Today I'm honored to have pastor and author, Max Lucado, as my guest. We talk about his newest children's book, Just In Case You Ever Feel Alone and how we can approach the topic of loneliness with our children (and any other big feeling), help them cope, and stay connected as a family in a time where it is common to feel distracted and disconnected. I love this conversation, the encouragement it brings to parents, and the simple, practical tools that Max brings us. Links: Book: Just In Case You Ever Feel Alone Max's website Max on Instagram Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Podcast Book Club Sponsor: Fearless Finance: Get 50$ off your first meeting with a financial advisor at fearlessfinance.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is a topic that I love. Though we don't often talk about it on the podcast, I believe fitness and wellness, and how we take care of ourselves in general, is a big part of intentional living. However, motherhood often does make it a little more difficult to navigate making it a part of our lives. Today I have Amy Kiefer of Expecting and Empowered on the podcast to encourage us with resources and motivation to a healthier life - from nourishing ourselves well, to simplifying fitness, to making it a part of our routine in the midst of overwhelming days as a mom. We also talk about the benefits of strength training and nourishing ourselves well. I hope you can tell through listening in that I absolutely loved this conversation and was very inspired by Amy- I know you will be, too! Links: Expecting and Empowered Expecting and Empowered on Instagram Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Collective Podcast Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I have Ashlee Gadd as my guest as we are talking about a "thing that matters" - creativity, or really, doing whatever it is that makes you feel more like you. We encourage our kids to be creative, yet as adults we often fully lose this part of ourselves to a busy life. We count creativity as something that we no longer have time for, that is inessential. Today's conversation challenges that and encourages you to keep creating, right in the margins of a busy life and motherhood. Ashlee s a wife, mother of three, believer, and the founder of Coffee + Crumbs. When she's not working or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the Internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. Her book, Create Anyway: the Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood, is now available wherever books are sold. Links: Minimal-ish Collective (book club) Ashlee's Book Ashlee's Podcast Coffee + Crumbs Ashlee on Instagram Desirae on Instagram Podcast website Sponsor: Hungryroot: Get 40% off your delivery and free veggies for life at Hungryroot.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am honored to have Dana K White of A Slob Comes Clean as my guest! Dana is (much to her surprise) a messy person turned decluttering expert, and she brings so many actionable tips in this episode to help us see decluttering in a new way. Instead of taking everything out and making more mess in the process, what if we did things differently? This episode is full of tips for the overwhelmed, messy person who wants to declutter but doesn't have much time to be making and cleaning up more messes in the process. Listen in and then go declutter something! Join our Decluttering Challenge/ Book Club Dana's Website Podcast Website Find Desirae on Instagram Sponsor: Earth Breeze: Get 40% off your subscription at earthbreeze.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are taking a break from your typical weekly minimal-ish episodes to bring you a preview of what is to come next week - our first challenge in the minimal-ish patreon community + the happy mom summit. I would love to see you in either one of these places, and hope I do! Either way, I'll talk to you next week right back here for our regularly scheduled programming. Sign up for: Happy Mom Summit (free 5 day summit with 32 speakers) Minimal-ish Collective Maintenance Decluttering Challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are approaching a hard topic: Grief. While it's hard to talk about, it is important. Many of us don't even want to think about what my guest, Krista, experienced through losing her husband, but for many others, it is a reality. Krista now helps other women struggling through loss, and today she shares about her story, post traumatic growth, and how stuff, clutter, and decluttering plays a role in the grieving process. Links: Minimal-ish Collective/ Minimal-ish + Coffee Podcast Krista on Instagram Krista’s Website The Widowed Mom Podcast Grief Plateau Quiz Desirae on Instagram Minimalish Podcast Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's Minimalism Stories edition of Minimal-ish, I talk with Jordan Jones, mom of three, business owner, and podcast host of the Work + Worship Podcast. I recently stumbled across Jordan's story of her cross country move TWICE in one year with three little ones, and I had to hear more about how minimalism has played a role in her family's ability to say yes to big adventures. We talk about so many different things: from minimalism before kids vs. minimalism after kids, to living in smaller spaces vs. larger spaces, to simplifying our wardrobe and Jordan's biggest advice to anyone starting out. This is such a fun conversation, and I know you'll love learning from Jordan! Links: Minimal-ish Collective Jordan on Instagram Jordan's Podcast Jordan's Website Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsor: Connect with your partner every day using Paired. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is a "declutter with me" style episode, but it's a little different than typical. Instead of focusing on one area of the home, I'm sharing 7 of my top tips for decluttering that I've learned over the years. I'm also sharing where my focus will be with decluttering this year. At the end of the episode, I announce the minimal-ish collective - a place where we can declutter and walk towards a minimal-ish life together. Head to patreon.com/minimalish to find out more about the minimal-ish collective. Links: Minimal-ish Collective Episode on changing your shopping habits (this year) (last year) Free Minimal-ish Starter Guide Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsor: Connect with your partner every day using Paired. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're taking some time to pause and think about our goals again because goal setting is an important part of a minimal-ish, intentional life. We often have a push to set goals at the beginning of the year, but the real progress comes when we revisit those goals and refine them throughout the year. In this episode, we go through a series of questions to help us reflect on our progress, decide which goals still matter and which we can let go of. We also make a little plan to continue this type of reflection throughout the year. This episode is a guilt and shame free revisiting of our goals - if you haven't made any progress yet, the opportunities are endless to start when you're ready. At the end of the episode, I revisit the goals that I shared with you on the first episode of the year and do my own version of this exercise as an example and a reminder that I'm always on this journey with you! Links: Podcast Website Desirae on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm talking with Rachel Nielson, host of the 3 and 30 podcast, all about ways we can "declutter our motherhood." We talk about topics that range from a practical way to find joy in the everyday, mundane moments, to decluttering all the "shoulds" we put on ourselves in motherhood. Rachel also shares about her struggle with depression in early motherhood. I know this is a conversation that will leave you feeling encouraged and less alone after you listen. Links: Simple Change Summit Rachel's website Rachel on Instagram Rachel's course she mentioned 3 in 30 podcast Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsor: Connect with your partner every day using Paired. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're diving deep into the reason why we so often feel the temptation to over consume things we don't actually need, why we would want to change these habits, and how we can become more conscious consumers in an "influencer world." This episode was inspired by the craze of the "Stanley Cup" - a trendy reusable water bottle. I'm digging into the story of this cup, what it says about influencer marketing, and more importantly, how we have the power, as a consumer, to change our habits. The second half of the episode is full of actionable steps like questions to reflect on and different ways we can challenge ourselves so we can have real, lasting habit change in our buying habits - starting with thinking or pausing before we buy. Links: Desirae on Instagram Vox article mentioned Podcast Website Sponsor: Green Chef: Get 60% off and 20% off your next two months at greenchef.com/60minimalish using code 60minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm excited to share my conversation with Alli Williams of FinancALLI Focused. Alli has one of my favorite perspectives I've heard on budgeting, paying off debt, and working towards our financial goals, and that is one that is free of a depravation mindset. Today we talk all about why budgets often fail, what we should be doing BEFORE we budget, and we also spend a lot of the episode discussing knowing our values when it comes to our finances so we don't find ourselves caught in comparison and spending our money on things that don't truly matter to us. Wherever you're at in your financial goals and whatever your financial literacy looks like, I know this conversation will encourage you as we start a new year. Links: Alli's Group Coaching Program, Flourish FinanciALLI Alli on Instagram Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsor Thank you to OneSkin for sponsoring this episode! Get 15% off at oneskin.co with code "minimalish" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is my personal pause as we start the new year. It's a chance for me as your host to reflect, celebrate some minimalish milestones, and share what I've got planned for the podcast in 2024. In the 2023 Podcast Recap segment of today's episode I share: -the top 5 episodes of the year -Fun statistics to celebrate In the "looking ahead" segment, you'll hear: -A few fun things coming up on minimal-ish this year -Some of my goals for the year and how I'm approaching goal setting this year. I hope you enjoy this episode. I'm looking forward to 2024 here on the minimal-ish corner of the internet with you! Sponsor: Earth Breeze Eco Sheets: Get 40% off at earthbreeze.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode piggy backs off of episode 212, our annual goal setting episode. Today we go over four other ways to set goals or just plan intentionally for 2024. We go over setting a word for the year, setting goals on a monthly or quarterly basis, a 24 in 24 list, and more. This episode is meant to spark ideas for your 2024 planning, and even if you're not a goal setter, I hope it helps you do some intentional reflecting and planning. Links: desiraeendres.com/goals for last week's worksheet Find Desirae on instagram Podcast Website Sponsor: Get a 75 dollar credit when you sponsor your job post on indeed at Indeed.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each year on Minimal-ish we set a deep, meaningful goal to take us in to the next year. Today, we've got our goal setting episode and we start with reflection, determine what matters to us, list our values, and then set a goal based on our values. I have a worksheet to help guide you along in this process. Grab It at desiraeendres.com/goals. Other links: Find Desirae on Instagram Get Simple Morning Lists Podcast Website Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by CoPilot. Get a fitness plan that is personalized to you at go.mycopilot.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am honored to have Rachel Cruze on the show to help us find effective ways to teach our kids about gratitude and contentment, especially in the midst of this holiday season. Rachel recently wrote a children's book, I'm Glad for What I Have, which features a simple story that can be a catalyst for having the conversation with our kids about what truly fulfills us in life (spoiler alert: it's not material things). Rachel shares different strategies and routines we can implement into our daily life to help build contentment and gratitude as an entire family. We also talk about having conversations with our kids about comparing what we have to others, along with so much more. I felt so inspired by this conversation, and I know you will, too! Links: My previous conversation with Rachel on Minimal-ish Rachel's book Rachel on Instagram Rachel's website Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsors: TN Dickinson's: available on Amazon and at major retailers including Walgreens, Walmart, Target, CVS, and Rite Aid. Better Help: Thanks to Better Help for sponsoring today's episode. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I have a Holiday Q&A to round out the last of the Quarterly Q&A episodes this year! I pulled a few of your questions from instagram, and talk about the following in this episode: How do you deal with the overwhelm of so much stuff coming in? What are your favorite traditions? How do you find rest during such a busy schedule What are some things you don't do for the holidays because of minimalism? This was a fun one to record, so I hope it you enjoy listening! You can grab the holiday decluttering challenge I mention at desiraeendres.com/holidaygift - you'll get a four day decluttering challenge, a clutterfree gift ideas list, and a list of links to holiday minimal-ish podcast episodes from this year and past years! Grab Your Minimal-ish Holidays Follow Desirae on Instagram: @minimalish.desirae Sponsors: Apostrophe: Get your first visit for 5$ at desiraeendres.com/minimalish using code minimalish at checkout. Indeed: Get a 75$ credit when you sponsor your job post at indeed.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm bringing you a message that has been on my heart for a while now - we're talking all about the false promise of the perfectly tidy home and what actually matters more. How do we allow ourselves to rest when we've been so used to spinning our wheels to become "more minimal" or find the best systems for our home? We also talk about the cost of all the magic making during the holiday season, and I bring you a quick black friday pep talk. This episode is my holiday message to you! I hope you enjoy it and find yourself encouraged by it! Links: Your Minimal-ish Holidays Desirae on Instagram Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Go to betterhelp.com/minimalish to get 10% off your first month. Thank you to TN Dickinson's for sponsoring this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we're getting back to basics and talking all things organization, with decluttering being an important step in the process. Janelle Williams is my guest today. She's a professional organizer, published author and speaker, and she really brings us mindset shifts when it comes to getting and STAYING organized. Today's episode will give you a deep why for inspiration along with steps to help you get started. This episode is perfect for beginners and those already in the midst of their journey. We also touch on having a less cluttered holiday season! Links: Janelle on Instagram Janelle's Book Janelle's website Your Minimal-ish Holidays Desirae on Instagram Sponsor: Get fit and feel your best - go to go.mycopilot.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the perfect episode to press play and do a 20-30 minute mini decluttering session along with me! We're talking about decluttering the toys, and I also go on a little rabbit trail and share my recent decluttering project with you: my entry way, which also included some toys. Like each Declutter with Me episode, I walk you through my own decluttering, and then I share some tips for your decluttering session. Today's episode is a special edition, because I actually read through Day 12 of Your Minimal-ish Holidays, my 30 day holiday guided journal. This is one of the six days of the decluttering challenge that is included in the journal, and it of course focuses on toys. I hope you enjoy today's shorter, yet actionable episode! If you want more on toys, here is an episode to listen to as you continue your decluttering journey: Decluttering WITH Your Kids Links: Your Minimal-ish Holidays Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Sponsors: Thanks to Indeed for sponsoring today's show! Get a 75$ job credit when you sponsor your job post at indeed.com/minimalish. Terms and Conditions Apply Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices