Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

Why does clutter keep coming back no matter what you try? Author Katy Wells shares her holistic approach to decluttering that tackles the root cause, not just the stuff, so you can finally feel at peace in your home.

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RESOURCES

Katy's Book - Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm (available wherever books are sold)

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/295⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Katy Wells:

⁠Katy's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What if the reason clutter keeps coming back has nothing to do with your organizing systems and everything to do with what's going on beneath the surface?

In this episode, host Deanna Yates welcomes Katy Wells, author of Making Home Your Happy Place and host of the Maximized Minimalist podcast. Katy shares how she developed her holistic decluttering method after years of trying every hack, bin system, and organizing strategy only to watch her home fall apart two days later. Drawing from her background in holistic wellness, she realized that lasting change required looking at not just the stuff, but the beliefs, emotions, and stories behind it.

Together, Deanna and Katy dig into why clutter sometimes serves as a coping mechanism that protects us from feeling harder emotions, the crucial difference between expected mess and actual clutter, and how to release the shame that comes from comparing your home to magazine perfection. They also explore the four main types of clutter (superficial, sentimental, scarcity, and identity), how generational patterns and cultural messaging quietly shape what we keep, and the ART framework for working through sentimental items without regret.

Plus, Katy shares practical strategies for getting your partner on board without nagging, helping kids build decluttering as a life skill, and understanding how dopamine actually works when it comes to shopping habits. This is a conversation that will change how you think about your stuff and the space you call home.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why clutter keeps coming back and how it can secretly be a coping mechanism

The difference between expected mess and clutter, and how to release shame around both

The four types of clutter and where to start decluttering

How to get your partner on board without nagging using one simple change

What dopamine actually does when you shop and how to break the cycle

Time Stamps:

(00:00) Introduction and guest intro

(02:41) Katy's background and holistic decluttering origin story

(07:34) When clutter becomes a coping mechanism

(10:29) Expected mess vs. clutter: releasing the shame

(14:14) The "shoulds" around decluttering and setting your own benchmarks

(19:14) The four main clutter types and where to start

(24:29) Your "stuff story": how family history and culture shape what you keep

(29:17) The ART framework for sentimental items

(37:56) Onboarding your partner without nagging

(45:51) Helping kids declutter toys and build life skills

(50:45) Dopamine and shopping: the motivation molecule

(57:00) Social media, comparison, and anchoring to your core values

(1:00:14) Where to find Katy and her book

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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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What can a year of decluttering a hoarder house teach us about letting go? Author Eileen Stukane shares her journey from horror to healing, plus practical tips for helping loved ones and releasing your own grip on stuff.

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RESOURCES

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/294⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Eileen Stukane:

Eileen's Website⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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What would you do if you inherited a home from a family member, a home you'd visited many times and remembered as warm and elegant, only to open the door and find it had become a floor-to-ceiling hoarder house?

In this episode, host Deanna Yates talks with author and journalist Eileen Stukane about her memoir, The House That Held Everything. When Eileen and her sister inherited their cousin's childhood home after his death, they were shocked to discover rooms so packed with stuff they could barely get through the front door.

What followed was a year-long journey of clearing out the house and uncovering family secrets that had been buried for decades.

With an estimated 19 million Americans affected by hoarding, this episode offers hope, understanding, and practical wisdom for anyone who knows someone struggling with this issue or recognizes tendencies in themselves.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How possessions become "mini autobiographies" that reveal sides of people you never knew

The difference between collecting and hoarding, and warning signs to watch for

A powerful tip for letting go: create a photo album "museum" of items you can't keep

How to help a loved one who hoards using trust-building and the harm reduction approach

Why checking in on people matters, even when they say "don't come over"

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction & Welcome

01:52 Meet Eileen Stukane: From Magazine Editor to Memoir Author

04:18 Inheriting the House: The Shocking Discovery

06:20 From Repulsion to Compassion: Why Eileen Wrote the Book

09:15 Possessions as Mini Autobiographies

14:08 Uncovering Family Secrets

18:15 Discovery via Ancestry.com and the Year-Long Cleanout

23:17 The Photo Museum Tip: Taking Pictures Before Letting Go

24:55 Sorting Categories: Keep, Throw Out, Auction, Donate, Not Sure

29:57 Understanding Why: The Psychology of Hoarding

34:11 Helping a Loved One: Building Trust First

41:00 How the Experience Changed Eileen's Relationship with Stuff

43:44 Rapid Fire Questions

47:09 Closing Thoughts: 19 Million Americans Affected

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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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Decluttering gets easier when you release fear, obligation, and guilt. Ashley Hines shares a holistic approach to organizing that builds self-trust and helps you create a clutter-free home with intention.

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RESOURCES

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get all the links and resources at wannabeclutterfree.com/293⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Ashley Hines:

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⁠Ashley's Website⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Fear. Obligation. Guilt.

If decluttering feels emotionally heavy (even when you want a clutter-free home) you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just stuck in F.O.G.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ashley Hines, founder of Thee Tailored Life, to talk about the emotional side of decluttering and why letting go can feel so complicated.

Ashley introduces her F.O.G. framework (fear, obligation, and guilt) and explains how it quietly shapes our homes, our decisions, and even our sense of identity. We talk about why “should” is such a powerful clutter trigger, why identity-based items are the hardest to release, and what actually changes when you begin trusting yourself again.

This conversation is gentle, validating, and deeply grounding, especially if you’ve ever felt bad for wanting less.

We cover:

How fear, obligation, and guilt show up in our homes

Why decluttering isn’t just physical—it’s emotional

The hidden pressure behind “should-keep” items

Why identity-based clutter feels impossible to release

How self-trust makes decluttering easier over time

A gentle first step if you feel completely stuck

What it looks like to live clutter-free without perfection

If you’re craving a calmer home and more confidence in your decisions, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome + why decluttering feels emotional
02:00 What holistic organizing really means
04:30 Introducing F.O.G.: fear, obligation, and guilt
08:10 Where F.O.G. shows up most in homes
12:45 The problem with “should”
17:30 Identity-based clutter and emotional weight
22:15 Self-trust and decision-making
27:40 A gentle first step for overwhelmed listeners
33:10 Community, sharing, and living with intention
38:30 What freedom actually looks like in a clutter-free home

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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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clutter isn’t a personal failure. Decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin shares a compassionate, clutter-free approach to emotional clutter, realistic systems, and organizing for real life, not perfection.

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RESOURCES

Tracy’s Books:

Making Space, Clutter Free

Making Space for Happiness

Melanie Summers

Tracy’s chat with Nick Fox

Deanna’s Bundle of Her Best Decluttering Resources

Connect with Tracy McCubbin:

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Tracy's Website⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my children's book: Lenora and Her Super Duper Messy Room⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Clutter has a way of feeling personal. But according to Tracy McCubbin, it rarely is.

In this honest and grounding conversation, Tracy and Deanna talk about why clutter forms, why it sticks, and how emotional patterns like perfectionism, guilt, and generational habits quietly shape our homes.

You will hear why buying more bins does not solve clutter, how to move away from Pinterest perfect organizing, and how to create practical systems that support real life. Tracy shares what it actually looks like to declutter with kindness instead of pressure and why starting small matters more than doing it all at once.

This episode is for busy women who want a clutter free home without shame, extremes, or unrealistic expectations. It is especially helpful if you have ever felt like your home should be easier to manage or wondered why organizing advice does not seem to stick.

Tracy also shares insights from her books Making Space, Clutter Free and Make Space for Happiness, along with what she is seeing most right now after nearly 20 years as a professional declutterer.

If clutter has been weighing on you, this conversation offers a deep breath, a mindset shift, and a realistic path toward intentional living and a clutter free home.

We cover:

Why clutter is not a character flaw

How emotional and generational patterns influence what we keep

Why perfectionism makes organizing harder, not easier

What “good enough” systems look like for real homes

How to start small and build momentum

When asking for help is the smartest next step

Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome + why clutter feels personal
03:10 Emotional attachment and why letting go is hard
06:30 Why clutter is not a personal failure
10:05 How childhood and generational habits shape clutter
13:20 The emotional “blocks” behind clutter
16:45 Why bins don’t fix the problem
25:30 Decluttering without pressure or shame
34:10 Creating judgment-free systems that last
38:40 Delegating, asking for help, and support systems
45:30 Common decluttering myths debunked
50:10 Final thoughts on clutter-free living

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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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting back into routine after a break can feel overwhelming. This episode shares a gentle, clutter-free re-entry plan with simple, practical steps to reduce stress, rebuild momentum, and ease back into daily life.

Resources Mentioned:

⁠Deanna's Best Decluttering Resources⁠

⁠Wannabe Clutter Free on Instagram⁠

Getting back into real life after a holiday or time off can feel surprisingly hard—especially when clutter, routines, and expectations all come crashing back at once.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does this feel so much harder than it should?”—this episode is for you.

Today’s conversation is all about a gentle re-entry to your normal life after a long holiday break.

Not snapping back into routine. Not fixing everything at once.

Just easing back into daily life in a way that actually feels supportive.

You’ll learn how to:

Reduce overwhelm before chasing motivation

Create quick relief by clearing physical and mental clutter

Rebuild routines without pressure or perfection

Use small, visible wins to regain confidence

Avoid the common traps that make re-entry harder than it needs to be

This is a realistic, clutter-free approach designed for high-achieving, modern moms who want their homes (and lives) to feel calmer, lighter, and more manageable again.

If you’re craving a smoother transition back to normal life, this episode will help you do it with grace instead of grit.

Timestamps:

00:00: Why re-entry after a break feels harder than expected

03:25: The re-entry reality check and letting go of pressure

10:21: The re-entry rule: clear friction before motivation

14:06: Five simple moves to reduce overwhelm fast

26:09: Why visible wins matter more than big progress

33:10: Reclaiming your personal reset point

37:14: What not to do when easing back into routine

Subscribe & Review:

If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! Your feedback helps me create more content to inspire and motivate you to live with less.

Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices