When the House Felt Too Heavy: How We Started Rewriting Our Story of Clutter and Chores Overwhelm
The Day the House Finally Spoke to Us
We still remember the exact moment we realized our home had become louder than our lives.
It wasn’t a dramatic moment.
No broken appliances or chaotic arguments.
It was just us, standing in the kitchen on a Saturday morning while our son played nearby, trying to figure out why we were both exhausted before the day had even begun.
Every counter was covered.
The laundry from yesterday was still waiting.
Toys were scattered.
Dishes from breakfast needed washing before we could even think about lunch.
And in that moment, we looked around and felt it deep in our chest: the heaviness, the pressure, the sense that we were falling behind in our own home.
And then it clicked.
This wasn’t about chores.
This wasn’t about being messy.
This was about being overwhelmed.
It was our light-bulb moment: the realization that the mental load of clutter was taking more from us than the mess itself.
It was stealing our energy, our patience, our connection, and our joy.
And we knew… something needed to change.
Imagining What Life Could Feel Like
Before we touched a single drawer or picked up a single toy, we closed our eyes and imagined a different version of our days.
A home where we didn’t spend every free moment cleaning.
A rhythm where chores didn’t dictate the mood of the day.
A family life with more laughter, more rest, more connection.
A life where our son grew up seeing parents who weren’t constantly overwhelmed.
That vision didn’t magically clean the house.
But it did something better.
It gave us hope.
It gave us direction.
It helped us start small, steady, and strong.
And along the way, we realized that the solutions we were building in our own home naturally aligned with the six brands of Today Not Tomorrow, each one offering a completely different kind of relief.
Below is how each brand helped us climb out of the clutter spiral… and how it can help other families, too.
How Each TNT Brand Helps You Break Free From Clutter and Chores Overwhelm
1. Your Yes Day: Making Space for You So Your Home Doesn't Run You
Clutter isn’t just physical, t’s emotional.
And we learned quickly that when we’re running on empty, even simple tidying feels impossible.
Your Yes Day helped us understand something we had ignored for years:
When we take care of our physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, the house feels lighter too.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
We started giving ourselves permission to take small “yes moments”, five minutes of stretching before cleaning, a quiet cup of coffee before tackling laundry, a short walk to reset our minds.
We learned that chores go faster and arguments drop dramatically when we aren’t operating from burnout.
We built gentle daily rhythms instead of giant, overwhelming cleaning days.
This part of the journey is now becoming its own blog post: how saying yes to yourself creates the energy you need to say yes to your home.
2. Squish Gardens: Getting Outside So the Mess Doesn’t Feel Like Your Whole World
There were days when the house felt like it was shrinking around us. Sitting inside surrounded by piles made everything heavier.
So we stepped outside.
Into the yard.
Into fresh air.
Into something simpler.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
Gardening taught us how to slow down, breathe, and reset when the house felt chaotic.
Time in nature gave our son an outlet to play and explore while we cleared our minds.
We learned the power of simplifying, growing only what fits our life, using only what we need, and letting nature remind us what matters.
Getting outside didn’t fix the clutter, but it fixed our ability to handle it.
3. Squish Skills: Teaching Ourselves (and Our Son) That We Can Learn New Rhythms at Any Age
We had to face a hard truth:
No one ever taught us how to manage a household without getting overwhelmed.
So we became students again.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
We created small, teachable routines for our son, putting toys in a basket, helping set the table, choosing his own daily responsibilities.
We learned new household systems we were never taught growing up (like “closing the house” at night or creating 10-minute resets).
We embraced the idea that learning life skills is a family project, not a one-time fix.
Squish Skills turned chores into growth, not punishment.
4. Squish Travels: Leaving the House Helped Us Reconnect With Our Home
This one surprised us.
The more we traveled together, even small weekend trips or day adventures, the more we appreciated simplicity at home.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
Traveling light taught us what we actually use and what’s just taking up space.
Being away helped us see our home with fresh eyes, what worked, what didn’t, and what was stressing us out.
We realized time spent exploring was far more valuable than time spent fighting messes.
Travel helped us detach from “stuff” and reattach to each other.
5. Squish Games: Bringing Fun Back Into a House That Started Feeling Like a Chore
We noticed something heartbreaking:
We were spending so much time cleaning and keeping up that we weren’t really playing anymore.
And when a house becomes all work and no play, the clutter feels even heavier.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
Family game nights gave us something to look forward to besides cleaning.
Short, silly games helped us reconnect after chore-heavy days.
We discovered “clean-up games” that helped our son participate without frustration.
Fun makes everything lighter, including messes.
6. Better Together: Rebuilding Connection So We Could Tackle the Mental Load as a Team
This is the brand that quietly transformed everything.
Clutter overwhelm wasn’t really about clutter.
It was about feeling alone in the responsibilities, even when we were in the same room.
How it helps with clutter overwhelm:
We learned how to talk openly about the mental load instead of silently carrying it.
We built routines that made housework feel shared, not equal, but fair.
Dinner together became our anchor, our check-in, our reset.
When connection grows, chores shrink.
Our Message to You
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter and chores right now, we want you to hear this clearly:
You are not failing. You are not alone. And you do not have to live buried beneath the weight of your home.
We’re not perfect.
We still have messy days.
We still fall behind.
But these small shifts, these six gentle, realistic, family-centered approaches, changed our life in ways we never expected. They helped us rebuild energy, peace, joy, and connection one tiny step at a time.
And they can help you too.
Not overnight.
Not all at once.
But slowly, steadily, beautifully.
If you’re ready to feel lighter, more connected, and more in control of your days, start with one small change. Even one. You’ll be amazed at how fast momentum grows.
And we’ll be right here, cheering you on, walking this journey with you, one calming step at a time.
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