep a couple of them for visitors and even rotate the one you daily use so occasionally you’d have a “new” mug.
I love how she laughs at herself- so cute! It makes the video more personable. Thanks, Minimal Mom!
Interesting; it puts my teeth on edge...
The way to cook in heavy stainless to keep food from sticking is too heat it up until it’s hot, then put your oil in and immediately the food. It’s the way chefs cook. Just remember “hot pan, cold oil”.
Really?! all this time I thought the oil had to be smokin. Will try tomorrow!
Yes I learned that years ago watching the frugal gormet. Hot pan, cold oil, food doesn't stick
@@sundoesshine8800 Yes, me too!!!
My hubby cooks like this. Amazing! We will keep going this.
am I doing it wrong this whole time? I put cold oil in cold pan and wait for oil to get hot enuf then throw in the food. it doesn't stick and the reason I do it this way it to not damage my pot by overheating it empty
You really inspired me with this one. I started going through my kitchen and, from only three shelves, I got rid of about 20 things that I never use anymore. Once I finish, I'll leave it for a few months, then go through again, and I bet I'll find more. It's so nice to be able to get to everything without moving anything!
I have come through watching so many of your videos lately. I’m a mom of 3, and pregnant. I was telling my husband I just want to spend more time with our kids. Intentional time and I hated cleaning all the time. So I decided to start decluttering where we have too much…. Which is everywhere. We probably have enough inventory for 10 houses. And I can’t keep up. But I also can’t thank you enough for your effort to educate us, in multiple different ways where we’ll understand. I appreciate you so much!!
If everything’s visual, nothings visual. Love that!! It reminds me of that saying, if everything’s a priority, nothing’s a priority!
While I have followed lots of your advice through the past year, I just had the rubber scraper discussion with my 3 teenagers. We have 11. 11 scrapers and we agreed we need them all - different sizes, some are scooped, some are narrow for small jars. On any given day we take 5-7 clean ones out of the dishwasher which we run every day. If there is anything that we can't live without in the kitchen with 5 cooks - breakfast, lunch, dinner, peanut butter on a bone for the dog - it's a scraper. Oh, and 5 pancake flippers. :)
This is so funny! I’m quite minimal in just about every area of the house. I have1 each of kitchen utensils but I have 5 rubber scrapers. I use all of them and honestly feel like I could stand a couple more. 😂 I’m thankful I’m not the only one. 💕
@@shandra413 they make great stocking stuffers... :)
@@katmcc1517 maybe a few will appear in my stocking this year! 😆
I'm with you guys on that... we have some that are strictly 4 cooking (i.e. heat) & others that are strictly 4 baking... LOL! And they go in separate areas of our kitchen bc of my daughter's disabilities. We actually have a baking corner where she does all baking away from the stove. I guess Minimalism isn't working 4 us either, but that's okay... we're still decluttering other stuff that's not a priority any longer for our family.
Totally agree! I can't fathom having one spatula, and only two scrapers!
I don't use the small food containers for storage very often, but I do use them for yogurt, fruit, hummus, etc. for taking to work!
Yes, I use them as well for homemade salsa.
I too use the small ones .. I just store all the lids in a big container that doesn’t get used as often and stack the rest all put in a large drawer .. open n voila! Easy to find and easy to put away! Used to have them on a shelf n I found that’s what made it difficult n messy.
For a small household, small containers are great. They're perfectly sized to hold the extra 100g of pasta from the 500g boxes, or the half-cup of lemon sugar I keep around for cocktail glasses, etc. I find I'm always reaching for a smaller container rather than a larger one. But there's only two of us, so that's probably why. :)
Small containers are good for kids snacks.
Agree, I've been looking for half cup containers.
I cook for four adults, and I use medium to small containers to store the last of the meat almost every meal a little taco meat doesn't need a giant container to occupy until I get around to making chili
I use mine for condiment’s during meals and when making jello or puddings into single servings!
We (2 adults) just went through our containers, literally kept all the small ones, the single-serving ones and a couple medium ones.
The small ones get the most use, extra chopped onions, half fruit etc. And we have some that lock, we use those to take protein powder or snacks/nuts with us :)
The storage containers thing is so powerful. It’s also how you avoid getting weird science experiments in the fridge. If you genuinely get close to running out, there is probably something that needs to be eaten soon and cleaned out.
I minimised our coffee mugs about 6 months ago because you gave me permission to, and now I get to use my favourite mug every single day.
I got rid of the mugs that go with the dishes. We prefer using only our favorite mugs.
@@VelvetRedRoses I LOVE this! I get such joy from picking a mug each morning out of my little collection. And ZERO enjoyment from the matching set of boring mugs.
We got serving dishes for free since we had x amount of sets purchased from our wedding registry. They sat in our basement for years unused still in the box. Years later we got an invite to a wedding and the bride and groom registered for the same serving dishes we had sitting in our basement. We gave that as our gift. :)
Perfect 🤩
Do you happen to know if they’ve been using them? :-)
OMGoodness, this is literally perfect timing. I have a HUGE plastic container filled with a TON of plastic storage containers that I NEVER use and also don't even like anymore...AND I thought to myself literally right before watching this that I really should get rid of all that. Thanks for the confirmation on that!
I'm on my 4th or 5th round of decluttering in my kitchen because I just keep falling in love with all the extra space created by getting rid of stuff. I have discovered that I love.love.love the extra space so much more than having the extra stuff!!!
I had so many plastic containers, that they often fell out of the cupboard out onto the floor! Plus most of them were really old and horrible. Very pleased to get rid of them.
Yes me too I get traumatised when a lid goes missing , I will use plastic bags now , they are going
My preference is glass containers with a lid, 2 large and 2 medium. Fantastic for cycling in and out the leftovers.
As someone who makes food ahead of time and uses the bigger sized boxes for my food to store in the freezer, I know I can't get rid of too many of the good size. The little size are good for portioning snacks. But I know I have too many of the little ones because every time I open that cabinet to get a big one, a stack of tiny ones falls on me. I LOVE the idea of storing with the lids on! SO WISE!
Dawn you are so sweet and have truly changed my life!! I always tear up a little when you say “I love you” at the end of all your videos cause I can tell you truly have a heart for your audience. Thank you so much and we love you too 🤍
My single friend stores lots of containers because when she has a dinner party she sends leftovers home with all her guests. So this is her thing that works good for her!
We should all donate our extra containers to her. 😂
For big holiday dinners, I purchase a few extra dinner plates to send leftovers out on and a few close friends will just bring their own with them. Although I do buy sleeves of deli containers in various sizes and the lids actually fit all four sizes.
For that i have a handful of disposables.
When I host a party- I usually buy disposable containers to send leftovers with guests ( usually all family members) home
Dawn, out of all of the minimalist, you have been the one that best spoke to my heart. I absolutely love your take on minimalism and what to ditch. About 15 years ago my cousin came to visit and told me I did not have enough decor and furnishing. That was it, I started collecting decor and Knick knacks and it became the over ran mess that drove me nuts! I am so happy you have brought us the gift of you and your family. I love your channel, the Sunday’s with Diana and am looking to your class collab! Thank you for the inspiration!
I completely agree! Once I found this channel, I don't watch the others because 1) I love her cheerful, down-to-earth personality, 2) she really delivers the message in a way that motivates me every single time, and 3) GREAT USABLE TIPS !!!!
😂 My Bundt pan was 100% one of the only things I ever regretted getting rid of! When I realized I needed one to try making the cakes, I decided to borrow my brother in laws. Now we just share it!
I can attest to this being spot on advice. A decluttered kitchen is a joy. Having less of everything makes it easy to cook and makes clean up a breeze. I lost half our dishes, pots and pans, cook all the time and don't miss a thing. Also lost all plastic storage and exchanged for glass for health reasons. Storing with lids is something I've done for years to avoid frustration. Once you are decluttered stick with it for at least two years- you will love it! It takes time to undo your habits and replace them with helpful ones.
As for the storage containers, I use Rubbermaid Easy Find system. The lids are the same sizes and snap together. The bowls are all the same size, just different heights. I love them, and it does save space.
I decided yesterday, after watching this video, to declutter the utensils in my kitchen. I had a pretty good pile to donate in a short time. (Who needs 7 spatulas, 2 pizza cutters, 3 can openers, etc). However, my 22 & 20 year old sons and 17 year old daughter are working at home. They discovered what I was doing. We proceeded to have a hilarious session of each person trying to sell me on keeping their favorite utensils. I wished I had filmed it.
That’s awesome!! I bet it was really funny!!!😂
Haha! My husband and I have the same arguments about favorite utensils.
I try to keep it small, but I also have been known to use all 7 spatulas in one day (heavy baking and cooking day) 🤣
My friend has started a box for each of her older kids. If there are dishes they like that she is willing to donate she puts it away in a box for them. That way when they move out they won't have to buy dishes.
DECLUTTERING our kitchen has made a WORLD of difference! I donated SO MUCH and it felt SO GOOD! It just feels SO NICE to walk into my kitchen and NOT SEE A MOUNTAIN PILED UP! THANK YOU for guiding us, teaching us and inspiring us all!
My only go to "maker" in my house that I use frequently is my rice cooker. I LOVE how the rice turns out and you can just push the button down and forget about it. I wouldnt ever want to go back to rice on the stove lol!
Me neither! I have had mine for years and I use it all the time! It is probably the number one thing I use all the time. I purchased a Zourichi rice cooker( not sure of spelling). Love it 😍
"If everything is visual, then nothing is visual
I love that so so much!!! I really needed to hear that. Gonna take a good look at my kitchen today.
That’s a problem my ADD spouse has and it’s been driving me crazy for decades. Everything has to be front and center visible because God forbid looking behind or under for things, but then there’s just too much visible so everything is invisible anyway!
I struggle with this. I’ve stopped cooking because I cannot keep it all clean and functioning. Drives me nuts. I feel like this video was made specifically for me. Really spot on. Thank you so much! 😍
So cute seeing the kids washing their own dishes. I like the idea of getting rid of items you don’t like. I recently started keeping lids on my storage containers because pieces disappear & it’s time consuming to find a match. Much easier now.
Mo
It was so incredible to meet you and get to know you better! You are just as motivating and inspiring in real life.
Don't let her get rid of that old frying pan! The copper ones don't last very long at all! Just have her teach to heat up the pan and oil before putting in the food. 😊 love you Cass! and Dawn too of course!
@@LindaBolt-vy9rx I was wondering how they shot this video without social distancing etc.
ClutterBug, girl! you look stunning!!!
Bah!! Love you ladies...and together?? Even better!
@Alison J
Love this video! My daughter asked me the other day where is my rice cooker and I just handed her a sauce pot and laughed. 😂😂😂
I have always used a saucepan, never owned a rice cooker(too heavy/bulky) and I eat rice all the time! I like simplicity though, never cared to get stuff just because everyone else does.
One idea for the fridge is to have the front (doors) kept clear, and only put things on the side(s) of the fridge. That way, you can still collect magnets, display kids' drawings, etc. while keeping the clutter to a minimum & maintain a clean visual appearance in general.
I know everyone is different but we use A LOT of storage containers. And especially the little ones. I have two very young kids and I love pre-cutting veggies and fruit and cheese and such for easy to grab snacks so I do them up in the tiny containers. Also for road trips. Also, we do up large batches of things, put them in storage containers and put them in the freezer. So one day it will seem like we have a lot and the next day it seems like we have no containers at all.
I’m a grandmother and we have family sit down dinners at least once a month for 10 or 12 people. I like to set a pretty table with nice dishes and silverware. No way am I going to throw away my lovely dishes so I only have 2 sets to wash! And my frig has special artwork from our grandkids hung up for all to admire! I’m a long ways from being a minimalist! 🤣
I know, I know... my China that's for company and special occasions only is screaming right NOW- "NOT ME, NOT ME... I'm useful I promise!" LOL
So this is what makes this kind of advice so perfect! Do what works for YOU and your lovely family that you can enjoy their company!
Same here! Not as often for bigger gatherings, but they do happen, and I want my nicer dishes for those. Nothing on the fridge would drive me nuts. Definitely not a minimalist! I like my knick-knacks, too, and artwork or photos on every wall. Shelves loaded with books, a whole closet full of games, that we do play, etc.!
My mom, a brilliant cook, hosts special dinner parties for extended family. She has a fabulous dinner service for 12. After using it, she repacks it and puts it away until next time. She is almost 90 years old.
An almost hoarder here, especially of vintage kitchenware. I think this onion is going to have very many layers.
That's okay! Proud of you! I've been there, still "peeling!" Freedom!!! No rush. But it will only bless you. It's a journey. Enjoy it!
@@salishheights2320 Thanks! Just beginning to think seriously about these changes. Dawn is helping to open my thinking about seeing my stuff differently. I doubt I’ll ever be as minimal as her(that spare of a space makes me anxious), but I have a long way to go.
@@notavailable5911 Thank you, yes, good point. This whole minimalism idea is quite the paradigm shift for me and it’s taking a while to assimilate the new thinking, much less put it into practice, but I’m getting there. Thanks for the ideas and encouragement!
@@cynthiafisher9907 It's great for some, not so much for others. I appreciate that she doesn't claim her ideas are perfect for everyone. For your stuff, if you have the space, and appreciate it, no reason to get rid if those things. Something that doesn't have sentimental value, now, that is never used, isn't decorative, etc., can be tossed or given away more easily. Same for stuff we don't like. I like donating to a local thrift run by a church, that keeps prices low as a ministry.
@@LadyGreenEyes964 Thank you for your input. I do see some progress in myself already. I cleared out a lot of stuff in my downstairs living area before Thanksgiving and got used to the clean, organized look. Yesterday two of my daughters came over and brought out a lot of Christmas decoration boxes and put them in my dining room. It made me quite anxious just to have all that stuff piled up in my living space, so I think I am changing my thinking. I have way too much Christmas stuff that I don’t really use, so I am going to pare that down as we put the boxes back into storage, and get rid of it.
Thanks again Dawn, I love my paired down kitchen ! So much inventory was “for entertaining” that rarely happened. My kitchen and house is now for every day, not for Thanksgiving or a party !
Sometimes I sit on my couch, look around and think, "does a hoarder live here?" I swear I'm not a hoarder, but someone whose lived and accumulated stuff.
🤣🤣🤣IKR .. same for me.
@Myrt Myrtle I'm doing good. It sunk in that my house isn't just one big storage unit. I don't want to store things anymore, I want to actively use what I have.
🤣🤣🤣
Same here and being told we have 7 weeks to move out (lease not being renewed due to the back tenants asked the landlords to buy the house to convert into a single family dwelling). Packing is a nightmare and found ourselves just pitching so much “stuff”. Down to the last 7 days to go and swear since we are buying this time finally it will never get this way again! My mom’s Christmas gift a dishwasher and installation finally!
We use a lot of food storage containers because leftovers get put away in single serving sizes which means 3+ containers per meal. The containers are freezer safe so some wind up in there so we can take those to work with pre frozen home made meals. My solution was to get Rubbermaid takealongs only. The two sizes I use have the exact same size of lid so they mix and match. I don't have to search for matching lids ever and I just have a lid stack, and two container stacks. And they all are in use at the same time on many occasions. I'm actually getting ready to refresh my whole stock and throw out the ones that are getting a bit old.
I have a Universal lid. Fits variety of size stock pots and frying pans.
Great idea!
😮😮😮
What happens when several pans need covered?
I use that too 🙂
I was gifted a universal lid a few years ago. It’s one of my favorite things in my kitchen. Brilliant!
You, Dana, and Cass are my favorites, how great you are all going to be together. Can't wait.
Meeting Dawn has explained in my brain why I could never keep a clean house.
I followed ( or tried to follow ) the fly lady when my kids were kiddos, YET I just couldn’t do it, even as hard as I tried I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t keep up with it. I always felt like a failure.
It was just really crummy.
I just had too much stuff!
WAYYYY too much stuff!
If you are a mom with a young family or whoever you are, do yourself a favor and get rid of a huge percentage of your things,
because you really don’t need them.
Things are absolutely not what is important in life. I’ve known that.
But, I STILL had a lot of things, anyway!
I have used most of this advice the containers I might have an issue I keep old containers that come with cream cheese or sour cream in it not to use but more when I have to drain off grease from hamburger or bacon so that I dont pour it down the sink I probably have way to many but that's how I dont damage our plumbing and make it so that the garbage leaks out grease
I am definately not a minimalist but my kitchen has been bothering me for a while. Your decluttering the kitchen videos is helping me want to change what's bugging me in the kitchen. Apparently I like having a minimal kitchen
I love dishes and being in the kitchen so I struggle with minimizing here. BUT, we moved this summer and it was revealing how much I wasn’t using. I purged so much and it felt good to free up space
Kitchen will be my struggle too--- just knowing I'll be getting to the kitchen at some point concerns me. I definitely use tons of kitchen gadgets to save time so it just might not be as Minimal like the rest of the home
I was literally just thinking this like 20 min before you posted this! How im sick of the mess in the kitchen, I want to simplify it ans be able to cook and clean easier without it always always always being a mess
I have tried these tips and the payoff is immediate and huge! If you only have energy for one thing, I also suggest minimizing dishes to one serving per person and see how it goes. It has cut my kitchen cleaning time down to 1/5 of what it was!
I've never owed a bunt cake pan, so I can't get rid of one. 🤣👌
My neighbors and I share one. Whoever borrowed it last keeps it until someone else needs it.
I need a bunt cake pan, just in case. I thought my oven was broken for 2 years & just discovered it works fine. So now I can bake a bunt cake.
😂
I store even my empty food containers in the freezer or in the fridge😂 So there's always the lid on them, there's space reserved in case I need to keep left overs, it saves energy and I don't have a mess in other drawers. Felt weird in the beginning but now it's great
I'd love to see a video of that! 😉
Years ago Ikea did a set of round plastic containers that went down in size so that you could stack them inside each other and because they were going down in height as well, you could store the lids on top of each other on top of the stack of bowls... I bought a couple of sets and I'm still using them because they are so useful and they don't take up much room in your cupboards.
So excited that you have collab’d with Cass, I love her. I have been the “organizer” in my family for years. I’ve tried for years to help my Mom get organized and it never took. But I am a “cricket” micro organizer who likes everything hidden. My Mom is a macro organizer that is visual. Since watching her it has changed how I help my Mom organize and so far so good with getting the organization systems to stick.
One of the many reasons I find you so inspirational and relaxing to watch, I’m a Ladybug too. Your house is so soothing to me 😊
The coffee mug not fufilling its purpose felt like a nod to Friends. 🤣 Where Ross tells Pheebs that the bike is dying because she isn't riding it. Lol.
But this analogy is SOOO great, especially for kids. "Another kid would love to have that baby toy that you never play with anymore, lets pass it on so the baby can have it and the toy can do its job."
YES!!!! Never thought of that Friends episode, LOVE IT!!!!!
that was where my mind went to immediately! I was crackin up 😂
Not dying?! Lol now I'm thinking about "The brave Little Toaster".
We have our church in our home every 4 weeks, and I am not a fan of disposables... SO, we have many dishes which I want to keep. However, I did move the extras to storage in the basement so there is less in our space that we use on a daily basis. I DID find that I had many things I had not used for several years since I got married and combined households... just loaded the back of our Explorer and took them to Love In Action. It felt great! This Vlog really motivated me to look at all of the extra and evaluate what I REALLY use freauently.
Tip for cleaning your pots without soaking: if food gets stuck on it, use some sort of acid: vinegar, wine, etc. (enough to cover the bottom) after you’ve finished cooking under low heat to clean the pot. Use a wooden spoon to help lift the stuck food and residue. Best cleaning tip! 🙌
Great idea! Will try! But not with wine ... 🤔😉
I burned pasta years ago in a good pot. Thought i had ruined it. I kept boiling h20 & vinegar & it came out bright as the day i bought it ! 😄 Vinegar, baking soda, Dawn, salt & lemon juice are my go to favorites.
Coke a cola does the same job.
@@harrykimerdman2659 LOL, I hear ya!
@@aking3624 I’m really just seeing these! I’ll keep some of the others in mind! Yes, vinegar is really a miracle worker on a lot of things!
I love my counter tops clear, I have just moved my knife block and it has changed my life.
Haha yes! I totally understand the fulfillment in the smallest of things 😊.
My husband and I ate dinner at the home of someone who had radically simplified their kitchen. There were 4 couple there. We had chicken breasts cooked on the grill, and they had simplified where they had only one place setting of silverware per person in their family of four. Therefore, everyone couldn't have a steak knife which we all desperately needed to cut the chicken breasts. It wasn't very enjoyable, and to tell you the truth, it didn't feel very hospitable. To each his own, I guess.
Yeah, this is definitely inadequate planning rather than a reflection on minimalism. No judgement either way (they could have gotten caught up with other things in life), but this kind of situation is exactly what a Buy Nothing or Freecycle group (or just borrowing from a friend or neighbor!) is for. 😊
Lol could imagine their invitation for a party. BYO plates, glasses and silverware 🤣. To me I calculate least my family and extended family visits the most. Which usually 12. Now silverware probably need get more. No one cares if they match the just want to be to eat. If a party usually plastic silverware and paper plates.
I took another load of stuff to the donation center today and dropped off three bags of kids clothes to a friend. When I got home I literally felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It feels so good! Great info in your video today. The kitchen is a tough spot and I use the do I love it question and do I actually use this question and it's helped a ton. I finally have an empty drawer in my kitchen😮. I didn't know that was possible 😆
YAY!!!! Way to go!!!!!
@@TheMinimalMom thank you Dawn!
A few of the kitchen supplies that I had multiples of I added to my child’s toy kitchen. It felt good saving money by not buying toy kitchen supplies. The rest of the items that I am not using or wanting to decrease the quantity I am getting rid of this week. I am excited to have a minimal kitchen! 😁
THANK YOU. EACH OF YOUR VIDEOS IS A LIGHTBULB FOR MY BRAIN. A GREAT REVALATION. IM ACTUALLY EXCITED TO CLEAR MY KITCHEN TOMORROW. ITS ALREADY 820 PM WATCHING THIS AND I MUST SLEEP SO TOMORROW EARLY IM GOING IN THE KITCHEN. HITTING THE STORAGE BIN WITH ALL THE ASSORTED SIZES OF STORAGE CONTAINERS AND MULTIPLE LARGE COOKING SPOONS. TOO MANY.
It is just my husband and myself in our home, but we have not decluttered our dishes. We put the dishes in the washer. When it is full, we run it. It doesn’t bother us to have more than we need for one meal. Plus when we are not living in a pandemic, we have dinner gatherings for friends.
it's true, i have about 15-18 place settings and only 6 in our family and use them all regularly for dinner with friends!
Your ability to find new topics &/or angles to present previously covered material never ceases to amaze! You continually design new material even on the same topics (like decluttering the kitchen) while keeping it fresh. Thanks and God bless your Christmas!
Please make “take your house back” it’s own channel, website, and blog montage. I am not in a place where I can pay for the course but I love your channels and would love to see you all together
I hear ya!
Yes! A year ago I would have jumped at their program. It's not possible anymore.
No shade but you can probably get all their tips for free on different channels.
Great idea! One tip- I’ve had the same stainless steel frying pan for 30 years. And I can even make scrambled eggs in it. The trick is to polish it with comet every 10 uses or so. It’s like brand new.
Vinegar works just as well, no need for comet
@@lsamoa Thank you! That’s great to know!!!! Much appreciated!!!
Great tips! My tip with storage containers: get one easily rebuyable, freeze- and heatable system, whatever brand it is. And limit the amount to the minimum. Professional kitchens do that as part of their system, and it works like a charm.
And you can roast a chicken standing up with a bundt cake pan.
What’s so neat and amazing for me is that the three of u “declutters” are the only ones whose decluttering videos I follow on a regular basis. To have the three of you together, will be not only helpful but fun. I’ve read many decluttering books over the years, but Dana's book is the only one that hit home for me (and the only one I didn’t declutter)!
Hi Dawn! Just wanted to say thanks for your videos. I’ve been watching them for a few weeks now. I’ve been decluttering during the pandemic and it has felt so purposeful and freeing to let go of things that aren’t really meaningful to our family and focus on the people inside it instead. I feel like we will emerge from the pandemic remembering that we made a life shift during this time and ready to make new memories and travel through life a little lighter. My favorite tips have been the encouragement to get through the sentimental items. I just ordered a shadow box for some wedding memorabilia that has been sitting under my bed for ten years and have a photo box of all my dad’s and husband’s letters up on a special shelf that I can now treasure. I have a box that I’ve been keeping in the closet for donation items now. I’ve gone through the first few layers of the onion and am getting to the deeper sort of strategizing now and its becoming really fun. Thank you so much!
I love your videos! They're changing my life! I've been overwhelmed for years by the lack of organization in my house. Now I realize, I have too much stuff! It's that simple! (and all this time I've been trying to find time and energy to do more housework or ways to organize the extra stuff better; like I assumed other better people did.) I've been taking this "Covid time off" to go through everything in my house and get rid of what I don't use, want, or need. I watch your videos for encouragement and inspiration. I find myself looking at things differently and feeling good about getting rid of things I previously didn't. Many people have tried to give me advice through the years, but they were organized people and just didn't really understand me, and their advice just didn't work for me. (They told me to make lists, organize and clean for hours every day, etc) But, you get me. You know I have too much stuff. I loved it when you said if you go to put something away in another room during cleaning you will get distracted and not come back to the original project, the paper piles are scary so when they get too big you want to avoid them, when you started you worried you'd get rid of something and regret it. I experience all of that. It's encouraging to hear your tips and tell us we'll learn to trust our decisions and it will get easier. I recently got 6 xerox boxes of paperwork down to 1 desk drawer (not even full). My desk is now usable and not piled with things. I can now fit all of my food in my pantry rather than having some of it on the counters. I can finally park 2 cars in my 2 car garage. I can find things when I need them. All the clothes, jackets, and shoes in my closet fit and I like them. I'm using up supplies that I have extra of (now that I can actually see that I have extra). I still have a way to go (there are boxes in the garage and the attic; and there is painting, deep cleaning, and repairs that need to be done), but it's truly amazing what minimizing my things has done. Easier home maintenance, less stress, more free time, more savings, better mood. My goal is to get it to a point when I feel great about inviting friends over. Thanks so much for sharing yourself with people like me.
That's awesome!!
I really appreciate your humility while discussing minimalism. You really open peoples eyes to a new ways of life in a non threatening way. Thanks!
Dawn, I am 67 and I love your videos and have learned some core concepts that a minimalizing Grandma really can use. I have a couple of thoughts to share. I would love to put so many bigger things away, but as a person with osteoarthritis and degenerative spinal disease I have to keep that stand mixer, etc, etc, on the counter. And at 4'9 and shrinking I am moving heavy and large items to lower shelving. Regularly used items have to be down low. BUT this also is helping to provide storage boundaries! We seniors encounter challenges and opportunities at every turn! Thank you so much for your introspective and practical observations.
You made me pause your video and go to my refrigerator and clear everything off of it. I stood back and smiled!! Thank you. It's a beginning for sure.
Love this!!!
This is a great video. I only keep my coffee pot on the counter. I like a few items on the fridge. And today I just got a new coffee mug as a gift from a student on my bus. My daughter loves it so I told her one in and one out. So now she has to give up one of the older mugs.
I can appreciate what she is saying but for people who do lots of cooking not much of this applies. I cook 3 meals a day and bake daily from scratch, if I didn’t have 6 spatulas, multiple pots, pans and dishes I would never leave the kitchen doing dishes all day, and even with all that I only use the dishwasher once a day.
I totally agree--- but keep in mind your kitchen may not be as minimized as the rest of your home. I also have tons of things to save me time in the kitchen because with 4 kiddos and homeschooling, I simply need them because I don't have time and that's ok!!!
@@TheBalancedMom Different strokes for different folks! I'd go nuts with that little amount of stuff. Even home schooling, we have used mostly books, so more "clutter" that I know would drive some people crazy.
No. If you bake and cook and make everything from scratch on a daily basis, not much in the kitchen here applies. I also donated Tupperware years ago, not liking the plastic taste that’s left behind. Dishwasher gets majority of the dishes, some needs hand washing. I love to bake and I love to cook. I also love a variety of tools and specialized ingredients and pans. I currently have 3 different flours on my counter in their canisters.....not to mention the other varieties in the canisters in the cupboard or those in the freezer. Don’t get me started on the different cocoa, sugars...etc I have....baking is joy 🤩 it’s fun! It’s love ❤️
I agree. i think people who love to cook and are adventurous, it's fine to have more things IF you know you use them.
Dawn made a point of saying several times to tailor these tips to your lifestyle. Some people are passionate about cooking and love having a variety of tools. But these are excellent tips for people who are more basic in their kitchen needs but have collected tons of stuff they think they need but never use.
I get that it feels crazy to you to not have these tools handy. I feel that way about my art supplies. I need 3 different watercolor palettes and 10+ brushes. I actually use them all. For a family who prefers to color, my essential supply list looks like overkill. It's all about how we choose to live our lives.
Although I have a place setting for 8 and only 2 people, we always wash immediately after use, so it's not a problem, and I have dishes for when family comes over. When they come over, they also help wash dishes. It's truly not a problem. I do have an extra drawer of utensils that I could probably just dump out.
My grandson is looking to get his own place soon so I went thru all my kitchen stuff & gave him my extras. He will start out with a fully outfitted kitchen. As his finances improve, he can just toss & replace. He's thrilled.
Something with Dawn, Cass AND Dana??? My goodness, how exciting!
I wonder how much it's gonna cost?
I've totally been working on this for a few years. Why is it so hard to part with kitchen stuff?!?!? This right here motivated me even more to let go of more. I'm one of those that's like, well I already own it. If this breaks I won't have to go out and buy another. Also Watching how pared down you are, reminds me of "if I ever lived abroad". Those kitchens are TINY! So I'm going to play like it's setting me up for success in my future! Thank you & congrats on 300K!
Totally with you!! I watched it in hopes that in can convince me to part with kitchen things but my kitchen may just end up not quite bring minimal because I use so much in there when I cook 3 meals a day for us 6.
Dirty dishes go immediately into the dishwasher and when it's full, it gets turned on.
Same. I’m not understanding this “dirty dishes but the sink”.
During COVID and being home so much sometimes I have to run mine twice a day but I would rather run it and unload it then have the dirty dishes sitting around. I just would hate that.
@@jeanieh9386 same here.
It's just hubs and me so dishes go right into the dishwasher and about every other day it's full enough to run. Never a dish in the sink or sitting around on counter. But so many of Dawn's tips have helped me elsewhere to make my home more managable. :) Well that and COVID...it's really been helping me to keep busy doing something that has worth.
Same. I did get rid of all the mismatched 'extra' dishes for 'just in case' but I don't like having a drying rack out and having to hand wash everything. I like having enough matching dishes for when we have company.
My daughter introduced me to your videos. Awesome! Married 39 yrs and 3 kids later we accumulated a lot. Just moved to a townhouse so I HAD to declutter. Feels so good. We put nonessential in storage before selling and didn't even miss the stuff. I feel like I have purged half my old house. Keep up the good training.