Before you swap pumpkins for pine or add one more garland to your cart, hit pause, and declutter first.

In this Car Line Coffee Break episode, Michelle shares her 3 top zones to clear before the seasonal decor comes out and her 3 rules to simplify so your home feels refreshed, not overwhelmed.

Plus, a quick “Loving Lately” shoutout to the CleverMade collapsible crate and Sterilite filing tote, because who doesn’t love something that folds, stacks, and saves sanity?

Real talk: you get to decide what stays and what goes in your home. Sometimes the best reset isn’t more decor, it’s less clutter and more nostalgia.

🛠 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Clever Made Collapsible Crate
• Sterilite Filing Tote
• The Real Mom Manual Workbook: Your 50-page chaos-cutting companion for rhythms, routines, and sanity-saving systems
• Five to Thrive Pack: 5 printable sanity-savers for $5
• The Fourth Trimester Field Guide: Your realistic newborn + postpartum survival kit
• 👉 ⁠therealmommanual.com/tools⁠

💫 “Stars for Sanity” Launch Month

If this episode made you laugh, nod, or breathe a little easier, leave a 5-star review or tell me about what made you feel seen with a tag ⁠[@therealmommanual⁠] on Instagram - one lucky listener this month will get a little treat on me! 💛

If your Target runs somehow create more clutter than calm, this one’s for you.

Michelle dives into the mental side of decluttering: decision fatigue, guilt, and how to make peace with doing less (and owning less). She shares her go-to “Four Qs” - questions to ask yourself before buying anything new, plus a fall declutter check-in, and a Real-Life Report straight from her playroom-garage chaos.

You’ll also hear how an Early Intervention win shifted her mindset, and why rediscovering your “mom-bies” (the hobbies we’re embracing without a goal of Pinterest perfection) is the most underrated form of self-care. Plus, a little bit about the Oktoberfest party for the engineering firm with some ideas for how to take an event your hosting to the next level (using things you literally already have).

Because decluttering isn’t just about stuff, it’s about space, sanity, and choosing peace over piles.

🛠 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• The Real Mom Manual Workbook: Your 50-page chaos-cutting companion for rhythms, routines, and sanity-saving systems
• Five to Thrive Pack: 5 printable sanity-savers for $5
• The Fourth Trimester Field Guide: Your realistic newborn + postpartum survival kit
• 👉 ⁠therealmommanual.com/tools⁠

💫 “Stars for Sanity” Launch Month

If this episode made you laugh, nod, or breathe a little easier, leave a 5-star review or tell me about what made you feel seen with a tag ⁠[@therealmommanual⁠] on Instagram - one lucky listener this month will get a little treat on me! 💛

If your laundry chair has turned into a permanent piece of furniture, this Car Line Coffee Break is for you. Michelle shares three simple ways to make laundry less miserable, from decluttering before you fold, to ditching unnecessary steps, to finding a rhythm that actually fits your life.

Because one load a day might sound great… but real life doesn’t always run on schedule.

Plus, a quick “Loving Lately” shoutout to the Zoe Stroller, because sometimes the right gear makes motherhood just a little smoother.

Grab your coffee, hit play, and remind yourself: wear what’s you now, not who you used to be, or who you think you'll be a year from now.

🛠 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Zoe Trio Stroller [Also linked the Twin and Tribe!]
• Favorite Wool Socks [As promised!]
• The Real Mom Manual Workbook: Your 50-page chaos-cutting companion for rhythms, routines, and sanity-saving systems
• Five to Thrive Pack: 5 printable sanity-savers for $5
• The Fourth Trimester Field Guide: Your realistic newborn + postpartum survival kit
• 👉 ⁠therealmommanual.com/tools⁠

💫 “Stars for Sanity” Launch Month

If this episode made you laugh, nod, or breathe a little easier, leave a 5-star review or tell me about what made you feel seen with a tag ⁠[@therealmommanual⁠] on Instagram - one lucky listener this month will get a little treat on me! 💛