Declutter for Real Life: Flexible Minimalism Tips for Families with Desirae Endres (Ep 313)
Have you ever looked at a "minimalist" home on Instagram and thought, well, that is never going to be me. My kids alone would destroy that in four minutes? Or convinced yourself that your clutter-free journey isn't working because your house just doesn't look the part? You are not alone. And this conversation is for you.
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- Get the transcripts and more at wannabeclutterfree.com/313
- Episode with Joshua Becker
- The Minimalists Documentary
- Previous episode with Desirae
Connect with Desirae:
- Minimal-ish Website
- Minimal-ish on Instagram
- Minimalish Podcast: Search "Minimalish" wherever you listen
Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on:
- Instagram
- Website
- Effortless Home: DAILY Edition - 5 Steps to Run Your Home Like Magic
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Desirae Endres is the host of the Minimalish podcast, and her decluttering journey started in 2018 when she sat down as a brand new mom and watched a documentary that completely changed the way she thought about her stuff, her home, and her identity.
Since then she has built an entire community around the idea of "minimal-ish" living, not a perfect aesthetic, not a stark white capsule home, just a real and intentional life with less in the way.
In this episode, Desirae gets honest about the postpartum anxiety that made her desperate for a calmer home, what it felt like when her husband said their house no longer looked minimal-ish, and the beautiful shift she had about what this whole journey is actually for. We also dig into how to get your kids involved in decluttering without it turning into a battle, and the single most powerful thing you can do to raise kids who genuinely understand how to let go.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- What "minimal-ish" means and why it has nothing to do with how your home looks
- The real connection between clutter and mental health
- Why letting go of stuff is really about letting go of past versions of yourself
- How to involve your kids in decluttering without forcing it
- What age kids can meaningfully participate (and when it is okay to just do it yourself)
- The one thing you can do today that quietly teaches your kids to let go
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
2:59 Desirae's origin story: the documentary that changed everything
5:37 Why changing your nature is harder than changing what you own
9:21 How decluttering helped manage postpartum anxiety
11:37 Letting go of clothes and letting go of past versions of yourself
15:02 Baby stuff, the "what if" fear, and letting go anyway
20:20 Feeling like an imposter when your home does not look minimal
22:45 The minimalist aesthetic vs. the minimalist mindset
24:56 Accepting certain areas of clutter in your current season
32:43 Teaching kids to declutter: where to start
37:21 The power of narrating your own decluttering out loud
43:28 What age should kids start participating?
47:07 What Desirae wishes someone had told her at the very beginning
49:13 Decluttering as a gateway to bigger life changes
50:09 Rapid fire questions
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Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
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We’d love to hear how you’re applying the strategies discussed in this episode. Share your stories and tips with us on social media (@wannabeclutterfree). Don’t forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to make your busy life a bit easier.
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