What a Vintage Jacket Taught Me About Closet Clutter and Body Image

Here's something that *genuinely* surprised me when I started decluttering years ago: only a SMALL percent of what's sitting on most kitchen counters is actually CLUTTER. The rest is something else entirely...which is exactly why clearing it off never seems to stick. In this episode I'll walk you through what's really landing there and exactly what to do with each one, so your counters can finally stay clear for longer than a day! We chat about: 🩺 The medical misdiagnosis that made me realize we do the exact same thing to our homes 🔍 The four main categories that land on all of our counters (and why only one of them is true clutter) 🧺 My favorite habit for the biggest pile, the question I ask every client about their countertop appliances, and where to put the mail so it never reaches your counters Enjoy! 🫧 Aqua Tru Water Purifier → https://home.katyjoywells.com/aquatru (use code MAX for 20% off) // Get 1:1 Support From Me and Finally Declutter Your Home! Join The Waitlist: https://home.katyjoywells.com/innercirclewaitlist 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

Does the thought of decluttering feel exhausting before you've even started? Do we *really* need marathon weekends and big purges to do this "right"? And how do you make actual progress in a season where getting dinner on the table already feels like a lot? I'm answering all of it in today's episode, plus the exact questions and strategies to use so you can keep making progress, even on the days you've got nothing left. 🌬️ AirDoctor Air Purifier → home.katyjoywells.com/airdoctor (use code MAX for $250 off) 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 📚 Order My Best-Selling Book, Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real-Life Guide to Decluttering without the Overwhelm → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

If your closet feels cluttered & frustrating and you can't figure out why, this episode might be the reason. In this episode: 👗 What a vintage jacket taught me about the power we give to sizing 🪞 The connection between body image and closet clutter that nobody talks about 💬 What happened when a friend refused to buy the next size up 🧠 Why understanding that "it's just a number" never actually fixes the feeling 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells

The shift from summer to school is one of the biggest rhythm changes your family goes through all year - let's head into it with more ease! In this episode: 🧹 The four resets that help bring your home back to baseline before the school year piles on 🚪 How to set up your drop zone (and secondary drop zone) so getting out in the morning stops being the hardest part of your day 📄 The uber-simple paper system to handle the flood of school papers 🛒 Do this before back-to-school shopping (it saves me hundreds $$$ every single year!) 🫧 Aqua Tru Water Purifier → https://home.katyjoywells.com/aquatru (use code MAX for 20% off) 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

There's a window of time where clutter suddenly becomes SO much easier to deal with that the decisions practically make themselves! Most people miss it completely, but after this episode, you'll catch it every single time. We chat about: 🧠 The brain science behind why you stop seeing your own clutter (and why it's still draining you even when you can't)  📱 My favorite hack for capturing clarity before it fades (this one changed everything for my clients)  📋 Four rules for your "fresh eyes" window that make decluttering feel way more effortless This one is especially good if you have any trips or vacations planned this summer. Enjoy! 🫧 Aqua Tru Water Purifier → https://home.katyjoywells.com/aquatru (use code MAX for 20% off) 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz  📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter  🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub  📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm  📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

There's a kind of tired that sleep alone won't fix. The kind where you wake up already behind, push through the day on caffeine and adrenaline, and collapse at night with your mind still racing. Most of us have come to call this normal life. But what if it isn't? In this episode, I'm joined by Kerstin Lindquist, host of the StRest podcast, certified health coach, and former QVC host, who is doing some of the most important work right now on stress, sleep, and what it really takes to find rest. We get into the hidden cost of running on empty, why so many of us wear stress like a badge of honor, and how faith and science together can actually move us toward the kind of rest we're craving. This one is especially good if you've been feeling exhausted but not sure why, or if you've ever wondered what's really getting in the way of the peace you keep chasing. Enjoy! 📲 Follow Kerstin on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/kerstin.lindquist/?hl=en 💻 Check our Kerstin's Offerings → https://www.kerstin-lindquist.com/ 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter  🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub  📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm  📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

When your child is grown, what do you hope they'll remember about how it felt to be around you? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Cassidy Freitas, licensed marriage and family therapist and author of Mom Needs a Moment, and we get into this question and so much more. How to identify and break the cycles you don't want to pass on, what presence (actually) looks like and what legacy really means when you strip away the pressure of perfection. 📖 Grab Cassidy's book, Mom Needs a Moment → bit.ly/momneedsamomentbook 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz  📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells

If you've ever stood in your home holding something and thought "I don't know if I should keep this or not," this episode will change that. One question that works as a filter in every room of your home. Once you start using it, you will start making faster progress! 🫧 AirDoctor Air Purifier → home.katyjoywells.com/airdoctor (use code MAX for up to $300 off) 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz  📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter  🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub  📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm  📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells  

Happiness might be the most expensive word in the English language. We chase it, buy things in its name, and rearrange our lives trying to get closer to it. In this episode, I sit down with Erin Port, author of Tiny Tweaks, Happy Life, and we talk about why the big overhaul never works, why happiness guideposts are key, and where to start when you're so depleted you're not even sure what makes you happy anymore. 📖 Grab Erin's book, Tiny Tweaks, Happy Life → bit.ly/4uJXujl 🎯 Take the free Decluttering Style Quiz + get your custom 3-step action plan → home.katyjoywells.com/quiz 📩 Join the Internet's Most Fun Declutter Newsletter: Ready, Set, Simplify → home.katyjoywells.com/simplifynewsletter 🧡 Join Clutter Cure Club: The Only Membership Designed to Keep Your Home Clutter-Free For Good → home.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub 📚 Order My Book, Making Home Your Happy Place → home.katyjoywells.com/declutterwithouttheoverwhelm 📲 Follow me On Insta → instagram.com/katyjoywells

🧡 READY FOR MORE SUPPORT? JOIN CLUTTER CURE CLUB Want support making progress without feeling like you have to overhaul your whole house in a weekend? Inside Clutter Cure Club, you'll get monthly action plans, real-life systems, mindset support, and a community of families simplifying together. ✨ Access 100+ resources designed to help you create an easier-to-manage home in real life. 👉 Join here: https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page837548 Only $19/month — cancel anytime 7 Things to Let Go of Right Now for a Lighter, Calmer Summer Summer is here… and if your house feels like it's still carrying the weight of the school year, you're not imagining it. School papers, sports gear, camp prep, outgrown clothes, car clutter, unrealistic expectations… Maycember has officially done its thing. In this episode, I'm sharing seven simple things you can release right now for a calmer, easier summer ahead. No giant organizing project. No all-day purge session. Just quick wins that create more breathing room and help you enter summer feeling lighter. Because the goal isn't a perfect summer. It's a summer you can actually enjoy. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1) Stop overcomplicating school papers and sentimental clutter End-of-school-year piles can feel exhausting because the challenge often isn't the volume… it's the decisions. Do you save it? Photograph it? Turn it into a memory book? Keep everything? Instead of spiraling into decision fatigue, I want you to choose one simple system and move forward. Quick ideas: Snap photos and decide later Let your kids choose a few favorites Create a keepsake bin with limits Momentum matters more than perfect decisions. 2) Summer gear needs a reset before summer begins Pool bins. Water shoes. Goggles. Beach towels. Sports gear. Sunscreen from 2021. 😅 Summer clutter sneaks up fast. Before things get busy, spend a few minutes tossing: broken toys expired sunscreen unusable goggles towels no one reaches for One thing I fully believe: If putting something away takes too many steps, people won't do it. Simple systems beat pretty systems every time. 3) Pantry clutter creates more mental clutter than you think Open the pantry. Be brave. You may find: old holiday sprinkles stale snacks mystery marshmallows duplicates hiding behind duplicates A quick pantry reset creates easier mornings, easier camp prep, and easier snack time. Bonus tip: Create a grab-and-go summer snack bin for your kids. Future-you will be grateful. 4) Check summer clothes before shopping Before buying anything new, take inventory of last year's summer clothes first. Swimsuits. Sandals. Shorts. Rash guards. Outgrown clothes create clutter and often lead to unnecessary spending. This small step can save: ✔ money ✔ closet space ✔ decision fatigue 5) Reset your car before summer chaos hits Your car has probably quietly become a mobile storage unit. Permission slips. Socks. Water bottles. Receipts. Snack wrappers. Random mystery objects. Use car line, camp pickup, or a 10-minute timer to do a fast reset. It doesn't need to be spotless. But a cleaner car changes how your day feels. 6) Let go of the giant summer bucket list One of the biggest shifts I've made over the years is letting go of the pressure to create some giant summer plan. Instead, I choose: One life skill goal One fun goal That's it. Past family goals have included: teaching my boys how to make breakfast cooking skills learning piano The point isn't perfection. The point is creating meaningful moments without burnout. Think of it like a coffee filter: let the excess stay behind so only the best stuff comes through. 7) Release the pressure to do summer "right" This one is personal. For years I thought I had to be the "fun mom" all summer long. Crafts. Activities. Constant entertainment. Endless memories. And about two weeks in? I was exhausted. Now summer looks more like: slow mornings backyard soccer popsicles at 10 a.m. cereal for dinner sometimes less pressure more connection Because my kids probably won't remember the perfect craft. They'll remember how it felt to be with me. And honestly? I'll remember how it felt too. READY TO DECLUTTER MORE? 📚 ORDER MY NEW BOOK Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm 👉 Order wherever books are sold 🎯 TAKE THE FREE DECLUTTERING STYLE QUIZ Discover your personal Decluttering Style and get a clear, realistic starting plan that actually fits your life. I recently had one listener tell me her husband used his custom plan to finally tackle the garage. Another shared she let go of things she'd held onto for over 20 years. 👉 Take the free quiz 🗞️ Join the Ready, Set, Simplify Newsletter Over 35,000 women read it weekly for clutter-busting tips, mindset shifts, and simple strategies for creating a calmer home. 👉 https://www.katyjoywells.com/simplify 📲 Come Say Hi on Instagram Behind-the-scenes simplicity and real-life encouragement. 💛 @katyjoywells SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode encouraged you, I'd be so grateful if you'd take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps this show reach more women who are looking for a gentler, more sustainable path to simplifying. 💛