If you tuned into this thinking that you were gonna get Marie Condo tips, think again. Sorry, we should put a disclaimer at the beginning of this, like this is just us absolutely just trying to get more better at that. This is a bit just trying. We're not really doing it. We're just trying more better.
More and more, a little more better more.
Welcome to more Better.
A podcast where we stop pretending to have it all together and embrace the journey of becoming a little more better every day.
Or I mean, we're trying. Okay, we're trying. I'm trying. We are trying, We're you're trying, I'm trying. We're all trying together. That's why you're listening. That's most Famarro and that's Stephanie Beatrice and we're trying trying together. Okay, try there. That's what I should have called the podcast, trying to get together. You're trying too late to change. It's too late. People change their people change show titles, although I don't know if people have changed show titles like a TV
show after it's aired. Oh yeah, I wonder that'd be crazy. What if Cheers was like called like the Big Bar or something like that they were like, cheers the big bar, you know, the big bar. Okay, how's it going, How are you doing? I'm doing pretty good in Atlanta.
I'm still in Atlanta for anyone keeping tracks, still here, but my family's here this month and.
It's all cute, really really amazing. How's antl treating you? Guys?
So good at you know, it's just like, I'm more relaxed, David.
It's more relaxed. The kids are super happy.
It's just you know, a month, so I don't think it's too long or daunting for anyone, and it feels like a little break in this marathon of separation.
Yes, are they are still going to school?
Oh yeah, We've had a really sweet school that was willing to take the little one for a month, and they've been so amazing for him, and he's made little friends and it's been great.
He went on his first little field.
Trip and then Enzo's been killing it with the tutor and like the homeschool situation, I think it's been kind of a nice break for him, kind of mentally, like just the little stress of school. And yeah, he's been killing it with his work and really focused. And then you know, he loves the free time too.
And of course he does. How old, he's like right in that zone where he can like start to read stuff that he likes on his own, you know, he yeah, he can.
Reading is a little bit of a struggle for him, but he if it is something that catches his interest, like he is into it and he's a really strong reader, like he's very good at decoding big words, and yeah, yeah, and so but yeah, he's been Yeah, it's been great. It's been a nice break, I think for everyone. And even though it's like another kind of layer of exhaustion on top of everything else, it's like a good kind of exhaustion, you know. It's like it's just nice to
have your family together. It's nice to come home to your family, man, and it's nice to see them in the morning, and it's nice to have a little more routine. And yeah, how are you doing.
I'm good, you know, uh, just hanging out in La Just I'm very very happy that I get to spend so much time with Roz right now and Brad and like, you know, watching a lot of movies. Watched so many movies. One of the movies is not a bunch of us went and saw Captain America. It was like really fun. A bunch of us just met with opening weekend and that was really fun. Like we had our you know.
I made Brad go get popcorn and he came back with like the branded giant popcorn that was like half the size of your body, with like a Captain America shields on the top, like our drinks at like tiny figurines on the top, like look at any Anthony.
So it's been really like a cool highlight. I just love movies. I love Yeah.
I have to say it's been really nice this season that I feel like there's been a really good mix of like big movies and like smaller, more indie feeling movies and like weird movies and movies that took big swings, and it's just been like a nice mix. It makes me hopeful for like a you know, an incoming creative renaissance that we're always hoping for.
Right.
Well, I started watching Showgun. Have you seen I haven't seen shown?
Ye? Good? It is wow. Also there's like a lot of hot people on it, so that's nice. Eye can't be really fun always helpful. Yeah, I'm I'm just you know, and I'm all, I'm pretty much caught up with all my housewives ladies doing good, just you know doing Yeah, girl, you're like living. I love it. I love this for you, just living my life over here. I mean, I'm I'm absolutely in need of uh I'm like looking around my office. You guys can't see me, but like my office is
a trash right now, Like it is. Absolutely there's like a giant bag and like corner with like stuff to take to the goodwill. It's not more better?
Well, how perfect for what we're discussing today is that's it will give you the push. We are talking about decluttering and spring cleaning. SOAR is gonna have an assignment after this.
I do want to get more better at this. I do want to get more better at this because, like you know, spring cleaning is it's I'm I'm sure. I don't know if we have notes about this, but like there's like a tradition of you know, when the seasons change, it's important to like change with the season, right and so like when spring actually comes, we're not I'm not
in it yet. We're not in it yet, but it is so nice to do things like sweep your front step or like you know, do the closet clean out or like turnover, Like, okay, the sweaters are going away, the jackets are getting going in the back of the clause or whatever the fuck. But like the amount of stuff, the amount of like it's like I just get so resistant to it. I guess is like I get resistant to the start.
Of it, and I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. You got done, you'll do it?
Yeah, yeah, And like no, it can be a lot. I'm just not the kind of person that's like, let me get a list out or you know, I mean, I'll make a list, but like I'm not. I remember reading did you ever read The Little House on the Prairie books? Not watch the show, but read the books. No, okay,
well there's still time for you. They're very good. But there was this thing in the Little House books where like Monday they would do the wash, Tuesday they would do this, Thursday they would do that, you know, like there was a day for like whatever. I can't. I can't live that way. I can't and I know my life would be better for it if I did stuff like that, but sure, I cannot do it. I can't. I can't do it.
That surprises me because I feel like, I mean, I know, obviously people tidy up before like you come over, but like every time I've been to your house or even like just how your dressing room was laid out, I feel like you are so organized.
Well I am organized. I'm very organized, and like I'm ruthless when it comes to stuff like m like you don't let yourself acquire too much. Well, but the thing that I'm just about throwing away. But I'm also like a major collector, so like I collect constantly, like I'm like a magpie. If it's shiny and interesting, I'm like I need one of those and one of those and one of those and one of those, you know, and so like I just accumulate so much. But I also like,
am I'm good at like getting rid of stuff. It's just the the the organizing aspect of it, or like looking at it as a big mountain then I need to climb. It's different when I'm in my closet, like if we leave clothes out of it, because clothes are like a different category. I feel like they're like right, it's more about fashion and fun and like, yeah, utilizing
what you have and blah blah blah blah blah. I'm talking about like stacks of books, like stuff that needs to get to the framer note books that are empty or half filled with stuff. You know, I'm just looking them, literally, just looking around at the stuff that I need to get rid of. I'm like, oh, you know, like, what's that piece of wrapping paper that I've had for six years that I just haven't used on anything because it's
so pretty? You know, I like, what do I do with this little card from this thing that I got invited to that I don't want to throw away? But I where do I? You know?
Yeah, it's so like oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. It can be a lot, and I and you know, like.
It though you like doing it, I do. I love a good declutter and purject.
I literally feel myself less stressed out after I do it.
I was so judgmental without why. I was like why, I really was.
Like, ew didn't even clock it didn't even God, you should have.
Yeah, I you know, I.
Love the ritual of spring cleaning. You know, it certainly hasn't happened every single year, because you know, there have been some crazy springs and then but like when it doesn't happen, it's like in the back of my mind and I'm stressed out, and I'm like, I've got to get it done before the fall comes, like something about like before the cold weather comes, like I still got to do this. And I would say we do like a big we did a big declutter purge of the
whole house. Uh maybe like a year or so ago, you know, obviously, like the the goal is always to do it every year, but yeah, sometimes you don't need that. Like sometimes it's like to do the whole house. Like we went closet by closet, Like we picked a week that we didn't have much going on, and we were just like, okay, Monday, we're tackling the coat closet, which doesn't just have coats, it also has bins in there of like bullshit, Like there's a bin in there of
beach bags. Do we need five beach bags? We use the same fucking one every time we go to the beach. We don't need the other ones, you know what I mean? Like five umbrellas, half of them were broken like shit like that, and we just like went closet by closet and then like drawer by drawer because we have like junk drawer, like what we call junk drawers. We have like one in our bedroom and one in the kitchen that like shit just kind of gets tossed into. So
you don't like a junk drawer not. I fucking hate the junk.
I love hate use. I refuse to have a junk drawer in my house. My husband is trying to turn the one. There's a drawer in the kitchen that holds like the keys, pens, no pads, and he kind only is putting it in there, and I'm just like, what is this? Get it out? I don't. But if you don't put it in there, where are you putting it?
They throw away? Melissa, Well throw it away. Yes, if it isn't home, it needs to be in the trash.
But does not have a home. That's and you know what, as I'm listening to you, I'm like, that's why I don't do this very often, because like everything has a home, and if it doesn't have a home, I throw it away. And Brad has gotten so annoyed with me before because he's like, Oh, I'm like where does this live? Where does this? Where's this? You? Know, like where does this live?
Where's the home for this? And he's like, yeah, why do you talk about these things like it's not which is so weird because I am obsessive about it needs a little home. It needs to have a home, and it can't just go in a bin. Can't be in a bin, you know, Like I'm like, it has to have a home. But what happens if you don't have it like a home?
Like like good, But there's some things that you don't random that you don't live here.
You don't live here. Exe to me what a random thing would be. Tell me what a random thing would be. I'll tell you where I'll put it. Well, challenge me.
I'm trying to think what's in our bedroom? So our bedroom junk drawer is a bedroom a mix of girl.
It's a drawer. It closes. I'll have to look at it.
Okay, it has a mix of uh, notebooks, no block of ew.
No.
We have books everywhere. I literally don't have space on any shelf.
You need to throw at some of those books. But half of them we use.
And then maybe there's one or two in there that are probably maybe that are like maybe sentimental.
Here's what I think if it's a novel and you're like, I am so proud that I read this book and
I want to read it again someday, keep it. But books are trophies, essentially, their trophies their trophies to like display of like look at how smart I am, like all these books that I read, and so unless they're being used as a reference, stugy it is, unless they're be to me, Unless they're being used as a reference, or you know that you're going to lend them out to someone else after I've read it, I'm just like goodbye,
oh good bye. I don't need you anymore. Like I'm never going to read My Court of Thorns and Roses again, Like I already read it, you know, right right, right right, goodbye.
We have a lot of books in our bedroom book most of them are like books we plan on reading and then. But I also like I I.
Have my whole life.
I still don't really have this, but like you know, when you see it in fancy houses, there's like a study or like a room with a big bookshelf. I mean, I kind of have a big bookshelf, but it's like in the kid's room, and you know, the top half of it as mine. There's something aesthetically beautiful about that. And I also find it, like, I don't know, cozy and comforting. So like for me seeing books around that we've read is just there's something visually kind of cozy
about it that I just joy looking at. And I just also have a dream of having a room where there's like a library, a library, yeah, where there's like all these books and it's not about like the books we've read or haven't read or you know, trophies. Let's be real, it's true not And I do like to go back and write. I do like go back to reference like reference books.
But I don't know, I.
Just it's just something that is like cozy and comforting to me. Like I will sit in that room sometimes and like stare at all the books and be like, oh, yeah, remember that one, or like I still have we have all the plays that we've read or like worked from. There's like one that's like full of plays and like I will thumb through that sometimes or just look at it and be like, I don't know, it's like little memories.
I guess, yeah that makessonally that makes sense. I mean I think library like I'm just saying, like with the notebooks, what are the notebooks in the drunk drawer? Like what are are they like spiral notebooks? Are they? Like? Are they also to look at? Like what is the deal with these notebooks?
Yeah? There is, Yeah, there's a couple spirals. They're like David and I are both list makers. Otherwise we can't remember shit, right, so we have so those sometimes are I think like the top two notebooks are like our notebooks that we grab sometimes when we have to make like bigger lists because we also have like pads of paper in the kitchen junk drawer, but that's more for like shorter lists and groceries and stuff.
This is junk so far these things belong in the drawer, Like oh yeah, junk drawer is.
Just like a phrase. And then there's a big notebook in there that's like a leather notebook that was given to me as a gift that I was supposed to use as a journal and I never did.
But it has a very sweet inscription in it, and I have written in it a little bit. But my brain is like, rip out the inscription, get rid of the leather notebook. I can't. I refuse to buy an ugly notebook. This is like, oh yeah, that's pretty. It has to be esthetically like pleasant to be out on the counter.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, in case it's out on the counter. Yeah, I do that too.
This one that I'm holding up is like covered in flowers and stuff. Like in the drawer next to me is it's my desk strawer, And there's like a compartment for everything, Like there's a it's this is the desk drawer. But if I need a lighter, I know exactly where it is. If I need the pencil sharpener, I know exactly where it is. If I need the glue, I know exactly where it is, the stikler, whatever, whatever.
The junk drawer can be organizational. I wouldn't say I'm trying to think of what else is in that drawer. Oh, there's there's some eyeglass cases in there in case you need one.
We both were glasses.
It's like, and then there's like some travel stuff. There's like a ziplock of like charging cords and extra like squares that.
Goes with the suitcases. There does not need to be like in the suitcases. It goes with the travel stuff.
Yeah, but sometimes we're putting suitcases inside suitcases in our little like storage area where the suitcases go for saving space.
There's a little area needs to be near this travel stuff where like you keep your little travel bags and like your You're like, yeah, but ours is like outside and like in the garage. And then there's like, let me, here's the thing. Different things work for different families, Yeah, obviously, but like I mean, I feel like we're both saying the same thing that like isis guys. Our producer was like, this will be a fun episode, and like as she said it, I was like, a' so fucking moly, not
it won't. It's gonna give me anxiety. My shoulders will like up on my ears. I hate liss, I hate it.
I like I will say that things do get tossed in that drawer a lot, and so every few months I will empty the whole drawer and throw out shit and then like kind of just keep the shit that I know we still use or grab and like, and it's.
Always like half of what was fucking in there.
Sometimes you're just you know what it is too. Like David a little bit more than me hates like clutter on like the counter eat on our dresser or like right and so. But sometimes there's things that you're like, oh fuck, like I'm you know, I can't throw this out yet, I might need to get it later whatever, or I'm not sure, so it just goes in the drawer.
It's also like just like a like a quiz can't see me, but I'm rubbing my face because you're just like trying to declutter quickly and you don't have time to like go through every fucking thing and check with your partner do we need this? Do we not?
Can't throw this out, so it just gets like shoved in the drawer and then we go through the drawer when it's full.
System. It's a system. Hate it. We have a kitchen peninsula, and like Brad is amazing in so many ways, he will clean the whole peninsula. Everything is like spick and span. He loves to clean. And then in the middle of the peninsul will be a giant mountain of just bullshit, like bullshit that what just put it away? And like
I've realized in our partnership, I am the one. I am the one that needs to put these things away or choose whether or not they go in the trash right, and like I try so hard, like the systems that I put in place, I try to get him to understand what it is about the system that I want to have happened, Like there was there's like a bookshelf.
We do have a big bookshelf in our living room that has bottom is kids books, middle is like reference materials, and you know, there's lots of pictures on the shelf. And then on the very top of the shelf to the right is where we're supposed to put the bills. Incoming bills, outgoing bills. Chargers are in a little box. And then both of the laptops are supposed to sit right on top of each other. And that's it. That's all.
It's supposed to be there. Every time I pass by and I look at it, and Marie Kondo talks about this, the visual eye clutter of that is like so fucking it makes me fucking insane. I want to put my fists through a wall, like it is horrifying for me, Like I can't handle it. I can handle it visually, I just get so overwhelmed. And I think that that's why I get really overwhelmed when it's like Okay, let's do this room, you know, like and I can do it.
I like I wish I, you know, could put my brain in a space where like I'm gonna do this this week with my partner, but I don't think my partner works that way, so like I often feel like I'm doing it by myself, you know, But like I just like the visual. The visual of like all the stuff everywhere is so hard for me. Yeah.
Yeah, here's the other thing that really fucks everything up.
Children forget it, honey.
And the amount of shit that they acquire as they get older when they come home from a fucking birthday party. By the way, can we campaign to just get rid of gift bags a gift by Every time my kid comes home with a fucking plastic bag, I want to scream, okay, because then they want to keep every little fucking plastic thing that's in there, And I'm like, this is bad for the environment.
No one asked you to do this. I don't understand it.
Now they're expecting it.
What would be a good Like do we just give them money? Like do we hand them like a five dollars, like five dollars like as we don't do anything like I don't have to treat if they want, Okay, a cookie, A cookie, I like that, an edible gift, an edible gift, that's nice.
Or like times I was like, in lieu of Favors, we have made a donation to this charity Favors.
Bye, thanks for coming in lou of Favors. You don't have bullshit coming into your house. Okay, you can tell us thank you you are. I am not going to send you home with some FuG and bullshit.
A book so could be cute, you know, it's something that you like, actually use, but I really hate gift bags. And then they want to keep all of it. And then now my, you know, they have like their little bedside tables and in those drawers it's just all the
fucking shit they want to save. And then I have to sneak in there and go through it and like see what I can throw out that they won't miss or notice, and or like the shoes, you know, they'll like rip a like a Enzo's a little bit like this, Like he has a pair of nikes that are absolutely trashed, absolutely trashed, but he loves that, he loves them, and so he still has them and we've bought him new shoes because we're like, these are really bad, you like
you need like nicer. Yeah, these are about to bust open. But yeah, just like things like shoes, things like you know. And then I always call it inventory when I this is also something I do part of my uh spring cleaning, and it's very overwhelming, but I try to do it. Actually, you before summer and then before winter because that's when they need new clothes usually. But like I go through
all their shit, check all the sizes. Inevitably they're shit in there that doesn't fit them anymore, right, right, that you know, just goes unnoticed or they just like don't you don't put it on them, but you keep it in the drawer because you're busy.
Right, and then this suddenly it doesn't fit them.
And it's like eight in the morning when you're rushing to get them to school and you're like, these pants don't fit and you just drove them back in the drawer. So I go through all the clothes, get rid of like whatever doesn't fit or that they never wear, that they don't like, whatever it is that has holes in it. And then yeah, just like all their they're junk and like they're it's.
Oh my god. And then all the things that come home from school.
We have two folders in the kitchen, one for Axle, one for Enzo that we kind of like, you know, accomplishments or like things they come home with that they're proud of that you have to like wait to throw out because if you throw out in front of them, you're gonna like devastate them. So I'll like stick it in their folder.
It's true how many of us have like memories of being like holding back tears while you watch your parents like throw it away, right.
You can't do that shit in front of you. Know how many times I've been caught you have they've caught you. Oh yeah, they've caught me.
They go to throw something out and they're like either what does yeah, and then I'm like, oh my god, I'm so sorry. That must have been a mistake. Or I thought you were done with it. We celebrated and then you know, and then I thought we were done.
But yeah, and then so I go through those folders once they start getting fat, Yeah, yeah, better.
Better. That's a good idea to keep the little the folders in the kitchen or whatever, and like.
Just like two folders in the kitchen so you can just like throw their shit in there and then you know, and then I do, like I have a in one closet.
I do have like a little storage drawer with like just labeled like kid memories of like I'm sentimental, so like no I have cute drawings or like you know when they make them do like a thing for their birthday and kindergarten that says all their favorite things or whatever, Like I keep that shit and I put it like in the drawer because I look at it and sob when they go to college and totally try to give it to them and they'll be like are giving this
to me? I want to make sure that you do have I mean, depending on the kind of person you are, but I think most of us are sentimental in some kind of way. So like you want to just like you don't want to inundate yourself, but you want to make sure that you have a space that's like these are the things that are sacred and like they're not going anywhere, you know. But it can be hard when
you don't have a lot of space. Like my, yeah, closets in my house are kind of small, and I have to be like very strategic about where I put little storage boxes or things like that and try to think of systems that work and then be really selective.
About what I save. And but saying we don't have a lot of storage, I mean, and I remember when we were buying this house, I was like, should be at a closet or something like we should be, you know. And there's attic space, which is great. Attic space is lovely for extra you know, putting things in like plastic tins or plastic bags or plastic.
Yeah, we have that, like next to our garage. We like a little storage room, a tiny little room.
Yeah, but you don't want to like stick, you know, I don't know. Attics are also not they get really hot. Yeah, So I don't want to like say, treasured things up there, you know, yes, exactly. Do you still have your wedding dress? I do. I do too.
It's in a big old box that takes up so much fucking room. It's like properly, you know, my mom got it preserved or what she did, and it's just like in the box that it came in. I just never opened it and it's just shoved up at the top of that.
That storage for. I don't know what I got two boys.
Maybe you never know, they marry women someday and they want to use we never know ace.
Or some shit. I don't know, but I've seen tons of videos lately where girls go and like use their grandmothers or their moms and they turn it into like a cute little like after party dress or yeah.
Oh, actually my wedding dress would look really cute as like a little mini actual mini.
Yeah, And like I've seen the girls like put little like cute little sleeves.
On it, or like, oh, I'm wearing this on my honeymoon. It was my mom's or whatever, So I think that's cute.
H I. I feel like what I'm learning in this conversation is that I don't like to do the big decluttering because I want it to be I wanted to maintain. I want it.
Yeah, I want to be in a maintaince phase always. I don't ever want to.
Have to do like the deep dive, because the deep dive is the thing that makes me. And here I will be very honest. When we moved into this house, we used an organizer, we used a professional organizer, and I was like I am. I don't want any birthday presents. I don't want any Christmas presents. I don't want an anniversary present. I was like, I am serious, Brad, I want this is the luxury gift that you're going to get me for my birthday? For for the I don't
want to push present. I don't want any that shit. I want a fucking real organizer, you know. And I will say, I mean that's something that not everyone can do, but everybody. I feel like everybody either knows has a friend that's really good at this or is pretty darn good out of themselves, and like utilize them because if you can't do this thing on your own, like I can't do this. I can maintain the system and I'm really good at it. But you can't talk him up
with this system, y'all. I can't. I did try. So. The one time that I did this was when I was moving from being a single person into we had I think we'd gotten married and we were now moving from the apartment that we shared into a house. I guess I think we're we were building, we were, it
doesn't matter. We were moving, that's the real joint. And when we were moving I read that Marie Condo book, Oh The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, And she's got this like incredible system in it, and if you follow the system, you will get rid of shit, but you will also be like drowning in a mountain of your own shit. Like it is you really see how much stuff you have because she makes you go through it. She doesn't let you go like room by room. She's like,
start with your books. This is probably why I'm so brutal about books. Start with your books. Then you do your clothes. Then you do I think isis had it written down, but like I can't remember where it is. It's like first you commit, yeah, then you have to like imagine, like what what do you want your ideal lifestyle to be? And then you start like discarding stuff and you the method is like does this spark joy?
So you literally have to put your hands on everything that you own, and by the time that you're done, you're like why do I have so much shit? Like why do I have all this stuff? Like I don't want any of this, Like I don't want this, you know, And it's really useful. It takes forever, though it took I think it took a week to go through everything. But it was like, you know, I mean I was
put in work. I was like, yeah, I was putting in work because you take everything like you take all of the books off the shelves, like you take you take all of the clothes out of the closet. You know what I mean?
It's not right, Like, wait, let's talk about clothes as someone who loves fashion and has a lot of clothes.
How do you get? What do you mean? How dare you? I speak truth? You do? So this is what I so? Okay, when I was in Toronto, I had like a bit of a capsule wardrobe because right, and I actually loved everything that I bought and wore in Toronto. I was like, oh my god, these are my colors. I love this stuff like I really felt like using less made me more aware of what I like to wear. So then when I got back, I went through my whole closet
and that was hell. I went through my whole closet, got rid of a ton of shit because I bought a lot of stuff in Toronto. I think the main rules that I have for stuff is like I don't have any hard and fast rules like you know how you hear, Oh, if you don't wear it in two years, then you should get rid of it. No, no, no, no. I have a vintage Valentino dress in my closet that I've owned for five years. I've never worn it. I'm waiting for the time to wear it. I'm not getting rid of that.
You know, we've all heard my regret story about the DVF dress that I when I was in my twenties because I didn't think I was gonna wear it again, And now forty year only is like, why don't I have a dress?
Yeah. So there's some things that like I hold onto that are important. But at the same time, I think it's very, very very You've got to ask yourself periodically, do you am I wearing this or am I holding onto it? Because like, like, okay, So something that I learned to do recently is I if I have like fifteen minutes or whatever, I'll go in my closet and I'll like try stuff on and take pictures and make
new outfits or whatever. And yesterday I tried on a sweater that I was like, oh, this is such a pretty sweater, and I put it on. I like tried it on with jeans, and I tried it on with the different pair of pants, and I tried it on with something else. I was like, I don't like this. This is really pretty on the hangar. I don't like this. This is something for me, and I never reach for it. And that's why, because I don't know how to wear
it in a way that makes me feel like me. Yeah, so I'm gonna get rid of it.
You know.
That's a good stuff like that. It's like if I don't know how to absolutely like grab it and put it on and wear it in a way that feels like me, Yeah, I gotta let it go. Yeah, even if I paid a lot for it, even if it was a gift, even if like whatever, whatever, you know, Like that's how I am with books too. I'm like, I already read it. I did it. I already did it. I don't want it, I don't need it, you know.
Yeah, Yeah, I did do the the hangar trick for a while where because I again small closet, so I need to like every spring, like all the winter shit goes away and I bring out my summer stuff and vice versa, and so and my friend.
Chazz shout out Chaz.
He told me about it. He was like, when you put all that spring stuff, he was like, put every hanger like backwards, and then when you wear the thing, like put it back the normal way. And at the end of the summer you'll see all everything that you didn't wear that summer.
And I kind of liked it. It was kind of a neat trick.
Like at the end of the summer or when I was whenever I was getting ready to like do the switch, I saw all these, you know, and some of them I kept. I was like, oh, I don't wear that, but I still really love it, and like, you know, I'm going to keep it.
And then there.
Were like a lot of things and I was like, oh, this makes sense why I did not wear this all summer.
I don't think I actually like it. I'm going to get rid of it.
It was just like a very easy visual thing. Yeah, it helped me get rid of stuff. Now we see you when you shop when you buy, do you get rid of stuff? Like do you get rid of stuff? Because I do that one for one yeah, one for one ish. I mean I try, I really do try. There is That's why there's.
Like a bag in the corner of my office right now, I has stuff in it because there is stuff that needs to go to the donation center. I really try, but I also don't. I don't always subscribe to that because I think there are like not holes in my closet, but there's like things that I'm like what wish I had, like a you know, yeah, yeah, And if I don't have it, then I'm not going to get rid of something that I already wear or like love or have sentimental value to whatever. You know, I'm not going to
get rid of it just because I brought something new in. However, I do think I'm not always that way with clothes, but I am that way with stuff, like yeah, I don't want You know, a kid's stuff is really a hard one because they get so attached to toys, and you know, everybody says, like cycle the toys up, like with what time? Like when are you guys cycling toys?
Like I don't know, I don't have the time. But I think that that we did do when we were cleaning up for Christmas, we stuck a bunch of her I have to be quiet because she's in the other room. We stuck a bunch of her stuffies downstairs, and then before we brought all the stuff he's back upstairs. I did, like I was like throw like into a bag for a donation because I was like, oh, she doesn't play with this, she doesn't play with them for a month. You know.
When my kids were smaller, I would if I noticed there were some toys they weren't really playing with, I would just put them in a closet and wait. And if they didn't ask for that toy or they didn't notice that it was gone out of here here in the garbage or to the donation center, I think, you know, one of the things that I think I learned from the Maricondo thing was like that question of like when you hold something and it does it spark joy? Part of that is like it's okay.
As somebody who grew up with not very much money at all, it is so hard for me to let things go when I know I spent money on them. Yeah it's pretty. And that's something that I've learned as an adult that's like okay, though, Like yeah, and it might be easy for me to say, but if if I'm holding on to something because I spend money on it, but it is like weighing me down, Like it's in
my house and it's like taking up space. It's causing me stress, and like you know, it's like I don't have any room in my closet because I have all these pairs of gens because you know, I bought them, but I don't wear them because they don't fit. It's like, so who am I? How am I winning here? You know, like this is not a win for me in any way, shape or form. Right, So that's something that I think is a way to get more better at This is like accepting that like you already, like that money's gone,
you already spent it. You done spend it already, you know, unless this is like a vintage investment piece that we're talking about, Like let's set that aside. It's like a shirt or a toy or a book or like something. It's like the money was already spent. Now do you still like this thing? Do you still want to have it around? Or are you keeping it around because you spent money on it and you've assigned a dollar amount to it and that's the value of it, Like is
it you know? Or could you get rid of it or could you get rid of it, could you say by start it out? Yeah, start it away.
Yeah, it is always very liberating and like.
When once you do it, Yeah, I want to feel that. I want to feel that way all the time. I want I want constant. I say this, I'm like, God, like, it's not that much. It's it's like five things, but it's making me crazy because it just make a.
Schedule girl be like I'm gonna do this this day, this, this, this, like well I have to.
Yeah, I just take schedule letters up and then like toss these things in the fucking yeah. But also like put in the schedule put I can't throw these away. You can't throw those away. Those cutey little handprints like tulip my kid made a Valentine for me, and they're like from school and they're little, the little red hand prints.
Yeah.
See that's what the special kid memory memory were. Yeah. More better. I don't know, I mean, do you feel like we like, did we just tell everyone what we think about those? Like? What?
What?
How did we I don't know if I got more better at this.
I don't know that we actually gave any tips or I feel like we just vented.
Oh we did anything today? Today, we just bullshitted. You know what, if you too thinking that you were going to get Marie condo tips, think again. Sorry, we should put a disclaimer at the beginning of this, like this is just us absolutely just trying to get more better at that. This is just trying, We're not really doing it. I do feel inspired for when I go home.
Do you I'm going to get rid of some books, Stephanie, I'm going.
To get rid of some books. Text me a little pile of book I will. I will.
A little bit of that did creep in because we do. You know, we have too many piles of books. I try to make them look cute, like they're like like on purpose. But it's time to It's time like those trophies like okay, all right, relax.
Do you feel more better? I do. I feel a little more better. I feel I feel like I need to clean out our quote unquote junk drawer. Yuck. Why do we have all these keys? What do these keys go to?
Maybe you just have to like rebrand it. Maybe it just needs a different name.
It's not a it's.
It is not I refuse, it's a it's an extra drawer. It's the brad doesn't know what to do with this. So it's the it's the yeah, the husband drawer, the miscellaneous drawer.
You know, everything has a place, and everything in its place or whatever however that's saying goes, where's its home? Oh god, I would at home. That would drive you would hate it. I would do where does this live? Where? I would absolutely I'd love to say it. And it's my favorite thing. This doesn't live in here, This doesn't live in here? Where does this live? Oh? Shit?
No?
Yeah she is, Yeah, she is. Anyway to hear it in her brain? In her brain. Yeah, when she's an adult, she moves out. How does this live? She'll like it. It's fine. Thanks for joining us on today's session of Bitch About Cleaning. See you next week. Let's see you next week. Do you have something you'd like to be more better at that you want us to talk about in a future episode.
Can you relate to our struggles or have you tried one of our tips and tricks?
Shoot us your thoughts and ideas at Morebetter pod at gmail dot com and include a voice note if you want to be featured on the pod. Ooh More Better with Stephanie Melissa is a production from WV Sound and iHeartMedia's Mike Utura podcast network, hosted by me, Steffie Beatrice, and Melissa more Better is produced by Isis Madrid and Sophie Spencer Zagos. Our executive producers are Wilmer Valderrama and
Leo Clem at w V Sound. This episode was edited by Isis Madrid and engineered by Sean Tracy and features original music by Madison Davenport and Halo Boy. Our cover art is by vincent Remy's and photography by David Avalos. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See you next week's Suga Bye