Are you preoccupied with finding the perfect gift for the special someone in your life? Do you have a budget in mind? Do you have an idea of what to get for each person on your list? In this post, I share some holiday gift ideas that won’t break the bank, won’t contribute to the recipient’s “stuff,” and will hopefully make someone very happy.
Read MoreSometimes the holiday season gets chaotic and you find yourself busy running from one party, event, or family gathering to another. If you don’t enjoy the hectic pace and are dreading the holiday season, now’s a good time to think about it and plan ahead.
Read MoreA lot of effort can go into meal preparation, but struggling with your kitchen shouldn’t be part of it. If you’re looking at redesigning your kitchen to make meal prep activities easier, here are some helpful areas to look at prior to getting started. Begin by establishing a budget for the overall kitchen renovation, including the cost of doing the labour as well as appliances or any other materials you’ll need to buy.
Read MoreOur daughter is moving into her first apartment very soon and has been going through her books, papers, clothing, jewelry, purses, etc. It is a time consuming task, even though she only has one room to pack up. This got me thinking and reinforced a message I try to impart whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Read More
Since selling your home isn’t a decision taken lightly, it makes sense to prepare carefully for an open house event. We all want to receive top dollar and want to sell quickly. By presenting your property well, you set yourself up for success!
Read MoreGuest post by Jackie Waters.
Cleaning and organizing your home is an important part of keeping it healthy for yourself and your family, especially during certain months of the year when dust, pollen, or other allergens are at their highest. Whether you want to downsize and remove a lot of clutter from each room or just find a more eco-friendly way to clean things up, there are many things you can do to whip your house into shape and make it a healthy retreat after a long day.
Read MoreGuest Post by Paul Denik
Millions of people live with Alzheimer’s disease, some residing in assisted living facilities, while others live at home, cared for by their families. These loved ones serve as unpaid caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Read MoreWhen Jade and her daughter moved to their new apartment, they owned little more than the clothes they were wearing. That first night in their new home, they slept fitfully on the bare floor covered with a thin blanket, cold and uncomfortable. Helping Jade was my little way of paying it forward.
Read MoreLast week, I delivered a car full of items to the Eco Center located at 7272 Saint-Patrick Street in Lasalle: Styrofoam, old electronics, metal, odd pieces of wood, packaging imprinted with the number 6, old chemical products and paint, used batteries and light bulbs, even torn and stained fabric. In addition to the items enumerated, Eco Centers also accept construction material.
Read MoreMy parents are ever so pleased. They are decluttering their freezers by using up their frozen food - when it’s just the two of them, and when they entertain.
My parents live in beautiful Burlington, VT and escape our blustery Northern winters in Arizona. This year, their flight to Scottsdale is scheduled for early December.
Read MoreWhen is it time to let go of your dining room table and chairs, china cabinet, sofa? How about when you’re moving to a senior’s residence or to a smaller place and you have neither the room- nor the need- for these pieces. I have worked with a few people who were downsizing, who would have liked to sell their gorgeous and beloved dining room sets, but who were simply unable to find a buyer. It seems that more people these days prefer IKEA-type furniture, rather than an older classic style dining room set. Sometimes it’s even difficult to give these pieces away! I’m struggling to find a recipient for a client’s china cabinet at this moment.
Read MoreFall officially arrived yesterday and, as if on cue, the Montreal weather has turned cooler. I happily traded shorts and a sleeveless top for jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. Autumn is my favorite season, characterized by the vibrancy of mustard, ketchup, and relish coloured leaves, fluttering in the breeze and carpeting the ground.
Read MoreAs a Montreal professional organizer, I’ve worked with clients who struggle with chronic disorganization, and am very pleased to be increasing my knowledge in this area.
I have recently joined the ICD, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization.
Read More
Many of us have moved to digital and hardly receive any mail at all. However, not everyone has, and this blog is addressed to those of you who haven’t. What I find helpful is to take whatever mail I have received to my desk and take a few minutes daily to sort it - mail is recycled, shredded, filed, or placed on my desk to be dealt with that day.
Read MoreI can’t even bear to think about the possibility. Mikee, my brother, could have had a massive heart attack had his cardiologist not sent him for an angiogram.
Read MoreThe Happiness Project
Imagine spending an entire year in the pursuit of happiness! I’m reading Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, and am finding it extremely interesting. This book was a New York Times’ best seller, so I’m not alone. Rubin spent a year trying to make herself into a happier person, studying the art of happiness as she went along. Her goal for January, the first month of her project was “Boost Energy.” This involved getting more sleep, exercising, and… decluttering.
As a Professional Organizer, I derived immense satisfaction from Rubin’s decision to begin the endeavour by tackling the clutter in her apartment.
Read MoreBarbara McDonell is a professional organizer based in British Columbia. The following tips have been reproduced, with permission, from her July Clutter Queen Newsletter.
Read MoreMy birthday month is over. I turned sixty on June 5th and am still celebrating. Sixty! Wow! In my mind, sixty is a powerful and exciting age. A few acquaintances are currently dealing with health issues, some serious. Knowing that makes me want to take care of my body in a mindful way. I love my work as a professional organizer and strive to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Here’s how.
Read MoreJanis Roth was one of my elementary school classmates. At Westminster School, we lined up alphabetically. I was always behind her in line—Rothman directly following Roth. She was smart, sweet, pretty, and slender. Although we regarded each other fondly, Janis and I never became close friends, and lost touch after school ended. Today, I think about Janis’s untimely death and the Empathy Effect.
Read More