Monthly Archives: March 2021

I am talking adult kids.  We’ve either gone through it or are going through it.  This, from the voice of experience.  We downsized when we moved to Las Vegas, losing an attic and huge garage.  That was storage, valuable real estate.

As organized as I was, we still had quite a bit of the “kid stuff.”  Now adults, I flew my kids home for a weekend of sorting, throwing, and re-evaluation.  They got the idea of a garage sale (their idea – not mine) and had a blast of a time with it.  By the way, those old science fair experiments in the attic?  Ewwww.  Dioramas disintegrate through the years as well. 

Yes, there comes a time when it’s time.  Keep the treasured memories (yearbooks, a few earned trophies/ribbons, favorite toys), but the rest?  The comment I heard most was, “WHY did you keep THIS?”

Their decisions made it easy for me to pack and move only what was necessary.  Soon after, when my kids had homes of their own… we made a road trip with the saved items in tow, (I always come bearing gifts), which my kids gladly now store in their own real estate. 

Another example is a client I worked with recently.  She and her husband were moving to a new state and downsizing.  They phoned their daughter on the East Coast and said: “Come home and sort your things or we will donate all.”  They had moved her “treasures” three times and enough was enough.  This resulted in a late night urgent call for me to come the next morning and help the daughter, which I happily did.  Once faced with the cost of shipping “treasures” to the East Coast, daughter became realistic real fast and in just four hours we had the problem under control with happy parents.  If only they had done this three moves ago.

Movers charge by weight.  Stuff costs money.  Stuff takes up room.  Kids still little kids?  All the more reason to sort and choose what to keep through the years.  Keep the best of the best each school year… the first cursive project, the first reader, the best spelling test.  Treasure the memories in your heart and you will thank me in a few years

Your dapper duds are only as stylish as where and how you hang them, so why not opt for the best of the best?  A great beginning is an efficient, functional and beautiful closet space and storage solution.  If you have the typical “builder’s grade” closet with one shelf and one hanging rod, consider enlarging that area with double hang, shoe shelves and using the wall space all the way to the ceiling with storage shelves.

If your closet has an odd shape, a sloped ceiling, a “cubbie,” use those spaces for belts, hats, colognes… get creative here.  There’s no such thing as an awkward or unusable space inside your closet.  Even the smallest nook can become a go-to catchall or perfect hideaway for treasures.

Preserve your wardrobe by saying NO to wire hangers, avoid overcrowding, and fold – don’t suspend sweaters and they will remain shapely.  If you have the shelf space fold your jeans allowing more hang space for trousers and dress pants.

Walk out your door dapper and happy with a spring in your step!  Well dressed and ready to face world, your clothes will love you back. 

If you are starting the task of organizing, take baby steps.  The process can be long and exhausting.  One section at a time.  When is the best time of day?  That’s up to you.  I like mornings when I am fresh, alert and the Nevada heat is still at its lowest.

Night owl?  Work on a drawer with a nice glass of wine and music while you sort.  Maybe the kids are tucked in and you can enjoy a couple hours with no interruptions. 

Some have energy after a work-out and may be grubby already, so tackle a couple things in the garage before your shower. 

In any event set a timer and allow yourself only that amount of time.  Start with an hour and build up to a few at a time.  Never let the task take over the entire weekend.  Stop for water, snacks or a meal… maybe order a pizza delivery as a treat and reward.

Wrap it up when the timer goes off and feel good about your accomplishment.

No one wants to discuss it.  Many don’t plan for it.  Denial is easier.  But the saying goes, “There are two sure things in life.  Death and taxes.”

Losing a loved one is never pleasant and the aftermath of dealing with their belongings and worse… the paperwork… is a daunting task to tackle when you are grieving.

You can always begin a conversation by suggesting that you are starting the process of your own advance planning paperwork and you would like them to understand your wishes.  Then segue into the fact that you aren’t aware of their wishes.  This is a great opening to begin the process of preparing the paperwork. 

Learn where your parent or loved one keeps important documents, passwords, social media accounts, online billing and subscriptions, all of which you will have to deal with eventually.  Are there keys stashed in a junk drawer that may be important?  Perhaps to a safe deposit box?

Maybe you visit frequently and an hour or so at a time you can help file paperwork or offer to clean up a pile here or there.  Ask about other items like furniture or artwork that may mean something to them, and you will need to responsibly donate, sell or decide to keep yourself when the time comes.

In any event, don’t fear the discussion.  It is healthy and smart to plan and prepare.

I recently helped a woman prepare to move out of state.  We were sorting the house, room by room, closet by closet and drawer by drawer.  The more she moved, the more expensive the move, so she was ready and willing to purge.

When we got to the bathroom cabinets, or shall I say abyss, they were packed and piled deep, high and impossibly disorganized.  Too elderly to crouch down and crawl under, she had simply added to the mess and had no idea what lay beneath.

As I started to “unpeel the onion,” she was stunned at all the hair products, sun protection, mani/pedi supplies, oral hygiene items, hair appliances, spa and facial lotions/potions, and over the counter meds I found as I crawled deep into that abyss. 

Most liquids and sprays were long expired, the appliances inoperable or unnecessary for her current lifestyle.  Sunscreens do expire and if an aspirin expired in 2008, it is surely not helpful.  Q-tips exposed and not contained are no longer sanitary.  Saving a squeezed-up toothpaste tube for that last drop?  Not worth it.

Six large garbage bags later, she was moving only what was absolutely necessary, and she vowed to say NO to that hairdresser who is forever selling her product she can’t remember how to use!

When the movers arrived… two small boxes were all it took to pack this bathroom.  Success.