Organizing the Garage in 5 Easy Steps

Did you know nearly 75% of people can’t put a car in their garage? I know, it’s shocking, isn’t it? I’m guessing that you had to have a garage to put the car in when you were house shopping. This is especially true of Canadians because clearing snow and ice off your car on cold, … Read more

Here Are Five Organizing Pitfalls to Avoid

Today I am sharing a few things clients have tried over the years. These are five organizing pitfalls to avoid because they don’t work. I’m telling you now so you can implement better solutions right from the start. If already have these problems, you can fix them right away. This will lead you to have … Read more

How to Sell Your Stuff and Declutter Your Life

My organizing clients ask me all the time about selling or donating items that they no longer want or need. I know it is difficult to accept that most of what you paid a lot of money for years ago is no longer valuable. There are exceptions to that for sure. Here are some helpful … Read more

The Six Best Ideas for Staging Your Home

I am not a professionally trained stager, but after 20 years of helping my clients move, I do know that decluttering your home is the first step to preparing it for sale. Even if you’re not selling, pretend you are staging and see how it feels. It will definitely be more open and inviting and … Read more

Planning Your Move to a New Home

Are you thinking of moving and getting super stressed about where to start? During my career as a Professional Organizer,  I have helped dozens of clients prepare for their move, unpack, and set up their new homes. With that experience in mind, here are four things you should consider when planning your move to a … Read more

How Childhood Affects our Relationship with Stuff

At some point in my 20 years of working as a Professional Organizer I began to notice just how much your childhood experiences with ‘stuff’ can affect your success or lack thereof with managing stuff in adulthood.  It’s not an unusual phenomenon but it may be difficult to change your behavior and relationship with stuff … Read more

The Pros and Cons of Changing Out Seasonal Clothing

I was recently working with a client changing out seasonal clothing. We packed away summer clothing and brought winter wear out of storage.  It got me thinking about the pros and cons of this bi-annual to quarterly process and how it might be simplified. The Benefits It’s an opportunity to take inventory and determine what … Read more

Not Minimal Enough to Move

You would think that someone such as myself who is considered by all accounts to live a fairly minimal existence would very easily be able to pick up and move. Well… much to my dismay that doesn’t appear to be the case. Yes indeed, I am moving after just over three years of living in … Read more

You Kept Whaaaa..t for the Last 30 Years?

I am quite sure, like me, you know someone or many people who have kept everything that has come into their life for years and years and years.  The cycle of collecting and discarding “stuff” has always fascinated me. We humans seem to be wired to collect things. All sorts of things. Things like: Those … Read more

What To Do When Everything Feels Out of Control – DeClutter!

I hope this post finds you all safe and healthy during this challenging time. I know that many of you are home following the guidelines set by our government and health experts as we all work to overcome this virus together.  I am willing to guess that some of you may be feeling stressed and … Read more

Doing More with Less

As I spend more of my time talking to clients about letting go of excess and taking control of their life and their stuff, I become more fascinated by what we can do if we have less.  I think we can actually do more.  Here are a few examples: Healthy Eating I helped a client get rid … Read more

How Much Room Does One Person Really Need?

“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

It’s So Much More Than Just a Move

“It’s so much more than just a move… Making a move at any age can be difficult and stressful. After 30, 40, or even 50 years in your current home, the process of rightsizing and relocating to a new home is overwhelming.” ~ NASMM I used to assume that people who downsized to a smaller home, condo, … Read more

Shifting the Weight and Feeling Lighter

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

Creative Storage Solutions for Small Spaces

All the talk about the necessity for creative storage solutions in tiny houses is true. I have had to use some innovative thinking for a challenging storage project I’m working on. A friend has a small home (about 700 square feet) with tiny rooms. The only storage areas are a four-foot-wide closet in her bedroom and a … Read more