Minimal-ish: Minimalism, Intentional Living, Motherhood

Today I am bringing you another episode from the archives! Now that we've hit 300 episodes, I'm bringing back an episode I think deserves a fresh replay each week! Today I have the honor of sharing my conversation with Christy Wright. We talked all about balance - what it means and why we are always in search of it. I absolutely love Christy's take on balance, the way it looks different in different seasons, and how we can achieve it. We also talk about to - do lists and calendars and ways we can make them actually work for us. You can pre-order her book here: ⁠Take Back Your Time⁠ Find Christy on ⁠Instagram⁠ Find Desirae on ⁠Instagram⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Minimal-ish for another guest episode! This week I'm excited to be sharing my conversation with Myquellyn Smith, also known as The Nester, all about her version of decluttering that she calls "House Hushing." She has a new book about this topic, and I just love her practical tips for decluttering our homes in a less overwhelming way. Listen in as we talk about for decluttering and decorating your home to create a peaceful, beautiful space, involving your family in decluttering, tips for small space storage and decor, and more! Get Myquellyn's new book - House Hushing: The Simple Method to Declutter and Decorate for a More Peaceful Home  Myquellyn's Website Myquellyn on Instagram Desirae on Instagram Sponsor: Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is part of a new Minimal-ish Mid-week Replay Series. Now that we've hit 300 episodes, I'm digging into the archives to bring back some of my favorites which I will bring you as an additional episode each week. You'll still get new episodes, but I want to bring my favorites back to the surface, too! It's that time of year when a shift in the routine is coming for many of us. Diana Rene is my guest today, and we're focusing on systems that can simplify some of the most overwhelming parts of the season, like the influx of paper that comes into our homes or the amount of school lunches we have to pack over the next several months. We also talk about simplifying getting out the door in the morning. Stay tuned for our new episode later this week where I'll have "The Nester" as my guest talking about hushing our homes! Links: ⁠Diana on Instagram⁠ ⁠Desirae on Instagram⁠ ⁠Podcast Website⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm bringing you an episode unlike our typical episodes here on minimal-ish. For our 300 episode celebration, I wanted to bring you behind the microphone and just share a little more vulnerably about the podcast journey that has spanned the last 8 years. Here's what you'll find: -The actual journey of the podcast: how it started, name changes, my own creative changes along the way. -Why minimalism is still meaningful all these years later. -Three big struggles I've encountered with podcasting. -Four memorable moments from the past 8 years of podcasting. This may be my most candid/ most vulnerable chat yet, so I hope you will sit down with your favorite drink (or do your dishes or take a walk or whatever it is you are doing) and enjoy listening in. Most of all, thank you for being here, whether it is your first episode or you've been listening for years. I'm beyond grateful for you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm joined by Mimi Bouchard, and I can't wait to share this conversation with you. We mention a discount code to try out her app, Activations, in the episode which you can find at activations.com/pod. In our conversation, we talk about simple, attainable ways to live with more intention and motivation in your everyday life. Whether you're striving to be more present in motherhood, more fulfilled in your career, or simply more intentional in the way you approach each day, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can start using right away. I hope this conversation leaves you feeling inspired, empowered, and encouraged to take small, meaningful steps toward becoming the person you want to be. About Mimi: Mimi is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, published author of "Activate Your Future Self", and founder of the app Activations– a modern alternative to meditation. After years of struggling to connect with traditional mindfulness, Mimi created a more versatile, time-efficient option to feel grounded and motivated. With over 100,000 users (including fans like Miranda Kerr!), Activations are unique guided audiosdesigned to be played while you live your life– no sitting in silence required. Her signature approach blends science and soul; rooted in habit formation, neuroscience, and practical strategies while radiating warmth and relatability. Mimi has helped thousands of women feel more inspired, abundant, and motivated, and is creating a new form of “personal development” method that’s both practical and magnetic. Links: Get a 14-day free trial plus a massive discount on Activations: http://activations.com/pod Mimi’s Website Mimi on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I'm sharing 6 questions that help me when my house gets to an overwhelmingly messy point. These questions aren't just about decluttering, because sometimes our house is overwhelming becasue we are in a season that is a little bit too busy for decluttering. I hope one or more of these questions help put you at ease (or help you take action) if your space is currently overwhelming you. Sponsor: Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's guest episode, Erin Washington shares insights on the impact of social media on our kids and practical ways parents can foster confidence and healthy habits in their kids. She may be sharing mostly about how we can foster confidence in our kids, but her tips really hit me as someone who has struggled with body image most of my life. Her new children's book is called "I'm Just Like Me," and is a great tool to help us build confidence in our kids through reading together. Links: Erin's Podcast Erin on Instagram I'm Just Like Me book Desirae on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am bringing you a guest episode featuring Emily Feldpausch, a parent of three, educator, and author of The Unfollow Effect: Intentional Living in a Digital Age. After a personal experiment with social media revealed just how much technology was shaping her daily life, she became passionate about helping others cultivate healthier, more intentional digital habits. Emily encourages people to protect what matters most—their peace, presence, and relationships—while using technology in ways that align with their values. Today she shares insights on how we can build boundaries for screen time and model better habits and boundaries as parents. Her tips come at a perfect time for any parent wanting to prioritize presence and intentionality around screen time and technology this summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this 3rd edition of our minimal-ish coffee date, I'm sharing some summer routines, what I'm loving about community-based summer camps, summer reading incentives, and a minimal-ish learning dealing with finances and a tight budget. I hope you enjoy listening in, and feel free to share some of your things your loving, simplifying and learning in my instagram DMs! Links: Desirae on Instagram Barnes and Noble Summer Reading for grades 1-6 Pizza Hut Book It Program for grades pre-k - 6. Sponsor: Get 10% off your first bidet purchase at hellotushy.com/minimalish with code minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A long awaited declutter with me episode is here! In January of this year I took time to accomplish a really tough decluttering project - my overrun-with-disorganized-storage basement. I'm here today bringing you the step by step process I took and what I learned in the process. Sponsor: Caraway Go to caraway.com/minimalish to get an additional 10% off your order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REPLAY: Today I am bringing you a fun conversation with special guest Diane Boden of Minimalist Moms all about having a minimal-ish summer. Diane shares so many great tidbits in this interview, including: finding a balance of flexibility and structure for everyone, simple routines to make getting out of the house less stressful, prioritizing connection with our family, and even unique ways to make time for our own friendships as moms. I’m so excited for you to tune into this episode to kick off your own minimal-ish summer! Links: ⁠Diane on Instagram⁠ ⁠Minimalist Moms Instagram⁠ ⁠Minimalist Moms Podcast⁠ ⁠Desirae on Instagram⁠ ⁠Minimal-ish Podcast Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm sharing another "coffee date" style solo episode with you (formerly known as mini solo episodes), but I'm doing it with Mother's Day in mind! I'm sharing 2 things I've been loving and why they've been a game changer for me in motherhood, plus three ways minimalism is impactful to me as a mom. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I hope you're encouraged to find your thing. Desirae on Instagram⁠ ⁠Minimal-ish Podcast Website Sponsor: Caraway: take an additional 10% off your next purchase.This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit Carawayhome.com/MINIMALISH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am so happy to welcome back Ashlee Gadd for an encouraging and practical conversation about friendship in motherhood and showing up for your people. Ashlee is a mother, writer, and founder of Coffee + Crumbs, and she has spent years helping women tell honest, beautiful stories about motherhood. In this episode, we talk about the role friendships play in our lives as moms—and how they naturally shift and evolve through different seasons of parenting, as well as her new book You’re in Good Company: The Gift of Friendship, Motherhood, and Showing Up. We share personal experiences with friendship in early motherhood, busier seasons, and everything in between. Ashlee also offers such a helpful perspective on being intentional in our relationships, including the power of being specific when offering support to a friend. If you’ve been loving these conversations about friendship as an adult like I have, you will love this chat filled with tangible takeaways to try right away. Links from this episode: Ashlee’s new book: You’re In Good Company (released March 2026) Ashlee on Instagram (@ashleegadd) (@coffeeandcrumbs) Ashlee’s website Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Podcast Website More Episodes on Friendship in Motherhood: Ep 287: Making Friends as an Adult: The Good, the Hard, and the Awkward with Kristen Strong Ep 281: Building Lasting Community with Palak Dave Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I'm sharing my mid-minimal-ish life crisis moment when my husband said to me: Can we even call ourselves minimal-ish anymore? It was a series of conversations that made me reflect and redefine what minimalish means. We'll discuss the ebb and flow of clutter and the impact of life seasons on this minimal-ish journey. Listen in for an even more grace-filled version of minimalism that I personally need in this season, and maybe you do, too. Desirae on Instagram⁠ ⁠Minimal-ish Podcast Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s Minimalism Story episode I’m joined by Dana Litz, content creator and founder of Minimal Moves, to talk about what it really looks like to pursue minimalism over time—not perfectly, but through real-life ups and downs. Dana shares her personal journey with decluttering, from her childhood home to moving out—and even moving back in—and how each season shaped her perspective on stuff, space, and what truly matters. This conversation is a great reminder that minimalism isn’t a one-time project, but something that evolves with you. We also talk about the emotional side of decluttering and how to start letting go of items that feel hard to release. Dana offers practical, doable tips for detaching from possessions without guilt, along with her “Minimal Moves” approach—focusing on small, consistent actions that create meaningful change over time. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the cycle of decluttering or struggled to let go, this episode will meet you with both encouragement and realistic next steps. Links from this episode: Dana on TikTok Dana on Instagram (@danalitzel) Dana’s website Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Podcast Website More Minimalism Stories: Ep 261: Minimalism Story: Smart Phone to Flip Phone with Abby Brennan Ep 252: Minimalism Stories with Sami Townsend Ep 220: Minimalism Stories with Jordan Jones Ep 201: Minimalism Stories - From Extreme Minimalism (+ tiny house living) to Minimal-ish with Korie Veidel Ep 192: Minimalism Stories with Leah Franklin Sponsor: Thank you to Caraway for making this episode of Minimal-ish possible! Visit Carawayhome.com/MINIMALISH to take an additional 10% off your next purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tyler Moore, also known as Tidy Dad, is back on Minimal-ish for the third time—and it’s no surprise that you will leave this conversation with tons of actually doable ideas for simplifying the way you take care of yourself. The last time Tyler was on the show, we talked about his book Tidy Up Your Life and the idea of 30-day experiments instead of traditional New Year’s resolutions… and it had such an impact in sparking my own health journey in 2025. This time, we’re narrowing in on what those “experiments” can look like specifically for self-care—and how to gradually layer habits in a way that actually supports your current season of life, even when it’s full and feels impossible to add “one more thing”. We both share honestly about our recent health and fitness journeys, what’s shifted over the past year, and how we’ve learned to focus on small, consistent habits instead of all-or-nothing overhauls. Tyler also gives practical advice for listeners who feel overwhelmed by where to start when it comes to building healthy routines that actually stick. Links from this episode: Fitness bands Dance workout videos Tyler on Instagram Tyler’s website Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Podcast Website More episodes with Tyler: Ep 260: Tidying Up Your Life with Tyler Moore Ep 197: Layering Routines and “Surthriving” with Tyler Moore Sponsors: Bubs Natural Collagen: Get 20% off when you use the code MINIMALISH at bubsnaturals.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Kristen Strong (author, mom of 3, and military spouse) for a heartfelt conversation about something so many of us wrestle with… friendship. Whether it’s finding new friends as an adult, navigating the awkwardness of starting over, or simply maintaining meaningful connections in a busy season, Kristen brings so much honesty and encouragement to our chat. We talk about the ups and downs of friendship through different life stages, the unique challenges of modern life (hello, social media), and how vulnerability and intention can lead to deeper, more fulfilling relationships. Kristen also shares some beautiful wisdom from her new book, Desperate Woman Seeks Friends. It’s part memoir, part gentle guide for anyone feeling a little lonely or disconnected. You’ll walk away from this episode feeling less alone and more equipped to take the next small step toward community—whatever that might look like for you right now. Links from this episode: Kristen on Instagram (@kristenstrong) Kristen’s Website Order her new book: “Desperate Woman Seeks Friends: Real Talk about Connection, Rejection, and Trying Again for the Friendships You Need“ Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Podcast Website Current Sponsor: Thank you to Laundry Sauce for making this episode of Minimal-ish possible! Get 20% off at laundrysauce.com with code MINIMALISH. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I'm introducing a new series of shorter solo episodes where I'll get a little more personal, like we're friends on a coffee date. I'm starting this series with a big life update while I share three things I'm loving, something I'm simplifying, and what I'm calling a "minimal-ish learning" that I had over the past month. We kind of go all over the place as we start shallow with some self-care topics and then get a little deeper as I share a big life transition. I hope you enjoy this new series! Linking all the skin care/ hair items I briefly mentioned in case you're interested: Moisturizing face wash Byoma toner Vitamin C Serum Barrier Serum Moisturizing Cream Other links: Planner Desirae on Instagram Thank you to our current sponsors for making this episode possible! -Shop all things home at wayfair.com -Get the best sheets at Boll and Branch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Minimalish, I’m joined by Katy Wells– wife, mom and decluttering expert for a refreshing conversation on starting the new year off on the right foot in our homes. She shares her own journey with decluttering and discusses the mental, emotional, and physical impacts of clutter that quietly weigh us down. Katy also shares practical strategies for simplifying in a busy household or season (and why we need to continue to normalize lived-in spaces, especially with kids). Katy is the host of the Top 50 podcast The Maximized Minimalist and may have seen her featured recently on NBC News, where she helps families clear their floors, minds, and to-do lists so they can feel calm, clear and in control again. If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of decluttering and re-cluttering, I hope you leave this episode with the belief that change is possible. Connect with Katy: Katy’s Website Katy’s Podcast (The Maximized Minimalist) Katy on Instagram (@katyjoywells) Pre-order Katy’s Book: Making Home Your Happy Place: A Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm (Releases February 17, 2026) Other Links: Desirae on Instagram Minimal-ish Podcast Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is starting with a mini solo episode and continuing with a conversation that I am honored to re-share with Emily Ley. She wrote a devotional book titled Sure as the Sunrise in 2022, and in today's episode, we focus in on the idea of creating a word for the year along with how to create a grace filled morning routine that will work for whatever your life looks like right now. This conversation was so encouraging and comes at the perfect time of year as we are looking towards the fresh start of the new year, but I hope this episode reminds you that any day can be a fresh start. More Minimal-ish New Year Episodes: Episode 213: 4 Ways to Walk Intentionally into 2024 - Other Ways to Set Goals or Intentions for the Year Episode 212: The Annual Minimal-ish Goal Setting Episode- Reflecting on Your Year and Setting Goals that Align with Your Values Episode 165: One Small, Impactful Change to Start the Year (Changing the New Years Narrative) Links: Emily's Devotional: Sure as the Sunrise ⁠Emily's Website⁠ ⁠Emily on Instagram⁠ ⁠Podcast Website⁠ ⁠Desirae on Instagram⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices