The Minimal Mom Dawn Madsen

Summer Declutter Challenge: Refresh & Re-Home begins soon! Find full details HERE!
Do you or someone you love struggle with decluttering due to chronic illness? 
Listen in as Dawn talks with Sarah, a professional organizer and decluttering expert who also deals with chronic illness. She shares five tips to help those with chronic illness overcome hurdles in decluttering and simplify their lives.
 IN THIS EPISODE:
0:00 Intro and Sarah’s Story 
4:02 Tops tips for surviving and thriving with chronic illness 
4:26 Tip #1 Not all jobs are equal  
12:13 Tip #2 Convenience sometimes is survival 
13:30 Tip #3 Simple doesn’t mean bad 
21:30 Tip #4 Weird but it works 
23:20 Tip #5 Plan for sickness 
31:38 How to help others 
37:20 Encouragement for those with chronic illness  
ABOUT SARAH McDonald
Sarah is a declutter expert, professional organizer, minimalist and simple living enthusiast; embracing simplicity, one change at a time.  She came from a family of hoarders, but Sarah broke free and is now on a mission to help others do the same! She believes that less is more and she loves sharing my experiences, tips, and tricks to make life easier and more meaningful.
LINKS: 
Find Sarah on IG: https://www.instagram.com/smallchangestv/Find Sarah on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallChangesMy jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
 
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace
(I have the gold in 18")Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

“How do I help my kids declutter when they are attached to EVERYTHING?  I don’t want the pressure of minimizing our stuff to lead my kids into hoarding!”Listen in as Dawn speaks with Laurie, a professional organizer, about her personal experience raising a neurodivergent child, helping kids declutter, and her learnings along the way. 
 
IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 Intro
4:35 - Personal experience of Laurie 
7:26 setting healthy boundaries with kids and treasures 
18:42 - (GEM) “But will I turn them into hoarders?” 
24:49 - When your kids are ready to move on, and you’re not  
26:36 - setting up your kids for success
37:42 - reach out to Laurie
ABOUT LAURIE: 
Laurie is the founder of Simply B Organized (SBO) where she writes, teaches, and works with people of all ages helping them to declutter and work smarter. She also hosts This ORGANIZED Life, a weekly podcast where she chats with awesome guests about life, work, parenting, and the role that organization has in their lives.
LINKS: Laurie’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/simplyborganized/
Podcast episode with Logan: https://simplyborganized.com/2019/08/01/ep-138-podcast-on-parenting-with-special-guest-logan-palau/
Logans followup episode: https://simplyborganized.com/2023/06/22/ep-341-navigating-college-with-adhd-tips-and-insights-from-logan-palau/
Lauries podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-organized-life-organizing-tips-for-busy-moms-to/id1193014252
My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
 
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace
(I have the gold in 18")
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

What do two polar opposite, yet identical twins unanimously praise as the most impactful elements of their upbringing by their incredible mom (and dad, too!)?
Listen in as Dawn and Dianna share about the benefits of growing up with little and the wonderful way it has shaped them.
 
0:00 Catching Up 
8:50 Dawns new mothers necklace and wanting more kids? 
11:05 Parenting tips that we learned from our mom
11:58 Tip #1 - Be realistic about what the family can handle and afford 
22:33 Tip #2 Celebrate well 
23:22 Tip #3 Don’t draw attention to the difference in families 
27:28 - Tip #4 Love unconditionally 

LINKS:
Pink Sweater I'm wearing on repeat: https://amzn.to/3UVdW15
Color block shirt I love: https://amzn.to/4drUYWW
My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace (I have the gold in 18")Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

My kids want to keep everything - how do I help them declutter? I want clear counters, but where do I put the stuff? My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once - HELP!Listen in as Dawn answers from listeners on these topics and more!
Want to record a decluttering question? You can do so here: https://sayhi.chat/MinimalMom
1:05 - How do I navigate kids with an age gap sharing room? 4:13 - I want clear counters, but where do I put the food? 7:26 - How do I get rid of my kids sentimental items? 13:49 - My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once! 19:19 - Do I include my kinds in decluttering? 24:28 - How do I handle a partner who wants to keep piles of stuff? 
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

Does your home still feel cluttered even after ruthlessly decluttering? Have you ever wondered why your home doesn’t look like the Pinterest rooms you love? 
Today, Dawn is joined by Myquillyn Smith. Myquillyn shares several tips, from “house hushing” to designing on a budget, and more! 
ABOUT MYQUILLYN: 
For the past ten years, Myquillyn Smith, also known as “The Nester,” has been encouraging women to embrace their homes—imperfections and all. Her lived-in, loved-on home has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal and Cottages & Bungalows. Myquillyn is the author of The Nesting Place and Cozy Minimalist Home and was chosen by Christianity Today as one of the top twenty creatives in 2016. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three boys.Website: www.thenester.com
Instagram: @thenester
 
IN THIS EPISODE:
1:30 Let’s talk house hushing. 
7:55 What is cozy minimalism?
12:35 - How can we test out design changes on a budget?
15:53 Navigating home changes with others
21:19 - Myquillin’s new book, House Rules32:20 - Myquillin’s opinion on color 
 
BOOKS MENTIONED: NEW: House Rules https://amzn.to/49Pjwq1
Welcome Home https://amzn.to/3WhmOiz
The Nesting Place https://amzn.to/3wa4YmU
Cozy Minimalist home https://amzn.to/3UfHg0K 
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

Are your kids suffering from digital overload? Do you wonder if it’s too late for your already addicted kids? Listen as Dawn speaks with Melanie Hempe on screen addiction and how to help our kids thrive in a digital age. ABOUT MELANIE: 
 
Melanie Hempe helps parents prevent screen addiction, rescue their kids, and enjoy family life again. After her oldest son dropped out of college due to his video game addiction, Melanie Hempe, BSN, utilized her nursing degree from Emory University to warn families about the dangers of screen overuse and founded ScreenStrong. Melanie simplifies medical science for parents, empowering them with the reasons to skip not all screen use but the most harmful screen use—social media, violent video games, and pornography—through adolescence. 

IN THIS EPISODE: 
 
2:39 - How Melanie became interested in screen safety 
15:45 -  Kids 0-5
23:02- How long will it take to detox? 
29:40 - The science behind screens
33:07 - Kids 6-12 year olds 
42:40 - “I want to reduce screen-time, where do I begin?” 
44:44 - “What if it’s my spouse who is addicted?” 
48:40 - Kids Brains and Screens book 
 
LINKS MENTIONED: 
 
Kids Brains and Screens book - https://amzn.to/3U4p1uX
The Screen Strong Solution book - https://amzn.to/3xFckPD
Be Screen Strong IG - https://www.instagram.com/bescreenstrong/
Canopy - https://canopy.us/
Melanie’s son’s perspective on growing up without screens - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-teen-q-a-on-growing-up-without-addictive-screens-179/id1474681355?i=1000641960104
How to teach young kids to play on their own - https://youtu.be/6BlKIluXMcE?feature=shared 
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn