"Dear, Tidy......I love you!" How does one write a book about themselves? What determines if my words are worth reading? Who am I to write down anything that anyone would ever take the time to read what I have to say? These thoughts have been swimming around in my mind for years now and I haven't the slightest idea how one begins to write a book. I guess I could begin with an alliteration... Today I must tidy, for too many a thing 'tis the reason for toxic waste in thought and tendency. Trash, turbulence and being too tired is the traffic that threatens and tears at my teacup filled with teeth and thunder. The topics in this thorough and thoughtful thread will be all about taking out the trash and transforming your (my) tracks. Tip top. Spit spot. Let's get tidy. Phew…. that was really fun. It's like painting with words. Today is Monday, November, 14th 2016, I'm about to be 40 years old in about 2 weeks and the country in which I live is treading in a tone of dissonance. I won't mention any names or point any fingers but many people are in total shock and I won't lie, I was too until I realized what it's all for. The last 8 years for me personally has been a period of much growth. I remember on that very night in November of ‘08 I felt the magic. "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” "The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on.” “We, The People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.” I could list them all and if you must remove the author’s name, there is an undeniable mystical divinity in every line. He spoke about change and personal responsibility and even though he incurred many protesters and disbelievers, I realized his message was for me. For most of my life I have lived in fear. Fear of others thoughts of me, fear of the world, fear of the unknown and the fear to make a decision without. I was tired of this fear and his words evoked a power and strength in me that could no longer be held back. His words still bring tears to my eyes and I might not ever fully understand why. Okay… if you're still reading, that means you haven't dismissed me based on my political views. If you're on the fence, let me assure you I know nothing about politics but I do know the power of words. And just a little side note-- This isn't a going to be a book about politics or religion. It's merely the background of my story. Obama's inspiring words and first-time-buyer’s program allowed me to build up the courage to buy my first home. In April of 2009 my son Julien was 2 1/2 years old and being a single mom and working a 9-5 went together like oil and water. I was too tired to play with my boy because doing chores in the evenings and on weekends took up most of our time. We lived in my mother's townhouse which was a 3-level, 3 bed 3 bath too-much-space-to-clean-and-keep-tidy home. I also wasn't able to afford the mortgage and I wanted something that was all mine. Something I had manifested from my heart. I hired a realtor and after several weeks of showings and not knowing what I wanted or where I wanted to live, she was downright frustrated with me and I think on our last venture she actually had a margarita in her water bottle. I guess I'm not the average buyer. It had to fit the budget which was teeny tiny, the location had to inspire me and I needed to feel it in my bones. So needless to say, I got in my car and started driving. I'd looked on-line for weeks and weeks. When I found one I liked it either needed too much work or it was in a bad location. On the last day of my search I had written down several addresses on a piece of scratch paper. I left work on my lunch break and drove from one for-sale sign to the next. Nothing spoke to me. I felt lost. Renting in Denver at that time was the same price as a mortgage and it seemed more practical to buy. It was the end of the day, the sun was setting and the road I was on curved around a cute little greenbelt. The thoughts in my mind were filled with doubt thinking that I had to rush to the daycare with nothing to show for the miles I had driven. All of a sudden I saw it. It kind of felt like that song from your childhood that you hear as an adult and when it comes on the radio and you are immediately transformed back into your child-like self. It felt like my heart was driving the car and carrying me forward towards this tiny little cottage from the 1950's and all I can tell you is that everything felt like it was drenched in a love bath. I saw the garden I would plant, the tire swing that would hang from the large oak in the back yard and the walks to the park after dinner with my sweet Julien. The sunsets in Colorado are like no other. Pinks, oranges, blues, lavenders and yellows, like the way a poem is written I was perfectly placed in front of what was soon to be my very own house of 685 square feet but this one wasn't on my list. I knew nothing about it but I felt it in every part of my being, like my first true love had found me....
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Hello my neat and tidy readers!
I just spent 3 days in San Francisco for the KonMari consultant training and it was absolutely amazing. I met women from all over the country and from outside of the US that have been inspired by this Japanese style of organizing and it was wonderful to see all the different types of people that are inspired by this book. If you are wanting to get your home or office organized but you don't have the budget for it, then I highly recommend reading it. Marie Kondo walks you through the process step by step and she also tells you why you must follow her method if you want your life to spark joy. I'm not fully certified yet but I hope to be very soon! Hello, my neat and tidy readers!
Today's blog is about being grateful. Have you ever noticed how being grateful can change your attitude in a millisecond? I'm not going to make this a long post, short and sweet will do just fine. I think the universe knew I needed a tiny break but my mind had a mini freak-out. Business has been a bit (very) slow and I started to panic. At the same time I had to deal with some unpleasantries I won't mention, took a trip to San Francisco to meet Marie Kondo for her 3 day consultant training, my youngest started kindergarten and my oldest son broke his wrist riding his scooter at the skate park. Honestly, there are so many more things I could mention but I promised to keep it short and sweet. Let's just say this business roller coaster can get some good air and and also fall in an instant. It's the end of August and in just this past week we signed up 6 new clients. People are coming out of the wood work to hire us to help them for everything you can imagine. Paper sorting, garage tidying, back to school prep and a whole home purge and organization and I'm grateful for them all and each one of them has been so grateful for me and my team in return. My team is the best! I'm not kidding. Two of the girls stayed 5 hours longer than scheduled last night and on a Sunday no less to help our client get ready for a move to Detroit. We also helped a mom organize her two daughter's closets and we helped another client sort her office paperwork and that was just this past weekend. We've had fun. We've laughed. We've bonded. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have each and every one of them. The team meeting is this Wednesday night and I will be sure to let them know how much I appreciate their efforts. I would be no where without them. It's true, I hired them because tidying alone can be slow and lonely and chit chatting while you work makes things so much fun! They bring so much more joy to tidying than I ever could've imagined and they teach me something new every time we work together. The above photo is a Facebook conversation I had with a new client who hired us to help her organize her closet. She's struggling with health issues on top of being a mom, an educator all while getting her PhD and she just hasn't had the time or energy to stay on top of it all. We really enjoyed her sweet little girls and their warm greetings. We've been back a second time and she has sent so many messages telling us how wonderful we are. We even had a new client tell us we didn't charge enough and so she paid us double my hourly rate. Just. Wow. Grateful. Happy Tidying, Everyone! Today's blog is inspired by this day of our Independence. Freedom has been on my mind for quite some time and I've been contemplating how to write on this very subject. (It's actually now August as I sit and finish this blog) The clients I've met lately have expressed this same desire for freedom. Freedom from their possessions, freedom from their clutter and freedom from their present state of consciousness which is a general feeling of a lack of inspiration. Some people "just aren't good at organizing". I've been an organizer for over ten years and most of the clients I've encountered have said these very words. These are people that have gone through physical or emotional trauma, people who weren't raised in an organized environment and people that just seem to be too busy. The answer to their dilemma is that they just have too much stuff! We all learned in kindergarten how to put together a puzzle and how to color inside the lines. So, when they say they can't put things back where they found them it's because there are too many items in their home to manage and none of their items have the proper home to begin with. I hate to say it, but it doesn't always have to be material items that make you feel cluttered. It can also be emotional clutter as well. When you walk into your home your mind should feel at peace and you should be able to face your closet or garage without wanting to close your eyes, wishing you were somewhere else. I've observed my clients over the years and people can hoard their past along with present material items. They may even go hand in hand. Did you ever think you could be a hoarder without looking like one? Mental clutter is real and if we aren't able to face it, we typically buy more stuff to keep the mental stuff stuffed away deep in our minds where we think it will never rise to the surface. But it eventually returns in some way or another and then you find yourself hiring someone like me to help you purge all of the items you no longer want or need. I know. Madness. It's so important to be mindful of your habits and tendencies IF you’re wanting to change them. My tendencies are to ignore issues until they turn into huge problems. When they become huge problems, I look back and realize had I just addressed the issue from the beginning then I probably wouldn't be paying double for that stinkin' parking ticket. Some people do this with their job, money, and relationships. Then we think if we fill our homes up with stuff we will be happy and feel confident. Nope. The problems you aren't addressing are still there and now they are buried under credit card debt and a closet full of clothes that you couldn't care less to wear. We have to deal with ourselves and we have to do it separate from every one else. Why do we run? Why do we ignore it? Why do we procrastinate? When did we learn these habits? And most importantly how do we change? Well I can't speak for you and the only reason I can write about these issues is because I've been there myself and have witnessed it with my clients. I was an un-tidy teen and young adult. I was an emotional wreck in college not knowing who I wanted to be or what inspired me the most. I tried fitting into the world and the more I tried the more I failed. All the while accumulating possessions, hoping it would fill the empty spot inside of me. My issues festered and grew until I couldn't stand the sight of myself any longer. Maybe my story is a little more dramatic than yours but I'm sure you can relate on some level. I looked around my apartment and realized I wasn't free to live my life. I was a slave to my possessions and my outer life was a direct reflection of my inner unhappiness. So I decided to get rid of everything I didn't love... oh and I found a new apartment 1/4 the size of what I was used to so I made it a point to keep only the things that would fit into my new space. It was a basement apartment in Cheeseman Park and back then in 2003 my rent was $350/month for a 400 sq. ft. studio. Today it would probably cost $900/month. Then I moved again and purged again. And Moved again and purged again. It seemed so necessary to "move" through this mental and physical clutter and where I ended up was with a dream to start my own business and in the cutest apartment ever where I was free to be spontaneous and live my inspired life. I sold my car and I sold my paintings to pay the rent. To make a long story short, I had to deal with me and my clutter before I could become who I had always wanted to be. And to get there I literally had to get rid of almost everything. No, I'm not perfect and thank god for that. Yes, I still go back to the drawing board to re-create certain areas of my life. But had I stayed the old me with all my clutter not addressing my mental obstacles, living in a space that didn't inspire me, I'd never be where I am today. So are your personal belongings and living space a direct reflection of your dreams and desires and most importantly your ability to live a freedom-filled life saturated with spontaneity? Yes, and I urge your to try it. Happy Tidying, Everyone! Hello my neat and tidy readers,
This week’s story is of pure inspiration, serendipity, and not a little sympathetic resonance. And believe it or not, it all started with a blog. I arrived promptly at our meeting time of 5:30 PM for a consultation with a potential new client. The information I had gathered up to that point was that of a woman who was in need of help taking some tasks off of her plate. As per usual, having no idea what to expect, I pulled up to her house in my trusty white Kia Sportage. I Put my car in park. Set the alarm (beep beep). Closed my eyes to take in the warmth of the evening sun and instantly a surge of love and bliss almost bowled me over. Keys and phone in bag. New client forms in hand. I really need to get my car washed. Ok. I’m ready. I could hear her music from the street. I knocked on the door and she answered with a side pony of tousled strawberry blonde hair and in what looked to be her workout gear. Very trim and fit, her petite and muscular frame was the epitome of health and vitality. Her home, absolutely stunning. I can usually tell when an artist lives in the house because it looks, well, like a piece of art. Linear and minimalist decor, exquisite color palette and everything in a well calculated station. To all you messy artists, I said usually. Seeing her home left me wondering why she had me there at all. Then came the typical cup of coffee, (but this time it was homemade vitamin water that she had made with frozen blueberries, lime and mint and it was oh-so-yummy) followed up by a friendly introduction and a tour of her home. She showed me the main floor which consisted of the living room, her office, the kitchen, laundry room and a bed and bath. Up the stairs we went. Often I find that people can be very guarded when it comes to putting their homes and lives in order, and many times they like to vet the person that they’ll be sharing their intimate details with. I find these meetings to be especially exhilarating, and I love sharing my philosophy with new people. As she lead me along, it was clear that she was very trusting. She held nothing back as she expressed her dissatisfaction for the minimal storage in her lofted bedroom. I of course saw nothing but perfection. Vaulted ceilings, butterfly café lights strewn above her bed and her artwork on the walls. One of them was an astute drawing of Jim Morrison. To me It was clear she desired freedom. Internal freedom. At the beginning of the consultation, I sensed almost immediately the desperate situation of my possible future client. She was a lovely young woman, and very sweet, but I could literally see a phantom heaviness that she seemed to carry and her tone of voice said that she was emotionally numb. It was evident in her face and shoulders that she was carrying burdens far too heavy for anyone to bear alone. I followed her out to the backyard where she had a very bohemian setup of a loveseat, throw rug, an old chest, which looked like it belonged on a pirate ship and some happy plants along with two cats parading in and out of the back door. We then sat down and talked about her goals for herself: -Help me get my calendar in order. -I need help checking emails to stay on top of them. -Maybe help me pull some weeds too. -I used to cook a lot so maybe I need to get back into that. -I used to do a lot of things…. As our conversation continued, she really opened up to me. She slowly explained that she had experienced some serious trauma in her life and her past had been hard to shake. I listened intently. I cannot reveal the tragedies of her life, for I told her I wouldn’t. She listed the details of the horrors she had experienced at the ripe old age of 29 and I could see she was somewhat ready to take the first steps toward setting things aright. She also made it clear she wanted to hire someone that didn’t know her, someone that would hold her accountable to checking things off of her to-do list and to basically help get her confidence back. She thought that maybe I could help. Me. To say the least, it was very humbling. We then talked some more about life and what it is that makes us happy and sad. She’s traveled the world and her eyes lit up like sparklers on the 4th of July when she spoke of her time in Italy. The lover she found there. Her writing. She now has a hard time getting out of bed and suffers from PTSD. “I think I have to start over from when I was a kid and re-learn everything.” This is the part of the consultation where I like to interject my spiritual take on organizing when its appropriateness is made clear. After listening to her words of “I feel hopeless and helpless” and seeing the look on her face of pure fear and uncertainty, I felt it time to to share with her some profound words that my mentor has taught me, words that have delivered me from many of my own light and dark moments. "Don't attach yourself to the outcome.” Which is to say, it doesn't matter what you accomplish so long as you're developing self-love and are remaining present, in the moment. Self-love means you're doing the things for your own self-approval and recognition and no one else's. If the dishes are dirty in the sink, and the laundry is on the couch unfolded, which is also a current description of my home, it doesn't mean that you're a failure. It means that you're human. She had the idea, as do many of us, that if everything is perfect and in order on the outside, then everything will be perfect and in order on the inside, and let’s face it, this is rarely the case. She admitted that keeping things in their place was her therapy and it gave her a sense of control. But this method had yet to exonerate her from the depths of hell she described so clearly. She was in fact a prisoner to her own thoughts. I then explained to her that it had been my experience that true peace can only be realized in the moment, when you don't let the end result dictate your emotions or your present state of being. She paused for several seconds and it was like a whirlwind came by and took a wisp of her angst. "Wow," she said. "Freedom," I said. Our conversation went on for quite a while, and by this point we had been about as vulnerable as two strangers can possibly be with each other. I shared with her my own struggles and my own setbacks along the path, she shared more of herself as well, and I caught sight of a lovely smile slowly spreading across her face. And before I knew it, even those tensed shoulders started to relax and that smile had spread to my own face, and we were chatting like a couple of old friends, just catching up. She told me of her love for the book The Alchemist, as she flipped through it she showed me her notes in the margin of nearly every page. Most of her hesitancy had left, and a comfortability had taken its place. My consultations are normally 30 minutes long and an hour at the maximum. I looked at my phone and 2 hours had passed. Blink. As we both transitioned from our chairs, she moved to sit on top of the deck railing as if to view things from a higher vantage point. She told me that she didn't want to compare her accomplishments with others anymore. She said that it always leaves her feeling empty and like a failure. I told her, the only person that I ever compare myself with is who I was yesterday and that I try to ride the waves of my experiences like a surfer. Stay on top. Know you will eventually fall and you need to. Have to. But stay under for too long and it might take your life. She loved that. We made our arrangements to meet later, where we’d share the liberating task of organizing her material life, and removing one more burden from those weary shoulders. She called our meeting fortuitous and I left her with a hug and when we parted I told her she was beautiful. And that was the truth. Geez. I guess I never knew how meaningful a blog could be. I walked towards my car and closed my eyes once more to feel the glow and strength of the sun setting behind the Rocky Mountains. It truly is a reflection of us all. Our meeting ironically happened during Pride Fest. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a day for lovers of all kinds to celebrate each other and as I drove through Denver on my way home, I regarded all the hand-holding and the freedom-ringing these lovers displayed. The skipping along in every kind of costume and color as if to convey to the neigh sayers “eff you, I’ll love who I wanna love and I’ll live for me” reminded me of myself and I have a tiny suspicion that my client is about to feel that way too, very soon. Happy Tidying, Everyone! I think Spring cleaning is a worldwide phenomenon. In the last month I've received several calls about people wanting to get organized or to help with packing because they're moving out of their old homes or are moving into a new one. There is something to be said for this fortuitous season and I believe it's about cleaning up the death that Winter has left behind. I’ve noticed not only are people wanting to get organized in their homes but in their relationships as well. Everyone I've spoken with in the last few weeks has gone through a break up or emotional transition of some sort and none of them seem to be remorseful! They actually seem to be excited to move into the new season with a strong sense of optimism and desire to be organized and that's why I love Spring! Fresh starts, new beginnings and new inspirations to live life. For myself, I have to end my relationship with all of the dust bunnies and unused items laying around the house that have accumulated over the last several months. This is truly a feeling of being cleansed from the inside out. Sometimes this is difficult when you are stuck in a rut of not knowing what to do. What I do to purge a subject in my life, i.e. clothing, kitchen items, garage, icky emotions, etc., and I say “subject”, because we often have items of the same subject stored in different places in the house, is I pull everything out for that particular subject and sort by category. The kitchen is my most favorite to organize regularly because items get lost and food expires and when new food comes in there always seems to be less and less room. I take everything out of cupboards and drawers purging old food and wipe off what's staying. I use the dining room table and put like items together. Once you've done this, your kitchen will look worse than when you started, but it is necessary so that you may take an inventory of your items and then put them in the proper place. This project will probably take you all day or over the course of a weekend so I tend to only do it twice a year. Or if you're pressed for time, do it in sections, i.e. pantry and food cupboards then in the next session tackle the food storage, match lids to containers. I do, however, recommend that if you can’t do the entire kitchen in one session, then I would wait until you can. Firstly, If you're having trouble getting started, try to do a visualization of how you'd like for your kitchen to look and if you don't know then try to imagine how you want your kitchen to feel. I like to look on Pinterest or Apartment Therapy websites to give me inspiration and then I just get started. Turn on your favorite music, illicit some help from a friend, pour a glass of wine or do whatever you need to to accomplish your goal. If you find yourself hemming and hawing about making decisions, you'll never get started. So just start! Front-facing things on the shelves or buying lazy susans really helps to display what you have. You can purchase organizing containers to help store things more efficiently, and if you're on a budget, I recommend going to the thrift store or to discount stores like TJ Maxx. I don't typically recommend buying anything prior to your purge unless it's something small like drawer organizers or shelf risers. If you do purchase thing prior to tidying, you may end up buying things you don't need and then returning them may prove to be challenging. As you go through your items you'll get a sense of what you really use and what you don't. Taste buds change and for my family, the infamous baking items like sprinkles and frosting get stored and end up in the very back of the cabinet never to be seen again until the following year and by then they've expired. So for now, we make our own frosting if we even use it at all, and the sprinkles get thrown out after holiday baking. My kitchen is rather small and cooking for my family is easy because I tend to only buy what we use for that particular week. I have spices but not too many and I have a few canned goods but other than that I don't store packaged items simply because I don't have the room. This doesn't work for all families but for example, we have a few bags of granola, and for breakfast my family usually eats fruit, sausage and toast or cereal. On weekends I'll make pancakes or french toast which all require minimally packaged ingredients. This is also a good time to evaluate your eating habits, and if you want to lose weight or have more energy, limiting processed or packaged food is a great place to start. Ok. You've done it. You've separated the what-you're-keeping and the what-you're-pitching. When you notice there are several bags of expired food that are headed for the trash, don't panic! This is a good exercise in really seeing what is important to keep and how to be more efficient with grocery shopping lists and meal planning. You’ll also save money by doing this because you won’t be throwing away unused food. Bonus! Now everything is organized, wiped off and ready to be put back. I like to put messy items, such as coconut oil and honey, in little dishes to sit on in my shelves so they don't get sticky or oily. I also like to keep baking items in baskets or trays so that when we do bake, I can pull it down, find the items I need, and then easily put it back when we are finished. Above my stove are the items I use for dinners such as pasta, oatmeal and canned beans. Above the toaster is the coconut oil, honey and things we don't use very often. The dishes go to the right and left of the sink to make it easy to put them back (I don't have a dishwasher, but if you have one, your dishes should be right above or as close as possible to the dishwasher.) I deep clean the fridge twice a year as well. If you are a busy household you might need to do it more often, but I try to wipe out the fruit and veggie drawer as they empty, and I wipe shelves clean with a vinegar and water solution just before my trip to the grocery store. Little ones love to help clean so their job can be pulling everything out of the fridge door, wiping them off, and putting them back. If you have no extra hands to help, then wipe as you go, for this will make it more manageable. The oven needs a little cookie sheet on the bottom shelf to catch crumbs, vinegar and baking soda are wonderful for cleaning the spots caked with grease. On a side note, you must schedule room for tidying your home on a regular basis. If you let it pile up, you will feel overwhelmed. I once had a colleague tell me that even in high school her Sunday evening ritual was to put everything back in order so that she could feel at ease about starting the new week. Now, if you've taken the time to survey, purge and clean your entire kitchen, you should feel a sense of accomplishment. If you still have the infamous kitchen junk drawer or the under-the-sink cleaning items in disarray, you might still feel a twinge of disorder inside of yourself, but once it is completed, freedom should be the dominant emotion and who doesn't want to feel more of that? Happy Tidying Everyone! Spring has sprung and it's time to put those heavy scarves away for the next 6 months. The KonMari method is quite useful, author of Spark Joy, and helps to display folded items in a way that's both visually pleasing and keeps things neat and tidy. If you have the drawer space I highly recommend trying this and depending on your drawer size, you'll have to try a few different folding methods to make it fit your space. If you don't have drawer space but haven't purged in a while then I would urge you to do so. Keeping things tucked away in drawers allows your bedroom to feel lighter and more open.
Happy Tidying, Everyone! Hello! I've been missing for a bit but now I'm back. It's been a crazy few months and I'm just ecstatic that Spring is almost here!!
I had the most amazing clients a few weeks back and I'm just tickled to get to share my experience with you. I received an email requesting a consultation. When I arrived I met with a husband and wife that were clearly distraught and very overwhelmed. As they told me their story I began to understand the very reason why they were needing my services. They have a daughter with severe ADHD and possible bi-polar disorder. She needs 24/7 care and on top of both of their careers their lives consist of the constant monitoring of moods and behaviors all while trying to keep their heads and home above water. Usually when I meet clients like these it's very apparent that they are capable of being organized but their lives don't allow them the energy or time it takes to get there. Their main concern was that their daughter had too much stuff throughout the house and didn't like being in her bedroom. They wanted all of her things sorted, purged and then put back in the right place so that they could help her manage her things better. One thing I had to take into consideration was that if I changed anything in her room, i.e. furniture placement, it could severely affect her in a very negative way. So I made sure that before my team and I were to begin they needed to ask her what things could go and what could stay. I arrived with my team of 4 ready to get started and the first thing they said was that she wanted nothing to change and she wanted us to just pick up the floor. The mother was having severe anxiety and let us know she was very worried about what her daughters' reaction would be when she came home to her new room. Jamie and I worked in her bedroom while April and Zoe worked on everything else in the living room and basement. Her bedroom was filled to the brim with stuffed cats and art projects. It was purple and pink and you could tell she was a very intelligent 11 year old with her love of books and the solar system. We discarded everything Dad said she didn't play with anymore. Mom was very sentimental about the clothes that no longer fit and the things she no longer cared for. She actually had to leave for a bit because it was so emotional for her and I don't blame her in the least bit. De-cluttering can be a very sensitive issue especially when it involves someone that is so dear to you. After 5 hours and all of our fingers crossed we finished. The parents were relieved and I was scheduled to come back the following day to meet their daughter and to go over everything with her. The hours following were a tiny bit stressful because I too was worried about her reaction. We didn't follow her direction and in fact we changed almost her entire room. The following day I arrived with a tiny orchid as a room warming gift. She was in her room and her parents said they hadn't been able to get her to come out! SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH ALL OF THE CHANGES WE MADE!!! I let her use my label maker to mark all of her art supply boxes we had organized in the living room and I showed her exactly where everything went. We came up with a plan to make clean-up easier and she was very proud of her new room. I have to say this was the best experience I've had with a client up to this point. She was so grateful and newly inspired to be in her little world. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she thought of all the things she could do now that the clutter was out. Mom and Dad were happy that she was happy, not to mention relieved that it was now all very manageable. At the end of my meeting with the daughter she handed me a thank you note that she had made for me. This day happened to land on Valentine's Day so it was full of hearts and love. I think it's the best Valentine I've ever received. Happy Tidying, Everyone! "Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” -Henry FordI Just saw this quote and it let me breathe a little easier. I don't believe in failure and I think it should be called something more compassionate like "whoops" or "did I really just do that again?" Happy Monday!
Sometimes you just have to go all in and say eff it to fear and illusion. I've encountered some of the most amazing people in the last few days all of whom are new and old clients. The first person is a lady that just survived cancer and is probably the most beautiful woman I've ever met. She and her husband have a teenage son and he wanted to go to East Highschool so badly they moved from their 2m dollar home and squeezed into a tiny apt for 9 months just so he could be in district. While they lived in the tiny apt they allowed a family that was going through a tough time to use their home while they got back on their feet. The fact that she survived cancer is a feat in and of itself but her willingness to live spontaneously is what captivated my attention.
The 2nd person is an attorney who does pro-bono work for people in shelters, who are homeless. She lost her husband a few years ago to cancer and shes had to learn how to take care of everything for herself all alone with 20 years of memories and things in her house. Her voice sounds like a song bird when she speaks but I can see the fear in her eyes. I gave her a hug at the end of her consultation. I sensed that it surprised and comforted her. Since we've started the work in her home she's gone through a lot of physical challenges and so it seems that a lot of pent up emotions are being purged. The 3rd person is a woman who is a self-chosen single mother that adopted a boy from Russia when he was a year old. She is severely struggling with his violent behavior and he is only 7 years old. I see how strong she is but the fear of what to do with him is getting worse. Still day in and day out she loves this boy even if it means sacrificing her own happiness and the possibility of being with the man she loves. The 4th person is a woman who runs a rape crisis center and is a psychologist. I helped her organize her closet. The few times I've seen her, we've laughed and laughed about why dating sucks, about funny pet stories, and about the reality of rape. She tells me stories about the people she sees in her clinic but if you met her you'd never know what she did for a living because she's so light and carefree. I see these women weekly and I observe them in their lives. I try to see myself in them because I know there is a part that is a reflection of me and there's something for me to learn. Well, what we all have in common is that we are all women with a choice. The cancer survivor makes the choice to be happy, she smiles the whole time I'm at her house. The attorney makes the choice to help others even though she is faced with many painful life experiences including the death of her husband. He's been gone for over 5 years and we are just now donating all of his belongings so she can get ready to sell her home. The 4th person teaches yoga on top of running the rape crisis center. She makes the choice every day to go to a place that has little to no funding and isn't supported by the police dept. She does it merely because people need help. Well who the hell am I to complain about anything....ever? I'm no one compared to these strong self-made women. Or maybe they are a reflection of my strength and their faces tell me I can do it no matter what comes down the line. I'm sure there are many lessons I will learn from all of them just by being in their presence. One thing I'm learning is that tragedy or difficulty is really just put in our path to make us realize what strong human beings we truly are. I paid 3k in taxes yesterday and I was very close to writing a thank you note to the IRS for giving me the opportunity to be honest and make a living. I must be crazy but I was really excited to write the check simply because I had the money to pay it. Attitude and attention are the only two things we own and can control and I’m grateful for being able to tell you this story. Thanks for reading this. Kate So I have some inspiring news to share. I started working for a new client back in September. She's a single mother and working professional. She hired me to help her get her entire home organized and to help weekly with errands, laundry etc. Our conversations from the very beginning were very open and honest and she told me how she longed for a husband with whom she wished to share her life. I believe it was on our first meeting that I bet her that she would find him shortly after we started cleaning out the clutter and getting her home life in order. Over the months she's gone on some pretty disappointing dates but sure enough she has found her person.
Your living space is a direct reflection of your state of consciousness. If there's clutter then you are stagnating the flow of your harmonious life. Now for my part of the story. Over the past few months I've been longing for more meaning and spontaneity in my chosen profession. My week consisted of 4 personal assistant clients plus an office job one day a week. Every week was the same. Laundry, grocery shopping and errands. I was rarely getting any organizing clients and I was longing for that connection with people that needed my help. A few weeks ago a client and I mutually agreed to part ways and another client needed Wednesdays only so I had to give that client to my new employee. I was terrified of the financial implications but a wonderful feeling of peace came over me when I let the changes happen. A voice inside of me said it's all perfect, you'll see. Within a week my phone started ringing off the hook with new clients and I'm making more money now than I was before. The sayings "there are no guarantees in life" and "nothing stays the same" are both hitting me in the face but for reasons that aren't negative. There's something to be said for listening to your intuition and to what our hearts yearn for. No, there are no guarantees in life and yes, I may lose my business tomorrow or be struck with a terminal illness or I might become a millionaire...who knows. All I do know is that I only have the present moment and when I live in the moment, faith and love carry me home. I can only succeed. I can only win. I am the creator of my universe. Happy Tidying Everyone! p.s. "Leap and the net will appear" isn't just a cheesy post on FB and I know plenty of people who can personally testify to this. Take the leap. Ask for help. Find your passion and let love in. It's the only thing that can truly change us, for love isn't an emotion it's a state of being. So what does love have to do with it? EVERYTHING!!! Happy Tidying, Everyone! No, it's not just a song by Janet Jackson. Lately I've been looking around my living space and I'm tired of it. But nothing excites me more than coming up with new ideas to make me love it again. So last night I decided it was time to do just that. No, I didn't run to IKEA or Target to buy new bedding or furniture. I simply rearranged and dusted and cleaned my house from top to bottom. I moved pictures and furniture and I placed fresh flowers throughout. This opened me up to more inspiration of ideas. I live in a house that is 685 sq. ft. with 2 little boys and 2 dogs and believe me, being organized is the only thing I have when it comes to functioning on a somewhat sane level.
I did the same thing with my closet. I took out all of the clothes that physically made me feel icky inside and i put them in a pile to donate. I then took out all the clothes that would never fit again (so be it and I'm fine with that) and I made a pile to give to my younger step-sis. I then put some coat hooks on the inside of the door for hanging purses and I also organized all of the clothing by season (and no, not by color because I'm not that picky). Next was the fridge. I pulled out all things moldy and that had been shoved to the very back for more than a few weeks. Yes, even professional organizers sometimes let things go. I pulled out all the shelves wiped them off and put everything back in a neat and orderly fashion. Then I tackled the pantry, laundry room and cabinets. Now remember, my space is only 685 sq. ft. so what will take me maybe a couple of hours to organize might actually take you days so don't try to accomplish everything all on at once. A wise man says, "slow and steady wins the race!" My 2 boys share a room and once a quarter or a little more often I make them pull out their bins of toys and I have them take out everything they are finished playing with. We take out clothes that are too stained to wear and donate those too. We also rearrange photos and toys on display to make it look like new. Hello, parents! Kids can't keep their rooms clean because they have too much stuff. You think you're overwhelmed with their rooms as an adult? Well their little minds are even more overwhelmed because they don't know how to just say no. Trips to Target don't equal a new something-or-other and the memories of love and quality time is irreplaceable and can't be donated to the Goodwill. Now for the outside. Overgrown trees, disheveled rose bushes, dirty windows, etc. etc. I was so overwhelmed I had to ask for help. I hired my neighbor to do the tree trimming because he has a chainsaw. Not only did he trim the trees but he hauled all the branches off to the dump. I hosed down the outside of the house and washed windows inside and out. I've added a few flower boxes and pots and Voila! my home now has some curb appeal. After about a month of a few hours here and a few hours there my house is in tip top shape! It feels like a new house and my children even noticed the changes in the furniture and photos. I feel newly inspired when I come home and adding fresh flowers once or twice a month does wonders. The new plan to keeping it this way? I have to implement the 15 minute rule. Everyone pitches in picking up for 15 minutes every night before bed because I'd rather spend my weekends with my children playing and having fun than stuck in the house making us all feel like slaves. My oldest who is 8 is in charge of folding laundry and putting it away. My youngest who is almost 4 is in charge of putting away groceries and putting laundry in and out of the washer and dryer. I also make them make their beds every day (almost every day). Happy Tidying, Everyone! I am turning 37 in a few days and it seems like yesterday that one of my bffs and i were driving down the road in my '74 cherry red vw bug. With the Beastie Boys blaring in the background, smoking cigarettes (our parents would've killed us if they knew) wearing our ripped jeans and our stringy long hair hanging in our faces (grunge was in back then), and it didn't matter because at that moment we had the world at our finger tips. Our birthdays are one day apart....
"we're 17, we're soooooo old!" ...we said in unison with a little annoyance in our voices. Ha! If we had only known. As we turned left onto a neighborhood street driving away from our high school it didn't seem like we were making history, but looking back, sitting at that stop light, saying those few words didn't seem so monumental at the time but still to this day that memory is as vivid as this computer screen i see before me. That was 20 years ago. Holy shit. 20. 2 decades. I'm such a different person now than I was back then. I own my own home and business, I have two boys and i'm a single mom.... this isn't the story I would've written for myself but it's all mine. I own every word and chapter. I wouldn't change a syllable or any of the punctuation either (and there have been a lot of expletives, but necessarily so). I've learned I have every food allergy under the sun and am trying to heal my gut. This proves to be my longest obstacle thus far and I've surrendered it knowing I will be guided in the right direction. However, chocolate still seems to be my greatest weakness. I've learned I am a leader and not a follower and I think I just realized that right now in this very moment. Thank you, moment! I've learned that being a parent is the hardest job you'll ever have. I am thankful for the two parents I was given and I'm glad they taught me what I needed to know to stand on these two feet. I've learned that if you aren't true to who you are you can create negative situations for yourself that might last a lifetime. I've also learned that if you are true to yourself you'll create positive situations that might also last a lifetime. I've learned that how i see the world is how the world sees me. We're a mirror you and me and I like my reflection to make me feel proud, not pathetic. I've learned that your thoughts become your reality and if you think of joy and peace then it can only be evident in your life by the mere smile on your face. Most importantly, I've learned that love is what we're all looking for and I've found it. My spiritual endeavors are now what sustain me. I don't make a move without checking inside to see how it resonates with that feeling of love. I'm still in shock that I was chosen to live this life. What a propitious lifetime indeed. This has been a very long process in getting my life organized and going in the direction that I had envisioned. I used to be unhappy with my life until I realized I'm the only one who could do something about it. I was always late, always rushing and always forgetting things. People couldn't depend on me and my oldest son made painful comments about how I never followed through with things. After 2 kids, a divorce and attempting to start a business I realized how important it was to not procrastinate any longer. So, I can hear you asking "Kate, what did you do next?" Well, I read a few books like The Four Agreements and Parenting with Love and Logic. Then I started hanging out with small business owners. That's right. I realized if I wanted to be a business owner I needed to start associating with those that shared my hunger to make a buck without someone standing over me. I whipped up a website, had some new business cards printed and had faith that the business would show up. And you know what? It did! And now we're so busy we are going to have to start hiring people soon! I started my organizing business because I love the feeling of accomplishment. I can control an environment by taking a mess and turning it into a functional space. Not to mention the feeling during the process which is total and utter bliss, I get to take other peoples lives and transform them right before their very eyes. At the end of the day I remember I am no longer sitting on the sidelines of my life. I'm the quarterback and my aim is impeccably precise. I will be successful simply because there is no other option. |
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