#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

Are you worn out from battling clutter and not seeing the progress you’d hoped for? In this heartfelt episode, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo explore the reality of declutter fatigue and why, for so many women, the journey can feel never-ending. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain tired of trying—this conversation offers practical hope and encouragement. Kathi and Tonya candidly tackle the frustration and emotional load that comes with decluttering, share faith-based wisdom for those tough days, and offer four simple steps to help you restart your journey with renewed energy. Tune in to discover how God meets you in the mess and how you can break free from the clutter cycle—for good.  

Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

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Meet Our Co-Host

 

Tonya Kubo

Tonya Kubo is the illustrious and fearless leader of Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy Facebook group and the Clutter Free for Life membership program. A professional community strategist, she believes everyone deserves to have a place online where they feel like they belong. Raised by a hoarder, Tonya knows firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from living in conditions others don’t understand. She wants better for her family and her cluttery peeps, which is why she is passionate about the compassionate slow-and-steady approach that makes Clutter Free unique. She lives in the heart of California with her husband, Brian, their two spirited daughters, and one very tolerant cat. Visit tonyakubo.com to find out more about her community work, or email her at tonya@kathilipp.org to discuss the Clutter Free Academy podcast and programs.
Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

 

Kathi Lipp (00:11) 

Hey friends, welcome to Clutterfree Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps to live every day with less clutter and more life. And guys, let me just tell you, ? you’ve heard me talk about it here on the podcast. I am still recovering from COVID. Now I am totally toast. Okay, this is what’s happening with my brain. Okay. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:30) 

I was gonna say you 

  

were just about to say you were totally fine, but you couldn’t get those words out 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:38) 

I could not. I am testing negative, so that is good. But I will tell you the the exhaustion is real. I am good for about four hours. And let me just tell you, they are not stellar four hours. They are. We’re just surviving four hours. But then I’m toast. I have to go lay down. ? I can’t believe I did this. But let me just here’s my true confession, because my doctor said 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:50) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:07) 

You can probably expect another three weeks of this. No, like, no. And I don’t know why, but it is exhausting to sit at my desk. It is just exhausting. I do so much better in bed. So do you know what I’ve done? I’ve ordered a hospital table. So this is just a table that you know what it is. Like it sticks out. Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:09) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

that comes to the side of your bed! 

  

Yes. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:35) 

And 

  

it rolls under with it. It was only like 60 bucks, which you know, I don’t have 60 bucks to throw around, but I just do so much better with my legs up ? and ? just being cozy under blankets. I can do so much more so. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:40) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:55) 

? I have ordered a hospital table that can collapse down. We can put it in the attic when we’re done, because I know I’m going to be, but I don’t want to be underwater for the next three weeks not being, not getting some stuff done. So ? as I stated on Facebook the other day, ? we have a lot of people who come to Clutterfree Academy or a part of Clutterfree for Life. 

  

who deal with chronic illness. Now, this is not chronic illness what I’m dealing with, not by a long shot. And it has also given me a 1 % insight to having to manage my energy. And a couple of years ago, you went through a major health thing where you had to really manage what you were doing. We have both been through something. And so we don’t have all the answers. 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:26) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:53) 

But here’s what we do, Tonya, You and I listen to the answers from the people in our communities that have chronic illness. And we’ve gained some insight. ? So if you are recovering from illness or you’re in a hard caregiving season, maybe you’re grieving or you were just run down. I mean, like that’s what I am. I’m run down. But this episode is for you. Tonya ? 

  

I put up a question in Facebook about how do you survive when you’re completely overwhelmed? And we got some great answers, including yours. And so I would love for you to share with our audience what you said ? you do when you’re in that space. 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:41) 

Yeah, I would love to. for me, and I think the question had something to do with like, you know, how, how do you intentionally like lower the bar, right? When you’re already in over your head. And so I feel like as a mom, right, I’ve got kids in the house, I’ve got a husband, but like the number one thing is everybody has to eat. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:51) 

Yes, yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:02) 

And I am fortunate in that we haven’t had too many situations where all of us are sick at the same time. There’s usually at least one person who can do something. But I think, you know, it’s making sure that you have stuff available for everybody to eat because that’s one of the best ways that you can heal and recover is to make sure you’re getting your nutrients. So generally speaking, we always have stuff to make soup on hand. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:03) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. Right. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:31) 

I make my own bone broth, you know, anytime I roast a chicken or whatever. And so that’s usually in the freezer. I freeze fresh ginger so that I can add that easily to recipes. So I’ve almost always got that in the freezer. And then we do a lot of ? freezing of cooked meats, like just, you know, browning ground beef and having that ready to go, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. So in a perfect world, I’ll have all of that in my freezer and I can just make a quick pot of soup. But… 

  

We also keep like I buy like from frontier foods or something but dehydrated soup vegetables where you can just add like a quarter of a cup of them to you four cups of liquid and you make a quick soup So I think those like having a quick soup to put together is easy. I do live in town I can order delivery like I know when my mother-in-law has been sick. She loves whenever she’s sick She loves the chicken tortilla soup from El Pollo Loco and we’ll just 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:07) 

Yeah. 

  

yeah, that’s a good soup. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:29) 

Yeah, well, if we’re not sick, we’ll order that and we’ll just go and take it to her, but we’ve ordered it before just to be delivered to her house. ? That’s super helpful. Abby swears the chicken noodle soup at Panera is the best soup ever. I don’t know, but okay. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:44) 

Well, that’s kind of because 

  

Panera is kind of dressed up hospital food. you know, so that’s that’s where she’s getting the vibes from. Yes. But I will say, yeah, I don’t know. A Panera orange scone. ? Yeah, will heal just about anything. Yeah. So, ? you know, it’s so interesting. You and I were talking, I don’t know, a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, the best thing I did 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:50) 

okay. 

  

Got it, that would make sense. 

  

Hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:14) 

? when the bet the the thing that made me feel so much better was Roger changed the sheets and talk about sheets 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:20) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm, yes. So I don’t know about you, but I ever since I was little, I noticed that like there’s some funky smell that happens when you get sick. And it took me until I was in my 30s to realize that smell was my sheets. So one thing that we try to do is we always try to have at least two extra sets of ? sheets on hand to that way we can strip the bed every three, three days or so. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:36) 

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (06:54) 

But I find if I can keep up, nothing else, keep up on the towels and the sheets. Like if the linens are washed and dried and ready, I’m doing pretty well. So like when the stomach flu hits the house, that is my first priority is making sure that I’ve got clean towels and clean sheets in rotation at all times. Because if I get hit, I know that I deserve, Kathi Lipp, I deserve clean towels. I deserve clean sheets. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:17) 

Right. 

  

Yes. Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:23) 

And if I’m not staying 

  

up on it while everybody else is sick, guess what? There’s no clean towels left for mom when she needs them. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:30) 

Yeah, and can I just go a little step further on that? Now, people all lost their minds when I said, I don’t sort my clothes before I wash them. We’ll do a whole nother episode. But here is something I do that has been, ? especially when I’m sick, is using laundry sanitizer, which is not a bleach, but it just sanitizes your laundry. And when we’ve had COVID, when we have a big group of people here, 

  

Tonya Kubo (07:34) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:59) 

I just run the towels and the sheets through with the sanitizer and it just makes it feel so much cleaner. So just something to think about. Now that is not necessarily about lowering the standards. It’s just a little extra tip, but yeah. And by the way, if you’re sick, somebody else in your house should be doing that for you. Should be doing the laundry and stuff like that for you. Okay, I wanna talk food for when you are sick. 

  

Tonya Kubo (08:02) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:29) 

One of the things, a category that we got was meals that take less than five minutes. So Suzy Flory, who has been on this podcast before, she says, you know, if she has the energy, she makes a pot of chicken soup. But if she doesn’t have the energy, she opens up a can of refried beans, put some salsa and cheese into a tortilla and she has a quick burrito. And I’m like, 

  

That is dream. Can I tell you also what Suzy did for me last night? Because I’m still in the midst. Roger is not ? the guy who’s going to do a home cooked meal. ? She is on a book deadline. So she is offered to bring me, well, she’s on her doctoral thesis deadline, let’s be clear, which is turning into a book, right? But ? I kept telling her, don’t bring me anything. Don’t bring, you know, finish your book, finish your book, we’re fine. And she goes, 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:12) 

? yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:21) 

Hey, I’m coming to your house and bringing you food. And I’m like, that would be lovely because she’s offered so many times. So what she did, she just got back from Texas and she, think she was inspired by this. She stopped by our local grocery store. It’s local to her. And she picked up some sliced Thai tri-tip. She brought some ? barbecue sauces. She brought some potato salad, some pasta salad and some beans. 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:27) 

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (09:50) 

And ? so she and some buns and she made us tri-tip sandwiches last night and she stayed and ate with us, which was lovely. I mean, I was so tired by the time she left, but my soul was reenergized. And then this is where she is so extra. Not only did she bring us a quart of vanilla ice cream, she made ? peach hand pies because she know, right? And so. 

  

Tonya Kubo (09:55) 

Mmm. 

  

she makes the best pie crust ever. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:17) 

This is more crust than pie, which by the way are the ratios that I love. So she really went extra for it, but it was so lovely and I felt so loved and so taken care of last night and so did Roger. Cause let’s also, he’s a caregiver all this. I try to be very low maintenance, but he is checking in all the time. ? Shannon Garcia says, ? we just do ? cereal and milk. And I’m like, you get it girl. I love that. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:20) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:46) 

Tina Maxwell, I love this. She does a lot of charcuterie style snacks. You talked about how ? your Abby loves, does she call them? 

  

Tonya Kubo (10:56) 

The Snackle Box. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:58) 

That’s right. You know, I love this just like getting some sliced ham, some sliced cheese. You can even get sliced apples and toothpicks and just like I grab kind of, if that sounds good to you, I love that. And then Trisha, I want to make sure, Ontiveros I hope I pronounced that right. Ontiveros, you said it much more elegantly than I did. 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:07) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm, on Tavares, yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:24) 

? Instant mashed potatoes, which I think everybody should have in their cabinet at all time. They’re so much better than they used to be. And here’s my justification for using them, is that Julia Child served them to her husband one time and he couldn’t tell the difference. I’m like, okay, if it’s good enough for Julia’s husband, it’s good enough for me. And then Trisha says she does that with some canned green beans and ham steak. And by the way, I’m not a big… 

  

Tonya Kubo (11:41) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:51) 

canned green bean person, that’s not my favorite, but there is a lemon pepper seasoning that you can get at Costco, that you put that on any green bean product, it’s a winner. ? It’s the one with the cow head on it. I’ll make sure that we mention that, yeah, it’s so good. And then somebody else mentioned mac and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets and applesauce. that is a, whatever works, friend. ? Yeah, so. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:03) 

So good? 

  

you 

  

Whatever works. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:21) 

? Let’s talk about your pantry and some freezer MVPs. ? Now, Pauline and Shelly both mentioned rotisserie chickens. There is nothing. I keep a cut up frozen chicken in my freezer at all times. And then somebody else, you just mentioned a dehydrated vegetable soup mix. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:37) 

Mmm, so smart. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:49) 

And I’ve seen these Bear Creek soup mixes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (12:53) 

who always has five or six of those in her pantry. I will tell you, my family does not enjoy like soup mixes like that. That’s just not their thing. These are so good, Kathi. They do a really delicious, I will give you all my favorite flavors, not that you asked, but I will tell you them anyway. The minestrone is really good. There is a like cheddar potato that I think is really delicious. And then, yeah, so good. And then the beef and barley and what? 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:03) 

Okay? 

  

Okay? 

  

Okay, okay. 

  

? I’ve had that before. It’s so good. 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:23) 

My friend likes about them is you can just make them as is on the package, but they always have embellishment ideas on the back. So for the minestrone, what she does is she’ll brown ground beef and onion, and then she does the soup. So it’s a little bit of a heartier soup. ? But I have to say, I have not had a bad one. think right after my friend introduced me to them, I went to her house and we had soup together. I saw them for sale at the grocery store. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:30) 

Yes. 

  

? 

  

? 

  

Tonya Kubo (13:52) 

Cause I feel like they’re a little expensive. They’re not really that expensive. Okay. I think they’re like $5, but they were on sale five for five. So he picks them up and even Brian, Mr. Soup Snob that he is, he thought they were pretty tasty. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:56) 

Yeah, right. 

  

Okay, yeah, this is this is You know making some adjustments and you know zipping them up, which I love. Yeah, Sarah her Burley Sarah Burley mentioned this she says Bear Creek vegetable beef dry soup mix and add a can or two of canned beef from Walmart or Costco when they have it and a beef bullion cube and we have dinner for days makes eight to ten cups of soup. I love that 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:36) 

I love that and some you know, don’t don’t sleep on frozen entrees So one of the things we did is I made a sam’s card order or not sam’s card Excuse me sam’s club order where you can just go and pick it up because you know Roger this isn’t his bailiwick We’re just you know being honest here. So we got some of the shredded pork carnitas and we just did that with 

  

Tonya Kubo (14:46) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:03) 

some vegetables and that he did on the grill and some tortillas and that was wonderful. Some people suggest, ? go ahead, yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:09) 

Kathi, 

  

I’m sorry, because you said frozen entrees. have to share something that you like introduced us to. taking frozen, because we always have like frozen wonton, frozen pot stickers, things like that in our freezer, because my family loves that. But dropping that into some chicken broth with a little bit of green onion back to you can buy freeze dried green onion. Like tastes just like fresh. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:18) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

which is a beautiful thing, right? 

  

Tonya Kubo (15:36) 

But again, quick soup filling but light all at the same time. So fast. 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:41) 

Yeah 

  

Yeah, think about these things guys like the healthy choice steamers frozen ravioli ? A prepared meatloaf a prepared pizza like this is survival food guys We’re not talking about your entertaining or this is what you do every week I like to just have a sliced ham because ham can be eaten You know warm cold it does not matter 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:07) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:09) 

You can throw it into eggs for breakfast. can have it between two slices of bread for lunch. You can put some ? mac and cheese with it and some artichokes or artichokes, excuse me, asparagus. And that’s dinner. Like do what you have to do. There have been some days where I just haven’t felt like eating, but Roger still wants to eat and I want to have things that are easy for him. ? Jill May says she eats 

  

Tonya Kubo (16:12) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:38) 

pressure canned meat. So ? if that is something you’re into, that’s great to do in advance. Or if you’re bringing something to somebody, that’s a beautiful thing. And then Lori Hayes says she loves a good salad kit, deli meat, hard boiled eggs. ? That is a winning combination. I love those ideas. Okay, but guys, it’s, ? it’s not just about the food. We also have other things to keep up on. 

  

Sarah Thompson made mention she only really keeps up on her bathroom and kitchen like right 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:15) 

I agree. I agree 

  

because everybody deserves to throw up in a clean toilet. That’s my rule. That is my rule. You deserve to throw up in a clean toilet. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:21) 

it’s so true, right? Yeah. 

  

I love that. And you’re gonna be more likely to throw up in the right place if it’s clean. Let’s be clear, okay? ? Susie Flory says she just keeps Clorox wipes everywhere, because you can clean almost anything with a Clorox wipe. ? Yeah, and then make sure you, especially if somebody’s sick, if you don’t normally have room to keep all your cleaning supplies in the bathroom, ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (17:30) 

Exactly. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:49) 

just for this time while people are sick, keep those Clorox wipes, keep everything in there because you just want to grab and go. I thought this was so smart and I have one of these and I have not been using it. But Carla Stewart says she uses one of those grabber tools for energy conservation. And Tonya, why have I been bending over and picking up Moose’s toys and her half-eaten chew sticks and 

  

the clothes that end up on the floor like a sucker. Like I have a grabber tool. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:20) 

Because Kathi, 

  

because your brain cells are tired and are healing and they did not process that, okay? You needed somebody else to make the suggestion so you could go, ? I could do that. Now you will. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:26) 

Yeah. No, they didn’t. 

  

Yes. 

  

And by the way, I’m using paper plates like it’s 1995. Like I don’t care anymore. 

  

Tonya Kubo (18:40) 

yeah, no, Brian, that is I would say Brian’s number one thing is if somebody’s sick, he runs to the store, he gets paper plates, paper napkins. ? He won’t do paper cups just because he feels like when you’re sick, you like neglect the cup and then it gets all leaky and gross. But he’ll even go so far as to get plastic utensils because for because he’s the one that keeps up with the dishes. He’s like, OK, if he gets hit, 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:56) 

Yeah. Yeah. 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:08) 

He just wants everybody to be able to just use and toss. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:08) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, and I’m gonna hold this up for Tonya to see, right now I’m supposed to be drinking. It’s like one of those, what were the Stanley cups, but this is the cheap knockoff. got the, remember we had a meeting here several years ago and they came up with prizes and this is the one I got. I use this every day of my life, but ? I fill it up with, ? I need to keep hydrated. 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:15) 

? that’s a nice one. 

  

Yep. Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm, yep. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:41) 

And the way I’ll do it, you can hear this, it’s still got ice from last night. And I just keep refilling it with ice and whether it’s something with electrolytes or something like that. I’m gonna run through the rest of these really fast. then Tonya, I’m gonna ask you for your best idea as we close out. ? the systems we keep up with are laundry and dishes. It’s the bare minimum. This is from Samantha Weatherstone. ? 

  

Tonya Kubo (19:45) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:10) 

Those are the things that if you get backed up on it’s gonna be harder. So minimize those. Can ? you use the paper plates? Can you eat out of the container that you bought the food in? Do as much, but keep up on those when you have energy. You only have so much energy, put it where it has to go. This is not the time to go into your photo albums and reorganize them. Just keep up on dishes. 

  

? Keep grocery orders simple deliver drive up or ask a friend when somebody asks you what can they do? Go pick up their food order. You can assign somebody else your Sam’s order or your ? Your Rayleigh’s order, whatever that is ? Robin and Lynn both recommended that and then if you need toilet paper This is the time to bust out your Amazon order, right? You need paper towels. You need a food order 

  

Get that delivered. If you have to pay extra to get it here on time, do what you need to do. And then finally, when people are asking for help, Laurie Nichols says, ? accept help. People want to help. I want to help when my friends are sick. ? Shannon Garcia says, I love this. Asking doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human. ? My friend, Kathi Carlton Willis says, before you say no, ask God if he wants you to say yes to receiving help. 

  

? Julie Wiseman asked for specific help on social people jump at the chance, you know, so ? Hey, you know, my my kid is sick. Could you pick up our prescription people want to help I remember somebody was ? that I barely knew Needed to be picked up at the airport and I said, ? that’s easy. I can do that and She was so shocked and I’m like, no, it was an easy way and it was a specific way and I knew what time 

  

And so Tonya, give us one more example of something you can do ? when you need to lower your standards. 

  

Tonya Kubo (22:12) 

well, would say ? accepting help, I think, is probably like the best advice ever, but also like reaching out for help. You know, if you’re sick, call a friend and, you know, ask one of your kid’s friends if they can bring your child home. That has been the hardest thing for me as a parent to go, ? I could ask somebody else to pick the girls up and take them to school or to bring them home. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:24) 

Yeah. 

  

Yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (22:40) 

I think that’s a big one. And even like picking up a grocery order for you. Like you can place the order because not everybody has grocery delivery, but can somebody pick it up for you and bring it to your house? 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:41) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, and you know, ? I thought this was this is such a good one to end on ? Tracy DeLong. ? She recently lost her husband and I mean, that’s the ultimate ? grief ? energy zapper and her advice. I love this ? every day. I got out of bed made my bed brush my teeth got dressed had devotions and breakfast even if I didn’t feel like it is helped me. 

  

to have some order and stability in this season of unrest. So thank you to all of you who shared your wisdom. Tonya, thank you because I love you. You are such a grace first person and I’ve appreciated that in my life. And when I see you ? give it to the people in our Clutterfree Academy membership, ? you are a model for all. And friend. 

  

Take good care of yourself in this season. That is your highest calling, it really is. ? Friends, you’ve been listening to Clutter Free Academy, I’m Kathi Lipp. Now, go create the clutter free life you’ve always wanted to live. 

 

 

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#679 – Grief and Clutter – A Journey Through Loss and Letting Go

#679 – Grief and Clutter – A Journey Through Loss and Letting Go

Join Kathi as she has a conversation with Lisa Woolery who lost her husband Eric suddenly at age 50. Lisa faced an overwhelming reality: not only was she grieving the love of her life, but she also inherited his extensive collection that filled their 6,700 square foot home. From dozens of guns to barrels of water and MREs, Eric’s “beautiful, cluttery” nature had created a different kind of burden for his wife and their two children. 

In this deeply moving episode of Clutter Free Academy, Lisa shares her raw and honest journey of grieving not just her husband, but also dealing with the mountain of possessions he left behind. You’ll discover how she navigated the anger, the overwhelm, and ultimately found peace through intentional decluttering. 

Listeners will gain an inside look at someone having to manage a loved one’s clutter after they are gone, learn practical strategies for honoring a loved one’s memory without keeping everything, including Lisa’s “five box rule” that helped her teenagers choose what mattered most when they downsized. She reveals the difference between sentimental items worth keeping and collections that served their purpose, and how creating a curated space helped her heal and move forward. 

Whether you’re dealing with your own loss or simply struggling with a partner’s clutter, this episode offers hope, practical wisdom, and permission to choose peace over possessions. 

Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest

Kathi Lipp gives readers an easy-to-follow process for meal planning and prep, so that they can enjoy a full day each week of real rest and refreshment.

Could you use a break from cooking (and everything else) once a week? Not only is rest vital for your mind and body, it’s good for your soul too. God designed us to enter into Sabbath rest one day per week, but as you know, meals still need to be made. Your family still needs to be fed.

Sabbath Soup includes convenient, seasonal meal plans that take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking. More than just a collection of delicious recipes—including main dishes, breads, breakfasts, desserts, salads, sides, and yes, soups—this is your guide to establishing a weekly rhythm and routine of meal planning and prep that allows you to have a true day off.

Do something good for your soul and experience the peace that comes with a full day dedicated to spending time with God, family, and friends. Savor your Sabbath as you proudly proclaim, “Soup’s on!”

Order your copy of Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest here.

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Meet Our Guest

 

Lisa Woolery

After two decades as a public relations executive, Lisa was thrown into widowing without warning. Not ashamed of her many “hot messes,” she shares the challenges of rebuilding life after the desolation of losing her husband.

Lisa writes with grit, humor, and raw honesty so other widows know they don’t have to be perfect in the face of grief. In The Widow’s Comeback, she dives into money, abandonment, parenting tweens, dating, self-forgiveness, and faith—offering companionship and hope for the road ahead.

She lives in Kansas City, loving on her two teenagers while chasing after her three rapscallion dogs. For fun, she travels the world, plays pickleball, and reads in her cheetah-print recliner.

The Widow’s Comeback memoir and the companion 365-Day Grieving Calendar are her first books. Lisa is currently working on her first Widow’s Comeback comedic novel. Stay tuned.

Follow her journey at TheWidowsComeback.com or on Facebook and Instagram @TheWidowsComeback.

Tonya Kubo Picture
Transcript

Kathi Lipp (00:08) 

Well, hey friends, welcome to Clutter Free Academy where our goal is to help you take small doable steps every day to live with less clutter and more life. And I’m so excited to have one of my friends on the podcast. She’s never been here before, but we are talking about, it’s a hard topic, but it’s also gonna be a good topic today. ? the title that we’re working with is A Minimalist Journey Through Loss and Letting Go. 

  

This is my friend Lisa Woolery. She recently wrote a book called The Widow’s Comeback. What if you knew you’d be okay? Lisa, welcome to the program. 

  

Lisa Woolery (00:47) 

Well, thanks for having me, Kathi. I’m really excited to be here. I just love your ministry and the work that you do. 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:51) 

Hmm 

  

Well, and you’re part of that. You help, especially over on our writer’s side, and I’m so grateful for that. And we’ve already done some foreshadowing here about what this topic is going to be. ? You are widowed. And tell us just really briefly ? that portion of your story. 

  

Lisa Woolery (01:14) 

Yeah. Well, one day when I was 50, I was making dinner for my husband who was 53 and he died suddenly while I was chopping broccoli. I unsuccessfully gave him CPR and suddenly my life really was over because I had to figure out how to create a new life without him. And I had two tweens at the time. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:27) 

Wow. 

  

my goodness. It just unimaginable. And I will say that you do live with a lot of joy. I see that every single time I’m in a room with you, a zoom room or in a room physically with you, you do live with a lot of joy, which I’m sure at the time seemed impossible. And you had not only did you have grief, but you had a lot of really practical things to take care of. 

  

And when we were talking about doing this podcast, you said that you’re more of a minimalist. I mean, I see in your house almost every single day. We’re on Zoom almost every single day. And I would never, ever think that you have a clutter problem. But maybe your husband was a little bit more on the cluttery side. Is that the impression I’m getting? 

  

Lisa Woolery (02:35) 

My husband was a beautiful, cluttery person. Yes. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:38) 

Yes, they’re the best, right? This is why 

  

we all marry them. And then we figure out, oh, no, oh, no, what have I done? But you guys were married for almost 30 years, you know, and very, very close. But your husband, you say was a little bit of a prepper. And you know, that’s close to my heart. I’ve written a book on prepping. But it sounds like maybe he was a little bit more extreme than I was. 

  

Lisa Woolery (02:45) 

Hahaha. 

  

Hello. 

  

Yeah, well, I think that, so my husband was a member of the NRA, lifelong gun owner, ? loved to shoot, hunt, these kinds of things. And then some new topic or hobby came about, which was called prepping. And it sort of… 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:13) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yes. 

  

Lisa Woolery (03:30) 

it sort of fell into what my husband loved to do, which was to collect things and go like all out. Like I used to joke that Eric Woolery put in 100 % when he had a new hobby. And so when we were young in our marriage and had our first apartments, he immediately got the extra bedroom for his clutter. And then as our marriage grew and we became… 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:41) 

Right. 

  

? got it. 

  

Lisa Woolery (03:58) 

better at our careers and made more money. We just bought bigger houses so he could have more space for his things. And ? I like to laugh and say that Eric Woolery died like eight months early because he missed COVID and all of the collecting of toilet paper and all of those things. Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:15) 

? He would have been proven right! 

  

Yes. I, my big flex was when I went to Costco, 

  

just as COVID was emerging, they’re like, you don’t need to buy toilet paper. I’m like, baby, I’m set. I’m good. Don’t you worry about Ms. Kathi. We’re good here. And yes, you know, I, first of all, I’m glad that you had whatever you needed in that time. ? you know, he probably would have looked at it like, Hey baby, look, I was taking good care of you. 

  

Lisa Woolery (04:35) 

Ha ha ha! 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:50) 

I 

  

made sure that you were prepared. So here’s my question. ? Was it a big point of contention? Was it a big point of frustration in your marriage? Tell me, unpack that for me. 

  

Lisa Woolery (04:54) 

You 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, we had two topics throughout our 28 year marriage that we never resolved. One was junk food. One was clutter. And so we, like I said, we managed it by having more rooms and, and we had an agreement that the house was mine to keep neat and tidy and his rooms were his to do what he wanted. And so, ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:10) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Okay. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (05:32) 

That’s kind of how we dealt with that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:34) 

You know, and it’s really interesting. ? That is pretty much the conclusion I’ve come to for a lot of people is that we may never resolve with our, it’s the people who have a lot of clutter and are not working on it that I know can be very, very frustrating. And so that clutter has to be contained behind the door or, you know, on shelves or something like that. So what you guys really did was, 

  

You didn’t argue over stuff you agreed on space Yeah, and that is something that we really Preach here because you’re probably never going to change somebody else’s clutter personality But you can say hey, it’s important to me that I live in a house that I feel comfortable in and that means not having guns and ammo Because I we’ve talked a little bit about this 

  

Lisa Woolery (06:08) 

100%, yes. 

  

you 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:32) 

He wasn’t just collecting toilet paper and food, right? 

  

Lisa Woolery (06:35) 

No, 

  

  1. When he died, we had in the basement of our 6,700 square foot house, he had these big rooms down there where he had his prepper things. And yeah, he liked guns. We had a joke. He never counted my shoes. I never counted his guns. And when he died, actually our estate was frozen for three months.

  

Kathi Lipp (06:46) 

Wow. 

  

Yes. 

  

Lisa Woolery (07:04) 

for an investigation and a delayed death certificate and some things. So luckily actually, because I sold his 74 guns and that allowed us to have food on the table and go on field trips with school, rent a violin and et cetera. So that was actually a little helpful. Yeah, yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (07:04) 

Hmm. Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, he was taking care of you from the beyond. He absolutely was. Yeah. 

  

And guys, we know people have a lot of different feelings about guns. We’re just telling you what the actual story is. Yeah. I, I, have to understand, ? you know, a lot of people really draw a line in the sand and say, you know, I, I know what’s in these rooms. So you have to, you have to get rid of this stuff. And, but 

  

That stuff made Eric very happy. ? I right? And it wasn’t a financial burden or was it? Okay. 

  

Lisa Woolery (08:00) 

Yeah. 

  

It was not. And he 

  

and he actually would invite the kids in he would take the kids to gun shows and they would buy MREs and all of these things and they would make bug out bags together. And he enjoyed it. It was his hobby. And that’s fine. I was fine with that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (08:15) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah, 

  

I wonder if he and I ever ran into each other at PrepperCon, because we did go one year in Utah. You know what, we’re going to take a little commercial break. And then when we come back, I want to talk about grieving, not just Eric, but the stuff and how you dealt with that, if there was resentment. And just giving us the non-cluttery person’s perspective about 

  

you know, what we leave behind. And I think that that could be really helpful. We’re gonna take a quick break and we’ll come right back. Okay, friends, I am back with Lisa Woolery, The Widow’s Comeback, and we are talking, I’m sorry, I didn’t even get that into frame there. ? We are talking about the stuff that’s left behind when somebody you love is gone. And, 

  

not only were you grieving, but you had a lot of practical things you had to take care of. And, you know, one of them was selling some of the things. Tell me some of the other things that, you know, you were left to deal with that some of us might not think of because I’ve never lost a spouse. I’ve lost my dad, but I haven’t. My mom is still with us. I’m so grateful. So I know that there are going to be big things I have to deal with that I didn’t have to deal with with the loss of my dad. 

  

because, ? you know, and it’s a little bit different because than losing parents because that’s closing an entire estate, but you were still around. still had, you still had to live life even though your partner was gone. 

  

Lisa Woolery (10:04) 

Yeah. Well, I have a scene in my book where I wasn’t expecting this, but over the course of five days, five huge crates came from Southern California to my house in Kansas. We had lived in Kansas for nine months and he was ? working super commuting and his staff finally, a few months later, was probably six months later, packed up his stuff and sent it. And it was four very large crates. 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:34) 

  1. my.

  

Lisa Woolery (10:34) 

One day, 

  

yeah, one day I looked out on to the front yard and my puppies were out there just tearing things up and there was just trash everywhere. And one of the crates had arrived and the puppies tore into it. And it was such a huge mess. I kenneled the dogs and I went outside and was just like the wind was blowing. I was trying to get a hold of all this stuff and I hadn’t yet been mad at Eric, but ? 

  

Kathi Lipp (10:45) 

Mm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (11:03) 

I was burning mad. Like I remember being out there just yelling you F F F. You leave me with this and I have to clean up more. When will it end? And I just had a horrendous meltdown in my front yard. I mean, I don’t know who saw or who heard or like I don’t even care. But ? so there was some anger. 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:09) 

Mmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Of course, of course. 

  

Lisa Woolery (11:31) 

in dealing with some of that stuff. And, you know, it was probably the resolution of all the fights that we had had about his stuff. But, you know, I cleaned it up, I dealt with it, and then I moved forward. And it was kind of empowering that I was allowed to choose what to do with this stuff. And I actually called my neighbor and said, all this stuff is here. I don’t want the kids to see it. And so she said, 

  

Kathi Lipp (11:38) 

Right. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (12:00) 

put it all in your car, bring it down and I’ll put my trash cans up at the curb. And then I just threw it all out and I did that for four days. I did it for four days straight. The last day I took the last crate, I put it down in the basement in this kid room where they had their puzzles and sleeping bags and just put it in the back and thought, well, they can find that one day. 

  

Kathi Lipp (12:07) 

wow. 

  

Okay, okay, so it was is a process of going through that I You know, I it’s such a weird question, but I’m gonna ask it anyway You know those of us who struggle with our clutter when we live with other people You know, they they get to share that burden What what do you wish Eric would have known? Maybe in the five years before he passed that would have helped you 

  

it not only in the grieving process, but the going on process. 

  

Lisa Woolery (12:57) 

Well, I think that his prepper stuff is okay. Like it’s fine. I dealt with it. Like I loved the guy and I loved all of his silly, silly quirks. I mean, I would say that the things that I wish we would have prepared for better were ? like financial things. Like we never got around to finishing our ? estate because we couldn’t decide who the kids would go to. And he left a business loan. 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:03) 

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (13:25) 

? Just like some things like that. So I can’t even say it was clutter. Like I’m a good cleaner out or I’m not sentimental. I just threw it all away. Well, actually, I’ll say this. And for anybody who’s dealing with a cluttery prepper husband and gets to get rid of some of the stuff, I would like take pictures of these big barrels that you could put water in or just MREs. And I just put it up on Marketplace and I’d say, 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:33) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (13:55) 

prepper stuff, $100. And people would come to my house and they’d just take it away. And some of the guys would be like, are you sure I can take this? I feel like I’m leaving you in an unsafe position. And I would be like in my head, COVID happened. My husband died. What worse things am I going to have to live through where I’m going to need an MRE? 

  

Kathi Lipp (13:56) 

Mm-hmm, yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Yeah, it’s so it’s so true you’ve already lived through the worst of it and Here we are and you know, I will always keep prepper stuff. Just I’m not an extensive prepper I’m a very practical prepper like I go through my stuff. We have lots of canned food. We’re good you know, we make sure that we have a ? Non-electric can opener so we can get into that food that kind of thing 

  

Lisa Woolery (14:23) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (14:46) 

? You say you’re not sentimental, but ? was there any struggle with getting rid of some of these things that Eric cared about? Or did you really from the start know this isn’t Eric, this is things he cared about. There are two different things. Like how did you rationalize all that? 

  

Lisa Woolery (15:08) 

Well, I didn’t feel sentimental about any of the prepper stuff. But when Eric first died, I took these two beautiful Tiffany boxes that we had that had had some large purchases that he had made for me. So like, I loved those boxes. And I took those boxes and I filled them with his personal items. ? And then I… 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:28) 

Mmm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (15:31) 

have them saved for my kids. They know when they graduate from college, they’re allowed to come in and choose. And occasionally, if they’re having a really hard time, I let them come in and choose things. But they’re like, so here’s, ? I’m holding up, I wear Eric’s watch every day. He had a lot of watches. He had a lot of, so many things. And so I was able to choose like some beautiful sentimental things. So I guess I am a little sentimental to keep. But then some of the other things like, 

  

Kathi Lipp (15:41) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (16:01) 

MREs were just junk to me. They weren’t, it wasn’t his beautiful watch or his personal things. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:07) 

Guys, 

  

MREs are like, ? no, that’s okay, packaged food that lasts a really long time, backpackers, preppers, know, astronauts, yes, yes, they all, MREs are something that they do. ? How did you decide what to keep and what to let go? I mean, okay, so the prepper stuff was easy, but then you get to his watches or… 

  

Lisa Woolery (16:11) 

? sorry. 

  

Army guys. 

  

Kathi Lipp (16:34) 

You know some of the other thing and what did you how did you decide what I love that you created two boxes? For your kids for things that they could have I my kids are in their 30s and they still they still feel like mom I’m not settled enough to take Grandpa’s ring yet. Can you hold on to it? And I’m like, absolutely I’m not gonna hang on to a car for you, but I can hang on to grandpa’s ring. So how did you decide what to keep? 

  

Was it about him? Was it about your relationship with him and the kids? Like, how did you go through that thought process? 

  

Lisa Woolery (17:09) 

Well, I went through when I was cleaning his things out and this was over some time. I would if I felt sentimental about it or I felt like, ? it’s Eric, then I would put it in the box. And that’s how I did it. But a year ago, we moved out of our six thousand seven square foot house with all of the things. And I took some time to get rid of things and. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:29) 

Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (17:34) 

I did what I told my kids was right sizing, like getting to the right size house for us. And I gave my kids each five boxes and I said, here is what you get to take to the new house. So when you’re packing, they were 15 and 16 at the time. Like here, you can put whatever you want in these boxes and that’s what we’re moving. Everything else. 

  

Kathi Lipp (17:37) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (18:02) 

we’re throwing away or we’re going to give to people who need it like the goodwill. So and then I said, you know, if your five boxes fill and you still have some things, you know, come and talk to me and we’ll discuss it. And so my daughter did very well. My son, who is, I think, a little cluttery, ? had some trouble. So I went down and just had a session with him where I’m like, keep or throw out, keep or throw out, keep or throw out. And 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:07) 

Right, yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (18:32) 

that I could walk him through, why is this special? Do you feel something special about it? Or is this just something that’s been sitting around for a long time? Like, how do you feel dad in this? And so, yeah. So I feel like we did pretty well and there’s only been like maybe one or two things that the kids have asked about. Nothing. I haven’t missed anything. 

  

Kathi Lipp (18:42) 

Mm-hmm. What a great question. What a great question. Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (19:01) 

So 

  

when they do say like, well, you didn’t bring that or something, then I’ll just say, I’m so sorry. Let’s just talk about it. And then we do. And then they can get mad at me if they want. And then we just move on. 

  

Kathi Lipp (19:09) 

Mm-hmm, yeah. 

  

I love that. ? I love that you had them be part of the process. yeah, there are always going to be things, it’s never gonna go perfectly, right? It’s never going to be 100%, but we can say, we can gather these things and we can say, this is just a small representation of everything that he was to us. And these spark great memories. ? 

  

I know you live in a pretty clutter free space. ? Does that make you miss Eric more Does it give you a sense of peace? how, how is it to not be surrounded by the stuff? 

  

Lisa Woolery (20:00) 

Well, I don’t do well with clutter. I can’t write if my space isn’t perfectly clear. So I feel very empowered in my new house. And I feel like it’s a fresh start. if, like right now, where I’m sitting in my living room in a chair, and I can just glance to my right a little bit and look at my bookshelves. I have these bookshelves. 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:03) 

Yeah. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Lisa Woolery (20:27) 

Looking at the bookshelves on the very top shelf. I have five yearbooks Some of the yearbooks Eric and I shared because we were high school sweethearts. Some of them were his Before he knew me so I have those I look over on the shelf and I have his two pens sitting there and I have ? behind it like I have a beer stein with like pens in it and Behind it is the preppy handbook, which he loved in high school 

  

Kathi Lipp (20:35) 

Mmm. 

  

Hahaha! 

  

Lisa Woolery (20:57) 

And so ? then I have like on the other side back here, I have a picture of us. And so I just have some little things around that I can look at or like my son signed some papers the other day and he used his dad’s pen. So ? he’s here. Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (21:06) 

Yeah. 

  

? You’ve really curated it you’ve really 

  

curated Eric around your house I love that for somebody who is going through a loss and They feel the need to keep everything because it feels like that’s how you honor the person What would be your advice? To somebody who is is really struggling with the the things left behind 

  

Lisa Woolery (21:46) 

Well, I can say for how I feel and everyone feels differently about clutter, but what I can say is you, like your loved one dies and then you have to start over. So how do you want to start over? What feels comfortable for you? Does it feel comfortable to have all this clutter around? Well, I don’t know what to say about that because I’m not a cluttery person, but for me having, and I love the word you used, having curated. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:09) 

Yeah. Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (22:15) 

the things that mean something to me about Eric and then moving forward feel really good. And ? I know that you talk a little bit about like making a video about something. I didn’t know that at the time, but I still like, this is going to make me like tear up a little bit. I remember when I got to Eric’s first briefcase because we like, he was so proud of that briefcase. He was the first person in his family to not be blue collar. And he was so proud of that. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:27) 

Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. ? 

  

Lisa Woolery (22:44) 

and he took it to his accounting job at Ernst & Winnie and like circa 1990 or something. And that was so hard for me to get rid of, but I knew that I had to, because it was old and janky and dust collecting. And so I took it to the trash can. It’s gonna make me cry a little bit. And I said to him, this was your beginning and we don’t need it anymore. 

  

Kathi Lipp (22:48) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Lisa Woolery (23:13) 

And so I threw away a close to trash can and I went in and cried. But you know, like sometimes it’s hard, like it’s gonna make you cry and just, but kind of going through all of it helped my healing. And so now here I am in this new house, new neighborhood, new fresh start, some of Eric’s things and I can be happy. 

  

Kathi Lipp (23:17) 

Yeah. 

  

Yeah. Right? 

  

? What a great note to end on guys if you are interested in Lisa’s book it’s called the widow’s comeback. What if you knew you’d be okay? It’s Lisa Woolery Lisa. Thank you so much for being on the podcast today And thanks for letting us get to know Eric a little bit ? You know, they’re never truly gone as long as we keep their memories alive ? Friends 

  

Lisa Woolery (23:55) 

Well, thanks for inviting me. 

  

Thank you. 

  

Yeah. 

  

Kathi Lipp (24:09) 

? We’re gonna take a quick commercial break and we’re gonna come back and it is this week’s ? installment of things that have earned a place in my clutter free home. So stick with us and we’ll be right back. 

  

Lisa Woolery (24:20) 

You 

 

 

 

Kathi Lipp (00:00) 

Hey, welcome back. This is my favorite part of the show, the part where I talk about these clutter-free items that have earned a place in my home. And I’ve got Tonya Kubo on the line. And so Tonya, I’m very excited to talk to you about can openers. Yay! 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:21) 

Tell me more? 

  

Kathi Lipp (00:23) 

Okay, I’m sending you a link right now. It’s called the Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener. so I discovered this when I was going through some mobility issues. I overused my phone and my kids are all embarrassed. They’re like, mom, it’s too much TikTok. I’m like, I know, I know, babe. here’s the problem. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:27) 

  1.  

  

Kathi Lipp (00:50) 

I had a real hard time with my right hand, which is not my dominant hand, but grasping things, holding things. And I saw this online. it’s a can opener that you put on top of the can and you hit a button and it spins around and does a clean cut of your can and without you even having to touch it. 

  

Tonya Kubo (00:54) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:18) 

It’s so great and can I tell you it’s not just a mobility thing but when I’m doing my chili which has a lot of cans in it I just sit that on top of the can push the button and it has to be seated properly it takes a second but it just spins around does it and I can open the can so if if a can opener is never anything you’ve thought about before 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:27) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (01:46) 

But I’ll tell you, there are more items in your kitchen that really take strong mobility than you might imagine. A salt grinder, a pepper grinder. And I bought one of these can operators for my mom and she’s like, Kathi, that seems a little ridiculous. And now if there was a fire, it would be one of the top five things she takes out. 

  

Tonya Kubo (01:53) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Well, you know, it’s funny is because I looked at I was like, that doesn’t look like anything. And they’re like, no, Tonya, really. But I mean, I’ve been a desk worker since college, which, you know, keyboards long before they ever knew what ergonomics was. So, yeah, my grip strength is terrible. So the idea. Yeah. But the idea that I could open cans. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:13) 

Yeah. 

  

Yes. 

  

Yes. 

  

Right, so we have to work on our grip strength and do this. Yes. Yeah, this is 

  

Tonya Kubo (02:35) 

Cause my hand will cramp if I try to open three cans just to make chili, right? It’s like three cans of beans. 

  

Kathi Lipp (02:39) 

This is exactly where I’m 

  

  1. And I like this because one, a couple of things. It’s not electric. So in an emergency situation, you know, your power’s out, battery operated, you’re good to go. The other thing I like about it is, you know, we’ve all used or seen those electric can openers that sit on your counter. I don’t want an electric can opener on my counter. I just stick this in the drawer and I pull it back. It takes four batteries.

  

Tonya Kubo (02:52) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:09) 

And it’s, I love it. I can’t even tell you, I love it so much. It can open any kind of can that you need it to. I have used it on soda cans that I lost a little tab on. So that was nice. And I just, yeah, so like I said, if it’s not a big deal for you, this may not be. 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:27) 

Ooh. 

  

Kathi Lipp (03:35) 

the things that have earned a place in my clutter free home, this may not be it for you. But if you have arthritis in your hands, ? if you’re careful with sharp edges. Now, one of the fun things was I was making chili when we had some friends over and their seven year old asked how they could help. And I’m like, you know, you can’t help fry the ground beef necessarily. Mom might not. And then I’m like, 

  

Tonya Kubo (03:56) 

Mm-hmm. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:02) 

you can open all the cans. And this was the most fun that seven year old had had in a really long time. And I wasn’t worried about it because all the edges are, they’re the non-sharp edges. And so that makes me super, yeah. So this is something that Abby would have no problem working with. regular can openers can be frustrating. And by the way, I know there’s a can opener where you lay it flat on top of the can. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:06) 

Ha ha! 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

Right, that’s so important. 

  

Mm-hmm. 

  

I have 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:31) 

And okay, can I, yes. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:31) 

that. But my hand cramps because I just don’t have that dexterity and Abby has a hard time because her hands aren’t yet big enough. 

  

Kathi Lipp (04:40) 

Okay, see, and this would solve both of those. And can I tell you who this would make a great gift for? The lefty in your life. Because can, yeah, can openers are not designed for lefties. And as a lefty, yeah, yeah, exactly. So if anybody wants to buy a second one for me or Tonya, yeah, this is great. Go ahead, Tonya. 

  

Tonya Kubo (04:55) 

No, no, fellow lefty here. 

  

Yeah, 

  

we’ll take it. I just have one very important question. What color do you have? 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:09) 

I have red because I live at the Red House, but ? mom has blue So that will never get them mixed up. There are different colors There’s just the plain white one if you’re more of a minimalist And there’s a green one now I am I am buying the turquoise one because the blue is kind of a turquoisey blue for our RV because everything in an RV is ? Is turquoise blue so that how what color would you order? 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:10) 

Okay, right. 

  

Mmm. 

  

Got it. Okay. 

  

A blue. I was gonna order a blue. Cause it’ll stand out. I have a yellow kitchen and so I want to be able to like see it across the room. 

  

Kathi Lipp (05:39) 

Okay, yeah. 

  

Yes, I love it. Okay, so by the way, if you’re into tinned fish, which everybody is these days, this also works on that. It opens like any weird can. So I love that for us. Yes. Okay, so the link will be in the show notes. Let me be honest, we get a little kickback. I think it’s probably gonna be a whole 40 cents from the $22 that you might spend. 

  

Tonya Kubo (05:58) 

Yay! 

  

Ooh, I was gonna 

  

say, I thought it would be like, you know, 2.8 cents. So, hey, 40 cents. 

  

Kathi Lipp (06:17) 

I don’t know, 

  

I don’t know. Who knows, maybe this is the way I get rich, I don’t know. But I wanna be honest with you, but this is something that I personally use and love and wanted to share with you guys. So friends, thank you for listening to Clutter-Free Academy, I’m Kathi Lipp. Now, go create the clutter-free life you’ve always wanted to live. 

 

 

More Posts 

#685 – Stuck and Overwhelmed? The Real Reason Your Clutter Won’t Budge

Are you worn out from battling clutter and not seeing the progress you’d hoped for? In this heartfelt episode, Kathi Lipp and Tonya Kubo explore the reality of declutter fatigue and why, for so many women, the journey can feel never-ending. If you’re feeling stuck,...

read more

#526 – Are You Worth Decluttering For?

#526 – Are You Worth Decluttering For?

526: Are You Worth Decluttering For?

 

 

Have you ever felt like you could only enjoy something after you’ve decluttered a certain space? This mentality is at the heart of Kathi’s discussion with Deanna Day Young and Grace Church. All of them have, at one point, felt unworthy of decluttering. Today, they are sharing some of their best advice for how to overcome these feelings of unworthiness, including:

  • Why it’s so important to live with margin
  • The benefits of being intentional
  • How to find and invite beauty into your life

You are worthy of living a joyful, adventurous life right now. Don’t wait to start embracing your worthiness or the beauty all around you; choose to invite it in and see what wonderful moments await you today.

The Clutter Free Home: Making Room for Your Life

 

When it comes to your home, peace is possible…

Longing for a place of peace from which you can love others well? The Clutter-Free Home is your room-by-room guide to decluttering, reclaiming, and celebrating every space of your home.

Let author Kathi Lipp (who once lived a life buried in clutter) walk you through each room of your house to create organizational zones that are not only functional and practical but create places of peace that reflect your personality.  Kathi will help you tackle the four-step process of dedicate, decide, declutter and “do-your-thing” to reveal the home you’ve always dreamed of, and then transform it into a haven that reflects who you truly are meant to be.

ORDER THE CLUTTER-FREE HOME

 

 

What area of your home you are ready to take the next step and tackle today? Tell us below!

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Meet Our Guest 

 

Grace Church & Deanna Day Young

Grace Church and Deanna Day Young are both an integral part of the Kahi Lipp team.

Every week you can find them giving encouragement in Clutter Free Academy and Clutter Free For Life. They are gifted Christian communicators who inspire others through their unique messages. To follow and join in their journey, find out more about Grace and Deanna here:

Grace Church: Rise and Write Blog

Deanna Day Young: Joy in, Junk out

Transcript

More Posts 

Eps #273 Brave Beauty: Discovering the Fearless You with Lynn Cowell

Eps #273 Brave Beauty: Discovering the Fearless You with Lynn Cowell

Brave Beauty

What will my life be like? Who will I be?

Whether girls put these concerns into words or struggle anxiously with these thoughts, during this season of change, girls have questions. Sometimes these questions also come with fears and they need a safe place to process these fears. From Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and blogger, Lynn Cowell, comes Faithgirlz Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You.For girls 8-12, Brave Beauty brings tweens 100 courage-building moments to reflect on Scripture and find confidence in God, rather than in someone, some place, or some thing, as culture will all-too-soon tell them to.

According to author Lynn Cowell, 7 out of 10 girls feel like they don’t measure up. How can we build our daughters up from the inside out so they don’t let comparison rule their lives?

Join us as our host, Kathi Lipp, interviews Author Lynn Cowell to discuss her new book, Brave Beauty and learn how to root out fear in our children’s lives and teach our girls to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than their own strength.

WIN!

Lynn has given us 3 copies of Brave Beauty to share with our listeners! What area of bravery would you like to see your 8-12 year old grow in? Leave a comment to this question and be entered to receive a free copy of Brave Beauty!


Resources from Lynn:

6 Lock Screens {Free}

Brave Beauty Study Guide 

FREE DOWNLOAD

Brave Beauty Lock Screens

Click on the image above (or here!) and you’ll be taken to a form to get your free lock screens!

Meet Our Guest

Lynn Cowell

Lynn Cowell

Lynn Cowell is a national conference speaker who is passionate about helping women of all ages understand the importance of Christ confidence. She is the author of several books including her upcoming book for women Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, and Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You just for girls ages 8 – 12 that just released.  

Lynn and her husband, Greg, have been married for over 30 years and are the parents of three young adults. They enjoy spending time together, especially when it combines the mountains, well-worn sweatshirts, and anything with chocolate and peanut butter. Lynn, her family, and the occasional backyard deer, live near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Eps #273 Brave Beauty: Discovering the Fearless You with Lynn Cowell

Episode #269 Calm, Cool, and Connected: 5 Digital Habits for a More Balanced Life with Arlene Pellicane

Ever feel like the digital age has taken over your life and the lives of your loved ones? Listen in as Kathi interviews Arlene Pellicane to discuss Arlene’s new book, “Calm, Cool and Connected”. Learn five digital habits for a more balanced life and how to tame the modern tools to take back our lives. Forming new habits, we can learn to navigate the digital world and prioritize loved ones, as well. Leave a comment on our website to be entered to receive a free copy of Arlene’s new book.

Meet Our Guest

Arlene Pellicane

Arlene Pellicane

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of five books including 31 Days to Becoming a Happy Wife31 Days to a Happy Husband and 31 Days to a Becoming a Happy Mom. She has provided expertise as a guest on the Today Show, Focus on the Family, Fox & Friends, Family Life TodayThe 700 Club, The Better Show, The Hour of Power, Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, Home Made Simple on TLC and numerous radio programs. Arlene earned her BA from Biola University and a MA from Regent University.  Before becoming a speaker and author, she served as a features reporter for The 700 Club and associate director for Turning Point Television with David Jeremiah.   

Finding Rest in Summer When You Feel It isn’t an Option

Finding Rest in Summer When You Feel It isn’t an Option

Finding rest in summer

Summer’s here! Time for fun, right? Well … maybe, but work keeps right on going. Kids are home, laundry’s piling up, and that car doesn’t pack itself for vacation. Finding rest in summer might seem out of reach.

It’s hard to carve out time for rest, even in the summer, but God gives us some rich encouragement in His Word. Amy shares a scripture that will feed your soul and an action step that will help create your best, most restful summer yet.

 

finding rest in summer