We’ve started a new personal shopping challenge at our house. This time Sherry has pledged to avoid buying anything from one fairly large category for an entire year. It’s part goal, part experiment — and part reminder that small habits can create big changes. Alongside that, we spoke with simplicity expert Emily Ley about practical ways to reduce busyness and create more margin in daily life. She shared concrete tips for organizing a family calendar, simplifying routines, and even fun ideas to get kids involved in streamlining the day-to-day. We also demonstrate a quick, low-dust method for hanging heavy objects on walls and share a new guilty-pleasure show that’s had us laughing out loud (and yes, it made Sherry tear up a few times).
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What’s New
- Curious about Sherry’s wardrobe? Check out the closet tour we posted last month for a clear look at what she owns and how it’s organized.
- We also published a detailed post last year about her minimal wardrobe approach: how creating a “uniform” makes dressing simple while allowing many outfit combinations by mixing and matching staple pieces.
- If you’re inspired to try a buying freeze of your own, consider Elsie Larson’s year-long challenge to purchase only secondhand clothing — a great way to rethink consumption while discovering unique items.
- We also referenced Gretchen Rubin’s framework distinguishing “Abstainers” from “Moderators,” a useful lens when deciding whether a strict rule or a balanced approach will work better for you.
Emily Ley, Simplified
- Emily Ley focuses on minimizing daily friction so families can focus on what matters. Her systems cover family calendars, routines, and simplifying wardrobe and paper clutter to protect time and energy.
- She’s written several books on these topics that walk you through practical steps to simplify life. Her approach is encouraging and approachable, aimed at creating sustainable habits rather than perfection.
We’re Digging
- For hanging heavy items without searching for a stud or making a lot of dust, we recommend using screw-in drywall anchors designed for higher loads. They install quickly with a drill or screwdriver and eliminate the need to predrill multiple holes, which saves time and keeps the process cleaner. We keep both 50 lb and 75 lb versions on hand for mirrors, large frames, and floating shelves.
- On the lighter side of recommendations, we’ve been hooked on the reality competition show The Circle. It’s a short, compelling binge with only a dozen episodes, and it’s become one of our favorite recent finds for its mix of strategy and heartfelt moments.
If you’re trying to track down a past recommendation from an episode, we’ve compiled a master list of everything we’ve mentioned over the years, including books and products. That page is a handy reference when you remember loving something but can’t recall which episode it came from.
We’re grateful to Grove Collaborative for sponsoring this episode. They often run welcome offers that include cleaning and household essentials — a simple way to test new products while supporting the podcast.
Thanks for listening and following along. We appreciate the community you’ve helped build and enjoy sharing practical tips and joyful finds that make everyday life a little easier.
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