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 Diana Rene: [00:00:00] You're listening to the Decluttered Mom Podcast. A podcast built specifically for busy moms by a busy mom. I'm your host, Diana Renee, and in 2017 I had my second daughter and it felt like I was literally drowning in my home. Okay. Not literally, but I felt like I couldn't breathe with all of the stuff surrounding me over the next 10 months.

I got rid of approximately 70% of our household belongings, and I have never looked back. I kind of feel like I hacked the mom system and I'm here to share all the tips, tricks, and encouragement. Let's listen to today's show.

For today's episode of the podcast, we have Katie, and Katie is a member of Minimalist Starts here. Uh, and so I'm just excited [00:01:00] to chat with her about her story and how decluttering has changed, uh, anything in her life. But Katie, before we get into all the good stuff, can you just tell us a little bit about you?

Katie Porter: Hi, yes, I'm Katie. I'm a stay-at-home mom of two little ones. I have a two year old and a six month old. We recently just moved and that's kind of whenever I started the minimalist arts here, like the massive decluttering that I've done. And so I'm just, I'm really excited to talk about how it's changed things for me and my family.

Diana Rene: Yeah, absolutely. And I know if you're listening to this podcast, you can't see. But Katie, I love your headboard. It's so pretty. Thank you. I'm shopping right now for a headboard and I'm like, Ooh, maybe I need that link. Yes, it, 

Katie Porter: I love it. It took me forever to finally like, pick 

Diana Rene: one. Yeah, it's so pretty. Um, okay, so hold on.

So you have a six month old and you recently moved. Yes. How, [00:02:00] how long ago? Um, 

Katie Porter: we moved the beginning of December. 

Diana Rene: Oh my gosh. So, okay. I'm bad with math. How old was she then? When she was probably like two, three months old? Yeah. Wow. Okay. 

Katie Porter: It 

Diana Rene: was, it was a lot. What's the story there? Why did you guys move at that point?

Katie Porter: So we had been looking for, So we lived on the golf course Uhhuh, which we lived in like great, like neighborhood. Like it was great. We just did not like having golfers in our backyard all the time. Yeah. Um, we both never really lived in the city before, like in town. And so since we had gotten together, we had been looking for like the right house, um, in the country and we had been looking for like two plus years.

Yeah. And finally something came on the market that we really liked. And so we, we had to jump on 

Diana Rene: it because we didn't bad. [00:03:00] Yeah. Yeah. Oh my goodness. We just moved in October. Um, and my kids are not newborns and I had a hard time with moving, so Yeah. Hats off to you. Yeah. Thank you. 

Katie Porter: We're finally feeling more settled.

It. We're getting there. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Uh, you know what? I forgot. We lived in our last house for five years, um, and it's kind of like going through labor like after a year or two you kind of forget how I intense it is and you're like, oh, I can't be that bad. Yeah, it'll be fine. Figure. Right, and that, I feel like it's the same thing with moving, like by the time we were ready to move, I was like, oh, it won't be bad.

It'll be easy. And like, oh my gosh, I forget how much time it takes to like really settle in and adjust to new spaces. Especially with, 

Katie Porter: yeah, I. It just kept like stressing me out because I just wanted everything to be like in its place and like perfect. But like I had minimal amount [00:04:00] of time to like dedicate to like putting stuff away cuz I was taking care of two kids all the time.

Right. It just, it takes time. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Okay. So you moved in November and then you joined the program in January, right? Yes, yes. Okay. So talk me through what, um, Kinda where were you, in your mind, in your new home that made you want to join the program? 

Katie Porter: Honestly, I think it was just like the overwhelming stuff in boxes still.

Yes. And like, it just seemed easier to just like 

Diana Rene: get rid of it. Mm-hmm. Rather than 

Katie Porter: find a home for it. I really wish I would've joined the program prior to moving. Mm-hmm. Um, would've made things a lot more simple. Right. But, um, that was kind of like the. I had been following you for like quite a while and I had considered buying it like a couple of times, and I just like, no, I'll try it myself.

Like I, I can do this. Yeah. And I just like give it a couple weeks [00:05:00] and you're like back to square one, basically. Yeah. Um, so finally I bought the program because like I was just so overwhelmed with like, stuff just being everywhere, like mm-hmm. Having. Well, she was like four months old then, and then like my two year old, he just turned two.

You have like minimal amount of time for yourself and like, for like home stuff because you're dedicating all of your time basically to caring for the two little ones. Yeah. Um, so I was just, I was fed up, like I was always anxious, always stressed out of like the state of our home and like I knew I wanted to make a change.

Yeah. I've never been one to like really hold onto things that's more my husband. Okay. Um, so definitely a transition for him. So, like, even though I wasn't one to hold on to stuff, I, I say I really wasn't one to hold on to stuff, but, um, I still had a lot of stuff to get rid of. Yeah. That like we just didn't 

Diana Rene: [00:06:00] use Yeah.

Okay. So a couple things here I wanna wanna talk about. The first one is, I think moving, like sometimes people will ask me like, when's the best time to declutter? Like if you had to choose. Um, and honestly, the best time is just now, like wherever you are in your life. But if there was like a magic wand, like, you know, like put you into a time where the best time dec declutter is when like a month or two before you're moving, I would say.

And then the next best time would be like, Right after you moved because you're like, so done. Mm-hmm. That you just wanna get rid of things. Um, but I, I also find it interesting that you felt like you were someone who didn't hold onto things, but you still were able to find a lot of things going through the program that you actually could let go of.

And I think that's a common, sometimes people will join the program because, They think their spouse or their partner is holding onto things and they think this will be like the thing that will help push [00:07:00] them. Mm-hmm. And then they're like going through the program and they're like, oh, maybe I have some things I can let go of too.

I felt 

Katie Porter: like I could let go of a lot of stuff prior, but like what always held me back was like the emotional, um mm-hmm. The sentimental items. And so like part of your course was the, um, emotional obstacles, which really helped me. Yeah, 

Diana Rene: that was for me. So before you moved, were you feeling overwhelmed in your old house 

Katie Porter: at times?

Mm-hmm. Um, a lot of stuff kind of had like places, I would say. Yeah. Um, but there were definitely times where I was overwhelmed, mainly like with the PM pickup. Yeah. It was like we would finally get the kids to bed and we'd be like cleaning until we went to bed, which is just exhausting 

Diana Rene: and yeah. Not sustainable.

No. No. It just isn't. Yeah. 

Katie Porter: Um, so that was probably the biggest thing. Okay. Or like spending like weekends, like cleaning up. [00:08:00] Yeah. Like, that's not how I wanna be spending my time. 

Diana Rene: Right. I know. That's how I, that's how it was for us too before I started this whole process. Because it was like, the week was for like surviving and then the weekend was to like try and prepare to survive for the next week.

Seriously. Yes. Yeah. Um, I'm curious, did was your old house and your current house similar size? 

Katie Porter: Our new house is bigger. Um, okay. Okay. Probably by like a thousand square foot. 

Diana Rene: Okay. So quite a bit, quite a bit bigger. Yeah. Yeah. So when you were going through the program, what you, I think you said that the emotional obstacles was kind of the biggest thing.

Mm-hmm. Um, how did your husband react, number one, to you joining the program? Number two to, um, like did he go through the process with you? Did he fight it? Tell me more about that. Um, yeah. 

Katie Porter: So at [00:09:00] first he was like, why are we doing this? Like we, we don't need to get rid of anything. Like, this is silly. 

Diana Rene: Yeah.

We just got a bigger house. 

Katie Porter: Yeah. He is like, we have room for our stuff. Yeah, but we don't need it. Like it's. And so I like had to tell him like, I'm overwhelmed, like I'm stressed. Like we literally pick up stuff until we go to bed. Mm-hmm. Like, I would like to like spend time together once we finally get the kids to bed.

So I really had to plead my case. Yeah. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. I can imagine. 

Katie Porter: And then once we started, um, he was able to like kind of see how like I stopped being like as stressed and anxious about things. Mm-hmm. Um, like specifically cleaning up. The first big thing that I had him do with me was like our closet. Mm-hmm. He liked every single shirt he had, even if he never wore it.

So that was a big thing, but we worked through it. I had him listen to the emotional obstacles, like portion [00:10:00] of the course. Mm-hmm. I'm trying to think. I remember there was something that he was like, oh yeah, like. I get that. Um, so there were some things that clicked with him. He was still like, I don't know why we're doing this, but I'm just gonna do it so you'll leave me alone, kind of thing.

Right. You're right. Um, and there were still like a lot of clothes, like that didn't fit him, um, that hadn't fit him in like two years. And so he. He got rid of them. He's like, fine, we're just gonna have to go shopping. I was like, 

Diana Rene: okay, but this is defeating the point, but okay, let's just, 

Katie Porter: let's just wait.

Let's give it a few weeks. We have not been shopping for new clothes, cuz he obviously has enough, but it was a transition for him. Where he really started noticing was whenever we would get rid of like toys. Mm. Um, and so like our PM pickup was just so much simpler. It would take like 15 minutes. Yeah. And then we would have time to like watch TV together, kind of [00:11:00] just do our own thing in the evenings.

That was whenever he really started like, okay, like, I like 

Diana Rene: this. Yeah. So the, the concept to him was confusing, but yes. Seeing the actual benefit of it was like mm-hmm. A light 

Katie Porter: bulb. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It might be a different story whenever we get to the basement. Um, yeah. A lot of stuff in the basement that I can foresee him not wanting to get rid of.

Diana Rene: Yeah. Yeah. How far along in the program are you? So we 

Katie Porter: just have our basement and 

garage 

Diana Rene: left. Okay. So just the, you know, just the two hardest. 

Katie Porter: Literally the hardest. So I'm like not, I'm trying not to put it off. Like we really have been busy. Yeah. But they're like daunting me. Um, yeah. I just need to get started.

I've done like one little area in the basement, but yeah, it's. We got some big projects ahead of us, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. A lot of the stuff we didn't want, like on our first floor, second floor, we just took it to the basement. We'll deal with it later. 

Diana Rene: Mm-hmm. So, yeah. [00:12:00] Are you in the members only community?

Yes. Yes. So, Post in there when you're ready to start and post pictures and the coaches and I can help you. Uh, feel free to tag me. Um, and we can help you like break it down a little bit too, to make it feel a little bit more like you can breathe when you go down there to do it. Okay. 

Katie Porter: Yeah. I'm like afraid to like go to our basement.

Like it's, it's overwhelming. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. I mean it is and, and everyone has different, Overwhelming aspects of their home, right? Like it's very common for the basement and garage to be like, where just people put stuff they don't know where to put it. But guest room is another very common one because it's not being used all the time.

So it kind of tends to be like a desk. That's where it was with their old house, was it? 

Katie Porter: Yeah. Like the dining room would become like catch-alls, so. 

Diana Rene: Yep. Yeah. Uh, so it's, it is, Honestly, it's not surprising that that's, um, the good [00:13:00] news though is that because it is a dumping ground and it's stuff that you probably don't use very much, um, once you get going on it, I think you'll surprise yourself with how quickly you move because you're, you've already built up that muscle, right?

Mm-hmm. And then you're going to be like pulling up things that you're like, okay, I haven't used this since. Three houses ago. 

Katie Porter: So I think it's right. Like we obviously don't 

Diana Rene: need this. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so he came around pretty fast though. Yeah, he did. Yeah, he 

Katie Porter: did. 

Diana Rene: That's awesome. Uh, how, what was the biggest surprise for you as far as a benefit once you really got going?

Um, 

Katie Porter: looking like, I definitely felt I. I wish I would have taken before and after pictures. I would just get so excited to like get going and like I would just like either forget. Yeah. Or you 

Diana Rene: know, you [00:14:00] have an infant. It's understandable. Yeah. 

Katie Porter: Yeah. But yeah, the biggest things were just like feeling like I could like look around and kind of like be at peace.

Mm-hmm. Because before it'd be like, Oh my gosh. Like I, there's stuff like that's a normal, not a normal person, I guess. Like my husband didn't see it as like an issue. Like Yeah, like this is just like normal stuff. Yeah. But like I have a D H D, I've been diagnosed, I don't know, four years ago or so now.

Okay. Probably. Yeah. And so like everything kind of like catches my attention. Yeah. It seems like, and so whenever I would look around, I would just be like always overwhelmed. Like there was always something. I mean, there still is, but like, it's like, to a lesser extent, it's so much better. Mm-hmm. So like I can look around and not feel so stressed and overwhelmed, like I can sit down and play with the kids and not think, oh my gosh, there's this needs picked up, this needs done.

Like, we just have so many more systems put in place that just makes [00:15:00] daily life so much 

Diana Rene: easier. Yeah. That's awesome. Um, I have ADHD also, and I was just diagnosed a year ago. Mm-hmm. Uh, and, and. How old am I? I, I turned 39 in April. It's like, I feel like once you hit your thirties, it's kind of like, wait a minute, am I 30?

I might, I was gonna say I'm 37. I'm like, Nope, definitely not 37. Um, but. I, uh, like when I was diagnosed, I was like, okay, this makes a lot of sense. And the psychiatrist that diagnosed me was actually like, it's really interesting that you, uh, I think I've told this story before on the podcast, but she said it's really interesting because one of the first things I tell, like my newly diagnosed, uh, Clients is that like decluttering is going to really help you in your day-to-day life.

And she's like, you, I, she's like, I think you were self-made medicating without realizing it. Like you hit your [00:16:00] breaking point and you like got rid of all this stuff and then you realized how much it helped you. And I think that all of the things that someone with a D H ADHD has a really hard time with when it comes to clutter.

Most people have a hard time with those things also, even if they don't have d h D, it's just kind of like an elevated anxiety to someone who does have a D H D. So it maybe just affects them a little bit more, um, like mentally or like emotionally maybe. And that's something 

Katie Porter: my husband like couldn't like, understand.

Yeah. Um, cuz he does not struggle with adhd. Yeah. So he just like couldn't understand why. I would be much more anxious about things. He just wasn't, I guess. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Which makes sense. 

Katie Porter: For example, like something beyond being on the counter, like I, it makes me anxious. Like if I couldn't find it home for it, and he's just like, why?

It's like one thing. It's not that big of a deal. Like no, it's [00:17:00] Cause every time I see it, like it makes me anxious. Yeah. It's distracting. Yeah. 

Diana Rene: So I, I get it. Um, yeah, that's actually like a, a telltale sign for me that if. I'm starting to get more and more distracted in our home. Like that's like a sign, like, okay, it's time to do like a maintenance declutter.

Mm-hmm. Um, like I've probably let things build up a little bit too much. It, it almost always happens at like the end of January, early February because of Christmas, and we have, both of my kids' birthdays are in January, so like between Christmas and two birthdays by the end of January, it's like, We are like over our max capacity by a lot.

Right, right. Um, and I notice like I start to feel more anxious in the home. I start to feel more distracted. I don't know, have you ever, are you on, do you watch, uh, TikTok [00:18:00] at all? I don't. You don't? Okay. So there is a couple of accounts on there that do like a D H D simulators where it's basically like they take their phone and they walk through their house and then they're like talking through, like how their brain is thinking about like, oh, I have to like, oh, I'm gonna go, uh, load the dishwasher.

So I open the dishwasher, but then I see a shirt on the table. So I grab the shirt, and I walk to the laundry, and then, You know, and it, it just like, kind of simulates what it's like inside an a d, ADHD brain. Yes. Uh, and I, I sent that one of 'em to my mom a couple weeks ago, and she was like, No wonder you're, you're tired all the time, and no wonder you felt like, you know, before you started your whole like, uh, decluttering and simplifying journey.

She's like, how did you function? I was like, I, I really, yeah. Yeah. I really wasn't functioning. I was just Right. Yeah. Yeah. I think that [00:19:00] everyone can benefit from decluttering, but I think if someone has adhd, it's just an, uh, it's just an elevated. Need. Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Katie Porter: Yeah. Um, sorry, 

Diana Rene: where were we at? Um, I don't know.

I, you know. Okay. Every, it's so funny because all of the, um, all of the women who. Uh, emailed me about become or coming on the podcast from. Mm-hmm. I swear every single one has adhd and so we've talked about ADHD so much. Yes. But then it's like two, it's like two ADHD braids trying to like, keep a conversation going.

Katie Porter: But like whenever you were talking about how like you would start with a dishwasher and then you'd like think of something else. Something that I had done was I hired a house cleaner because trying to clean my house was like a disaster. Mm-hmm. Like it takes her, I don't know, like four-ish hours plus or [00:20:00] minus.

Um, but Miu would literally take me all day because I'm like, I start something and I, like, I don't finish it. I just see something else and like it's just 

Diana Rene: everywhere. Yeah. 

Katie Porter: So delegating, like house cleaning was really big for me. Yeah, she's funny because every time she comes she's like, I wonder what you got rid of this time.

She's game. I've been getting rid of stuff and I had a little pile in the basement and she's like, do you still have this? I'm like, here you go. That is funny. Taking me from taking it to donate. But she was, she's like, I wonder what you got rid of this time or change this time. It's 

Diana Rene: always funny to see people's perceptions, uh, especially people who like their job is to go into other people's homes, like for whatever reason.

Mm-hmm. Uh, and. Uh, we had, so when we were getting ready to move, our realtor had us meet with like the stager person who [00:21:00] taught you, like, basically like took you the things you own and like how to stage your home and like, mm-hmm. Okay. Move your couch over to this area instead of where you have it, that kind of thing.

Um, and he provided that as like a part of his like, you know, realtor package or whatever. Mm-hmm. So, uh, this woman comes into my home and she goes, she's like walking around and she's like, taking it all in. And then she's like, okay. So normally like this appointment ends up being like, you need to get rid of this.

You really need to declutter this closet, like this playroom. We gotta like really declutter. And she's like, we, we cl clearly don't have that issue in this house, but it's almost like. Sterile. She's, she's like, so, um, I've never really done this before, but like, we need to add things back in for the stage.

I was like, oh, ok. So I'm like driving around [00:22:00] to like all, you know, all the home decor shops. Mm-hmm. So like added things, Syd, but, um, it's just kind of funny seeing someone else's perspective that like is in homes every day for, for whatever they do for their job. Uhhuh. Yeah. Okay. So you have two kids and they're, you know, your oldest is two you said recently too?

Mm-hmm. Yep. Okay. So very little. Do you notice anything with their behavior with their play, or does, does it not really seem to affect them being so little? 

Katie Porter: Um, I don't know that necessarily seems to affect them, at least for sure. Not Lila, the littlest one. 

Diana Rene: Okay. Um, 

Katie Porter: but my oldest, not really. I feel like he plays with the same toys every day.

Like he, yeah. Just a few toys that he loves prior to [00:23:00] decluttering. I feel like there might have been a couple things that my husband was thinking that he likes and plays with, but he's never really like asked for them, I guess. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. So he made it, made it easy on you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, was, he was like, oh, he's 

Katie Porter: gonna miss this.

He's gonna miss this. He just played with this, and I was like, well, every day he brings out all of his toys and he's just kind of like overwhelmed with the amount of stuff everywhere. Like he just keeps jumping from thing to thing to thing. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Does he still do that? No, 

Katie Porter: he, no. He'll sit down and play with.

He loves his trucks and his tractor and trailer. Those are like his main toys Yeah. That he plays with. And he'll just play with those. Or like occasionally he'll like get his train set out, 

Diana Rene: but yeah. So it sounds like he seems to have like a longer attention span on mm-hmm. A specific toy. Yeah. Yes. Was it hard for you or your [00:24:00] husband to let go of toys even though your hu your son was kind of making it easy on you with like only having a few toys that he really loved?

Katie Porter: Um, me, not so much. My husband does. Yeah, 

Diana Rene: for sure. Interesting. I think that it's, um, Interesting too, when we look at toys like declaring toys, oftentimes it's the adult that has like the emotional attachment mm-hmm. To a lot of the toys. Um, and it kind of sounds like that's what was going on with your husband, where he was like, oh yeah, well he played, he might play with that, or like, he got that for his birthday and mm-hmm.

Um, you know, we find reasons that our kids should hold on to the toys, even though our kids are like, Hey, I'm good. I got my trains and I got my trucks. And that's all I need to see. I'm happy. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm excited for you though because your kids are so little, so like they are not going like this lifestyle of less is all they're going to know.

Right. And they're, you know what I mean? [00:25:00] And so you made it easy on yourself by doing it when they're so little because it is, it's absolutely achievable when kids are older, but it is typically a little bit harder because they're used to. A different level of things that they have access to. Right? Yeah.

Um, so I'm excited to see just as your kids grow and um, it'll even be interesting to see if there are differences between your son and your daughter with your daughter being like, just a baby, when all of this was going on, and your son still being too, like, if he'll hold any more attachment, then she will, it'll be interesting to see.

Yeah. 

Yeah. 

Katie Porter: I hadn't thought about that. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Um, are there any other benefits that you have seen that have made like a really big impact in your just day-to-day life after you decluttered? 

Katie Porter: Um, obviously like I had talked [00:26:00] about, I have a lot more time like to spend like intentional playtime with my kids.

Yeah. Which is just, that's huge. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Um, that's what we want. Right? Right. Yeah. They grew up so 

Katie Porter: fast and they Okay. Yes. And then you're just like, where did the time go? Mm-hmm. Um, so it's just really important to me to just have more time with family. Yeah. Um, it takes so much less time cleaning up, like picking up just in general, like even on the weekends.

Putting systems into place mm-hmm. Has been a big thing. Yeah. Um, I know something that you've talked about before was the family closet. Mm-hmm. I think the first time I heard you talk about a family closet, I was like, what? Like, that's weird. 

Diana Rene: Like I'm never gonna, it's weird though, talking about, yeah. 

Katie Porter: I am obsessed.

My husband is like, He thought it was like the greatest idea 

Diana Rene: ever. Did you do it? You [00:27:00] implemented it? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So we 

Katie Porter: have a family closet. Our, my husband and i's closet in our room is like, it's quite large. So we have like enough room for all of us. And it has been a true game changer because normally whenever I actually have time to do laundry, like fold laundry and put it away, the kids are sleeping in their rooms.

Yeah. And so a laundry basket would just like sit outside of their room for like, Days a week, now I can actually put things away. Yeah. And so it's not just like sitting out. So the family closet was. Literally the 

Diana Rene: best idea ever. Awesome. I am, I'm, I'm jealous because we don't do the family closet anymore since we moved.

Mm-hmm. Um, my nine year old, when we moved into this house in October, she was like, mom, like I really liked the family closet in our old house, but in this house, like, I really wanna put my clothes in my own room. And I was like, Okay. [00:28:00] Okay. That's fine. I mean, and she's old enough now that she puts her own clothes away, so it's not like, it's not a big deal.

But then my six year old was like, well if she's going to use her closet, then I wanna use my mm-hmm. You know, cause she wa wants to do everything big sister does. Right. Um, but every now and then when I'm doing laundry, I'm like, this would be so much easier if. I just had the family closet again. Right?

Like I can 

Katie Porter: just take the laundry baskets in there, sit on the floor, sort and then just put away. Yes. 

Diana Rene: Right. So much. I know, I know. It's a beautiful thing. Uh, if you're listening to this and you have no idea what we're talking about and now you're the one that's like, what is this weird thing? Um, I have a highlight on my Instagram if you wanna go to there.

Um, I think it's a, yes, it's a highlight. Um, but that just shows our old family closet and like what it is and, and how it works and all of that. But that's amazing. Um, now, now I'm gonna be finding ways to convince my [00:29:00] kids to go back to a family closet now. So Good. I knew, I knew it would happen at some point, you know, I just thought, I thought it would be like when they were teenagers, not when they're nine and six.

I thought I had a couple more years. Mm-hmm. To go. 

Katie Porter: Yeah. But yeah, that's something I love. Um, another thing that has been huge for us was just like clearing horizontal spaces. Mm-hmm. So like, starting in the bathrooms, like with your five day challenge is where Yes. I kind of like got started. I was like, okay, I can do this for five days and then we'll just see where we're at.

Yeah. Um, it took forever. To get my husband to agree to put his toothbrush not on the counter. 

Diana Rene: Yes. That's a common thing. Yeah, A common obstacle. 

Katie Porter: And then I was finally like, I was like, okay, like toothbrush, like it's fine. Yeah. And then all of a sudden he like put it away on his own. He was like, I like this.

Yeah. I was like, 

Diana Rene: oh, okay. Like, [00:30:00] Something's happening here. Yeah. Yeah. Like he, 

Katie Porter: he did it on his own. Like we, we had talked about it. A couple weeks went by and then he like did it on his own, which was really great. But just having the clear space, like clear horizontal spaces is just wonderful. Like, it's, it's less anxiety inducing cuz it, yeah.

Whenever you have stuff like, On tables or on your bathroom counters, they just like, don't seem like they go there. Mm-hmm. Like, that may be like where your space is for them, but like, I feel like personally I think they need like a, a home behind closed doors or on a drawer. Um, it's just, it's easier to clean up that way too.

So whenever you like clean off the counters, you're not like moving everything around to clean under it. Clean around it. Yeah. Um, that's been really. That's really helped. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. Or even in a ba, like a basket. Like that's something that, uh, I, we talk about in [00:31:00] HSR method is like, uh, just an example. Like we have two remotes for our.

Our TV set up situation, which I don't un I'll, I'll never understand why we need more than one remote, but apparently we need two remotes and, um, like our, the home for the remotes is on the tv, like console on that goes under the tv, but them just sitting on top of that, uh, cabinet versus. Putting a basket there and them going in that basket, like it sounds silly, but it just looks more put together and it really does, doesn't register to your brain as clutter versus them just sitting on the top.

Of the cabinet. 

Katie Porter: So we have a tiny basket, like on our kitchen counter. Yeah. It's kind of like, I don't wanna say like a catchall, because it's not that big that it truly like catches everything. Yeah. But it's like things that I don't have time to put away. Mm-hmm. Or like to go upstairs or wherever [00:32:00] I can just like put in that basket and it's not like it looks way less cluttered.

Yeah. Um, and it's something I can then. Do later on in the evening or, um, just like another time, but it just looks so much better and it's less, I think it tells your brain like it's just not clutter. 

Diana Rene: Right. I dunno. It just, I know our brains are weird. I know. It's like, I, it's just like the, the fridge thing, right?

Like, uh, having things on the front of our fridge, like it doesn't make that clutter. But like to our brain being on that solid surface, it just registers that way. And, um, So anytime we can eliminate that visual clutter is going to help us so much. Obviously getting rid of actual clutter is going to help us even more, but like having the visual clutter, um, aspect just out of mm-hmm out of our way is going to help us in our day-to-day just not feel as stressed in our [00:33:00] home.

Katie Porter: Yes. That's something I've really enjoyed is having a clear fridge again, my husband 

Diana Rene: didn't like it. Yeah. I think he, 

Katie Porter: I think he likes it now, like, yeah. I don't know if he likes it. He's just not bothered by it, I guess. Right. But it's clear. But that's really helped having a clear fridge, like it just makes your kitchen seem less 

Diana Rene: cluttered.

It makes it feel cleaner, even if it's not cleaner. Yeah. Like it just cleared, but yeah. I know anytime someone does it, a lot of times people will be like, I feel like I'm getting ready to move. I'm like, well, that's just because that's the only other time you have a clear frame. Right? Like when you're taking everything down to move.

So like you've associated that. Mm-hmm. With that feeling, but. That's why I always say like, just do it for seven days. Like I, you don't have to do it forever. Just do it for seven days and see how it impacts you. And like 99% of the time, at the end of that, they're like, okay, I get it now. Right? Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Awesome. [00:34:00] Well, I. I know that you said that you followed me on Instagram for a couple years before mm-hmm. Deciding to pull the trigger on buying the program, what would you say to someone else who is kind of in your shoes, you know, in December, um, and maybe has been around and has been like, Thinking about it, but then like, oh no, I can do this on my own.

But maybe he is still considering it. Do 

Katie Porter: it. Don't hold back. Like just buy the program. It is, seriously, it is life-changing. I, I was fed up and so that's why I finally pulled the trigger, but I wish I had done it when it, the first time I had like, thought about it. Yeah. Um, the longer you wait. The less, like if you just jump on it, you'll have that much of a headstart.

Mm-hmm. Like, whereas if you wait a couple of months, um, you can start whenever obviously, but if you wait, then you can't get back that time. Yeah, absolutely. [00:35:00] It is truly life 

Diana Rene: changing. 

Katie Porter: Awesome. And it's just kind of like scary to buy like an online program? A hundred percent. Just because like you don't know, like you can't just like, Skim through and be like, oh, this will be worth my time.

Yeah. Or no, this is really gonna suck. Like, yeah. I'm here to tell you. Yes, it's scary, but it's so worth it. 

Diana Rene: Awesome. Seriously, I, I like a hundred. Like I, my business is online courses. Right. And I still get nervous buying online courses. Mm-hmm. Like, I've bought so many online courses over the years, um, especially for my business, like just learning how to run a business and, and all of that.

Um, but I've bought other, I've bought like different lifestyle type courses also, and I've, I've bought really, really amazing, wonderful courses that like really truly taught me what I was looking for. And I've paid money for courses that I [00:36:00] get in there and I'm like, what is this? Like, this is not helpful, right?

Like, I feel like I got scammed. Like I don't, I don't understand. Um, But that's actually why I do a, uh, refund. Like I do a 30 day refund guarantee. Mm-hmm. Which is like most. Online courses are not like that. Like they're like final sale because of their digital nature, right? Mm-hmm. Like, you can go in and like read everything in a day and ask for a refund technically, right?

But our, our refund rate is like less than 1%, which I think just goes to show that once you get in there, you're like, okay, this, this is good. This is gonna help me. And like, mm-hmm. You can get some easy wins right away and get moving, and you realize that it's going to 

Katie Porter: help. Yes. And there is truly so much content Yeah.

In this course. 

Diana Rene: Yeah. It's like five years worth of me just like adding and adding it and, um, there's so much content. Yes. My [00:37:00] team right now has been organizing it because, because there is so much content, like we're, we're making it even clearer to be like, start here, do this. Mm-hmm. Now go here and do this.

Um, And so I'm excited about all of those changes that we're implementing because I think it just makes it, it just is going to make it even more effective program. Mm-hmm. So, awesome. Well, it was so much fun talking to you, Katie. Yay. Is there anything else you wanted add or you think you've got everything?

I do 

Katie Porter: wanna add something. Yeah. So we had kind of gotten like our systems and routines down. Mm-hmm. And then like the kids got sick. We went on vacation and then the kids got sick. And normally it takes forever to like get back in a routine. Yeah. It took us like maybe a couple of days. That's awesome. Like the kids being sick, which is huge because normally it takes forever to get 

Diana Rene: back in those routines.

Yeah. And then they're sick again. Seriously. [00:38:00] So then 

Katie Porter: it's just like never ending. 

Diana Rene: I know. That's Especially this winter, I feel like it's just been rough everywhere. Yes. 

Katie Porter: Once they're finally like not sick anymore, they're sick with something else. Yes. It's 

Diana Rene: just not ending. Yeah. I like that you said that because I think it's really true.

Um, and not only illness right, but like anything, a move or, um, like my daughter broke her elbow, and so like we had to get a cast and we had a bunch of doctor's appointments mm-hmm. And like mm-hmm. Um, there's so many things where that throw you out of routine really easily, especially with kids. And if you have less stuff to begin with and then you have systems in place that you're already used to, it is just, it's, it's nice, it's easy on your.

Your mind because, you know, you can let the systems go and just handle whatever's happening. Mm-hmm. Um, and give your full attention to them because you know that when everything starts to like, settle [00:39:00] down and, and be okay, that you can like easily get back into it. Right? Yes. 

Katie Porter: It's so much less overwhelming.

Yeah. 

Diana Rene: I love that. Awesome. Well thank you so much for taking the time. I know that you have little ones, so I appreciate that. Um, and it was so much fun talking to you today. 

Katie Porter: Yes, it was fun. It was great. Thank you so much. 

Diana Rene: Thanks for hanging out and listening to the Decluttered Mom podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world if you could write a review or share this episode with a friend or your Instagram stories.

And if you're on Instagram, be sure to follow [email protected] and send me a DM to say hi. I'd love to hear what you thought about today's episode. I hope you'll come back next week and hang out with us again.