Homeschool Simplicity | systems and organization for homeschooling moms

25. Declutter 2026 Items in 2026: A Simpler Home, One Small Step at a Time

Feeling buried under baby gear, curriculum clutter, or mystery junk drawers? You’re not alone, mama. In this episode, I’m sharing the small daily challenge that helped me declutter over 6,800 items in three years—and how it completely transformed our home and our homeschool.

Whether you love trackers or just want someone to tell you where to start, you’ll get the simple strategy (with built-in grace days) to clear the clutter and create breathing room—without burnout.

If you’re ready to make 2026 the year you finally feel lighter, calmer, and more in control… this is your sign to begin.

💡 In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why decluttering 2,026 items this year is totally doable
• How just 5–6 items a day creates massive momentum
• What to declutter first when you're overwhelmed
• How to involve your kids (and make it fun!)
• Why visual tracking boosts motivation
• The real mindset shift that makes simplicity stick

🎁 Free Resource:

Download the Declutter 2026 Tracker
Your free, printable tracker to keep the challenge doable and motivating.
👉 https://bit.ly/2026declutter

Join the Simplicity Mamas free Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/simplicitymamas

📌 Mentioned in This Episode:

• 100-box declutter challenge (for non-item counters)
• Creating a keepsake + hospitality bin system
• The storage room transformation that changed everything

💛 Let’s Connect:

Tag me on Instagram when you start the challenge! I’d love to cheer you on and share your wins.
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranoellewrites

 

24. What I Do Every Night to Keep Our Homeschool Days Running Smoothly

Are your mornings starting in chaos?
Toys on the floor. Dishes in the sink.
Sticky counters and zero energy—and yet, you’re still expected to homeschool.

I’ve been there, mama.

In today’s episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the simple 5-step evening routine that changed everything for our home and homeschool. It’s not about perfection—it’s about peace. You’ll learn how to build a sustainable, repeatable rhythm that helps you wake up calm, clear, and actually ready for the day.

Because the way you leave your house at night… is the way you wake up to it in the morning.

Let’s make that something beautiful.

🧺 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “I’ll do it tomorrow” is stealing your peace
  
• The emotional toll of clutter (on you and your kids)
  
• My simple evening routine (and the 1 goal that started it all)
  
• How to build your own routine, one step at a time
  
• Why your reset isn’t about being perfect—it’s about protecting your peace
  
  

🧭 Resources & Links:

🎁 Grab my free guide: Homeschool Simplicity Staples
→ https://lauranoelle.com/start

💬 Join the conversation inside our free community: Simplicity Mamas
→ https://www.facebook.com/groups/simplicitymamas

💛 Take Action:

Tonight—just do one thing.
Maybe it's the dishes. Maybe it’s a 5-minute tidy.
Give your future self the gift of peace in the morning.

And remember…
✨ Simplicity isn’t a dream. It’s a system.
You’re building it, one reset at a time.

 

23. How to Teach Kids to Respect Systems and Spaces || Organization Tips for Homeschoolers

Your home is full of systems—but your kids still leave stuff everywhere.
What gives?

In today’s episode, we dive into why kids don’t automatically respect shared spaces (spoiler: it’s not because you’re doing it wrong), and how to train them with rhythms—not more rules.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about peace. And peace starts with one rhythm that sticks.

🗝️ What You’ll Learn:

• Why bins and labels aren’t enough to make systems work
  
• The real reason kids don’t see mess like we do
  
• How to start training responsibility (even if you feel behind)
  
• 2 game-changing rhythms that transformed our home
  
• What to do when your kids resist routines
  
  

📌 Key Takeaway:

Teaching kids to respect your systems is a long game—but it’s one that pays off. Start small. Stick with it. And watch your home breathe again.

💛 Join the Community:

Ready to build rhythms that actually stick?

Come join Simplicity Mamas—our free, grace-filled community for homeschool moms decluttering chaos and creating systems that support real life.  --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/simplicitymamas

22. The 50% Method: A Simple Mindset Shift to Declutter Your Home Fast || Organization Tips for Homeschoolers

Feeling buried by clutter no matter how many times you clean or organize? In this episode, I share the 50% Method—a practical mindset shift that helped me let go of the excess and breathe easier in our homeschool life. You'll learn where to start, how to build decluttering momentum, and how to avoid the guilt that keeps so many moms stuck. Less stuff really can mean more peace.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why organizing isn’t working (and what to try instead)

• The 50% Method explained

• How to pick your starting point and avoid burnout

• What to do with the "what if I need it later?" fear

• Why this method brings emotional freedom, not just tidy drawers

Links & Resources:

• Watch my Minimalist Kitchen Tour on YouTube

• Download the Free Simplicity Staples Guide

• Listen to Episode #8: Letting Go of Someday

Rate & Review: If this episode helped you, would you take 30 seconds to leave a rating or review? It helps more overwhelmed homeschool moms find simplicity that sticks. Thank you!

21. Streamline Your Meal Planning with This Simple System || Home Management for Homeschoolers

Feeling overwhelmed by the daily “what’s for dinner?” chaos? You’re not alone. In this episode, we’re ditching complicated meal plans and building a simple, sanity-saving system that actually works—even on co-op days and toddler meltdowns.

I’ll show you how to create a One Week Master Meal Plan—a repeatable rhythm of meals your family already loves so you can stop reinventing the wheel every week and start enjoying dinnertime again.

If you’re ready for fewer decisions, more peace, and a rhythm that sticks, this episode is your first step.

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• Why traditional meal planning doesn’t work (and what to do instead)
• How a simple 7-day rotation can free your brain
• Real-life examples of how this system changed everything in my home
• Step-by-step guide to creating your own one-week meal rhythm
• Why simplifying meals is not “cheating”—it’s wise
  
  

🛠 Mentioned in this Episode:

🎁 Freebie: One Week Master Meal Plan Template
Download your colorful planner, minimalist version, and sample menu
👉 https://laura-noelle.myflodesk.com/one-week-master-meal-plan

💬 Connect with Laura

Instagram → @lauranoellewrites
Website → www.lauranoelle.com

🎧 Subscribe & Review

If this episode brought you relief or clarity, would you take 30 seconds to rate and review the show? Your feedback helps more homeschool mamas find peace in their days too.

20. December School: Simplifying for Sanity, Connection & Joy || Homeschool Tips

Ever feel like December is trying to break you?

The calendar’s packed, the kids are overstimulated, and you’re still trying to check all the homeschool boxes.

This week, we're talking about December School—what it is, why it matters, and how it can bring calm instead of chaos to your homeschool during the holidays.

✨ Because you don’t have to push through. You get to pause. And in this episode, I’ll show you how.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why simplifying December isn’t “lazy”—it’s leadership
• How to shift from burnout to breathing room in just 3 weeks
• What December School can actually look like (real examples!)
• How to make space for peace, presence, and connection
• The one mindset shift that changes everything this season

Practical Takeaways:

💛 Audit your curriculum & drop what you don’t need
💛 Keep just 1–2 core skills going
💛 Add in seasonal connection points: crafts, stories, service, unit studies
💛 Let go of the pressure to “keep up”—and choose what sticks

Links & Resources:

👉 Join the free FB community: Simplicity Mamas
Homeschooling with calm, clarity, and connection, even in December
https://www.facebook.com/groups/simplicitymamas

Your homeschool deserves more peace—and so do you.
Take a deep breath, mama… and let’s simplify together. 💛

19. What Simplicity Really Looks Like || Organization Tips for Homeschoolers

We’ve been sold a lie: that simplicity is white walls, matching baskets, and peaceful, linen-draped mornings. But for most overwhelmed homeschool moms? That kind of “simplicity” feels anything but simple.

In this episode, I’m debunking the Pinterest version of simple living—and replacing it with real, practical strategies that actually work in real homes, with real mess, and real kids.

You'll hear my personal journey from chaos to calm, how I used just five items a day to start shifting my home, and how that transformed our homeschool rhythms too. Get ready to let go of pressure, perfection, and performative simplicity—and build a life that actually helps you breathe again.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “simple living” online is often just another performance

• The true definition of simplicity (and what it’s not)

• How to find your personal starting point—clutter, rhythm, or systems

• My favorite micro-practices that build momentum without burnout

• The secret to building simplicity that sticks—even with little kids and busy days

✨ Mentioned in this episode:

• 💛 Free Tool: Homeschool Clarity Coach – Get your personalized 10-minute win: lauranoelle.com/clarity-coach

• 📥 Download the Homeschool Simplicity Staples guide: lauranoelle.com/start

💬 Connect with Me:

Instagram: @lauranoellewrites
Website: www.lauranoelle.com

18. Why Homeschooling Doesn't Need to Take 8 Hours a Day

Are you finishing homeschool by lunchtime and wondering if you’re doing enough? You're not alone—and you're not doing it wrong. In this episode, we're busting the 8-hour myth and exploring what real learning actually looks like. Discover how homeschoolers can achieve more in less time, why traditional school hours don’t translate to home, and how to drop the guilt once and for all. If you’re ready to simplify your schedule and breathe easier—you’re in the right place.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 📍 Start your FREE Homeschool Clarity Coach Session
  Get your next right step in 5 minutes: https://www.lauranoelle.com/clarity-coach
  
  
• 📚 Referenced Study:
  HSLDA – “How Much Time Do Homeschoolers Need?”
  https://hslda.org/post/homeschoolers-may-need-less-instructional-time-than-traditional-school-students
  
  

💛 What You’ll Learn:

• The real reason public school takes 6–7 hours
• How much daily learning actually happens in the classroom
• Why homeschool is more efficient (and powerful!)
• What life-integrated learning looks like
• Practical ways to enrich without adding more hours
• How to shift your mindset and release guilt

Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder: they’re doing enough.
Because you don’t have to do it all—just do what sticks.