From Here to There: Moving Tips
'Tis the season for moving! So I thought I would offer up some of my top moving tips. It's not an exhaustive list but should still be really helpful.
Top Ten of 2020
Little Red Stool Organizing has been official for 4 years now and it has been a delight to be in so many homes! Choosing only 10 after photos of all the hard work that went in to decluttering and organizing during a pandemic is going to be next to impossible. If I don't limit myself, though, you'll be here reading for days as I had the absolute honor of working in 33 households in 2020. I'm going to stick with sharing my favorites in chronological order to keep from really showing favorites. I love each and every client that I worked with this year and each of them deserves a reward for the work they did!
Permission: 5 Things You Can Let Go Of, Linen Closet
Today we’ll be in the linen closet. You may not have an entire dedicated to just linens but we will soon see that there are other things that can be tossed from what may only be by name the linen closet. In my experience linens are in dozens of different ways and places. And those linen closets hold much more than just linens. So let’s jump in and see what we can let go of today.
Permission: 5 Things You Can Let Go Of, Bedroom
Today we’ll be in the bedroom. Dressers, side tables, and beds all lend themselves to a few easy things to let go of to make your bedroom more peaceful for you. Whether it’s just you, you and your spouse, or your child’s room here are a few things you can easily take out.
Permission: 5 Things You Can Let Go Of, Bathroom
Today we’ll be in the bathroom. It turns out we spend, on average, 30 minutes a day in the bathroom. Anyone else think it would be higher? I guess it all just depends on what you’re doing in the bathroom. No matter how much time you spend, there are a few things you can let go of across the board fairly easily that may just shave a few minutes off of your time especially in the morning when you are getting ready.
Before You Suffer a Loss
Retired, empty-nester, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. In the middle of a session she said to me, "I'm glad I'm doing this now. I can't imagine having to go through this after suffering a loss." We were up to our necks in items that needed to be decided on.
Do the Hard Thing
Years ago I created the image below. Little did I know that I would be continually learning this. I’m not a huge fan of doing things that are hard for me. (Helping you declutter and organize is easy for me so never you fear!) I keep choosing to do the hard things first and I keep growing to be able to do more and more things.
What About the Sentimental Stuff?
Every February and August I run a fun game over on Facebook. Toward the beginning of the game I ask everyone what they think their biggest obstacle will be. Every round at least one person mentions "sentimental stuff." #LRSOMG is not the time to deal with sentimental stuff but I would like to address it for those of you who are ready to deal with sentimental belongings.
Board Games
I LOVE to play board games! This family had outgrown most of their games so it was easy to make decisions on which games to keep around.
One Tennis Ball
I'd like to tell you a story about how a tennis ball changed my perspective on junk. About eight years ago I did my first spending freeze experiment.
Parents and Their Grown Children
Two of the most common phrases I hear when I tell people what I do for a living are, 1. "You should see my house," and, 2. "My parents need you." We have put ourselves into storage units with all the stuff we collect and keep in our homes. And sometimes it's not even our own stuff! Whether you are the parent or the adult child, there is something for you in this article.
A Kitchen Issue: A Personal Story
I have had an issue in my kitchen that I've wanted a solution to for quite some time. I thought there would be a product that would be a quick fix but just couldn't find what would meet my needs. Sometimes the easiest solution is also the most simple solution. For example, instead of a complex strawberry huller, a knife will do. It turns out the same principle was true for my kitchen issue.
The Problem with Paper
The problem with paper isn't just that there is so much of it. The problem with paper isn't just that it's coming into our homes from every direction. The problem with paper isn't just that there is so much unsolicited paper. The problem with paper is all of these things on top of which we put...
From Here to There: Moving Tips
'Tis the season for moving! So I thought I would offer up some of my top moving tips. It's not an exhaustive list but should still be really helpful.
Squatters or Residents: Why it can be so difficult to let things go
If you've been around for a while you've noticed that I like a good analogy. I find it easier for people to understand what you are saying if they have a category to put it in. As with any analogy, sometimes you can't carry them over one-to-one but the spirit is what we're going for. When helping people see that they get to choose what stays in their homes and what leaves their homes this might be a good way for you to think about it.
Not Your Usual Suspects
During the month of April I ran a series on social media using #covidcleanout in which I posted a different area to focus on cleaning, decluttering, or organizing each weekday. They were not meant as a challenge but prompts for those who were looking to get some things done and just couldn't figure out where to work next.
Covid Cleanout
While we are staying home for the good of our friends, family, and neighbors let's take some time to clean out our spaces. That can look like whatever you want it to look like.
Need to declutter?
Need to actually clean?
Need to reorganize?
Need some structure?