It’s not just the weight of the stuff, it’s the mental load of having to remind the rest of the household to clean up after themselves, knowing/tracking where everything goes, not having clean working spaces until/unless you’ve done the first two steps. The constancy of it does weigh a lot! Rest is critical to avoid burnout. ♥️
Great video! I'm much older than you, and matching energy with tasks is the story of my life now. I do what I can, addressing what calls my name. At 76, that's simply life! Well done, Erica!
Erica, what you have achieved since you first started your channel is truly amazing. Your whole family benefits daily from this. On days when your energy is low, please remind yourself of this. We all learn so much from you.
I love that you have a tidy reset during the day. That is part of the slow and simple living. Not stressing about it all. Just live in your house. Such good advice.
Loved this (and all your videos). Your kids are very sweet. They look like their dad, to me. I love your way with the children and everything gets done without “upset/shouting/crying” etc. They seem very happy and able to be themselves. Much less stressful your way - peaceful, calm. You are doing such a great job and inspiring me along this journey of simpler living. Thank you for sharing.
Great video. Thanks. I love how you said you wanted to imagine we were friends and just stopped by to visit. I grew up in an era when women did that. Neighbors would just pop in and sit down and have coffee and visit. But people don't do that anymore and it makes me sad. I think we are really missing out on something that was important back In my childhood. I remember watching my mother and my grandmother just sit with neighbors and have coffee in the middle of the day. That's where the term coffee break came from. Thanks so much for sharing your day with us. And always being an inspiration to slow down and take the time to really look at what is important in life.
Kids need great memories more than they need a "tidy" house. And thats what you are building with your family. Don't worry about what other people think. It's not their family, not their life. It's yours. ❤
Hi Erica. I’m a new suscriber . Thank you for this video. I feel I don’t have the energy to do all I have to do and it helps someone else does. I wish my apartment looks like yours. My place is really bad. I think you are. Being way to hard on yourself. I don’t have kids and I have a hard time. Your a great mom so nice to the kids no yelling. Raising kids is the toughest thing to do. They seem so well behaved and happy. I’m gonna watch more of your videos. Please be easier on yourself. Your doing great
I totally agree about matching tasks to energy. When I was younger I used to spend one whole day of the only two days per week that I did not work, blitzing the house, whether I felt I had the energy or not. Now I'm retired and I tackle housekeeping one job at a time. When I get up in the morning I decide on one main thing that I want to get done. Today it was to assemble a chair that I knew was being delivered. Once that job is done I assess my energy levels. If I'm still good, I'll run the vacuum, dust, or do laundry, maybe even work in the garden (which, unlike you, I hate). If I'm pooped, those jobs will get done on another day. No stress. They'll get done eventually, because I'm not turning them into a big production. My brain doesn't stress about it, so my body doesn't either, and some days I get a ton done. I can work for half an hour or for five hours, depending entirely upon my energy levels and mood. This means that if you drop by my house, unannounced, the carpet may be 'bitty' one day or the mantlepiece is dusty on another, but it's never too bad. The good news is that having done a huge declutter, it is super easy to 'side up' the place, because there's nothing without a designated home.
You have a wonderful bunch of subscribers! It’s nice to read the comments. You are an amazing woman with a lovely family. I love how real you are. Maybe that’s why I love the channel ❤
I’m often just doing what I can depending on my energy levels. I do basics everyday, that is a struggle at present, due to spending time in the hospital for Hubby. Watching your videos has got me through another night in the hospital. TFS. Denise. Xxx
Hi Erica love your channel . I love watching how you interact with your children .Mine are all grown up and moved away . I had four very close in age .I miss the chaos and the messes they made. time moves so fast enjoy this season of your life it will be gone before you know it. I am craving a decluttering video from you though ,how about it got any more stuff to declutter❤
Something that helps me, is rebounding just for 5 min a day until you build up your endurance. Rebounding will release endorphins that will get you motivated and more energy and focus. I was amazed at just 5 minutes a day what a difference in made in my life. I have the energy that I need. ❤️
Real life, children cleaning and getting distracted. I’m still like that at 59! I think it’s one of the reasons I love gardening, by its very nature I get to flit from area to area. My partner of 8 years dislikes the dishes being left after dinner. I on the other hand always left them until morning, because as a working mother I always spent the evening with my children. In the morning I got up first and by washing up it gave me the momentum to keep going. Recently I said to him I don’t want to clean up tonight, he said fine he would do it. I asked him to leave it, I stacked it neatly and next morning got up early got stuck in and had a very productive day. My point is different strokes for different folks. You are doing a great job. 😀
Not to be weird, but I already think of you as a friend! I have been following you for years and get so much enjoyment and inspiration from your videos and approach to life and family. Thank you for sharing your life with us! Another great video.
Hi Erica, OMGOSH ... this is EXACTLY how we lived when the kids were little! Children don't have that concept of societal pressures of organization yet - isn't that great? Imagination doesn't have those boundaries, have you ever seen a picture of Albert Einstein's messy desk? Or other great minds for that matter. Desks filled with stacks and stacks of paper spilling onto the floor. We all have different levels of visual clutter, and I believe age plays a role in that too. I can't wait for your videos to come out, you are keeping it real, you help others like me grow (I'm thinking of starting up a garden again) .. you have grace and compassion and you love dogs ...need I say more? I wish I had you as a friend when I was raising my kids because I would have loved to homeschool and at almost 60 - I'm still learning. For the people that say "you should" - they have a hard time looking inward and saying "I should" so they speak outward instead. Thank you for your shoulds, woulds, coulds, and also your "can't do it today" ... and for matching your energy level to the tasks ... I had that underlying in my day today and needed to hear it out loud! PS - you pointed out that goodwill was taking things in Home Depot parking lots during the lock-downs (I'm in NJ - you were going to NJ to give clothes to your sister in law) and I'm the one awed by how far you've come in your gardening! (my mom can grow a jungle from seed) You are definitely helping, inspiring, motivating and I always have a smile watching your videos! HUGS, Rachele~
Thanks for letting me hang out and work on my craft project at your house. 😂 Love how you set the goal “clean as if I’m going to vacuum” pretty clear. 😊
Love this! So important to recognize & act within whatever energy level you may have at the time. You’re a GREAT mom & have a lovely family! I always learn something from your videos, appreciating the reminder to keep focusing on the priorities of family, faith, & simple living. It’s really where it’s at in our chaotic world. Just love your channel!❤️
I need to do a reset on my Fake-Greenhouse lol. It's a shed frame we turned into a VERY basic greenhouse area. It's a hot mess, due to repotting transplants last night. And I need to plant more seeds tonight lol....Great video as always! ❤😊
You are such an awesome Mom! You put your people ahead of appearances ...I think you absolutely know what is truly the most important in life..I admire you greatly...my children are grown up now ..40 +37 years old and my granddaughter is 18 years old.I'm so very glad that I have always tried to prioritize them and of course as well as my husband and my step grandchildren . Keep up the great job your doing raising wonderful children!
I had 3 kids and didn't discover minimalism(ish) until about 4 years ago. Despite the fact that 2 of my 3 no longer live at home and the fact I own way less, I still have mess more often than not 😂. Thank you for sharing what a lot of our houses look like a lot of the time 😁 (or mine anyway! But at least it's easier to tidy up these days!)
Your garden is looking great! I finally started my seeds last weekend! Hopefully I can get the ground garden ready this coming weekend and start planting potatoes and the bigger seeds. Have a blessed day!
@@EricaLucasLoves summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow peppers, green beans, lettuce, carrots, trying corn again and my boys are going to try watermelon and cantaloupe.
We're a tidy it every now and then type too, no way I could keep on top of getting the kids to tidy all the time 😆 they still do plenty to help but the house is still very lived in 😂❤ x x x
My strawberries are blooming like crazy! I seriously need to work on weeding, but started getting a few things moved into more preferred conditions in regards to sun.
I cant imagine my kids picking up everything every time.... We struggle to remember we put stuff down. Wish I had known how to deal with these things when my kids were little.
Mental health for me is: Being able to enjoy a warm cup of your preferred beverage, amongst your mess. Knowing: I'm not there yet... But I'm on my way. And Everything is ok the way it is right now. Knowing, that just because I give myself a proper half an hour break, doesn't mean I won't tackle my silent to do list afterwards. (Or... one point of it ^.^)
Ignoring silent tasks makes me more tired then when I do them right away. I hate that voice in my head constantly yelling at me that they need to be done.
I love what you have to say about having the energy to meet the task. I have a completely unrelated question, but could you tell me where you get your little shorts that you wear under dresses all summer? I am having a lot of issues with my legs rubbing together in hot weather when I wear dresses and it popped into my mind that you have mentioned more than once that you have something that you wear that you really really like. Mind sharing the link, or at least a description of where you got them and what the brand is. Thank you so much!
Hi Erica. Just wondering if you consider ADHD as part of your identity, diagnosed or self diagnosed? I am coming to the realisation that I tick more and more boxes of ADHD in undiagnosed women and see a lot of myself in you xx
