Unstuffed

I used to spend my days overwhelmed, burnt out, and with an endless to do list. This one small mindset shift allowed me to re-think the way I was spending my time and allowed me to free up more of my schedule. If you feel stuck on a constant hamster wheel, anxious about keeping everyone happy, and overwhelmed trying to keep up, this tiny mindset shift can help you unload so many of the burdens you...

If you are killing yourself trying to be a perfect mom and are constantly worried about what you're doing wrong, or if you're making the right decisions, then pull up a seat, because we are going to dive into the real talk of why it's time to kill off the idea that any of us can be a perfect mom. In this episode I share some real-life troll comments that sprung me into action to speak up for my fe...

I created a multi-million dollar investment plan as a homeschooling/stay at home mom. While I'm no investing expert -- and, in fact, barely made it through math class, I wanted to lend some insight into the books I used to make this big financial goal possible for myself and for our family. Statistics show that women are better investors than men and yet women are also the ones least likely to mak...

At some point most of us have attempted reducing the amount of screen time we take in in a day, but what would happen if we tried the exact opposite? Instead of screen time minimalism, what if we binged on screens? That's exactly what author and philosopher Nate Klemp did and he shared his experience with me on the Unstuffed Podcast. Is less screen time the key to freedom? Can we still practice mi...

When we are feeling overwhelmed, it can be tough to know why or how to get back to a more slow living, neutral state. Lately I have been applying the idea of energetic input versus output to my life and it has been a game changer! Think of this like minimalism and decluttering but for your energy levels. If you feel like you're either on top of the world or completely depressed, this new concept c...

If you are a sucker for all things personality tests, horoscopes, and creating a high vibe living environment, you'll love this deep-dive into personal development with Alice Inoue from Happiness U. Does your horoscope really know what you're capable of? Is the feng shui in your home all wrong? Getting to know who you are, what you were meant for and letting go of the things holding you back can b...

So many are living in a state of burnout and don't even know it! Today I sat down with burnout coach and author, Emily Ballesteros, to find out what causes burnout, how we can fix it, and what so many of us get wrong when it comes to simplifying our lives. Emily has faced burnout as a corporate professional and I have faced it as a busy, work from home mom. Together we discuss our shared experienc...

Before you head into the New Year with fitness and weight loss goals, listen in to today's episode with Amber Romaniuk who is an Emotional Eating, Digestive and Hormone Expert. This is not your ordinary fitness talk. During our chat Amber offered up real, practical advice for getting healthy -- and not in the way you think! If you're burnt out on diet culture, trendy fad diets, and body shame, tap...

If you are someone like me who has struggled with money or budgeting, today's episode is for you. Allie Williams is a money coach who will share with you her no-nonsense methods for how she and her husband paid off over 6 figures of student loan debt while still saving, investing and enjoying life. Alli's approach is all about cutting back where it doesn't matter so you can splurge big time on the...

Instead of going hard on New Years Resolutions, here's how you can begin to incorporate slow living into your daily lifestyle in 2024. Adapting a more slow lived mentality can be so helpful in healing your nervous system, achieving your goals, and all around living a more intentional life. Shopping Rehab: https://www.reneebenes.com/shopping-rehab Savings Guide: https://www.reneebenes.com/save Inst...

Learning how to practice slow living when you live in a fast paced world can be hard. Yes, some people can practice slow living off grid, totally away from the outside world, but what about the rest of us? Can those of us with families, busy jobs, and loads of laundry still find ways to slow down and enjoy our lives? You bet we can and I want to tell you how! In this episode I will share with you...

In 17 years of marriage, we have celebrated Christmas with kids from newborn to adulthood. This year I wanted to share the evolution of Christmas gift giving that we have gone through as a minimalist mom and dad. If you are wondering what a mroe minimalist Christmas looks like with kids, this is your behind-the-scenes sneak peek at what it has looked like for us. Let's talk about what we buy our k...

If you had no bills to pay and a $60K salary, what would you do with it? Today's guest spent all of it on...well, she's not sure what! Today's episode is devoted to all things shopping addiction. Listen in on some real talk about the temptations to buy, how to slow overspending and how movies The Devil Wears Prada spawned a generation of shopaholics. (But oh, the style!!) For anyone who has ever s...

What did you husband think about downsizing your house by 2,000 square feet? Does your husband practice minimalism and decluttering? I get asked so often about how my minimalist journey and downsizing our house affected my marriage. That's why, today, for episode 100, I thought I would interview my husband, Tom. Listen in on our honest chat about keeping up with the Joneses, moving into a smaller...

If you have ever struggled with PMS symptoms, getting through your period or understanding your crazy hormones, this is an episode for you! Believe it or not, I'm now officially in support of buying yourself a new pair of sweatpants and doubling up on your favorite pair of jeans all in honor of your body. This episode gives you an amazing in-depth listen to 2 women having some real talk around bod...

As we go into Thanksgiving break, I think it's important that we work to practice gratitude...but...there are some things we can get wrong when it comes to being thankful (I know I got it wrong at least). In today's episode I want to share with you little ways you can practice gratitude as a beginner, how it can make your bad days better, and how to avoid falling into gaslight gratitude. Savings G...

We might start a minimalist lifestyle with good intentions about decluttering and simplifying our lives, but if we're not careful the trend of minimalism can sneak up on us. When I first started decluttering, I was using minimalism as a trend and it made my life way more stressful. Here are 6 signs you might be doing the same and how you can snap out of it. Savings Guide: https://www.reneebenes.co...

Even if you're not a minimalist mommy blogger like I once was, I wanted to share with you how I turned my blog into a globally recognized personal brand. I mean, how do you get paid, or build a business when you are telling people to downsize, declutter, and stop shopping? The key, I have found, is to owning your story and sharing it with enthusiasm with those who want to hear it. You too have a s...

In honor of Halloween, I wanted to share 3 scary things that made me a minimalist -- but they're probably not what you're thinking. OK, they are definitely not what you're thinking. The truth is, a lot of us will go through similar experiences and we have the opportunity to take away lessons of growth or lessons of fear. I chose growth whenever possible. Here is how some of the biggest losses and...

Christmas is coming and if the stores are already trying to sell us on decor and holiday themed gifts, then I get to have my say on what we should declutter before the holiday season hits! Decluttering and simplifying our home before Christmas comes has been something our family has done for the last few years. Here are 5 things we do to make sure the season of giving stays a little more focused o...

Hey there, burnt out mama! If you have ever felt sick of housework, trying to be the perfect mom, and are struggling to keep it all together, today's episode is one you're not going to want to miss. I got to sit down with Mom Coach Stephanie Rosenfield and have some serious mom talk about how to escape from feeling overwhelmed and overworked simply by learning to let go! Stephanie's Instagram: htt...

Most of us know the basic ways to declutter. We know how to get clutter out of our house...we jus get rid of it. But, if the method itself is so simple, why are so many of us still drowning in clutter? I think it's because we haven't learned how to let s**t go. What is the difference between decluttering and letting s**t go? That's what I want to dive into today with you. I want to give you a new...

Have you ever had one of those AHA moments where you realized you can't live up to someone else's expectations? Today Amy Green Smith and I have a very real chat about the vulnerability it takes to show up as our authentic selves, even if the people we love don't approve, why people pleasing can be a great tactic for survival, and how to set boundaries with love (and less screaming). Amy on Insta:...

"I don't care what other people think about me!" This is usually something we hear from people and we assume it means they don't care when someone doesn't like them. Right? Well, what about when people really like you? What about compliments and words of kindness? Should we stop caring about those too? I have, and I thought maybe we could have an honest discussion today about why. My site: https:/...

We have all struggled to find the right outfit to wear, but could the clothing we wear effect how successful we are, the jobs we get, and even how much money we make? In today's episode, I sit down with celebrity stylist, Keri Blair for an honest and heartfelt discussion about how to find the clothes that tell the world who we are and how the right wardrobe just might help us be our best version o...