I was SO inspired after listening to Brene Brown's book, Atlas of the Heart, that I had to do a podcast episode that draws inspiration from the different emotions she defines through her qualitative research. Because paring down and decluttering is EMOTIONAL! We're proud, we're guilty, we're relieved, we're overwhelmed...we're all the things. Today, I walk you through some of the top emotions people feel when decluttering or managing their possessions. I hope that by identifying these...

Do you ever feel like "What's the point of going green? What difference is my one little choice going to make?" Or maybe you think "It's too complicated. I just don't have the bandwidth to add sustainability to my list of things to do." This episode with Shila Wattamwar is such a breath of fresh air! Shila is a true industry insider when it comes to sustainable living, and offers motivating yet gentle perspective about why living with less supports a more sustainable future not only for the...

It's the last episode of 2023! What is this life?? This week, I walk you through the areas of my life I simplified this year in hopes of giving you a few ideas for what to pare down in the coming year! From books to the social media to paper flyers, I've really become intentional about what's allowed in my physical and mental space. Maybe next year I'll actually finish decluttering the garage. Happy New Year, everyone!! Paring Down Podcast Instagram: @paringdownpodcast

For the very last episode in our Paring Down the Holidays miniseries, I'm back on the pod with author, fellow podcast host, and all around dynamite human being, Molly Stillman. We continue our conversation from Tuesday (go back and listen to Episode 10 if you haven't yet!!) as we dive into different Christmas traditions and where they come from. What's the history of the Christmas tree? Why do we celebrate on December 25? Who came up with Santa's reindeer? Molly gives her *controversial*...

Who was Jesus? Does he matter even if you're not a Christian? Why do we celebrate his birth?  I'm so excited to pare down the meaning of Christmas in this episode with the HILARIOUS, wise, and brilliant Molly Stillman. Molly is an author, podcast host, church planter, farmer, mother, comedian...she's truly dynamic. This podcast is not just for followers of Jesus, however as we move through this miniseries, Paring Down the Holidays, I can't help but bring forth my own faith as we get...

Sometimes I find myself of falling into this trap: I want to be generous...I THINK I'm pretty generous...I definitely care about generosity. But then my days get filled with soccer practices and career work and hobbies and time with family and school events, and suddenly I realize that while nothing I'm doing is bad-- in fact a lot of it is great (family time!)-- my heart to care for others has become a nice thought instead of an actual part of my life. We're smack in the middle of the...

We are smack in the middle of the holiday season, which for me, means Christmas! The Paring Down Podcast isn't a podcast only for Christians, however Jesus is a big part of my life, so I wanted to really pare down my beliefs surrounding decluttering and minimalism through the lens of what the Bible has to say about it. What better time of year to dive into this than when we're about to celebrate Jesus' birth? I'm HONORED to welcome Hanna Seymour as our guest on this topic, because her love...

Thanksgiving is behind us, so it's officially time to decorate for Christmas! (Let's be honest, most of us already have.) This is a podcast about decluttering, but it's not a podcast about stringent rules or opinions. All of us will land somewhere a little different when it comes to how much holiday decor we'd like to display. The key is intentionality-- what holds meaning to us? What do we want to put the effort into taking down in January? What do we want to store the other 10-11 months out...

Today on the show, I'm throwing it back to my days in NYC. Ah, to be 23 and frolicking around the city while sharing a tiny 6-floor walk up! My old NYC roommate, Britt Meyer later moved from NYC to Hong Kong, where she was a princess at Hong Kong Disneyland, then landed in London with her husband and three young daughters. Spending her adulthood in different major cities around the world means that Britt has learned the art of living in small spaces-- in every stage of life-- and has...

Ep. 5: Do you struggle to let go of sentimental items? In this episode, I share my experience with decluttering sentimental items after my mother passed away when I was 24 years old. You'll hear some perspective shifts that helped me not hold onto every little thing that reminded me of her. I dive into letting go of baby items for our kids, deciding what *is* special to keep, and a big question that I've learned to ask myself because of what happened one afternoon flipping through old...

It's one thing to live in a small house-- it's another to live out of two suitcases. Madison Embrey joins the show today, telling us about her life as a stunt performer and dancer on tour for the last 10 straight years. She sheds light on how to step outside of excessive fashion or home decor to create a sense of self that isn't grounded in what we own-- and proves that what we *want* is fundamentally different than what we actually *need*. Paring Down Podcast Instagram:...

The holidays are upon us! And that means an influx of stuff, traditions, and events. Oftentimes, we end up just wanting to "get through the holidays" because it's all so overwhelming. In this episode, Shannon brings on small-space interior designer Karla Graves to talk about living intentionally with less, and how to prepare our homes, our kids, and our hearts for a less daunting holiday season. From what to put in stockings and boundaries surrounding gifts, to resisting the urge to...

I have NOT always been a minimalist...and many purists probably wouldn't consider me one, even now! The point is that I've been on a journey to owning less for *years*. My decluttering story is a bit different than most in that I never had a big "aha" turning point toward living with less. It's been a slow burn that gained traction over a series of life events that revealed to me how clutter was getting in the way of my peace. When it's hard to get to the washer/dryer because the garage is so...

Decluttering our homes to avoid the mess and overwhelm sounds great *in theory* to most of us...but where in the world do we start?? In the debut episode of Paring Down, Shannon chats with professional organizer Matlin Pessarra, who sheds some light on mistakes people make when trying to organize their homes, as well as insider tips for approaches that actually work. Paring Down Podcast Instagram: @paringdownpodcast Matlin Pessarra Instagram: @getminimized Minimized Website:...

Coming October 31, 2023! The Paring Down Podcast will bring you conversations about the physical and mental clutter that drowns out what truly matters to each of us. If you're looking for motivation to declutter your home-- or to simply live with more intention-- join Shannon Leyko each Tuesday for interesting, practical conversations about paring down what you own, want, and believe.