Ep 114: The Three Rules To Stop Drowning in Stuff with Kristen Christian

Are you ready to stop drowning in stuff? Here’s a quick question first. Are you a crammer jammer stacker or a memory keeper? I didn’t know what those words were either until I had this conversation with today’s guest, And when she said it out loud, I was like, ” That’s me.” Turns out our relationship with stuff isn’t random. It’s a pattern. And once you know your pattern, everything about staying organized gets a whole lot simpler. Today, we’re diving into the world of organization, but not the Pinterest perfect kind that makes you feel less than. We’re talking about the kind of organization that brings you peace. The ability to breathe and the space to hear God’s voice amidst, all the chaos. Real organization is a journey. Not just a destination.

[00:01:00] Kristen: And now more than ever, I think our homes need to be a sanctuary and a place of peace and calm and order.  I’ve had a client tell me that when the garage door went up at the end of the day, they wanted to turn their car around and go back to the office. I think that kills me

So to me, that’s serving your stuff and serving your home where it should be the other way around.

[00:01:21] Misty: Welcome, friend. I am so glad you are here. Whatever your house looks like today, whatever pile you’re avoiding or the one that’s staring at you from the counter, or the pile that you’ve stuffed in somewhere so it’s out of sight, out of mind, you’re welcome in this place exactly as you are. There is no judgment here, ever.

This is Mom to Mom Mentoring. It’s a weekly podcast of soul-nourishing wisdom for Christian moms like you who want peace, purpose, and presence in the middle of wearing all the hats and all of life’s demands. Because mentoring matters, and Because none of us were meant to figure it out alone I’m Misty Hughes. I’m an ICF certified life coach. I’m a mom who’s lived every bit of the chaos that we’re going to talk about on this show. I’ve also created the Rhythm of Life framework, and I’m the founder of an international ministry.

I’ve spent 25-plus years walking alongside of moms, helping them walk out of overwhelm into their own rhythms that actually hold up in real life because I built mine raising four kids inside of the mess, not above it, not under it, and not after it was all over. If you haven’t found us on Facebook, come join us. It’s the Christian Moms in Business and Ministry, and it’s full of women like you who are just figuring it out in the messy middle And cheering each other on.

And if today’s conversation has you craving a little bit more breathing room, grab the Rhythms of Renewal mini guide. The link is in the show notes. Now, a quick note. This is episode number two of my top five episodes. We are counting five, four, three, two, of your favorite conversations. Next week, guess what?

We are bringing back episode number one. Now, today’s guest is Kristin Christian. She is the self-proclaimed queen bee of organization, and by her own admission, a total hot mess, who is not naturally [00:04:00] organized at all. She has built a nationwide professional organizing company out of her own overflowing first home, and along the way, she’s landed on something I think every mom needs to hear.

Organizing isn’t a one-size-fits-all. It’s personal. It’s psychological, and once you understand your own pattern, everything gets easier. If you’ve ever wondered why the same clutter keeps creeping back, no matter how many times you clean it up, well, what Kristin has to say, it’s for you. But before we jump into today’s conversation, if you have been thinking about the deeper why behind your own clutter, your own calendar, your whole overflowing life, I want to invite you to Come to the Table.

It’s a retreat that’s built for women who are craving the real, unhurried space to hear from God. Not just reorganize a closet, but to reorder and align life with what matters most. You can find all the details at mistyhughes.com\cometothetable.

 .

[00:05:32] Misty: On today’s episode I have the queen bee. Of organization herself, Kristen Christian.

Kristin is a self-proclaimed hot mess. And a naturally an organized owner of a successful nationwide professional organizing company. Thousands of clients have realized the life-changing benefits of an organization. Kristen’s philosophy is simple. She loves to help create simple, realistic, sustainable solutions for you. With compassion and always without judgment. Kristin. I am so excited. You’re here with me today and this conversation is one that is enlightening and just plain fun. Hey, let’s get started by defining what is organization.

[00:06:22] Kristen: Gosh. Um, I love that organization to me really means. It means peace, the ability to breathe easily, the ability to be present, to hear God’s voice. Um, it just is calm.

Notice I didn’t say perfection.

[00:06:41] Misty: No. I did not hear the word perfection. That definition makes me want it. When I first met that queen bee of organization, my thought was, oh, I need to be more organized. I’m sure you get that a lot.

[00:06:56] Kristen: it’s so funny. Cause once people find out I’m a professional organizer, like, Oh my gosh, your house must be so perfect. And you see them step back and they think you’re going to judge and I’m like, Oh my gosh, we’re all in this together.

 It’s a journey, not a destination to get there.

I just always remind people, I need organization too, because I’ve got four kids and life is crazy and going and we’re all, in that space of just so busy.

And the thing that makes me sad and what I see so much and why I love, love, love what I get to do is that, We are, as Americans, we’re consumers, we’re always consuming things, we’re going Mach 80, so there’s this influx of stuff coming in, stuff’s easier to get, it comes in less than 24 hours, so then pretty soon we’re serving our homes, we’re serving our stuff, rather than the other way around.

And now more than ever, I think our homes need to be a sanctuary and a place of peace and calm and order. and so that is just the biggest gift is to get to be a part of helping people accomplish that.

[00:07:55] Misty: What does it look like for me to serve my stuff?

[00:07:58] Kristen: to have to [00:08:00] literally move stuff in order to cook dinner, to have to move stuff to get into bed, to have to move stuff to sit on the couch, to always have like a receiving, department at your front door because of all the packages coming in to be stressed about your finances.

Because of everything that’s coming in. So to not be able to find things to feel this sense of disarray and angst and unease. I’ve had a client tell me that when the garage door went up at the end of the day, they wanted to turn their car around and go back to the office. I think that kills me

So to me, that’s serving your stuff and serving your home where it should be the other way around.

[00:08:39] Misty: That brings a lot of clarity. And allows me to ask that question. Am I serving my stuff? As I look at the pile on my couch over there. Kristen, have you always been organized? I would love to hear your organization journey.

[00:08:53] Kristen: No, absolutely not. I am so not naturally organized. It’s not how my head thinks. I’m truly a big old hot mess, but, I found organization as almost like a magic tool or a wand. that helped me be a better version of myself.

 I’ve got four kids when you’re setting up home and life is crazy and busy and it seems like all that is happening is stuff coming in, And so, I realized very quickly that my habits and the way I was going about things were not going to work.

They weren’t going to serve me well, right? I became almost infatuated with organization and hungry for more knowledge on that. and then I would just Watch people I had some people in my life that were very much naturally that way I would stand in awe of those people and then would emulate some of their habits that I saw it’s a lifelong journey for me.

 there’s seasons in my life that I’m better at it or more orderly than others.

[00:09:52] Misty: So did you just wake up one day and say, I think I’m going to pursue organization? Where did your aha moment come from?

[00:10:01] Kristen: There was ever an aha moment like that, where it was, it’s so crystal clear, but I do remember, in our first home, it’s a tiny house. It’s like the size of a shoe box and having my first baby. And there’s just stuff upon stuff upon stuff. Stuff coming in and I was very quickly feeling all those kind of, those emotions that I just talked about when you’re serving your stuff and you’re serving your home.

 that,

was a lot for me I was longing for order and simplicity and calm in a season of my life. That was anything but I think I did early on in my mothering career, realize I gotta create that or I’m going to drown in all of this.

[00:10:43] Misty: And since it wasn’t a natural thing for you, you had. Organization mentors.

[00:10:50] Kristen: Oh my gosh. My aunt Betsy to me is like the ultimate B I mean, she just was always just so orderly and organized and just how she did things. And my best friend, who’s my business partner, same thing.

 I just Followed people that I loved, but then also did a lot of research and reading.

[00:11:06] Misty: Many of the listeners to mom, to mom mentoring. Our young moms that are trying to start a business or out working the nine to five. You were still very much in the parenting mode when you started be organized. Your kids weren’t out of the house. How did you manage it all?

[00:11:24] Kristen: I’d love to say I did it so fabulously and I had boundaries and I achieved that perfect, work life balance I was going for.

But the irony is no, not so much. you know what? My kids and my husband have been awesome supporters from day one, I. had to let go of a lot of things. I had to let go of perfection. I had to let go of being everything to everyone, which I think in the end was probably really good for all of us.

I had to simplify my expectations of what does dinner look like? keeping it real, I think is really hard in [00:12:00] our day and age of parenting, But I’m not going to lie, building a business, is hard work and, you sacrifice my kids sacrificed, but, we’re celebrating our ninth anniversary of be organized and yeah, it does, it feels amazing.

[00:12:14] Misty: Congratulations. The confetti is falling. That is so exciting, Kristin. I do have another question real quick. Is there a psychology and organization?

[00:12:25] Kristen: Oh my gosh. Yes. We tease that we are psychologists and marriage therapists and all of that. I always say, if you were to go to a doctor and say, you’re having migraines there, he’s not going to throw a bunch of medicine at you.

He’s going to determine. What’s going on? Do you wear glasses? Do you wear sunglasses? How much caffeine do you drink? to figure out what’s the root cause of your migraines. Well, we do the same thing with organization. I think all too often people think, oh my gosh, I’m going to go to the container store or somewhere and buy a bunch of organizing material.

Therefore I am organized. But no, really what you’ve done is brought up. A whole bunch of new stuff into your house right? And so to me, organization really, it’s got to be customized and it’s got to be sustainable. And so we work with our clients to determine what their relationship is with their stuff.

 you’ve got to get to the root of, are you a crammer jammer stacker? Are you a memory keeper? everybody has a relationship with their stuff. We have created actually seven profiles that helps you to define what is your prominent or primary, profile. sometimes I’ll present them and people be like, I’m all seven. But it depends on what season of life. You’re in, for example, when I was a young mom and it felt like the kids were just growing so, so fast, it was hard for me to let go of even pajamas they’d outgrown and, you know, any little thing they’ve scribbled on, I wanted to hold on to and doctors notes from the well visit, Because I was being a memory keeper, right? Now, in a different season of life, I’m like, get it all out, I’ve got the things that really bring me joy and bring me those happy memories, but I don’t need all of it. So, you see how different seasons of your life,

[00:14:02] Misty: Ooh. It sounds like it might be a really good idea to know my organization profile. How do I find that out?

[00:14:10] Kristen: So we have a quiz on our website, You can go on and take it. Is it scientific? No, but it just starts the conversation and then helps you realize like, huh, I am really being a just in case er in buying this.

You know, I don’t really need it. I, you know, am I buying this just in case? So it really helps you, not only with the items that are in your home now, but with your consumer habits. And that’s what I think is so fascinating to help people with because we don’t want to just, create order here and then you continue on with your same habits.

We want to help tweak those habits

[00:14:43] Misty: Okay. It sounds like awareness of what my organization profile is, is pretty important. But then can I start to manage it?

[00:14:52] Kristen: definitely. different things, work differently with different profiles, obviously.

 I mentioned the memory keeper. there’s going to be a lot of emotion, wrapped up when you’re a heavy memory keeping person or season of life, you’re going to take longer and you’re going to have to really honor those emotions, but keep movement forward.

 For example, I’m a Kramer jammer stacker.

I was raised by Kramer jammer stackers. I am through and through a Kramer jammer stacker, but I have found out ways to manage my Kramer jammer stacking this, that prevents. total chaos for the longest time I had a ginormous, gorgeous, big ceramic bowl right on the end of my kitchen island.

And that’s where just, random stuff went because I didn’t want the clutter. I didn’t have the time or the inclination in that season of my life to be dealing with every single little teeny item as it came in. So in that bowl, you would have mail, you would have permission slips, you’d have, candy wrappers if I had one central place that things like that went, and then I built into my weekly time, a time to empty, it was green bowl time, so then I didn’t allow it to [00:16:00] get too far. What true crammer jammer stackers might do is, well, this is full. I’m gonna put it in the, in the closet.

I’m gonna get another thing out, right? And you just cram and jam and stack yourself out of your own. Yeah. Been there, done that.

[00:16:12] Misty: Oh, my gosh, that sounds like an amazing tool. I have a sneaky feeling. I might be a Kramer jammer, stacker.

Before I post this episode, I’ll tell you what I’m going to go take that quiz. And at the end of today’s episode, I will tell you what my organization profile is. That’ll be so much fun. Kristin. I’m wondering about the mom that is out there saying this all sounds great, but where do I even start?

[00:16:47] Kristen: Well, it’s, it can be so paralyzing and so overwhelming, especially if you’re just at a crazy nutty season of life and, when you’ve got littles, it is. So first I would say, take a deep breath, give yourself grace.

Realizing you’re doing so many important things keeping your kiddos safe and loved and guided and fed is so much more important than organization. So letting that go, let perfectionism go. I think in this day and age with, social media right at our fingertips there’s such an opportunity to self judge So that’s always my first thing. It’s just give yourself grace. Remember it’s a journey, not a destination. And then start small. Start little itty bitty things, that you can do now to help your future self. Start with a drawer. If you don’t have time for a drawer, start with your purse.

Start with the front seat of your car. I didn’t say your whole car. Start small so that you can have one little space of order that you can go back and visit and get all excited about. And then that will help you continue on. then also I think watching what’s coming in your door, become a really hardcore gatekeeper. I always say there’s 3 rules to getting and staying organized. they’re simple, but they’re not easy. the 1st is own less. You’ve got to own less. and I’m saying all of us because as Americans, we all own way too much. and that really is the number one culprit of why we feel so unorganized and cluttered.

And then the second is to assign a home for everything else in your home. So if you’ve decluttered, you’ve power purged, you’ve done all that, you’re being a good gatekeeper. But if you haven’t assigned a home for everything in your home, chaos and clutter is going to reign. And so that to me is like the holy grail of organization.

[00:18:30] Misty: I used to tell my kids. If it doesn’t have a home, it’s home will be in the trash.

I will find a home for it. Yes. Yes. You don’t want a mom finding a home for it. Yeah. Yeah. I was a single mom and I had four kids and we had stuff, but at the end of the day, everything had to be in its home. Now, home might be just a tub with all the cars. Right. But, they were at least home.

[00:18:59] Kristen: And I think that’s a good point you make, that they weren’t perfectly organized, but they were all in the, in the home and contained, and that to me is organization. So many times people think, oh, but I have to label it beautifully, and no you don’t, have a universal, home for that, and to me that’s organizing, if you have a drawer for all of your socks, and They’re thrown in there and not connected. That’s still organized because they’re in a home. They’re not all over your bed or on the floor. They’re organized. They’re in a home. And so give yourself grace for that.

[00:19:30] Misty: Gosh, that makes me feel like a winner.

[00:19:32] Kristen: I think you’re organized, but it’s a two part that first point rule of getting and staying organized is, own, less and then assigning a home.

But what you’re putting in that home is only what you use. And need. Right? So you’ve gotten rid of the rest. So naturally owning less and assigning a home creates order.

[00:19:48] Misty: Okay, after we’re done with this conversation, I’m probably gonna go get rid of about 20 pair of socks.

[00:19:54] Kristen: I love it. Yes. Yes.

Because you go for the same socks over and over and over and over. The same thing. You [00:20:00] go for the same spices over and over and over. Like, I always challenge people. I bet you there are eight to 10 spices you use over and over, and the rest sit there until one shining moment, in a.

Three year period that you use it. So get rid of it and just being really honest with yourself of what it is that you need.

[00:20:17] Misty: We’ve covered two of the three. Own less assign a home. What’s number three.

[00:20:23] Kristen: It’s not exciting, it’s not earth shattering, but it can be life changing, and that is maintain. Maintaining the order that you’ve worked so hard for, you did exactly that, of at the end of the day with your kiddos, everything has to go back in their home, right?

If you maintain, you’re never gonna get to the point where you feel like you’re drowning,

[00:20:43] Misty: but how do I get to the place where? It’s maintainable.

[00:20:47] Kristen: you do have to, set aside time and strategy to owning less and assigning a home for everything in those spaces. So that’s where we go back to start small, give yourself some goals

But be honest with yourself. It’s not going to happen overnight. but once you get to that point where you have organization, then the maintenance is key. That becomes the most important step because we’re humans. We’re going to go back to our old habits  I always do,  a weekly reset. Every Sunday, I reset. There’s all these steps that I have in my Sunday reset that helps me maintain order, that sets my future self up for success in the coming week.

 when I’m, when I’m doing that, I’m maintaining, I’m retweaking, I’m consolidating, throwing empty cracker boxes out. So if I’m doing that on a weekly basis, it never gets out of hand and it really helps me feel kind of buttoned up and ready to go for the coming week. I like having it on Sundays because then I really get to unplug and just be on Saturdays. However, I’m in a stage of life. I’ve got older kids. I’m not, changing diapers. I have more of that fluidity of time to really dedicate some significant part of my Sunday to that. That’s how I’ve chosen to do it. But don’t be an all or nothing kind of person.

 have a Monday or a morning reset and an afternoon reset and evening reset or whatever it is that helps bring that order around a little teeny amount of resetting now can greatly benefit your future self. I’m going to, do a little favor for my future self and do this right now.

[00:22:18] Misty: For your future self. I really love that idea. It sounds like self-care. Now I can’t take credit for this quote, but I tell people all the time. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t get done. So if I don’t set a reset on my calendar, you know what, it just won’t happen.

[00:22:39] Kristen: Right. Cause you can make all the lists in the world and trust me, I love my list making and all that, but you can list and list and notate and all of that. But if you don’t schedule the time to make it happen, it absolutely won’t.

[00:22:52] Misty: How do I know what I need to reset?

[00:22:54] Kristen: we actually have a reset checklist. sometimes I think if you just even use that, different terminology rather than maintenance, it’s reset. because maintenance sounds so boring, right?

Does it sound sexy at all?

I know not at all.

[00:23:09] Misty: Oh, that is so great. I can’t wait to get my hands on that reset checklist. I’ll make sure to put the link for that in the show notes. I’m thinking about some young moms that are listening to this that might not have two hours on a Sunday evening to go through this checklist. We’re all still struggling with perfectionism, right?

[00:23:33] Kristen: , so some of that stuff needs to go off of there. Some of it’s not important.

 chunk it down and do a little bit at a time. Once we started getting smartphones, and I always had a timer on me, that changed my life because I set timers for myself on everything.

And so setting a timer is a powerful, powerful thing. So five minutes a day, You can do a lot for your future self in five minutes.

[00:23:58] Misty: So this was a [00:24:00] problem I had as a young mom Have you ever read the book If you give a moose a muffin , or if you give a mouse a cookie?

 So I would start to clean the closet. Mm-Hmm. be doing well. But the closet never got cleaned and I had five other projects started.

[00:24:16] Kristen: Guilty guilty. that’s human nature, but little ways that you can prevent that is setting a timer really establishing a timeline for the said project beforehand I’ve got 2 hours to do this.

I’m going to set my timer for an hour and a half so that All the things that I pulled out of there that don’t belong in there have to be relocated or taken to the trash Giving yourself time for that. So that’s one way. invite a friend over, have them help that’s the benefit of having a third party involved is kind of keeping you tasked and that third party’s not emotionally.

[00:24:48] Misty: I love the idea of having someone there just to help keep you accountable to the task. And if you have a friend, then you can go do it at their house the next week., Kristin, you talked a lot about simplifying and I love to keep it simple. In fact, it’s one of the things we talk about at the beginning of every mom to mom. Mentoring episode. but we have talked about a whole lot of different things that we can do, not just for us in the here and now, but for our future self. If you’re going to leave a mom with just one thing, one little nugget for her heart, what would that one thing be?

[00:25:29] Kristen: Take a deep breath and just give yourself grace. there’s so much of looking over your shoulder of how everyone else is doing it and feeling everybody else is doing it better, make a list of what you do do well in your home as far as organization.

write a list of where, you succeed and excel in organization, and then, you know, Again, I’m going to get big writer of lists, write a list of those areas that you want, and then just chunk it down and be realistic. Just be realistic.

[00:25:56] Misty: Kristin, this has been such a fun and enlightening conversation with you today. I really appreciate you taking the time and helping us all live, lead and love from a place of peace and joy. Through this gift of order. Thank you so much for what you do. I want to put a plug in for your Facebook group. I’ve joined your group and it is so fun to go on and watch what you’ve got going on and your fun, engaging ways how can moms get ahold of you?

[00:26:35] Kristen: Thank you so much for inviting me on. I’ve always just adored you and look up to you and so honored to be here today. BeOrganized. com is our website. You can get on there. There’s lots of good stuff. You could subscribe to our Hello from the Hive, which is a fun, monthly newsletter

And then follow us on social, Instagram and Facebook, lots of fun stuff. And I think you’ll see that we’re just really keeping it real, and reminding people to meet themselves where they are and, progress over perfection.

[00:27:02] Misty: Okay, are you ready for the takeaway from today’s conversation? Do your future self a favor. Kristen said it so clearly, “A few faithful minutes now can save your future self from drowning later.” You don’t need a perfect system.

You need one small reset done on purpose on repeat. if this episode named something in you, maybe you finally know you’re a crammer, jammer, stacker, or maybe you’ve realized clutter has less to do with your closet and more to do with your calendar. Would you share this episode with a friend who needs the same permission to just start small?

And if you’re ready for unhurried space to actually hear God about what needs to change in your [00:28:00] life, join us. There is a seat at the table for you. Come to the table, November 5th through the 8th, 2026. It’s at mistyhughes.com\cometothetable. Friend, wherever you’re starting, one drawer, one bowl by the door, one Sunday reset, that’s enough for today.

 You are exactly where God wants you to be, and where He can meet you and grow you from here. Ecclesiastic 3:1 reminds us- There’s a right time for everything on Earth, a season for every purpose. Your organizing profile, your rhythms, your capacity, you’re allowed to shift with your season.

That’s wisdom. And remember, when you shine, you give others permission to shine, too. Even a small, faithful reset in your home shines a little more light for people watching how you live. Next week is number one, the conversation I saved for last on purpose, because it’s the one that you said is most important.

It is the most listened to episode of Mom to Mom Mentoring, and it is the perfect segue into our new season here on this podcast. You know, the transition you’ve been hearing so much about these last few weeks? I’m so excited to tell you about what’s next. You’re gonna hear a new voice alongside of mine on this show.

Her name is Morgan, and she’s not just a co-host to me. She’s actually my daughter. she has spent her whole career helping people and organizations grow in human resources, in community development, in the kind of work that quietly makes the world a better place. I can’t wait for you to meet her. Morgan is the kind of voice that creates the atmosphere, a place of inclusion, a place of safety, a place of transparency. More on that very soon. I’m Misty Hughes, and you’ve been listening to Mom to Mom Mentoring.

Now, go shine.

✨ CONNECT WITH MISTY
Resources, community, and next steps — everything you need is right here.

🌐 Websitehttps://mistyhughes.com/

👥 Facebook Community — Christian Women in Business & Ministryhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/christianmomsinbusinessandministry

📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/the_mistyhughes

🌱 BECOMING Cohort
Discover the God-given freedom to live from your God-given identity, not your to-do list. A 12-week cohort for busy and ambitious Christian moms who are longing to renew their purpose.
https://mistyhughes.com/cohort

✨ Free Resource — Rhythms of Renewal Mini-Guide
Discover God’s life-giving rhythms.https://mistyhughes.myflodesk.com/discoverrhythms

✉️ Contact Mistyhttps://mistyhughes.com/inquire

📞 Book a Call with Mistyhttps://calendly.com/mistyhughes/call-with-misty

When you shine, you give others permission to shine too. ✨