Minimal-ish: Minimalism, Intentional Living, Motherhood

In today’s episode, I am so happy to welcome back Ashlee Gadd for an encouraging and practical conversation about friendship in motherhood and showing up for your people.

Ashlee is a mother, writer, and founder of Coffee + Crumbs, and she has spent years helping women tell honest, beautiful stories about motherhood. In this episode, we talk about the role friendships play in our lives as moms—and how they naturally shift and evolve through different seasons of parenting, as well as her new book You’re in Good Company: The Gift of Friendship, Motherhood, and Showing Up.

We share personal experiences with friendship in early motherhood, busier seasons, and everything in between. Ashlee also offers such a helpful perspective on being intentional in our relationships, including the power of being specific when offering support to a friend.

If you’ve been loving these conversations about friendship as an adult like I have, you will love this chat filled with tangible takeaways to try right away.

Links from this episode:


Ashlee’s new book: You’re In Good Company (released March 2026)


Ashlee on Instagram (@ashleegadd) (@coffeeandcrumbs)


Ashlee’s website


Desirae on Instagram


Minimal-ish Podcast Website

More Episodes on Friendship in Motherhood:


Ep 287: Making Friends as an Adult: The Good, the Hard, and the Awkward with Kristen Strong


Ep 281: Building Lasting Community with Palak Dave

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In this episode, I'm sharing my mid-minimal-ish life crisis moment when my husband said to me: Can we even call ourselves minimal-ish anymore? It was a series of conversations that made me reflect and redefine what minimalish means. We'll discuss the ebb and flow of clutter and the impact of life seasons on this minimal-ish journey. Listen in for an even more grace-filled version of minimalism that I personally need in this season, and maybe you do, too.


Desirae on Instagram⁠


⁠Minimal-ish Podcast Website

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For this week’s Minimalism Story episode I’m joined by Dana Litz, content creator and founder of Minimal Moves, to talk about what it really looks like to pursue minimalism over time—not perfectly, but through real-life ups and downs.

Dana shares her personal journey with decluttering, from her childhood home to moving out—and even moving back in—and how each season shaped her perspective on stuff, space, and what truly matters. This conversation is a great reminder that minimalism isn’t a one-time project, but something that evolves with you.

We also talk about the emotional side of decluttering and how to start letting go of items that feel hard to release. Dana offers practical, doable tips for detaching from possessions without guilt, along with her “Minimal Moves” approach—focusing on small, consistent actions that create meaningful change over time.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the cycle of decluttering or struggled to let go, this episode will meet you with both encouragement and realistic next steps.

Links from this episode:


Dana on TikTok


Dana on Instagram (@danalitzel)


Dana’s website


Desirae on Instagram


Minimal-ish Podcast Website

More Minimalism Stories:


Ep 261: Minimalism Story: Smart Phone to Flip Phone with Abby Brennan


Ep 252: Minimalism Stories with Sami Townsend


Ep 220: Minimalism Stories with Jordan Jones


Ep 201: Minimalism Stories - From Extreme Minimalism (+ tiny house living) to Minimal-ish with Korie Veidel


Ep 192: Minimalism Stories with Leah Franklin

Sponsor:

Thank you to Caraway for making this episode of Minimal-ish possible! Visit Carawayhome.com/MINIMALISH to take an additional 10% off your next purchase.
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Tyler Moore, also known as Tidy Dad, is back on Minimal-ish for the third time—and it’s no surprise that you will leave this conversation with tons of actually doable ideas for simplifying the way you take care of yourself.

The last time Tyler was on the show, we talked about his book Tidy Up Your Life and the idea of 30-day experiments instead of traditional New Year’s resolutions… and it had such an impact in sparking my own health journey in 2025. This time, we’re narrowing in on what those “experiments” can look like specifically for self-care—and how to gradually layer habits in a way that actually supports your current season of life, even when it’s full and feels impossible to add “one more thing”.

We both share honestly about our recent health and fitness journeys, what’s shifted over the past year, and how we’ve learned to focus on small, consistent habits instead of all-or-nothing overhauls. Tyler also gives practical advice for listeners who feel overwhelmed by where to start when it comes to building healthy routines that actually stick.

Links from this episode:


Fitness bands 


Dance workout videos 


Tyler on Instagram


Tyler’s website


Desirae on Instagram


Minimal-ish Podcast Website

More episodes with Tyler:


Ep 260: Tidying Up Your Life with Tyler Moore


Ep 197: Layering Routines and “Surthriving” with Tyler Moore

Sponsors:

Bubs Natural Collagen: Get 20% off when you use the code MINIMALISH at bubsnaturals.com

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In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Kristen Strong (author, mom of 3, and military spouse) for a heartfelt conversation about something so many of us wrestle with… friendship. Whether it’s finding new friends as an adult, navigating the awkwardness of starting over, or simply maintaining meaningful connections in a busy season, Kristen brings so much honesty and encouragement to our chat.

We talk about the ups and downs of friendship through different life stages, the unique challenges of modern life (hello, social media), and how vulnerability and intention can lead to deeper, more fulfilling relationships. Kristen also shares some beautiful wisdom from her new book, Desperate Woman Seeks Friends. It’s part memoir, part gentle guide for anyone feeling a little lonely or disconnected.

You’ll walk away from this episode feeling less alone and more equipped to take the next small step toward community—whatever that might look like for you right now.

Links from this episode:


Kristen on Instagram (@kristenstrong)


Kristen’s Website


Order her new book: “Desperate Woman Seeks Friends: Real Talk about Connection, Rejection, and Trying Again for the Friendships You Need“


Desirae on Instagram


Minimal-ish Podcast Website

Current Sponsor:

Thank you to Laundry Sauce for making this episode of Minimal-ish possible! Get 20% off at laundrysauce.com with code MINIMALISH.

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