Welcome! I’m Julianna. I am a wife, mama, professional declutterer, and writer.
I’m passionate about living a life full of purpose and intention. My feelings behind this only grew stronger after having my 2 daughters. We live in a world full of distractions and I want to be present with my kids and have great memories of experiencing life with them.
My Journey
I have discovered in the past few years that having an intentional life also means being purposeful about what I allow into my house (as well as what I get out of my house). Thus began my own journey searching for simplicity.
To give you a bit more of our backstory, my husband and I lived in California for the first 6 years of our marriage. As newlyweds, we lived in a 1400 sq ft condo that had 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.
Almost 3 years later, we had our first daughter. The condo suited our little family just fine, but when I was 8 months pregnant with our second daughter we decided that was the ideal time to move (what was I thinking???).
We moved across town to a 1550 sq ft house that had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and fit our family of 4 pretty perfectly. After living there for a little over a year, we made a big move up to the Pacific Northwest to be near family.
It was in the process of doing this out-of-state move that I began to realize how much stuff we actually owned.
Our house didn’t look like we were on Hoarders, but somehow taking all of our belongings out of that house, and maybe especially the garage (where all good junk goes to die), it became apparent we had a stuff problem.
It was even more evident when our moving company agreed, as they were not able to get all of our belongings into their largest truck and ended up having to bring a second one to haul all of our things up here.
I’d like to say that was an immediate wake-up call, and I started changing my ways as soon as we got to the next house. However, the house we were now moving into was 1950 sq ft and had 4 bedrooms 2.5 bathrooms, and perhaps most problematically, a 3 car garage. About a year into living there, I continued to amass more things as I had the space to do so.
A Not So Simple Side Gig
I also decided that I was going to start my own side gig refinishing furniture. I was good at finding great deals on furniture and supplies (often free), and thus began a new problem. One year in we could no longer park even 1 car into our garage as I had completely filled it with project pieces and upcycle projects.
Ironically even as I was doing that, I started reading about decluttering and minimalism and began to connect with many of the concepts presented in the books I read. There were a few that really resonated with me.
I had become so weighed down by all the stuff. It was hard for me to sit still and just relax because I was constantly feeling overwhelmed by the clutter sitting out, the toys that hadn’t been put away, the projects all awaiting me in the garage I couldn’t park in (and it rains here quite a bit so that was well, inconvenient).
A Turning Point
I continued to read and research and in doing so became increasingly passionate about the importance of simplicity. As I began decluttering my own home, I saw the difference it made. I felt so much freer and while there wasn’t zero stress with raising two small kids, having less definitely decreased my stress.
In 2017 I became a professional declutterer (most people would say professional organizer, but I focus much more on the decluttering part) and started helping other people declutter their homes.
I love helping other people simplify their homes and their lives. It is still something I am working through in various aspects of my own life, but I have learned a lot in my journey thus far and wanted to create this blog to share and encourage others who are seeking simplicity in their own lives.
Why The Simplicity Habit?
The name came about after quite a few iterations and talking with those who know me best. In the end, it felt like the most appropriate name because the way I see it, simplicity is not a one-time choice. It is an ongoing habit in order to create a life that reflects the value of simplicity.
Our culture tells us time and time again that we need more, more, more. I disagree. I think we need a lot less of many of the things we are told we ‘need’.
In order for me to feel fulfilled and like my life has meaning, I do not need more things. I need more time to spend with those I love, money to spend on causes I care about, and energy for keeping up with my little girls. The best things in life are not possessions.
My goal is to cultivate a habit of less stuff, so I can have more in my life that I really care about and that truly matters to me.
If any of this resonates with you, please join me on this journey of simplifying and creating margin in life, so you can say yes to the great. If you want to make sure you never miss a post, sign up below to receive my weekly updates with tips on simplifying life.
You can find me online most often on my Facebook page. I love sharing positive quotes there as well as helpful posts I’ve written about living simply & intentionally.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading, walking, hanging out with my girls & my husband, DIY projects (extra bonus if I’m repurposing something), tea, throwing things away and organizing (in that order), deepening my faith, and spending time with my friends and family. And finally, binge-watching This Is Us with my sister because Randall and Jack.
To contact me, please send an email to julianna@thesimplicityhabit.com.