Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

by | Apr 18, 2017 | Clutter Free, Podcast | 0 comments

Clutter Free Travel

Kathi and Co-host Erin MacPherson discuss their summer travel plans and how to travel clutter free.  Both are taking big trips and need to pack lightly.

Kathi is taking a month sabbatical in celebration of her 50th birthday.  She plans to spend 10 days at home and 20 days traveling with lots of R & R (Rest and Roger).

Erin is heading on a road trip with her husband, children, and parents in one SUV.  They will be traveling to Florida and then up the eastern coast through Georgia, South Carolina, then across to the Great Smokey Mountains and then to Nashville and back home.

Clutter Free Tips

ebags - Clutter Free Travel

Kathi’s Suitcase!

They discuss packing tips, using ebags (packing cubes), and how to find great places to stay that feel like home.

If just one or two people are traveling, Kathi recommends AirBnB.

If you have a family and need more room, Erin recommends VRBO.   Both places give you the comforts of home (kitchen, laundry, mores space, etc.).

Listen in to learn how to plan your own clutter free travel.

 

Meet Our Guest

Co-host Erin MacPherson

Co-host Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.

God Loves a Do-Over

God Loves a Do-Over

by | Apr 17, 2017 | God, Hard Stuff, Relationships, Uncategorized | 5 comments

Right now, I’m experiencing the post Easter hangover that so many of us, with less than perfect families, are experiencing.

• I spent way too much money on Easter baskets no one in my family really liked. (I was tempted to ask them for the candy back, but I resisted.)
• The NINE DOLLARS worth of strawberries I bought on Thursday were rotted when I went to cut them on Sunday.
• When we texted our second oldest “Where are you?” to find out where he was for our 1:00 lunch, his response? “For what?”
Sigh.

Maybe you had some of your own crazy going on:
• Your kids didn’t say thank you for the toys your in-laws brought over.
• You cooked all day Saturday and half of Sunday, and someone had the nerve to ask you why there wasn’t any artichoke dip.
• Your brother got drunk and obnoxious. At EASTER.

If your Easter didn’t go according to plan, let me just remind you of this:
New life isn’t just about eternity. It’s about Mondays too.
Luke 1:78 “A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful.” GWT
We don’t have to leave the new life in God until next Easter. We get to celebrate each and every new day, each and every day.
God loves a do-over.
Go into today with new hope for what God can do.
Go into today forgetting the perfect Easter that every other family had (and by the way, stick with the friends who share about their kids saying a “grown-up word” when there was nothing in their little orange plastic egg. Those are the friends you need for a lifetime.)
Go into today knowing what we celebrated yesterday: a Christ that cherishes you enough to give you everything he had so he could be in relationship with you forever.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #247: 7 Tips for Decluttering Sentimental Stuff

by | Apr 11, 2017 | Bible Study, Clutter Free, Podcast | 0 comments

Clutter Free Bible Study

Clutter Free by Kathi Lipp has changed thousands of lives and now we are going even deeper when it comes to the reasons – the emotional and spiritual reasons – that lie beneath your clutter. In this six-week Bible Study you will, possibly for the first time, truly understand how God wants you to be free. Free from clutter so you can be free to change your world.

Kathi will help you to:

• Break free from the lies that keep you mired in clutter
• Uncover the shame that makes you hold onto things you will never use
• Confront the fear that keeps you down in ‘Just in Case” thinking
• Untangle from the guilt of letting go of things that no longer serve you

It doesn’t matter if you have rooms of clutter at your home or just feel overwhelmed by the constant flow of paperwork in your life, we can all use a friend to guide us through decluttering the distractions that keep us from living out the purpose God has for us. That’s exactly what you will get when you join Kathi for this funny, Bible-fueled journey that’s sure to bring you closer to the One who longs for your heart.

Kathi and cohost, Erin MacPherson discuss the 7 Tips for Decluttering Sentimental Stuff. Kathi has been dealing with her own decluttering project and shows before and after pictures of her pantry.

The Clutter Free Bible Study group has done the top layer of decluttering but is now dealing with the things that have sentimental value or promote guilt. Together they came up with some tips for dealing with the next level of clearing out the clutter.

7 Tips for Decluttering Sentimental Stuff

  1. Start in the Kitchen  There are fewer sentimental items there.
  2. Put motto on the wall.  Keep it visible in a place where you can see it.
  3. Give it a final goodbye.  Take a picture and write a memory about it and then get rid of it.
  4. Remember when everything is precious, nothing is!  You can’t keep everything.  Some things you need to enjoy and let it go.
  5. Keep 3 things per person.  Three items that represent each person.  Curate what is important and pass the rest on to someone else.
  6. Don’t guilt others into keeping things.  
  7. Don’t value the past or the future and ignore the present.  The clutter of the past or saving things for the future can just crowd out your present life.

Just do little things and start small.  Let your house serve your present, not your past or your future.

Kathi’s Pantry Before and After

 

Meet Our Guest

Co-host, Erin MacPherson

Co-host, Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #246: Tips on Keeping Romance Alive

by | Apr 4, 2017 | Marriage, Podcast | 0 comments

“If you don’t invest in your marriage now, you will have to invest in the recovery of your marriage later.” – Kathi Lipp

Kathi and co-host, Erin MacPherson discuss a reader question about how to keep the romance alive in a marriage. This all too familiar struggle in a life that often feels like survival of the fittest– kids, extracurricular schedules, houses, groceries, sickness, work— is one so many of us can relate to. Kathi and Erin discuss simple ideas to get some romance back in the mix of your marriage without making you feel like you have more check off the to-do list at the end of the day.

Listen in for great ideas, a good dose of humor and a talk that feels like coffee with friends.

Meet Our Guest

Co-host - Erin MacPherson

Co-host - Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #245: Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage to Overcome Your Fears

by | Mar 28, 2017 | Clutter Free, Fear, Podcast | 0 comments

 

“To be in the Presence of God requires you to be present with God.” ~ Kelly Belarie

Fear Fighting

Often, we live feeling judged, worried, and apprehensive, as though our voice doesn’t count. We wear halfway smiles and live half-baked lives, trying to hide from what tomorrow will bring.

I know this routine, this song and dance. It’s exhausting. It’s crippling.

One trembling with the uncertainty of life can’t easily walk into the certainty of God’s great callings. One paralyzed with doubtfulness is not easily mesmerized with God’s goodness. One tallying up dangers, often finds, God becomes a stranger.

Join me, as we break the cage of fear. I found my way out – I learned to become a Fear Fighter – as I wrote the book – you will too.

Fear Fighting Women will:

Develop unstoppable faith so you can go with Christ-centered bravery.
Learn panic, blood pressure and stress-reducing prayers to usher in new peace.
Discover clear and practical action plans to welcome in new peace.
Discover daily bravery decrees to stand armed through the day.
Participate in a 12-week study guide to foster new courage-habits.
Fly the coop! Join me on this journey to become a courageous Fear Fighter!

Does fear ever consume you? Do your fears dictate how you make decisions? Do you wake up wondering what life is going to throw at you today?

Kathi talks with a new friend, Kelley Belarie, author of Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage to Overcome Your Fears. They discuss the experiences and fears Kelley lived through over the years and how she chose to fear “less” when trusting in God. Kelley developed a  program to jumpstart your fearlessness. It teaches us how to take baby steps to overcome fear because this is not an overnight journey.

Sign up today for the 4 Days to Fearless Challenge.

Book Giveaway

Comment on “What area are you fearful and need to turn to God for help?”  Leave you comment within the next 7 days and you will be entered into a random drawing for a copy of Fear Fighting: Awakening Courage to Overcome Your Fears.

This giveaway open to US readers only.

Meet Our Guest

Kelly Balarie

Kelly Balarie

Who I am? I don’t fully know. As I figure it, I am still learning, still inching towards God to let his light shine on all he made me to be. But, one thing I have uncovered in this dim world is – I am a “Cheerleader of Faith.” Meaning, I cheerlead my own heart in truth, so it can walk by truth. Meaning, I get myself up, bruises and all, to figure out God’s leading. I listen.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Eps #244: Simple Ways to Celebrate Life Even When We Don’t Feel Like it

by | Mar 21, 2017 | Overwhelmed, Podcast, Restore, The Me Project | 0 comments

Kathi talks with guest, Bekah Pogue about her book, Choosing Real, An Invitation to Celebrate When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned. When life isn’t really following the plan, there are beautiful things still happening all around us. These two energetic authors and speakers discuss how to use the 5 senses to discover joy in the simplest of things and celebrate life on a daily basis.

Bekah explains one of the important questions she asks herself when considering an activity or obligation:  “Am I sacrificing my sanity or my family to make this happen?” Maybe you can relate. Join in this refreshing conversation and find some beauty in your everyday.

Choosing Real Giveaway

Bekah and Kathi are joining forces to give away two “Choosing Real” Kits.  Each kit will contain a copy of the book, Choosing Real, An Invitation to Celebrate When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned and a $5.00 Starbucks Gift Card.

To win, leave a comment in the show notes about what brings your 5 senses alive.

This giveaway is only available to our U.S. listeners.

Meet Our Guest

Bekah Pogue

Bekah Pogue

From Bekah’s website:
“I write from my heart about connection, faith, parenting, marriage, books, identity, my obsession with desserts, and all things real.  If you’re looking for vulnerability, down with talking about hard things, and choosing to see genuine beauty every.single.day, consider yourself invited, friend.

My first book, Choosing Real: An Invitation to Celebrate When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned released December 2016. I also guest writer for Yellow Conference and cheer other writers along as a writing coach.  I love communicating with women, whether in small groups or large conferences, as if you were sitting on my couch and catching up as old friends. You can find me at the beach, reading, baking, rearranging furniture or flea-marketing. My creative hubs, Bryan and I have been married a dozen years. We have two energetic boys, and reside at The Pogue Cottage in Huntington Beach, where dance parties are a regular occurrence..”

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Eps #243: Clutter Free Kitchen: Tips to Loving Creating in Your Own Home

by | Mar 14, 2017 | Clutter Free, Podcast, Recipes | 0 comments

Recipes

French Toast from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for frying
¾ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
? cup unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 – 5 slices day-old challah bread, (3/4-inch-thick) or 6 to 8 slices day-old sandwich bread

1. Heat 10- to 12-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg lightly in shallow pan or pie plate; whisk in butter, then milk and vanilla, and finally sugar, flour, and salt, continuing to whisk until smooth. Soak bread without oversaturating, about 40 seconds per side for challah or 30 seconds per side for sandwich bread. Pick up bread and allow excess batter to drip off; repeat with remaining slices.

2. Swirl 1 tablespoon butter in hot skillet. Transfer prepared bread to skillet; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute 45 seconds on first side and 1 minute on the second. Serve immediately. Continue, adding 1 tablespoon butter to skillet for each new batch.

Insta-Pot Chicken Enchiladas 

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1 cup stock
Salt
Pepper
Cumin

Pressure cook 12 mins, slow release, shred.

Mix:
1 jar green enchilada sauce
1 carton sour cream
1 bag jack cheese
Chicken

Roll chicken mix in corn tortillas.  Cover with a jar of green enchilada sauce and more jack cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20 min

Kathi and co-host Erin MacPherson discuss Clutter Free Kitchens.  When your kitchen is clutter free you can cook more and find everything. They also share the tools they use that they can’t live without.  From the instant pot to the ninja coffee maker they each share their favorite kitchen tools.

This post isn’t about things you should run out and buy.  You don’t need more stuff, but this about you having things that make you happy and your life more enjoyable.  Kathi talks about purchasing tools, not trinkets to make your home a better place to be.

Share with us your kitchen tool that you can’t live without in the comments.

The List of Kitchen Tools:

Below is a list of the kitchen items Kathi and Erin can’t live without.

Victorinox Swiss Classic 3 1/4″ Paring Knife, Spear Tip, Serrated, Red

Instant Pot $99

Aerolatte Original Electric Hand Held Milk Frother, Satin 19.99

Ninja Coffee Maker $138

The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2017: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show with Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes Hardcover – October 4, 2016

Spicy shelf stack Organizer

Share this episode!

Meet Our Guest

Co-host - Erin MacPherson

Co-host - Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #242: The Kindness Challenge with Shaunti Feldhahn

by | Mar 7, 2017 | Podcast, Relationships | 0 comments

The Kindness Challenge: Thirty Days to Improve Any Relationship

Think of your toughest relationship. Think of a relationship that is good but could be great. Think of a group of people that drives you nuts. You want to show more kindness and generosity, but sometimes you’re just tired, stretched, and frustrated. Besides, would small actions make that big a difference? Yes!

After years of extensive research, Shaunti Feldhahn has concluded that kindness is a superpower. It can change any relationship, make your life easier and better, and transform our culture. But how does it work? And how can you show kindness when you don’t feel like it?

With self-assessments, day-to-day tips, a 30-day challenge, and specific kindness ideas, The Kindness Challenge can make your toughest relationships better and your good relationships great—starting today.

Try the 30 Day Kindness Challenge and be a part of a kindness revolution in your home, your world, and yourself.

 

Shaunti Feldhahn, author of the Kindness Challenge: Thirty Days to Improve Any Relationship, joins us on the podcast this week to talk about how nice we think we are. We think of ourselves as being kind, but when we learn what is involved in kindness, we realize we have work to do. Plus, their is a HUGE difference between kindness and being nice.

Kathi and Shaunti apply the concept of being clutter free in every area of our lives, to the condition of our hearts. We get exasperated with our family, we get irritated with people that don’t think like we do, we think it’s all them, not us. The Kindness Challenge helps us uncover the things about ourselves that we can change to make the world a kinder place. At the very least, there is one relationship we can improve upon.

Listen in and gather some key tools to use to build that relationship, find out how kind you are and start changing the world one relationship at a time.

You Are Invited, plus a Giveaway!

We’d love to have you participate in the 30-Day Kindness Challenge and let us know what you learned!

Shaunti is giving away two free books.  To enter, leave the name of the person God is bringing to mind that you will be kind to.   Two random winners will be selected. Plus check out the online assessment and all the tools available at www.jointhekindnesschallenge.com.

Join the Kindness Challenge

We are not as kind as we think we are.  Want to know where you’re doing well, and what you most need to work on?  How you may sabotage important relationships without realizing it?  What should you concentrate on during the 30-Day Kindness Challenge? Pick an assessment and get your personalized report now.

Meet Our Guest

Shaunti Feldhahn

Shaunti Feldhahn

Shaunti Feldhahn helps people thrive in life and relationships.  Yet ironically, she started out with a Harvard graduate degree and Wall Street credentials but no clue about life. After a dramatic shift into relationship research (and many slap-the-forehead moments!), she is now a popular speaker and best-selling author. Her books, including the groundbreaking For Women Only and For Men Only, have sold 2 million copies in 24 languages and are widely read in homes, counseling centers and corporations worldwide.  Her newest book,The Kindness Challenge demonstrates that kindness is the answer to pretty much every life problem, and is sparking a much-needed movement of kindness across the country. Shaunti and her husband Jeff live in Atlanta with their teenage daughter and son, and two cats who think they are dogs.

Episode #248: Clutter Free Travel

Episode #241: Join Us For Lent and Clutter Free: The Bible Study

by | Feb 28, 2017 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Podcast, Podcast | 0 comments

Clutter Free: The Bible Study

This 6-week study will be conducted on Facebook through Facebook Live broadcasts and discussions via a private members-only group. Group members and their posts are only viewable to others in the group – your comments and participation will not appear in the news feeds of others or in your activity timeline.

Every week, participants will:
1. Receive reading recommendations from Clutter Free that correspond to the week’s topics for discussion. Outside reading is optional but increases the value you receive from the study.
2. Watch a session video in the members-only Facebook group.
3. Discuss questions live with Kathi online. Video discussions will be recorded for viewing at your convenience.
4. Receive the opportunity to dig deeper through reflection questions that can be completed on your own.

When: Mondays at 5pm Pacific Time. This is when we meet to view the week’s video and discuss the material live.

Who: Participation is open to anyone who owns the Clutter Free workbook.

How: Order from Amazon or from Kathi’s store.. Once you’ve ordered, please fill out the form to be added to the facebook group.

 

Kathi and co-host Erin MacPherson discuss how they are planning on observing Lent this year. Kathi has been observing Lent for a few years and has some super creative ideas for challenging ourselves this year. They also discuss The Clutter Free Bible Study Lenten Challenge Kathi is hosting on Facebook and how you can be a part of it.

Listen in as they talk about these questions:

  • What is lent?
  • How does it apply to us?
  • Why do we have the clutter we do?
  • What causes us to collect instead of giving to others?
  • How to have a new level of freedom as we go deeper.

Check out the episode and even if you don’t start on March 1, join us for the Bible Study. Our first live Facebook meeting is March 6! Learn more below.

How Clutter Free: The Bible Study Works

Clutter Free: The Bible Study and Challenge will help you “Give Up, Get Rid, and Go Deep.”  The challenge is to give up buying of unnecessary items, get rid of 10 things a day or 400 things total, and go deep by participating in the Clutter Free Bible Study.

More details are available at Clutter Free: The Bible Study

Meet Our Guest

Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson

Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.