By Dawn

6 Minimalism Terms for Less Clutter & More Control

If you’re a regular around here, you’re probably familiar with some of the lingo that we often throw around when we’re talking about simplifying and minimalism.

But if you’ve joined us recently, you may be confused by words like quarantine bins, Sunday baskets and frog projects.

Understanding and applying these concepts can actually be truly life-changing! They can make it easier for you to declutter your house AND help you get on top of your to-do list.

So let’s revisit some of these minimalism-related terms and clarify what they all mean.

1. Quarantine Bin

In one of my very first YouTube videos, I talked about simplifying kids’ toys, and I showed the method where you box everything up and pack it away for a while. If the kids miss anything, you can still go back and pull it out. Whatever is left after a few months is safe to donate because nobody noticed it was gone.

One person commented on that video that it’s kind of like you’re quarantining your stuff.

This was several years ago before quaranting had a negative connotation, so since then I’ve call them quarantine bins.

So basically when you’re decluttering, you just take a cardboard box or plastic tote that you’re okay with getting rid of, and pack away anything that you’re just not sure about to see if anyone misses it or not.

Garbage is a no-brainer to declutter, so it’s easy to get rid of right away.

But when you really don’t know if you’re going to miss something, then the quarantine bin can be a great tool.

Don’t be tempted to use it for everything, though!! The quarantine bin is just for the things that you really aren’t sure about. If you’re undecided on whether to quarantine it or not, I encourage you to let it go now.

If you haven’t used something in the last year and don’t know when you would use it again, you’re not going to miss it. Donate it and move on!

Quarantine bins work best for kitchen items, toys and clothes. Beyond that I think we just need to make the tough decision to get rid of the stuff.

cardboard quarantine bin with donation date

Once you’ve got your things in your quarantine bin, close it up and put a donation date on it so you don’t have to look in it again.

Whatever you haven’t pulled out by that date goes to the donation center… Don’t look in the box or you’ll second guess your decisions!! More than likely, you’ll find that you never think about it again!

2. Frog Projects

The idea of Frog Projects come from the book, Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.

The premise of the book is that if eating a frog were on your task list, you would want to put it at the top of your list and get it done right away so you can get it over with.

This concept can apply to any task, but most of us tend to put off the things we don’t want to do ALL DAY. Often we don’t even get to it that day at all. So it continues to hang over our head throughout the whole week (or many weeks, months… sometimes years!!).

Examples of Frog Projects: doing our taxes, calling the accountant, making an appointment, doing returns… A lot of times our Frog Projects involve phone calls!

Now when I make my task list, I put the Frog Projects right at the top.

It’s so tempting to start with the easy stuff! The problem is easy stuff doesn’t actually give us momentum.

What gives you a boost of momentum first thing in the morning? Completing a Frog Project!

When you complete something hard that you’ve been putting off, you feel so good about yourself! And most of the time it takes a lot less time than expected.

The best part is that it’s DONE!! It’s not hanging over your head anymore.

Loading the dishwasher or emptying the washing machine don’t give you momentum because they’re really not that big of a deal or hanging over your head.

But these Frog Projects get bigger and uglier the longer we put them off. It actually makes us feel bad about about ourselves to always have these things hanging over our head.

By training ourselves to do Frog Projects FIRST, we build confidence and improve our quality of life.

>> For more about Frog Projects and creating a super planner, check out this video.

3. Sunday Basket

Most of us hate paper clutter! One of the main problems is that we don’t have a sustainable system for dealing with it.

The term Sunday Basket is coined by Lisa from Organize365. We could also call it a Weekly Planning Basket or Paper Clutter Station or Paper Central. — Basically, it’s a system to make sure that all the paper that comes into your house has a place to go.

Of course, you want to sort out the trash and recycling right away. But the rest can go straight into your Sunday Basket with folders for to-do items, bills to pay, receipts — anything that you need to take action on!

The reason Lisa called it a Sunday Basket is because she would go through hers every Sunday. The idea is that you plan one time a week to go through all the action items, but you can choose whatever day of the week works best for you!

If you do this on a regular basis, you can probably stay on top of it in just 10 to 15 minutes a week.

Time Will Tell Bin

Some of the paper that comes into your house doesn’t necessarily require action. Things like catalogs or coupons may be useful, but you might not know yet.

This is where a Time Will Tell Bin comes in handy! Instead of cluttering up your Sunday Basket, toss that random paper in here. If you need to pull something out, you know where to find it, and if not, toss it out after a little while.

So now when paper comes into our home, it goes to one of these three places:

If it’s obviously trash –> garbage or recycling
If it’s something that we have to do, like a bill –> Sunday Basket
If it’s one of those just things that we just don’t know yet –> Time Will Tell Bin

Even if you’re not sure that you would stick with this kind of system, I encourage you to give it a try! At least you’ll know where to find your important papers, and they won’t be floating around your house in random piles.

I used to be super messy and never organized with paper, but this really is a game changer!

>> Check out Tom’s newest Sunday basket (seen above) on Amazon.

>> Learn more about setting up a Sunday basket.

4. Memory Bin

If anyone in your household struggles with letting go of sentimental or special things, having a memory bin makes it so much easier!

A memory bin is a curated collection of your most treasured possessions. And because you have a designated spot for the special stuff, you’re limited to keep only what fits within those boundaries. It helps you prioritize what’s really important!

Each of our kids have a memory bin, and Tom and I share one. We use Sterilite totes, but you can use just about any size as long as they fit easily where you want to store them.

Even if you don’t think you’re very sentimental, or think you have way too much stuff, just try it! I think you’ll be so glad that you did!!

>> Learn more about our Memory Bins & Baby Scrap Boxes!

The Container Concept

Similar to the idea of the Memory Bin, we also talk about the Container Concept.

This term comes from Dana from A Slob Comes Clean. She talks about the Container Concept as a way to declutter without using emotion or math.

Take my potholder drawer, for example. I could hem and haw or how many potholders to keep. Or I could just keep how many comfortably fit in there.

You can simplify your whole house using the Container Concept.

Figure out how much space you have to work with and whatever you keep needs to fit in there comfortably. If it doesn’t, pare it down by putting in your favorites first and get rid of the rest.

Your house is only so big. Your cupboards are only so big. Only keep what fits within those boundaries and you’ll declutter your house quickly!

>> Check out Dana’s video about the Container Concept!

5. Inventory

Do you ever forget about the food in the back of the fridge or cupboards, and then end up having to throw it out?

Just like a grocery store has inventory that they have to manage, food in your home is inventory that you have to manage, too.

The idea of inventory first occurred to me in the kitchen regarding managing grocery inventory, but I quickly realized that it actually applies to every single area of our house!

How much clothing inventory can I manage effectively? How many toys can my kids manage without them feeling like a burden?

I’ve realized that I can manage way less inventory than I would have originally thought.
I would forgot it was there or buy things again because I didn’t know I had them.

If you’re overwhelmed by the stuff in your house, you need to reduce your inventory. Get it down to a manageable amount.

Our home is so much more enjoyable now because it’s easy to keep clean and doesn’t overwhelm me anymore. And most importantly, I have more brain space and emotional energy for the things that actually matter!

>> Learn more about inventory and meal planning

6. Clutterbug

The last term that we talk about a lot is Clutterbug. This comes from Cas from Clutterbug, and it’s a really useful tool to understand your organizing style.

I used to hate the idea of organizing, but now that I know my Clutterbug style (I’m a Ladybug!) and how to organize for that, it has made such a huge difference in our home!

Now it is super easy to keep our house organized because I’m working with how I organize and not trying to organize like other people. It has really restored my confidence in my ability to organize our home.

>> Want to find out what your Clutterbug style is? Take the free quiz!

>> Learning about our Clutterbug styles has really help me and Tom understand each other better! We talk about that here!

Just keep going!

I’m excited for you, because as you continue to simplify and declutter your house, it just keeps getting better and better and better!

Maybe the Messy Middle is a term that I should add to the list — it’s when you get into the middle of your decluttering journey and you feel like you’re never going to get it done and you’re overwhelmed by your stuff.

But keep plowing through. It does get easier! You’re going to get to the other side and look back and realize that is one of the most worthwhile things you’ve ever done!

Shop this post:

Other resources to help you declutter your home:

>> Kitchen Declutter & Decorate (Thrift store finds & favorite tips!)

>> How to DECIDE ONCE when Decluttering! (with printable guide!)

>> How to Declutter WITHOUT Making a Bigger Mess

The minimal mom holding donation box next to a trash bag while decluttering

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SHOCKED by the comments!

By Dawn, Dawn's House, The Minimal Mom

I was literally SHOCKED by the comments on yesterday’s YouTube video on organizing styles…I KNEW many of you insisted on folding your clothes (as opposed to tossing them in a bin), but I DID NOT expect it to be such an overwhelming response of folders and #TeamTom!

Today, we’ll read through some of the comments from that video:

Kitchen Declutter & Decorate (Thrift store finds & favorite tips!)

By Dawn, Dawn's House, The Minimal Mom

I don’t go to thrift stores very often anymore because I don’t want to be tempted to buy stuff that we don’t actually need. But I wanted to do a quick kitchen declutter and redecorate, so I picked up this really cute blue casserole dish recently!

I have new questions when it comes to decluttering your kitchen and I think it will help you go another step further with simplifying your space!

Also, I want to share two tips when it comes to decorating or styling décor in your kitchen! I never used to be good at it, but I’ve found a few decorating design tips that have helped me A TON when adding some décor to my home.

First we need to do a little decluttering, and then I’ll show you where I’m going to put this blue beauty (it was even 50% off, so it was just speaking my love language! ;).

Think about a spot in your kitchen that is just not working. It just doesn’t function well, the cupboard is too full, the drawer is too full.

Chances are, the reason it’s not working is there’s just TOO MUCH STUFF!!

What is “stuff” anyway?

According the dictionary, stuff is defined as: Material of some unspecified kind. The material of which anything is made. Material to be worked upon or to be used in making something.

That isn’t actually very helpful. The definition is not really anything is because stuff is inanimate. It’s usually physical in nature, but it doesn’t have feelings or emotions.

The important thing to note is that stuff is meant to be used and to be useful to us.

All of the stuff in your house has a purpose. Your dishes, silverware, bowls and kitchen appliances, they all have a purpose: to be useful.

Of course there will be a small amount of stuff, like décor, where the purpose is just to look at and enjoy it. But the bulk of the stuff in your kitchen has a purpose because you got it for a specific reason:

You have a Bundt cake pan to make Bundt cakes (or if you don’t, I think you should!! ;)
You have a bread maker to make bread
You have bowls to eat from
You have silverware to use to eat

The stuff in your kitchen is supposed to serve you, not the other way around.

So if you have an area of your kitchen that’s not functioning well right now — there are too many glasses, they don’t stack up properly, or you always have to shuffle them around because they don’t fit — try getting rid of some of them!!

Don’t keep stuff you don’t use out of guilt

It’s easy to get rid of items that we have no emotional attachment to, but what about that china set that was was passed down from your great-grandma? Or a gadget you paid a lot of money for and never use?

Then suddenly it’s not just stuff anymore. It brings up feelings of guilt, and you’re certain you can’t get rid of it.

But if a cup is meant to be used to drink water, is it still serving you if you never use it? No.

Then why are you allowing all this stuff clutter up your cabinets and cause you to feel guilt?

But I paid money for it!!!

So does that cause it to somehow serve you better? No.

Is it making your life easier? No.

Are you super glad that you have it to look at or admire? No.

So… why are you keeping it??!

As you look through your kitchen and identify the places that are not functioning well, allow yourself to ask these questions:

Is it still serving me?
Is it making my life easier?
Do I enjoy having it?

And if the answer is no, it doesn’t matter who gave it to you, it doesn’t matter what holiday or birthday gift that it was for, it doesn’t matter how much you paid for it. Those are actually not logical arguments to keep something.

Don’t let inanimate stuff that is supposed to make your life easier make it worse.

If this stuff in your kitchen is not serving a purpose — if you’re not using it — then it’s time to pass it on and let somebody else have a chance at using it!

An example from my kitchen

Dawn pointing to clutter in kitchen cupboards

Our cups and dishes are usually under control, but our food storage containers recently got out of hand and we had way too many again.

My daughter asked me the other day when she was putting the dishes away, “We don’t use these containers anymore because Dad doesn’t need to pack lunches. Can we just get rid of them?”

My first reaction was, But I paid money for those! (And I actually didn’t, they were lunchmeat containers!!).

I used to use them on a daily basis, but I literally had not used them in the past year.

So I got rid of them — and the cupboard looks SO much better now!

Side note: I highly recommend storing food storage containers with the lids ON! Yes, you could fit way more in the cupboard by stacking them with the lids off. But do you know how easy it is to just to grab a container to put leftovers in? No hunting for the lid! You really have to try it before you say that it doesn’t work!! ;)

Decorating tips for your kitchen

Now let’s move on to the fun stuff and do some decorating!!

Here are two awesome decorating design tips that that have helped me A TON for my open shelving in the kitchen.

Decorating Tip #1:

Create a zigzag pattern with an accent color

When you’re trying to figure out where to put your décor, make a zigzag pattern with your accent color.

For the last little while, my accent color has been yellow, but I want to change it up.

In the past, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I would put stuff on the shelf and spread out the color everywhere, but it just wasn’t working. It was because I didn’t have the color balanced correctly.

So now when I pull the yellow off and add in some blue instead, I can place my blue things in that same zigzag pattern and then fill in from there.

I also added some white flowers into the basket so the white zigzags too.

So now with the blue zigzagging one way and the white the other way, I think we’ve got some pretty good balance. I think it looks nice and summery, but calm. :)

Decorating Tip #2:

Use the 60-30-10 design rule

When it comes to accent colors, use the 60-30-10 design rule:

60% of the room should be a dominant color
30% should be the secondary color
10% should be an accent color

mint green kitchen with decluttering tip: 60-30-10

We used to have red barstools in our kitchen. I loved it for a pop of color with the red, white and blue theme. But it always bothered me when the stools were at the island. Something just wasn’t right.

Then I painted them black and it still wasn’t right.

It wasn’t until we got these blue stools that blend in, that it actually worked. Now I realize that our accent color was out of balance and that’s why it just looked a little off.

So the 60-30-10 rule has really helped in our kitchen!!

Be tough on your stuff

I hope this helps a little bit when you decorate and declutter your kitchen!

Remember to ask yourself:

Is this item serving me?
Does it make my life easier?
Am I glad that I own it?

And if the answer is no, kindly invite it to leave your kitchen. :)

All my best as you simplify and decorate!

Check out more of our decluttering resources!

Guided KITCHEN DECLUTTER: Use these principles to simplify your kitchen quickly & easily

What’s in a Minimalist Kitchen?

How to DECIDE ONCE when Decluttering! (with printable guide!)

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Minimalism & Kids: Simple tips for happy kids (and parents!)

By Dawn, Happy Homes, The Minimal Mom

As a follow-up to my YouTube video about kids and minimalism, I wanted to share a few additional thoughts on kids, technology and screen time (just my humble opinion!)!

You can receive $30 off of a Gabb phone with this code & link!code: MINIMALMOM30link: www.gabbwireless.com/promo/MINIMALMOM30

Find Ralphie from Simply on Purpose’s Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/simplyonpurpose/ (be sure to check out her saved story on cell phones!)

Here are some other posts you might like!

>> 7 Quick & Easy Snacks for Kids: Perfect treats for play dates, parks & potlucks!

>> The BEST Tips for Organizing Kids Toys: These short videos are SO helpful!

>> Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (4 Ingredient Recipe- SO easy, SO good!)

The Silent To-Do List (this is LIFE-CHANGING!)

By Dawn, Effective Living, Happy Homes, The Minimal Mom

Does your to-do list seem to keep growing? Does it feel like you’re never, EVER going to catch up with everything that needs to be done??

Marie Kondo is well-known for telling us to go through everything in our house and ask if it sparks joy, but I’ve often said that is too subjective. Asking us to use our emotions and feelings is too hard. We need objective rules.

Then I heard about the idea of a silent to-do list.

Your to-do list could be getting exponentially longer without you even knowing it but understanding the silent to-do list might cause you to look differently at every single item in your house.

What is a Silent To-Do List?

The silent to-do list comes from a book called Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki. He says that every single material item in your house is sending out a message.

A plant says, “Water me, make sure I get enough sunlight.”
Dishes stacked up by the sink say, “Wash me, dry me, put me away.”
Laundry on the floor says, “Pick me up, put me in the laundry room, wash me, take care of me, put me away.”
Clothes hanging in your closet say, “Why haven’t you worn me? Why haven’t you been able to fit in me? Why did you spend money on me? Why do you make impulse purchases like this?”

Everything in your house is sending these silent, subconscious messages.

That’s why our house feels so much better now that it’s highly simplified. It feels so good to be here. I didn’t know how to describe it before.

When you get rid of all the extra stuff in your house, your to-do list automatically becomes so much shorter!

That’s why a vacation home or hotel room feels so peaceful. None of that stuff is telling us to do anything.

Of course we can’t always live in a vacation home, but we can live a whole lot closer to that if we choose to declutter all the stuff we just don’t need!

How to use the Silent To-Do List as a filter when decluttering

For each item in your house, ask yourself, Is it sending me positive messages or negative messages?

For example, think of a gross pan sitting next to the sink and a vase of flowers.

When you look at the flowers, you don’t feel any guilt. There’s nothing you have to do. You can simply enjoy them. They can remind you that even in a wacky world, there are still many good and beautiful things.

The flowers give off a message of beauty and awe and they make you feel very good.

On the other hand, a gross, dirty pan sitting next to the sink sends negative messages.

It’s telling you:

Why didn’t you just wash me right after you finished using me last night?
Why didn’t you at least soak me?
Why can’t you stay on top of the dishes?

And on and on and on.

So as you simplify your house, use this as a filter: What message is this stuff sending me?

If you have clothes that don’t fit, that you’ve spent money on, that need to be altered… what messages are those clothes sending you?

When you look around at the stuff in your house, you probably get more negative messages than positive ones.

Flowers are almost a rare exception – most of the things are saying, Do this, do that, pick me up, keep me organized, take care of me.

Even stuff that’s in storage in your basement, attic or garage can send silent messages. It needs to be organized, you need to remember that it’s there, make sure it doesn’t get ruined. And if it does get ruined, what message does that send? You’re so disorganized, why can’t you stay on top of it?

Every single thing in your house is telling you something and you need to decide: Do I want to allow these things that are sending negative messages to stay in my house? Or is it time to get rid of them?

Does it spark joy?

This idea of asking if something sparks joy, that means it’s sending a positive message – you enjoy looking at it, you enjoy having it in your house, you enjoy maintaining it.

Flowers might still tell you, Don’t forget to add water, you might want to retrim the ends or pull out any dead ones. So it’s not maintenance free, but it’s a joy to do that.

Dirty clothes that have piled up on the floor, not so much.

So this can be a filter that you can use as you’re simplifying your house – what message is this item sending me?

If it’s not good, maybe it’s time to pass that stuff on, even if you spent money on it, if it was given to you as a gift, or if it’s a sentimental item.

Life is too short to be surrounded with stuff that send you negative messages that make you feel bad about yourself. It’s just not worth it.

Minimalism just makes sense

As you reduce the amount items in your home, your invisible to-do list will get shortened as well. It’s simple math!

Remove the extra items.

Remove the stuff that you really don’t have time to take care of.

Remove the things that are taunting you.

I think you’ll find in the process that you’ll start to feel less stressed out, less anxious in your own home. It will actually be a peaceful place to come home to.

Keep going!

When it gets tough, when you feel indecisive, when you lose momentum, remind yourself that this is really important. You deserve to have peace of mind in your own home. Your family deserves that too.

We’re all impacted a bit differently by the amount of stuff around us, but most of us function better and feel better when there just isn’t as much stuff around us.

I know how good it feels to live in a simplified home and it’s just awesome! I wish the same for you, too!!

More about minimalism!

Why can’t I part with stuff? The Endowment Effect may explain it!

How to DECIDE ONCE when Decluttering! (with printable guide!)

How to Declutter WITHOUT Making a Bigger Mess

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Starting a Walking Club

By Dawn, Effective Living, Mom Life, The Minimal Mom

Over the course of this past year I’ve realized that it would be nice if I expanded my circle of local friends. I have a couple of great friends who I love to meet up with for coffee…but that’s like a whole event to plan and it doesn’t happen as frequently as I’d like (or need!).

Growing up, I remember my mom meeting our neighbor for a walk a few nights a week. They’d call each other on the phone and say, “I’m leaving the house now,” and meet in the middle. They’d walk for a half hour, visit, unwind and then head back home.

That seems so nice…and recently I have found myself wishing for a similar friend in the neighborhood to walk and visit with…and I have no excuse– there are three new families on our road that are close in age– one family even fosters!

So I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and starting a walking club. This scares me for a few reasons:

What if no one shows up?
What if one person shows up and they’re weird or I don’t enjoy their company?
What if I want to quit and can’t because I started it!

I think these are valid….but if I’m looking for friendship, I’m guessing a few others on our road are too!

Tips for Starting a Walking Club

So I did a little “research” and found a few helpful tips for starting a walking club:

Designate a “co-leader” once it gets going so all of the planning and organizing isn’t on my shoulders.
If possible, have a set schedule so everyone knows when the group is meeting each week.
Have a set meeting location.
Have a plan for poor weather days.
Be clear who is and isn’t invited– are kids and pets allowed?

This seemed reasonable, so I set to work making a flyer (this is the fun part for me– actually distributing seems scarier ;) Here you can see a sample of the flyer. We’ve created it as a Google Doc, too, if you want to copy it and use it yourself!

TO USE OUR FLYER TEMPLATE:
1) Follow this link to Google Drive
2) Click on “File” in the upper left of Google drive (not “file” for your web browser! ;)
3) Select “Make a copy” from the dropdown
4) Hit “Ok” — this will save a copy to your Google drive that can be edited!

How I’m going to distribute the flyers:

I thought about mailing them but know that a personal invitation goes a lot further! So my hope is to deliver them in person. Then I can put a face to the flyer and hopefully they can see that I’m fairly normal myself (I know they’ll have most of the same concerns that I did!! ;)

What will happen next?

Overall, I don’t know how this will go…and as much as I’m nervous, I’m also excited. I think we all could use a little more human interaction right now (outside of the humans in our immediate household!) so I’m hopeful that some great connections will be made!

I’ll keep you posted!!!