I am truly fulfilled by what I do and love telling people about it. I write and share short weekly articles called “blogs” on the themes of: family treasures, letting go of stuff, sentiment & nostalgia, preserving memories, supporting the moves of our elders, and more. You can receive these blogs weekly by email by signing up at the bottom of the page.
Feedback is aways welcome. Enjoy!
How do you keep on downsizing and not get stuck with YOUR OWN sentimental items such as photos, letters, greeting cards, and mementos? This question came from a client whom I will call Laurie who has read Downsizing INHERITED Sentimental Objects.
Laurie is rightsizing and organizing her own home, and at the same time is helping her parents downsize to a smaller home.
Read MoreMarie Kondo. Does that name ring a bell?
You may have heard Kondo's name on a talk-show, watched her on Netflix or YouTube, read about her on Facebook, or spotted The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in your favourite bookstore or library.
Marie Kondo is a Japanese home organizing sensation whose minimalist methods of downsizing are front and centre in various media.
Kondo asks “Does it spark JOY?” as she encourages everyone to touch each item in their home.
How do you let go of inherited sentimental objects when there are just too many tools, teacups, kitchen utensils, ornaments, or (add your category)?
This question came from a client whom I will call Dave who had inherited 20 old tools from his father. He had vivid memories of his Dad using each of the tools around the farm or house. Every time that Dave saw the tools, he remembered his Dad with great affection. However, he was moving to a smaller space and had his own more up-to-date tools of which he needed very few. HIs Dad's beloved old tools had become a burden, yet he couldn’t bear to put the tools in a garage sale as he felt like he was ‘selling’ his father.
Read MoreWhat’s the key to start my New Year’s resolutions about downsizing and organizing? I heard several versions of that question over the holiday season.
I learned awhile ago that one-size-does-not-fit-all when it comes to downsizing! Personality, motivations and circumstances all impact how we best start and keep downsizing resolutions.
What method or key is going to unlock consistent downsizing possibilities for you?
Read MoreWishing you Peace, Love, Joy and Hope during this festive season! See you in 2019!
Read MoreWhere did 2018 go? Just last week the leaves were turning! And now we are two weeks from 2019!
Once again, my too grandiose plans for 2018 did not materialize. So much for that downsizing project in the basement. I need to put it off for another year.
Except for one project that I am doing today. Now!
Read MoreIn the midst of this holiday season, are you one who decorates inside and out creating a home festooned with garlands and lights from every doorframe and fencepost? Or are you a minimalist who gives your unique nod to the season with a small display? Or are you somewhere in between?
I love the decorations of this season! I am always glad to put them up and sad to take them down.
However, I recall a year where I hardly had the energy to drag the tubs and boxes upstairs let alone unpack them.
Read MoreParents give their children roots to grow and wings to fly. This may apply to family treasures as well!
How do we gift from our collections without placing heavy Expectations on the recipient?
Recent blog posts focus on gift-giving from our abundant collections and story-telling about family treasures.
While helping people through downsizing, I often hear:
“The next generations don’t want my stuff or won’t take good care of it."
How do we gift from our collections without placing heavy Expectations on the recipient?
Read MoreGift-Giving from Your Collection (last week’s blog posting) suggests how gift-giving during the holiday season from one’s ready-made collection can help the downsizing process.
Perhaps you have chosen family treasures to pass on. Or family members have asked if they can eventually have an item, and you have replied “Yes! Now!”
Telling the story of the gift may help ensure that it is treated with some of the respect that you hope it will be. Reminiscing can also help you emotionally let go of your possession with your best wishes.
Read MoreAs we move into the traditional gift-giving time of year, here’s our invitation to consider if there are items in your home or your parents’ home that might support a family down-sizing project.
What might gifting from an abundant collection look like for a multi-generational family? Significant and meaningful items could be passed on to younger generations as part of the holiday season.
Where might small appliances such as a rarely used bread-maker or furniture such as an old bookcase find a new home?
Read MoreAs I help people downsize and rightsize their homes, or sort through estate items, I often hear: “I keep that for special occasions” or ‘We use those dishes only once a year” or “Those were my Dad’s tools. I don’t ever use them as I might damage them."
One of the best inspirational sayings that I have heard in the work I do is:
"Don't Ever Save Anything for a Special Occasion - Being Alive is the Special Occasion"
Read MoreWhat can I do in one hour to prepare "treasures" for the next generation?
This question came from someone whose full life allows little free time. However, Jen wants to start organizing her stuff!
I suggested she start with the 20 items hanging on her living room and hallway walls.
They Left Us Everything is a memoir by Canadian Plum Johnson about caring for her senior parents and the 16-month project of sorting and clearing their home. This contemporary story is set in her parents’ rambling 22-room house filled with decades of accumulation and memories. In sharp contrast to The Swedish Art of Death Clearing (my recent blog posting), Johnson finds real value in waiting until after someone’s death to sort their stuff.
How many of us have faced the experience of setting out on an excavation to clear an elderly relative or friend’s home?
Read More“Just two practical hints from THAT book — that’s all I need” wrote a friend after reading my blog posting: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death-Cleaning.
In her wise and humorous book about letting go of stuff in a way that uplifts and doesn't overwhelm, Margareta Magnusson offers two suggestions that appeal to me.
Begin letting go somewhere other than PHOTOS — or letters and personal papers.
Read MoreThroughout this Fall, I will be reviewing two books that have greatly helped me in my own downsizing before a move and rightsizing to enjoy my current home. The first is the international best seller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death-Cleaning: How to Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Clutter (2018) by Swedish artist Margareta Magnusson.
I love the title! The phrase "Death-Cleaning” can be startling!
Read MoreToday is Thanksgiving Monday — a day that Canadians give Thanks and express Gratitude for the goodness in our lives.
Expressing Gratitude can also be a significant part of downsizing, rightsizing and estate organizing.
During those times, I have found it helpful to have a Gratitude Chair.
Read MoreConfession: I sometimes have difficulty letting go of items in my own home. I may spout a good line about downsizing, rightsizing, and estate organizing, yet some days I can be brought to a standstill when I sort my own things. There is nothing I love more than unearthing a happy memory of my past. I am sentimental and sometimes nostalgic, and I can hold on to items well past their shelf-life. For this reason, I have an Ambivalence box.
Read MoreI am often asked: What do I do first? Where do I begin downsizing?
I believe there is no right answer of where to begin.
Two ways include:
Option 1: One room at a time.
Option 2: One category at a time.
Read MoreWhat does Rightsizing one's home mean? And who is doing it?
Rightsizing means reducing what is in one’s home as you prepare to move or so that you can stay where you are and enjoy your home more!
Read MoreWhether they are packrats or minimalists or somewhere-in-between, helping parents to downsize can be a challenging and meaningful experience!
Many of us as adult children will be called upon to help our parents downsize from a family home to condo or apartment. As you lend a hand, consider these questions together.
Read More
