Decluttering Tips and Support

Dear Reader,

One of the questions I get the most often is WHERE should I start decluttering?
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It's a valid question, especially when we feel completely overwhelmed.
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Typically I have recommended a place that's not even in your home at all - your car. Why? Because it's a small, contained space with a super high trash to sentimental item ratio. Typically I find fruit snack wrappers, library books, and soccer balls in my car - things that are trash or can be relocated to their homes.

However, I LOVE speaking to guests who have other opinions as to where to start. My guest this week, Mia Danielle, recommends starting in your bedroom, which is supposed to be your sanctuary within your home. Oftentimes, however, this ends up being the most cluttered area of them all.

On The Podcast

You’ve probably experienced this: you want to do something simple, like cook dinner or put away laundry… but there’s stuff in the way. Visual clutter, piles, unfinished projects.

Mia explains that clutter creates energetic “blocks” because every object represents:

• a decision
• an unresolved task
• something pulling on your attention

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All of that adds up to decision fatigue.

When your brain is trying to process too much, it drains your mental battery long before the day is over.

Knowing how clutter impacts our energy and decision-making abilities, starting in your bedroom is a fantastic idea because it's where we need our most restorative rest - so it's critical this area is as clutter-free and supportive as possible.
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Here's an episode I did recently about how to declutter your bedroom - and Mia has an amazing resource as well!
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To listen to our full conversation (including Mia's other great tips about what to do BEFORE you start decluttering), you can listen to Episode 218 wherever you find your podcasts or watch on YouTube!
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P.S. I was also a guest on Mia's podcast recently chatting about Swedish Death Cleaning - check it out here!

Things I'm Loving Right Now

✨ My decluttering/organizing tool of the week is this checklist to get you started with Swedish Death Cleaning. Perhaps it's the holidays and time spent with family that's making me think about it more, but I really don't want to burden my family members with my extra stuff (or wondering what I would want done with it!) I hope it's helpful to you!

✨ My decluttering/organizing resource of the week is Mia's Declutter Your First Room Blueprint where she walks you through how to declutter your bedroom!

✨ My favorite recipe of the week is Cheesy Ground Chicken and Rice - courtesy of ChatGPT which has helped me in the kitchen more times than I can count.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups instant rice
• 1¾ cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Optional add-ins: 1 cup chopped spinach, frozen peas, or corn
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Preparation Steps

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes.
2. Add ground chicken and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart as it cooks. Stir in garlic and seasonings.
3. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Stir in instant rice and optional veggies, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Cover for another minute to let it melt and get creamy.
6. Fluff with a fork and serve warm!

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What are some things you're loving right now? Hit reply and let me know.

On the journey with you,

Emily

P.S. Skipped to the end? No problem! This week I spoke to Mia Danielle about how clutter hijacks our energy and what we can do about it as busy, overwhelmed moms.

​*Note- affiliate links may be included, which means I get a small commission if you use my link - thanks!​