It’s that time of year again to create a plan for celebrating the holiday season. You will likely find it challenging to decide on your priorities over the next few weeks, and I hope this post will help. I will share more holiday organizing tips over the next few weeks, so please stay tuned. As … Read more
If you are embracing a minimalist lifestyle and are obsessed, like I am, with tiny homes, small spaces and living with less, this post will definitely be of interest to you. After all these years working in design and helping clients declutter and organize their lives, I know that less definitely gives you more. More … Read more
I was fortunate to do several interviews with news outlets to promote “The Big Downsize” documentary series. A few of them asked me about the pursuit of minimalism and living a life with less. I believe owning less brings you a sense of freedom and hopefully more money to enjoy experiences instead of stuff. During … Read more
As we enter our third month of dealing with COVID-19 and we try to process the horrific events of the April 19th weekend in Nova Scotia, I am sure, like me, you are all struggling with staying positive and feeling hopeful for a better future. Now, more than ever, perhaps you need to escape from … Read more
I recently came across an article I saved from 2013 about clutter and how it affects your brain. I have most certainly written about this topic before but some of the research cited by the author of the piece, Mikael Cho, is quite fascinating. He discovered, as I and many of my clients have, that reducing … Read more
I’ve written about bringing less into your house, how you can do more with your life when you have less, and simplicity and its connection to minimalism. And now, a few thoughts to share on the concept of “a life with less.” In a podcast by The Minimalists, this important fact is shared, “The easiest way … Read more
I’m wondering…if I was to take a peek in your garage, basement, storage room, or even your closets, would I see stuff strewn all over the floor? I’m willing to bet in many cases I would. It’s like the stuff exploded and then grew as it lay there seemingly without you doing anything. I know, it’s kinda freaky. Well, … Read more
Is “get organized” one of your goals for this year but the task of organizing your entire home and life seems overwhelming? I suggest starting with something manageable and develop new habits around purchasing “stuff.” No matter how much decluttering and physical organizing you do, continuing to buy more stuff will thwart your efforts. S.P.A.C.E. The … Read more
Do you find that some days your stuff weighs you down? When I have the chance to work with clients for a significant amount of time, whether that’s several days in a row or spread out over a number of months, it does feel as though their home gets lighter. During these decluttering projects we may … Read more
To garage sale or not. That is the question. Many professional organizers, myself included, are not big fans of hosting a garage sale. The reason is the huge amount of preparation work involved, and there is often very little financial gain. However, if you have the time, go for it! If nothing else, it’s a … Read more
As I spend time talking to clients about letting go of excess and taking control of their stuff – and their lives, I become more fascinated with how we can do more with less. It seems counter-intuitive, but here are a few examples to explain. Healthy Eating I helped a client get rid of all … Read more
The Minimalists posted an essay on their blog entitled “Prepared to Walk Away.” I have been reading their work for a few years, but for some reason, this piece struck a cord. I started thinking and asking myself the same question. Could I walk away from everything in my life? Well, no, I can’t. Could you? I could … Read more
“You can never get enough of what you don’t really need . . .” ~ Eric Hoffer A few years ago, I travelled to California where I spent 3 days in Palm Springs fueling my obsession with mid-century modern design, and the following 3 days attending my first National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference … Read more
“Less house, more home.” –Joshua Becker, Becoming Minimalist In 1950 the average size of a family home was 1,000 square feet. That increased to 1,500 square feet by 1970 and to 2,200 square feet by the year 2000. If I do a calculation based on the average family with 2 adults and 2 children, for some reason we … Read more
If you haven’t watched it, I’m sure you’ve heard people talking about it. “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo is a Netflix series that has been viewed by millions, millions of her books have been sold and she has even introduced her own line of storage boxes. Hmmm….isn’t that adding stuff back into your life? And now there’s … Read more
Do you find that some days your stuff weighs you down? You’re not alone. When I work with a client for a significant amount of time, whether several days in a row or spread out over several months, it seems like we’re shifting the weight and feeling lighter as we declutter and organize. During these … Read more
I believe that all of the physical objects in your life have an energy, either positive or negative. Therefore the energy of the objects in your surroundings affects how you feel and how you live your life. As you release objects with negative energy, the energy in your space shifts and you are able to change … Read more
Alright, people, there is not much time left before the magic season is upon us. Gather your holiday mojo, and let’s make it happen. It occurs to me that the holiday season can be one of the most clutter-generating times of the year. I read a blog post from the Minimalists about gift-giving tips, which … Read more
As you gingerly open all your trunks, boxes and storage bins of holiday décor this month, why not look at this yearly task as an opportunity to take stock of your inventory with the aim of minimizing it to a manageable amount. And perhaps a chance to finally get rid of the things that are … Read more
I absolutely love furnishing tiny spaces to maximize storage and function. However, finding furniture pieces to fit is often a challenge. I’ve been hunting for a 12-inch-wide bedside table with a drawer and shelf on the bottom for several weeks. It’s amazing how much time a person can spend looking for the right piece, especially … Read more