A photograph of Declutter Hub Member Emma and her daughter smiling into the camera
Episode 144 – Guest interview with Declutter Hub member Emma

In this episode, Ingrid is chatting to one of The Declutter Hub Members, Emma and her fab 9-year old daughter Lucy, who are our first mother and daughter combo in the Declutter Hub Membership. Emma joined The Declutter Hub at the beginning of 2021 and has been on an incredible journey since - she has even managed to get her daughter, Lucy, and her son on board with their family's decluttering journey!
Episode 389 – Overcoming mobility challenges when decluttering with member Rory
Episode 388 – Start as you mean to go on – plan 2026 for decluttering success
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Transcript of this podcast episode
Outro  0:07  
Welcome to today's episode of The declutter hope podcast, your channel for super easy, no nonsense advice on how to declutter and organise your home. Please welcome your hosts professional organisers, Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid  0:32  
Hello, and welcome listeners to Episode 144 of the Declutter Hub Podcast. I'm Ingrid. In today's episode, I'm talking to Emma. And at the end, also a little bit to her nine year old daughter, Lucy, who are our first mother and daughter combo in the declutter have membership. So welcome, Emma, and a little bit later, Lucy as well, we're so happy you're here. I'm happy to be here. Thank you. So Emma, you've had quite the journey within the declutter hub, haven't you?

Emma  1:07  
Yeah, just a little bit.

Ingrid  1:09  
Yes, yes. I think you joined us at the beginning of the year. Yeah. But it kind of started before that dinner. Can you tell us a bit more about it?

Emma  1:19  
Yeah, of course, I was at work. And I always listened to podcasts, or audiobooks or something like that. And I was like, fancy listening to something a bit different today. And as I didn't fancy listening to something about decluttering, I like listening to things like that. So I found a few different podcasts. And that's not the right one for me. And then I came across your lovely podcast, and I just loved it straightaway. I was like, yes, these are the ladies for me to listen to while I'm working. So I have my own cleaning business so I can clean and listen to your podcasts. And it's perfect. And I listened to the first couple and I was like, Oh, this is really good. And then I got a little bit addicted and ended up listening to all of them. Eventually, I kind of picked through and worked out which ones also Oh, that one applies to me that doesn't and I think beginning there's quite a lot. I think some of the earlier podcasts a lot of Christmas ones I was like, well, we're Christmas is sort of almost upon us. So there's no point in getting ready for Christmas, because Christmas is sort of there. So I left those ones. And then I've ended up going back and listening to Christmas ones in like January, February time. Because I just love I just want to listen to all the time.

Ingrid  2:35  
Thank you. So and then what happened when you kind of started listening to the podcast? What what happened then?

Emma  2:41  
So I just something just sort of stirred in me. I thought oh, actually, I really do. Because I kind of thought I was fairly on top of things. But I think I started to realise after listening to more and more of the podcasts that I was just hiding the clutter. I'm not, I have lots of stuff like Understairs cupboard. There's lots of stuffed in there and the shed, there's lots of stuffed in there, and my wardrobe is a mess. I can't get in it that needs sorting. So I think before I thought I just needed to tidy it and actually by need to declutter it. So instead of just listening to the podcast, I started actually putting that into perspective in my own house and was like, okay, yeah, I need to do this. And, and then I joined the beast at your home challenge in January. Was that all energy? The X did the podcast first. Then I joined the Facebook group. And I love the Facebook group. And I was like, a little bit hesitant Should I post something in the Facebook group? And I did. And I was like almost apologising for posting in the Facebook group that oh, I'm really sorry, I'm posting all these pictures and and everyone was like, no, no, and keep posting, keep posting. It's really encouraging for us to read about your stories. Okay. So I posted a bit more in the Facebook group and became a bit more confident with it. And then yeah, and then you brought up the the January challenge. So I was like, gonna do that. And then I ended up joining the membership. I'm not a fully fledged member now. I love this.

Ingrid  4:14  
And then it all kind of snowballed from there. Didn't need to really

Emma  4:18  
Yeah, I think once I get my head into something, I'm like, right, this is what I'm going to do. Then there's no stopping me. It's kind of like right, here we go.

Ingrid  4:27  
So what made you realise after the show is like, yeah, I want to sign up. I want to become a member. This is actually the right thing for me to do.

Emma  4:35  
Yeah, I think it was. I like the way the process of the challenge the way that you're in Leslie actually teach us about the emotions behind it. Everything made sense. I was making little notes and these light bulbs going off all the time. Oh, that's why I do that. And that's why so I need to do this and it was just the challenge made me see everything in a new way. and think about things in a completely different way as well. Okay, I need to do. Yeah. And it does completely. What it has changed my life completely. And it has changed my mindset about keeping the house decluttered. And doing resets and all that kind of stuff as well, it's, yeah, it has changed completely. And the membership is just amazing. It is, it's probably because everything that was in that challenge is like like that, but like times 100. Everything's there, and Q and A's and everything helped massively, even if I don't always have a question to ask in the q&a. So I just like listening in other people's questions. And you sort of think, oh, yeah, that actually applies to me. So it's nice.

Ingrid  5:47  
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because of course, in the membership, we've got indeed, the courses about the rooms and about the daily habits and other routines and about older thoughts. But like you said, we also have our q&a Every other week when Leslie and I go live, and we answer our members questions. And you have submitted a couple of questions, but not all the time. But still, we know you're there because you love participating and listening and getting to know all the other members don't Yeah,

Emma  6:16  
and is a lovely is such a lovely group is anybody that joins the membership, when they say on Facebook, or join the membership. Welcome to the family, because it does feel like even though you don't know people personally, you kind of feel like you have a bit of an insight into their life, because you get to know them through through the membership. And it's really nice. And everyone's so encouraging, and supportive. There's no judgement at all. And everyone's at different stages and different levels of decluttering. And yeah, it's it's just really, it's just a really lovely group.

Ingrid  6:54  
You joined so where did you start? What what happens?

Emma  6:59  
Oh, I think the first ever thing I properly decluttered and thought, Ah, this is better is the front of my fridge. Sounds really bizarre. But it was like I need to do something because I knew that I had to do my I've got like a walk in wardrobe closet. So I knew I had to do that. I knew that's one of the things I had to start but from listening to the podcasts and listen to you and Leslie all the time, I knew that that wasn't the place to go to first, I needed to start somewhere small, somewhere less overwhelming. So I'll just take the front of my fridge because it was just a really small thing. And because I had loads of pictures that Lucy had done on there and other things and appointment cards was stuff that was like two years ago and that right so took everything off, cleaned the front of the fridge and started going I actually really liked that. I was like I need this feeling. I think that's what I kind of got almost like a little bit addicted to was the Oh, I like this I like doing it and then having that satisfaction of it kind of sings to you. So then I did a little bit in the kitchen and then I started to do my cupboards downstairs. So I have I'd so I kind of explain I don't have a bedroom, I sleep downstairs, I kind of almost got like a bedsit area going on downstairs. So I've got like a little unit that was got all my sort of go to clothes I need to all the time. But they were all just crammed with stuff. And no organisation and kind of the thing where you open the door and everything just falls out. And it was stressful, because I do boot camp. And so I had all my stuff for boot camp, kind of in a cupboard. But every time it comes to boot camp, my friend would come around, get it ready for bootcamp and I'd open the cupboard and then where anything is. So that was something I needed to do. And I thought, well, they're all just little cupboards because it's a big calyx unit. So it's got those little square cupboards as well just do one cupboard at a time. And every time I did a cupboard, I did the before picture and I did an after picture. And I put it on the Facebook group and in the membership and stuff as well. And I was like, Oh, this is this is nice getting the reaction back and like, Oh, this is really good job mo well done. Keep going. Oh, actually. All right, then I'll keep going. Really nice. Definitely. So lovely. This is really nice. And so yeah, so I did that unit. And then I started on the closet. That's right. Let's get to it. And I've done loads in there. That's kind of done. I'm fairly happy with that in there now. Tweak it and change it. I did the wardrobe challenge recently as well. I kind of thought oh, I don't need to do that. Because I've done one cluster. And then I thought, well, I'll listen in and I was like well actually, I probably do need to do it. And I got rid of that three sackfuls of stuff. I really didn't need to do it. So yeah, it's definitely it's a realisation that you have to keep going back over things as well, you have to keep going back to Katrina finishes, definitely get to a stage where I'm on getting on top of things now. But it's knowing that you have to keep going back over it. And you know, things change, mood changes. I changed body changes, everything changes. So you have to sort of go go with the flow. Yeah, that's it. Yes. Yeah. So I've done that. I've done my Understairs cupboard. I've done most of the kitchen. What happened? I got a bit addicted to it.

Ingrid  10:37  
And you've even done your sentimental items, haven't you?

Emma  10:41  
Yeah, yeah, I did the sentimental because we had the SOS as it's a horse. The challenge called

Ingrid  10:47  
was the managing memento. I'd say

Emma  10:50  
I should know about managing mementos masterclass. Yeah. So I did I really do. Yeah, I did that. And I think knowing Lesley had spoken about going through her sentimental things. And I think before I'd thought it's just too much there's too much emotion. And there's too I can't deal with that. But then when I did the Understairs cupboard, I had all my stuff in there, and it was a bit disorganised, shall we say? Because like it just big boxes of stuff. And I kind of thought I had Lucy and hate and stuff sorted. But after listening to the masterclass and listening to Lesley talk about her sentimental that she sorted out, it was realising that the things I had in Hayden's box say, they weren't his memories, they weren't my memories. There's no point in being in his box was he's going to open that. I mean, he's 16. Now, but so that they lose out when he's 25. And he looks in this box and goes, I don't I don't know what any of this is this. And I don't want that to happen, because then that's just putting pressure on him to maybe get rid of stuff that he doesn't know if he should be getting rid of it. And then it's passes it down to him. I don't want to do that. So be it was a really nice project. I actually really enjoyed it. And it was the realisation that actually, this is really lovely going over all the sentimental things and remembering things and knowing what, what you can actually let go of, so I don't need every little thing that I kept, like, I kept so many random things. I think every pair of shoes that Hayden had from his first shoes right up until he was about fall. Don't need all those. So I've just kept his spare shoes. And that's fine. You know, because I showed them Otto when he was like, Oh, they are cute. But I don't know why I've kept them all. No, I don't know. I said, Do you mind if I get rid of him? He's like, no, just No, just get rid of them. I was like, wow, yeah. I don't know. I don't need all those things. And they are just taking up space that I would rather have back in my house. So yeah, it was it was a lovely project to go through. I'd highly recommend it to anybody that's ready to go through sentimental, but definitely leave it till later.

Ingrid  13:13  
Yeah, yeah. It's not something that you can start with, can you really do other areas first

Emma  13:20  
100%. There's no way I could have tackled that, at the beginning of this journey just wouldn't have happened. Or I would have ended up putting things into the wrong boxes, or just finding it overwhelming and doing it half avails or half heartedly doing it and then just going, Oh, just chocolate is back in the box and sort out another time. But now we've all got our own box. And we've all got our own baby box. I had some baby things as well. So I've got my baby things in a separate box. So it's all really well organised. And we've all got all the same size boxes, and they all fit nicely together. And they're back in the cupboard under the stairs, but they're at the back. So I've got more sort of prominent stuff at the front now. So yeah, it's it's nice. It's just it is like a huge weight is slowly being lifted off my shoulders. Yeah. 100% Yeah.

Ingrid  14:13  
Now, not only changes happened with you, I mean, I want to talk some more because you've done some other amazing things as well that I want to talk about. But it's not only you has been changing has it? It's it's the kids as well. Yes.

Emma  14:26  
Yeah. Especially Lucy. It's just it's like night and day. The difference in Lucy she used to keep everything like if we like stones off the ground and leaves off a walk and, and just every little toy, it just everything. She didn't throw anything away and trying to get to let go of toys that she clearly outgrown. I mean, she's nine now. And she still had toys in her room when she was like four or five. She just would not let them go. But I think The turnaround for Lucy was definitely the donation station. Okay, that was our major turning point. So I think I'd listened to podcast or it might have been something on the membership about the donation station. And as I write, I'm going to create this donation station. I've done a lot of work in the kitchen already. And we used to have all our recycling piled up on the kitchen windowsill, sort of in boxes, but it was an eyesore, to be quite honest. I didn't want it there. I didn't like it. So right, I don't want that they're going to change it. And I decluttered a couple of cupboards so much that I could actually free up a whole cupboard to kind of put all the recycling boxes into this cupboard. And then also all I've got space for a donation station. That's exciting. Let's do that. So create this donation station. And I like ever since I was little every time I do something like for time I tidied my room, when I was a kid or I moved my furniture around in my room, I'd always want to show somebody that cup and have a look, see what I've done. So when I've done the recycling cupboard, I clearly still like it as an adult I got so excited about this recycling covered. From it sounds like kids kids come and look at the recycling cupboard is so exciting to see where it was as well as they needed to know where things needed to go. And they were like, right, okay, that's great. Well done. That wasn't quite the enthusiasm I was hoping for. And then I said, and this is the donation station, I made this sort of big thing about it. I said, so anything you find whether it's a sock with a hole in it, or a book, you don't want to read anymore, whatever it is, you don't want, stick it in there, and then I'll sort it out, I'll find somewhere to take it or obviously we were in lockdown at the time. So give it away on OLIO because that was that's fairly running. So I save it when it goes to the championship, or sell it or whatever I think can be done with that textile donation, whatever. Stick it in that box. Let me know when you put something in there though. Okay. So they both totaled off and I thought they're not gonna do this. This is not gonna work at all to give me I'll give it a go. And then I think it was even that day, or the next day Lucy came downstairs very calling should come downstairs, mommy, I've got something for the donation station. Fix it, it's working. And she had a bag of makeup. I know she's only nine, she doesn't wear makeup outside. But in there, she she just she loves putting makeup on and do a little makeup tutorial. She wants to be a makeup artist when she's older. So I encourage it. So she had sort of bits and pieces sort of like kiddies makeup and stuff. And she's like, I don't need any of this stuff. It's really old. I'm gonna put it in the donation station. I was like, yeah, it made a big fuss about this is great. Let's put it at the donation station. She was asked when we started looking at what we could do with it and you know, all that kind of stuff. And that was it. That was that was pretty much it. And I think she could see definitely that all the things I've been doing. And that the house was starting to look less cluttered and more organised. I was happier and less stressed. And I think she just wanted to have that same feeling, really. And she, I think I put to bed one night and she said, I've made a list. And I was all I mean, we both love a list. I always I've always loved the list. And Lucy likes writing lists. And she's I've written the list of all the things I need to declutter in my room. Like, I'm so happy. And she she knew the things I've been watching on the Facebook group and you know, the reset your home challenges, she'd sort of listened in on that a little bit. And she always refers to you and Leslie as my teachers, which I thought was so cute. She's like, Can you can you take a picture of this and you can put it on the Facebook group and you can show your teachers? Like yeah, okay, let's do that. So and I think she then got the same feeling as I did when she declared something or when she'd but something that she sort of said, take a picture of that and put it on the Facebook group for your meals. Okay. And then I'd show all the lovely comments afterwards lo Lucy are amazing, and all this kind of stuff and all the likes that she got into like, really like and then she likes to reply into everybody's comment. So again, I think she enjoyed that recognition that she was doing really good job. But yeah, she made a list of everything. And she she'd done it so well. Even though I'd not she'd obviously picked up on it. From listening to you and Leslie to break it down into little bits instead of saying, I need to declutter my chest of drawers. She'd written. I need to do my underwear. I need to do my clothes need to do my dressing up girl. And she'd broken it all down. And yeah, sure. Yeah, she's Yeah, it was a big list. And it did take us a few weeks to get through it but we did it. So it kind of stalled my decluttering journey but has went Steven I think it's also

Ingrid  19:47  
a lovely because of course let's see nice started commenting as well. And then you wanted the live q&a. We mentioned her and then not realising she was listening. But then you were like in the chat going. Oh, Lucy says Thank you and good luck. So excited because yeah, it was so nice to see. And it's such a boost of positivity for her, isn't it? Yeah. And to learn at such a young age, it's such a gift, isn't it?

Emma  20:12  
It is definitely. And I think it's definitely going to stay with her now. 100% Yeah, yeah, it's it's definitely there. And even occasionally, I'll say that the other day or went up to us it just got like a toy hammock in a room and it fallen down and overloaded with too many cuddly toys, probably. But anyway, she won't Declutter. There's a bit like with some people with books, Lucy's to stay with her cuddly toys. Don't touch the cuddly toys. That's fine. So I was fixing the toy hammock and I said, while we're doing this, should I take a bag upstairs, and we can see if there's anything that needs to go in your room? I said, there might be some cuddling that you don't need anymore. You want? No, that's not going to happen. I've decluttered my room. I don't need to do that. I said, Well, we'll take the bag up just in case. And she ended up filling the bag. She did it. She was like as you pass back the toys Just have a think about whether you want then there was a couple she let go. She's actually I've had this since I was about 14. I don't need this one anymore. So yeah, it is that she was really pleased for so the pitcher went on Facebook. She was there with a bag.

Ingrid  21:19  
But I think when there's no pressure, but you leave it up to them, and but then keep it really positive and praise them when they do something well, then it ultimately is like, Okay, this is good. And then and let them then keep something when they're not sure it's really important to our members all the time. Don't be if you're unsure keypads because we don't want you to make lots of mistakes. But yeah, then you're gonna regret. And then the decluttering is becoming negative, it needs to be a positive experience, and you need to feel ready. And that's exactly what happened with you and your wardrobe. Yeah, did it once you're building up your decluttering muscle and when you went back to it, you found another three bags, because you were far more ready again this time around. Yeah, to go that step further.

Emma  22:08  
Yeah, yeah. 100% Yeah, the muscle is definitely getting stronger. Yeah. 2% And yeah, at least he was great. And with the with the cuddly toys as I like to start because she's like, I don't know where to start. Because there was a lot. I mean, she must have over 100 in that toy hammock stuffed in there, but slightly more neater now. Slightly better arrange now. Yeah. And I said to the first thing you need to do is take out the ones that you definitely want to keep. So all the ones that you definitely definitely want. Put them on the bed, so they're ready to go onto the hammock. Okay, I said and then Willie Willie, and there was a couple there was almost a few tears. I don't want I don't know if I need to go. I was like you don't know, then you keep it. That's it. You're not sure. Keep it. So I think it is, especially with children, you just have to just encourage them to that's okay. You don't have to let it go. You know, if you don't want to know if you want to keep it and who don't know, then just keep it.

Ingrid  23:01  
So tell me about the ATC challenge then.

Emma  23:03  
Oh, yeah, she got she Yeah, she joined her back because I told her about it that I could do that. And then she was like, Oh, can I do that? Because pretty much by then she had gone through her list. And she had got rid of an awful lot of stuff. And she said I don't actually I don't think I can do it. I'm not going to have and I was like well, I'm gonna do it. I said why don't you just see I said if some days you can do it as well. So if you can find something. Oh, okay. All right. I said we can have a little challenge between the two of us. You can find an item first. That was it. She's clearly competitive, like, so she's like, I've made a list of all the things that I know I can do. She'd like, worked her way through most of the alphabet. I'm saving this for Zed. Just let it go a bit. Now live. You're ready to let go of it? No, I need it for Zed. Right? Okay. But yeah, she did it. She did it every day of something. And she'd sort of prepared the next couple of days ones as well. And, and then she sort of like do you have to take my picture every day? I think everyone likes it. They like seeing your picture and it helps encourage other people do since she was on. Oh, okay. All right, then you can take my picture.

Ingrid  24:13  
Yeah, because it was a member only challenge was so cluttered an item of the alphabet every day of that month. And we started with the letter A an item with the letter A and then a second day and it would later be and I think Lucy got so excited about it that she really wanted to join in and I think it just really boosted everybody so much. And I think that was really nice for her to see as well. Yeah,

Emma  24:36  
yeah, this is it. Yeah, she had a great time did and it was quite often it was more than one item or she's like, Oh, I don't know what to do. Oh, what? Oh, so something orange. That was it. I bought three orange pens. Right. Well done. Let's do one. I don't need three. Right. Okay. Yeah, well done.

Ingrid  24:53  
Yeah. It's amazing. But not only Lucy got involved, did she? I mean, your son also got They've

Emma  25:00  
recently got involved with you as well. And then I think he was like I'm in at least he's getting an awful lot of attention to this. And I was like, maybe you could, you could sort your room out as well. Now, I think I've got rid of a lot of stuff. And I'll just go and have a look at it because you because he'd finished school by then because obviously the pandemic brought, you know, his last school year to an end rather abruptly. So I was like, You don't you don't need a lot of that stuff that you've got in your room now. And he went up and he started sort of bringing bags down is I've done, done this bag, and I was like, anything else in they could get rid of? I don't think so. I think I've done it all. So I went up and with a little encouragement, we ended up he got rid of loads, loads and loads of stuff. He didn't really well. And he was like, Oh, actually, this is nice. For any reorganised his room. And he pretty much keeps it. I mean, he's 16. So the room is never spotless. Well, actually, no, it is, but just not very often. But occasionally you can hear him you're like, You're right up there. He's like, Yeah, I'm just tidying up. Oh, tidying up. This is

Ingrid  26:06  
exciting. And he's been helping you as well has been the dad and

Emma  26:10  
yeah, he helped me do the shed declutter because I was like, right, I want to do the shed need to get that sorted out because I'd sorted out stuff that I then need, knew that needed to go into the shed. And that's I don't want to start putting more stuff in the shed. When you already can't really get in through the door. So yes, we debugged it first, and then we emptied it out. But yeah, it's been really good. I mean, he's a good boy anyway, but you hate me for saying that. Like, don't say that. But he is is is very good. And he's always been very helpful. Yeah, he sort of helped me get everything out. And I was like, you could just go to the back of the shed and get out. And he's like, might be big spiders. Nice, strong, loud. And you go so yeah, they definitely have their uses the 16 year old boys. But yeah, it was really good. And it sort of helped do all the heavy lifting. And you know, as I've done things around the house, I just got a little different Willie boop holder to go by the back door, and it just tidied up the little side room office sort of area we've got. And if I showed him, again, did something new to show somebody. And I said, Look, this is where the wall is going now. And he's here. He said, The House is looking really nice, man. He said you're doing a really good job. You said it's taken a while but you're doing it. Oh, that's nice. Yeah. Roll boys even notice and mention that exactly. Gold, isn't it? Yeah. Oh, it is 100%. But yeah, he said he's noticed how much happier I am and just how much more things are organised. And like the little resets I do is that are the kitchens always tidy. And I think he's quite happy. I've taken away one of his chores from him because he used to unload the dishwasher. But instead of me having to constantly nag him about doing the dishwasher because I do as part of my reset. Now, he doesn't have to do that. So he's like, Yes, I don't have to do the dishwasher anymore. But he does have to do extra things instead to say he has to cut the grass now instead. You know, so but any does, you know, they're very good. The kids help out where they where they can. And he comes shopping and he helps me with the food shopping and yeah, I think that's another key thing is, is getting the kids to join in and help. Yeah, cuz like you unless you've said it's not just a one man band. It's you know, verbal, everyone's got up in and do it. Yeah, it's definitely encouraged the kids roped them in. Yeah, give them chores.

Ingrid  28:40  
Yes, yes. So another thing that I really wanted to talk to you about is your to do books. So what is that all about? My

Emma  28:49  
never ending to do box, finding more things, the wardrobe challenge you like find something in your wardrobe that shouldn't be in there. But guess what, to do a few more things to do books. But yeah, I started that it started off with a little when I got rid of all the recycling off the kitchen window. So I put a little basket up there just to put things in that needed doing whether it was paperwork, or it's like if I need little toys of Lucy that are broken that need to fix input in there. If it goes in there, that's where it goes. And I can just be it started to sort of spill onto the worktop. And I was like, Oh, this is not how it's supposed to be. It's kind of getting a bit too much again as I might what I need is a bigger box. So I've got this like 80 litre box, it's huge. And when I got rid of loads of stuff out the cupboard under the stairs that a lot of projects came out of our needs doing and as I've decluttered each room or each area or cupboard, I found something else that needs doing. They're not getting done because they're stashed away and they need to be in one place that I can just go to when I have Spend 1015 minutes or an hour and I think I could do something from the to do box. And I've put it in a place where I will see it all the time because I need that for me. I think most people probably would as well. But I've got I've created a nice little seating area in the side rooms that was just full of stuff. So that's now an office stroke sunroom, which is lovely. And I've got my to do box next to my chair. So every time I sit there to watch the birds or watch Nancy running around in the garden, that's my dog, not another child, you know, and it's like, oh, I just have a little rummage through here and see what I fancy doing. And it gets done. And it's slowly every little thing in there is slowly getting done. So like, I had a scrapbook that I wanted to do for ages from my 40th birthday. I'm 43 this year, it still hadn't been done. It's now done. And I had some photos to put up above where I put all my medals up from different events and things I've done. That's been sat around for almost a year waiting to be done. That's now done. So it definitely works having to do books and I'm hoping I'm very hopeful one day, but the to do box will be smaller than 80 litres. It will be a little box.

Ingrid  31:17  
Yes, it will. So you've seen massive changes in your house, haven't you? So your kids have other people notice that? You're changing?

Emma  31:26  
Yeah, yeah. 100% I have a friend that comes obviously we've been in the middle of pandemics have not had many people coming into the house. But my one of my best friends comes into the house Claire to look after Nancy, my puppy when I'm at work, and she definitely noticed and actually encouraged her to do a donation station and recycling cupboard and a kitchen. She has my recycling bag. So underneath the table on it looks really messy. I think you've inspired me so I think I'm going to kind of do my own recycling cupboard. So she and she's took pictures and sent them to me. So yes, that she's done that and she wasn't happy with the table, but she had a guinea pigs on in a kitchen. So should actually I need a sideboard there with storage for all the pet stuff. Sure. And then I've got pet stuff dotted around in various boxes around the house. So she's done that now and she's against them to me picked up my new sideboard and all that stuff. The pets in them. It's all containerized I use the word containerize. It's like a word now in this house all the time. That's containerize it. So yeah, there's so yeah, definitely. It's definitely noticed it. I'd say even though my mom and dad hadn't been in the house since 2019. They've noticed it as well, because I think they've noticed that I'm happier. And I talked about it a lot as well. So they definitely notice. And then there's my boyfriend as well. He comes around and he does an awful lot the cooking at the weekends. And he's definitely noticed the the organisation in the kitchen now. You put something down. I'm like this know where it goes. It doesn't go there. Don't put it there. goes here. Right, okay. But it definitely noticed that he was doing the cooking and he opened the drawer that has all the pans and stuff in it. And you do and all this is nice. It's all organised. And I've got a little stamp to put all the saucepan lids in and it's all nice and tidy. Has that oh, this is so much better. And I've got a little thing for the spices now that I can find things that are Yeah, he's definitely noticed. It's just just been able to find things easier. I thought it'd be I'm gonna start doing dinner Can you could just come out and find this, that and the other and show me where this is. And everything was just all over the place. And now it just, it just kept on with it. It's brilliant. I don't have to go in and go here or don't know, wherever it is. Everything's there. Everything's clean, because it's been through the dishwasher because I put it on the night before. So yeah, it's just a happier home.

Ingrid  33:58  
Lovely, lovely. So what are your next steps?

Emma  34:03  
Oh, well, I'm sure there's still much more decluttering to do as we know. But working through the to do box is a definite definite thing to carry on doing. And like I say hopefully it will get smaller. And now I think is a case of sticking to the resets and keeping that in mind and just keeping on top of things I sent you earlier yesterday I had a day that was really busy. And I got in and I didn't have anything ready for the next day and I'll be fine I do in the morning. And it wasn't fine. This morning was a complete nightmare. So stressful trying to get out the doors, right but that but now I know it's because I didn't get everything ready the night before and I didn't do my reset. And I was like if I just done that, then this wouldn't have happened whereas before I would have been probably stressed all day. I was you know I was late this morning and you No, I'm not keeping on top of things. Whereas now I know why I was stressed this morning. And it's like, right, okay, let's just forget about that. I just know that tonight, I need to make sure everything's ready, I need to do my reset. And then when I get up in the morning, we just follow our little routine that we're in now. And we're back to school, we're back, back to a nice start to the day. But yeah, it's just making sure that I keep on top of the resets now, and carry on decluttering, there's definitely still things to do. When I joined the membership. I didn't do the roadmap, I kind of thought, well, I'll just I'm quite happy to just go to the rooms that I feel ready to do. And I was quite confident to do that. Whereas I know some people prefer to start with the roadmap and work their way through because they're not sure where to start. But now I want to do the roadmap, because I want to make sure I have done everything. And that I'm completely happy with everything so that it is then easier to keep on top of. Yeah, so at the moment, I'm working my way through all the old Q and A's.

Ingrid  36:02  
So what's your favourite bit than on the membership? I mean, there's so much in there.

Emma  36:08  
But I definitely love the like Q and A's. Okay. I'm always a bit gutted. If it's like three o'clock, so I'm like, Well, I can't listen live at three. So go go and pick up loose. You can school. But yeah, it's like two o'clock. That's good. 10 o'clock in the morning. That's good for me eight o'clock in the evening. That's great. Yeah, I love it. I'm like, I have a meeting. And they would disturb me. And the kids can come when I have a live q&a Eight o'clock, they think I'm in a meeting. It's great. Leave me alone so that I can listen to top tip. They're just telling kids, we're in a meeting and you can't be disturbed. You can listen to the live q&a And Peter. But yeah, so I do love the live q&a. I really liked the forum. Just sometimes I just go in and read it. And other times I kind of chip in. And I put me and things in there sometimes as well. That yeah, and yeah, and so much. And then there's obviously all the library and all the lessons and the quick wins. It's really difficult to pick something that is one thing that I love most about it. But I think at the moment, we will not be listening because it will see that a previous q&a session before I joined. But I've started right back at the first q&a that you did, and working my way through them. So I'm up to the beginning of the pandemic. Now. I just did today I listened to the one that you did on Zoom.

Ingrid  37:31  
Okay, yeah.

Emma  37:33  
That was really good. So yes, I do. Yeah, I just love the membership. There's just so much in there. And I'm discovering new bits all the time that all that's in there as well. Go in there and work their way through all the little quick wins. And yeah, sometimes I just listen to the I think sometimes it's good just to listen to the lessons in the library and the courses and just just listen to them. It does sink in it does work. The process works. Yes, it does. 100% Everybody should join.

Ingrid  38:09  
Thank you. Thanks. That'd be a great. I mean, it's it. You know, the nice thing is we can really see. Yes, helping. Oh, Rose says

Emma  38:20  
like I say it's changed my life. And I'm not, you know, I'm not just saying that it really has. And I didn't think like I say I didn't think I actually had that much stuff. And yeah, I really do or did, don't now,

Ingrid  38:34  
have you got any advice or tips for our listeners?

Emma  38:39  
I think definitely, if you've got kids at home, get them involved. Let them see what you're doing. And get them to join in. And to be fair, they kind of will join in when they see I know the Facebook groups or people have said no How do I get partners to join in and get on board or get the kids to join in and get on board. Just get on with it yourself. If you don't know it's not as easy as that for a lot of people. But if you start doing one little draw one little cupboard, you know, just little bits here in there. And they start to see the changes they will join in. So again, getting the kids and your other half on board is is massive. It definitely changes it. Just everything and obviously join the membership. Yeah, so I'm not saying that I've not been asked to say that, but it did. I mean the Facebook group is amazing. It's in a but there is a lot of people in there. I think if you want something that's more private and more personal and somewhere you know, not everybody wants to share everything, especially if you have very close to time. They don't want to share everything on a Facebook group. And it is it's such a safe community and so lovely. Everyone is so friendly. Yeah, I definitely say join them. Ship 100%

Ingrid  40:02  
My Well, we're delighted you're here. We're delighted you're in. Give me Yes, of course. Now what I would like to do next is I want to have a little chat with Lucy. Yeah. So this I wanted to hear from her herself how she's finding all the changes. So let's call it Lucy, and then we'll come back to you, and then we'll close this episode.

Lucy  40:24  
That'd be great. Okay, I'll pass it over to

Ingrid  40:27  
Hello, Lucy, thank you so much for joining your mom and I on this podcast. Yeah. So tell everybody, how old are you, Lucy?

Lucy  40:40  
Nine years old?

Ingrid  40:41  
Nine. Wow. And your mom has been doing a lot of decluttering hasn't she?

Lucy  40:47  
Yeah. And I'm exchanging kitchen now.

Ingrid  40:50  
Is it really empty? Yes. It's really tidy all the time. Yeah. And tell me because you've been a superstar as well, haven't you? Yes. So what have you been decluttering? 

Lucy  41:05  
My room mostly. Just my room I say. And lots of my teddies. I got rid of a Paw Patrol one because I don't even like it any more.

Ingrid  41:13  
Oh, that's good. Because you you saw your mum tidy up. And then she started the donation station, didn't she? Yeah. And what happened then? What did you do? 

Lucy  41:24  
That evening I went to my makeup table. And I don't use the lipstick liner. Otherwise, I think it looks weird. So just decluttered it. And then most of my makeup and then it got my new makeup.

Ingrid  41:43  
Excellent. And then what happened? Because then you made the whole list in your room, didn't you? So tell me about this list.

Lucy  41:51  
I get my books, my barbies, I got rid of most of my Barbies, that the ones that had the heads off. So I can take the heads off. But nothing snapped.

Ingrid  42:05  
And did you make a list about all your clothes as well?

Speaker 2  42:08  
Yeah, that took some time, I guess tidied up my bag.

Ingrid  42:13  
Your bags as well, didn't you? So you made an amazing list yourself? Yeah. Because you told your mum, I want to tidy up my room. And then you made the list and you tell me did you put a tick every time you did something? Yeah. Ah, that's good. That's amazing. So then tell me because you did then then you did your whole room and you thought, yeah, I'm done. And then what happened? Your mommy joined a challenge a member challenge, didn't she? 

Lucy  42:41  
Yeah, I think it was the ABC one.

Ingrid  42:44  
Yes. And what did you think? Oh, I have nothing left to declutter. But you still take a look at something every day, didn't you? Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. And did you enjoy it? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Good, good. Good. So now because now your whole room is all decluttered? It's probably not tidy all the time. You said you need to play there too, right? Yeah, I agree. I agree a room is to play. It doesn't have to be tidy all the time. But you probably now can tidy everything away when you're finished playing because you know where everything goes. Right. Yeah, yeah. So then tell me because your Mum has made something really nice for your room. She made a list for you to hang on your wall. Right? Yeah. So what's that all about?

Lucy  43:29  
It's the stuff I have to do in the morning after school and bedtime. Right.

Ingrid  43:34  
So tell me what do you have to do before school then?

Speaker 2  43:37  
Mostly, brush my teeth, get dressed, dirty washing in basket, do my hair. I'm trying to think...

Ingrid  43:46  
Oh, so she made you like a little checklist to remind you of all the things you need to do in the morning? Are you putting a reset? It's called a reset? Yes. Yes. It's called a reset. That's so good. It's called a daily reset, isn't it? And so tell me what do you have to do after school then.

Speaker 2  44:03  
Put my shoes away, put my coat away and read for 15 minutes. And then I can go my phone?

Ingrid  44:03  
Oh, so you have to do a bit of reading up to a bit of tidying up. And then you can don't do something else? Yeah. Excellent. And then, and then you can go on your phone. Okay, that's cool. And in the evening, so what do you need to do in the evening then?

Lucy  44:29  
Just get ready for bed really.

Ingrid  44:32  
And is it hard to do the daily reset? Because it sounds a bit serious, doesn't it a daily reset. But you're like saying this list works brilliantly for me. And I just I don't find it hard to do because I know what to do every day. Yeah, yeah. Excellent. So do you think decluttering is easy or hard Lucy? Oh, really? Yeah. And why do you think that

Speaker 2  44:58  
Because now that my bedroom is tidier, it's easier to declutter more.

Ingrid  45:08  
Yes, that because everything is now in the right place, isn't it? Yeah. Well, I just wanted to tell you that Lesley and I both think you're absolutely brilliant. Yeah. And we are so proud of you. And your mom has done so well. And you've just been an absolute inspiration for so many people. And that we just wanted to give you a special shout out in this podcast to say what a superstar you are. Yay. So thank you so much for being on the podcast and telling everybody about your decluttering and your daily reset. You're super brave.

Lucy  45:45  
Yay.

Ingrid  45:46  
So thanks so much, Lucy. 

Lucy  45:49  
Thank you. 

Ingrid  45:51  
So thank you so much, Lucy and Emma, for being here.

Emma  45:56  
Thank you so much for having us.

Ingrid  45:59  
It's just been absolutely brilliant to have you here on this podcast. listeners. What do you think? How does that sound Emma's changed her whole life Lucy's on board and decluttering the house and doing lots of stuff around the house with a donation station and a to do books and they're just decluttering and making memory boxes. And it's all happened from listening to this podcast. So if you've enjoyed listening and are inspired, take action. We would love to see you in our Facebook group. We would love to see you in our membership. And if you've enjoyed this podcast, do share it with other people. Maybe they would love our show to now, indeed, if you want to see us in the Facebook group, it's called the declutter hub community decluttering tips for lesson Ingrid. So come and find us on Facebook and we also are on Instagram. We've got a Facebook page, and we've got a YouTube channel if you want to have some more information. If you'd like to know more about our membership, have a look at members dot declutter help.com To find out more. And if you don't want to miss our next podcast episode, subscribe to the declutter hub podcast and it will pop into your notifications each Friday. So Emma, thank you so much again for being our guest. We've loved having you on the show. And

Emma  47:19  
Thank you for everything because well for you and to you and Lesley. It's been amazing. Thank you so much. 

Ingrid  47:25  
I need to go or I'm gonna cry. No crying. Thanks, Emma. Thank you.

Outro  47:36  
Thanks for listening to this week's episode of The declutter hub podcast. Check out declutterhub.com for more inspiration. Don't forget to tune in next week.
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Episode 389 – Overcoming mobility challenges when decluttering with member Rory

Episode 388 – Start as you mean to go on – plan 2026 for decluttering success

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Recent Posts
Episode 389 – Overcoming mobility challenges when decluttering with member Rory

Episode 388 – Start as you mean to go on – plan 2026 for decluttering success

Episode 387 – Our 2025 year in review – the big Declutter Hub round-up

Episode 386 – 10 Tell-Tale Signs that you need to Declutter your House

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Barbara Hales says:

2 July 2021 at 8:20 PM

This is one of my favourite podcasts from your lovely members. Emma gives a recognisable glimpse of the changes in a whole family as a result of following Ingrid and Lesley’s carefully worked out pattern – along with the fun and support of the membership. Thanks Emma and Lucy too.

Reply
1. Ingrid Jansen says:
  
  7 July 2021 at 8:20 PM
  
  Thank you Barbara for your lovely comment. We love our Membership and our Members and we enjoy seeing our system work!
  
  Reply
Episode 144 – Guest interview with Declutter Hub member Emma

Episode 389 – Overcoming mobility challenges when decluttering with member Rory

Episode 388 – Start as you mean to go on – plan 2026 for decluttering success

Episode 389 – Overcoming mobility challenges when decluttering with member Rory

Episode 388 – Start as you mean to go on – plan 2026 for decluttering success

Episode 387 – Our 2025 year in review – the big Declutter Hub round-up

Episode 386 – 10 Tell-Tale Signs that you need to Declutter your House

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