It’s common to think to ourselves, “I need to get organized!” But what if that’s not really the problem?
What if our main challenge is that we simply have too much stuff?
Join April Perry as she interviews Alice Osborne, one of her long-time de-cluttering heroes and author of It’s Here…Somewhere, as they share three simple tips for creating a user-friendly home that’s easy to manage and conducive to teaching children to work and build essential life skills.
Want a sneak peek at the three philosophies we’ll discuss?
(1) Quality over quantity – this feels counter-intuitive to most of the world, but the truth is that we do not need all the stuff we might think we need.
(2) Less is BEST – Something amazing happens when the clutter goes away. (If you haven’t tried it yet, we’ll show you how…)
(3) Big isn’t better. It’s just BIG.
Enjoy the podcast!
Show Notes
Alice’s Blog:
Alice’s Books:
Related Article at Power of Moms – A Seven-Step Plan to Organize the House
Want to hear more from Alice? Our M.O.M. Premium program features an entire tele-class featuring Alice’s Clutter-free How-Tos for the Busy Mom (where she us through the exact de-cluttering process, step by step). Click here to learn more about M.O.M. Premium!
Click here to view a PDF summary of the podcast.
Music from Creations by Michael R. Hicks
I loved this podcast! Ms. Osborne is the real deal! I was so impressed with her podcast. It was so inspiring! One of the best podcasts I have listened to- and I love podcasts. Thanks for doing such great topics!
Thanks so much, Sarah! I am continually inspired by her, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! In the podcast you mentioned that Ms. Osborne will be re-releasing her book soon. Do you know if it will be available in e-book format?
From what I know about the publishing industry, all books are now printed in eBook formats. This probably won’t be available for awhile, though, so if you want to jump on this now, I would order a used copy on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Alice-Fulton-Osborne-Pauline-Hatch/dp/1932898395 It is a FABULOUS book. Can’t recommend it strongly enough. Good luck!
Did I understand that she is reprinting her book? I would certainly love to buy a copy! She seems to make this so “do-able” for people like me who feel behind in the game!
She did say she would be reprinting it, but that probably won’t be for awhile. I would definitely order a used version on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Alice-Fulton-Osborne-Pauline-Hatch/dp/1932898395
I am curious as to when the updated book will be released? If it’s going to be soon I think I will wait and purchase the updated one. If it’s going to be a few months or more than I’ll get the current one cause I am going insane trying to declutter and organize our tiny box we call home! Thanks for this podcast 🙂
I think it’s going to be awhile… I would jump on it and get a used version on Amazon. Last I checked, you could get one for about $5. It is WONDERFUL!!! Good luck!
Thanks! I found it at the Library so I’ll do that for now and get the updated one when it’s out 🙂
I have a question- What if you are the only one in your house that cares about decluttering and cleaning? I feel like I spend all my time doing this all my by myself. My husband works long hours, has a huge garden and works on various home projects in his off time. My 3 and 5 year old are just messy, even thought I try to get them to pick up their rooms and other parts of the house daily. My 3 year old empties her drawers during every quiet time and my 5 year old is craft crazy which always makes a huge mess. I homeschool and the only “space” we have is the dining room table and each time we have people over I have to move the piles. Also, I hired a girl this summer to watch my kids so I could clear out the attic. It just seems like a never ending battle in my home. I just wish I had a week alone so I could get some serious work done. But I am never alone because I am home with the kids all day long. I was a very neat and tidy person, but since having a family I have not been able to get above this. I have done the MOM program and it has helped clear up my mind tremendously. And this summer I have gotten rid of hundreds of things, but it still seems to be a huge project I can’t conquer. On top of all that we have been gone almost every day doing something outside the home so I feel like I’m never here to get anything done and when I am, it’s mainly cooking and basic cleaning. I’m hoping when the school year starts we will be home more and I can start teaching the kids more about how to care for their things. Anyway, I hope to find a place a peace in all this chaos. Thanks!
From my experience, it is nearly impossible to have a clean house with children who are 5 and 3. They just can’t be neat. My older kids can handle chores with no problem (except lack of desire). For little ones, I tried to have a designated “clean up time,” usually just before dinner. That wasn’t always successful (sometimes there wasn’t enough time; sometimes they just got everything messy again before bed). But it was something. Other than that, I just waited for them to go to bed and cleaned the house by myself, without any disruption. I wish I had thought of hiring a babysitter!
Shonda, you have a VERY busy life right now! I think part of the solution is being gentle with yourself and realizing if you’re homeschooling and encouraging your children to make crafts, and taking your children on outings every day, it is REALLY challenging to have a perfectly organized house. That being said, since you’re obviously an organized person, there are most likely some creative ways you can make your home function in a “less messy” way. Maybe it’s training your three-year-old how to put things back in her drawer and making it a game to see how well she can do it (taking a photo afterward or hanging a picture by the drawer, showing her how it should look). Or maybe it’s finding a great craft box that will contain the supplies a little better. Or maybe it’s being home one extra day a week where everyone tidies the home and declutters together. My kids didn’t start out liking to de-clutter, but they’ve learned to be really helpful because they knew how important it was to me. Wishing you the best!!!
great reminders. i needed this today. i loved her story about her small kitchen. thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks, this is so motivating and helpful. I am curious April what are your seven steps for blessing your home that you mentioned?
This is great! I see its mentions about an additional tele-class featuring Alice’s Clutter-free How-Tos for the Busy Mom. I have Moms Premium but don’t know how to access it. Thanks!