Joining me on today's episode is fashion designer, Laurel Wells Thompson. Our conversation focuses on the history of children's fashion, how things changed post-industrial revolution, why we are addicted to cheap clothes, the true cost of fast fashion, what to look for when shopping for kids' outfits (everything from fabrication to construction) and more...

Join me today for a conversation with author, Shauna Niequist. Her new book, I Just Haven't Learned That Yet, is full of stories of how we cope with unexpected change, letting go of previous seasons, and embracing the present. I’ve been a fan of Shauna for many years and this interview is yet another example of her incredible way with words! We talk about letting go of old ways that no longer serve us, learning to let go, being easily delighted and more!

As our children grow older, their responsibilities will naturally grow. There are personal responsibilities and there are household responsibilities but the question is: how do we delegate? Today’s episode is all about how we can implement simple solutions to involve our children in household chores. And joining me for this conversation is creator of the popular blog, Bless This Mess, Melissa Griffiths.

Swedish Death Cleaning, or döstädning, is removing unnecessary items and preparing your home so that your loved ones aren’t burdened by them after you pass away. While the book that made it famous in 2017, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, focuses mostly on people who are in their sixties or “when the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet”, there is no reason why we can’t start today as younger moms who don’t want to burden our spouse/partners and loved ones. One question: If you were to die tomorrow, what would your loved ones have to do? Here to walk us through the practicals of this question is writer and fellow minimalist, Emily McDermott. Emily will answer questions such as: Who is death cleaning for? How long is this process? Should we tell our families? What are the lessons we can learn from this culture? And more…

Join me for a bonus episode with authors, Abbey Rodriguez & Jennifer Kurdyla. Abbey and Jennifer are the co-authors of “Root and Nourish: An Herbal Cookbook for Women’s Wellness,” where they teach women how to incorporate plant medicine into everyday life through food and self-care, as well as mindfulness and holistic lifestyle practices. Today we’ll discuss various topics from their book: embracing single-tasking to support overall health, befriending single pants in your diet, herbs and spices for balance and more…

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll have heard me talk about decision fatigue or overwhelm. Children can become overwhelmed when given too many choices, including having many toys available at one time. By rotating toys, you keep the selection new and fresh. There aren’t too many choices. And, every time you rotate the toys, it’s like your children have brand new toys to explore. Here today to discuss the topic with me is professional organizer, Melissa Corriveau.

What if you took inventory of everything in your house? Would it make you rethink the things you’re holding onto? If we took inventory and categorized the stuff in our house, we’d have a much better idea what needs to exit our house. Joining me today to discuss the idea of our possessions as inventory is Dawn Madsen (otherwise known as the Minimal Mom!) 

I recently had an episode that discussed decluttering arts and crafts. This is a bit of a follow up to that episode as there were more elements of this area we didn't fully sort through (no pun intended). Join me today with my guests (hosts of the Laughs and Littles podcast), Annie Tarr and Sarah O'Brien. We chat about having the right craft supplies for your kids (especially when you've got multiples), how to store/save/display art and more!

Join me today with author, Christy Wright as we discuss time management, priorities, and balance in motherhood. As a busy mom with three young kids and a career, Christy knows how chaotic life can be - how balance feels like something that can never be achieved, no matter how hard you try. In her latest book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance, Christy argues that balance doesn't come from getting more done. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. 

According to a survey by Common Sense Media, over half of US children own a cell phone by the age of eleven, and 1 in 5 own a cell phone by the age of eight. Kids are heading back to school, and as cell phones become an increasingly accepted part of our children’s academic and social lives, the concern of child phone safety and surveillance weighs on parents. Here to join me for a quick conversation on smart phone safety is founder and CEO of Troomi Wireless, Bill Brady.

Every parent wants their child to have the best education but when they think about homeschooling they dismiss it due to self-doubt. After remote learning became a reality to parents during the pandemic, many are now faced with the decision of sending their children back into the classroom or continuing with home education. My guest today is author, Durenda Wilson. She is here to discuss how we simplify the homeschooling process. We don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the idea as WE ARE QUALIFIED. Join me to hear how we can take control of our children’s education with confidence and simplify the process while doing so!

The tendency to overcomplicate things can be applied to almost every area, including potty training. I’ve had a handful of listeners reach out wondering how to simplify the process, so I invited Lauren Jones from The Simple Life Project to join me in discussing her tried and true methods.

If you’ve been a listener here for awhile, you’ll know that minimalism goes beyond stuff. I’m thrilled to share today’s guests, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus - otherwise known as ‘The Minimalists’. Today they’ll dive deeper into the seven essential relationships in our lives: stuff, truth, self, money, values, creativity, and people and how minimalism makes room in our lives to re-evaluate and heal these areas.  

In today’s bonus episode with Tara Clark (@modernmomprobs), we discuss intentionality and mental health - specifically when it comes to social media. Modern technology is not going to change (if anything, it’ll only capture more areas of our lives.) It’s up to us to MODIFY our behavior. While social media can provide an escape, connect us to friends across the globe and become a useful resource for income, it can quickly become an addiction that takes us away from our priorities, and most importantly, our children. It’s something most of us realize but have a hard time actively combating. What do you do to set boundaries and protect mental health in this area?

Any family with children will experience their fair share of toys throughout the years. It’s inevitable that some will slip in that have a short ’lifespan’; however, being intentional in this area isn’t as hard as it seems and simple strategies can help foster diverse play experiences for children without filing our playroom with junk. Join me today as I talk with founder of Tiny Earth Toys, Rachel Classi. She’ll discuss scientific studies that discuss the benefits of minimal toys in the playroom, how the choices we make about what toys to buy impact our child's play and the environment, what we know about how the toy industry is playing a role in the plastic crisis and tips for parents about how to take the power struggle out of gifting to align with your family values.

As mothers, we have a lot on our plates to juggle each day. It can be tricky to pin-point what exactly takes priority (especially when everything feels that way). If you struggle with productivity and overall enjoying your days, this conversation may help! Join me for this conversation with Ashley Barber, a KonMari Consultant based in Texas, for some of her best tips to identify and focus energy on what we deem ‘high-priority’ tasks.

Are you a member of Costco or Sam’s Club? Wholesale retail stores such as this are able to sell their products for much cheaper than local businesses; however, the question I pose to you and my guest today, Carly Adams, is: is bulk shopping anti-minimalist? There is a certain affordability when it comes to big chains; however, big-box retail stores also promote consumerism due to the sheer volume of products for sale. As we work through this topic, I’m sure you’ll build your own pros and cons list to see whether it’s the right choice for your family.

Join me today as I speak with Elizabeth Presta about all things regarding a simpler birth plan. Elizabeth is a licensed doula through DONA International and has been practicing since 2013. She is passionate about women’s healthcare and is continually learning. Today she’s here to explain how we can simplify the birth experience, create a simple birth plan, how a doula can help us throughout the process and some of her suggestions for packing the hospital bag.

Do you feel like you need to write in every line of your child’s baby book? Are there days when the camera doesn’t leave your hand? Or do you intentionally keep it tucked away on some family outings? As with most things in life, it’s all about balance, right? Join me and fellow podcast host & photographer, Jenna Arvidson as we talk through the idea of over-documenting our days. We discuss what made Jenna begin to think about over-documentation, how to decide what to document and what not to, easy shifts to simplify this area, and more.

What do you know about meditation? Do you include a meditation practice in your day-to-day? I’ve always wondered the difference between mindfulness and meditation. I know both are know to make your life simpler and yourself happier. Here to answer these questions (and more) today is founder of Yoga For You and host of the Mindful in Minutes Podcast, Kelly Smith.