Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines moving your parents can take havoc on your family and having solid routines can make your life still happen. Couldn’t recommend them any more!

Links for you:

My post on moving to assisted living.

Timestamps:

00:00 Downsize, consider assisted living, wait lists fill.

04:59 Medicare assists short-term home health expenses.

08:40 Reasonable storage for family memories and history.

09:45 Downsize immediately; avoid unnecessary storage or sales.

13:17 Estate sale: necessary for selling the house.

16:53 Find experienced real estate agent for parents.

20:44 Fast decisions helped moving process efficiently.

22:44 Upcoming topics: women’s strength training, birth trauma.

Keypoints:

• Hilary discusses her experience moving her parents into retirement living and the challenges associated with it.
• The importance of planning ahead and considering different living options such as assisted living, nursing homes, and independent living.
• Routines can help maintain normalcy during the transition.
• Financial considerations for different living options, including costs for nursing homes, rehab, and assisted living.
• The process of selecting a suitable retirement facility and the benefits of getting on a waitlist early.
• Downsizing possessions and the emotional impact of sorting through a lifetime of belongings.
• The role of professional movers and considerations for hiring experienced movers.
• The estate sale process, its challenges, and financial implications for clearing out a large home.
• Selling the family home and the benefits of engaging a real estate agent experienced with senior moves.
• Reflecting on the timeline and process highlights the importance of starting early and maintaining less clutter for an easier transition later in life.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.000] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 251, we are talking about moving my parents into retirement living. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:10.300] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:38.420] – Hilary Erickson

This episode of the Pulling Curls Podcast is sponsored by Family Routines. Guys, even though I was gone for so long Because we had great routines, somehow life kept going at my house. And I cannot recommend any more getting into awesome routines so that even when mom’s not home or things are just crazy town, you can still manage your life. So come join in family routine, you can join me for just a month and then leave when you’re ready.

[00:01:03.540] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, first off, I want to say that whatever you’re imagining moving your parents into retirement living, you’re right. It’s not fun. It was terrible, horrible, no good, very bad. It’s all the things.

[00:01:14.750] – Hilary Erickson

But I want to give you a few steps that you should be thinking about or going through as you’re thinking about this process. So my parents had been considering moving into assisted living. We honestly thought that that was the only option was assisted living. We’re going to talk more about that. For maybe the past, Probably since COVID, two or three years, they have a very large home. While they mainly live just on the main floor, that doesn’t mean you’d still don’t have upkeep on the other floors because things might flood or whatever.

[00:01:41.640] – Hilary Erickson

It just was too much house for them. Even with a housekeeper and someone doing the yard work, it was just too much. It was more than they needed, and they knew that they needed to downsize.

[00:01:50.200] – Hilary Erickson

So first off, you need to be thinking about where you’re going to go. And honestly, even if your parents are still fully functional, I think it would be a great idea to start thinking about where they want to go because a lot of these places are starting to fill up. We have a lot of, what are they, baby boomers out there who are going to need places like this.

[00:02:06.560] – Hilary Erickson

So getting on an assisted living waitlist is not a bad idea. Most of them, it was either free to get on the waitlist or very low cost, and you can say, I’m not ready. They can keep coming back to you and be like, Okay, there’s a room available, and you can say, I’m not ready, and then they skip to the next one on the list. So I think that’s something to consider. Now, there are a few different places that parents can go when they leave their large home.

[00:02:31.050] – Hilary Erickson

They can go to an apartment, and my grandma did this, and it ended up being great for her. My dad, they considered going to an apartment, but they felt like the apartment probably wouldn’t last long term, and so they probably needed an upgraded level of care. They could go to a nursing home. Now, I worked nursing home right out of college. That was my first job.

[00:02:49.730] – Hilary Erickson

This is for somebody who needs a lot of medical care. It’s expensive. I will say that when we looked into a nursing home, not for both of my parents to go to, my mom had some issues that she needed some for. It was about $250 a day. Now, this is for a Utah nursing home, but I like giving you guys the pricing because I literally had no idea. Now, my mom actually went to a rehab because she had broken her ankle, which you would go to a rehab, and that’s double the price of a nursing home. But you get more rehab care. There’s more nurses per patient to take care of you. So that’s a different option. You need to realize that a nursing home is also called a skilled nursing facility, and then rehab is an upgrade from that, and obviously, it costs more.

[00:03:32.070] – Hilary Erickson

So then we looked at assisted living. An assisted living is a downgrade from a nursing home. There aren’t nurses constantly there, but there are CNAs on staff who can come help you. You have a little button that you wear, like help, I can’t get up a button, and the CNAs can come help you. There are, I believe, LPNs, I’m not sure, RNs who divvy out the meds, and you can decide if you want to take care of your own meds or if you want the nurses to take care of it for you.

[00:03:58.070] – Hilary Erickson

When you’re admitted to an assisted living, apparently, they do an assessment on you and they categorize what level of care you’re going to need, and then you’re priced off of that level of care. So my dad, fully functioning, does his own meds, takes care of him himself. He’s still going to have some a medical charge in association with being there, but it should be low. Although you don’t really have control over that. When I pushed them to find out how many of their people were on the lowest level, I couldn’t really get an answer. So there you go.

[00:04:28.320] – Hilary Erickson

But there’s also something called independent living, which I had not heard of. So I would look at that as an apartment area. This is what my parents ultimately chose. It looks just like a cruise ship or a hotel with larger hallways than a cruise ship. It’s an apartment, but they have to check in every day. They have to push a button in their apartment that they’re up and that they’re going. Otherwise, they’ll come check on them.

[00:04:52.040] – Hilary Erickson

And there is a CNA service that works within the facility. It’s not the same facility, but they can come in and help you. Like when my mom came home from rehab, she had somebody coming in to help her shower through that CNA program, right? She didn’t need help every day, but because of the ankle and the thing that she has, there’s somebody that comes in and helps her shower that they pay through the CNA program, which is ultimately less than assisted living.

[00:05:17.390] – Hilary Erickson

So, assisted living looked to be about $8,000 a month for my parents, whereas the independent living was about $6,000 a month. And I think something that’s important to know is Medicare is paying for the CNA for a certain period of time as home health because of an issue she had.

[00:05:34.710] – Hilary Erickson

They will not pay for it long term, but they will pay for it initially. So if you have a short term issue, like a broken ankle, then Medicare can supplement some of these things versus if you were in an assisted living facility, they would not be paying for that because they don’t pay for assisted living.

[00:05:51.390] – Hilary Erickson

So, with assisted living, my parents would have gotten three meals a day, and with independent living, they got two meals a day, which my parents were happy about because they were hoping to go for some meals. But you’re understanding how many meals are taken care of, how much housekeeping, how much laundry. These are important things to look at as you choose which facility is best for you.

[00:06:09.320] – Hilary Erickson

I don’t know all of these things, but I have a basic idea of how they work, but I think it’s really important that you know that. I think A lot of people think that if they go to a nursing home, their insurance is going to pay for it, and that is not the case unless they have a short term problem.

[00:06:21.800] – Hilary Erickson

Rehab was paid for by Medicare for a certain period of time, but because she ended up having two issues, they ended up having to pay cash for part of it. So it’s just It’s really important that you understand these big finances that you’re going to have to look at.

[00:06:35.580] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, after you pick where you’re going, you’re going to want to put down a deposit or however it works. My parents found a spot that put them pretty close to the dining room, which because of my mom’s mobility issues, was going to be helpful. They just thought it was a good spot, and so they decided on that place. Then you’re going to want to downsize your life and pack. And honestly, my dad had been trying to downsize their life for years. We had been working through giving things away to the goodwill in their area and just working through it. But they had a lot of stuff. As you could imagine, they moved the day I graduated high school, and they left soon after my 30-year reunion. So they had been in this house for 30 years. My mom’s a buyer. I’m not going to say she’s not a buyer, but they had a lot of stuff to go through, and it is super overwhelming. So once they decided they were going, we started just having boxes that we were putting things that we knew were going to the assisted living with them.

[00:07:29.560] – Hilary Erickson

We started in the kitchen because that was an easier area. You’re going to not take as many things as you would if you were going to a straight-up apartment. While you’re looking at packing and putting your things in there, figure out who’s going to help you move. My parents have maybe the world’s heaviest furniture, so I was definitely not going to be moving it. Look into movers. And I got to say that when you’re looking at all this, there’s a lot of balancing how much money you have to devote to this, right? And money wasn’t too much of an issue for my parents. It’s always an issue, my dad is an economics professor, so there was always balancing out how much things were going to cost and things like that.

[00:08:05.610] – Hilary Erickson

But trying to decide how much money you have to devote to this, or if I had six or seven other siblings, maybe they could have come to help, but I only have one brother. So hiring movers was important to us. The independent living place actually had a place that they recommended, and we loved the movers. They were so helpful, so courteous and kind to my parents.

[00:08:24.820] – Hilary Erickson

I think they were more expensive than if I had just hired movers, but I think they were more careful of the stuff and of their feelings. It’s a big deal to be moving out of your house and do an independent living, and the movers were just great. So I would recommend looking for ones that maybe have done this or worked at the facility that you’re going to.

[00:08:40.460] – Hilary Erickson

At the same point in time, we were trying to decide, should we get a storage place, right? I think it would be really easy to think, Well, I’m going to want to go through these things later on. My dad was very reasonable and realized that he wanted to put some memories and family history in the storage facility so that he could go through them, decide he wanted to scan and what could be thrown away or what he just enjoyed looking at and draw a line. So he got one that is just the size of a good size home closet. We stored some things there that my mom wasn’t going to be using because of her broken leg for a little bit. A few hobby type items that they might want to get to, and then family history, and then that was it.

[00:09:19.610] – Hilary Erickson

I think it’s really smart to have one so you’re not throwing away things that you might regret later on, but also important to not have a giant one of things that I I would then end up having to go through later on. I could throw away all the things that are in that storage shed or look at them on my own. That wouldn’t be overwhelming to me. But I think a lot of older adults are thinking, Oh, I might want to save this, or my family might want it later, so let’s get a storage head. And I think it’s so much better to just make the choice and make the cuts right as you’re making the move out rather than having a storage facility that you are likely not going to use.

[00:09:55.600] – Hilary Erickson

Now, my parents were very clear that this was where they were moving, and they weren’t intending to go to a home. If your independent living state is planning to be short term, then this could look different for you. Then what do you do with all the other stuff? So my parents were moving from a 6,000 square foot home to a, I want to say maybe a thousand square foot apartment, maybe 1,100.

[00:10:17.520] – Hilary Erickson

So obviously, there were a lot of things that weren’t going to be coming to that assisted living. And so we looked around, we looked at the possibility of having just a charity come and clean out the house and then getting the tax deduction, and we looked at an estate sale. Now, I’ve got to say, I feel like estate sale people are shady like pawn shops. I think it’s a difficult job to make good money in, and you’re dealing with the subset of the population that’s overly emotional about their items and probably expects to get paid more than what you’re going to end up making them.

[00:10:52.710] – Hilary Erickson

But I didn’t love the person that we went with. I wish that we had interviewed a few more estate sales, but my dad was just ready to go with one that seemed fine. That’s who we went with. How an estate sale works is she took half of the proceeds. So she got half of the… We have a couch. We sell it for $500. She gets $250, we get $250. From when we sign the contract to when she did the sale was about a month, where people were coming in, they categorize things, they display them, they put them on tables, or I don’t know what else they do, because I did not go in that house once the estate sale people were there.

[00:11:28.120] – Hilary Erickson

I did look at the estate sale online, and even that was extremely painful. It’s like all of your things just out there needing to be sold. The initial sale, I get the feeling that it did not go very well, that not very many things sold at an estate sale. And as someone who garage sales shopped a lot. Whenever I went to estate sales, I felt like things were super overpriced. So after the estate sale, then she must have a list of people who are interested in couches or interested in yarn.

[00:11:57.370] – Hilary Erickson

My mom had a lot of yarn, things like that. And they come in and they probably either just bulk purchase all the couches and take them out, or she gives them a discount if they’re buying a bulk amount of these items, and they take them out. Now, when you sign an estate sale contract, you sign for the estate sale, But then there’s a separate contract for a cleanout. So she said that we could pay something like $650 per truckload that goes out either to charity or to the dump, or you could just pay $3,000 and they would do the cleanout fee.

[00:12:28.490] – Hilary Erickson

I literally had I had no idea what we would make from this estate sale. Initially, after reports of the initial sale and how much was left in the house, I was like, Wow, are we even going to make the 3,000? But he ultimately… Think of this. This is a house that is full of stuff, furniture, all those different kinds of things. He ultimately made $8,000 and paid her $3,000. So he netted about $5,000 in total from the estate sale.

[00:12:53.730] – Hilary Erickson

I could tell that it was painful to my dad. He had bought really high-quality furniture that was probably not sold for a lot. And I think we sometimes have this feeling like, Oh, well, someday I’ll be able to sell this and I’ll make some money off of it. And we need to just love the items that we have, not plan on them making money. That was something that I really learned from the estate sales. Remember that the big money came when they sold the house. We’re going to talk more about that in a minute. But you got to clear out the house in order to be able to sell it. And so the estate sale is almost just a means to an end.

[00:13:24.760] – Hilary Erickson

So you’re looking for people that will be helpful in the process, will help your items go to a good home, because I think my dad It would have been fine if they had all just gone to charity and he could have gotten a giant tax deduction. But also he needed it to be easy. So trying to balance all those different things. And I would encourage you to look for a few estate sale companies in your area and be aware that they’re all a little bit weird, and hopefully you can find somebody good. I did not enjoy the estate sale process, but it was a necessary evil just for how it was going to work.

[00:13:53.370] – Hilary Erickson

Could my nieces have maybe sold some of the stuff on Facebook marketplace ahead of time? Maybe they could have made a little cash on the side. But would it have really been worth it overall for my dad to do something like that? Absolutely not. So, yeah.

[00:14:06.730] – Hilary Erickson

Side note, you start the estate sale after all of your things are out of the house, which I didn’t know that either. Once you sign the contract for the estate sale, she owns all of the things in the house, and she was real adamant about all that.

[00:14:20.050] – Hilary Erickson

So you got to get everything that you want out of the house ahead of time. Or you mark the things that shouldn’t be sold. There were a few things that my dad didn’t want to be sold. I will say that there are a few things we didn’t think about, like his thing to turn off the sprinkler heads. Didn’t mark that, still got sold. So it’s a process.

[00:14:37.810] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so back to moving into the apartment. There is a reality that was very similar to moving my kids into the dorms, right? When you were moving in, you realize that what seemed to look very big when no furniture was in there is much smaller than you thought. We had a blueprint of the apartment that they were moving into, and we had measured all the furniture. And then a few days before the move in, we realized that the Blue Parents number of inches was based on the outside of the room. So when you took off the drywall and the boards or something, we lost three or four inches, which was a big deal. We ultimately had tried to move in a bookshelf and had to take it back home because it wouldn’t fit.

[00:15:18.920] – Hilary Erickson

Measure, but also just be prepared for the reality of things are not going to fit exactly how you want. Hopefully, they can maybe downsize some furniture as they keep downsizing the things that they have. It’s tricky. There were a lot of emotions that day, and I felt like I hadn’t done enough, and he was frustrated. It was a lot.

[00:15:38.850] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so once you’ve picked where you want, you’ve moved your stuff, you started the estate sale or the charity coming through. I didn’t talk about this, but there is a really nice benefit of being able to go through a room and just decide what you want to keep, and then you literally leave the rest. When we were going through my parents’ office, I literally just had a corner. I was chucking things that were supposed to go to the estate sale. That was probably one of my favorite parts of being able to do it this way because the estate sale just took care of that. So you really just had to focus on what was important. I, of course, had a lot of anxiety that we would somehow miss something that was important. But we, honestly, I feel like we did pretty well.

[00:16:16.630] – Hilary Erickson

Are there some boxes we probably should have labeled better? Yes. But you have the estate sale, you’ve moved into the assisted living, now you’re looking to sell the home. I know a lot of people might look to sell the home on their own, and my dad, I think, considered that because of the savings. But ultimately, having a realtor was super helpful because he didn’t live at the home at that point in time. He really didn’t want to deal with the buyers. They did not want to fix anything. They just wanted to be done with the house. And so we got a great real estate agent that actually happened to live in their neighborhood and was super helpful and got the closing at the assisted living with them and just really helpful. So I would say look for a prime real estate agent who is good at doing all of the things and maybe has done this type of sale before with older parents.

[00:17:03.320] – Hilary Erickson

As a side note, so my mom was living in the rehab for her broken ankles, not drug rehab, physical therapy rehab, at the same time that we were doing all this.

[00:17:13.040] – Hilary Erickson

And I felt for her, right? We were moving her out of her home, that they built this home. It was a custom home, and she had no control over it. So I tried to do everything that I could to give her as much control as I could. There was a lot of FaceTiming, going through her clothes, going through the memorabilia in the house, so that she could have an opportunity to have some control in this. However, I feel like I didn’t have very good boundaries during this process. There were times that I was overworked, just crying while I was working. So I think you have to balance those two different things. It was difficult, but I would encourage you to try and give if there’s a parent who can’t be there as much control as you can while also setting your own boundaries, which I did not do a great job at. Not unusual for me, though. Let me give you guys just an idea of the timeline and then share a few mistakes that I feel like we made. So on July first, my mom fell and my dad realized that it was really time to look at assisted living.

[00:18:13.340] – Hilary Erickson

But they went through a period with lots of surgeries. It was just too much for my dad to really look in a place to go. And I actually happened to be there at the beginning of July. And so by the end of July, he had picked the spot where he wanted to live. He had put down the deposit. And then August 1st-ish, I came and we started that initial move out.

[00:18:31.660] – Hilary Erickson

So we were just going room to room, picking out what needed to go to the assisted living that they weren’t using at that period of time. That’s when we started. I don’t live in the same state as my parents, so I was flying in to help do this.

[00:18:44.920] – Hilary Erickson

So I was there for probably five days that first time, and then the second time I came for, I think about a week, around August 10th. And that is when we were real serious about packing stuff up. About five days into that stay, we had the movers come, we got him into the assisted living and all those different things. On August 17th, he signed for the estate sale. I think he moved about the 15th.

[00:19:07.730] – Hilary Erickson

He signed for the estate sale on the 17th because remember, you got to have everything out before you sign for the estate sale. The estate sale started about September 19th, and by September 27th, the house was cleaned out and ready to be put on the market. The house was put on the market by October seventh because she had to finish cleaning the house and stage it for sale. And then October 12th, they accepted offer on the house, and I am recording this early November. They should sign really soon for the final sale of the house, and then they will be done with it. I always want to know a specific timeline, so if that helps you guys, maybe that would help you.

[00:19:43.340] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, what would I do differently Or what am I thinking that I should do? I’ve got another few years before I’m having to do this, but I am thinking about it. Less stuff, guys. We all need less stuff. There’s so many things that we’re not using. There’s so much stuff that we buy that we don’t actually need. And so I I am definitely, what is it, Swedish death cleaning? I feel like I am doing that as we move through stuff.

[00:20:05.920] – Hilary Erickson

But having less stuff is definitely a priority after I did this. Also, I personally always look, I try and get three quotes for everything. And trying to find the best people to help you in this process is so important because your parents are vulnerable, you’re vulnerable. There’s so many emotions for having somebody that is really good in this field, I think would be nice.

[00:20:28.320] – Hilary Erickson

I would also start early. So while your parents are still with it, no problems. You would say, What are your plans once things start to go downhill health-wise? Is there anything I can do? Is there stuff we can be thinking about? Have you looked at places around? Have you talked with friends? Just mention this. They probably have. But if you have an idea and they know that you’re thinking about it, it just opens up the communication lines.

[00:20:51.390] – Hilary Erickson

Obviously, you’re not trying to send them to an assisted living while they’re still doing great living at home, but it’s something to think about. In my head, if you look back at that, I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is going so fast. We probably should have taken more time to do it.

[00:21:04.720] – Hilary Erickson

But ultimately, I was not sad that it was done quickly. When you’re going through rooms just looking for the things that you actually need, it was nice to have it done speedily because we weren’t having to take up the time to box up the items we weren’t going to use or trying to haul them down the stairs. We were just looking at what we needed for the new apartment.

[00:21:25.980] – Hilary Erickson

Ultimately, I liked the timeline, even though when it was happening, I was like, Is this going to work out? It seems so fast, right? So a lot of people go, Oh, are your parents happy now that they’re settled in the apartment? Maybe. They love that life is simpler. They love that somebody can haul them to appointments if they want. My dad still drives very safely. They love not having to deal with a giant house, but there’s a lot of things they miss. They miss not having some of the stuff that they left behind. It’s a small space, so they can’t have a lot of people in their apartment, although at the assisted living, there is large other places you can request and do family parties in.

[00:22:03.220] – Hilary Erickson

And as we’re heading back this Christmas for a family wedding, we are having to get a hotel, and all of that is just weird because we can’t stay at my parents’ house anymore, obviously. So there’s just changes, things that are different. There’s a lot of things that are better. I think the idea that that part is done is a huge relief because they knew that it needed to happen, and that was difficult for them. So there’s always pros and cons of different things. But hopefully this gave you guys an idea of what to expect or some things I wish different or some finances stuff. If you guys have questions, come find me over on Instagram. I also have a whole post about it with tons more information on Pulling Curls, and I’ll put that link in the show notes.

[00:22:44.800] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. Next week, we are talking about strength training for women, which is so important in this whole process of moving my parents. I realized that I really needed to build bone and muscle better, so I’m working on that. And then the week after that, we are talking about avoiding birth trauma, so stay tuned.

[00:23:01.520] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you like today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

moving parents to retirement living, assisted living, retirement living options, downsizing home, moving into assisted living, independent living, nursing home costs, Utah nursing home, rehab care, skilled nursing facility, CNA services, independent living costs, Medicare coverage for seniors, estate sale process, choosing an estate sale company, selling family home, storage facilities for downsizing, hiring movers, downsizing furniture, realtor for senior home sale, financial planning for senior care, managing parent’s move, Swedish death cleaning, simplifying life for seniors, retirement community, emotional aspects of moving seniors, family involvement in senior move, senior meal plans, home health services for seniors, balancing finances for senior care

The post Moving Mom and Dad: Tips for a Smooth Transition appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor my free weekly cleaning plan: https://www.pullingcurls.com/the-benefits-of-weekly-cleaning-schedule/

Timestamps:

00:00 Update and refine systems without feeling overwhelmed.
03:35 Refining cleaning system by assigning tasks weekly.

Keypoints:

1. Hilary Erickson introduces the topic of weekly organization plans on the Pulling Curls Podcast episode 234.
2. The episode is sponsored by Hilary’s free weekly cleaning plan, accessible in the show notes.
3. Hilary discusses the creation of organizational systems in the home and their need for adjustments due to changes and interactions with family members.
4. She emphasizes the importance of small, manageable updates to organizational systems rather than overwhelming revamps.
5. Daily and weekly routines are highlighted, assigning specific rooms to specific days for focused cleaning and organizing.
6. Practical examples include organizing a bedroom closet by sections and deciding what clothes to keep or donate.
7. Hilary shares her personal feelings about organizing difficult areas and her strategy for document management, especially during tax season.
8. The episode includes a structured weekly schedule assigning days to various household areas, improving consistency and focus.
9. Hilary reflects on the psychological benefits of having predetermined tasks, reducing the feeling of being overwhelmed.
10. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to review, share, and subscribe to the podcast for more insights on simplifying pregnancy and parenting challenges.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.890] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 234, we are talking about a weekly organization plan. So let’s untangle it.

[00:00:11.290] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and The Pregnancy Nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, the The Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:39.720] – Hilary Erickson

This episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast is sponsored by my Weekly Cleaning Plan. Come find it in the show notes where you can start getting on top of your weekly cleaning, and then we can add the organizing on top of that, like the cherry on top. It’s totally free. Come grab it.

[00:00:54.010] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so when people join me in the Organized Homes, we are going to create systems that help them get their home organized. It’s nice to think that that system is going to last forever. Maybe it would if I lived alone, which I don’t know at this point in time. Sometimes I wonder if I lived alone, if I could keep those systems going for a long period of time.

[00:01:14.300] – Hilary Erickson

But because I live with other people who I maybe haven’t communicated it with or are lazy or abundant, who knows why. Those systems need tweaks and updates as we go through our lives.

[00:01:25.530] – Hilary Erickson

So today I want to share how I tweak and update those systems without getting super overwhelmed by feeling like I need to go through and update everything all at once, which is an initial feeling when you either can’t find something or it’s hard to put something away.

[00:01:38.980] – Hilary Erickson

And what I don’t want you to do is feel overwhelmed like you have to go in and do all the things. That is not a good feeling. The good thing about this system is it’s small bites every day, every week, where you’re making little changes to your systems and really just refining them and making them better and also getting rid of the stuff that you’re just not using anymore because that changes over time.

[00:01:59.140] – Hilary Erickson

Every day of the week, I have a room assigned to it. It is where we clean and where we get stuff done, but it is also the room which I organize during the week. I make the choice to go in a circle. Now, that doesn’t mean that if there is an area in that room that is not working, let’s say I’m working in my bedroom closet, but I have a drawer that is just overfilling or just not working as well as it should, I can jump to that area and then resume going around my room in a circle getting things done.

[00:02:28.330] – Hilary Erickson

Like I said, right now, in our bedroom, I am organizing our closet. Sometimes that means just taking out something small. I just had a couple of drawers that I pulled out last time. Honestly, nothing needed to be gone through, but it was nice to know what was in there. Then I just finished because the day was busy and I was over it.

[00:02:46.760] – Hilary Erickson

Some days I take out a whole section of clothes and organize that and go through what I don’t need. It just really depends on how I’m feeling and how much work I can take on that day.

[00:02:56.690] – Hilary Erickson

I have to admit that sometimes it’s hard to take the things out. I still recommend it, but sometimes I don’t pull everything out to engage a system. Sometimes I think that that’s useless. Like with these drawers, I didn’t pull everything out of it. I just pod through, made sure I knew what was in there, made sure the system was still working, and I left it as is.

[00:03:15.990] – Hilary Erickson

But next, I’m going to be headed to my dresses, and I need to pull all of them out and really go through them and decide what I really want to wear and what I don’t really want to wear anymore so that I can make… It’s just easier for me if I pull out things, look at them, they’re already out. At that point, half the work is done of pulling them out and sending them over to Goodwill. So that’s important to me is to try and pull everything out, especially when I know that a system could be refined pretty well.

[00:03:42.400] – Hilary Erickson

Also, really just giving each room an assignment a day during the week. On Mondays, we do the kitchen. Tuesdays, we do bathrooms. Wednesdays, we do bedrooms. Thursdays, I do my desk area and the living room if it needs it. Then Fridays, I do filing in the office, in our office area. Usually, it’s filing, but there are other areas that I should probably get to as well. But I feel like filing takes a lot of time, me going through the documents that we have in there and seeing what we need or don’t need or refining the system.

[00:04:09.360] – Hilary Erickson

I am doing that right now. We’re coming into tax time as I’m recording this, and it is a huge pain, and I hate doing it, but it feels so good to have those documents that we really don’t need in there anymore. So it’s so much easier to file the things that we actually do need.

[00:04:22.470] – Hilary Erickson

And again, I’m just the person who almost needs someone to assign me. This is what we need to do today. I think if I was just like, You shouldn’t something every day, I would be like, I don’t know what I should organize, and it wouldn’t get done. But where I know it’s Wednesday, I’m working in our bedroom, I’m going to work in my closet, I know that I’m to my dresses area, that’s what I’m going to do today. I already have that assignment done and in my head. And next week, I know that I’m going to go on to my sweaters and jackets because that’s what’s next to dresses.

[00:04:52.800] – Hilary Erickson

So it’s like somebody is assigning it to me. And because somebody, whoever that somebody, honestly, it’s me. I am the one assigning it. But because that is already done, I’m just able to cruise into the work, get it done really quickly instead of mulling over what really needed to be done, because then I tend to get overwhelmed by all the things that could need to be done. And then I’d spend a lot of time being overwhelmed instead of actually doing something.

[00:05:15.110] – Hilary Erickson

Those are my tips for staying on organization at your house. I hope that helped you out. Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

weekly organization plan, Pulling Curls podcast, weekly cleaning plan, home organization, organizing systems, Hilary Erickson, pregnancy and parenting, clutter management, daily cleaning tasks, room-specific organization, minimalism, decluttering, organizational tweaks, system updates, wardrobe organization, document filing, tax preparation, productivity tips, simplifying routines, maintaining order, living space optimization, household management, personal efficiency, organizing habits, reducing overwhelm, storage solutions, cleaning schedule, workspace organization, time management, organizing challenges

The post Organize Your Life One Week at a Time appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor Practical Parenting — it’s got just a few tips to up your parenting game a bit.

Links for you:

My episode on the Saturday clean episode (#134): https://www.pullingcurls.com/podcast-134-family-clean/

Come join me in Family Routines: https://www.pullingcurls.com/family-routines/

Timestamps:

00:00 Set clear bathroom cleaning expectations for kids.
04:08 Encourage kids to be self-sufficient and helpful.

Keypoints:

1. In this episode, Hilary Erickson talks about getting your family to help out more with household chores.
2. Hilary emphasizes the importance of being present and working alongside kids to show them the best results.
3. Setting clear expectations for the tasks that need to be done is crucial to avoid minimum effort from kids.
4. Making chores fun by incorporating music and rotating rooms can motivate the family to help out more.
5. Being super busy can also lead to kids being more self-sufficient and helping out more with household responsibilities.
6. Hilary shares personal experiences where her oldest child had to pitch in more because she was busy building a business and working as a nurse.
7. She addresses the advantage of kids learning to be self-sufficient when parents are not physically present.
8. Hilary encourages listeners to join her conversation on Instagram to share their experiences in getting their family to help out more.
9. She invites listeners to join her in family routines and practical parenting to learn more about managing household responsibilities.
10. Hilary gives a glimpse of the upcoming episodes, discussing confrontation and busting induction myths for pregnant friends.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.370] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on Episode 229, we are talking about getting your family to help out more. So let’s untangle it.

[00:00:11.060] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to Three, and the Curly Head behind Pulling Curls and the Pregnancy Nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled, The Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:39.430] – Hilary Erickson

Big thanks to today’s sponsor, Practical Parenting. If you guys are looking to just up your parenting game by a notch, come join me in Practical Parenting, where we help give you some ideas to make your parenting game just a little bit better. Oh, and did I mention it’s free? Find it in the show notes.

[00:00:55.110] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, let me just give this giant caveat for you here. I made this episode called Help Out More, which means you are in there with them. I just have to say that after so many years of parenting, I have not found that my kids are ever going to be great about doing things without me there.

[00:01:14.950] – Hilary Erickson

So having them there, pitching in with them has really shown the best results rather than me saying, okay, it’s time for you to clean the bathrooms because I’ve already cleaned mine, and then they go into it. It’s never worked for me. I don’t know. Maybe I’m parenting wrong. Tell me in the comments…

[00:01:30.100] – Hilary Erickson

And now I clean my bathroom just at the same time they clean theirs. When they see me doing the work somehow, and maybe that’s teenagers, they’re just better about doing it. Now, when you have little kids, you are going to have to help them. You’re teaching them how to do the things. But even with teenagers, I’ve still found that saying, Okay, it’s time to clean, just still doesn’t get very good results, unfortunately.

[00:01:50.330] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, second thing is to set your expectations clear. Tell them exactly what you want done, that it needs to be done until XYZ, because a lot of times I’ll say, Okay, it’s time to clean the bathrooms, and my kids will come back, Okay, I cleaned them, but I need to be clear in that I want you to wipe around the floor of the toilet, not just swipe the toilet with a rag and be done.

[00:02:11.580] – Hilary Erickson

So you have to make expectations clear. Kids tend to want to do the minimum. So if you set expectations and say that’s how it needs to be done every time, you really end up ahead of the game, which again is more work for you. But it’s pre-loading work that hopefully you just have to do once, and then they understand that that’s the expectation, and they should be doing it that way every time, especially with older kids.

[00:02:33.150] – Hilary Erickson

If you notice kids sliding, make sure you’re setting those expectations so that they’re helping getting the work done and you’re not having to come in afterwards and then redo it behind them, which is the worst.

[00:02:44.970] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, third one is to make it fun. If you guys have listened to our Saturday Clean episode, we clean, we just play a song. Every song, we rotate rooms. So we go bathrooms, bedrooms, living room, kitchen, play room. So we just go through those rooms. There’s five different songs. It takes about 20 minutes, depending on how long the songs are. I have an upbeat playlist that we go through, and it just makes it fun. We’re all jamming out to the tunes while we’re doing it, so I can’t tell you how important music is.

[00:03:13.640] – Hilary Erickson

Also, I like the idea of just switching rooms every time. They know it’s not going to take forever. Every room, we’re just focused on doing that room and then switching. If you guys want to check out that Saturday Clean, it’s a good one. It really helps my family to help me out more. I’ll put the link in the show notes.

[00:03:29.660] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, finally, here’s my last tip, be super busy. My oldest had to pitch in because I was not here very much. When he was an early teenager, we were building this business. I was still working as a nurse. My husband was working. He just had to pitch in more. He picked up my daughter at the sitters that was a few houses away, brought her home. He had to get her going. Sometimes he had to get dinner going.

[00:03:53.880] – Hilary Erickson

And if you look at kids who ended up being really self-sufficient, it’s because they’ve been required to be self-sufficient. And sometimes just not being here has helped them to do that. So I know a lot of parents are like, oh, I don’t want to be too busy. I want to be there to support my kids.

[00:04:08.410] – Hilary Erickson

But I do think that there is a big advantage to kids who literally just have to learn how to be self sufficient and help you out more because you’re just not there. You’re so busy. So I’m not saying that you should fill your schedule so that your kids have to do more, but literally not being there.

[00:04:24.940] – Hilary Erickson

Sometimes kids just have to step up to the mark. And if you set those expectations and they know what they’re going to do, sometimes that really kicks in for them.

[00:04:32.590] – Hilary Erickson

So tell me over on Instagram, what have you done to get your family to help out more? Is that a dream of yours or do you love doing all the work around your house by yourself? I’d love to start the conversation over there, so please come join me.

[00:04:45.240] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining me today on this episode. And of course, Family Routines is all about getting your kids to do more. So come join me in there if you’re interested or join me in Practical Parenting. That’s free to get an idea of how things are going to go.

[00:04:58.070] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, stay tuned. Next week, I am going to talk about confrontation. I get so many friends who are like, Oh, I don’t like confrontation. And I’m like, isn’t life full of confrontation? So we’re going to talk about that. And then the week after that, for my pregnant friends, we’re going to talk about busting some induction myths based off of my own induction experience. So stay tuned.

[00:05:16.970] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you like today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

family help, parenting, setting expectations, kids chores, teamwork, fun cleaning, music, busy parents, self-sufficiency, family routines, confrontation skills, induction myths, pregnancy, nursing, podcast, practical parenting, raising kids, household chores, teaching responsibility, motivating kids, teenagers, parenting tips, family dynamics, communication, sharing responsibilities, teamwork, self-sufficient children, busy schedules, confrontation, pregnancy podcast

The post Getting Your Family to Help Out More appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor my 5 Word Organization Challenge << Come join me to get some EASY organizing tips to get started >> https://www.pullingcurls.com/five-words-organized/

Links for you:

Episode #204 on my favorite places to shop for organization supplies >> https://www.pullingcurls.com/podcast-204-org-supplies/

Episode #59 on decluttering your bathroom >> https://www.pullingcurls.com/podcast-059-declutter-beauty/

Post on organizing your sink.

Timestamps:

00:00 Maximize space in bathroom cabinet with drawers.
03:50 Keeping unnecessary items, reaching for essentials.
07:03 Find narrow storage items for bathroom space.

Keypoints:

1. Under the sink cabinets are often deep, requiring organizing strategies for the back of the cabinet.
2. Use drawers or mini shelves to make the most of the tall space in under-sink cabinets.
3. Declutter and determine what beauty products are actually needed and used frequently.
4. Leave room for non-beauty necessities such as towels and toilet paper.
5. Regularly cull and discard items that aren’t being used.
6. Organizing under the sink can simplify daily routines and reduce overwhelm.
7. Consider narrow storage solutions like carts that can fit in limited spaces between bathroom fixtures.
8. Join the online prenatal course for additional tips on organizing bathroom spaces.
9. Next week’s episode will cover postpartum planning after having a baby.
10. Like, review, share, and subscribe to the podcast to support its growth.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

PUT TRANSCR

[00:00:00.340] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 219, we are talking about organizing under your sink. So let’s untangle it.

[00:00:10.370] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop over complicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarls with pregnancy and parenting untangled, the Pulling Curls podcast.

[00:00:38.780] – Hilary Erickson

This episode of The Pulling Curls Podcast is sponsored by my five-word organization challenge. It is going to help you de-clutter areas and make them easier to organize. So come join me. You can find the link in the show notes.

[00:00:50.180] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, I’ve got five tips for organizing under your sink. So let’s get started.

[00:00:54.390] – Hilary Erickson

First off, under your sink is deep. It is a large cabinet because you’re putting your sink in that area. And so a lot of times it’s super deep. And I think it’s really important to decide how you’re going to use the back of the cabinet. Are you going to use drawers? That is my preferred method so that I can have things that reach to the back of the cabinet. I can pull them forward and can grab the things at the back of the drawer.

[00:01:15.770] – Hilary Erickson

Or another thing you can do is if you have drawers and they’re easy to take out, you can stack your Overstock behind those drawers and then just use those as needed. So I think it’s really important to decide how you’re going to use the back of the cabinet because it would be really easy place for stuff to get shoved that you don’t use very often and maybe should throw away versus making sure that you’re using the front of your cabinet for the most important thing. So your bathroom cabinet is super deep. Make sure that you’re using it the way that you want to.

[00:01:44.810] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, the second thing is that usually it is quite tall for a cabinet. And there usually isn’t like a second shelf because you’ve got the plumbing for your sink under the cabinet. So I like to use either drawers, you can find drawers a lot of times. Definitely go check out my places that I love to shop for home organization podcast, because I talk about where I found the stuff to help my daughter organize under her sink.

[00:02:10.690] – Hilary Erickson

But using drawers can be really helpful. But sometimes what I do is I’ll use the little shelves. So they’ll have like a mini shelf. So you can put something underneath it. You can put a container underneath it. You pull that out just like it’s a drawer. And then you can put a taller container on top of that that you can pull out and grab the things at the back so that you can use all of that space. Now those mini shelves come in a variety of sizes. I found them at Homegoods, Costco, online. So check for something that would work for you.

[00:02:38.190] – Hilary Erickson

They in general don’t have to be super sturdy because we’re not putting super heavy things on there. But make sure that you’re buying one that will work for what you need, because there are ones at The Dollar Tree and they work great for snacks in my pantry. But they probably wouldn’t be great for my under cabinet beauty items because I think all of my gel would probably collapse those.

[00:02:57.950] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, number three is something that we’ve talked about in a podcast before. I have a whole podcast on decluttering your beauty items, but you need to figure out what you actually need. And this can be difficult. So I have a little section for Halloween makeup. I obviously don’t use that very frequently, but when my daughter wants to have bright red cheeks, it’s nice to have around.

[00:03:18.280] – Hilary Erickson

Although I am probably not the best as far as throwing that makeup away when it’s ready to be thrown away. And I could get a new palette at Walmart for five bucks. So would my space be better used to just buying those when we need it? Maybe so, but decide what you actually need. And I think that’s going to vary person to person. But stop saving things that you wish work when you know that they don’t work. You’ve tried them out in a couple of seasons. You tried them out a couple of times.

[00:03:45.280] – Hilary Erickson

I am the worst at keeping gel conditioner that I don’t think works. Sometimes even in really good spots where I could be keeping things that I love in that spot instead or having some overstock of the things that I love. I’m keeping this conditioner that always makes my hair super frizzy, but I paid money for it, so I want to use it. Am I the only one? Tell me over on Instagram if you’re the one that would keep things that you don’t actually need because you spent money on it and you’re a little bit embarrassed. Maybe just me, that’s fine.

[00:04:14.730] – Hilary Erickson

Along those same lines, what do you reach for frequently? So for me, I have to have an extra bottle of contact lens solution close by because I like to go to the very nubbons of contacts lens solution. I want to have my hairdryer easy to grab. I want to have the gel that I love close by. So putting the things that you use most frequently really easily accessible is important. And then pulling the things we’re going to talk more about that don’t you worry.

[00:04:38.830] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, number four is to leave spots for things that you need. We organized my daughter’s under the sink cabinet and we left no room for toilet paper. Now she does have a linen closet right outside that we were able to keep toilet paper in, but it was a good reminder to me that sometimes we’re so focused on beauty and lady products, we aren’t thinking, Oh, we need to stash toilet paper in here in case we need an extra roll.

[00:05:00.470] – Hilary Erickson

So make sure that you’re leaving rooms for things like towels, toilet paper. Don’t just turn all of it into beauty. If that is a place that you would like to store your towels, try and make that happen for you. A lot of times online I see under the sink cabinets that are all shelves, containers, bins, those things, and no room for towels. Now maybe those people have towels close by in a linen closet, but I don’t know. It seems like towels are a big thing that you use in your bathroom. I would like to have them close by, but maybe that’s just me.

[00:05:30.880] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, the last thing is pull frequently. Oftentimes I’ll think this system just isn’t working anymore, when in reality it doesn’t work anymore because I’m holding on to things that didn’t work. See, option number three. Hilary is still holding onto that gel. She’s holding on to that makeup that just lasts like three seconds, and then you can’t even tell she put anything on, but I’m holding on to it. You guys know what I’m talking about.

[00:05:54.550] – Hilary Erickson

Pull frequently. Don’t be afraid to say that’s a sunk cost. That’s a reminder that I shouldn’t buy from that brand or that type of product anymore, or to remember that you have favorites and return back to those favorites instead of thinking there’s going to be a better product out there. This is advice for Hilary more than it is for advice for anyone else.

[00:06:13.970] – Hilary Erickson

I have to tell you guys that cleaning up under your sink can make a huge difference. My daughter just had… Like it was like teenage girl exploded in her bathroom. But now that we have spots for the things, she’s easily able to put them away. And it is still like the makeup cart came and exploded every once in a while, but it’s easy to clean up, easy to put away, and she doesn’t feel overwhelmed because everything has a spot.

[00:06:36.260] – Hilary Erickson

And in fact, we also left extra room to put other things as her supply grows because she’s in the beginning stages of growing her beauty supply versus Hilary, who should definitely pair down her beauty supply as she goes. Those are my five best tips.

[00:06:50.810] – Hilary Erickson

One other bonus tip is there are cool carts that can actually go like between the toilet and the sink. I have a super narrow cart that goes between my sink and my bathtub. They left me five inches there. I don’t know why, but I found a cart that would just slide in and out of there. And now I can keep all these bottles and things in that cart because a narrow space really works well for the bathroom. It’s not like I’m trying to hold gallon jugs of vinegar or something like that.

[00:07:16.290] – Hilary Erickson

Look for storage items that can fit in areas that you have in your bathroom when you’re thinking, I just don’t have any place to store stuff. There are drawers, carts that you can use in open spots in your bathroom that can increase your storage without making it look cluttered or scary. I found good ones at Homegoods, and I’m sure there’s a lot of good ones online.

[00:07:36.570] – Hilary Erickson

Just make sure that you measure the space really well so that you’re finding something that actually fits in the area and can open, because a lot of times we’ll buy drawers, but it can’t pull out because the toilet paper roll is in that spot and that’s not going to help you out. So be mindful of those different things.

[00:07:51.980] – Hilary Erickson

Hopefully this will give you guys some ideas on how to tackle under your bathroom sink because it really makes getting ready in the morning so much easier. You can feel more positive and excited about the day when you’re using products that you know work well and it wasn’t a pain to get them out.

[00:08:05.450] – Hilary Erickson

And of course, join me in the online prenatal class for couples, we have a whole chapter on organizing your bathroom, including the bathroom sink, where I show you mine and I show you an updated version of mine. And I’m even showing you my linen closet. So come join me in there.

[00:08:18.400] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. Next week we are talking about your postpartum plan when you have a baby. So do not miss that episode.

[00:08:24.140] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

IPT HERE:

Keywords:

organizing, under sink, cabinet, drawers, shelves, decluttering, beauty items, bathroom organization, storage solutions, organizing tips, home organization, bathroom storage, bathroom cabinet, bathroom organization, bathroom sink, organization challenge, organizing ideas, organizing under sink, storage items, bathroom storage, bathroom organization, bathroom organizing tips, bathroom organization ideas, bathroom organization solutions, organizing bathroom drawers, organizing bathroom shelves, bathroom storage solutions, bathroom organization tips, postpartum plan, pregnancy nurse

The post Untangling Under-Sink Chaos appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Find it here on Apple or Spotify Podcasts

Big thanks to our sponsor my Cleaning Schedule.

You can also find it here: https://birdsend.page/forms/844/2bhBiPr5v7

Links for you:

Where to find organizing supplies episode

Timestamps:

00:02:38 Organizing can feel overwhelming, but it’s normal.
00:03:27 Try different methods and start small.

Keypoints:

1. The episode is titled “Organizing Mindset” and is part of Mindset month on the Pulling Curls podcast.
2. Hilary Erickson is the host of the podcast, a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse.
3. The episode is sponsored by Hilary’s cleaning schedule, which aims to help make home organization easier.
4. Hilary emphasizes the importance of setting the right expectations when it comes to organizing, starting with feeling like you have plenty of time.
5. She advises against rushing through organizing tasks and encourages taking the time to find systems that will work long term for your family.
6. Hilary suggests that the first part of organizing may feel overwhelming, but it’s important to push through and know that it will get easier.
7. A mindset tip she shares is to be okay with making a few attempts to get the organization system perfect, using Amazon boxes or Dollar Store items initially.
8. It’s important to be open to making changes and tweaks to the system as needed, without viewing it as wasted time.
9. Organizing your house requires keeping a positive mindset and being willing to adapt and adjust as necessary.
10. Next week’s episode will be about the postpartum mindset, so listeners are encouraged to tune in.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.600] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 214, we are talking about the organizing mindset. Remember, it’s Mindset Month over here at Pulling Curls. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:13.330] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the pregnancy nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple.

[00:00:28.220] – Hilary Erickson

Let’s smooth out those snarls with pregnancy and parenting untangled, the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:40.360] – Hilary Erickson

This episode of the Pulling Curls Podcast is sponsored by my cleaning Schedule. Now, the cleaning schedule works for me. It doesn’t work for everybody, but hopefully if you download it, it’ll give some ideas of how to make a schedule to make your home run on its own and you don’t have to think about it. You just do the things that are on your checklist. So grab my cleaning schedule, come find it in the show notes.

[00:01:01.830] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, we’ve talked about mindset, and here we are talking about the organizing mindset. I think this one is also very important because organizing can be really overwhelming if you set the wrong expectations. So my first tip is to feel like you have plenty of time. You guys know that I love my timers, but I’ll go into organizing and I’m like, I’ve got ten minutes to do this job. And that isn’t doing me any favors. Maybe I’ve got ten minutes to clean out the area because that isn’t a very fun thing and you can linger on it. It’s not fun in any form, and taking time to do it often doesn’t do you any favors other than making you feel more overwhelmed.

[00:01:40.140] – Hilary Erickson

So I would encourage you going into organizing thinking I have plenty of time to do this. We’re going to talk more about this, but I have time to check out the systems that are going to work. I don’t need to feel rushed. I can do a really great job on this so that it is a system that works long term for my family.

[00:01:55.140] – Hilary Erickson

Whereas if you go in thinking I’m going to do this just a quick job, usually when I do that, I’m only taking like half the things off the shelf. And you guys know that I really feel like in order to really organize the space you have to take out all the stuff, clean it out because that’s going to feel real good and then put back what you need. So having more time allows me to be like, okay, I can take out all the stuff and feel good about it rather than like I only have ten minutes before carpool and I need to organize this spot which that may be the case. But if that’s the case, maybe pull everything out and then organize the rest when you get back if that’s possible. #chokinghazard.

[00:02:29.860] – Hilary Erickson

Okay. The second part is that the first part is just going to suck. And sometimes I forget this. I’m like, Oh, it’s going to feel so good when I clean it out. But as I’m pulling out all these things that I am later going to have to organize, I just start to feel more and more and more overwhelmed. Not a great feeling.

[00:02:47.820] – Hilary Erickson

So as you go in to organize, just remember that first part is going to feel overwhelming. I know that I have a friend who’s been pregnant so many times, and she says, I just know that those first few weeks are the first day four, day five is going to be the part where it stinks. I think if you go into organizing thinking, okay, it’s going to be a little bit overwhelming when I pull everything out and that’s okay, totally normal. But I’ve done it before. I’ve passed that speed bump of how difficult that is and then I can move on.

[00:03:14.190] – Hilary Erickson

So I think that’s just something that if you just say yeah, it’s going to stink, or if there’s some part of organizing that you don’t like. For me, it’s always the overwhelm of when I get everything out, I’m like, I don’t know how I’m going to organize all this. So that’s a good mindset tip number two.

[00:03:30.960] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, finally organizing mindset tip number three is that you may have to make a few attempts to get it perfect. So a lot of times you guys know that I tell you to just use Amazon boxes initially and see what’s working, especially if it’s something that’s with your family because kids don’t read our minds very well and they don’t know exactly how we want to keep an area sometimes. So I would encourage you to just be okay if you have to give it a few tries.

[00:03:58.410] – Hilary Erickson

Another option is to use things from the dollar store. Sometimes you can use baskets or bins from the dollar store and see how it works. Then when you finally find a system that you think is going to work, or if you just need some small tweaks, you can get more expensive items. Check out my podcast on the places where I get supplies, but you can get more expensive items that you really like the look of to achieve what you completely want in that area.

[00:04:21.720] – Hilary Erickson

So don’t go into organizing, say, this is going to the end all be all of my system and then get super annoyed when it doesn’t work in a few months or a few years. I’m always like, Oh, I just created that system and I feel like I need to fix it. But then when I really think about it, it’s been like six years since I created that system, so I need to get it together. But being aware that you may have to change things and that’s okay. It’s not wasted time. You’re just trying some things. They didn’t work out. That’s good information. And now you can try something else is a great mindset tip for organizing your house.

[00:04:54.170] – Hilary Erickson

Those are my best tips for the organizing mindset. Stay tuned. Next week, we are talking about the postpartum mindset. So you’re going to really want to listen to that episode as well. Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

organizing mindset, timers, cleaning schedule, systems, overwhelmed, organizing space, taking out, cleaning out, organizing spot, choking hazards, first part, overwhelming, difficulty, speed bump, mindset tip, attempts, perfect, Amazon boxes, Dollar Store, baskets, bins, Dollar Store, expensive items, look of, supplies, end all be all, system, annoyed, great mindset tip, postpartum mindset.

The post The Organizing Mindset: Transforming Chaos into Calm appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Big thanks to our sponsor The 5 Word Organization Challenge

Keypoints:

• Discusses five stores for organizing supplies: Ross, Walmart, HomeGoods, IKEA, and Amazon.
• Ross offers cheaper options with limited selection.
• Walmart has well-priced supplies, better than Target.
• HomeGoods has a variety of pretty and affordable organization items.
• IKEA offers sturdy and minimalistic bins, but the store can be a hassle.
• Amazon provides convenience for specific items and home delivery.
• The Container Store is expensive and not easily accessible.
• Encouragement to buy supplies with a specific purpose in mind.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.670] – Hilary Erickson
Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on episode 205, we are talking about my favorite stores to get organizing supplies at. And you’ll find that it is not the container store. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:15.740] – Hilary Erickson
Hi, I’m Hilary, a serial overcomplicator. I’m also a nurse, mom to three, and the curly head behind Pulling Curls and the Pregnancy Nurse. This podcast aims to help us stop overcomplicating things and remember how much easier it is to keep things simple. Let’s smooth out those snarrows with pregnancy and parenting untangled, the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:00:42.780] – Hilary Erickson
Before we get started, today’s episode is sponsored by the Five-Word Organization Challenge. It is created to make organizing simpler and easier. So go grab it. You can find it under courses on my website or I’ll put the link in the show notes.

[00:00:57.210] – Hilary Erickson
Okay, I have five stores here. Hopefully, there are ones that you know of. I would say that most of these are from the United States because that’s where I live, but maybe it’ll spark some ideas on places to get organizing supplies for you. Now, my first one, and I honestly hadn’t shopped here until about six months ago, is Ross.

[00:01:14.850] – Hilary Erickson
I know, I know Ross. Usually, I think of them for low-end fashion. But if you go back to their organizing section, a lot of times they have the same goods that we’re going to find in these other stores, but a lot cheaper. I always like to walk through their organizing section or drop by there on my way.

[00:01:33.030] – Hilary Erickson
Their selection is pretty limited, but they do if they have what you want, usually it’s like the same brand, same quality that you would find in a regular organization store, but like a buck or two cheaper, which can matter if you’re getting like three or four of the bins. So big fan of Ross.

[00:01:50.040] – Hilary Erickson
Okay, the next one is probably not going to be a huge surprise. It’s Walmart. Now I wanted to give you guys some caveats about Walmart. I feel like they have a pretty limited supply, all things considered, especially when we talk about some of the other stores we’re going to talk about. But what they do have is priced really well. So I would call that probably my second. Sometimes I even find Ross cheaper than Walmart, which I absolutely love. You guys know I love to save a buck or two.

[00:02:15.090] – Hilary Erickson
But there’s nothing wrong with getting your supplies at Walmart. Usually they’re the same that you’re going to find a Target. Honestly, I think the Walmart organization selection is usually better than Target. Target might be a little bit prettier. And you guys know that I probably don’t veer to the pretty end of organization.

[00:02:33.020] – Hilary Erickson
Although I love it when a project looks great. I’m not saying that pretty is bad. I just probably would rather save money, especially if it’s something that’s going behind closed doors. So Walmart can be a great place to shop. Just be aware that their selection is a little bit more limited than the ones we’re going to talk about moving on.

[00:02:49.970] – Hilary Erickson
Okay. This one is actually probably my favorite spot and it is the Home Goods store. And I really hadn’t shopped there. I really felt like if I’m really going to go look for organization, I got to go to the container store. But I honestly think that Homegoods container store has a lot of different things, but Homegoods has so many good ideas, pretty things. If you’re looking for pretty, they usually have multiples of things.

[00:03:12.380] – Hilary Erickson
So if you want five of a similar bin, you can often find that at Homegoods. And I think that the price is a little bit better. And honestly, I just enjoy the store. There’s so many colors, things to look at, ideas. So make sure that you’re checking separate areas, though, because sometimes I’ll go peek in the bathroom organization section when I want to organize something small, or I’ll check in the kitchen, or there’s the main organization section as well. So make sure that you’re checking out the different areas in the store to get you what is best for your organization system.

[00:03:43.730] – Hilary Erickson
Now I love Ikea. I know that they are not available to a lot of people, and I have to say that all of these stores are really close to me, so I feel very lucky. But Ikea has some really strong… like if you’re looking for bins that are sturdy, Ikea has been one of my favorite places. And also their bins tend to have a very clean look to them, which I really enjoy, like a simple, clean look because it’s Ikea and everything has that look to it, a minimalistic look. So I’ve really enjoyed the bins of Ikea.

[00:04:11.880] – Hilary Erickson
Now you have to be careful. They have some 88 cent ones, which are a little bit more flimsy. But again, that doesn’t matter. Are you just storing makeup in your drawer? Then an 88 cent bin just helps organize things a little bit better. But don’t discount Ikea, except that you have to walk through that giant store. So usually I only go there like a couple of times a year because it is a pain. But I’m always inspired to do things while I’m there. It’s fun. Take a friend. I think it’s super fun to take a friend when you’re looking for organization stuff so you guys can bounce ideas off of each other.

[00:04:42.220] – Hilary Erickson
Now finally, my fifth store is actually Amazon. If I go to those stores and I think I know what I want, I’ll try and put those in the search bar. So I needed 16-inch freezer bins tall because I wanted to be able to stand up things and I wasn’t able to find those at the other stores. But when I type that into Amazon, a lot of times stuff will come up. I’m able to read reviews. And because I have Amazon Prime, it comes shipped to my door.

[00:05:08.800] – Hilary Erickson
I love it that it’s shipped to my home. And also when we go to the store that I’m going to talk about next, I worry about adding more to my cart than maybe I really need. So Amazon is great. When you come home, you need that one freezer bin or two or whatever. Or let’s say you need 10. Amazon is a great way to do that one. And then you’re done. You come home.

[00:05:28.930] – Hilary Erickson
All right. The one I didn’t mention is the container store. It’s expensive and honestly, there is not one remotely close to me. Like I would have to drive 45 minutes or so when these other ones are all within 10 to 15 minutes of my home. So I just don’t go there as much. I think it’s expensive. I think they’re gimmicky. I don’t love that the container store has bred this thing like it has to look pretty because it really doesn’t. It has to be functional in my house. Pretty is a win. I love pretty, but that’s not like the first thing I just need it to work.

[00:06:02.260] – Hilary Erickson
Those are my thoughts on my favorite organization stores. Come find me over on Instagram. I want to talk about what your favorite organization stores are there, especially if you’re not located in the United States. If I have any Canada listeners, please come tell us yours in the comments because while I think it’s awesome to use like an old Amazon box, which I 100 % have used old Amazon boxes. I still have one in my bathroom drawer that is so functional. I absolutely love it.

[00:06:28.630] – Hilary Erickson
It is nicer to have some supplies in specific areas, and I would encourage you guys not to spend a ton. But I have found that spending some really helps some of my systems function better. Remember, I’m not saying you need to go out and buy all of these things or go to all of those stores, but I’m saying you want to go in with a specific purpose of like, I need XYZ to fix XYZ problem. And a lot of times a store can magically help you do that.

[00:06:57.570] – Hilary Erickson
Stay tuned. We’ve got some great episodes coming up. The first one is about third trimester testing and making the choice to be induced. And then the week after that, we are talking about five things to do while you’re in labor at home. They’re going to be great episodes, so keep listening.

[00:07:12.500] – Hilary Erickson
Thanks for joining us on the Pulling Curls Podcast today. If you liked today’s episode, please consider reviewing, sharing, subscribing. It really helps our podcast grow. Thank you.

Keywords:

Hillary, nurse, mother, serial overcomplicator, podcast, Pulling Curls, simplicity, pregnancy, parenting, snarls, untangle, complexities, sponsored, 5-word organization challenge, stores, organizing supplies, Ross, Walmart, HomeGoods, IKEA, Amazon, Target, cheaper options, well-priced supplies, pretty, affordable, sturdy, minimalistic bins, hassle, convenient, specific items, home delivery, Container Store, expensive, not easily accessible, third trimester testing, being induced, things to do during labor at home.

The post Simplify Your Space: Top Stores for Organizing Supplies appeared first on Pulling Curls.

This is a “sister” episode to things about parenting that are hard for me (episode 195)

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home — if you’re looking to make organizing easier, this is the course for you!

Producer: Drew Erickson

Check out my other household tips podcasts:

Transcript

[00:00:00.140] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on Episode 197, we are talking about things about organizing that are hard for me. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:19.320] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson, the curly head behind the Pulling Curls Podcast: Pregnancy and Parenting Untangled. There’s no right answer for every family, but on this show, we hope to give you some ideas to make life simpler at your house. Life’s tangled, just like my hair.

[00:00:39.690] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so this episode is going to echo the episode I did a few weeks ago about things about parenting that are hard for me. So if you’re interested in that, just scroll back a couple of episodes and it will be right there waiting for you. So let’s get started.

[00:00:52.160] – Hilary Erickson

What about organizing is hard for me? Because I think a lot of people picture me when I go into an organizing project, just knowing exactly what I’m doing. Everything goes smoothly.

[00:01:00.490] – Hilary Erickson

I mean, I run a course on home organization, and I am here to tell you that that is not true. It is extremely painful to organize sometimes just because as a mom of many people, I’ve had a lot of stuff at my house and we are slowly paring it down as we are having less people at my house, but it is hard.

[00:01:19.620] – Hilary Erickson

Do you ever just feel like it’s unfair that some people can have company over at a moment’s notice? Their house is just super easy to clean up and they can relax on the couch with Netflix while you feel like you always have things to do around your house. That can totally be you.

[00:01:33.540] – Hilary Erickson

The Organized Home is here to help you simplify organizing. We’re talking about decluttering, zones, organization systems that actually work. We’ve got assignments and challenges. I hope you’ll join us. You can use coupon code UNTANGLED. Look for the Organized Home, link in the show notes.

[00:01:49.320] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, number one, my family leaves crap all over the place and they don’t understand my system or they don’t put it in my system. Can anyone else get an Amen? Just say it wherever you are. Amen.

[00:02:00.000] – Hilary Erickson

I make a system that I think is going to be amazing and my family doesn’t follow it at all. And that drives me absolutely insane. So then I re talk to them about the system and then they continue not to follow it. So then I have to figure out a system that works for all of us. Frankly, it should just have to work for me if I’m… No, it shouldn’t.

[00:02:19.000] – Hilary Erickson

But it drives me crazy. That can be really hard to figure out a system that’s going to work for all of your family when you have things that need to go out and then get put back in frequently. So another thing that I struggle with is reorganizing systems, which I had previously done, which aren’t really working very well anymore and having to reorganize them.

[00:02:36.740] – Hilary Erickson

I go into failure mode where I just feel all the shame that I couldn’t create a system that worked at the beginning. And what was wrong with me? Regardless to say that sometimes the problem with the system is that my family can’t follow the system as we have previously talked about, or the fact that I have kids moving out, moving in, things are changing.

[00:02:57.060] – Hilary Erickson

We’re in a very dynamic stage in our family. And so sometimes things have changed and I just have to pivot. But it’s hard not to go into that shame complex sometimes for me. So if that’s something you struggle with, I am right there with you. Okay, this is one that a lot of you guys might struggle with also. And it is the initial pull out.

[00:03:15.600] – Hilary Erickson

So when I pull out all the different things, like we did our linen closet earlier this year, when we pulled out all the things and laid them on my bed, I, once again, just wanted to burn it down. I was like, No, this is not going to work out. It can be so overwhelming.

[00:03:30.760] – Hilary Erickson

And if you’re there, I am right there with you. All you can do is start to just divide it into things that are alike, right? Especially when you have a system that hasn’t been working. So you don’t have a lot of the alike things together.

[00:03:43.100] – Hilary Erickson

Soap was in 12 different spaces in that closet. So just starting to put it like to like, get you going. And honestly, when we did it as a family, it really taught my daughter that that’s the first thing that you do because everyone was feeling overwhelmed. She was feeling overwhelmed, too.

[00:03:55.910] – Hilary Erickson

And I was just like, we just got to find the categories that we’re going to compartmentalize these things into. And that really helped. And hopefully it showed her how to organize next time she pulls everything out and feels overwhelmed because it happens to everybody.

[00:04:06.860] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, the fourth thing that I really struggle with is deciding what to throw away because what if I need it at some point in time? I know a lot of people have these hard and fast rules where if you haven’t used it for a year, it costs less than $20, and you can buy it at any store, just throw it away. And I think those rules are okay. But I think there are cases where you may want to keep it.

[00:04:27.250] – Hilary Erickson

We don’t cook a Turkey every year, but I do keep a Turkey roasting pan around. It’s not in a convenient spot, but I keep it because I don’t want to have to buy another Turkey roasting pan again because I know I’m going to roast a Turkey at some point.

[00:04:40.930] – Hilary Erickson

Although honestly, I’d hope not to. I’m not a huge Turkey fan, confession. But deciding what to throw away is hard. And I was talking to a friend the other day who’s moving, and she was talking about just how tired she was of figuring out what could go, what could stay, what was getting moved, what was going in the trash. And I was like, girl, it is hard.

[00:04:58.840] – Hilary Erickson

It’s a lot of work on our brains trying to figure out how to make choices about what stays and what goes. And we need to be really forgiving of ourselves for how hard it is on our brain because honestly, most of the day I’m really not making a whole lot of choices. My day pretty much goes as per the usual all day long.

[00:05:18.590] – Hilary Erickson

Yes, I’m deciding what to wear, although I’ve limited that because I rotate through my clothes and so I just pull out whatever in the front. But I purposely try not to have to make choices because I hate doing it. And when you organize, a lot of times you’re required to make many quick choices one after another with a lot of self doubt, wondering if you’re making the right choices, and all that is really normal. So that’s something I really struggle with. Do you guys struggle with it?

[00:05:41.650] – Hilary Erickson

By the way, I’m going to have a post about this over on Instagram. Come find me. I would love to know if we struggle with any of the same things because I think that would be interesting.

[00:05:49.230] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, finally, the fifth thing I struggle with is finding place for stuff that my family accepts. So sometimes my husband will accept a giant load of lemons. And I’m like, Why did you take that bag of lemons? We have a lemon tree behind us. If we need the lemons, we can go out there and grab one. And yet he just sticks this giant bag of lemons on my counter. And I’m like, What am I going to do with that? I don’t want that. Why did we accept that?

[00:06:13.940] – Hilary Erickson

Does this happen to anybody else? He was trying to be helpful. He was trying to be kind because somebody else wanted to pawn their lemons off on us. But in reality, it should have gone in the trash, not in my house. But trying to figure those things out. So a lot of times what I do is just make the person who brought that item into the house responsible to put it away.

[00:06:30.180] – Hilary Erickson

Because honestly, I am responsible to put all the items that I bring in this house to put away. And so I would hope that happens for other people. Side note, when I bring something in this house and I have no idea how I’m going to store it, I always wonder if that was a good purchase or it just sits on my dining table for a while.

[00:06:48.210] – Hilary Erickson

Being responsible shoppers is such an important part of organization. What we are bringing in the house is so important. I think we often forget that. So that’s just a reminder. That’s just like a bonus tip from this episode. Anyway, those are the five things about organizing that are hard for me. If we are the same, like I said, come tell me over on Instagram if we struggle in the same areas. I would absolutely love to know.

[00:07:11.390] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. We have a lot of great episodes coming up. Next week we are talking about 10 things to have on Hand for Mom after the baby is Born. A lot of times we’re so focused on all the things the baby needs, but there are some things you should have on hand for you. Then the week after that, we are talking about Communication with Kids. That one’s a great episode, so stay tuned.

[00:07:28.660] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks so much for joining us on today’s episode. The Pulling Girls Podcast grows when you share us on social media or leave a review. If you do, please tag us so that we can share and send you a virtual hug, which, frankly, is my favorite hugging. Until next time, we hope you have a tangle free day.

The post Organizing Things That Are PAINFUL For Me – Episode 197 appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Original episode show notes.

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.180] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today in Episode 193, we are visiting a favorite episode of mine. We’re talking about splitting chores. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:20.320] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson, the curly head behind the Pulling Curls Podcast: pregnancy and parenting untangled. There’s no right answer for every family, but on this show, we hope to give you some ideas to make life simpler at your house. Life’s tangled just like my hair.

[00:00:40.560] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, why did I pick this episode? It’s pretty popular, I have to say, and it’s something that everybody struggles with. I see this echoed so much on social media, and I think it’s a fun episode to listen to me and my husband hash out who does more around our house because there’s always going to be points where you feel like you are carrying the load. And in reality, there’s always points that your partner is carrying the load. So yeah, let’s take a listen.

[00:01:07.330] – Hilary Erickson

Well, hello, Mr. Erickson. Welcome to the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:01:10.690] – Drew Erickson

Hello, Mrs. Erickson. So fun to be here.

[00:01:13.580] – Hilary Erickson

I don’t actually respond to Mrs. Erickson. That’s your mom.

[00:01:15.800] – Drew Erickson

That’s very true.

[00:01:17.800] – Drew Erickson

Anyway, my wildest dream is that we will come close to Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard today. So we’ll see.

[00:01:23.500] – Drew Erickson

We’ll try to keep it civil.

[00:01:24.730] – Hilary Erickson

All right. So I want you to describe our chore system. It is a chore system that I mostly created while I was the loner stay at home mom. But I want you to describe it for the people at home.

[00:01:36.600] – Hilary Erickson

So we have specific days that are devoted to specific rooms. So for example, we do our kitchen on Monday, we do our bathrooms on Tuesdays, we do vacuuming of the entire house on Wednesdays. Thursday, you tend to work and I’m teaching and plus got a bunch of other stuff going on on Thursday. So that’s a light day.

[00:01:53.540] – Hilary Erickson

Friday is really just catch up where other things didn’t happen before. Primarily, that’s catch up on laundry and finish additional laundry for the week and things of that nature. Saturday is our big clean. Doing the cleaning schedule with the kids and getting them involved and making sure that we’re all at least for 20 minutes, very focused cleaning and get it done really quick. Then we can move on with the rest of the day.

[00:02:16.570] – Hilary Erickson

Okay. So how do you know what’s supposed to be done?

[00:02:20.170] – Drew Erickson

We use an app called Tick Tick.

[00:02:22.460] – Hilary Erickson

And by we, he means me.

[00:02:24.590] – Drew Erickson

Well, no, I use it to keep track of what’s on my list of things to do that day. So the Tick Tick helps me communicate to you what it is that has been done and vice versa. So that when, for example, if I am teaching in the morning, come back, then I know what I need to focus on the rest of the day.

[00:02:41.000] – Drew Erickson

Now, that’s been really useful. We’ve also learned over the years that there are certain things that are on my list or that are things that I have to do that don’t actually qualify or that don’t make your list on Tick Tick, for example, folding laundry, things of that nature. The folding laundry just has to get done. It’s not on the list.

[00:02:57.950] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah, but you know you can make your own list on Tick Tick, right? I have my own blog list.

[00:03:03.110] – Drew Erickson

Yes, I have my own list as well.

[00:03:05.410] – Hilary Erickson

And how much time would you say on average cleaning takes?

[00:03:10.860] – Drew Erickson

Monday and doing the kitchen sweeping and mopping, an hour, maybe an hour and a half.

[00:03:16.130] – Hilary Erickson

Wow, you’re really slow at that.

[00:03:18.030] – Drew Erickson

That’s all right. I can edit that part out.

[00:03:20.030] – Hilary Erickson

So I have a super popular post called Why We Don’t Have a Cleaning Lady. And one of the reasons is it really doesn’t take that much time. Mondays is the worst because we have a ton of tile, and so at some point you have to sweep and mop all of that. But that would have to happen.

[00:03:33.210] – Hilary Erickson

If we had a maid every other week, we’d still have to do something with the tile probably weekly because we have kids and they are like elephants. That’s very true. Do you feel like it takes a lot of time? No, not at all. Actual cleaning of your house once you’re organized and stuff, I think.

[00:03:46.050] – Drew Erickson

Maybe an hour. On that same token of the post about why we don’t have a cleaning lady, where it takes so little time and you own the home, you’ve got to have some skin in the game and keeping it up to date and keeping it clean and making it the place that you want to be in. Otherwise, it becomes, to me anyway, it becomes a sterile environment that somebody else deals with and you just happen to sleep there.

[00:04:07.010] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Although my main reason is that the kids, I don’t want them to think that having a maid is a normal thing.

[00:04:12.830] – Drew Erickson

Absolutely.

[00:04:13.560] – Hilary Erickson

I want them to be… Our kids actually, besides sweeping and mopping, our kids, they clean two of our bathrooms. They vacuum extra rooms. On the Saturday clean, we add other things into it that a maid would normally do. And so for us, that’s just how we’ve decided to do it. I’m not saying that it’s bad to have a maid, and I hope to have one as soon as my youngest moves out of this house. But until then, I want her to think that everyone just cleans their house on their own.

[00:04:37.070] – Drew Erickson

Well, and I think it’s important for kids to have that same buy in that they have a part in the place that we live. I will say that we stopped doing our kids’ laundry when our oldest was 12.

[00:04:49.860] – Hilary Erickson

Maybe a little older than that.

[00:04:51.260] – Drew Erickson

A little bit older than that. But we realized that if we want them to be learning basic life skills, they need to actually be doing it. And so particularly, the two older boys have been doing their own laundry, not just folding their own laundry. They’ve been doing that for a long time. But actually washing and scheduling their own when they’ve got plenty of dirty clothes that they are actually taking care of their own laundry. They’ve been doing that now for quite a while.

[00:05:15.090] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And our youngest is 10, and I think probably this coming summer, we will transition her into doing her own. Her big problem right now is that we have a… It’s no longer like a front loader, it’s a top loader, and she can’t reach the clothes in it unless she’s on a stool.

[00:05:30.260] – Drew Erickson

Yeah, she does have to get help to get the wet laundry out, but she does a pretty good job. She’ll do the towels by herself if she forgets to take care of the bathroom towels in the morning. She can take care of getting it started by herself, and really she can start her the wash cycle of her own laundry pretty well.

[00:05:45.130] – Drew Erickson

She’s now getting to the point where if she’s just tall enough, if she stands up on a stool, she can actually reach in. But it is a little bit easier for her to get some help to reach in, put it in, and she can run the dryer herself.

[00:05:55.450] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Right now, I think our chore system is that you do the basic cleaning. I maybe do some deep cleaning and organize. Is that what you would say?

[00:06:05.870] – Drew Erickson

Yeah. And I would say that I also, as I’m going about the week looking around for other projects, because usually on Saturday, we’ll have the kids do an extra special cleaning, whether that might be cleaning corners of the walls where their hands touch a lot as they’re going down the stairs or what have you, or something that because of our schedule of this week just didn’t happen between you and I cleaning, but it is something that they can do.

[00:06:26.540] – Drew Erickson

That’s something that gets tacked onto their list. So I look at that part of the organization as my job to make sure that there’s an extra job list that we can pull from for the kids on Saturdays.

[00:06:38.590] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. So if you guys are looking for more information on this Family Saturday clean, I actually have a whole chapter about it in Family routines, and I will put the link down in the show notes. That’s not today’s sponsor, but it is a super helpful thing for families if you want to get into a routine of cleaning together.

[00:06:53.100] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so currently, Drew and I each have part time jobs that we work out of the home some, but we mostly run Erickson Creative, LLC. And so for most of our marriage, I was the one home 90% of the time. And now, Drew is probably home a little bit more than me. He’s definitely not as involved in the writing process of the blog, but he is actually the podcast producer. So he has a little bit more free time, probably, than me, so what..

[00:07:18.680] – Drew Erickson

Which is why I take up more of the cleaning duties myself.

[00:07:22.310] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, so, Drew, I know a lot of women are like, Oh, that must be such a dream to have your husband home full time. That is a podcast for another day. But today, what was the hardest part of splitting up chores when you worked full time outside the home?

[00:07:35.040] – Drew Erickson

When I was a band director, it was the constant… I mean, there were so many weeks where it was 60 to 80 hours of work at week at school. So then coming home and finding the time to actually be contributing to all the stuff, I constantly felt guilt that you were having to do the vast majority of the housework while I was just trying to scrape by making a living and make my contribution to our home.

[00:07:58.730] – Drew Erickson

Since making this career shift, I find it much easier. I think our relationship in terms of diversifying what’s happening at home is a lot better. I think it’s better balance. But for the band director life, it doesn’t ever slow down to a point where things would get better. It just changed gears. It just was constant all the time, having to be at school or having to be doing basically a pseudo parent for somebody else’s child instead of being able to be a parent for my own.

[00:08:24.470] – Hilary Erickson

We did have summers, though, where I would then go to work. We have shifted this way before because during the summers, I would usually work more towards full time if we weren’t on vacation, and you would be at home doing the chores, which is why Tick Tick has always worked so well because we have balanced off. When you worked full time at school, though, you pretty much just folded the laundry. That was your main assigned, air quotes, assigned chore.

[00:08:47.720] – Drew Erickson

I remember doing a lot of sweeping and mopping of the kitchen floor when I got home from marching band practice on Monday nights.

[00:08:53.470] – Hilary Erickson

Drew is hallucinating. All right. See, I think every couple feels this way. He thinks that he’s swept and mopped, but I promise you, Drew swept and mopped maybe 10 % of the time. And I did a lot more than he did. But he wasn’t home. And so I was home much more.

[00:09:09.840] – Drew Erickson

Let’s just say, suffice to say that I was not home a lot of the time because my job requirement had to be someplace else.

[00:09:16.850] – Hilary Erickson

A lot. Yeah. So if you’re at home and you’re struggling with a spouse, you’re at home with small children and your spouse is not doing the housework, I would recommend, like, he didn’t like the way I folded laundry. And so clearly that needed to be his job.

[00:09:30.550] – Hilary Erickson

And so that is one way that we diversify things. And then if I was sick or whatever, or he was sick, then I would help fold laundry, or he would help sweep and mop. Yeah, sweeping and mopping, if you can’t tell, is our biggest job here in this house. And so it does take a lot of extra time. What is the hardest part about splitting chores now that you’re home more?

[00:09:48.020] – Drew Erickson

Now that I’m home more, I don’t know that it’s terribly difficult to try and split up the jobs so much anymore. I think it’s, like I said, since going through this career shift, I think that aspect of things has become much better balanced.

[00:10:00.780] – Hilary Erickson

I have the problem that I feel like things need to be done on the day they are assigned because that’s the nursing school in me and sometimes you don’t do them on the day that’s assigned. Do you ever feel pressured that your wife is so anal that you would like to put her in the mop bucket?

[00:10:15.760] – Drew Erickson

I don’t know that I’d say put you in the mop bucket necessarily. That seems a little dark. I wouldn’t put it. But that is a difference in philosophy. I think if by Saturday or within a given time frame, the work gets done, that’s the primary goal. Having it done on a specific day, having been in our relationship for as long as we have, I get where you’re coming from, but I still have the same philosophy of get it done when you can get it done, and that’s the end of it.

[00:10:41.520] – Drew Erickson

Well, I believe everything in life has a due date. Anyway, is there anything that you would change with the chore system that we have now?

[00:10:50.610] – Drew Erickson

No, I think our chore system actually works really, really well. I think it works well for our kids knowing their expectations of what’s expected when they come home from school, and it gives them a benchmark for when they can get things done. I actually do enjoy having specific days where the due date, if you will, is consistent because even if it doesn’t get done on that particular day, then I know it’s first priority on the back burner.

[00:11:16.530] – Hilary Erickson

I don’t even have a back burner.

[00:11:17.890] – Drew Erickson

I have many back burners. Just as a matter of survival.

[00:11:20.900] – Hilary Erickson

Everything’s front burner for me. I know I’ve talked with other people and I’ve mentioned to use Tick Tick or any to do list feature. You could do it on Tess, on Google. Tick Tick is nice because you can share one of your task lists, but then you can also have your own. It’s free. The one we use is free. You can upgrade for Ro or something like that. But what do you think about using that type of a thing? It was not the easiest to get you into that zone.

[00:11:45.130] – Drew Erickson

I think in hindsight, after doing it for many years now, I think it’s actually a great way, and I’ve actually recommended it in the scouting life for my scouts that are doing personal management to keep track of what they have to do.

[00:11:56.580] – Drew Erickson

One of the things they have to do is to make a to do list and do it for a specified amount of time. I think Tick Tick is a great tool in order to be able to do that. And not only that, it allows, again, communication with everybody who’s on the team to know what is expected and what has to be done.

[00:12:12.360] – Hilary Erickson

I think initially, though, you didn’t love being told what needed to be done.

[00:12:16.190] – Drew Erickson

No, I did not.

[00:12:16.410] – Hilary Erickson

But I feel like it’s a way to be like, this is what needs to be done without me needing to nag you because the nagging is what bugs you and it bugs me that I need to nag because I’m not your mom.

[00:12:25.510] – Drew Erickson

Yes, the nagging part of it was the worst.

[00:12:27.560] – Hilary Erickson

Even though they call me Mrs. Erickson sometimes. Yes. Which is your mom.

[00:12:31.370] – Drew Erickson

Well, I am still Mr. Erickson, but I more frequently go by just by my first name these days.

[00:12:36.660] – Hilary Erickson

Do your students in college call you Drew?

[00:12:38.360] – Drew Erickson

If they call me anything, they usually call me Mr. Erickson or Professor Erickson, but I always sign my emails with just my first name.

[00:12:43.990] – Hilary Erickson

Wow. You’re growing up or growing down. I don’t know. I don’t know what that is. All right, so let’s share. What’s your least favorite job around the house?

[00:12:51.680] – Drew Erickson

Sweeping and mopping. Yeah.

[00:12:52.950] – Hilary Erickson

I think you guys are getting a sense that it’s just a long job and it has steps and there’s a lot of corners.

[00:13:01.300] – Drew Erickson

Yeah, but I say it’s my least favorite job by anymore because I’ve got a system going, it’s not as bad as it used to be. It used to be a lot worse.

[00:13:09.900] – Hilary Erickson

Well, and one thing that we do, it’s the kitchen area that really gets the dirtiest. And so we do split up the other areas of tile in tick tick so that you know where you’re rotating to. And that makes it a little bit easier because we don’t always need to sweep them off the entryway because it doesn’t get that dirty.

[00:13:24.870] – Hilary Erickson

We also have a little robot vac that I will link to in the show notes. We had one robot vac commit suicide. It was so sad. And we bought a new one that I really like. You like the new guy? And the robot vacuum has been so helpful. So if you guys are thinking about something that maybe both of you could love for Christmas, a robot vacuum really has it.

[00:13:44.230] – Drew Erickson

The robot vacuum has really been great in terms of getting the food particles falling off the table cleaned up because I’ll be honest, our kids are not great when it comes to cleaning up after dinner, about making sure that the counters and the floor is cleaned up. So the robot vacuum is really taking care of that aspect of things.

[00:14:03.880] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah, and I love it. What’s your favorite job to do, cleaning wise?

[00:14:06.970] – Drew Erickson

Probably doing the laundry because one shot it’s done. It’s like two minutes.

[00:14:10.450] – Hilary Erickson

Mine’s totally cleaning counters.

[00:14:12.450] – Drew Erickson

I do enjoy cleaning counters. I’ll agree with you on that one. I would say my second least favorite job is probably checking the water schedule. Although I will say with Tick Tick, being able to have all the information on Tick Tick to know what day is what.

[00:14:25.530] – Drew Erickson

Initially, when it was first on the schedule, we didn’t have that information and I hated it because then I had to go and find what information however many days we were supposed to be irrigating, all that garbage and then go deal with the sprinkler system.

[00:14:38.150] – Drew Erickson

So if you guys are wondering what in the heck Drew is talking about, because we live in Arizona, during the winter you can water, it’s like 20 days between waterings. But during the summer you have to switch it to every three. We only have a very small amount of grass. Please don’t think we’re like, ruining the world with our grass consumption. But every month it pops up in tick tick to change how often the watering schedule is.

[00:14:59.560] – Drew Erickson

And it’s, again, because we live in the desert, it makes sense because we’re wanting to conserve water and not abuse those privileges. But the other primary reason is because we live in Arizona and going out to check the water system means that we have to go outside and it’s 110 and just miserable and ugly.

[00:15:17.360] – Hilary Erickson

So great living here. What a blessing it is to live in the desert. Yeah. All right. Any other tips you would give for a mom who’s at home with kids and who feels like she has to do all the housework coming from someone who was on the other side?

[00:15:29.260] – Drew Erickson

Even though I resisted it a lot, making a consistent schedule using some an app where communication takes the nag part out of it makes the relationship so much better. But having that cleaning schedule and a consistent schedule, I remember growing up, we used to have basically Saturday was the clean day and every other day was whatever happened happened. D inner clean up was consistent. But it just made Saturday a dreadful day because we had a ton of cleaning up to do versus going through and doing it consistently throughout the week makes the weekend much more enjoyable.

[00:15:59.550] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. So we do do a 20 minute clean, which usually spreads into 30 when we ask kids to deep clean. But that’s really all we do on Saturdays. And that comes from I couldn’t do all the cleaning on Saturdays because I worked every other weekend for such a long time of our lives.

[00:16:12.910] – Drew Erickson

And I will say that living on a schedule, I realize a lot of people, there’s people out there that don’t like being on a schedule, but I can promise that living on a schedule and having some a schedule actually frees up more time, either later in the day, later in the evening, or on the weekend when you really want to have some time to relax and chill out a little bit. It really allows that time to happen rather than constantly having something that’s nag at you that has to be done.

[00:16:36.690] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Well, and I use Tick Tick for all variety of things, and it’s just so nice to have things pop up on there instead of having to be like, When was I supposed to do X, Y, Z? Check the watering schedule. When was I supposed to? Instead of having… It just takes all that out of my brain so that I can just check tick tick, do the things and move on. I’m not stressing about them all the time. And we have.

[00:16:56.670] – Drew Erickson

Certain things that they’re not a weekly thing or a daily thing that’s a regular schedule thing. So it’s nice to have tick tick come up and remind you that oil needs to be changed or the registration needs to be done so that we’re not somewhere out of state when the registration becomes due as has happened before. And then we are technically violating the law because our car is not registered, things like that, things that are a little bit more far spaced out in terms of house maintenance things. It’s really nice to have that on the schedule so that when it needs to be done, it pops up and there.

[00:17:25.720] – Hilary Erickson

We go. And again, there’s tons of to do apps. We started tick tick so long ago. There’s probably there might be better ones now, but I’m never going to set up anything else because it just has everything set up already. It is a little bit of a task to get it on there, but once it’s on there, it’s easy to add new things or whatever. Anyway, so if you’re a mom who is feeling frustrated that your husband doesn’t help or you don’t want to nag him, tick tick might be a great thing. You can share one list, keep a list for yourself. But I think now that I’ve been on both sides of the chore table where I’m working more than Drew right now, but he’s worked more than me for most of our marriage, I just think it’s really easy to feel like the other person hasn’t done much all day and that is not helping anyone. Don’t feel like your husband hasn’t helped out the house when he’s been at work all day because somebody has to have the money so you can buy groceries and pay your mortgage. But also he needs to feel like that even though you’ve just been at home with the kids all day, you’ve still been incredibly busy and that is sucking the life force out of you.

[00:18:19.370] – Hilary Erickson

And so you each need to have some give and take in that. And we’ve just felt like tick tick made it so everyone could see what got done and what needs to get done. Because really, all you need to focus on is what needs to get done versus what has gotten done.

[00:18:31.100] – Drew Erickson

And like I say, it’s been very powerful in improving our communications on the basic house stuff. I think.

[00:18:37.970] – Hilary Erickson

Building a strong marriage can be difficult. And the more you realize that everyone else struggles with the same things that you struggle with, the more likely you are to maybe stick it out or find a solution that helps both of you be happier in life.

[00:18:49.420] – Hilary Erickson

Stay tuned. We have some great episodes coming up. One of my favorite Tick Tick nutritionists is coming on next week to talk about prenatal nutrition. Then the week after that, I am talking about the hardest parts of parenting right now.

[00:19:00.520] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks so much for joining us on today’s episode. The Pulling Curls podcast grows when you share us on social media or leave a review. If you do, please tag us so that we can share and send you a virtual hug, which, frankly, is my favorite hugging. Until next time, we hope you have a tangle free day.

The post Splitting Chores in Marriage – Deja Vu Episode 193 appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Today’s guest is Lauren Peterson. She is a Certified Financial Planner and, in addition to her work with The Wealth Edit, runs a boutique, full-service financial firm, HighTower Somerset Advisory, in Birmingham, Alabama. Lauren has designed and crafted hundreds of financial planning scenarios in her decade-plus career in the field and is deeply committed to the clients she serves through her work. After years of drafting hundreds of plans for families, Lauren saw the deep need for women to have a space of their own to understand wealth outside the context of a traditional advisory relationship. As important as her work is to her, her faith and her family come first in her life – her husband, Andrew, and their three smart and brave daughters are the No. 1 priority in her life.

The Wealth Edit is an online, membership-based community that educates women on how to develop a modern skillset for their personal finances. Women of all ages gather, learn, and plan their financial journey through virtual courses, weekly guest speakers, and educational content. They are the opposite of stuffy and stodgy. They are relatable, approachable, and anything but uptight. Visit them at wealthedit.com or on social media @wealthedit!

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines getting into a routine can help save you some cash and it’s a great place to get started!

Other things that might interest you

My Episode on Saving for retirement

The Economy of the Home with My Dad, an Economic Historian

Producer: Drew Erickson

Transcript

[00:00:00.130] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on Episode 192, we are talking about recession proofing our budget. Let’s untangle it.

[00:00:18.870] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson, the curly head behind the Pulling Curls Podcast: pregnancy and parenting untangled. There’s no right answer for every family, but on this show, we hope to give you some ideas to make life simpler at your house. Life’s tangled, just like my hair.

[00:00:40.020] – Hilary Erickson

I’m excited for today’s guest. She is a certified financial planner. She runs a full service financial firm called Hightower Somerset Advisory. But I found her on the tikkety tok under the wealth edit where she was just talking about recession proofing your budget. I thought what she had to say was so simple and easy to understand. I invited her onto the podcast. I want her to introduce today’s guest, Lauren Pearson.

[00:01:02.540] – Hilary Erickson

Do you ever just feel like it’s unfair that some people can have company over at a moment’s notice? Their house is just super easy to clean up and they can relax on the couch with Netflix while you feel like you always have things to do around your house. That can totally be you. The Organized Home is here to help you simplify organizing. We’re talking about decluttering zones, organization systems that actually work. We’ve got assignments and challenges. I hope you’ll join us. You can use coupon code Untangled. Look for the Organized Home link in the show notes.

[00:01:32.820] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, Lauren. Welcome to the Pulling Curls Podcast.

[00:01:35.530] – Lauren Pearson

Hi, how are you? Thanks for having me.

[00:01:37.500] – Hilary Erickson

I am so excited. I love to talk about money, even though a lot of people don’t. My dad was an economist, so money was always a talk at our house growing up. I think it needs to be more open and out there because I think everybody sees on Instagram that I’m on a cruise 24 hours a day because that’s the only time I post.

[00:01:56.280] – Lauren Pearson

Sure. Yes. Online images can be deceiving sometimes.

[00:02:01.480] – Hilary Erickson

Yes. You are seeing when I am spending the largest quantities of money. I did not Instagram last night when I was pieing through my dried bean collection to decide what to make for dinner. Okay, so I loved your video, Lauren, about just a shifting your budget, like you would shift your diet or you would shift other things. When you’re in a recession, you just might change the way that you look at budgeting.

[00:02:24.260] – Lauren Pearson

Sure. Yeah. It’s hard because for a really long time, the government has been signaling to us to spend, to invest, to grow. Interest rates have been low. So we’ve been taking the cues and living in a low interest rate environment for a very long time. It starts to skew your thinking of reality. You could afford more if you were looking to buy a home.

[00:02:53.290] – Lauren Pearson

There’s all of these things that we just got. You could grow a business. Everyone’s feeling very… The sentiment was really good around growth of the US and what we’re supposed to do. But there is also a good bit of stimulus happening, again, from the government saying, grow, grow, grow. And when all of that stops, which it has, starting at the beginning of last year, we got a very clear signal from Fed chairman Powell that we are going to raise rates until inflation is under control. I am one of those people that always believes the Fed.

[00:03:29.280] – Lauren Pearson

There’s a saying that says don’t fight the Fed, and that’s real. And so the signals change. But if you spent 13 years in a low interest rate, let’s grow environment, post financial crisis or more, really closer to 15, that’s when it gets a little confusing because things have to change beyond what you could potentially afford in a house.

[00:03:50.150] – Lauren Pearson

It’s everything. Things are ridiculous. Everyone’s talking about how much eggs cost right now, but that’s just an easy thing to point to the larger issue where it’s like you just have to cut to make sure your family or you as an individual can adapt to different market conditions.

[00:04:08.840] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And I think that’s so important because I think, I mean, my son… I Was explaining to him about interest rates when I was little because I was born in ’76. So when I was little, ’80s interest rates, and he was like, What? He just had no idea. And I think really for the vast… I probably only know about this because my dad’s an economist. For the vast majority of people, 50 and below just literally have no idea that anyone was ever paying more than 5 % for their mortgage rate on their home.

[00:04:37.390] – Lauren Pearson

Truly, nobody saw that. I remember my mom and dad talking about 18, 19 %. That seems unfathomable to us. But they really do have to use the errors that they have in their quiver. And interest rates going up is one of them, and it’s an important one. So fair point.

[00:04:56.900] – Hilary Erickson

What do you do? Because there are still things you still have to… We’re all still buying eggs. We’re probably buying less eggs because I’m like, breakfast for dinner, we’ll have dried beans instead. But we all still need to make eggs for our family. So what do you do? What tips do you have for us?

[00:05:13.940] – Lauren Pearson

Sure. The first thing I do, and I’m not sponsored, so you can just take this for what it is. But the first thing that I did, because I’m not admittedly even being in wealth management and doing this all day and helping other clients with cash flow, your own cash flow is different. I think that the reason people hire advisors is because it’s very difficult for you to have realistic perspective on your money.

[00:05:34.180] – Lauren Pearson

And so you have to condition yourself to do that. So the first thing that I did was use what’s called Rocket Money. It’s a new name. I can’t remember what it is. I think it used to be called True Bill, but I use it and I give them access. They have a back end system called PLAD that basically can link all of your credit cards, checking accounts. So it’s basically studying what you do as a monthly household as far as spending, income, all of the things that would make up who you are financially. So I started doing that and I found that that was an extremely helpful efficient system for our family because we have five people in our family, everyone, to some degree, is spending money.

[00:06:18.970] – Lauren Pearson

My kids have what’s called a green light card so I can control what they spend, but they’re still learning good money habits. But Rocket Money has really taught me, okay, this is how much you spend on a monthly basis, and this is how it’s different from last month. The longer you use it, the more in tune it gets with your spending, which I think just the idea of really, truly the idea of just watching your money, becoming a student of your money, I think is number one.

[00:06:47.790] – Lauren Pearson

So whether you have a little tool like Rocket Money that helps you, whether Excel is your best friend, whether some people use You Need a Budget, there’s all these different things that you can use that can be helpful and powerful to help you become a student of your money. But you really need to know what you spend. That goes for anyone. It doesn’t matter how much you spend. A lot of times people, I think also getting into the… And this is going to be my second point. But the behavioral aspect of money, there’s a lot of guilt around money, whether you have it or you don’t or you were taught good money habits, or you weren’t.

[00:07:24.120] – Lauren Pearson

You just get a lot of people that I know when they come in to see us for the first time as advisors, they say, Oh, my gosh, I just spent so much money. I started looking at it since you asked me that question, and I feel so embarrassed. It doesn’t matter if they’re spending $50,000 or $450,000 or a million dollars. They all feel something about what they spend, whether that’s valid or not.

[00:07:48.280] – Lauren Pearson

I guess my second thing is, once you become a student of your spending, really get in tune with what you’re feeling around that. I think that’s where people sort of ostrich. If they’re going to, that’s what I call it stick their head in the sand at that point. There’s a wonderful woman who is a friend of the wealth edit called Helen Owen, and she calls this facing the tiger. So really saying, Okay, this is where I am financially.

[00:08:13.400] – Lauren Pearson

And the good news about being an American about… You can be a different person today than you were yesterday. You can make different choices today about your health, about your resources, and there’s no judgment there. So I think it’s just acknowledging you don’t have to be the person today that you were yesterday financially and really living into all of that.

[00:08:35.440] – Lauren Pearson

I guess those are my two main points and I have some other ones, too. I think the next thing to focus in on is separating out your need to have expenses versus like to have expenses. And people approach this differently, too. So in our family, we’re doing what’s called a no spend year. Now, this is very difficult because we’re going through renovations. You have to decide what that looks like for you.

[00:09:03.100] – Lauren Pearson

For my family, because we’re going through renovation, house expenses are still allowed because we just have to. That’s just where we are in life and we allow ourselves to replace. So I had a pair of tennis shoes go out and so I’m able to buy something to replace something old.

[00:09:16.990] – Lauren Pearson

But even that act has really given us so much power in that we spend a lot on conveniences, at least my family did, on things that we don’t actually need that have become habits but aren’t necessities. And I think separating out habits and necessities, when you get to that point, again, it’s going to take you a few months. Rome wasn’t built in a day. So it’s going to take a few months for all of these things to become something that you really enjoy doing or really want to pursue.

[00:09:47.520] – Lauren Pearson

And I always say it’s like landing a plane. So it’s not an overnight process. And that’s how I really would hope people would frame these discussions in their head, realizing that for most of us, a situation like what’s happening nationally is going to cause us to have to pull back in some way, shape, or form. So going with that versus getting paralyzed or feeling like, Oh, my gosh, I can’t do this.

[00:10:15.310] – Lauren Pearson

That’s all going to be very important. The fourth thing I would say, and this is an important one too, sometimes when things are contracting, it’s very important to think about worst case scenario. What if I lose my job? Recession proof yourself, your personal finances.

[00:10:35.100] – Lauren Pearson

How long could we go if that was a reality? How long if you’re married, could you go if that was a reality for one of you to be out? And then you need to have an emergency fund if you can to figure out that math backwards. Like, okay, I would more than likely be out of work for three months, or I would more than likely be out of work for six months. Typically, the more money you make, so over $100,000, those jobs typically take longer to replace if you’re truly out of work.

[00:11:04.870] – Lauren Pearson

So really estimating that. So if you’re a dual income family, both people are making over $100,000. A typical CFP would say three months net savings would be enough. I would propose maybe it’s more like six. So take that for what it’s worth. But really recession proofing. And we have that. We have a wealth edit guide book we actually do a recession proofing of both your personal and business finances in the book. It’s very important to know that. Yeah. So that’s four. What questions do you have from there? I can keep going if I need to.

[00:11:38.570] – Hilary Erickson

I love the idea of a no spend. Now you’re going a whole year, but people could start with just even a no spend week. This week is not going to spend. Because obviously you’re still buying groceries because everyone’s going to eat. Correct. So what are some basic rules that people make in that no spend week?

[00:12:00.570] – Lauren Pearson

Sure. So maybe they say it’s a cutting back. So for example, my daughter’s dance. And so because of that, there’s one night a week where it’s like, we actually have to eat out. There’s just not another… Unless we pack a snack and then it’s going to sit in the car for a little while. It just doesn’t make any sense.

[00:12:16.410] – Lauren Pearson

So maybe saying instead of getting take out three nights a week, you really look at where you might need to eat out, or maybe as a special treat for your family. If you’ve had a great week, you get pizza on Friday nights, whatever the ritual is, maybe we say rituals are in, but ancillary, just lazy spinning around meals is out.

[00:12:34.500] – Lauren Pearson

One thing that we really took, we are big Costco people, so we build on our Costco. I’ve almost figured out a map of what I need to replace every two weeks at Costco versus every week at Costco because you’re buying more bulk. And so maybe we’re getting yogurt for lunches every two weeks versus just not thinking about it and having the habit of putting it in your cart. So yes, groceries are still a mess. We cook in more.

[00:13:01.080] – Lauren Pearson

And it was amazing how quickly you could get down that miscellaneous category of just target runs. We just don’t do target runs anymore. I always say target has a $200 cover charge. I love you, target, but I just don’t need that right now. I think if people were to start with the week, then what would be good is to say, okay, we’re not going to eat out. That’s a big one. No, just ancillary spending on cute shirts, things that I might see on Amazon or an influencer that has this great thing that’s 47 % off this week.

[00:13:34.260] – Lauren Pearson

Anything like that, I think you can just cut it out. The other thing that’s incredibly helpful as you’re beginning this, this is what we say in our Financial Minimalism course, is to write down what you’re spending twice. So have a little notebook. If you do this for a week, it’s much easier than a year because it’ll be like a novel. But have a tiny little notebook where it’s like, okay, 57 bucks on gas, 25 bucks at the grocery store if you’re just picking up stuff. So write it down while you’re spending real time or in your phone or something, and then write it down again at night so that you can log everything that you’ve spent.

[00:14:10.450] – Lauren Pearson

That exercise of writing it down twice is so powerful because you’re actually giving yourself the mental margin to say, this is a commitment I’m making to myself and I’m going to get better at this. So that’s a little fun trick that we found that works really well for people. It’s pretty powerful.

[00:14:27.180] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah, just like what you’re eating. Even if you just write down, I had three Snickers bars, it just makes you rethink, was that my best choice? Could I have just had one?

[00:14:37.140] – Lauren Pearson

Yes. For me, the funny thing for me just habitually is I’m a snacker and just cutting out a lot of the snacks where I just pick up something at the gas station or whatever just because I’m a busy person. Just being slightly more thoughtful can actually have pretty powerful ramifications when you’re spending.

[00:14:58.350] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. All right. I think this was great. And I think people immediately pull back. They’re like, Oh, I don’t want to spend less. But sometimes I have to remind myself that a lot of times I’m not even noticing that I’m not spending these things, especially in my happiness level. If you think of your happiness level is on a graph, right? My dad was always like, Are you getting the same benefit of that the 10th month of Netflix as you got in the first month of Netflix? That first month, you’re overjoyed.

[00:15:23.550] – Lauren Pearson

Yes.

[00:15:23.800] – Hilary Erickson

The world is your oyster. You have everything. And on the 10th, you’re like, Is there really anything to watch? And he’s always like, Just cancel it for a few months, save yourself the $45 or whatever. And then when you’re missing it, then that joy comes back and you get a happiness boost again from that back to the first month.

[00:15:41.920] – Lauren Pearson

I love that. And one thing that I’ve done with my girls, which has been fun is I’m doing a lot of free advertising on your podcast today because, again, I’m not sponsored by anybody, but you can also play little games with yourself if you’re going to do an extended no spend year. So we’ve been giving out of our closets to this service called Thread Up, and then we get a little credit.

[00:16:01.930] – Lauren Pearson

And so we’ve allowed ourselves to use that credit. We’re like, okay, A, it’s more sustainable just for the Earth and the environment. But it also gives us a little incentive to clean out our clothes that we don’t want anymore, get paid for it, which is an incentive to do that. And then you can shop a little because we’ve got a little bit of cash. Or if you sell things in your home, there’s all sorts of ways that you can learn to be resourceful and just do some fun things that actually are so much more rewarding to your point than just the wine spending that we get in the habit of doing on certain things.

[00:16:33.940] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. You know what is most disappointing to me is to get home from a target trip and be like, Oh, I have to find places to put all these things? And then I’m like, Why did I buy this? If it wasn’t directly like, I know exactly where I’m going to use this. I know exactly where I’m going to use this. I know exactly where I’m going to put this. Why did I purchase it? Because now I’m decreasing my happiness. Where am I going to put this? Where am I going to store this until I might need it? Right?

[00:16:56.720] – Lauren Pearson

Right. Exactly. And really, we don’t realize how much mental margin all this stuff that surrounds us. I have a friend who’s a Minimalist just by nature. It’s the way that she is. I’ll tell you, it is amazing how she… I just feel like her life has a greater sense of calm than mine. And I think especially if you have children, children often are little hoarders. To help them create these habits where they’re able to be in a wonderful space.

[00:17:25.020] – Lauren Pearson

And I don’t do this well, so do as I say, not as I do. But really, we’ve worked on for one of my daughters, she’s not naturally very tidy. She just doesn’t have a lot of stuff. It’s easy to tidy her room because she doesn’t have a lot of stuff. Contrast that to my third child, my little creative bug who has all the things, saves all of the beautiful artwork, all the pictures. And it’s really difficult and demotivating to clean her room because she has too many things in there and they don’t fit to your point. So really being mindful of where is this thing going to go and where am I going to enjoy it for life?

[00:17:58.560] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. Is this purchase actually going to make me happy? Because we all think back about the week, what did you buy that made you happy? And then all the other things you bought, I know there’s always going to be the can of beans, whatever that’s not going to make you happy. Paying my mortgage probably didn’t make me that happy, but living in a house when it’s raining is amazing.

[00:18:18.840] – Lauren Pearson

It’s pretty great. Yeah, I love that.

[00:18:21.460] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. I just think we need to be more open on the things that we’re spending, how we cut back, which is why I love people should follow your channel to just show that families can still have splurges, like remodeling their home, but can still cut back on other things to make that life possible, right?

[00:18:38.930] – Lauren Pearson

Yeah. That’s another thing. I think most people that come into our private practice really have a deep desire for their children to be good with money, especially if they’re people who are overfunded for their lifetime. It’s like they feel the burden that their children are going to grow up and have a lot of privileges and things that they… I don’t know the right word to say, but they’re going to just inherit a bunch of things.

[00:19:07.660] – Lauren Pearson

So how do you make sure that these people are still great contributors? How do you make sure that these people… And you really don’t want your children to be rotten tomatoes. That’s how I think of my kids in my head. If I’m giving them too many things, they’re like a tomato that’s rotting on my counter. That’s not what you want.

[00:19:22.880] – Lauren Pearson

You want your kids to be healthy and good with money and to feel a great, deep confidence that things aren’t going to fulfill them. Really, there’s so much more than what we can spend our money on out there to invest our time and our talent and, yes, our treasures. But I don’t know. I just think that when you start to get kids involved, that’s when things get real because you do. You want them to be good with money, too, and you want to teach them great habits. And I think just the open dialog around, yeah, we’re not spending as much this year because we’re doing this kitchen renovation or whatever it is. They need to know that money does not grow on trees as our parents and grandparents and great grandparents said.

[00:20:02.860] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. And I will say, so we’re pretty churchy at our house. And I don’t know that my oldest has taken a lot of my churchy thoughts, but that kid has taken every single financial lesson I have taught him. And it is deep in his heart. He is very much like, this is my time to put money into retirement. He talks to me about that all the time. And nothing has been more fulfilling to me as a parent as me talking to him as I was like filling out my retirement sheet at a new job or whatever and just saying how important retirement is. It stuck. Like, yeah, I did one thing right. Yes.

[00:20:35.270] – Lauren Pearson

Well, good job, mama. And you really do with anything in parenting, you want to be that first cloud. You want to be that first concept that a child is introduced to and some of these great habits. I think that’s wonderful.

[00:20:48.770] – Hilary Erickson

Yeah. So great. Just think about it more. Think about your happiness, follow the wealth at it, because a lot of times when she comes up, it just reminds me to be, is this money making me as happy as I could? Are there places we could cut back without impinging on the happiness? And the answer is yes.

[00:21:03.580] – Hilary Erickson

So. Stop being so lazy in my purchases, Hilary, is mostly what it reminds me. So thanks for coming on. I hope this gave some ideas to you guys. If you guys have ever done a no spend day, week, month, year, tell us in the comments on Instagram. We would love to chitty chat about it. Thanks for coming on, Lauren.

[00:21:19.400] – Lauren Pearson

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me. This has been fun.

[00:21:21.610] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, we didn’t talk about it in the show, which is just how unsalesy Lauren is, but she actually has an online membership based community that educates women on how to develop a modern skill set for their personal finances. I think that a lot of people just really are not good at finances. And so if that’s something that you’re lacking, I would encourage you to check that out under the wealth edit. I think she’s very realistic and very helpful. She also has a co founder who is a young widow. So you get a lot of advice from different sides of things. And I think that’s really important and exciting. So if you’re looking for more financial information, be sure and check that out. Thanks so much for coming on, Lauren.

[00:21:57.790] – Hilary Erickson

Be sure and stay tuned. Next week, we have a Deja vu episode on splitting up chores. And then the week after that, we are talking about pregnancy nutrition, so we have some great episodes coming up.

[00:22:07.940] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks so much for joining us on today’s episode. The Pulling Curls Podcast grows when you share us on social media or leave a review. If you do, please tag us so that we can share and send you a virtual hug, which, frankly, is my favorite hugging. Until next time, we hope you have a tangle free day.

The post Recession-Proof Your Family Budget with Lauren Pearson from The Wealth Edit – Episode 192 appeared first on Pulling Curls.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home — if you’re looking to clean things up faster, grab that course!

In this episode

Cleaning products during pregnancy

Great microfiber cloths

The Saturday clean episode.

Other things that might interest you

Producer: Drew Erickson

Check out my other parenting podcasts:

Transcript

[00:00:00.000] – Hilary Erickson

Hey, guys. Welcome back to the Pulling Curls Podcast. Today on Episode 184, we are talking about spring cleaning, so let’s untangle it and clean it and shine it.

[00:00:19.480] – Hilary Erickson

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson, the curly head behind the Pulling Curls Podcast: pregnancy and parenting untangled. There’s no right answer for every family, but on this show, we hope to give you some ideas to make life simpler at your house. Life’s tangled just like my hair.

[00:00:40.840] – Hilary Erickson

Spring cleaning. I was going to try and get an expert to come on this podcast to talk to me about cleaning. We have had my friend, Samantha, on to talk about cleaning products during pregnancy, which I’ll link to that episode in the show notes. It is super interesting. But I just thought, cleaning… I think we all are like, what are the cleaning tips? And every once in a while, I find one that I’m really amazed by. But today I want to give you my three best spring cleaning tips, and they are probably not going to be mind blowing, but maybe you’ll see that you’re the same as me, and maybe it’ll give you some ideas. I don’t know. Let’s get to it.

[00:01:13.530] – Hilary Erickson

Do you ever just feel like it’s unfair that some people can have company over at a moment’s notice? Their house is just super easy to clean up and they can relax on the couch with Netflix while you feel like you always have things to do around your house. That can totally be you. The Organized Home is here to help you simplify organizing. We’re talking about decluttering, zones, organization systems that actually work. We’ve got assignments and challenges. I hope you’ll join us. You can use coupon code UNTANGLED. Look for the Organized Home, link in the show notes.

[00:01:43.380] – Hilary Erickson

Okay, my first tip is micro fiber cloths. I absolutely hate how they feel on my hands. I don’t know how it has all these little things that grab onto every little skin cell on my hands and clings to it. I hate them, but man, oh man, do they clean better. And I know a lot of people love to buy them from fancy cleaning supplies. I am telling you, if you have a Costco membership, they probably have something similar at Sam’s Club.

[00:02:04.980] – Hilary Erickson

There’s a giant bag of yellow micro fiber cloths from Costco. It’s so cheap and I love them and I don’t feel bad when they get bleached or whatever happens to them because they’re super cheap. They really do clean better. I don’t know why. That’s why I don’t have an expert on this podcast. They just clean better, I find. So microfiber cloth, if you hate how they’re feeling, you can always wear rubber gloves. But I also hate how rubber gloves feel. So I just like sojourn on. I just make it work for me. Are these blowing your mind yet?

[00:02:31.140] – Hilary Erickson

Number two, stop buying cleaning supplies. Okay, so we don’t buy a lot of cleaning supplies around our house. We have a few stuck at the back of the closet. We have goo gone because it can be helpful for specific things. We have some carpet cleaner. But in general, in our house, we are cleaning with homemade cleaning supplies. And then we went to my parents house and we were cleaning, and they only have store bought cleaning supplies, which is apparently what I grew up with.

[00:02:55.000] – Hilary Erickson

So I’ve clearly changed. But we were all dying from the fumes, dying. And then I really just didn’t feel like they cleaned any better. So if you’re big into buying your 409 or your scrubbing bubbles or something like that at the store, try the homemade cleaning things. We use one that has a little bit of vinegar and a tea two drops of dish soap into a cleaning bottle. You can look up recipes for this online. I think I have the vinegar one that I’ll link to. And then I found a great one about tide online where you put in a teaspoon of tide to a gallon of water and then you’re supposed to put in bleach if it’s bleach safe. But I usually don’t put in bleach because it can hurt my fiber glass shower bottom.

[00:03:37.020] – Hilary Erickson

So usually I find that this does okay without the bleach and then a drop of dish soap and boom, you’re ready to go. And those are the two we have in there. I use my cricket, guys, because I’m super crafty to label our bottles, vinegar, tide. I do have a window cleaner that I buy store bought. If you guys have a great homemade window cleaner that you like to make, tell me on Instagram. I would love to make my own. I just don’t. Anyway, we just have those in there. That’s what we use. They do a great job. Now, keep in mind, those two things do not disinfect. I did try my own alcohol based cleaner, but ultimately I think I like the pre moistened wipes. So if I actually have to disinfected, meaning I’ve spilled like Turkey juice all over the counter, I will use an antibacterial wipe for that.

[00:04:18.520] – Hilary Erickson

But other than that, I have a weakness for the foaming mirror cleaner. Does anybody love that? I get it at Costco. Love it. I don’t know. I just cleaned my microwave with front with it the other day and we have the buttons on the glass. Such a mistake. I absolutely love that glass cleaner. But otherwise, the fumes are crazy in some of these cleaners. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me. I’m just so sensitive.

[00:04:39.590] – Hilary Erickson

Finally, tip number three, and this is a rough one. Get your kids to do it with you. Now, obviously, if you have a newborn baby, you can skip tip number three. But I think I envisioned, because this is how my mom did it, that my kids would go and clean a wall without me. And they, yes, will go and swipe a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser over that wall a couple of times and then be like, It’s done. And it’s not going to be done. So ultimately, I’ve decided that our entire family has to clean at the same time. Sometimes we’re not even in the same room. But in order to teach my kids to clean, I’ve had to clean with them. So we do Saturday clean every Saturday where we all clean together. I absolutely don’t love it. They absolutely don’t love it. But I think I’m teaching them to clean better. And sometimes we’re ending up having a good time together. Sometimes we’re not.

[00:05:27.800] – Hilary Erickson

But I think we all hope that we kids can get to a stage, and I think they can with routine jobs like cleaning the bathroom, stuff like that. But when you’re wanting to give them a spring cleaning job, something they haven’t done, or it takes a little bit more muscle or whatever, it’s just going to do you better if you can get in there and do it with them. Might not work all the time. Little kids love to come and clean with you.

[00:05:46.780] – Hilary Erickson

So if you can just keep them loving that for until 18 years, that’s all you need to do. Anyway, I don’t love that tip, but it’s something that I’ve just realized I need to do. So don’t get me wrong, though. Every minute that I’m spending cleaning with my kids, when we are all cleaning like bathrooms, cleaning the grout and stuff like that, I’m like, when am I getting a maid or housekeeper? I can’t. I cannot. But I can. Anyway, those are my spring cleaning tips. I hope nobody’s mind was blown by any of those. I would love to know what you thought of these tips. If you have any tips on your own, come find me over on Instagram or you can comment on the blog post at pullingcurls.com. I would love to hear what you guys think. Tell me, tell me, tell me.

[00:06:25.400] – Hilary Erickson

Don’t miss next week’s episode where we are talking about taking care of your bottom, a different spring cleaning, if you will. And then the week after that, we are talking about teaching reading, which is something I absolutely love to do. I think it’s a good one for anyone to do because I think we can all be better teachers of all those kids that are learning to read. Stay tuned for those. They are great episodes.

[00:06:43.710] – Hilary Erickson

Thanks so much for joining us on today’s episode. The Pulling Curls podcast grows when you share us on social media or leave a review. If you do, please tag us so that we can share and send you a virtual hug, which, frankly, is my favorite hugging. Until next time, we hope you have a tangle free day.

The post Spring Cleaning Tips — Episode 184 appeared first on Pulling Curls.