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Ann Dooley | Organize with kids, not for them.

@simplejoywithann

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I help parents from “I have to wait till the kids move out to have an organized home” to “they’re so helpful” ✨Connection Parenting + KonMari Tidying

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Sometimes, it’s the smallest gestures that stay with us the longest💛

A morning message from your mom.
A cup of coffee waiting for you.
A friend remembering your favorite snack.
A spontaneous call just to catch up.
A handmade gift from someone you love.
A hug when you don’t expect it.

These little moments may seem ordinary, but they can hold so much meaning. They remind us that we are seen, remembered, cared for, and loved💛

This week, our community shared the small gestures that have genuinely sparked Tokimeki for them, and reading your responses reminded us just how much joy a small gesture can bring someone! We love seeing you all share and participate in our Weekly Tokimeki Question, and we hope to see more of you join us in reflecting and sharing Tokimeki with each other!✨

📌What’s a small gesture someone has done for you that you still think about?
Share it in the comments. You never know who might be inspired to notice the small joys around them, too✨

#ArtofTokimeki #Tokimeki #sparkjoy #communityhighlight #reflection

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New episode is here and honestly this one hit close to home for me.

I brought Ann Dooley onto the show. She’s a professional home organizer, certified master level KonMari consultant, and creator of the Dooley Method, and we had one of those conversations where I kept thinking YES exactly!!

We talked about why bribing and threatening your kids to clean up actually makes the whole thing worse (you’re activating their stress response), and how the home you grew up in is probably still affecting how you deal with clutter right now. Like I literally thought about my husband and me the entire time because we are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum and it explained SO much about why we butt heads over this stuff.

Ann also walked us through her SHINE method which is all about helping kids build real internal motivation, not just doing it because they’re scared of losing screen time. And she ended the episode with a little guided meditation about your home and releasing the pressure to have it all perfect, and I was not prepared for how much I needed that.

If you’re the mom who ends up doing everything herself just to avoid the fight, or you feel guilty every time you look at the mess, or you just want your kids to actually want to help, go listen! Link in bio.

#parentcoach #organization #clutter #getyoutkidstohelpclean #parentinghacks

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Come refresh your closet before the New Year like KonMari Consultant Ann(@simplejoywithann)✨💪

📌Comment “KONMARI” if you’re interested in learning more about the KonMari Method or thinking of hiring a KonMari Consultant to guide you on your tidying journey! We’ll send you some helpful links!🌎

👇Ann shares some of her tidying process below:
“Here’s the thought process behind this closet refresh: When you share a closet, both people need to keep up with the maintenance. So it’s important to create a system that’s easy to maintain—one that makes putting things away and finding what you need quick and simple.”

Ann and her husband used different hangers for their shirts and pants. That choice was based on personal preference and the needs of each type of clothing. The original center hanging organizer was acting as a divider and held bulky hoodies and sweatshirts. While it worked functionally, Ann says it always looked a little clunky visually. Her husband’s pants were originally in drawers, so they swapped the setup—now they both hang their pants. It helps reduce wrinkles and opens up the center space so you can see the back wall (a simple trick that always makes a closet feel bigger). Some backpacks from the top shelf were moved into a larger suitcase in the storage closet—an easy solution since they rarely use them!

📌Save this post and comment “KONMARI” to motivate you to do a tidy transformation before the new year!🎉

#organizationinspo #organization #organizationtips #motivation #inspiration

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Did you know that the joy-checking process can also be done right when you switch out your decorations?🎄 Here’s a guide to help you tidy up and organize your holiday decor as you start to put them away for next year✨️

📌Comment DECOR, and I’ll send over the article: “How to Organize Holiday Decorations” so you can cherish and take care of your joy-sparking decorations!

#organizationtips #organizationinspo #holiday #tidying #organization

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“I barked and now they’re gone. You’re welcome.”

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These guys.

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When Harrison was around a year old, a few people started pointing out the word “LOVE” written on his right cheek. It’s actually just a mix of his semi-translucent baby skin and the way his veins are arranged, but it’s still pretty cool.

So happy Valentine’s Day from Harrison’s right cheek.

#valentinesday #reallovebaby

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Save this post for when it’s time to switch out your seasonal decor🎄✨ KonMari Consultant Ann (@simplejoywithann) shares her tips and advice on how to tidy your Christmas decor! She conducts tidying sessions in New York and is also a parenting coach there to help bring calm and order to your home while building family connection✨

Wishing you all a joyful rest of the holidays, and happy tidying!

#konmari #konmarimethod #sparkjoy #sparksjoy #organization #organizationinspo #mariekondo #inspiriation #motivation #howto #professionalorganization #orofessionalorganizer #konmariconsultant #holiday #homedecor

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Do you ever feel like you are the only one picking up at night? You just want your kids to go to bed, so you end up picking up everything. But then you worry they’ll never have the life skills they need!

I’ve been super angry around bedtime. There’s crap everywhere, and I seem to be the only one to notice.

Ann from @simplejoywithann pointed out the task might be too big for my kids ages and skill level with tidying. She suggested grouping the mess into categories to help my kids notice what needs to be done. The categories we had were books, shoes, and toys, and I added clothes to make it an even number since I have two kids and their clothes are always on the ground.

The kids take turns picking two chores they want to pick up and assign the other two to their brother. The next night, my other son picks his two tasks and assigns the others to his brother. My husband and I both help.

They were racing to pick up stuff last night. And I wasn’t the only one noticing.

Ann is such a gift to moms. Clutter is one of my biggest stressors, and she has solutions to help empower your kids to tidy with you.

She will be at my upcoming July retreat. Tickets go on sale Saturday evening. If you are on the waitlist, you will get an email with tickets offered to you first.

You need Ann in your life! You won’t want to miss a chance to meet her in person!

#declutterlikeamother #momtips #momtipsandtricks #honestmom #stlevents #stlmommy #stlouis #stlouismom #stlmom #tidyingwithkids #nighttimeroutine #stlfamily #stlparents

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A book I recently read talked about the importance of having family meetings. It helps kids stay connected to their families and teaches them how to effectively communicate and work through problems.

I knew I had to make it fun to get them to come and want to come back, so here’s what I did:

1. Picked a funny hat (my husband’s old motorcycle helmet) to wear when a person is speaking. This was a great idea from Ann @simplejoywithann, and it encouraged everyone to share something.

2. I started with food! I knew I couldn’t expect them to sit without having something to snack on.

3. We talked about what was happening this week, so I brought out a calendar and went over the schedule.

4. I wanted to make sure their cups were filled before I brought up any issues, so we bragged on each other and the great things we noticed about one another. We did a drumroll on the table to get excited before sharing compliments.

5. We brought up issues that needed to be improved and problem solved.

6. And for our first meeting, we each did a movement and created a collective family handshake. We will end all meetings with this.

7. Not pictured was our one song dance after the meeting.

I intentionally ended and started with positive things. I hope my kids will continue to want to join us and learn valuable skills to help them in life.

Do you do family meetings? What else should we add?

#toddlermommy #stlouis #stlouismomlife #stlouismomsblog #stlmama #momlife #momtipsandtricks #momtips #parentinghacks #toddlermoms #stlevents #stlouisblogger #stlouisparents #stlouisfamily #stlouisfamilies #stlkids #stl #familytime #lifeskillsforkids #communicationskills

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I often don’t trust myself, and I have trouble making decisions. I get easily bogged down with stuff, especially my kids’ stuff.

At the end of the year, there’s a surplus of school work coming home. My oldest was taping his art ALLLLLL over the walls. It looked messy and cluttered, and I asked for help with this in a session with Ann from @simplejoywithann.

I loved her suggestion of using a predetermined number of clothespins and having kids pick their very favorites to display. Ann encouraged me to compliment their decision making and knowing what they love.

We decided to do 4 clothespins (a letter for each of their names).

1. We wrote a letter of our name on each clothespin
2. Then, we selected 5 of our favorite pieces (our very favorite for the frame and 4 others for the pins)
3. We put extras we weren’t ready to part with in the back of the frame
4. We charged dad to come see the exhibits of these two art galleries:) (They are so proud!)

I hope this becomes part a normal routine and my kids strengthen their decision making muscles and trust their gut more than their mom does!

#stlmom #stlretreat #momretreat #decluteringwithkids #kidartwork #toddlerart #stlevents #summerevent #motherhood #momtribe #theflock #momtips #momtipsandtricks #displayingart #toddlermomproblems #honestmom #honestmotherhood #tiredmom #declutterlikeamother

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Join the waitlist to be the first to know when The Flamingo Flock retreat registration opens!

Comment the word retreat to get the waitlist sent to your DMs.

#stlmom #stlouis #stlsmallbusinessowner #retreatyourself #stlevents

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