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intentional living

How 15 Minutes Can Help You Solve 6 Problem Areas

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I think a lot of times people think I’m perfect. That I have a perfect life and everything is perfect in my house all the time. And that’s just so not true. 

I have struggles. I have mindset blocks. My house and relationships are sometimes messy. 

So, let me just get that out of the way and tell you that things aren’t perfect over here. Not to burst your bubble or anything. 

That being said, I am a perfectionist. I’m the epitome of an all-or-nothing person.

I struggle with it so, so much. And I think it’s a struggle a lot of us have. 

And what sucks is that this all-or-nothing mentality is a version of perfectionism that can really get you stuck before you even begin. It can really set you on a negative spiral. 

 And it’s not necessary. Or even helpful.

But I’m here to tell you about something that has totally changed the game for me when it comes to overcoming this unhelpful mindset. I’m calling it the 15 Minute Reset.

Listen, there’s so much power in 15 minutes. There’s so much power in just hitting the reset button when you’re tired, or when you’re not making progress in an area. 

We’re not meant to stay stuck. We’re not meant to live in a cycle of defeat and negativity. We’ve got to say no to that. 

We have the power to change our situations. And sometimes it only takes fifteen minutes. 

These are the 6 areas where I use the 15 minute reset to refocus, make progress, solve problems: 

Relationships

If you’re married and you have kids you know how difficult it can be to have a full conversation without a kid pulling on your leg every 2 seconds. Really you don’t even have to have kids to have distractions pulling at you. Just be a functioning adult and you’ll know what I mean. 

So, this is one area where the 15 minute reset can be a total game changer. Just set the timer, get the kids settled or put the phones away and just hash it out. 

You could give 3 minutes to your spouse, 3 minutes to yourself where you don’t interrupt each other. You guys get to share your sides and then spend the remaining time trying to come to a conclusion, trying to solve the problem. 

And it’s OK if you don’t solve it. The important thing is that you’re showing up for each other. 

Cleaning

I think a lot of times we overthink things and we get into an all-or-nothing mindset with our homes. Like if we can’t clean the whole house from top to bottom then the day was a total botch. 

It doesn’t have to be like that. That’s perfection and that has no place. 

Magic can happen if you just pick up for 15 minutes. Get your family involved. If you have really little kids, try to get them busy with something and then just do what you can. 

When the house is messy, set a timer and just have at it. Clean everything you see. 

Even if you don’t get it all done, you’ll at least have put 15 minutes of focused energy into the problem. Not everything needs to be done all the way. Just set a timer and do what you can. 

Diffuse Chaos

You know how your house can just feel really overwhelming sometimes? 

Not just because it’s messy or anything like that. But it’s just chaotic, overstimulating, loud and tense?

Set a timer for 15 minutes and attack that chaos, girl! 

Are your kids whining? Listen to them. What’s the root cause? What do they need from you? 

Is there a feeling of stress in your house? Light a candle. Turn on your oil diffuser. Start playing some praise music…or rap music. Whatever the mood calls for. 

Get the vibe in your house diffused. Bring peace over your home. 

Sometimes your house just needs you and your attention. Sometimes it just needs you to press pause, evaluate and diffuse certain the chaos. 

And you know what? Maybe your kids are still being jerks and things are still a little crazy when the timer dings. 

But you did what you could. You know you tried. And that’s what counts. 

Exercise

We all know we need to do it. We set goals. We set fitness plans. But then we keep not doing it. 

You don’t have to follow the Pinterest-perfect fitness plan to live healthfully. You don’t need to go work out for an hour to be fit. 

Get the kids busy, set the timer and hit it, girl! Do squats, pushups, tricep dips, arm circles, or just flip on that rap music and proclaim a dance party! Go hard for 15 minutes. It counts! 

Get in “The Mood”

Not to be TMI (I’m just trying to give you life-hacks) but sometimes it’s just hard to transition into that slow mood with your husband when you’ve just been going, going, going all day long. Ya feel me? 

15 minutes can be a good transition time to help get  you in the mood for an intimate night with your spouse. Because even though we love our hubbies, a lot of times we’re just not feeling it. 

But put your headphones in and listen to peaceful music. Stretch. Take a shower. Go for a walk by yourself. Take a bath. Breathe and unwind for fifteen minutes. 

This is a freaking marriage saver. Trust me. It will work. 

Brainstorming

I legit do this every day. There’s just a lot of brainstorming in my life. 

I’m always working to come up with life-hacks that turn into my courses or my podcast episodes, or my blog posts. I’m always brainstorming and the fifteen minute reset has been such a game changer in this area. 

Just a little helpful disclaimer though: you need to know if you’re an internal or an external processor. If you’re an external processor, you come to conclusions or solutions by talking it out with someone else.  

If you’re an internal processor, you need time to be alone and quiet and think things through. We’re all different and knowing which one you are is powerful. 

I’m an external processor and stylist and business guru, Hilary Rushford gave me the idea to open up my voice memo app and talk to myself like I’m talking to a friend when I need to figure something out. 

So, if you’re an external processor. Do that. Go around the neighborhood and just talk into your phone. 

Phone a friend. Talk to your husband. Whatever works for you as an external processor, do that for 15 minutes. 

If you’re an internal processor, go for a walk and just be quiet. Make yourself a cup of tea and journal through the problem. 

Just get your brain going. All it takes is 15 minutes to refocus the problem and work out how you’re going to solve it instead of whining, complaining, and staying in the same place. 

This is magic. It is magic. It will help you get out of the cycle of negativity of a bad day or bad week. 

Because that’s not where you belong. That’s not who you want to be.

You are an action-taking, problem-solving woman. If you don’t like something, you need to fix it. 

So, what’s an area of your life where you feel stuck, or that’s overwhelming you? It’s time to take action. Get out your phone, pull up your timer and get to work!

Listen girl, I know that sometimes it can be hard to know where the heck to start when you feel like you’d need all day to declutter but only have 15 minutes. Don’t worry, I got you! I’ve put together a list of decluttering projects you can do in 15 minutes to help you clear away some clutter in a small chunk of time.

HECK YES! SEND IT TO ME!

An Open Letter to My Loved Ones About Gift Giving

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Every week, I work with women to simplify their homes and their lives. I love what I do and the freedom it brings to families! 

Over the years, I’ve seen a gap during the holidays. Women are afraid the influx of gifts will re-clutter their homes and they don’t want to lose their newfound spare time and joy, but they also don’t know exactly what to say to their well-meaning relatives about their over-giving. 

I don’t think Christmas, birthdays or other times of giving should be tightly monitored (talk about losing out on joy!), but I understand that some of you have people in your lives who just give way too much, and it’s really overwhelming. It can feel like an impediment on your boundaries, and it can actually be that too.

This blog post was written by me for you to use as your voice if you can’t find the words. Share it to your socials, post it to your Facebook wall, send it in an email… whatever you want. Borrow my words, friend. I got you.

I also included the option to get an editable, more personalized version of this letter you can fill in with your relative’s name and more details about what your kids might like as gifts. You can snag that at the bottom of this post at no cost to you 🙂

If you want me to help you simplify your life, I’m here and I’m ready to lighten your load!

xo Allie

DEAR LOVED ONE, 

I’m writing this to you with a mix of appreciation and apprehension.  Appreciation for you and how much you love my family, apprehension because I don’t want you to view me as ungrateful or unkind, and I have no desire to offend or upset you.

You have gone so above and beyond with my kids – I love that you love so big! It’s beautiful. I look at that and feel so honored that my kids get to have someone like you in their lives. What I want to say has nothing to do with your love… it’s about my own limits. 

Over the past few months, I’ve been on a really important journey that’s involved a lot of learning. It started with the Google search bar – I was looking for some help because I was feeling so overwhelmed at home and in life. 

It felt like all I did was maintain our physical space. I was constantly cleaning up and it was constantly being undone behind me; it was never-ending and sort of depressing! All I want is to run a home I enjoy being in and spend quality time with my family. It felt like I was always choosing between those two things rather than living them out in any sort of balance.

I found some interesting things in my research… did you know that a study done at Princeton found that you could cut down on housework by at least 40% if you just didn’t have clutter in your home? 40%! That’s so much weight removed from a busy mom’s week.

I also found a study done at UCLA, which found a distinct link in women between the amount of clutter in their homes and their cortisol levels. More stuff, higher levels of stress, automatically. 

This study also found that women relate how they feel when they walk into their home to how they feel about their family. That’s intense because of what clutter makes us feel (stress). So to willingly create an environment that makes me feel that way about my family? That didn’t sit well with me. 

I found multiple studies showing the effect of too many toys and options on children – it’s honestly alarming and sad! I want the kids to grow up knowing how to play… really play. I want them to use their imaginations, go outside, thrive! 

As I was reading this research and more like it, it all started to hit me. It made so much sense that I’d been feeling so heavy and burdened in day-to-day life… we had so much excess in our home. It was a lot to maintain – too much! I made a decision to clear physical clutter in hopes of lightening things up a bit.

What happened was so much more than that! It was like we literally created more time in our days, just by removing some excess. We got rid of some dishes, clothing, and toys that were simply not being used, plus the random “stuff” hiding in our closets and drawers, and that was all it took for things to get better. 

I found that I had more energy, more time, more space for things I actually like and use. I noticed an improvement in my marriage and the way I spoke to my family (must be the decrease in stress!). I also felt like I looked forward to my days a little more. This process was doing so much good for us!

Here we are now, at this time of giving gifts, and I know you want to give so big and love on the kids and I so much. Can I be honest and just say that I’m anxious about it? I’m hoping I can be transparent because I want that relationship with you. I have no desire to offend you or take any joy from you!

It’s just that, I feel so much lighter these days, and I’ve seen how “stuff” takes a toll on our home, our kids, on mental health and happiness. I know you love our family and your giving comes from a place of expressing that love, so I want to be honest about where I’m at and ask if we can find another way to do this moving forward. I would love for you to feel like you get to love the socks off all of us, and for me to not feel anxiety about this happy time of year. I’d love your help in raising the kids to know how to play, how to create, how to imagine and be present in the sweetness of childhood.

I’m really excited about the possibilities with this new way of giving and celebrating… I feel like experiences and really amazing gifts can come from this.

There are experiences the kids would love a membership to, there are a few toys they really want and would actually play with I can tell you about, there are interests and hobbies they’re interested in that you could buy supplies for… there are so many gifts that would be not only worth your financial while, but great for our family and aligned with my vision in raising the kids.

I love you, and I want us to both enjoy this time of year. I am happy to hear your thoughts as well, and to help you purchase things that will be good for the kids and actually get loved and played with. I want us to be on the same team! Thank you for hearing me out and for being the kind of person I’m glad to have in my family. 

If you want to customize this letter to fit your family, I’ll send you a more personalized, editable version so you can make it your own.

SEND IT TO ME!

7 Simple Tips to Help You Stop Over-Complicating Exercise

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I don’t think there’s anything on earth that has been more blown out of proportion and over-complicated than exercise.

People obsess over the form, the type, and the amount of exercise they should be doing. They spend all this time reading books on the topic all while procrastinating the actual task of exercising.

And there’s nothing wrong with learning about exercise. You guys know I love research. I research everything. If you want to read up and be informed about fitness, there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s not what I’m saying.

The problem is when research keeps you from taking action. When you read books instead of working out. When you over-complicate it so much that you never get out of “learning mode” and into “action mode.”

Imma be real and tell you that I spent a lot of time overcomplicating fitness. Like a lot. It has always been a struggle for me. I spent years overthinking it and staying 40-50 pounds overweight. I was overanalyzing it so much that I just stood still and did nothing. I didn’t take any action.

I always envied women who loved exercise and would make it to the gym every single day no matter what. I’m just not that person. I’ve never loved any form of exercise. And even now I’ve got ones that I do that are my favorites, but I still don’t love them. I don’t look forward to doing any form of exercise.

So, I want you to know that I’ve been there. I understand. But in order to change our lives, we’ve got to be action-taking women. Change isn’t just going to happen because we wish it, or we read it in a book. We’ve got to actually do the thing.

When I finally started taking action, I didn’t do anything major. I didn’t go to the gym. I didn’t start running. I just started to move for 10–30 minutes every day. That’s it.

And guess what? I healed my body. I healed my leaky gut syndrome and my adrenal fatigue.

Exercise is a good thing. It’s not my favorite thing, but it’s a good thing. Exercise decreases stress, improves sex (who doesn’t want that???), improves mood, teaches you to love your body, and so much more. Exercise has too many benefits to not do it. And trust me when I say that it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Need a little motivation to get started? I’ve got some journal prompts for you!

SEND THEM TO ME!

To prove it to you, I’ve put together a little list of ideas to inspire you and to help you stop over-thinking fitness and start moving your body. These are things that have worked for me and I know have worked for other people as well.

#1: Decide to Do It

This may seem basic, but if you don’t decide you’re going to do something, you won’t do it. You know you want.

You’ve got to wake up every single day with no excuses. Just get it done. No excuses. Decide you’re going to do some form of exercise, and then be intentional to make your body move every single day.

#2: Take a Walk

Set a timer and take a 20–minute walk around your neighborhood. Or you can even walk around your house. Pace back and forth or walk up and down your stairs while you listen to some music. Pop in your headphones and listen to one of my podcasts. Here’s one I did with my friend, Robin Long from the The Balanced Life, where we talked about food, exercise and perfectionism.

#3: Have a Dance Party with Your Kid(s)

Turn on some loud music and have a living room dance party with your kid(s) while dinner’s cooking on the stove. Even two songs are almost 10 minutes long and dancing is a great for your whole body.

#4: Throw Out the All or Nothing Mentality

Exercising for just 10 minutes is so powerful. 10 minutes is better than no minutes. You can do anything for 10 minutes.

Do arm dips on bar of the tub while your kids are in the bath. Do squats while you’re loading the dishwasher. Do leg raises while you’re watching Netflix.

If you were to do intentional movement for 10 minutes a day, you would see a difference in your mood, you would feel better and more confident, you’d make better food choices. You would notice the change.

The point is to just keep moving throughout the day (and we moms are pretty good at that already, am I right?) Start thinking, “How can I sit less? How can I change?” And then just do whatever you can to move.

#5: Make Movement a Rhythm

Ask yourself where in your day or week you can fit in a new rhythm. For example, every time you listen to the Purpose Show on Wednesdays, take the kids for a long walk.

Decide that you’re going to take a walk in the morning and make it a rhythm. I’m always talking to you guys about the importance of developing rhythms and exercise is a huge one!

Need help finding the time to exercise? I’ve got you, girl. Start with The Time-Blocking Mom Workbook. You budget your money. Start budgeting your time LIKE A BOSS!

SEND IT TO ME!

#6: Buy Noise-Cancelling Headphones  

If you’re a person who gets frustrated by a lot of noise or sibling bickering in the background while you’re trying to get your workout done, get you some noise-cancelling headphones.

Obviously don’t use headphones if you have a baby or little toddler who needs you to pay attention. But if your kids are old enough to be okay with you having headphones in and one of them would know to come and get you if something were to happen, then pop those headphones in. Do your workout, put some music on, and just zone out for a few minutes.

#7: Ditch the Excuses

If it’s winter and it’s freezing, bundle up. If it’s raining, have an inside dance party in the living room. If you’re PMSing, follow a yoga video on YouTube.

You can make excuses for anything and before you know it years have passed and nothing’s changed. So just stop. People who meet goals, the doers out there, they don’t have excuses.

For example, when I hurt my ankle, it would have been easy for me to just be like, “Oh, I can’t exercise. Oh well, I don’t really like it that much anyway.” But you know what? I didn’t. I went to yoga classes and I opted out of the positions that hurt my ankle.

No excuses.

The kids can come with you. You can do it while they nap. They can be watched by someone else. You can go to a gym. You can go for a walk.

There people who make stuff happen and are constantly moving forward in their lives, don’t have excuses. Be like those people.  

You can make this happen. You can be fit. You can be healthy. I know, “Make it happen,” is so over-said, but that’s because it’s true. It can be done.

You’re in charge. You’re an action-taking, problem-solving, bad-a** woman and that type of woman knows she has the power to make things happen. So, listen to me, warrior-woman, it’s time to get moving and change your life.  

5 Types of Hard-To-Kick Clutter & How To Handle Them

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Decluttering is my main jam. I love helping women do this in their homes because it matters so much more than people even realize.

For women, specifically, there are a lot of negative effects of having clutter. One study even linked having a cluttered home to feeling unhappy in your family in general.

That’s powerful. That tells me that all of our stuff is bothering us and it’s affecting us in a big way.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping women go through their homes and remove the excess. I want you left with only the things that are serving you and your families and contributing to a joyful and full life.

Having said that, I know that there are things that are hard to declutter. I get it. I’ve been there and I want to help you make good decisions so that you can keep making progress.

So, let’s look at five areas that can really trip you up when it comes to decluttering and how to push through them.

#1 Sentimental items

Typically, when people realize the role that clutter plays in their lives, they’re ready to make a change. So they get going and they’re doing great but then they find the bin of sentimental keepsakes and they just feel stumped.

How can you let go of the sweet, little dress that your daughter wore when she was dedicated at church? Or the photo of the positive pregnancy test from the baby that you miscarried? How do you get rid of the things that really tug on your heartstrings

What classifies as clutter versus something that is sentimental and truly a keepsake? How do you make the decision?

If you’ve been around here for more than ten minutes you know that I’m not about rules. I’m definitely not going to give you anything like that because this is different for every person.

If you get stuck on something sentimental, I encourage you to skip that area and move on. Go work on your bathroom or a bookshelf in the living room.

Declutter something else for now. Come back when you’ve been at this for a bit longer and you’ve seen the positive effects of letting go of clutter.

What happens is, as you evolve in this area in your life with getting rid of things, you grow. You evolve. You change.

You see that this really makes a difference. Keeping only what is serving you well makes you happy. That makes letting go of things less and less difficult as you go.

And once you declutter one or two sentimental things, it will get even easier because you have seen that you’ve let go of something that was special to you and nothing bad happened.

Please remember that letting go of physical possessions doesn’t mean that you are letting go of memories. On the other hand, it is OK to keep some things too. I think the line is when you have a bunch of bins full of “memories” that you are storing away because you are avoiding making decisions.

I CREATED A FREE WORKSHEET FOR YOU ON MINIMALISM AND SENTIMENTAL ITEMS THAT WILL GIVE YOU MORE IN-DEPTH TIPS FOR LETTING GO OF KEEPSAKES.

Send me the guide

#2 Your kids toys

First of all, don’t declutter your kids’ toys without them unless they are super young, like under age 3. If they are older than that, have them join you, even if it makes it more difficult and the process a lot slower.

Kids can really feel violated and mistrust you if you throw away their stuff without them knowing. That’s not what we want.

Start by having your kids pick out ten things they don’t play with anymore. Explain that there are so many children that don’t have toys and they would love it if they shared with them. Then, bag up the donations together and go to the donation center with your kids.

Make it a really happy, exciting thing so they don’t feel like they’re getting punished. This can teach them empathy and give them solid reasoning behind letting go of their stuff.

If your kids are having a hard time letting go of things, give them time. Go through the rest of your house and show them by example what letting go and minimalism looks like and let them follow in their own time.

#3 Your wardrobe

Letting go of your clothes is really hard when you’re a mom. You have bought clothes throughout different seasons of motherhood and body shapes. You can really easily – and understandably – not want to get rid of something that you might end up needing later.

But don’t get stuck in that fear. Go into your closet and look and get honest with yourself. What looks fantastic on you right now? Keep it. Everything else should probably go in the donation pile.

Having a bunch of stuff that doesn’t fit, used to fit, or that you want to fit you someday is not serving you at all. It is actually, subconsciously, making you really unhappy every time you get dressed.

Only keep in your closet what looks fantastic and what makes you feel great right now. Because that’s what you deserve.

A quick note on maternity clothes. If you are planning to get pregnant again, hold onto them. We are not looking to throw things out and waste money deliberately if you know you will use it again.

#4 Your husband’s stuff

Probably the top question I get is “how do I get my husband on board with this?” My answer is this: you don’t. He is his own separate person. Leave him alone.

If you start purging his stuff while he is at work he is going to resent you for it and hate minimalism forever. Leave his stuff alone if he hasn’t given you permission to declutter for him.

Find that sweet spot for yourself and let your husband be. In the end, he may come around like mine did.

The same rule applies with your in-laws, your parents, your friends and the people who come to your kids’ birthday parties.

#5 Paperwork

Go through your house with an empty box and collect all the stray paperwork that you can find. Then set aside some time to go through it.

You can pour yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, turn on Netflix, whatever. But sit and sort through it all.

Make decisions about every piece of paper you pick up. Don’t allow yourself to start a “not sure” pile or an “I’ll deal with this later” pile.

If it’s something that your husband needs to look at and he’s not there, you can put it aside for him. But I would encourage you to set aside time to sort through paperwork when he is with you so you don’t find a reason or an excuse to put it aside for later.

It’s OK to make piles but don’t make a bunch of random piles that could have been eliminated if you had just made decisions.

I know these areas can be hard to tackle. I know it can feel overwhelming but I hope I have helped to simplify the overwhelm.

The truth is that if you don’t take power over your stuff, you are giving your stuff power over you.

CLEAR THE CLUTTER STARTER KIT

WITH THIS FREE STARTER KIT IN-HAND, YOU WILL:

Form a solid why that will push you forward in clearing the clutter & making it happen despite hurdles, with minimal setbacks.

Declutter your two biggest time-sucks: laundry & dishes. You’ll see an immediate change and gain some legit momentum!

Get equipped to make progress without needing spare time.

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7 Ways You Can Treat Yo’self for Free

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Hey, where my mamas at?? Let’s have a little real talk.

Isn’t it so hard sometimes to pamper yourself without feeling guilty?!

We think, “Oh, I can’t get my nails done because we really can’t afford that right now.” Or “I would love to grab coffee from Starbucks but it’s like $75 for a tall (small) and that’s not in the budget.” Or “The kids need shoes more than I need a night out.” And we just let ourselves make it seem impossible. We let ourselves stay in the burnout.

For most of us going out and spending an exorbitant amount of cash on self-indulgence isn’t realistic. In some seasons it’s not even an option. Been. There.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t treat ourselves at all. Mamas need love too! Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup! We just have to be a little more creative sometimes in how the cup gets filled back up.

Because I love you and I strongly believe moms need self-care, I’ve put together 7 Ways You Can Treat Yo’self for FREE! Now you have no excuses, friend! I’ve done the brainstorming for you 😉

Take. A. Frickin. Nap.

For moms, sleep is a long-lost friend and a cherished memory. There are probably not many of us who actually get the recommended hours of sleep each night. We’re up before the sun and we don’t stop until long after it goes down.

Some of us work outside the home, some of us work inside the home—either way, we’re all working our butts off all day long. It’s a lot.

Taking a quick 30-minute nap during the day will have you feeling like a QUEEN. Or at least like a functioning human.

If you’re home during the day, set the kids in front of the tv. I promise it won’t fry their brains to watch Netflix for 30 mins. If you work outside the home, go out to your car on your lunch break, roll the windows down, lean the seat back, (set an alarm) and nap! You will wake up feeling so refreshed and like a million bucks!

Take a Hot Shower or Bubble Bath

Remember the days when you stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out? What a life, am I right? When you’ve got little kids, a hot shower can feel like an impossibility. You basically feel like you won a gold medal if you can wash the shampoo out of your hair.

It sounds ridiculous because, you know, we all deserve to be clean. But it’s true! It’s like kids have this radar that tells them that you’re about to do something by yourself and all of a sudden, they need all the things.

If your kids are really little and can’t be unsupervised for any amount of time, then wait until dad comes home. And don’t feel bad letting him watch the kids by himself for a little while. Sure, he worked all day, but you did too.

He’s a grown man, who (probably) has a job with a lot of responsibilities. He’s capable of watching your kids and you need to trust him. Plus, it’s great bonding time with daddy!

Side note: most husbands really do want their wives to feel good and they want to help with their children. So, just tell him what you need and then go take an hour-long soak in the tub.

If you’re single-mommin’ it. Call a friend or your mom to come watch the kids for 30 mins to an hour. Or, if that’s not possible, set them up in your room with toys or a movie, turn on the baby monitor and “Treat Yo’self!”

Netflix and Chill… By Yo’self! #livinthedream

After the kids go to bed, pour yourself a glass of wine—or a cup of coffee— get comfy on the couch and watch an episode or two (or ten) of a show that doesn’t include a talking animal. Talk about feeling like a new woman!

Olivia Pope will have you walking away feeling like you know how to handle your bizness!

Go For a Walk

Fresh air, mama. You need it. It can be so easy to find yourself stuck inside all day. Especially if you work outside the home.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom and your kids are little enough, strap them in a stroller, pop in some earbuds, and take a walk around the neighborhood. Or if your kids are older, let them ride bikes or walk in front of you. Either way, they’re not allowed to bother you for the duration of the walk. Unless it’s an emergency. They can handle it.

If you work outside the home, find a safe park or neighborhood near your office and walk during your lunch break. Listen to a podcast, here’s one of mine on self-care. 😉

This is also considered exercise so, look achoo workin’ out and stuff!

Read a (Good) Book

It doesn’t always have to be an educational/self-help book. Find a good piece of fiction. It’s fun, it’s stretches your imagination, inspires creativity, and is actually proven to make you a more compassionate person.

Books are great because they can transport you to another place or time. Who doesn’t wish they could be someone or somewhere else every once in a while?

Give Yourself a Mani/Pedi

You don’t have to go to the salon and spend $40 to get your nails done. Grab your favorite color polish and give your fingers and toes some love.

It’s not quite as good as having someone else do it, but you’ll feel better when your toes are pretty! 😉

Go for a Drive.

I used to do this all the time when my husband worked a lot. I would get my kids in their pajamas, put them in their car seats, and go for a drive.

They would be asleep in minutes and I would have the car ride to listen to music, pray, or just think. Basically, it was uninterrupted alone time.

This could work if it’s raining outside too. Wait until naptime, strap your kids in the car, and go for a long drive.

Write in Your Journal

There is something so therapeutic about getting everything in your head down onto a sheet of paper. Light some candles, pour a hot cup of coffee, and just have some quiet time. Write down your feelings, your dreams, and what you’re learning.

 

Here’s some Loving Your Body Better Journal Prompts because we could all do that a little better!

Heck Yes!

 

It’s so easy to make excuses when it comes to treating ourselves. We’re too busy, money’s too tight, the kids are too little. Or if we do, we end up feeling guilty because we could have done something else with that money.

Stop it now. No one is forcing us to feel that way and we shouldn’t.

So grab some chocolate, pour some wine, and TREAT YO’SELF!

THE SUPERMOM VAULT

A LIBRARY OF INSPIRATION

  • Replays of my very best online workshops (not available anywhere else)

  • Tons of actionable PDF’s, downloadable with one click

  • More than 20 audio & video trainings!

  • Professionally-designed printables for your home to keep you focused & inspired

Learn more

4 Reasons Why – No Matter What’s Going On – You Need to Declutter Your Home Now

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When it comes to decluttering, so many people get stuck on the hurdles that come up in the process that they procrastinate and never actually take action to kick the clutter.

These hurdles can be tiny or big – it doesn’t matter – the point is, they let a problem get in their way and either stop them in the middle of their progress or keep them from ever diving in and starting.

And I get it. When I tackled all the clutter in my house years ago, it was the worst time for me.

I had three kids under age three. I was seriously struggling with depression and all I wanted to do was go to bed and turn on Netflix.

I had no money, an overwhelming house, my marriage was a mess and Brian was not on board with minimalism.

I had every reason not to do this. I had every single excuse and everything stacked against me. And yet, I did it.

I don’t talk about this stuff for nothing. This isn’t just something that I randomly do or that I just like talking about or that I’m just good at. This stuff really matters.

When I realized that my stuff didn’t have to own me. That I could put it in its place and simplify. That I could focus on what actually matters and live my life instead of cleaning up after it all the time, everything changed for me.

And it breaks my heart when I see people not understanding that. I get that life is really busy, really full and there’s a lot of different things pulling at your focus and attention.

But the reward is so great! And I want that for you. I want your freedom for you.

And so I decided to write your ‘why’ for you. I’m literally writing 4 reasons why – no matter what’s going on – you need to declutter your home NOW!

  1. Materialism is directly related to depression.

In an article published by Leaf Van Boven at the University of Colorado, it’s stated that investing financial resources in experiences makes people happier than investing in material possessions. Van Boven basically came to find that materialism is directly linked to narcissism and depression. That’s pretty heavy.

Ready to ditch survival mode?

  • Narrow in on your why behind decluttering

  • Throw away twenty things right now

  • Discover how to simplify the two biggest time-suckers: dishes and laundry. 

Download my fan-favorite Clear the Clutter Starter Kit for free!

I need this!

2. Your home is meant to be a haven (and it can be)

There was another study done by Darby Saxby and Rena Rapetti published by Sage Publications called “No Place Like Home.”

Here’s a quote I pulled from it: “The home can be a place to unwind from the work day, but when housework and home repairs compete for the attention of time-strapped, working parents, home can become more of a source of demands than a haven from the outside world.”

Who’s feeling like they want to raise their hands?  Who feels like your home is a giant chore list instead of a shelter from the outside world?

What can we do to make our homes more of a haven for ourselves, our husbands and our children?

The answer: Create less work. That’s why I’m so hard hitting about minimalism. Because how you feel about your home is how you feel about your life in general.

3. Less housework (can I get an amen)?

A study done at Harvard University stated that “eliminating clutter would cut housework by 40%.”

How would your life even look if you had 40% less housework every day? That’s a whole lot less of a burden on you.

Just let that sink in.

4. You’ll be happier

Another study that I talk about all the time was done at UCLA and it found that the more stuff that’s in a woman’s house the higher her level of the stress hormone cortisol. The study found that women subconsciously relate how happy they are with their home life and family to how they feel about their house.

So the more clutter and chaos in the home, the less happy the woman was with her family and her life.


IT’S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR #MOMLIFE

You’re the hero in your story, sweets. You’ve just been bogged down by STUFF + STRESS.

I’m ready to put you on a better path – the path to PEACE! Let’s do this.

Your Uncluttered Home is an online course to help you clear the clutter, reduce your stress, and create more space for what matters.

Learn more

Wow.

There’s your ‘why.’ There’s four reasons you need to get serious about the stuff that’s taking up space in your home.  

If you’re coming up with excuses, I want to give you a pep talk and just tell you to stop overcomplicating this. You know exactly what the problem is and you know exactly what the solution is.

Stop overcomplicating it and just do it.

If you’re having trouble finding the time, decide this is a priority. Treat this like it matters.

Even if it’s just 30 minutes a week. It’s something and something is better than nothing.

10 minutes is better than no minutes.

Start somewhere that’s sucking up a lot of your time and energy. Maybe that’s your kitchen. Start with the dishes.

Simplify. All you need is a dish per person. Let the rest go.

Or start somewhere really easy like the bathroom.  Let that be an easy ‘yes’ and ‘no’ area and build the momentum you need to keep going.

Eventually you will get to the other side where you can say,”Wow, things are lighter.” And you’re going to be in maintenance mode and it’s going to be awesome.

Please let this serve as your big ‘why’ and let it push you forward and just start.

Life is short. And it can be so good and so purposeful. But you’ve gotta decide that it’s worth it.

Clean out the clutter and start living your life. Because you’re happiness is worth the work.