These things are often the hardest to part with because they represent possibilities rather than realities.

After all… “What if I need it someday?”

It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves. But if we’re not careful, that one question can become an excuse to keep almost everything.

If you struggle to part with “what-if-I-need-it-clutter,” I’ve got some simple tips to help you finally let go and make room for the life you’re living today!

Consider the Cost of Keeping “Just in Case”

Most of us focus on the cost of getting rid of something.

• “I paid good money for this.”
• “What if I have to buy another one?”
• “It still works.”

But we rarely consider the cost of keeping it.

Every unnecessary item takes up physical space, mental space, and often emotional space too.

• It fills shelves, closets, garages, basements, and storage bins.
• It makes cleaning more time-consuming.
• It makes organizing more challenging.
• It makes finding the things you actually use more difficult.
• And it quietly contributes to the feeling that your home is always a little more cluttered than you’d like.

Sometimes the bigger expense isn’t replacing an item someday; it’s storing it for years “just in case.”

Change the Question

Instead of asking: “What if I need it?”

Try asking:

• How likely is it that I’ll actually need this?
• If I did need it, could I borrow or rent one?
• How expensive and/or difficult would it be to replace?
• Do I actually have space to store this item?
• How long has this been sitting around?
• What’s the worst-case-scenario if I need it again but don’t have it?

Often, your honest answers make the decision much easier.

Remember How Resourceful You Are

Think back over the last few years… How many times did you face an unexpected situation?

You probably figured it out because you are resourceful.

Maybe you borrowed a ladder from a neighbor.

Maybe you picked up a replacement part at the hardware store.

Maybe you improvised with something you already had.

You are likely much more resourceful than your clutter gives you credit for… your future self will still be resourceful!

Don’t Store Problems That Don’t Exist Yet

One of the easiest ways to simplify your home is to stop preparing for every possible future scenario.

Could you someday host a huge party?

Maybe.

Could you someday take up knitting again?

Possibly.

Could you someday need fifteen empty jars, three old computer monitors, or six extra baking pans?

Anything is possible.

Set a Reasonable Limit

If you’re still struggling, remind yourself that you don’t need to toss everything… maybe you just need to set a few limits.

I call these “space budgets” (read more in-depth on this concept).

For example:

• Keep one box of keepsakes—not six.
• Keep one set of backup sheets—not four.
• Keep a small supply of gift bags instead of an overflowing closet.
• Keep one bin of seasonal decorations instead of filling the attic.
• Keep one container of extra cords after matching them to current electronics.

Limits force us to keep the best, most useful items instead of everything.

A Simple Rule to Remember

When you’re holding an item and thinking, “What if I need it?” ask yourself one more question:

“Is this possibility worth the space it’s occupying today?”

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

But many times, you’ll realize you’re giving valuable space in your home to something that exists only as a hypothetical.

Choosing to let go isn’t wasteful.

It’s making room for the life you’re actually living, not the one you might someday need to prepare for.

A simpler home doesn’t require getting rid of everything.

It simply requires trusting yourself enough to keep what serves your life today—and letting go of what only serves your worries about tomorrow.

One of the best things about refrigerator dill pickles is their fresh, crisp flavor. Because they aren’t processed with high heat, they stay crunchier and taste much more like fresh cucumbers than shelf-stable canned pickles.

They’re the perfect addition to sandwiches, burgers, charcuterie boards, or simply enjoyed straight from the jar (as our kids prefer).

Fun Fact: Dill pickles were one of the first solid foods our extremly picky toddler (Nora) liked… so we fed her as many as she wanted. Since then, all 4 of our kids love dill pickles. I can never have too many in the house!

If you’re looking for an easy, foolproof recipe for dill pickles, this is the one. I doubt you’ll find an easier recipe to start with!

Ingredients for Refrigerator Dill Pickles 

• cucumbers
• white distilled vinegar
• water
• Mrs. Wages Refrigerator Dill Pickle mix
• Clean jars with tight-fitting lids (they do NOT have to be traditional canning jars)

NOTE: Any brand of pickle seasoning should work, but I’ve had years of success with Mrs. Wages, and it’s always available at our Meijer stores.

How to Make Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Prepare several jars and lids (I save old pickle jars and run them through a cycle on my dishwasher just before canning).

Wash and slice your cucumbers.

After the jars are clean, pack them full with sliced cucumbers (you can smash them in).

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, and “spice” mixture via the directions on the back of the Mrs. Wages package (depending on how many batches you plan to make at a time).

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil according to the directions on your spice packet.

Using a funnel, ladle hot vinegar mixture into jars until cucumbers are covered.

Tightly screw lids onto jars.

Let cool at room temperature for several hours.

Refrigerate and eat within 6-8 months. (I like to let mine sit in the refrigerator for at least a week before eating them).

That’s it! 

The whole process takes maybe 20 minutes, and most of that time is spent slicing the cucumbers.

When our garden is producing lots of cucumbers, I can make a double or triple batch of refrigerator pickles every 3-5 days. It honestly doesn’t matter how many I make, the kids just keep eating them!

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

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Skip the water bath canner and make the easiest pickles of the summer! Refrigerator dill pickles are crisp, fresh, and incredibly simple to make.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• cucumbers
• white distilled vinegar
• water
• Mrs. Wages Refrigerator Dill Pickle mix
• Clean jars with tight-fitting lids

Instructions

1. Prepare several jars and lids (I save old pickle jars and run them through a cycle on my dishwasher just before canning).
2. Wash and slice your cucumbers.
3. After the jars are clean, pack them full with sliced cucumbers (you can smash them in).
4. In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, and “spice” mixture via the directions on the back of the Mrs. Wages package (depending on how many batches you plan to make at a time).
5. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil according to the directions on your spice packet.
6. Using a funnel, ladle hot vinegar mixture into jars until cucumbers are covered.Tightly screw lids onto jars.
7. Let cool at room temperature for several hours.
8. Refrigerate and eat within 6-8 months.

Notes

If you're making pickles all summer long, like I often do, you can reuse the brine for future batches. Just save the brine in the jars after your pickles are gone (keep it refrigerated). Then, when you're ready to make another batch of pickles, re-boil the brine and pour it over the cucumbers.

Reuse the Brine

If you’re making pickles all summer long, like I often do, you can reuse the brine for future batches. Just save the brine in the jars after your pickles are gone (keep it refrigerated). Then, when you’re ready to make another batch of pickles, re-boil the brine and pour it over the cucumbers.

Sometimes, if I’m making a double batch, I’ll make one fresh batch of brine and combine “old brine” with it on the stove. This saves on cost and my kids say they can’t taste any difference.

I’d love to know… do you love pickles or hate them?

As always, visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!

A Don’t-Do List is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of things you’ve intentionally decided not to do.

These aren’t things you can’t do — they’re things you’ve thoughtfully chosen to stop doing because they no longer serve your priorities, your family, or your peace of mind in this season of life.

It may sound overly simple, but creating a Don’t-Do List can be one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to simplify your life.

Why You Need a Don’t-Do List

Many of us spend so much time figuring out what we should add to our lives that we rarely stop to ask what we should remove.

But remember, every “yes” requires time, energy, money, and/or mental space.

By intentionally deciding what you won’t do, you create room for the things that matter most to you.

Your Don’t-Do List gives you permission to stop chasing impossible standards and start living with more intention.

Related Reading: How to Evaluate The True Cost of Our Stuff

Ideas For Your Don’t-Do List

Everyone’s list will be different, and that’s exactly how it should be.

Also, keep in mind that a Don’t-Do List you make today will likely be very different than a Don’t-Do List you make next month or next year. Putting something on your Don’t-Do List for now does not mean you can’t ever do that thing again in the future. Nothing is permanent… so don’t stress about the future, and simply consider your current season of life when making your list.

Here are a few Don’t-Do List ideas to get you thinking:

• I don’t compare my home to homes on social media.
• I don’t apologize because my house looks lived in.
• I don’t feel obligated to attend every event I’m invited to.
• I don’t buy something simply because it’s on sale.
• I don’t overschedule our family calendar.
• I don’t answer every text immediately.
• I don’t keep my email open all day.
• I don’t keep clothes that don’t fit or that I never wear.
• I don’t cook elaborate meals every night.
• I don’t volunteer for everything.
• I don’t save every piece of children’s artwork.
• I don’t feel guilty for saying no.
• I don’t chase every decorating trend.
• I don’t expect perfection from myself or my family.
• I don’t spend more than I have available in cash.
• I don’t spend hours trying to organize things I really should declutter instead.
• I don’t let a few dirty dishes ruin my mood.
• I don’t believe every season of life has to look the same.

Notice that many of these aren’t about productivity at all — they’re about protecting your peace and sanity.

Start With What Stresses You Most

If you’re not sure where to begin, ask yourself a few simple questions.

1. What consistently leaves you feeling exhausted?
2. What do you dread doing?
3. What obligations have you taken on simply because you’ve always done them or because you feel guilted into them?
4. What expectations are you trying to meet that no one else is actually asking of you?

Certainly, there are some dreaded activities (laundry) that you will need to stick with for your home and life to function well, but many of your other answers to these questions may reveal things that belong on your Don’t-Do List.

Note: If laundry or other household chores are a huge stresser for you, consider these options to alleviate that stress.

Make It Personal

The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s lifestyle.

Maybe another mom loves decorating for every holiday, making homemade birthday cakes, hosting neighborhood gatherings, or coaching every one of her children’s sports teams.

That’s wonderful…for her.

But if those things leave you feeling overwhelmed instead of fulfilled, it’s perfectly okay to decide they aren’t priorities in your life right now.

Simplifying isn’t about doing less than everyone else.

It’s about doing what matters most to you.

Your List Will Change

As I mentioned before, your Don’t Do List is not permanently set in stone.

During the years when your children are young, you might decide not to host large family gatherings. Later, when they’re older, you may actually enjoy entertaining again.

When you’re caring for aging parents, working full time, welcoming grandchildren, or navigating health challenges, your list may look completely different than it did five years ago.

Or maybe (like our family) your summer season looks very different than your Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons due to sports, extracurricular activities, church functions, etc.

That’s not failure.

That’s wisdom.

Different seasons require different priorities.

Give yourself permission to adjust your list whenever life changes (even if this is every month).

Write It Down

Although you can certainly keep your list in your head, there’s something powerful about writing it down (you know I love a good paper list!)

Keep it in your planner.

Tape it inside a kitchen cabinet.

Save it as a note on your phone.

Put it on your bathroom mirror, so you see it first thing every morning.

When new opportunities, obligations, or purchases come your way, glance at your list before saying yes.

It can serve as a gentle reminder of the life you’re intentionally building.

The Benefits of a Don’t-Do List

When you simplify your own life, your family and friends benefit too.

You’ll likely have more patience.

More energy.

More margin.

More flexibility.

More time for conversations, family dinners, games, walks, and the little everyday moments that often become the best memories.

Your children and grandchildren also learn an important lesson: life doesn’t have to be packed full to be meaningful.

Sometimes the best gift we can give our families isn’t doing more.

It’s showing them that it’s okay to do less.

My Current Don’t-Do List

In this season of life (with 4 teen/tweens age children), these are a few of the things I intentionally don’t do.

• Crafts — aside from our digital photo books.
• Travel — we prefer to entertain at home instead.
• Holiday Decorating — it’s just been the Christmas tree and 1 box of decor.
• Skin Care — I don’t do much outside of Vitamin E oil and my DIY facewash.
• Date Nights — we go in the hot tub most nights, but don’t regularly go out.
• Spending more than we have — we use credit cards, but pay them off every month.
• Working outside the home — if I can’t do it from home with a flexible schedule, I’m not interested.
• Making Bread — I don’t do this in the summer… I’ll get back to it in the fall.

There are others, but this hopefully gives you an idea of where I’m at right now. All of this could easily change over the next year.

Final Thoughts

Your Don’t-Do List isn’t about laziness or lowering your standards.

It’s about making thoughtful decisions before life makes them for you.

Instead of asking, “What else do I need to add to my to-do list?”

Try asking: “What have I finally decided I don’t need to do for now?”

That answer might be the beginning of a simpler, calmer, and more joyful season!

How to keep produce fresh for weeks:

After washing and drying your salad greens and other produce, store it in a container or bag with a couple of paper towels or a clean flour sack towel.

The towels absorb extra moisture that would otherwise collect and cause spoilage. Every few days, swap the damp towel for a dry one.

That’s it!

No special gadgets. No expensive produce savers. Just a simple habit that will keep your produce fresh much longer!

Helpful Tools

Floursack Towels — a more eco-friendly alternative to paper towels

If you already use flour sack towels in your kitchen, dedicate one or two just for your produce drawer. They’re reusable, washable, and work beautifully for absorbing moisture. That said, if paper towels are more convenient for your current season of life, that works well too.

Salad Spinner — this is a great way to get extra moisture off your produce (not just salad greens).

The Benefits of Longer-Lasting Produce

MONEY — For anyone trying to stretch their grocery budget, little tricks like this can make a surprisingly big difference. Produce isn’t cheap, and throwing away a container of wilted lettuce or a pile of cucumbers every week adds up quickly.

TIME — Fresher produce means fewer last-minute trips to the store, saving you valuable time and energy.

HEALTH — This tip makes healthy eating just a little bit easier. When the produce is washed and fresh, it’s much more likely that we’ll actually eat it!

I love when a simple solution has a big impact!

A towel in your produce container might not seem revolutionary, but saving money, saving food, saving time, and making healthy living a little easier are all wins in my book.

I’ve used this tip for nearly 2 decades (way back to my college days), and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.

Bonus tips to keep salad greens fresh longer: 

1. Don’t pack lettuce leaves into the container or bag too tightly.

You want the produce to have room to “breathe”. Feel free to separate the lettuce into multiple smaller containers with various sheets of paper towels. 

2. Eat greens in order of “hardiness”. 

We eat the more delicate greens first, then heartier Romaine lettuce, and we save Kale for the end as it is much more hardy and seems to hold up longer. 

Also, if I see any sign of the spinach starting to wilt, I immediately throw it in the freezer to use in casseroles, smoothies, quiche, and soups. We never waste spinach!

3. Use leftover store-bought lettuce containers to store your greens. 

I often save the plastic containers from store-bought lettuce and reuse them. They stack really nicely in the fridge, they are light-weight, and easy to open and close. 

This works especially well for our garden-fresh lettuce, but also to divide up the overcrowded store-bought containers (see bonus tip #1 above). 

RELATED READING: Browes all my favorite salad recipes here.

How Long Will the Produce Last?

I don’t have a definitive answer on this, because it partially depends on how often the towels are changed, what temperature the produce is stored at, how well it’s washed, how often it’s taken in and out of the fridge, and how “old” it was when you purchased it from the store.

That said, the lettuce and salad in these pictures is all at least 2 weeks old.

The veggies are much fresher because we eat them so quickly, but some of the veggies could be close to a week old and still super fresh.

1. Set Clear Goals

Before diving into the decluttering and rearranging process, stop to consider your end goals.

Aside from clearing out the things you no longer need, how do you want your home to function for you in this new season?

• Do you want more space for entertaining and hosting guests (a large family room and extra sleeping spaces)?
• Do you want more space for a budding hobby?
• Do you want to create a magical fun zone for grandchildren?
• Do you want to reduce your possessions and downsize to a much smaller home?
• Do you want minimal upkeep so you are free to travel more?
• Do you want to be “the hangout spot” for your adult children and grandchildren?

Defining your goals for your home will help keep you focused and motivated throughout the decluttering process and give you the best chance to create the environment you want to come home to each day.

2. Start Small

Way back when I worked as a professional organizer, my first piece of advice to all my clients was always to “start small”.

After all, they didn’t acquire all their stuff in a day, and they won’t get rid of it in a day either.

Don’t go into this process assuming you will tackle your entire home in one day or even one week. It will take time.

Make a list of 5-7 smaller spaces you’d like to tackle sooner rather than later, and then choose ONE to start with today — I love starting in a bathroom because it’s a small space that usually isn’t filled with sentimental items, so you can move quickly.

Work through each small space using the steps below. Challenge yourself to tackle 2 or 3 small spaces per week (as your schedule allows). The idea is that each of these small-space “wins” will inspire you to keep going!

3. Ask Your Adult Children

If you’re decluttering their old bedroom or closet, it’s wise to let your adult children know the plan.

If they’d like something from their old space, give them a timeframe to pick it up (or offer to ship it to them if they are far away).

Don’t force them to take their old thing (they might not want anything), and don’t willingly offer to be their storage unit for an undefined amount of time either.

Remember, it’s ultimately your home, and you should be able to make the “final call” on the items inside your home, but it will certainly go a long way with your children if you include them in the process and give them a chance to claim anything they’d like.

4. Sort and Categorize

If you’ve watched any design or decluttering show, you know they almost always sort items into 4 main categories (keep, donate, sell, trash):

I love this system… but I break it down just a bit more:

1. Keep in the same space
2. Move to somewhere else in the house (I use a laundry basket for these items)
3. Donate or give/return to someone (I use larger boxes for these items)
4. Sell — only if you’re actually going to list it ASAP (I have a closet in my home I use for these items)
5. Trash (I use trash bags)

As you go through each of your small spaces, make quick decisions and put the various items in each of the 5 categories above.

If you need to pause to consider an item, just put it in the “keep” pile for now and deal with it later. The idea is to move quickly here so you don’t get bogged down with decision fatigue and quit before your small space is decluttered.

Please do not worry about organizing things or making the space look pretty and cute yet. You’re simply decluttering.

5. Fully Finish Each Space

After you get through each of your small spaces, putting the items into the 5 categories I listed above, give yourself an extra 30-40 minutes to fully finish the job. Let me explain…

• Throw out the trash immediately.
• Put donations and “return items” in your car trunk and make a plan to drop them off ASAP.
• Take 15 minutes to post the items you want to sell on Marketplace, eBay, or a Buy Nothing page.
• Put away any items you found from other spaces in your home.
• Finally, put anything remaining in your space back where it belongs (clothing in the closet, towels in the drawer, etc.)

It’s easy to stop after you declutter without fully finishing the job — especially if you’re “just” working in an extra bedroom or a now-unused bathroom. But that leaves you with bags of trash, piles of donations, and more visual clutter and mental to-dos weighing you down.

Even if you’re working in spaces you don’t use every day, do your best to start and fully finish before moving onto the next space.

6. Reevaluate Your Furniture Needs

As an empty nester, you likely won’t need nearly as much furniture as when all the kids were home.

A simple bed, nightstand, and chair might be sufficient for your extra bedrooms. And you likely won’t need nearly as much storage for games, books, shoes, sports gear, etc.

At the same time, you might want a larger table that can grow as your extended family grows. Or extra seating in the living room for when the whole gang is over to watch the game.

Consider the areas you could downsize, the furniture needs you might have, and possible ways to rearrange what you already have to serve your new needs (it’s honestly amazing what a little furniture rearranging can do for your home!)

RELATED READING: How we rearranged our entire main floor in 2020.

7. Have a Plan for Sentimental Items

I agree that some items just need to be held, felt, and smelled… but many other keepsakes can be digitized by simply taking a photo of them (especially if you’re diligent with printing or making photo books.)

Sentimental items like kids’ artwork, poems they wrote, special documents, or specific outfits you want to remember are easy things to snap pictures of and then toss the actual item.

If a picture won’t work, consider different ways of displaying sentimental items or even using them around your home (here are a bunch of practical examples of how I do this in our home.)

8. Create a Memory Box

If you have sentimental items you want to save, but your kids don’t want them, you don’t want to display them, and you don’t want to photograph them, I encourage you to create a “Memory Box”.

Aim for a box that’s manageable in size and use it to store whatever sentimental items you desire and that can fit inside the box. This limits what you keep while still honoring your children’s childhood.

If you have enough space, create one box per person — just don’t let stuff start piling up on top of the boxes or multiplying into 3 or 4 boxes per person.

9. Embrace Your Empty Space

Once you start emptying closets, cabinets, and even full rooms, you will instinctively want to fill them again (you think you won’t, but you will!)

This is one reason why I encourage empty nesters to reduce the amount of furniture they have (specifically storage furniture like dressers and bookshelves) — see #6 above.

It’s OK to have a few drawers, a closet, or even an entire room that’s completely empty. In fact, you should have empty spaces in your home, considering you no longer have nearly as many people living in your home.

Resist the urge to accumulate more, just because you have the space to store it, and instead, let yourself get comfortable with the empty space while you envision what it could be used for in the future.

10. Implement a One-In, One-Out Rule

To prevent future clutter from piling up in those empty spaces, adopt a “one-in, one-out” policy.

I encourage everyone to utilize this simple rule, no matter what stage of life you’re in. However, it’s especially important for Empty Nesters who usually have significantly more space.

If you purchase new shoes, a new jacket, or a new purse, get rid of an old pair of shoes, jacket, or purse — even if you have the space to store them all.

This habit keeps your spaces from becoming overcrowded again and will save you hours of decluttering in the future (an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure).

Transitioning to an empty nest can be both exciting and emotional.

It will take time… and perfection is never the goal.

But by investing the time and effort to declutter and think through the goals for your home, you’ll eventually create an organized-enough home that reflects your new lifestyle, that works for you in this new season, that brings you joy, and that you look forward to spending time in.

I’d say that sounds like a pretty good deal!

Do you have any other tips or suggestions for empty nesters? Leave it in the comments below!

Having kids definitely makes getting out the door on time more challenging, but I don’t think it has to mean being late all the time.

If punctuality isn’t your strength, here are a few simple habits that have helped our family get where we need to be without the last-minute chaos.

1. Pack everything ahead of time.

If we need to go somewhere during the day, I’ll do my best to get the bags and car fully packed the night before, or well ahead of our actual departure time.

This means lunches and backpacks are fully packed the night before, sports bags are packed well ahead of when we need to leave, and luggage is in the trunk the night before any vacation.

Related Reading: Jumpstart Productive Days with Intentional Evening Routines

2. Leave at least 15 minutes earlier than you have to.

I’ve always been good at estimating the amount of time it will take me to do something… however, everything takes longer with children thrown into the mix.

Over the years, I’ve learned to add an extra 15 minutes to whenever I think we should leave, to allow a little wiggle room for all those last-minute things that pop up.

3. Make it easier for your kids.

Even young children can participate in getting out the door on time… if the proper training and “tools” are put in place.

They can put on their own shoes if they can access them. They can pack their own snacks if they can reach them. They can fill their water bottles if they are shown how. They can even start thinking through the process of what they need to get out the door if they are regularly told and shown what to do.

It may take longer at first while they’re learning, but the more responsibility kids take on, the less falls entirely on the parents.

Take a little extra time to start teaching your kids how to plan ahead, and walk through the steps needed to get out the door on time.

Related Reading: 60+ Tasks Children Can Do Every Day

4. Use time frames instead of exact times.

If your destination is a fixed time (like school or church or the airport), then plan to leave early and arrive on time.

However, if there isn’t a specific start time for your event, I try to give time frames of when we’ll arrive, instead of exact, to-the-minute times.

For example, if we’re just meeting up with friends somewhere, I’ll give a 15-minute window of time when we’ll arrive.

This gives a little leeway for traffic or other delays without needing to rush or feeling like you’re holding up the others in the group.

5. Just stay home.

Honestly, we’ve found that it’s often easier just to stay home.

You don’t need to do everything you’re asked to do… especially not if it will force you to rush from one event to the next with little breathing room in between.

Of course, Dave and I are both introverts… so some of you extroverts might not relate. However, I think you’ll still benefit from saying “no” when your schedule just feels too full.

Embrace the JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out)!

Also, if you’ve never done it before, consider taking a vacation from work and just staying home. You might be surprised how relaxing it is.

Related Reading: 7 Sanity-Saving Tips for Introvert Parents

Bonus: Give yourself grace.

There is no way to predict every delay or issue we might run into as we’re trying to get out the door — especially with babies and toddlers.

Life happens. Other people realize this and will most likely give you grace if you show up a little late every once in a while.

Try not to stress about it…

However, if you notice you’re regularly running late for most of your activities, it might be worth revisiting the 5 tips above.

With just a handful of simple ingredients and no oven required, it’s the perfect dessert for busy days, hot summer afternoons, holiday gatherings, or anytime you’re craving an effortless homemade treat.

You can make it a day or two in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve… or freeze it for an even longer make-ahead option.

Whether you’re feeding your family, bringing dessert to a potluck, or simply treating yourself, this creamy chocolate peanut butter pie is guaranteed to disappear quickly!

We Love Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate + peanut butter has always been Dave’s favorite dessert combination… and several of our children are following in his footsteps.

I often make this pie for birthday desserts (instead of a more traditional cake) and we always enjoy it at least a couple of times every summer as it’s a perfect warm-weather treat.

This is one of those desserts that looks fancy and complicated but only actually takes about 10 minutes to put together — maybe 20 if you make everything totally from scratch.

I love how thick and rich the peanut butter layer is, how creamy the chocolate layer is, the fluffy whipped cream, and the crunchy topping. Everything just works together.

Ingredients for Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pre-made graham cracker crust
• 5 T. butter
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 package (3.4 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 c. cold milk
• 2 c. Cool Whip (or make your own whipped cream)
• chopped chocolate candies for garnish (optional)
• chopped nuts for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Substitutions

There are so many ways to tweak this recipe… here are a few ideas.

Make your own graham cracker crust (it’s super easy, but it will take 5-7 minutes to bake).

Make an Oreo crust (or buy one) for a more chocolaty flavor.

Use crunchy peanut butter for more texture (or add chopped peanuts to the creamy peanut butter)

Use vanilla or butterscotch pudding for a different flavor (we definitely prefer chocolate pudding).

Make your own whipped cream — maybe even add in a bit of cocoa powder for chocolate whipped cream.

Use a variety of candies and/or nuts for the topping.

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

1. In a medium bowl, microwave butter and peanut butter until melted.

2. Stir in powdered sugar (it will be very thick).

3. Gently spread / press peanut butter into prepared crust.

4. In the same bowl, whisk chocolate pudding mix with cold milk.

5. Immediately pour on top of peanut butter layer.

6. Spread Cool Whip (or your own whipped cream) on top of the pudding layer.

7. Sprinkle candies and nuts on top of Cool Whip.

8. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until ‘set’.

9. Eat and Enjoy!

Frozen Pie?!?

If you’d like more of an ice cream pie consistency, you can also freeze this pie overnight. Pull it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before serving so it melts enough to cut it.

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• 4-Layer Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge
• Monster Cookies 
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• 15-Minute No-Bake Snack Balls
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles
• Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Cake

What are your favorite no-bake dessert recipes?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!

I could share dozens more stories of how I save our family thousands of dollars every year on things we were planning to buy anyway.

I could also share hundreds of fantastic deals (even freebie offers) I’ve passed up because I didn’t want to deal with the extra “costs” those items would place on my life.

Yup, even freebies end up costing us something!

The True Cost of Our Stuff:

Every item in our home has a cost.

Sometimes that cost is physical — the space required for the item and any additional accessories.

Sometimes that cost is mental or emotional — finding a spot to store it, maintaining it, fixing it, cleaning it, caring for it (things like pets, plants, clothing, and appliances).

Sometimes that cost is simply monetary — after all, the best deals aren’t actually “deals” if you don’t truly need them. 

Even inexpensive or free items come with hidden costs that might become a burden later on (why do you think people are always giving away free kittens and bunnies!?)

How to Evaluate the True Cost of Your Stuff

Start by looking around your room…

Think about each item in that space and the “costs” associated with that item.

At some point in your life, you:

• Bought the item
• Carted it home and found a spot to put it
• Cleaned it (or around it)
• Organized it (or around it)
• Maintained it
• Fed it (pets)
• Watered it (plants)
• Put batteries in it or paid for electricity to run it
• Bought accessories to go with it
• Fixed it if/when it broke (or paid someone else to fix it)
• Moved it (if you redecorated, swapped rooms, or bought a new home)

Whew — that’s a lot more than just the monetary cost of an item!

When you view your things with the lens of “total true cost”, it’s easier to understand why our homes, our lives, and our brains often feel overloaded with stuff.

It’s because they are overloaded!

And all this stuff requires maintenance over the course of its life in your home, which adds to your mental load.

Related Reading: The Hidden Cost of “More”

How I decide when to bring an item into our home.

You might be hoping for a fancy algorithm or elaborate equation I use to calculate whether an item is worth trading my time, space, money, or energy… but that’s not the case.

Sorry!

Instead, I challenge you to ask yourself one simple question every time you consider bringing anything new into your home, AND any time you feel frustrated with specific items already in your home.

ASK: Do the benefits of owning this item outweigh the costs?

Is it worth cleaning and organizing around? Do you love it enough to invest time, money, and energy to maintain it?

If not, the item doesn’t belong in your home.

I’m confident your future self will thank you when you have one less thing to clean, fix, organize, or otherwise maintain!

What about kids’ stuff?

Kids bring lots of extra into our homes — papers, birthday treats, party invitations, gifts, pictures, rocks, special treasures, etc.

While I usually don’t stop our kids from bringing things into our home, I DO work with them to make space for their new “treasures”.

• If they get new clothing, it’s usually because other things are too small, so we weed out the things that are too small as we put their new items away.
• If they get a new toy or game, we do a quick once-over of their current toys, and they choose a few items to donate (it takes time, but children really do see the benefits of more space and less clutter).
• They all empty their backpacks immediately when they get home, and we put all papers in a special basket. We go through them every weekend, and they can choose a few to display. The rest are trashed (I sometimes take pictures of artwork to use in our digital photo books.)

As always, I continually adjust this system as our needs change.

Be thoughtful and purposeful with the things in your home.

We don’t need to limit our homes to “needs only” items, and we don’t necessarily need to practice a strict “one-in-one-out” policy, but we can work to be more intentional about the things we bring into our home (and the things we already have in our home).

Over time, this thought process makes a big difference in the amount of cleaning, organizing, decluttering, and maintenance we need to do.

If you’d like to lighten your load a bit, create more space, enjoy more time, and have more energy, it starts by honestly evaluating the true cost of your stuff and whether the benefits of owning it outweigh the costs.

Have you ever considered the true cost of your stuff?

When our phone is always in our pocket, it’s easy to start feeling like every sweet, funny, silly, or special moment deserves a photo… or a video… or a hundred.

Instead of watching our child score the winning run, we’re watching through a screen.

Instead of listening to everyone sing “Happy Birthday,” we’re trying to get the perfect angle.

Instead of laughing with everyone else, we’re making sure the camera is recording.

Sometimes we’re so busy preserving the memory that we never actually experience it.

Sound familiar?

If this hits a little too close to home, I’ve got a few tips to help you capture memories without missing out on the moments.

1. Give Yourself Permission to Miss Lots of Photos

Not every moment needs to be documented. It’s okay if you don’t photograph every sporting event, every trip to the park, every holiday decoration, every cute outfit.

You don’t need proof that your family had fun.

Your family already knows they had fun.

And sometimes the greatest gift you can give them is your full attention instead of the back of your phone.

2. Take Fewer but Better Photos

Ironically, taking fewer pictures often means you treasure the ones you do take.

Instead of snapping fifty nearly identical photos, just take three.

Instead of recording the entire dance recital, capture one favorite song and spend the rest of the performance simply watching.

Instead of photographing every activity on vacation, maybe you choose one or two moments each day that really capture the experience.

When your camera roll isn’t overflowing with thousands of nearly identical images, it’s much easier to actually enjoy and revisit the photos you have (and much easier to pick and choose if you want to create a photo book with the pictures).

3. Create a Monthly Photo Checklist

This was the game-changer for me about a decade ago… I created a mental checklist of photos I wanted to capture every month, in order to ensure I had enough photos for our family and individual yearly photo books.

This list will look different for every family, but here’s what I decided on for us:

• 1 family picture (could be a selfie, or with a tripod)
• 1 picture of the front of our house (to show how it changes through the years and seasons)
• 2-3 photos of all 4 children together
• 2-4 good photos of each child individually (at least 1 close-up)
• 3-4 photos of various house and yard projects
• 1-4 pictures of any special event, holiday, vacation, birthday party, etc.

There are some months when I take the majority of these pictures in one weekend, and then I don’t have to think about pictures for the rest of the month — unless something extra fun or noteworthy occurs.

It’s very freeing to know I can still document our lives in our photo books, but don’t need to have my camera on-the-ready all the time.

You Don’t Need Fancy Equipment

I have never had a fancy camera or any expensive equipment. I also wouldn’t consider my photos to be masterpieces or works of art… but they document our life just fine!

I’ve always just used my iPhone camera (usually an older iPhone).

The photos automatically upload to my computer, which makes it super simple to edit them and/or import them into my Blurb books.

We do occasionally use a tripod specifically for phones to take some of our family pictures, but that’s the only photography “tool” I have.

Are You Missing Moments?

Take some time today to look through your past few months of photos.

• Did you really need them all?
• Do you feel like you missed out on in-the-moment things because you were too focused on documenting every memory?
• Do you have a plan to create something with the photos you took so your family can actually enjoy looking at them?

Now, think through my mental monthly photo checklist and consider if something like that might work for you — giving you a “free pass” to not always have your camera ready and waiting.

Whether your berries are picked fresh from a local farm or from the freezer section at Costco, this recipe is just what you need to turn delicious seasonal fruit into mouth-watering muffins — perfect for breakfast, brunch, afternoon snacks, or even dessert. 

This is a fun and easy recipe for little hands… especially if you let them munch on blueberries as they “help”.

I make them regularly all year long as I always keep a stash of frozen blueberries on hand for smoothies, quick breads, muffins, pancakes, and just eating as a snack. 

Fun Blueberry Fact:

Did you know… blueberries rank extremely low on the glycemic index, making them a perfect treat for diabetics. (Thanks to my former English teacher for that tip.)

If you love blueberries or even just love a great muffin, you must add my easy blueberry muffin recipe to your menu plan this week.

BONUS TIP: Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier and surprise your family with fresh-from-the-oven blueberry muffins for breakfast. You’ll win “mom of the year” and enjoy a bit of quiet time while the muffins bake.

Win-Win!

You’ll Love This Recipe

It uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients. In fact, I bet you have most of them in the house already! 

The muffins are soft, fluffy, but also dense and moist (thanks to the sour cream).

It’s quick (roughly 30 minutes total).

It’s delicious and everyone will want the recipe!

Need I say more?

Ingredients for Blueberry Muffins

• 1/2 c. softened butter
• 1/2 c. honey (or white sugar)
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 2 c. all-purpose flour (or 240 grams of freshly ground soft white wheat)
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. blueberries (or 1.5 c. if you really want lots of blueberries!)
• coarse turbinado sugar (optional)

Ingredient Variations

There are many ways to mix up this recipe so it accomodates your dietary needs, taste preferences, or just what you have in the house.

Here are a few ideas…

• Swap coconut oil for butter if you want to go dairy-free.
• Use your favorite sweetener of choice — roughly equivalant to 1/2 c. sugar/honey.
• Use whatever milk you have in the house (buttermilk is great too).
• Try one of these egg substitutes if you can’t eat eggs.
• Use any brand/variety of plain greek yogurt or sour cream.
• Swap a gluten-free baking mix or 240 grams of freshly milled soft white wheat for the all-purpouse flour.
• Try raspberries or blackberries for a twist on these muffins.
• Omit the turbinado sugar if you don’t have it in the house.

How to Make Blueberry Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF

2. Grease (or line with paper) a 12-cup muffin tin.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine “wet” ingredients (butter, honey, milk, eggs, brown sugar, yogurt). Mix well.

4. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

NOTE: if using freshly milled flour, let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes on the counter before adding the blueberries. This allows the flour to fully absorb the moisture.

5. Fold in blueberries — it’s OK if the batter is lumpy.

6. Scoop batter into muffin cups until they are almost full.

7. Sprinkle the tops of muffin batter with coarse sugar (optional).

8. Bake in preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until middles are set and tops are golden.

9. Let muffins cool in pan for 5-7 minutes.

10. Remove muffins from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Do blueberry muffins freeze well?

These muffins can easily be frozen… however, I do think they taste extra delicious when they are fresh out of the oven.

Since they are so quick and easy to whip up, I often make them fresh and we eat all 12 in one day (sometimes for one meal!) 

However, if you want to make a bunch at a time, definiteliy throw some in the freezer for later.

More Easy Blueberry Recipes: 

• Delicious Blueberry Buckle
• Blueberry Peach Pie (these 2 fruits are the perfect combination)
• Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
• Blueberry Oat Pancakes
• Berry Smoothies
• Berry Fruit Compote
• Triple Berry Jam (I use strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

4 Tips for Extra-Delicious Muffins

Thse 4 tips make any muffin recipe extra delicious without any extra work.

1. Less mixing = lighter muffins.

I thoroughly mix the wet ingredients before adding the flour, baking powder, and salt so I don’t need to overmix once the flour is added. This helps create a lighter, fluffier muffin.

It’s OK if the batter is still a bit lumpy when you put it in the muffin cups, just try to break up any obvious flour clumps. 

2. Frozen blueberries = less “blue” muffins.

In my experience, using still-frozen blueberries results in less runny blue color AND firmer berries in the finished muffins. 

Add the frozen blueberries just before you scoop the batter into the muffin tins.

3. Full muffin cups = nice high muffins.

Most muffin recipes call for the cups to be filled only half-way to 3/4 full — but that produces flat muffins.

The batter for this recipe is quite thick, so I’ve had good luck filling the cups almost all the way full, which then creates a lovely high crown that looks extra appetizing.

4. Coarse sugar = yummy crunchy topping.

I love a good crunchy topping on my muffins but I rarely take the time to make a true “streusel topping”. Instead, I sprinkle a little coarse turbinado sugar on top before I pop them in the oven. 

It adds a nice texture to the muffins without any extra work or dishes!

What are your favorite easy blueberry recipes?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!