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Wannabe Clutter Free | Declutter, Simplify, Find Freedom

Deanna Yates | Professional Organizer, Decluttering Coach, Wannabe Minimalist

Ready to finally calm the overwhelm and create a home and life you actually enjoy? The Wannabe Clutter Free podcast is here to help you clear the clutter, simplify your routines, and find freedom in the life you’re building. I’m Deanna Yates, a busy mom who knows what it’s like to juggle family, career, and the never-ending piles of stuff. From selling 80% of what we owned to travel with our toddler, to managing the daily chaos of running a home with a school-aged kid, I’ve learned that living with less isn’t about deprivation. It’s about creating more space, more peace, and more joy. Each week, I share real-life stories, simple decluttering strategies, and mindset shifts that make it easier to let go of what’s weighing you down. You’ll also hear from inspiring guests who share practical tips and fresh perspectives on minimalism, home organization, intentional living, and building habits that last. If you’re tired of feeling buried in clutter and crave a home that feels calm, welcoming, and easy to manage, this show is for you. It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress, freedom, and finding space for what truly matters to you.

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  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 40 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • #327
    Wednesday · 34 min

    The Clutter Wasn't in My House (Ep 327)

    Our landlord is selling our dream rental, and I thought packing would be the hardest part. It wasn't. Here are six mindset shifts from nine hard weeks, and why none of them are about my stuff.

    • Transcript
  • August 26 · 50 min

    5 Ways to Donate Smarter Without Fueling the Landfill (Ep 324)

    If you're decluttering the chances are that there is a bag in your trunk right now, isn't there? You did the hard part. You went through the closet, you made a hundred decisions in a row, you got everything bagged up and loaded in the car. And then you drove past the donation center. Twice. The problem is that there are two decisions inside every declutter, and almost nobody warns you about the second one. In Episode 324, Deanna is answering this question in real time. Her house is selling, her family is moving, and she is decluttering 500 items right now while her husband recovers from back surgery. Some of it is going to Buy Nothing. Some of it is going on Vinted. Some of it is going in the trash. None of it is happening perfectly, but it is happening. She is also going to tell you the truth about where donated items actually end up, because she thinks you can handle it, and because knowing is going to make you feel better instead of worse. In this episode: The two decisions inside every declutter, and which one stalls you out What percentage of your donations actually make it onto a thrift store shelf Where the rest of it goes, including the millions of garments that arrive regularly in Ghana How to tell in 30 seconds whether a parking lot donation bin belongs to a real charity The 1938 labor law behind the unease people feel about big box thrift chains, and how to research your own local one in two minutes Why the guilt you are carrying is not keeping a single item out of a landfill The donation Deanna found while volunteering that made her want to throw her hands up Five places your decluttered stuff can go, ranked in the order you should try them The new Target Textile Drop Spot that takes stained and torn clothing in every California store Where to send shoes, makeup empties, electronics, and batteries Full permission to throw away actual garbage Why we need a lot of people doing this imperfectly instead of a few people doing it perfectly FREE RESOURCE: The Guilt-Free Exit Plan One page that tells you where anything goes, a short vetted list instead of forty links, and the 30 second donation bin check. Comment the word TRUNK on Instagram to get it, or grab it here. LEARN MORE Show notes and free resource: wannabeclutterfree.com/324 The 19 for $19 Ultimate Decluttering Bundle: wannabeclutterfree.com Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and use promo code BEEF at checkout for $35 off. Minimum purchase may apply. CONNECT Instagram: @wannabeclutterfree LISTEN Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wannabe-clutter-free-declutter-simplify-find-freedom/id1485473251 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ATUIVONi0kyoVUKOQV4OT?si=f555de5388164b10 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wannabeclutterfree Our Sponsors: * Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code 1800gotjunk.com for a great deal: https://www.1800gotjunk.com * Check out Omaha Steaks and use my code BEEF for a great deal: https://www.omahasteaks.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  • #320
    July 29 · 22 min

    5 Steps to Stop Being Your Family's Human Calendar (Ep 320)

    Tired of being the only one in your house who knows what is happening? A family command center fixes that. Here are the five steps to set one up, physical or digital, before the school year swallows you.

    • Transcript
  • #318
    July 15 · 24 min

    How a 5 Minute Daily Tidy Beats One Big Weekend Declutter (Ep 318)

    If a big weekend declutter has failed you in the past, you are not alone. I’m breaking down the Zeigarnik effect, decision fatigue, and task initiation aversion, and teaching you the 5-minute Lightning Tidy that gets you a tidy home the easy way.

    • Transcript
  • #312
    June 10 · 54 min

    Declutter for Real Life: Flexible Minimalism Tips for Families with Desirae Endres (Ep 313)

    Have you ever looked at a "minimalist" home on Instagram and thought, well, that is never going to be me. My kids alone would destroy that in four minutes? Or convinced yourself that your clutter-free journey isn't working because your house just doesn't look the part? You are not alone. And this conversation is for you. **************** ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RESOURCES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get the transcripts and more at wannabeclutterfree.com/313⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Episode with Joshua Becker The Minimalists Documentary Previous episode with Desirae⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Desirae: Minimal-ish Website⁠⁠ ⁠Minimal-ish on Instagram⁠ Minimalish Podcast: Search "Minimalish" wherever you listen Follow Deanna Yates, the host of Wannabe Clutter Free on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Effortless Home: DAILY Edition - 5 Steps to Run Your Home Like Magic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** Desirae Endres is the host of the Minimalish podcast, and her decluttering journey started in 2018 when she sat down as a brand new mom and watched a documentary that completely changed the way she thought about her stuff, her home, and her identity. Since then she has built an entire community around the idea of "minimal-ish" living, not a perfect aesthetic, not a stark white capsule home, just a real and intentional life with less in the way. In this episode, Desirae gets honest about the postpartum anxiety that made her desperate for a calmer home, what it felt like when her husband said their house no longer looked minimal-ish, and the beautiful shift she had about what this whole journey is actually for. We also dig into how to get your kids involved in decluttering without it turning into a battle, and the single most powerful thing you can do to raise kids who genuinely understand how to let go. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: What "minimal-ish" means and why it has nothing to do with how your home looks The real connection between clutter and mental health Why letting go of stuff is really about letting go of past versions of yourself How to involve your kids in decluttering without forcing it What age kids can meaningfully participate (and when it is okay to just do it yourself) The one thing you can do today that quietly teaches your kids to let go TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction 2:59 Desirae's origin story: the documentary that changed everything 5:37 Why changing your nature is harder than changing what you own 9:21 How decluttering helped manage postpartum anxiety 11:37 Letting go of clothes and letting go of past versions of yourself 15:02 Baby stuff, the "what if" fear, and letting go anyway 20:20 Feeling like an imposter when your home does not look minimal 22:45 The minimalist aesthetic vs. the minimalist mindset 24:56 Accepting certain areas of clutter in your current season 32:43 Teaching kids to declutter: where to start 37:21 The power of narrating your own decluttering out loud 43:28 What age should kids start participating? 47:07 What Desirae wishes someone had told her at the very beginning 49:13 Decluttering as a gateway to bigger life changes 50:09 Rapid fire questions **************** Music: Fresh Lift by Shane Ivers - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.silvermansound.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ **************** 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 Our Sponsors: * Check out 1-800-GOT-JUNK and use my code 1800gotjunk.com for a great deal: https://www.1800gotjunk.com * Check out Omaha Steaks and use my code BEEF for a great deal: https://www.omahasteaks.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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