After my father passed away at the end of January, my sister and I took two months to clear out our family apartment (as I described in Home is Where the Heart Is). Although most of our parents’ possessions were sold, donated, or discarded, I brought home a bag of things that I just didn’t feel right about throwing away. These things were not valuable or even of great sentimental value. They were simply items that my parents had held on to for many…
Read more →As I mentioned last time, I recently upgraded my sound system to a wireless solution using Sonos. In the process, I sold my Bose Wave Radio/CD Player on eBay and made a nice amount of cash. Once I was in the eBay groove, I started listing other items in my home that I wasn’t using anymore. In the last two months, I have netted over $400 on eBay. Even more than the cash intake, I appreciate getting items out of…
Read more →My very first apartment was a studio apartment. It was one large room in which I ate, slept, and entertained. I loved it. One of the things I loved most about it was that I could put on music and hear it from anyplace in the apartment. As my life changed and I upgraded to a one-bedroom and subsequently a two-bedroom apartment, I missed being able to hear my music as I walked from one room to the next. I…
Read more →Recently, I picked up a copy of the magazine “Secrets of Getting Organized”, which is put out every spring by Better Homes and Gardens Special Publications. I had been included in an article in this magazine in the past, and was curious to see which of my colleagues were being quoted this year. The photos in this magazine were fantastic. Every home looked pristine and relaxing. The organizing ideas were creative and the decor color-coordinated. That’s when it hit me….
Read more →I often hear the phrase “just in case” when I am helping clients reduce their clutter. I will pick up an item and ask, “Do you ever use this?” The client will say, “No, but I want to keep it just in case.” I work through this with the client, exploring the various scenarios in which this item will be needed again, and how likely these scenarios are. I usually conclude, “And in the unlikely event that you need it, you can…
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