Paring Down: Realistic minimalism, decluttering, & intentional living

Sometimes the clutter drives us nuts...and sometimes, we don't have the energy to get worked up about it. Guess what? That's totally normal! Today we're talking through the reasons why your clutter tolerance might ebb and flow, so you'll walk away feeling less pressure to be rigid in your approach to a living a life with less. PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Sign up for my newsletter! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

If your home is small, quirky, or simply not your "dream home" - then this episode is for you! In fact, this episode is for you even if you're inside your ideal home but aren't sure you've maximized the space to meet your needs. Small space designer, Khrystyne Jaspers, has first-hand experience with making the most out of her spaces, including her current 1-bedroom apartment in NYC where she and h...

We often think that minimalism looks one way: white, neutral, & bare as possible. The truth is that minimalism simply means choosing only what's truly important and essential to each of us, personally, and letting those things shine. Designer Whitney English is releasing a new book (today!) called "Organize First, Decorate Second," and you'll love this conversation about how to create a home that...

Does it sometimes feel impossible to make real friends in adulthood? And what does that have to do with paring down our lives? As a military wife, I have to build a new community for our family every three years. And I've found that not only do friendships help us enjoy life, but they're a big reason it's easier to live a life with less. When we know we can rely on neighbors and friends to lend us...

When you slow down and consider your life, do you feel rich in what matters? Today's guest, Julia Ubbenga, found herself asking that question years ago, which has led to her influencing thousands of other women to do the same. In today's episode, we talk about how to free ourselves from comparison, impatience/anger, and exhaustion through the practice of living with less. Julia's spiritual and par...

There's no motivation to declutter quite like relocating! But where should we start? In this episode I break down why we should declutter before we move, and 10 categories to focus on in order to avoid taking clutter with you to your new home. Even if you're not moving, today's episode is a fun one to get ideas for a "mock move," which is to declutter your home *as though* you plan on moving. It's...

"What if our partner says they'll do something, but they don't follow through?" "How do we get our partners to care about all the details of home/family management?" These are just two of the questions I ask relationship expert and author Dr. Morgan Cutlip on today's episode of Paring Down. "The mental load" is a big term getting a lot of attention these days because it's an important component to...

What-if items tend to be the biggest culprits of clutter! We are worried we'll need it some day, so we hold on just in case. In this episode, I walk through 5 helpful ways to combat this battle with "what-if??" so that we can become more discerning about what's worth keeping and what we need to let go. PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Sign up for my newsletter! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Introducing my brother, Jim Oliver!! We talk about losing our mom 12 years ago, and what that has meant for both of us in terms of living our lives with clear intention - even though that intentionality looks different between the two of us. Jim also shares about his fascinating career as a booking agent for celebrities and major motivational speakers, offering us insight to how to make the most o...

The beautiful part about intentional living is that we get to decide what resonates with us and what doesn't. Not all advice is for everyone, and that's A-okay. In that spirit, there seem to be some generally-accepted viewpoints in the minimalism and decluttering world that I, personally, disagree with. So here are some of my hot takes! From sparking joy to the 20/20 rule...I have thoughts! PARING...

Ready for some truly practical help that will change your daily life? Shawn Lemon of The Digital Organizer delivers just that in today's episode as he shares with us practical steps we can take to make our email accounts, desktop, and digital storage less chaotic and far more streamlined. I personally was so motivated after our conversation that I went to town on my own digital spaces as soon as o...

Spring Break is right around the corner, and it's very tempting to buy new wardrobes for vacation or bring home plenty of souvenirs. (Especially if it means avoiding a toddler breakdown in the middle of public.) So let's talk about ways to avoid all that vacation clutter -- both in shopping ahead of time, and while we're there! PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Sign up for my newsletter! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Defining what is "sacred" is to determine what truly matters and to recognize the beautiful intersection of every living thing. In this realm, Jeff Golden has spent 30 years and won multiple awards for his work regarding the connection (or lack thereof) between money and happiness so that we can better reject the things that are NOT sacred. On the podcast, Jeff shares fascinating studies and stati...

Whew, I kind of can't believe I'm pressing publish on this one. I grew up in a high control religious organization, and today I'm sharing my story after a lot of interest came in after I mentioned it in a reel! I know this is.a bit off the subject of decluttering, but it ties in beautifully with the bigger message of intentional living. I hope this episode is not only interesting, but helps shed s...

Avoiding difficult subjects isn't something I want to do on Paring Down. Yet I want to make sure I approach them with humility, positivity, and an open mind - and I hope that tone comes through on today's episode. I'm so grateful to have Aubrey High from The Reclaimed Home alongside me as we talk through insights she's gained while working with people who are financially insecure - and often recov...

Finding a decluttering method that works for you is great, but identifying principles that can apply to any decluttering decision is even more powerful. In this episode, I share 10 principles -- or established truths about life -- that can help guide our processes and decisions as we decide what should stay and what should go in our homes, schedules, and beyond. Mentioned in this episode: Shannon'...

This episode has been a long time coming, and I'm so happy it's finally here!!! I know so many of you struggle to help your parents declutter in their senior years of life, or perhaps you're a senior adult yourself and struggling to manage the possessions you've accumulated in life. I'm honored that Jeannine Bryant of Easy Rightsizing joined me to share her 15 years of wisdom on this topic, having...

It's always SO exciting when I record something that immediately becomes one of my favorite episodes. This is one of those!! My degree is in psychology because I've always been fascinated with understanding human behavior, motivations, and emotions. So today, I explore 5 psychological theories and cognitive biases that affect WHY it's hard to declutter, and what we can do to move forward. I hope y...

Diane Boden of the Minimalist Moms podcast joins us on Paring Down today to talk about how to adopt a more minimalish mindset in 2025 and beyond. It's not just about goal-setting - it's about viewing our possessions and our life with clarity, which will propel us into action. Diane Boden Instagram: @diane_boden Minimalist Moms Instagram: @minimalistmomspodcast Minimalist Moms podcast Minimalist Mo...

We can't live intentionally while never taking time to pause and reflect on our lives. Through this purposeful evaluation, we are able to consciously decide our next steps, what to keep, and what to let go. Even if resolutions aren't your thing, this is a great time of year to do this practice of reflection -- so let's walk through 8 questions together and see what adjustments it's time to make (o...

Today we welcome Erin Port of Simple Purposeful Living to the podcast! I LOVE Erin's "big sister energy" (her words) that so gently remind us that we don't have to be extreme with our choices in order to simplify our lives. In a season of overwhelm (Merry Christmas Eve, btw!), I think you'll absolutely love this episode that helps you find ways to make your life easier through the littlest tweaks....

Birthday parties are a great example of how the true power of a “minimalish” life isn’t in less for the sake of less, rather it’s about intentionality. In this episode, I share how our family personally approaches birthday parties - from why we do them at all, to how many kids are invited, to gifts and goody bags and themes! Biggest takeaway: Minimalism isn’t the lens through which I view life. It...

THE ONE THE ONLY Tyler Moore aka Tidy Dad is on today's episode! Tyler is so engaging, positive, and honest-- three attributes that have led him to features on Good Morning America and in The New York Times, Apartment Therapy, and more. You'll love listening to his insights that inspire us all to tidy up our homes and lives! Plus you MUST get your hands on his book, Tidy Up Your Life, which releas...

In this episode, we talk through 5 ways to keep traditions from becoming overwhelming -- from focusing on the big picture instead of the details, to creating a fair divide of responsibilities with your partner. Here's to a less stressful, more magical holiday season! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Other Paring Down episodes: Avoiding the Christmas Clutter Making Holiday Decor Meaningful What the Bible...

We often declutter from a place of frustration with all of the stuff in our homes, but the process is not only more enjoyable - but more sustainable, too - if we approach decluttering out of gratitude. In this episode, Deanna Yates from the Wannabe Clutter Free podcast shares some of the ways she takes a gratitude-led approach to decluttering. We also talk about how living with less sparks more th...