108: Avoid Clutter by Developing Personal Preferences with Courtney Florey

108: Avoid Clutter by Developing Personal Preferences with Courtney Florey

Author: Cloud10 October 28, 2025 Duration: 44:25
Do we even realize that we're creating a life based on what other people like, instead of our own preferences? I loved this casual, relatable conversation with Courtney Florey of Declutter & Dwell to explore a surprisingly powerful way to prevent clutter before it starts: Getting clear on your personal preferences. Together, we unpack: Why developing contentment is key to simplifying your home and your habits Practical actions to uncover what you truly love (beyond trends or what others say you “should” like) How knowing your preferences helps you make confident decisions when shopping or decorating My somewhat embarrassing story of subconsciously making purchases to impress the internet—and how cutting back on sharing my family revealed this underlying motivation This episode is a reminder that a clutter-free home doesn’t just come from organizing better—it starts with knowing yourself better. Paring Down Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@paring_down⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Paring Down Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The L.E.S.S. Express⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paring Down YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ COURTNEY FLOREY Instagram:⁠⁠ ⁠@declutteranddwell ⁠⁠ PARING DOWN RESOURCES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Decluttering Checklist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠10 Life-Changing Decluttering Hacks (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Treasures of the Heart: A 7-Day Bible Study on Breaking Free from Material Attachments (free)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free 15 Clutter-Free Gift Ideas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Gift Request Email Template⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Know Your Why Worksheet ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete Guide to Decluttering Kid Stuff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SPONSORS: 20% OFF any AquaTru water purifier when you go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AquaTru.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use promo code PARING Convenient therapy that’s covered by insurance: ⁠⁠Rula.com/PARING⁠⁠ 20% off Longevity Mitopure Gummies for Urolithin A at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠timeline.com/PARING ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to Prolon’s 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet. *remember this is for metabolic health, not simply a weight loss hack*: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prolonlife.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ethical, luxury women's clothing at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/paring⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! High-quality, eco-friendly activewear at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fabletics.com/PARING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - sign up as a VIP and get 80% off everything. 10 Free Meals from Hello Fresh:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.hellofresh.com/paring10fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ $300 off Air Doctor Pro air purifier:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://airdoctorpro.com/ -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Use code PARING Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paring Down: Realistic minimalism, decluttering, & intentional living is for anyone who feels overwhelmed by their possessions but finds the idea of an empty, stark home equally daunting. Host Shannon Leyko approaches these conversations with the warmth and directness of a close friend, focusing on the mental shifts needed to let go of clutter without adopting an all-or-nothing philosophy. Each episode feels like a supportive chat that acknowledges the emotional weight of our things, whether it's a crowded garage, an overstuffed closet, or a schedule packed with obligations. The discussions move beyond simple organizing tricks to explore a more intentional way of living that can create space-both physically and mentally. Leyko brings in a range of voices, from well-known authors to people navigating everyday challenges, all sharing actionable advice and perspective. This podcast digs into the real reasons we hold on to stuff and how to cultivate a home environment that genuinely serves you. It’s a practical guide for making incremental, sustainable changes that reduce stress, not a rigid doctrine to follow. You’ll find a balanced, compassionate take on creating calm in your living space and your daily routines through realistic steps.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 144

Paring Down: Realistic minimalism, decluttering, & intentional living
Podcast Episodes
42: 15 Ways to Spend Less Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:17
This episode doesn't list things to avoid temptation, like unfollow influencers or take the Amazon Prime app off your phone - though those are great ways to save money! Instead, we're talking about actionable steps that…
41: Timeless Truths About Simplicity with Suzanne Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:47
How do you know an idea is true? That's a pretty big question, but I've found that the best way to know if an idea is worth exploring is to find out how long it's been around. Because, as Mark Twain famously said, "There…
40: Managing Your Busy Schedule Using Time Blocking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
What do you do when there just aren't enough hours in the day? I've got you! Time blocking might sound intimidating, but in this episode I break down exactly how to block out your schedule in order to - avoid burnout - a…
38: A Shame-Free & Intentional Approach to Screen Time for Kids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
Screen time is a really sensitive subject. I cover why these sensitivities are important to respect and address in the beginning of this episode - there are very real dynamics that have NOTHING to do with how much parent…
37: Curating Simple & Ethical Closets with Lacey Woodroof [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:46
I don't know about you, but I want getting dressed to feel easy. I want to feel good in my clothes, no matter how casual or dressy the occasion. I don't want to feel overwhelmed by choices or frustrated that I have "noth…
36: 20 Habits of the Home to Prevent Overwhelm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:15
Want to avoid that terrible feeling when your house just feels like this giant weight on your shoulder? There's laundry to fold, the counters have stuff all over them, your closet looks like a tornado ran through it, and…
34: The Pitfall of Too Much Backstock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:32
For the sake of savings and convenience, so many of us fall into the trap of keeping too much backstock in our homes. It's become all too common to treat our homes as a store, instead of letting stores be the store and o…
33: Slowing Down Our Lives with Stephanie Seferian [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:23
The question we often forget to ask ourselves even though it is central to our wellbeing: Is this working for me? Does this pace of life feel good? Am I spending my time how I’d like? Are my routines helping me or cycles…